The Girl's Favor
"So, to process the long-term residence permit, there is a fee of one gold coin, and a guarantor is needed. This way, if you cause any trouble, we have a lead. Aren't the specific requirements all posted over there? Can't you read it yourself?"
The man behind the counter pointed wordlessly at the board beside him.
The characters on it were unreadable to Subaru, but he understood the main point—just like in the real world, processing paperwork required money.
And Subaru was completely broke, so he was stuck at the very first step.
"Excuse me, then I will be his guarantor. Here is the processing fee."
"Julius? Understood, please wait a moment."
Julius inserted himself into their conversation.
It was obvious Reinhild had entrusted Subaru to him.
Trusting his close friend's judgment, Julius proactively volunteered to be Subaru's guarantor.
Of course, this was also a favor to ease Subaru's situation, making it easier to invite him later as a guest.
As Julius had expected, after the paperwork was done, Subaru hesitated for a moment but then accepted Julius's invitation.
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The location was a restaurant beside the main avenue at the royal capital's main gate.
It was getting somewhat dark, and Subaru, now in formal wear, met the adult Julius wanted him to meet.
She was a lively-looking girl with light purple hair, long and wavy down her back.
Her soft appearance reminded one of cotton candy.
She wore a white dress richly adorned with fur, and what stood out especially was the white fox scarf draped over her shoulders and a huge double-beaded clasp purse hanging comically below her waist.
"Well then, let me introduce myself first. My name is Anastasia Hoshin, president of the Hoshin Trading Company."
"Hey, wait a second... that accent, you must be joking."
"What's wrong? Why so surprised? Is this the first time you've heard the Kararaki accent?"
Though it felt unfamiliar, Subaru was certain it was a Kansai dialect.
Although he was beginning to take an interest in the western country of Kararaki, he quickly refocused on the matter at hand.
"I'm Subaru Natsuki, a penniless pauper. I understand why you sought me out, so can we get to the point? Your target is that unknown Meteor, right?"
"Revealing your hand so soon? That's the worst possible move against someone like me. But I appreciate your earnestness. No need to be so tense, it's okay. I just want you to keep me company. It would be too lonely to say goodbye after just the essentials."
"Why are you so insistent on chatting with me? There must be no benefit for you."
"There is no such thing as a meaningless matter in this world, that's what I think. No one knows exactly where or from whom they might get a spark of inspiration. Among all that, I think Subaru is a particularly special person of interest."
Unable to refute such earnest words, Subaru wisely weighed Anastasia's request and purpose carefully.
"The key to negotiation is to penetrate the opponent's heart. The topic and inquiries must be clever. First, start with something the other party is interested in."
Subaru scratched his head in thought at the girl's suggestion.
"Subaru, your frown is way too deep. Your eyes look scary."
"My fierce gaze is natural. Don't dig into someone's insecurities."
"Insecurities? Hmm, fine. Speaking of natural, where are you from? Black hair is rare here, and that outfit you wore just now is also very uncommon."
"I come from Earth, Japan. This outfit is called a tracksuit. Probably the only one of its kind in this world."
Subaru answered honestly, and Anastasia showed a thoughtful expression.
"Earth, Japan? Never heard of it... where is it?"
"You ask where I'm from, that's hard to answer. Since the answer 'a small eastern country' isn't acceptable, then further east—yes, I come from the far end of the world no one has seen."
"Meaning beyond the Great Waterfall!"
Anastasia fell into deep thought. Her unexpected tone made Subaru frown.
"You're not laughing at me? Reinhild too—do you really believe there are other continents beyond the map?"
"Yeah, some people say they come from beyond the Great Waterfall.
I didn't expect to meet someone like you.
If you ever take an interest in 'The Wasteland of Hoshin,' just look into it. By the way, are you close with Reinhild?"
"If I had to say, I want to be her wings."
"Wings? You mean the wings I'm thinking of? Well, judging by your expression, I get it. So what does that Meteor do, and how much do you want for it?"
"About 30 holy gold coins, I suppose."
"I see. The Meteor that freezes time, huh? But Subaru, we're not philanthropists like Reinhild. Let's put it this way, a few gold coins are enough to get a Meteor. Though finding the right collector might fetch a higher price, your Meteor has no combat power, and charging it is also an issue. So 15 holy gold coins is our sincere offer."
Seeing Anastasia's expression shift from surprise to understanding at his quote, Subaru couldn't help but give a bitter smile.
He was only now beginning to realize just how big a favor he owed at the start.
That endless light illuminated Subaru's dark heart. He looked at his phone and agreed to the deal.
"Miss Anastasia, do you know where I can find mercenaries?"
"You don't know? They're famous in Kararaki. Our Hoshin Trading Company's exclusive mercenary group, 'Iron Fang,' is funded by me, and I'm the one who chooses its members."
"So how many can I hire for 15 holy gold coins?"
"Let me ask your target first."
"The Bowel Hunter, Elsa."
"A very dangerous person. Why not look for guards?"
"Because there's a reason I can't involve guards that I don't know."
"Wait a moment, please."
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"Julius, do you think there'd be any problem if we add my Iron Fang to the mix?"
"According to the knights' intel, there shouldn't be."
"Understood. Then I can do the boy another favor."
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"15 holy gold coins plus one favor, I will help you with all my might."
"Though I don't know what my favor is worth, please, thank you. How long will it take roughly?"
Subaru put on the tracksuit handed by a servant and asked anxiously.
"Ricardo, you and your team will leave with Subaru. Lastly, teach Subaru a negotiation tip. The secret to negotiation lies in how much preparation is done before reaching the negotiation table. Clever tricks aside, creating an advantageous situation is essential."
Looking at the guests standing around and the girl in front of him, Subaru understood the difference between them.
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"We have fully understood that gadget on the clothes. After returning, we should be able to mass-produce it."
After the others left, a servant respectfully spoke to Anastasia.
"That's good. This time we're really lucky to have acquired a one-of-a-kind mass-production product so easily. Once preparations are done here, we can take the market first. And having that favor, there's no worry left.
If Reinhild really comes looking, we can solve it with the favor.
Remember to have someone keep an eye on the other major trading companies—I don't want the cooked duck to fly away just like that."
"Julius, I know what you want to say, but our country's strongest is basically an assassin.
And precisely because I trust the person Reinhild talks about, I'm making these arrangements. I hope you can understand."
After signaling his subordinates to leave, Anastasia explained to Julius, who hesitated to speak.
"I apologize. Then I must get going."
Julius expressed his apologies.
"Make sure to finish it cleanly and efficiently."