"Tazuna, you said someone wants to commission us. Is this true?"
In the evening, at Tazuna's house, someone came to visit.
There were three people in total, led by a man about the same age as Tazuna, with hair already graying but in high spirits and very robust.
After Tsunami opened the door, his first sentence upon entering was to verify if the information he received was correct.
"Kich, you've come."
Tazuna saw the man leading the group and shook the bottle of wine in his hand at him, acknowledging his greeting.
Kich was an old friend of his, even before he became a bridge expert, they were very good friends.
Every time he accepted a work commission, he would bring him along. Kich was also one of the top-notch workers in the Land of Waves, with an excellent reputation.
Kich and the two men behind him both nodded.
Tazuna casually cleared a room at home for Kich and the others to come in. However, since the space was quite small, the four grown men crowded inside felt cramped, but no one minded these problems.
"Tazuna, is it true about the commission?"
Once seated, Kich eagerly looked at Tazuna, hoping for a positive answer.
After all, these workers hadn't worked for a year, and given the poor economy in the Land of Waves in recent years, even if they got a commission, the pay wasn't much.
But for these workers, if the offered pay could solve the problem of putting food on the table, they'd be very grateful.
So if Tazuna really received a work commission, even if the pay was low, as long as it solved the home's need for food, they could not refuse.
"Don't rush, Kich, don't you trust my character? We've been friends for years, I wouldn't joke about this with you."
Tazuna smiled as he spoke.
Receiving the commission also made him very happy inside.
"That's true."
Kich trusted Tazuna's character, knowing that he was serious and straightforward, never joking about such matters.
"So, what is the work commission for?"
Kich asked about the situation simply.
Tazuna answered straightforwardly: "The work commissioned to us is to build a factory on an open land in the Land of Waves, supposedly for producing equipment. But what equipment and for what purpose, I'm not too clear on."
Kich nodded, as long as there were blueprints, building a factory wasn't an issue. As for what the factory was for, he had no interest in exploring that, as long as it wasn't something illegal, they had no room for negotiation.
"Who is the commissioner?"
"It's a young lady from a merchant family in the Land of Demons."
Though Tazuna suspected that Ichihime's background might not be from an ordinary merchant family.
"The Land of Demons? Why would someone from such a faraway country want to..."
Kich's eyes widened in astonishment.
"I don't know, maybe they see some commercial potential in this country."
Tazuna said casually.
Kich was even more speechless.
Potential?
This country is so poor that it's barely getting by, what commercial potential is there?
Moreover, there are many pirate forces on the outskirts, frequently pillaging and making the people of the Land of Waves miserable.
Yet a merchant from the Land of Demons still wants to set up a factory in the Land of Waves, it all seems so strange.
Aren't they afraid of losing money?
Or perhaps there's some rare mineral on the islands of the Land of Waves?
But how is that possible?
If there were such things, it would have been excavated by the Daimyo and nobles long ago to enrich the national treasury for economic development.
"Alright, Kich, these aren't matters we need to consider, the other party pays, and we work. Whatever their purpose, it has nothing to do with us common folk."
Tazuna said optimistically.
Though Tazuna seemed to be belittling himself, Kich unusually didn't refute this time.
Indeed, even if the commissioner had a special purpose, what has it to do with these poor commoners?
They pay money, and we sell our labor, a reasonable way to earn a living.
"As for the contract, the other party said they'd deliver it the day after tomorrow. We must recruit as many workers as we can by tomorrow."
Tazuna continued.
"How many people are needed?"
"The other party needs a thousand people."
"A thousand people!?"
Kich's eyes almost popped out in surprise.
The two workers behind him did not fare much better.
A thousand workers is not a small number.
It's been many years since they had such a large-scale project, it seems the factory commissioned to them is not just a small factory, but a large-scale one.
"Are you sure the other party wants this many people?"
"I'm sure."
"Then it looks like we need to prepare well."
Kich's expression turned unusually serious.
Shortly after, the two workers left first, and Kich stayed in the room to talk with Tazuna.
Kich leaned in mysteriously, looking around cautiously before whispering: "By the way, have you heard, Tazuna?"
Seeing Kich's cautious and serious demeanor, Tazuna was puzzled and asked, "Heard about what?"