-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: The Vice-Captain of Lumen
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“I'm only stating the facts. Ah! My introduction is late. It's a pleasure to meet you.”
The woman placed her right hand over her left breast and bowed deeply.
Perhaps because of her cheerful face and the muscles visible on her arms beneath her short sleeves, even such an exaggerated greeting suited her perfectly.
“My name is June Ludmin, vice-captain of the Lumen Merchant Guild, which is affiliated with Duke Ciel.”
In other words, this was the person who would be responsible for distributing our potions starting today.
Considering Lute was the captain, this woman was likely in charge of most of the practical work.
“It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Ordel, the Saintess of the Grand Temple of the Sun God.”
I introduced myself while unconsciously glancing not at June's face, but at her arm muscles.
I knew it was impolite, but her muscles were so impressive that my eyes kept drifting to them.
“Ooooh!”
That lasted only a moment. I looked at June with surprised eyes as she suddenly exclaimed in admiration. Her face was full of a joyful smile.
“You give a very different impression from what the captain and Yuri described.”
A sense of foreboding struck me like a dagger.
“What did those two say about me?”
“Our ill-tempered captain told me I must never act rashly and be careful in front of you, Saintess!”
So she also knows that Lute Ciel has a bad personality.
But that brat Lute, how dare he speak of my personality as if it's terrible without considering his own?
After all the effort I've put into acting demure to change my image!
“Yuri also said you were no ordinary person, so I came fully prepared, but from what I can see, you seem incomparably nicer than the captain or Yuri!”
My expression immediately softened.
“So you're the vice-captain. You certainly have a sharp eye. Your judgment seems far superior to theirs.”
“I knew it, right? Hahaha, I'm just that good!”
We laughed joyfully and shook hands.
I had a gut feeling that June would be an excellent business partner.
“Ah, I'd love to talk more with you, Saintess, but I'm here on business today, so it's difficult to spare more time.”
June seemed to share my sentiment, wearing a very regretful expression.
“Please make sure to visit with more time to spare next time. We can have tea and talk more then.”
“Oh! That's a promise. I'll be waiting for that day!”
Grinning, June gestured to the guild members who had come with her.
Those who had been waiting carefully transferred the potion bottles into boxes equipped with safety features to prevent breakage.
To think they even brought things like that. A successful merchant guild is truly on another level of preparation.
“I've received all the instructions, including precautions and sales funds, from the captain, so please don't worry and just trust me.”
“I'll be in your care, Vice-Captain.”
“Yes, then I will return after successfully selling these little beauties!”
Once the preparations were complete, June placed a hand on her forehead and exclaimed spiritedly.
Her figure, as she left with the guild members, was incredibly sturdy and reliable.
Is it because of those arm muscles? Now that I look, her back muscles seem amazing too.
*Sigh.* What an enviable physique.
“I'm a little surprised.”
As I was unable to tear my gaze from her sturdy back, clearly visible even through her shirt, Airic spoke from my side.
“Hm? About what?”
“I didn't expect Vice-Captain Ludmin to be personally responsible for the distribution. It seems Duke Ciel is planning to invest seriously in this business.”
Airic let out a sigh of relief, saying he felt much more at ease.
But I didn't quite understand what he was saying.
“Why Vice-Captain Ludmin? Since Duke Ciel, the captain, is busy, doesn't the vice-captain usually handle most of the work?”
“Ah, you must not have known. The Lumen Merchant Guild is so large that the work is divided among three teams under the vice-captain. When the captain, the Duke, gives an order, the vice-captain passes it down to each team.”
“What? Then the vice-captain...”
“The vice-captain only gets involved in one case: when the captain, the Duke, personally assigns her a task. She is an exceptionally competent person.”
So, the fact that June came here in person meant that Lute had ordered everything.
He was so serious about this that he entrusted the entire potion business to June, the most important person in the guild.
I was very surprised.
...Wait, the most important person in the guild?
Ah, damn it. An ominous detail from the original novel that I had forgotten belatedly came to mind.
The reason I didn't know her identity, despite her unique appearance and major role.
It was because June Ludmin's name never once properly appeared in the original novel.
But to say she was just an extra, not even a supporting character, would be completely wrong. On the contrary, she was an incredibly important figure.
The fall of the Lumen Merchant Guild, which caused Lute to lose his humanity and become a complete villain.
The event that triggered the guild's collapse was none other than the death of Vice-Captain June Ludmin, the very person who connected Lute to the guild.
***
“Hah, those bastards are getting worse these days...”
Martin, emerging from the alchemy potion shop, kicked a loose stone in frustration.
As a member of a mercenary group that primarily hunted monsters, he had come to the street to buy potions.
The most effective ones were the Great Sea God's potions, but on a mercenary's income, those were out of the question, so he had planned to buy alchemy potions as usual.
But.
‘Sons of bitches! They raised the price again!’
That was the third time this year!
Raising the price while the effect stays the same.
They were real thugs.
“...But it's not like I have a choice.”
Martin, who had been storming off in anger, stopped in his tracks before he got very far.
Hunting monsters without potions was unthinkable. That was just a death wish, so he had to buy them no matter what.
However, other potions were less cost-effective, so his only remaining option was the place he had just stormed out of.
Just as Martin squeezed his eyes shut and was about to turn back.
“Hello there!”
A woman with purple hair suddenly appeared before him.
“You just came out of the potion shop, didn't you?”
“...And what if I did?”
“I didn't mean to spy, but since we've just started our own potion business, you naturally caught my eye!”
They started a potion business?
Martin found himself intrigued despite himself.
It made sense; merchants just starting out often offer discounts to attract customers.
If these potions were cheaper than those thugs' and their effects weren't bad, it might be worth buying them in bulk here.
“Which alchemy group are you from?”
“We're not an alchemy group. There's some alchemy involved, but the main ingredient is different.”
“Huh? What do you mean...?”
“The potions our guild sells are a new kind that has never existed before, made by infusing the Sun God's divine power with alchemy!”
At the woman's cry, Martin's eyes widened.
The people passing by who happened to overhear the conversation had the same reaction.
“Divine power? The Sun God? Was there such a god...?”
“Ah, now that you mention it, I think the Sun God was one of the Three Main Gods.”
“Really? I was wondering who the third of the Three Main Gods was. So it was the Sun God. And they're selling potions?”
“Yeah. I only knew of the Great Sea God's temple-brand potions.”
After murmuring for a while, the people stealthily approached the woman, June, and began to ask questions.
“Are they really potions infused with divine power?”
It was a basic fact that divine power had stronger healing properties than alchemy, so their curiosity was only natural.
“Of course! And as you all know, the Sun God's divine power has the strongest healing properties of all.”
Most of them looked as if it was the first time they'd heard this, but June paid them no mind and continued her explanation.
“Right now, you can purchase these very potions made with the Sun God's divine power at a low price. It's an opening special!”
Much cheaper than the Great Sea God's potions, yet priced similarly to alchemy potions—Martin's eyes nearly popped out.
“Where else can you buy potions made with divine power at this price? This is only possible because it's our guild.”
Now was the time to drive the nail in the coffin.
June pointed to a huge shop in the center of the street and shouted.
“For your information, the Sun God's potions are sold exclusively by our Lumen Merchant Guild!”
Not just Martin, but everyone stared wide-eyed.
The Lumen Merchant Guild. Wasn't that one of the empire's top three merchant guilds, a place that only dealt in reliable goods?
An exclusive sale at a place like that?
‘I have to, I absolutely have to buy this!’
If it had Lumen's name on it, there was no need for doubt.
“I'll buy them right now!”
Martin shouted and immediately sprinted toward the Lumen shop.
The others, who had been cautiously observing, also dashed to the shop as if they'd been waiting for the signal.
Watching them from behind, June smiled in satisfaction.
“Looks like I won't be returning to our Saintess empty-handed.”
The signs were good right from the start.
I should hurry and let our captain, who is so deeply interested in this business, know as well.
June hummed a tune and began her sales pitch to the people nearby again.
