“Aigoo! You’ve returned!!!”

Carter hugged his returning carriage with joy.

The return of the carriage, which he thought would never come back, brought him unparalleled happiness.

“Sniff, sniff… The roof is still missing. But don’t worry. I’ll fix you, no matter what!”

Fix it, and then flee immediately!

That was Carter’s plan.

Reporting what he had seen and heard here would be enough to earn him money.

With that money, he planned to fix the carriage and move to a remote area where no one could find him, to live a leisurely life.

It was the moment when Carter was about to realize the comfortable retirement that Aiden had always dreamed of.

As Carter was happily reunited with his carriage:

Barus and Reinhardt were loading goods onto the carriage.

“Phew, there’s a lot this time too.”

“Indeed.”

“It’s fortunate that we switched carriages.”

Barus’s carriage was slightly larger than the one he usually used.

Thanks to a profitable deal with the Mage Tower, he had sold his old carriage and purchased a new one.

A brand-new carriage.

A shiny, new carriage.

“To be honest, I thought it was just a coincidence last time. When the head of the merchant group decided to buy a new carriage, I thought it was too much.”

“But it turned out to be the right call, didn’t it?”

Reinhardt nodded.

He had thought the previous deal was merely a stroke of luck.

Considering their past transactions, it seemed like nothing more than a one-time jackpot—a fluke, neither more nor less.

But that wasn’t the case.

‘One time might be a coincidence, but can two times also be dismissed as mere coincidence?’

Moreover, hadn’t they personally gone hunting in the Forest of Beasts this time?

The hound carcasses were prepared much more cleanly than before, and everything had been well-organized by the time they arrived.

‘It’s not a coincidence. The Hestia territory is undoubtedly changing.’

The territory was experiencing a transformation unlike anything seen under the previous steward.

“I briefly observed the soldiers, and they’re definitely different.”

In a territory where there had previously been no proper soldiers, new recruits had been enlisted and trained.

It was honestly hard to believe.

‘Could training for just two weeks really make it possible to hunt hounds?’

Two weeks might seem long, but it was far too short a time to turn novices into individuals capable of fighting beasts.

No matter how skilled the instructor was, training soldiers to such a level in that short time frame was nearly impossible.

Yet the Hestia territory had managed to achieve what seemed impossible.

“Head of the merchant group, forming an exclusive contract with the Hestia territory may have been… an excellent choice.”

“I know. I have a knack for sensing opportunities. Even I think I made the right call.”

Barus smiled, evidently pleased.

“Well, enough chit-chat. Let’s finish loading quickly. It’ll take a week to get back, so we need to hurry.”

“Understood. Then…”

Just as Reinhardt was about to load the hides:

Rumble!

Suddenly, a small tremor began to shake the ground.

Near where their carriage was parked, a shimmering cluster of light began to ripple.

“This is…”

They had seen this phenomenon once before.

“Fairies!”

“Fairies are here!”

From within the shimmering light, fairies began to appear.

Contrary to their dainty appearance, these fairies wore headscarves and work clothes.

They even carried nails and hammers in their tiny hands.

Tweet!

Tweet-tweet!

The fairy at the forefront blew a whistle, prompting other fairies behind it to bring construction materials.

Tuk-tuk.

“Huh? What? Why?”

Whoosh-whoosh!

“…You want us to move?”

Nod-nod.

“…It seems like they’re telling us to move because we’re obstructing their construction.”

Their gaze was sharp enough to convey, Move the carriage; you’re in the way!

The fairies looked almost delinquent in their mannerisms.

“Let’s move it.”

“Yes.”

As they moved the carriage, the fairies began flying about and started their construction.

Tweet!

Bang-bang!

Tack-tack!

“They’re building something again?”

“What do you think it’ll be this time?”

“No idea. Let’s come back when it’s finished.”

This had become such a regular occurrence that the residents of the territory merely stopped by to take a quick look before going about their day.

Seeing this, Barus and Reinhardt were left bewildered.

“Fairies as a daily occurrence…”

“Fairies, who only appear in fairy tales, are so common here…”

Many adventurers had risked their lives searching for fairies but had never found them.

If one of those adventurers saw this territory now, they might clutch their necks and collapse from high blood pressure.

After all, fairies, which were so rare as to be nearly mythical, were popping up here in droves.

Bang-bang-bang!

Tweet! Tweet!

“But what are they building this time?”

Even Barus didn’t know.

They had just started construction, so they’d likely have to wait until tomorrow to find out.

Boom!

Another tremor shook the ground.

This time, clusters of light rippled simultaneously in several other locations, and fairies appeared again.

One site was in the farmland.

Another was next to the guard post.

“Ahhh! What are these fairies doing?!”

“Hey! Don’t push! Don’t push me!”

“Ack! The fairies are throwing people out!!!”

Guards near the guard post were pushed out by the fairies.

Even trying to enter the guard post was impossible, as the fairies glared at them menacingly.

Construction began anew.

“Are they building another guard post?”

“It looks like it.”

“No matter how many times I see it, it’s fascinating.”

“But where do they get those construction materials?”

“Good question. Maybe they have a similar world full of these things?”

“What kind of grace must the lord have shown the fairies to earn such favor…”

It was impossible not to wonder.

At that moment, Barus sensed someone approaching from behind.

“Gasp!”

Turning his head, Barus involuntarily flinched and took a step back.

It was Hans, the captain of the guard, drill instructor, and medic.

“You are…”

“You’re Barus, head of the Flower Merchant Group, right?”

“Yes, that’s me. How can I help you? D-Do I owe a usage fee or something?”

“Why would you owe a fee? I’m the captain of the guard.”

“Hahaha…”

He had just asked out of caution.

It was a merchant’s instinct, perhaps.

The sheer aura and pressure emanating from Hans made Barus instinctively think of paying tribute.

Tribute-inducing muscles.

“So, why are you looking for me?”

“The lord said that if they needed anything, they could ask you.”

“Ah… You mean they’d like to place an order. Is there something they’re looking for?”

“Yes, exercise equipment.”

“Exercise equipment?”

“Yes. I want to do strength training, but we lack the proper equipment here. Can you handle it?”

“…”

What would happen if he said no?

Even as a joke, Barus didn’t dare entertain such an idea.

If he refused, he felt like Hans might punch him.

Even if it seemed impossible, it had to become possible.

“Of course! We can handle it!”

“Merchant chief, we don’t deal in that kind of equipment—mmmph!”

“Shut up! We can do it! From now on, the Flower Merchant Group won’t just deal in beast carcasses—we’ll handle all kinds of products!”

Barus quickly covered Reinhardt’s mouth.

Was he trying to get them killed?

Their contract with Aiden had already stipulated that they wouldn’t limit themselves to beast carcasses.

They had to sell crossbows too, so they couldn’t just focus on one thing.

“So, it’s possible?”

“Yes.”

“Good. I’ll collect it next time. I’ll pay you then.”

“Hahaha, understood.”

“Oh, and make the weight plates as heavy as possible.”

“Understood.”

Satisfied with Barus’s response, Hans returned to his post.

Barus let out a deep sigh.

“I want to rest…”

“Hahaha, you look busy.”

The blacksmith, Levi, was sitting on a chair in front of his forge when he saw Barus walking weakly with drooping shoulders.

He looked extremely busy.

“Looks like you’ve gotten yourself into trouble with the lord.”

Levi had already heard that Barus had signed an exclusive contract with the lord.

Apparently, he had become the exclusive merchant for Hestia Territory.

‘Judging by how the lord assigns work, he seems to be pretty relentless…’

Levi still shuddered when he recalled the time the lord had firmly ordered the creation of ballistae during the Hound attack, persistently supervising until it was done.

“Haha, looks like you’re in for some hardship now too.”

Levi laughed, feeling a sense of camaraderie in Barus’s situation.

But he didn’t know.

He couldn’t foresee the enormous flood of orders that Barus would bring, which would eventually overwhelm him.

He wasn’t in any position to laugh at others.

---

The next day arrived.

Barus had decided to spend the night at the mansion at Aiden’s suggestion and then depart.

‘The horse is tired anyway.’

“By the way, is this a trade station?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Huh, so this is what you were building?”

He had been curious about what the fairies were working on, and now that he saw the completed structure, it turned out to be a trade station.

It had a carriage warehouse, a stable for the horses, and a storage room for unloading goods.

The interior was spacious enough for merchants to rest comfortably.

“You can even store goods underground. This is impressive. I’ve never seen a trade station like this before.”

“It’s pretty good, isn’t it?”

As Aiden spoke, he displayed a hologram.

[Trade Station LV. 1]

Blessed by the fairies.

Thanks to the fairy’s blessing, carriages registered at the trade station become more durable and are less likely to break even during long-distance travel.

Horses registered at the trade station grow stronger and tire less easily.

The shelf life of goods stored in the trade station increases.

Barus had heard the gist of this from Alfredo.

Aiden flicked his finger again.

[Would you like to register a merchant group?]

“Yes.”

[Registering the Flower Merchant Group.]

[Would you like to register the carriages and horses owned by the Flower Merchant Group at the trade station?]

“Go ahead.”

[Registration complete.]

[Due to the low level of the trade station, only two carriages and four horses can be registered at a time.]

The number of carriages and horses that could be registered depended on the trade station’s level.

In any case, now that they were registered at the trade station, they could travel farther and faster than before.

“Are you leaving now?”

“Yes, if we want to make it on time, we need to move quickly. I also have to take ballista orders.”

“Alright, come back as soon as possible.”

“What? Why?”

“Why do you think? Because we need money!”

“Money? But…”

I gave it to you already.

In this recent transaction, I gave you 150 gold coins—a hefty amount.

It hadn’t even been a full day since he handed it over, so he couldn’t understand why the lord was asking for more money.

At that moment, a ridiculous thought crossed Barus’s mind.

“…My lord… don’t tell me…”

“I spent it all.”

“…”

How could that be?

Even if someone tried to spend 15,000 gold coins in a day, it would be nearly impossible unless they were indulging in extravagant luxury.

‘What kind of luxury could there possibly be in Hestia Territory?!’

But where could all that money have gone?!

“Where exactly did you spend all that money?!”

“Do you see those fairies?”

“I do.”

“Fairies are mysterious beings.”

“That’s true.”

“Money is the same. It’s a mysterious existence. There are very mysterious ways to spend it.”

“…”

What kind of nonsense was this?

“Forget it. Come back soon, and take as many orders as you can.”

“…Understood.”

Reinhardt took the reins of the carriage, while Barus sat behind him.

Barus tilted his head in confusion.

“Reinhardt, doesn’t it feel like our carriage has become a bit more spacious? Even with all this leather loaded, there’s still room.”

“I don’t know? Maybe it’s just your imagination. The carriage hasn’t changed.”

“Is that so?”

Thanks to the trade station’s capabilities, the carriage’s storage space had expanded, but the two hadn’t realized it yet.

“Alright, let’s go.”

---

As soon as they departed from Hestia Territory, Barus exhaled deeply.

“Whew, we’re finally on our way.”

“We’ve got a long journey ahead. We should keep moving diligently.”

“Right.”

Even the nearest territory from Hestia would take a week by carriage.

There was work to be done upon returning.

First, he had to inform the merchant guild about the exclusive contract, and he also needed to take ballista orders.

“It’s going to be busy when we get back.”

There was also a personal request from Aiden to handle, which would keep him occupied for a while.

It was a request to find someone—a retired individual. Barus planned to start by filing a request with the information guild upon his return.

“I understand. Well, as long as the payment is good, I don’t mind.”

“I’ll make sure you’re well-compensated.”

“Then should we speed up a bit?”

“Yes, let’s hurry.”

“Understood.”

At Barus’s command, Reinhardt urged the horses forward.

Even though he pushed them, considering the long distance and the heavy load, he had to pace them carefully.

But there was one thing they didn’t know.

-Neighhhh!

“Huh?!”

The horses they were riding were now registered at the trade station.

With their owner’s intent clear, the horses’ eyes gleamed with determination: “We’ll run faster than anyone!”

And in the next moment—

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! This is too fast!”

The carriage began to race forward at an incredible speed, like a truck with broken brakes.

Thanks to the runaway carriage, Barus and Reinhardt managed to cover a week’s distance in just five days.

---

Several days after the Flower Merchant Group had departed, an incident occurred.

“My lord! We have a big problem!”

“What’s the matter, Lil?”

“It’s outside!”

Lil urgently began to explain.

“Someone from the Saronton family has arrived!!”

An annoying uninvited guest had come.

“And! They’re currently under attack by monsters!!!”

Should I leave them be?

Since they’re from that family, there’s no need to rescue them…

“Also, it seems they brought financial support with them…”

“What are you waiting for?! Let’s go save them!!!”

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