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Skeleton Knight in Another World Vol. 4

Page 18

by Ennki Hakari


  “Before you can get a shop in the old town, you need to build your influence with the merchant guild in the new town. You can’t just jump in and set up shop. Relations between shop owners are incredibly important, so if I ever plan to enter the old town district, I’ll need to bide my time and build connections,” Lahki sighed.

  “Huh,” Rea said. “I had no idea. I figured, once you got rich, you were allowed to live there. That all sounds like a huge hassle.”

  Behl looked as though he’d just remembered something. “If they have all those connections, how come only the merchants involved in the slave trading debacle went bankrupt? If the merchants were all so intertwined, you’d think that the whole group would’ve come tumbling down, no?”

  A surprised look washed over Lahki’s face.

  “Hey, why’re you looking at me like that?”

  “I was just shocked by what an astute observation you made, Behl.”

  Behl’s face darkened. “Hey, I’m always saying astute stuff!”

  Lahki apologized, his expression once again serious. “The business closures in the old town district happened suddenly, and the reasons behind them are vague. It seems as though there are trust issues between the businesses in the old town district, the local nobility, and the lord.”

  Rea looked around furtively. “You think some trouble’s brewing?”

  Lahki shook his head. “No, not exactly. Rather, the reputation of the businesses in the new town district was pretty poor. Rumor had it they were involved in something despicable. The general consensus is that the lord’s quick and decisive actions were for the best, while also giving the new town district a chance to ride the wave of criticism against the old town district.”

  Behl laughed. “Oh, I get it. So, the old town district is even more suspicious after having their dirty laundry aired?”

  Lahki told his two companions what he had heard over the past few days concerning the situation. Behl laughed and nodded along, and Rea put her hand to Behl’s head, as if to check for a fever. “What’s wrong with you today, Behl? Did you eat something strange?”

  Behl sighed in exasperation. “Just who do you think I am? Y’know, us mercenaries are good at sniffing out trouble.”

  Lahki clapped his hands loudly to break up the argument before it could begin. “All right, all right. Settle down, you two. I want to go to my shop and see the layout.”

  Behl and Rea stuck their tongues out at each other. They could argue over just about anything, and had since they were young.

  “You two really are great friends, you know,” Lahki said.

  “Us? Pssh!”

  “Hardly!”

  Lahki shrugged in defeat.

  ***

  The three arrived at their destination late that afternoon.

  The new town district’s streets were packed, due in part to the fact that they were much narrower the old town district’s roads.

  Horse-drawn carts pulled products brought in from surrounding towns, or recently unloaded at the port, through the streets. Customers and merchants alike milled about, hoping to sell, buy, or both.

  Lahki turned onto a road at the corner of the market, leading away from the crowded thoroughfare. Two large shops with heavy foot traffic stood on either side of their destination. The small building was about two carts wide, and looked as if it had been placed there to fill a gap.

  The entrance was firmly locked, but a staircase on one side led to the second-floor living quarters. That door was locked as well.

  The first floor, where the shop was located, was made of stone, while the second and third floors were wooden. That design was common in the new town district.

  Behl looked up at the shop, then to the buildings flanking it. “It’s pretty small, doncha think?”

  Rea nodded in agreement.

  “Not at all,” Lahki said. “This is more than big enough. What it lacks in space up front, it makes up for inside. Besides, a store’s size isn’t all that matters. The larger your storefront, the more you’ll pay in taxes and upkeep. This is perfect for my needs.”

  “You mean taxes depend on the size of your storefront?” Behl asked.

  Rea also looked surprised. “Wow, I had no idea.”

  “Not only that,” Lahki said. “Taxes also differ depending on what materials the second and third floors are built from. For example, look at the shop next door, ‘Doktor.’ The second floor is stone, but the third is wood. That makes their tax rate higher than mine.”

  “Even the building material affects taxes?” Behl looked at the sky and shook his head, giving up. “I’d be broke before I ever opened for business.”

  Lahki laughed, pulling the key out of his shirt pocket and slowly inserting it into the lock. It slid open with a heavy clunk. Lahki and Behl pushed on the doors, which creaked loudly as they swung inward. The interior was dim, illuminated only by what little light spilled through the entrance.

  As Lahki said, what the shop lacked in width, it made up for in depth. A cart could easily have ridden straight through with room to spare. In the back were a courtyard, a stable, and even a well. Beyond those was a building with a fireplace—probably some sort of kitchen.

  Rea and Behl voiced their amazement as they walked around.

  “Whoa. It’s a lot bigger than I thought it’d be!”

  “Wahoo! Mind if I take a look around, Lahki?”

  No sooner had Lahki smiled and nodded than the two immediately dashed off to explore.

  Lahki decided to start an inspection of his own, and began looking around the shop. Just then, a voice called to him from behind.

  “So, you’re the new operator, I presume? You’re rather young to be a shop owner!”

  A well-dressed man around fifty years old, with white hair and a mustache, stood in the doorway. He was short but muscular, looking rather fit for a man of his age.

  Lahki turned to face the older gentleman before bowing low and greeting him. “My name is Lahki. Pleased to meet you! I’ll be running this shop from here on out, so I hope we form a good working relationship.”

  “Well, aren’t you a well-mannered young man! My name is Doktor. I’m from the shop next door. I guess we’ll see each other a lot now that we’re neighbors, so we might as well get along, eh?”

  Lahki’s eyes went wide. “Are you Doktor’s owner, then? I intended to stop by soon for a proper greeting.”

  Lahki had never met Doktor in person, but he’d recently bought some of the shop’s wheat while gathering supplies on Arc’s behalf.

  Doktor waved his hand, dismissing Lahki’s concern. “No worries. We met, didn’t we? Feel free to stop by whenever for some tea. It’d do me good to befriend someone with connections to the Lord.” He smiled warmly, stroking his beard.

  “Wh-what makes you think I have some sort of connections?” Lahki blurted out.

  The corners of Doktor’s mouth nudged upward. “Well, the company that used to be here was involved in that whole controversy. Since the shop permit auction hasn’t even occurred yet, you’re either some sort of government official with permission to be here, or someone with the connections to get your hands on the permit. I figured I’d see if I could wring some information out of you, and sure enough, I got my answer.”

  Lahki gave Doktor a weak smile as he tried to explain himself. “No… I mean, it’s not like I have any personal connections. One of my customers actually got involved on my behalf. I’m still a novice.”

  Doktor frowned. “You’re the talk of the town right now, what with selling all those grand dragon parts, and using the money to buy a cartload of food. You really stood out, y’know.”

  “What?”

  “Well, think about it. Not only did you bring invaluable materials to a big name here in new town, you also chose a company to buy from in this area. Of course, that worked in my favor. But I assure you, it didn’t sit well with the scoundrels back in old town. They’re pretty upset with you.”

  “B-but why? I
mean, I didn’t know anyone in the old town district who would help me! I had to work hard just to get help here, remember?” Lahki was practically shouting in exasperation.

  Doktor offered a wide grin in return. “Gwahahaha! That’s just because, after the closures, the miscreants in old town are trembling with fear about the new town’s upcoming success. Having a runt like you come along with an extravagant deal, and completely snub them, only served to irritate them further.” Doktor thumped his hand heavily on Lahki’s shoulder. “Don’t you worry ’bout it. Dead wood all comes crashing down in the end, one way or another. Besides, that customer of yours with the connections you were talking about… I’m sure he didn’t just secure you a permit out of the kindness of his own heart. You’ll be paying that back, I’m sure.”

  Doktor turned to leave.

  “If you’ve got any other amazing deals like that, send ’em my way. And if you have any questions, kid, be sure to stop by. I’ll only charge you for my time!”

  The older man walked out of the shop, whistling.

  Lahki slowly unclenched his fists and let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

  “He’s right,” Lahki said to himself. “What matters most is what comes next.”

  He turned around to look at his shop. It might have been an empty shell, but in his mind’s eye, he could already see the roaring success it would become.

  Afterword

  This is Ennki Hakari, author of Skeleton Knight in Another World. Thank you so much for picking up Volume 4 of this story.

  It’s thanks to you, the reader, that I successfully wrote…well, actually, that I surpassed the so-called “trilogy limit,” and now see the fourth volume of my story make it to print. I truly appreciate it.

  Given the publishing industry’s struggle for profitability, it truly is the greatest honor for an author to see their story make it past three volumes.

  I would also like to thank my manager, my illustrator KeG, my editor, and all the other people to whom I’ve caused untold amounts of trouble. Despite that, they gave their all in helping get Volume 4 to print.

  I couldn’t have done it without them.

  Now for a quick update on my life.

  I recently moved to a new place, and I decided that I wanted all new furniture while I was at it. So, I’ve been spending my time looking through furniture catalogs and interior design magazines.

  Lately, I’ve been interested in wood furniture, but all the really well-made pieces are incredibly expensive and entirely out of my budget. Sofa prices, in particular, are through the roof. For a normal person like me, it honestly feels as if I’ve been dumped into some parallel world.

  I guess you really need to live within your means, huh?

  Anyway, back to the subject at hand. Arc got his body back in this story, although it was just for a short time. We’ve finally reached a turning point.

  Now that we’ve come this far, I’d like to take the story to its end. After all, I’ve plotted it out.

  I hope you continue to support Skeleton Knight in Another World.

  Well, that’s it for now. I look forward to seeing you again in the next book!

  JUNE 2016—ENNKI HAKARI

  Thank you for reading!

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