444-Toy king




 
Long time no see! Master Alfried!

 I headed to the common room and found Tory there, greeting me in his usual tone of voice.

'Hey, Tory. It's been a while. What the hell is going on with you today?

What's the matter with you? Isn't today the day our company comes to do business with your favorite, the Rowlettes?

 Tory understands the intent of my question, but she deliberately responds in a way that says she's out of my mind.

 I don't dislike that kind of conversational play, so I'm not particularly offended by it.

 I'm sure Tory understands that, which is why he's playing this game.

I'm sure you're not the only one who's been doing this for a while, but I don't think the master of the trade association has shown his face at all lately.

 Periodically, the Toriela Chamber of Commerce would come to the Throwlett family and do business in the territory.

 However, it's only an employee and the number of times Tory, who's been with them for a long time, has shown up has decreased dramatically.

 The last time he came over was before the harvest festival and when he came back from Kagura.

 I know the reason for this, but I dare to poke at it as a game.

''It's to spread the toys and games that Alfried-sama made! I mean, please don't torment me any more!

 For my part, I was expecting to see a little more resistance, but it seems that Tory was feeling pretty bad about this, and admitted it honestly without making any lame excuses.

 The reason he showed up here today was probably because he was able to make time in his busy schedule. It's because I understand how sincere Torrie is that I can't blame her for being so stubborn.

'Sorry, sorry, I know how busy Torrie is, so I'm not blaming her.

Oh no, I knew Alfried-sama would say that!

 When I followed up with a kind word, Tory stopped looking sorry and kerfed.

 This pisses me off. Maybe I could have been a little more picky.

 However, before I said that I didn't blame him separately, I couldn't shoot him in the mouth anymore.

 Is this also a conversational technique that I've developed as a merchant?

 He's always been a good stand-up guy, like he pestered the maids to get information about our company, but I think he's refined his conversations and negotiations since the establishment of the trade association.

''How's business going?''

Yes, spaghetti has become an integral part of the diet of the people in the capital and continues to sell well. Thanks to the increase in production, most of the nobles and merchants now have it. Recently, we receive orders from other countries' royalty and aristocrats as well.

'Heh, I'm glad to see that neither one of them is a passing fad and seems to be ingrained in your life.

Absolutely!

 If it is a transitory fad, explosive profits can be expected at the time of the fad, but it will probably fizzle out. However, once it is accepted and acclimated to life, there is the prospect of sustained profits.

 Although Reversi has satisfied the demand of the wealthy at home, there is still room to supply the wealthy in other countries. Eventually it will spread more and more and its value will decline, but then we can spread it to the common people.

 At the very least, it'll be a steady income for the Slaulet family in my lifetime.

 Spaghetti is a small profit per unit, but it's ingrained in the diet of all people.

 Although the way it was sold was different from that of Reversi, this one was like a promise of long-term income as well.

 Tori and I were enthused by the unabated profits as always.

'What about that ping-pong you're spreading at Kagura?

It's taking a little longer because it's in a different country, but the general likes it so much that I think it's going to spread!

 A general is like our king. He's the most important man in our country.

 It's amazing that you can get so much out of this country in such a short period of time.

 I mean, the Shogun is the father of Haru and Shuichi, right? I wonder if those two will be playing ping-pong with us by now.

'It's a complete circle-jerk situation over there, but I'm amazed you were able to get that far in another country.

'No, it's because every play that Alfried-sama comes up with is groundbreaking and interesting!

"Ha-ha, thank you.

 I'm just reenacting the play of my previous life and tweaking it a bit, so it makes me itch when people say that.

 However, since that is something no one but me can understand, I'll take it as honest praise.

It's not that I don't understand, but I'll take it as an honest compliment.

 However, such drinking feelings are frozen by Tory's casual words.

''What? Don't tell me that the producers are spreading the word that it's me?

No, they're withholding their creator as per Alfried's request.

What. Good for you.

 At first I didn't think anything of it because I didn't think Reversi would sell that well, but as it became more popular, people started saying they wanted to meet the producers.

 It's very annoying to me, as I find the aristocratic ties troublesome, so I've been trying to keep the producers under wraps along the way.

 It's a good idea to have a good time with them, but it's also a good idea to have a good time with them.

 In fact, Alecia seemed to know that I was the one who created it.

 But even so, the reason why it hasn't spread is because the people I know are paying attention to me.

 Maybe it's because Nord's dad was paying attention to me at a party or something.

But the trouble is, I have a partner who is difficult to hide from.

 The Triera Chamber of Commerce is still not as good as the old guard in terms of history and connections, but it is the biggest chamber of commerce in the kingdom that is gaining the most momentum. They also have more money than those nobles, so I don't think they can say that strongly even if they are nobles.......

 For a moment, I thought of the Leingland family, but I know that Alecia is me in the first place.

''It's the Misfirito family.

'What? The Misfits?

It's not. It's the king.

 Tory unceremoniously busted off the words that came out of my wishful thinking.

''Well is that really what you're saying?''

Yes. The current king, Jigil-Misfilito, has asked to see the Toy King.

Wait a minute. What's the Toy King?

 It's shocking that the king wants to see me, but the words are even more shocking than that.

'You're the maker of reversies and panels, aren't you? I can't call you Alfried-sama, so I'm calling you by your common name.

That's why the Toy King...

 I understand what Tory is saying, but why not a name that calls itself king?

'In the business world, it's more convenient to have a street name like this.

'I understand that, but a better name would be...'

It's good to be bombastic. I didn't come up with the name myself. It was just something that was handed down to me and it stuck.

 But I feel like it's Tory who has expanded it greatly and established himself as the toy king.

 I don't think Tory would nod if I asked him honestly, so it would be useless.

'Well, now I know about the nickname. The problem is, I guess we're going to meet the king.

Yes!

Absolutely not.

 I tell Tory, who nods firmly, once and for all.

''........why?''

"When you meet the king, you'll make all kinds of connections with royalty and nobility, and you'll be called in.

It's a good idea. If that happens, you might be given a special position in the castle. It's a huge rise for a baronial family.

 Had I been the average person in this world, I might have been happy.

 But I knew firsthand the evils of working too hard in my past life. I don't want to be like that anymore.

'Those people expect the benefit of the play and toys I bring. I'll be surrounded and made to work for it. I don't want to be like that. I want to be free to slink around the country.

 Yes, I don't want a career.

 I've decided that in this life, I'm not going to make the same mistakes I did in my previous life, and I'm going to live the life I want to live.

If play and toys make me that way, I'm not going to sell any more toys.

 He blurts out a line of dialogue that is in a sense a fight to Tory and the royals.

 I wonder how Tory will react to these words.

 As I stare at her, Tory's mysterious expression crumbles into a heap.

''Well, that's true, isn't it? That's what I thought Alfried-sama would say.

Yes?

 I was expecting to be persuaded, so I let out a silly voice.

I've already told the king. The Toy King is a bigoted craftsman who doesn't like to be swayed by authority, so he won't respond to an invitation. If he's unresponsive, he might bend his navel and never create again, or even flee the country.

 Tory's words to the king chilled me.

''So what did the king say?''

'Then I'll give up on summoning them. Apparently, the most annoying thing about the Toy King's work is that it will never be born again.

 I was sincerely relieved by Tory's laughing lines.

 From the king's point of view, being the second son of a baronial family is like blowing up. He was prepared to be forced to be called up if it happened.

''That's right. Thank goodness.''

I told you, I'm a big fan of the Toy King. I'm a passionate fan of the Toy King. The biggest problem for them is that they can't make any more of their work.

...It's just the wrong person, Tory.

 Then why didn't you just say so from the beginning? Tory laughed out loud at my words as he exhaled.