James watched Cassia’s shoulders slump like all her confidence was stripped away, and he scratched his head and spoke.
“Um, Madam. It seems they might be right and perhaps it is an absurd condition to offer only a 5 percent commission to the merchant distributor of the wigs. Who would want to gamble on distributing a product when they don’t know whether it will succeed or fail?”
“James, we’ve only been rejected four times. Have you lost confidence in your own brilliant idea just four tries?”
“No, Madam. I appreciate your words but…”
“Besides, giving 5 percent of the profits just for displaying the wigs at a stall and delivering them is generous.”
Cassia paused and sighed inwardly.
The wig business as she remembered had exploded into one of the greatest crazes in imperial history. She hadn’t lived long enough in her previous life to see how far it went but it surely would have made its way into a page of the Empire’s history books. As far as Cassia could remember, there hadn’t been an item that could match the popularity of wigs since the founding of the empire.
Even five percent would bring in a fortune. Even if the merchant guild sold all the goods that they handled, it probably wouldn’t even reach 5 percent of the wig profits so why would she offer more?
“But Madam, is there a reason you insist on famous merchant guilds? All the big guilds we’ve visited so far have been rude, probably because they’re so successful. In any case, we just need someone to sell it..”
“Hmmm, Mr. James. You don’t understand.”
Clara, who had been listening, wagged her index finger and shook her head.
“There’s a reason the Madam is enduring this humiliation and visiting only the big guilds. Big guilds have already secured many business partners and regular customers. Also, if you look at the wealthy nobles in the capital, they consistently trade with only one guild. None of the prominent nobles buy goods from tiny, nameless guilds.”
“Ah, is that so?”
“Of course. No matter how great the wig is, it won’t sell if you don’t have the power to advertise and promote it.”
Since Clara’s family ran a merchant guild in Varnan, she was naturally knowledgeable in this field. The reason Cassia was enduring subtle slights and making humble requests to find a large guild was exactly as Clara said.
“So you’re saying that even if we give the wigs to a small merchant guild, they won’t have the resources to promote them well?”
“Exactly. Honestly, if it was a small merchant guild, the Madam could probably sign a contract in five minutes with the conditions she’s offering. They won’t dare look down on a small territory because you have a little power. But…”
Clara sighed and her shoulder dropped.
“There’s a reason small guilds are small. You know, there’s an old joke among merchants. If you want to become a mogul in the merchant world, there are three things you must abandon. Hesitation, mercy, and…”
“And?”
“…Character.”
Clara finished with a scoff and James shook his head from side to side.
“Act boldly, show no mercy to those you manage and rather than being uselessly kind and soft, be cold and ruthless!”
“So you’re saying the small guilds don’t succeed because they can’t do that?”
“Something like that. But even if they say to abandon character and focus only on the path, the master of the last guild was truly the worst of the worst. I hope he goes bankrupt.”
Cassia listened to their chatter quietly as she walked listlessly.
It was annoying and irritating, but doing the legwork was unavoidable. To succeed in the wig business, she absolutely had to distribute them in the capital, where population flowed fastest.
If she was supplying wigs to territories other than the capital, there would be no need to suffer like this. As long as she sent supply contracts to each castle, the castle would directly find a guild within the territory to distribute them. However, since the Imperial Family granted autonomy to the capital’s guilds and did not interfere with supplies, distributing goods in the capital required ‘personally’ finding a guild to trade with for a long time.
To Cassia, this business was destined for success.
Since she was choosing a partner to ‘succeed together,’ it would be great if it were a merchant guild with a good heart, one she could trade with for a long, long time without trouble, and one that she personally liked…
‘But that’s probably too much to hope for. Like Clara said, how many guild masters with good character who know how to be considerate exist among the large guilds that have been through all sorts of hardships?’
“Look over there. It’s scary how one appears just as we’re talking about it.”
Cassia, lost in thought, heard Clara’s voice speaking to James.
In the direction Clara, who was standing behind her, pointed, there was a shabby sign reading ‘Crab Guild’ and a single wooden stall set up on the street. Behind the stall was what appeared to be the guild building. It looked old and in need of repair in various places and at a glance, it seemed like a single-story residential house had been converted into a guild building.
On the wooden stall, about a dozen colorful candies were stuck onto long wooden sticks, and at the top of the stall, in crooked handwriting, it read: ‘Free Sugar Sweets for the Cute Futures of the Empire on this Good Day.’
“Sugar isn’t cheap…”
Clara’s muttering was right. Desserts made by boiling and then hardening sugar are expensive. Especially since this wasn’t the South, where sugar originated, but the Northern region and the capital, which imported almost all of it.
It seemed like everyone was excited about the national holiday, and this event was held out of a generous love for children, but still…
“I’ll give you one if you promise to brush your teeth when you get home after eating this.”
“I’ll brush! I brush with Mama every day!”
“Okay, okay. You’re a good kid. Here, take the pink one.”
The middle-aged man who appeared to be the owner had a skinny frame and a kind face. Considering he was spending his own money to hold an event like a free candy giveaway on this special day, he probably wasn’t just a man with a kind appearance.
Of course, being kind isn’t always a good thing. Sadly but coldly speaking, kind-hearted people are often treated as pushovers.
Ashram, who had been standing behind them, suddenly leaned closer to Cassia and muttered,
“…The Zester Greze of the merchant world?”
Pfft. Unable to hold back, Cassia burst into laughter, then immediately put on a stern face and smacked Ashram on the shoulder.
“Be respectful!”
“Ahem.”
Cassia, who had been joking around, suddenly widened her eyes and clapped her hands.
Everyone’s eyes turned to Cassia.
“What is it, Madam?”
Ashram asked with a tilt of his head.
The thought that flashed through Cassia’s mind like lightning was an idea as absurd as the contract conditions she was offering. But she felt like it might be worth a try.
“Clara.”
“Yes, Madam.”
“Do you know what one absolutely must have to be a great merchant?”
“Something they absolutely must have?”
“Yes. My father is quite the big shot in the South, you know.”
“Ah, is that so?”
“He had just started inviting in the magic stone business and he poured an enormous amount of money into it. And then he said to me…”
『To become a successful businessman, you cannot be afraid of taking a gamble.』
“…You cannot be afraid of taking a gamble.”
“Huh? Madam? My Lady? Don’t tell me—? Surely not?”
But Cassia was already striding toward the stall. Ashram, Clara, and James watched her back with bewildered eyes that were opened so wide they looked like they might pop out.
When Cassia appeared at the stall ‘For Children’, the middle-aged man tilted his head.
“Hmm? Are you looking for something? Ah, or perhaps…”
The man let out a hearty chuckle, pulled a sugar sweet from the stall, and offered it to Cassia. She smiled brightly, gave a small nod, and accepted it.
“Thank you. I am the Baroness Greze. I came from Greze, which is a half-day carriage ride from the capital.”
“Aha! You came to enjoy the festival. Welcome.”
“Are you perhaps the guild master of this ‘Crab Guild’?”
“Ahem… Well, the scale is a bit embarrassing to call myself a guild master, but yes, I am. Haha…”
“Right, then I’ve come to the right place.”
Seeing Cassia nod, the man tilted his head in confusion.
She added without hesitation.
“I want to supply our territory’s goods to your guild. What do you think?”
* * *
‘Even for gambling, there’s a limit. This is practically a pact to dive off a cliff together.’
Clara sighed inwardly as she looked at Collie Crab, the master of the ‘Crab Guild,’ who was bringing out warm tea. He seemed like a seriously kind person, but Clara knew very well that the person to be most wary of in this field was a kind merchant who didn’t know the ways of the world.
‘What in the world is the Madam thinking?’
James, sitting to Cassia’s right, looked completely out of it.
After hearing Clara’s explanation, it seems he had gotten on board with the idea of adjusting the contract ration and signing with a large merchant guild. So it was understanding that he felt dazed facing the master of a small merchant guild that looked on the verge of collapse.
Cassia was sipping her tea and nothing could be gleaned from her face.
Eventually, Collie, who had carefully examined the contract and the wig placed on the table, smiled broadly and said,
“I’m afraid it would be difficult for our guild to take on this contract.”
“Wow!”
“Phew, thank heavens.”
Clara and James simultaneously sighed in relief. Ashram, standing tall like a mountain behind them, gave them a meaningful look and jabbed them in them in the shoulders.
Cassia put down her teacup, tilted her head, and asked.
“Why? Are you unsatisfied with the ratio as well?”
“Not at all. We only need to store and sell the products you supply, so it won’t be too much trouble. I’m grateful you’re giving us 5 percent. However, in my humble opinion, this product you call a wig seems to have plenty of potential for success. So, it would be more beneficial for you, Madam, to contract with the large, famous guilds in the capital.”
“Hmm…”
Cassia’s eyes shone as she touched her chin. As a merchant, Collie had an eye for goods, but he didn’t get greedy even though he knew it would be profitable. If you scored him as a merchant who needs to use his brain for profit, he would get a zero, but as a trustworthy partner for a long-term transaction, he might be reliable.
“Large guilds have connections with noble families in the capital, so it would be easier to sell wigs to them. Shall I recommend a few places? Just up here, there’s…”
“No, I definitely want to do business with you.”
“Hahaha, I am honored you think so highly of me, but it seems there are many aspects of this that you’re unaware of, Madam, and I can’t, in good conscience, simply accept a contract for such a good product without telling you. As you can see, our merchant guild is quite small, and we don’t handle many goods. Instead of us…”
“What if you grew?”
“…Pardon?”
“Let’s see. It’s the end of February now, isn’t it?”
Clara blinked at the sudden question from Cassia, then nodded.
Winter in the North usually drags on tediously until mid-April. In April, at the tail end of winter, a territory war broke out, but before that, a record-breaking cold wave worthy of history books engulfed the capital. Even in Kshetra, the capital city considered relatively warm within the North, hundreds of people froze to death.
Cassia’s plan was simple. She intended to buy up all the heating supplies before their prices skyrocketed in about two weeks, then make a profit.
Of course, that ruthless ‘money-making’ scheme would be limited only to those who were wealthy and already well-fed. It would be best not to repeat that tragedy where lower class citizens had no choice but to freeze to death.
‘I can turn this poor merchant guild into the most famous guild in the capital in one swoop, save hundreds of lives from freezing to death in the capital, and make our territory’s name known.’
No business mogul to trade with? Then just create them!
With a confident expression, Cassia crossed her arms and spoke to Collie.
“Within one month, I will make you the head of the most famous merchant guild in the capital.”
- Honey, I’m Going on Strike – Chapter 82 - February 26, 2026
- Honey, I’m Going on Strike – Chapter 81 - February 26, 2026
- Honey, I’m Going on Strike – Chapter 80 - February 26, 2026