“Oh, sir! Great timing!” Kyoko said enthusiastically. “We just sold out of our attack speed enhancer potions on the floor!”
“Master,” said Ren. “We just exceeded our daily sales quota.”
“I see,” said ATSUNOV. “Keep it up, Tokiwa-kun, Mikihara-kun.”
“Right! Oh... and that weird girl there is Kana-chan. Anyway, I’m going to set out whatever we’ve got in storage. See you later, Kana-chan! ^^” said Kyoko, returning to her sales promotion work.
“Um, are you Hayashimizu-senpai?” Kaname asked.
“Of course, it is I,” the alchemist said, nudging his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
“Kazama-kun,” she said next, “you even invited Senpai?”
“Yeah. I invited everyone in the student council, actually. But they all gave up on fighting Yoko and went off to do their own thing...” Shinji said regretfully.
“I’m sorry to be so neglectful of you, Kazama-kun,” said Hayashimizu. “We’re still playing in our own ways, though. The rest of the student council members are running our second branch store.”
“Ahh...”
“Did you start this chain of stores, Hayashimizu-senpai?” Kaname asked.
“Yes. I employed a variety of known trade, pricing, and marketing strategies. Even in a virtual world, it all works,” he added. “It’s been very educational.”
It was apparent that, since joining the game, Hayashimizu hadn’t done much in the way of leveling up or fighting. Instead, he’d opted to just wander around to different towns, comparing the prices of various goods he found there, listening to stories from merchants, and investigating market trends, popular items, and how to get them. After learning the ins and outs, Hayashimizu had borrowed 10,000 gamel from Shinji and turned it into over a million in just three days.
“Incredible business acumen...” Kaname marveled.
“It’s not nearly as difficult as doing it in the real world,” Hayashimizu said offhandedly. “This, for instance... This amulet is a single-use item for sleep resistance. Until a few weeks ago, nobody cared about them. There were a lot of monsters with sleeping attacks in the Ruins of Eternal Night to the west. Sleep was a troublesome attack to deal with, so the Ruins weren’t a popular hunting ground. But when the witch took over the much more popular Twilight Forest, most adventurers moved their activities to the Ruins, which increased demand for sleep-related items. I was able to buy them up in massive numbers in the east where they were cheap, then sell them here. Game updates can also change the dynamics at play. If you keep abreast of that information, you can make quite a profit in those sorts of small exchanges.”
“Ahh,” said Kaname.
“Marketing is important as well. I took great pains to choose a brand name that would be positively received and let customers feel safe buying here.”
“Image tactics... you mean that shop name, Masumoto Hiyoshi, helps your sales?” Frankly, it sounded like a rip-off to her.
“Of course. In a virtual world, those sorts of familiar, cliché names paradoxically have more impact. If you can just make customers unconsciously think, ‘Hah, look at that,’ you’ve won,” he told her.
“Is that how it works?”
“Yes, that’s how it works.” Hayashimizu nodded, then checked something above Kaname’s head that she couldn’t see. “I must say, I’m very curious about that name of yours.”
“Huh? How’s Waiz a weird name?” She couldn’t see the name over her own character’s head, so Kaname still hadn’t worked out the misunderstanding. The others had also actively avoided the subject.
“Never mind,” he said politely, before turning to Shinji. “Kazama-kun?”
“Eh?”
“This is good timing. Come with me. There’s someone I want you to meet,” said Hayashimizu, walking farther into the shop. Kaname and Shinji followed him, leaving the paralyzed Sousuke and Issei behind. “I’m doing more than just sales here. I’ve also been coordinating various factors in hopes of aiding your cause.” They passed through the door, climbed up a narrow stairway, and entered an office.
An armored man—his white plate mail bore the crest of the Holy Royal Knights—was seated in a chair there. The name over his head read GOTO.
“Who’s this?” Shinji asked.
“Sir Goto, leader of the Holy Royal Knights,” Hayashimizu said by way of simple introduction.
The knight stood up and gave a courteous bow to Shinji and Kaname. “We’ve never met before, but my name is Goto Shouji! Your reputation precedes you, Lord Zama. It is truly an honor to meet you!”
“A pleasure. So, what did you want with me?” Shinji asked suspiciously.
“I’m sure you’re aware of the witch, Lord Zama. We can no longer abide her treachery!” Sir Goto declared earnestly. “Last week we Knights resolved to form a raiding party to take her down. Our elite and brave forces number 138 in total! With this venerable band, we will attack and destroy Yoko’s fortress!”
“Oh,” said Shinji, “you were recruiting on the official forums, right?”
“Well, yes, that’s right,” Sir Goto agreed, slumping over a little bit.
“But Sir Goto’s forces will only be strong enough to hold down Yoko’s subordinates,” said Hayashimizu. “In terms of military might, the Knights and the enemy are more or less equal. But the enemy fortress has additional defenses as well—losses are expected to be quite severe. And only high-level and skilled PCs could make it deep inside the fortress... where they will eventually run into the witch, who has powerful items equipped.”
Shinji said nothing.
“We need someone who can fight on even terms with Yoko,” Sir Goto declared. “She’s defeated so many high-level characters in the past... which means the only one who can defeat her, Kazama-kun, is you.”
“So, you want us to take part in your raid?”
“Please, Lord Zama,” said Sir Goto.
Hayashimizu, too, jangled a bag filled with gold coins and smiled. “I’m covering expenses,” he added. “I can provide all the equipment you need.”
“I don’t understand,” Shinji interjected. “I get it with Sir Goto, there. But Senpai, you don’t have any reason to support the fight, do you? After you abandoned me to focus on your business like this...”
“It’s true, I did,” Hayashimizu said with a nod. “But I’ve expanded my business to things besides pharmaceuticals. Weapons, armor, provisions... and the Knights are loyal customers.”
“Hmm...”
“And Yoko’s power has become too great. She’ll go after my trade networks sooner or later, and I simply can’t have that,” he added flippantly. He’d only been playing for about a week, but Hayashimizu already conducted himself like a years-long veteran.