"Adult, what kind of hospitality menu would you like us to prepare? And do you have any dietary restrictions...?" Ooyama asked.
He had just heard that this Adult was here to discuss matters with others, so if that was the case, she certainly couldn't be expected to pick dishes one by one from the menu, could she?
"Tier B, and I have no dietary restrictions."
"Understood, I'll take care of it," Ooyama said and then left.
Shiki didn't use the highest-tier A, but the lower-tier B. If it were Tier A, they should be inviting her, not her directly having the Okuzume call people over.
However, Tier B was also fine; it was perfectly sufficient for entertaining in such a setting.
'So why are there chairs in the main hall, but futons in the private rooms?'
Kneeling at the table, Shiki suddenly felt a stomach ache. Wouldn't it be better to have a proper table and chairs? Or at least a hollowed-out space under the table where one could put their legs!
What kind of setup is this? Eating a meal while kneeling the entire time, is this for eating or for suffering?
Or perhaps, this is what you Inazumans call a sense of ritual?
Shiki didn't understand, but she still maintained her dignified and elegant posture. For a martial artist, this level was merely child's play.
With her hands clasped on her lap, her long sleeves and skirt spread out behind her. Seeing that the merchants still had some time before they arrived, Shiki decided to refine some immortal energy for a while. Since she was idle anyway, she might as well find something to do.
Perhaps due to her experience, this time Shiki didn't need to entrust her consciousness to the Nine Words Thunder to collect the scattered soul energy. Under her control, drops of pale golden liquid appeared in her dantian.
When a person focuses on one thing, they subconsciously ignore the passage of time. After refining more than a dozen drops of immortal energy and merging them into a small mass, Shiki opened her eyes.
"Gentlemen, I have been waiting for a long time."
And this also meant that the four largest merchants in Inazuma City had arrived.
The moment these four stepped into the private room, they felt an indescribable sense of oppression emanating from the girl, even though her posture was so graceful.
Gulp...
The four simultaneously swallowed a mouthful of saliva, then sat down opposite Shiki.
While she was refining immortal energy, the dishes were almost all served. They were all specialty dishes from Inazuma. Shiki planned to pack some for Ayaka later.
As for now, it was, of course, to give these four merchants a show of strength.
"Whew..."
Blowing on the still steaming tea, Shiki slowly took a sip, then placed the cup back on the table.
Clink
The teacup clinked lightly against the wooden table, yet this faint sound made all four merchants shiver.
'So why did she call us here?'
'Don't know, why don't you go ask?'
'Forget it, forget it, you ask!'
'No, no, no, Big Brother, you're the eldest, you ask.'
The four furiously communicated with their eyes. If the other party were merely a high-ranking official in the Shogunate, they would certainly not have acted so cowardly.
But the problem was that she also possessed such incredibly powerful strength. Who could stop her if the Raiden Shogun didn't come out?
Between their lives and a little bit of face, they decisively chose the former. After all, being cowardly wouldn't kill them, right?
Finally, the eldest merchant seemed to have made up his mind. He forced a smile on his face and asked, "Um... may I ask, Nirishiki, why have you summoned us here this time?"
"Hmm? Didn't the Okuzume tell you? Never mind, that's not important. I'm quite curious about what you were just communicating with your eyes."
Shiki was a bit surprised, but on second thought, it seemed the Okuzume also didn't know why she had summoned these merchants.
And perhaps they might think these people had done something bad, leading to a very unpleasant attitude.
"Ah, this..."
"If you don't want to say, then don't. These days, who doesn't have some skills?" Shiki lowered her gaze slightly, then directly threw out the trump card.
"If the Shogunate wants to purchase building materials from you, what is the maximum discount you can offer?"
"If it's a large scale, our usual discount is 20% off... Wait, what did you just say?" A merchant subconsciously replied, but then reacted.
"If it's the Shogunate... 30% off! No! 35% off!"
How much building material could an ordinary person buy? Even those in real estate, under the control of the Shogunate, couldn't have too large an area, precisely because Inazuma has many islands, and the Shogunate must control most of the high-quality land.
This way, real estate merchants wouldn't need much building material, but it's different for the Shogunate! Whether it's for front-line operations or developing new areas, the materials required are immense.
As long as there's a large base, even if they only earn one Mora per piece of wood, accumulated, it's a considerable fortune.
Besides, they could also form a good connection with this Demoiselle, why not?
"35% off? Very good, I'll take all of your inventory." Shiki's expression was calm, and her light words conveyed significant information.
"All, all of it?"
The merchant who had just spoken couldn't help but be stunned, but then his breathing quickened. All the inventory, how much Mora would he earn from this?
And since she called all four of them, it meant that more than just this was needed. Just how big was the project?
The remaining three, hearing the girl's generous offer, immediately said excitedly, "Nirishiki, I can also offer a 35% discount!"
"Me too!"
"Same!"
Shiki listened to the three echoing her words, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly, revealing an almost imperceptible smile.
'Indeed, Mr. Zhong's words are effective.'
Her demeanor and words just now were deliberately imitated, but she wouldn't actively raise prices like Morax.
In short, it's "Do you like the female Morax who actively lowers prices and takes everything, and has Mora to pay?"
Although she thought this, Shiki still said in a calm tone, "Very good, I'll take all of your three's inventory as well."
"To be honest with you, this news will be announced soon anyway."
"The Shogunate plans to rebuild Seirai Island. The materials procured from you are just the first batch. There will be other projects later that require a large amount of building materials."
"I won't only procure materials from you, but I will prioritize you. If in the future you believe you have enough building materials, you can go to the Yashiro Commission officials at Komore Teahouse, and they will trade at the same price."
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