"Excuse me, I want to buy the element set of the 10 kg hammer, the set of element tongs and the element set of aprons with his size."
"What is the meaning of this youngster?"
"A show of goodwill if you don't mind. A little something to show our sincerity. We really want to sign the deal with you. As I told you before though, this and the choice to make custom orders for us is your choice."

Hah! Both you and I know that once you helped a dwarf, they would fully repay the debt. You say it's my choice but once the deal proceeds, the custom order deal is as good as sealed.

However, I am not a natural born dwarf. I can renege the debt, especially since I still have a bit of hate to the princess, and more importantly the head maid.

The thing I am wondering though, the fact that this self-important prince actually got up this early in the morning to meet me must mean that they found something really likeable with my background check.

They can't possibly find anything of value since most of the people that I came with are tight lipped about that. Actually all the people from the same continent are tight lipped about their own continent. It also technically violates one of the island rules about collaborating and plotting with others.

"I don't need such goodwill, I can acquire everything I need myself. I can even acquire better and cheaper ones than the one you purchased."
"Is that so, you must forgive me. Head maid, please give these items to one of our blacksmith programs."
"I was right, you even brought your maid with you. If you can't even manage yourself, why are you pursuing me to help you too? Are you that helpless?"
"Haha, this is something I can't avoid. My position comes with benefits as well as disadvantages. People accompanying me is just one of them. This is why I envy you, maybe this is the main reason I want to recruit you so bad."

Appealing me with self-pity? That won't work one me. We aren't close and you who has so many pluses, trying to invoke pity with a minor discomfort like that is only irritating. It's like saying you have so much money that you are getting stressed on how to spend it!

*Turn* *Walk*

"E...h?..."
"Mr. smith!"
"Rude bas-- mmmpphh!!"
"Head maid, please contain yourself."

A dumbfounded prince, a flustered healing saint, head maid turning into a boiling pot, and the perfectly calm princess. I lost.

Three out of four is good but the one I want to take a jab against is the princess. I spoke and insulted the head maid a lot when I was imprisoned, though it ended with her cutting my arm off and crushing everything else. The princess however, I never got back at.

The thing about her coming to detain didn't really anger me since other than blocking my way, she never directly harmed or insulted me. The thing I really wanted to get back at her is the hardship I experienced while working under her.

It is a job so I won't go far but I wanted to at least make her irritated and/or frustrated.

"Mr. Smith, I don't know how we have offended you but please talk to us at the very least. The whole deal has been in your favour from the start, may I ask why you don't want to cooperate with us. I am sure we can work something out, and if you still don't feel like making a deal with us, we can cleanly stop all this. I am sure both parties doesn't want any further annoyance."

As expected of the princess, starting off with a step back only to charge right at you the next sentence.

It's hard to reason to her when she starts this so the best way to come out on top is to let her brain fool herself. It might not work back when I was still a subordinate since the head maid would hit me but not now! She can't hit someone they are trying to gain the favour of, not to mention this is the central island. hahahaha!

"Oh, it seems like you know what and why I am acting this way based on our two brief meetings. The brother thinks everything will go their way and the sister thinks everyone acts to scam their family, how perfect. I do admit that there is a reason why I still haven't accepted your deal but as long as you don't know what it is yourselves, I will just act my way. This is me giving you a chance, the choice is now in your hands."

After what I did, they probably won't pay for my shopping today. It can't be helped, time to find a way to earn some money. However, I can't stay here and wait like this. It might give the impression that I am waiting for them to lure me in with a bigger price, thought it is true.

*Walks away*

No choice, I will have to stay away for a while and wait until they figure things out and contact me. If I am lucky, they would contact me before I leave, if not then this easy money will be lost forever.

For now, I shall shop for essentials. The human continent have cheap and good soap so I that is first. Next, I need to check out the armour store for the other continents. It would help me prepare when I get reincarnated to their race. After that, I will treat myself and eat. I guess if I have time I can visit the arena. I could earn money from the betting house. I won't earn much but it is better than nothing. I won't enter to fight though, that is not my thing and it will cost me more money.

*Clack* *Clack* *Clack* *Clack*

Hello centibus, despite the open air transportation that you are, I am starting to like you. The shell is clean and shiny, the clacking is oddly calming, and it feels fun to balance yourself as the segment bounce up and down.

"Where are we going, Mr. Smith?"
"That was fast, so what did the little sister decided?"
"The sub-leader said that we will gamble on you. I was sent to build up goodwill until the time you return to your continent, so where are we going today?"

You say that with a big smile. If I didn't know that the healers at the academy are taught how to produce that 'saintly' smile to soothe the wounded's soul, I would have fell for your trap. You really know how to scheme, princess!!

"Let me get this straight. You will follow me around for the next few days that I am here at the central island paying for my expenses?"
"Hahaha... It does sound stupid when you say it like that but the sub-leader told me this was a gamble/investment. If we succeed on earning your goodwill then we could offset the gamble, if we lose then we have no choice but to bet on another person."
"Hah! Leaving me behind as soon as I can't bring a profit, huh!"
"It can't be helped, we are doing this for business. Both sides would profit at the end while both sides would suffer at the start."

Is this scripted? Why are you looking on the upper right? Is there a script hanging over there? Don't do that school habit of looking at space when you are not sure what to say here.

"Can't remember your next line, healer?"
"No,...I...uh. Ahahaha, the sub-leader said a lot of things and we didn't want to let you walk away so I had to remember most of it on the way here."
"I can tell, I can still see them peeking over here behind that stall."

*Wave*

This is getting exhausting, I can't dodge them by playing hard to get now that the princess is taking over. I'm happy that I already boarded the centibus and we are already on the move. Otherwise, I would have another talk with her which would end with me losing.

*Waves back* *Princess Smile*

I let my guard down since I thought the prince was a weakling. Among the two of them, I expected that he would be a bigger foe when it comes to negotiating because he is the head of the merchant guild. However, it seems that the princess is on the lead because of her politics work.

Playing hard to get would not work anymore. She already drew the line at our little exchange a moment ago. The prince was desperate to attract me over to their side partly because I am a dwarf apprentice from a big group, though we are just students in a public academy, and mostly because of his pride. He doesn't want to accept that some things don't go his way.

Is this his merchant negotiation tactic? Keep throwing money at the problem until you succeed, no matter what the cost? It works for me since I am the one receiving the money but too bad the princess made it impossible to continue that. I should just be happy that they let this healing saint tag along with me as the prince planned to make him recover those pieces of pitiful pride of his.

"Alright, your group's persistence beat me. I accept your little proposal. Help me buy a few things that I need to start my own forge and when I reach a level of skill that I could accept, I will take some custom builds for your group. Don't misunderstand though, I won't be a hammer slave for your business. I would just repay what I owe. Don't go expecting that I would work like a horse filling hundreds of orders to make all of you filthy rich. After I repaid your group fully, I will make custom weapons depending on my mood."
"You will!? That is great, I need to report this to leader right away."
"Don't leave just yet. You are supposed to help me buy the things I need to boost my career. If you leave now then that would make me doubt your sincerity."
"Ah, that's right. I got so happy that I forgot. What do you need to day? The map the leader gave me has a lot of notes where you can buy the best stores for the best products."
"First of all, I need some storage equipment. I travel with a group and they won't like it if I fill up the wagon space with my stuff."
"I understand, We will visit the demon continent store first. They have the best storage equipment available."

I don't need to worry about money for a while. The only problem is that most of the blacksmithing tools and equipment that I need can be found in our continent. Not only that, the quality of the those in our continent are better than the things that can be found in this island. What can I buy here then?