"No! You are a goddess... no, a god! I am grateful to have met you. To think someone like you exists... hey, seriously, let go already!"

"Like hell I will. If you touch my grandson, I will kill you."

They seemed close with one another, but their conversations were a little too dangerous.

"Hah, you think a threat like that would scare me... wait, you are actually tightening your grip! Hrk... guh!"

Honestly, what was he supposed to do with this?

When Qiong Xing glanced back at Katarina behind him, she wore an exasperated expression as she patted the seat beside her.

Taking the hint, he sat down next to her, but then Katarina suddenly stood up.

Smack!!

The sound of foreheads colliding was so painful that Qiong Xing nearly cried out even though he was not the one hit.

"That is enough already! We are never going to get anywhere like this!"

No matter the era, women truly were strong.

Qiong Xing watched nervously as the two men swayed unsteadily, worried they might topple over.

"Ugh... ow ow ow. M my apologies. I was so overwhelmed that I lost myself for a moment. Umm, your name was Qiong Xing, correct? I am sorry for startling you."

Surprisingly, the man seemed to have quite a hard head.

Unlike Sarin who was still collapsed on the floor the man merely shook his head a few times before recovering completely.

"Now then... what were we discussing again? Ah yes, the matter of selling miso. I would be delighted to take it on."

"Thank you very much."

Was this what merchants were usually like?

For now, Qiong Xing was simply grateful that the man had accepted the proposal, and they continued discussing the details.

At first, the merchant had tilted his head as if wondering what in the world this strange thing was, but once Qiong Xing explained how it was used, the man’s excitement became almost frightening.

"To think I, a merchant, lived this long without knowing about something so magnificent! No, rather than be ashamed, I should rejoice that I learned of it now and carve open a new era with my own hands! And the very person who bestowed this knowledge upon me is none other than..."

And so the conversation circled right back to the beginning.

Just as Katarina and the others had warned him, the man was certainly... an entertaining person.

"By the way, are you truly certain you are fine with granting exclusive rights to my company alone? It certainly benefits us, but if you later decide you want to sign with another company instead..."

"I do not mind. Even if we can produce it, the quantity is limited, and it is not something we can simply increase whenever asked. More importantly, if the one that grandma and grandla introduced as trustworthy is you, then you are the one I want to entrust this to, Roland."

The most important thing in this arrangement was trust.

Certainly, the amount they could supply to a merchant company was an issue, but more than anything, what mattered most was securing a safe future for the children.

With that in mind, Qiong Xing had asked the two of them to find someone trustworthy, someone who would understand the children’s limits and not exploit them.

The reason he chose exclusive distribution was because he believed it would better protect the children.

No matter the world, there would always be adults with ugly intentions.

If they carelessly sold it to unfamiliar shops, someone might eventually demand mass production or force the children to reveal the recipe.

Qiong Xing’s wish to protect the children who made the miso was exactly why Katarina and the others had chosen this particular company.

"The children will receive a steady income, and you will gain a new product to sell. What do you think?"

"After hearing all that, there is no way I could refuse. I should be the one asking for your continued cooperation."

Apparently, the merchant guild master himself intended to personally visit the children to purchase the goods.

Since he was willing to go that far, Qiong Xing reached into his bag and pulled something else out.

"This is called soy sauce, another product from my homeland. Like miso, it has many uses. If possible, I would like this company to handle it as well."

"What!? To think you still had another hidden treasure!"

"However, I do not really know how to produce it myself. So if possible, could I ask your company to research and manufacture it based on this sample?"

"Of course, I’ll not refuse that!"

Qiong Xing let out a relieved breath as Roland accepted it with a bright smile, and then they all shared the meal he had prepared beforehand so they could experience the flavor of soy sauce for themselves.

"What an incredibly deep flavor. Even in such a small amount, its presence is overwhelming. This will absolutely sell! I swear I will personally make this a success!"

Trembling with excitement, Roland tried once again to throw himself at Qiong Xing, but there was no way Sarin would allow it, nor would Katarina stay silent.

As a result, the two men once again became very close friends with the floor together.

"Ah, this is cheese Cari and I made together. If you would like, please try some."

"That is quite an unusual color."

Though it was late, Qiong Xing handed it to Katarina as a souvenir, and she tilted her head at the unfamiliar color and shape.

"It was made from goat’s milk."

"...Goat?"

"Goat milk!?"

The three of them stared in surprise, so Qiong Xing decided to let them try it for themselves.

Thinking the flavor might be a little strong for them, he spread the cheese onto bread and drizzled honey over it as well before handing it over.

"This is delicious."

"So this is goat..."

"Yooooou truly are my goddess after all!"

"I am a man."

Qiong Xing had already become quite accustomed to this exchange by now.