SC1 10.3 – Seafood Supply
Six kilometers south of Rokube, stood a fishing village called Toba Mie. It had about 300 seasoned fishermen, and the blessing of Nagoya Sea, a combination of coastal water and high sea with abundant harvest.
A few years ago, the economic value of Toba Mie experienced sudden spike after Owner Tokuma established a storing facility for marine commodity in this village, along with solid distribution networks through Sotora. That was what Minami told me when I told her my next stop was Toba Mie.
She also offered me an access to buy seafood supply as a listed wholesaler, and I happily accepted it. Then, she decided to join the trip to Toba Mie and provided a horse cart and the driver.
It was only simple open cart, layered with a thick layer of straw, and being towed by a black and sturdy but calm draft horse. However, for Yunno and Yui it was a new and excited experience. This was their first time riding a cart.
Well, even Minami enjoyed the ride even though this was not her first trip to Toba Mie. All the way she cheerfully told Yunno and Yui lot of stories about Kamakura, the city where she was born, and Yunno and Yui excitedly listened to her.
“Big Sis Minami, is Kamakura really five times bigger than Rokube?” Yui asked as her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
“It is,” Minami cheerfully replied. “Its population is also five times bigger, and lot of skilled noodle artisan live in Kamakura. Their noodle is super delicious.”
“Uncle Deitoro can make super delicious instant noodle too,” Yui happily said. “Can we call him noodle artisan?”
Minami nodded and said, “I’m sure we can.”
Minami expressed her agreement with ease, but I could tell it was an agreement for the sake of politeness, without a trust in my noodle craftsmanship. Honestly, I also didn’t want to be compared with local noodle artisan.
The world of noodle craftsmanship was wilderness beyond imagination. It was not rare that old fashioned noodle artisan beat highly-skilled modern noodle artisan with ease like a walk in the park, just by relying on passed down wisdom and decades intimate experience of noodle making.
Even in Italy, where the people had pasta in their DNA and almost every one could make good pasta and noodle with ease, there was a saying that it was impossible to have a good restaurant without solid connection to pasta artisan with long and good tradition.
And speaking about Minami, I started to wonder about her real identity. From outside, she was a junior shop attendant. However, she was far smarter and her disposition far more mature than even senior shop attendant in Sotora.
If I looked back at our interaction, it was easy to tell that she was the result of carefully planned education and wise guidance, and our today driver confirmed my conclusion. I was sure Owner Tokuma didn’t send a Level 3 warrior just to become a cart driver. He was here to ensure Minami’s safety.
After inwardly taking a deep breath I asked, “Minami, may I know where is the primary market for Sotora’s agriculture goods?”
“Why does Warrior Deitoro want to know?”
Minami asked me back in casual tone. Well, after chatting and laughing together with Yunno and Yui, now Minami’s attitude was more casual compare to our last interaction, and I didn’t think it’s a bad things.
“Just a curiosity,” I casually replied. “Sotora warehouse have high quality beefsteak tomato, but I only find ordinary ones in Rokube’s green market.”
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
After a smile Minami said, “Sotora primary market for agriculture goods is Kamakura. This city has high-level culinary tradition, and lot of restaurants will pay a good amount of money for high quality ingredient.”
“Including vegetable and fruits?”
“Especially vegetable and fruits,” Minami firmly replied. “Sotora is the closest supplier who could satisfy their standard.”
I slightly nodded and said, “This trade must have brought lot of profit for Sotora.”
“It does,” Minami honestly replied. “In Rokube, we sell high-quality tomato at 40 cent/kg. But in Kamakura, we can sell it five times higher and only need to transport it for 12 km by courier with spatial ring.”
“How good is the culinary tradition in Kamakura?” I curiously asked.
“Very good.” After having a proud smile in her face Minami added, “Kamakura is one of the four best culinary cities in Marka Continent. Their strongest menus lay on noodle, pasta, grilled, and stir fry vegetable.
Unfortunately, for menu that requires dairy products, restaurants in Kamakura have to buy it from Akagi.”
“Akagi, is that a city?” I asked.
“Yes, it’s another culinary city in Marka Continent, located 400 km north of Kamakura and the road is heavily infested with bandits. Therefore, it’s so hard for both cities to establish an affordable trading relationship.”
“I see.”
I had to admit that my assessment on Minami was still too low. After hearing her vast trade-related knowledge around Marka Continent, I concluded she must be prepared to take over a trading network, and not just a girl who was being prepared to become an educated woman from rich household.
After a moment of silence Minami said, “It’s also the main reason why Sotora owner try to build a small port in Toba Mie. Next spring the port will be in full operation and we can import dairy product from Arka Continent, in cheaper price but better quality.”
In an instant question mark appeared in my forehead. “How can imports dairy product from Arka Continent is cheaper than buy it from Akagi?”
“The biggest trading port in Arka Continent is only 140 km from Toba Mie, and it has lot of intercontinental trading company that pirates don’t dare to mess with.”
“Glad to hear that. I will support it as long as it helps me get cheap but good dairy product.”
“Mhm.”
Minami eagerly nodded, and then I let her to continue the happy chats with Yunno and Yui. A moment later we arrived in an edge of a cliff. The smell of the sea immediately hit us while Nagoya Sea entered our sight. It was wide and blue as far as the eye could see, and it made Yunno and Yui incessantly in awe. Well, this was their first time to see a huge sea from a high ground.
After that the cart walked down a moderate but long slope. Then, we were welcomed by busy women and children who work to dry or clean various sea harvests as we entered Toba Mie.
Without delay the cart went straight to Sotora’s storehouse, and I took a glance at the port construction at the distance before getting off the cart and followed Minami to enter the warehouse.
---
With a single glance I could tell that someone have taught the people in Toba Mie how to properly sun dry, air dry, or smoke marine harvest. Sardine, bonito, mackerel, squid, anchovy, shrimp, oyster, clamp, abalone, scallop, and many other marine harvests, every single one of them were dried using the most suitable method to preserve their natural flavor and richness.
Except for scallop and abalone, the other marine products were also sold in affordable bulk sale. And so, other than scallop and abalone, I bought almost everything else in bulk.
As for the fresh product, it was being store properly in a room with Preservation Rune. Therefore, everything had rate of freshness above 95%. However, I bought only 5-8 kg for each type of fish I needed. The exception was squid and octopus. For these two, I bought 50 kg each.
The shopping took every single monn I had, along with a hundred hare and two hundreds pheasants, but I had no regret. I had good storing means, and I couldn’t just let a go a chance to secure good ingredients with affordable price.
As I received the invoice for my shopping from Minami, I said, “If I know I can barter wild game with Sotora, I will definitely do it sooner.”
After a smile Minami said, “Warrior Deitoro, if I know you can provide fresh-killed wild game, I will also ask you to become supplier for our eateries.”
“I see.”
“Actually, Owner Tokuma also ask me to confirm it, in addition to pheasant and hare, can you get us wild boar, honey badger, deer, and mountain goat?”
“I can, but I’m still new to the hunting area I work with.” After a pause I added, “I have to check and mapping the area to estimate the mid-size game population you asked for, and translate it into the exact number of supply for the whole year.”
While having a big smile in her face Minami received a tube from the cart driver. Then, she handed over it to me, “I hope this map will ease your effort to check the hunting ground around Rokube.”
Without delay I opened the tube and checked the leather map inside it. It was good and detail map, encompassing mountain, forest, and valley up to 12 km to all direction from Rokube.
“This map must be very expensive,” I concluded. “I can’t accept such gift for free.”
“It’s not a free gift,” Minami bluntly said. “You can borrow it as long as you supply Sotora with wild game we need.”
“I see.” I nodded before asking, “May I know why Sotora owner pick me to become his hunter? I believe he can easily find a warrior or two to supply him with wild game.”
“It’s true that you are not the first warrior we work with. However, you are the only warrior who knew how to capture the game properly. Even Butcher Jin repeatedly praises your ability to get fresh and perfect kill.” After a moment of pause Minami continued, “And it’s not a secret that Butcher Jin is very petty in praising someone skill.”
“In that case I will borrow the map,” I said as I put the map back to the tube and stored it in my spatial storage.
“Thank you for your corporation,” Minami happily said.
After looking at the row of boat in the nearby beach, I asked, “Can you help me to rent a boat?”
“May I know why you need a boat?” Minami curiously asked.
“I need to check the nearby water.”
“Can I come along?” Minami expectantly asked.
“You can.”
After a big smile Minami said, “In that case, you can use one of our boats for free.”
“Thank you,” I happily accepted Minami’s offer.
Without delay Minami then called a few fishermen to handle the boat, and a moment later we already arrived at the nearby shallow water full of coral reef, kelp, seaweed, and other countless marine life.
*****