Spice & Wolf II Read Online Free PDF

think the amount we agreed to, plus the amount you were going to gain, plus, oh...you’ll let us buy double on margin.”
    Lawrence was demanding to be allowed to buy more than he had the cash to secure. It’s self-evident that the more money a merchant can invest, the greater profit he can realize. If he can buy two silver pieces’ worth of goods with a single piece, he will double his profit, pure and simple.
    But to buy two pieces’ worth with one piece, he would obviously need collateral. Since the merchant is essentially borrowing money, the lender has the right to demand collateral from the borrower.
    However, the master was in no position to make such a demand, which is why Lawrence pushed such an unreasonable position. It’s a third-rate merchant that doesn’t take advantage of weakness.
    “I, uh, er, I can’t possibly...”
    “You can’t do it? Oh, that’s a shame...I’m feeling significantly less drunk.”
    The master’s face was so wet it seemed to nearly melt as the sweat mixed with tears.
    His face a mask of despair, he slumped, defeated.
    “As for the goods, let’s see. Given the amount, perhaps some high-quality arms? Surely you have lots of goods bound for Ruvinheigen.”
    ...Arms, you say?”
    The master looked up, seeming to see a glimmer of hope. He had probably been assuming that Lawrence never planned to pay him back.
    “They’re always a good bet for turning a tidy profit, and I can get the loan back to you quickly that way. What say you?”
    Ruvinheigen served as a resupply base for the efforts to subjugate the pagans. Any items that served in the fighting flew off the shelves year-round.
    It was difficult to sustain depreciation losses when selling such goods.
    Since Lawrence would be able to purchase double the normal amount on margin, he’d have double the insurance against depreciation, which made weapons a good choice for a margin buy.
    The master’s face shifted to that of a shrewdly calculating merchant. “Weapons...you say?”
    “Since I’m sure there’s a trading company in Ruvinheigen with connections to yours, selling them there will balance out the books.”
    In short, after Lawrence sold the weapons he bought with money borrowed from the Latparron Company to another company in Ruvinheigen, he wouldn’t have to come all the way back to Poroson to return the money.
    In certain situations, the give-and-take of money could be accomplished with nothing more than entries in a ledger.
    It was the great triumph of the merchant class.
    “What say you?”
    At times, the business smile of a merchant could be an intimidating thing. Even among such smiles, Lawrence’s was exceptionally intimidating as he cornered the manager of the Latparron Trading Company, who—unable to refuse—finally nodded.
    “My thanks! I’d like to arrange for the goods immediately, as I hope to depart for Ruvinheigen very soon.”
    “U-understood. Er, as for the valuation...”
    “I shall leave that to you. After all, I trust in God.”
    The master’s lip twisted bitterly in what must have been a pained smile. It was unavoidable that he’d appraise the weapons rather cheaply.
    “Are you two quite finished?” said Holo, guessing that the strong-armed “negotiation” was over. The master gave a sigh of dismay. It seemed there was still one person who wanted a say.
    “I daresay my drunkenness is lifting as well,” said Holo, her head tilted charmingly to one side—but she must’ve seemed like a devil to the master.
    “Some fine wine and mutton would do much for my spirits. Make sure the mutton’s from the flanks now!”
    The master could only nod his head at her casual imperiousness.
    “Make it quick now,” said Holo, partially in jest, but hearing these words from the girl who adroitly saw through his doctored scales, the master turned around and scampered from the room like a pig smacked on the rear.
    One couldn’t help but feel the master was overdoing it a bit, but if his fraud was