Wanting to do something but unable to think of a solution, we arrived at Beldran Workshop. Tochiliano seemed to have already left, as there was no sign of him.

"Hello."

I greeted Beldran, who was slumped over the counter.

He slowly raised his head and, upon seeing us, first looked surprised before his expression shifted to one of curiosity.

"Oh, it’s you guys. What brings you here?"

"Uh, well..."

As we hesitated to respond, Beldran’s expression suddenly changed.

"Don’t tell me there was something wrong with the furniture I delivered?"

"No, no, that’s not it at all."

I quickly denied it, though I wasn’t sure how to bring up the real reason we were here.

The furniture itself was perfectly fine. We hadn’t used it yet since we hadn’t gone camping, but that wasn’t the issue.

"The branch manager of Mimina Trading Company mentioned something about your shop, so we got a little concerned..."

Rio picked up where I left off. Beldran let out a weak chuckle.

"Ha, I must look pretty pathetic, huh... Well, this is just the price I pay for being picky about the jobs I take."

"..."

"That’s right. Grandpa brought this on himself, so you don’t have to worry about it."

Sariana stepped out from the back, carrying Clay in her arms. Now that I think about it, when I first came to this store, he nearly turned me away without even looking at my materials. But that alone shouldn’t have put him in financial trouble. There must be more to it.

"If it’s about furniture maintenance, other workshops can handle it. No need to worry about that."

"Huh?"

"Wait, are you saying..."

It took me a moment to understand the meaning behind Beldran’s words, but once I did, I was speechless.

"That’s just how it is. I’m closing up shop."

"Isn’t there another way...?"

"No. There’s no way in hell I’m selling my family to keep this business afloat. ...Damn it, I never expected them to triple the interest rate out of nowhere and demand immediate repayment."

"Triple!?"

His voice was filled with frustration as he slammed his fist against the counter.

Tripling the interest is absurd. Borrowers can’t possibly keep up if the lender hikes the rates after the fact. I get why they did it, but isn’t that illegal?

"Yeah, apparently they need cash fast."

Hearing how far the fallout from the storage facility’s destruction had spread made me feel even worse. There had to be a way to help... Wait, that’s it!

"Can’t you get funding from another trading company?"

If the clothing store was able to receive investments, surely other shops could too—unless they had already exhausted that option.

"Funding? Only high-end stores get that kind of support. We don’t have that kind of capital."

Beldran shut down the idea immediately, but I wasn’t about to give up. I had no idea how many stores had been affected by Mimina Trading Company’s financial tactics, but at the very least, I wanted to help the ones I had been involved with. It felt hypocritical, like cleaning up my own mess, but my conscience wouldn’t let me ignore this.

"But your store was introduced to us by Rashiyu Trading Company, right? I know Fleur from there, so I can ask her for help."

Beldran and Sariana’s eyes widened at my words. Meanwhile, Clay, now set down on the floor, was happily playing with Nir.

"Ah—no, we appreciate it, but... You don’t owe us anything."

"Don’t worry about that."

If I explained everything, it’d just make things more complicated. Honestly, this wasn’t just for them—it was also to put my own mind at ease. Of course, I didn’t want Clay to suffer either, but ultimately, this was more about my own peace of mind.

Besides, this might actually be the perfect opportunity. I had a huge stockpile of unused items in my dimensional storage, and this was a chance to put them to good use. If I went about it the right way, Beldran might accept the help. Knowing his personality, he’d never accept direct financial aid from us.

"Shu...? Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah, I think it’ll be fine."

Rio looked up at me with concern, but I answered confidently. If this plan worked, Fleur would likely agree to help.

And if it worked, it wouldn’t just benefit Beldran’s workshop—it could help other businesses struggling under Mimina Trading Company’s financial pressure as well.

"So please, don’t close up shop just yet. Just wait a little longer."

"A-alright... I suppose I can hold off for a little while."

"Don’t push yourself too hard, okay?"

Nodding to reassure them, Rio and I left the workshop.

"Alright, let’s not just unload Master’s old stock—we should spread some new ideas too."

"New ideas...?"

Rio tilted her head in confusion. I’d need to prepare properly for this. If I brought samples, it’d be easier to convince Fleur.

That settled it. Tonight, I’d put all my effort into crafting prototypes. First thing tomorrow morning, we’d visit Fleur.