“Ah, of course! As the Adventurers' Guild, we promise the highest possible reward! There’s no doubt that this compass is an incredibly useful tool. We’ve done some research on our end, and it seems this compass can be used not only inside dungeons but also on the open sea. It’s not hard to imagine how invaluable this tool would be in a vast ocean with no landmarks, is it?”

So they've already investigated that far. Indeed, the place where a compass is most useful is on the open sea, where there are no reference points. If I recall correctly, in my original world, there were tools used to determine direction based on the position of the sun, but those had the major flaw of being useless when clouds obscured the sun.

I had overlooked it, but perhaps those who desire a compass the most aren’t adventurers, but rather merchants who sail the seas.

“In fact, some of the larger merchant groups have already started investigating your shop, Tetsuya. Since you’ll be an important business partner for us moving forward, I was planning to warn you when you arrived in the capital.”

Oh... It seems the situation is more serious than I thought. Indeed, for a single shop, this is too big of a matter to handle alone. If large merchant groups are involved, there’s a possibility that nobles might get involved as well, and the Adventurers' Guild in Al-Flare might not be able to handle it on their own.

Still, for someone who is the master of the Adventurers' Guild, Ruhail seems to be quite perceptive in these matters. I had heard from Lilia and the others that she used to be a famous adventurer. She’s certainly a very different type from Rizac, who is also an Adventurers' Guild master...

“I appreciate your consideration. For me, this might actually be perfect timing.”

“Merchants and nobles seem to be even more sensitive about money than adventurers. Speaking of which, you’re a merchant too, aren’t you, Tetsuya? But honestly, for a merchant, you don’t seem very merchant-like. Oh, that’s a compliment, by the way.”

“Well, I suppose so. Though it’s odd for me to say this myself, I don’t have much interest in money or status. As long as I can support the adventurers who saved my life and live a peaceful life, that’s enough for me.”

I made sure to emphasize to Ruhail that I wouldn’t be swayed by money or status. As long as I can work just enough to sustain a relaxed lifestyle, I’m satisfied.

“...I see. I’m really glad I got to meet you in person. These kinds of things are hard to grasp unless you actually meet someone. Now I understand why Rizac took such a liking to you.”

“I heard from everyone that you and Rizac used to be in the same party. I was really surprised when I found out!”

That’s right—Ruhail, the master of the Adventurers' Guild in the capital, and Rizac, the master of the Adventurers' Guild in Al-Flare, used to be in the same adventuring party. When I first heard that, I was really shocked. It’s pretty incredible that former party members ended up as guild masters in different cities.

Now that I think about it, Rizac did seem familiar with Ruhail. Given that they were former party members, it makes sense.

“Ah. Rizac still has that villainous look on his face, doesn’t he?”

“Well... um...”

I ended up giving a vague response. To be fair, when I first met Rizac, I seriously wondered if he was part of the underworld...

“Well, despite his looks, I know better than anyone that he’s always thinking about the younger adventurers. In that sense, he’s probably much more suited to being an Adventurers' Guild master than I am... That said, he’s always been the kind of guy who acts without thinking, so I do worry about him a bit...”

As expected of a former party member, Ruhail seems to know Rizac quite well. “Despite his looks,” huh... Yeah, I can’t really argue with that.

“Fortunately, it seems that Patrice, the vice-guild master, does a good job of keeping him in check. At the very least, Al-Flare is currently a very welcoming place for beginner adventurers.”

“That’s good to hear. The capital is a bustling city where people and goods from all over gather, but because of that, there are a lot of complications as well. However, as a place to visit, it’s a very enjoyable city. I hope you and your employees have a great time here.”

“Yes, all of my employees seem to be really excited to be in the capital. Once again, thank you so much for inviting us here.”

“No, I should be thanking you. It looks like you and I are going to have a long association. I’ll be counting on you from now on.”

Ruhail and I shook hands. This was our first real meeting, but I had a feeling that this was the beginning of a long partnership.

After that, we discussed the details of our future dealings with Ruhail.

Regarding the compass, I shared my vague knowledge with her on the condition that it wouldn’t be leaked elsewhere. Apparently, there are plenty of minerals in the capital and people who can use lightning magic, so they plan to experiment with various methods first.

For the outer casing of the compass, they plan to commission a dwarven blacksmith, using the one I bought from my store as a reference. This was yet another moment where I was impressed by how different this world is.

Upon teaching them how to make the compass, I received a considerable reward. Once they successfully produce compasses, I’ll receive royalties—essentially, the more they sell, the more money I’ll earn. Hmm... Just like with the maps, money keeps pouring in...