I Have Tamed a Spider Monster - Chapter 223, Chapter 224, Chapter 225

Rajah’s Worries
Rajah readily agreed to sell accessories in my store, but when the conversation turned to asking her to take Anny as an apprentice, she suddenly fell deep in thought.
Was there some reason behind this?

"Hmm, this is a tough one. What to do…"

"Is there something inconvenient about it, Mrs. Rajah?"

"It's not exactly an inconvenience, but it might stir up trouble about who will take over this workshop."

"This workshop?"

"Yes. Well, come on in. I'll make some tea."

Following Rajah’s suggestion, we moved to the parlor space at the back of the workshop.
As we sipped tea, Rajah began talking about her workshop.

"This workshop was originally something I set up when I went independent. Back then, times were tough, but somehow, with my late husband, we managed to make a living."

Rajah had established the workshop after marrying her husband, who had trained at another workshop.
Together, they overcame many hardships while continuing to make good products and running the business.
However, the issue seemed to be with her son.

"Our son gave up on becoming a craftsman and became an adventurer. I don’t have a problem with that, but he’s barely scraping by as a Blue-rank adventurer. Despite all these years, he hasn't moved up to Red-rank. And, on top of that, he’s a show-off, buying things he can't afford. Every time, he comes to me to borrow money."

Hmm, from what I hear, he sounds like a real problem.
Buying things beyond his means is not a good habit, especially for an adventurer.
They rely on their bodies as their livelihood, so if something were to happen, and they couldn't work anymore, they’d be in big trouble.
Adventurers often fall into debt slavery because of that.

When I asked if they could stop him somehow, Rajah shook her head.
She explained that since he was the only child she had with her late husband, she had spoiled him too much.
Hmm, that’s not good.

As we were talking, the sound of the shop’s entrance being flung open echoed through the space.
What was going on?

"What’s happening?"

"Let’s go check."

"No, you two stay here. This is a family matter."

"Don’t say that. I have strong guards with me."

"We don't have time for this. Let's go."

We rushed towards the shop, where a group of rough-looking men was inspecting the accessories.

"What do you lot think you're doing?"

"Eh? You the one called Rajah?"

"That's right. Who are you?"

"We're debt collectors, here to collect on the mess this guy made!"

With that, the rough-looking man kicked out a figure who was bound tightly with rope.
Who is this?

"… Gid!?"

"Rajah, do you know him?"

"He's my son! What did he do?"

"He failed a bodyguard job. Some jewel merchant got robbed by bandits while moving between cities. This idiot now owes 400,000 Rubies as compensation!"

"Is that true, Gid?"

"Y-Yeah… I'm sorry, Mom. It's all my fault…"

"So, we’re taking this shop’s goods as payment. Got a problem with that?"

This was getting messy.
But was it really true that the jewel merchant had been robbed?
I exchanged glances with Alizée, who seemed to understand, and she stepped forward.

"Pardon me. Who exactly is this jewel merchant?"

"Huh? Who the hell are you?"

"My name is Alizée, a representative from the Trade Guild. So, who is this merchant?"

"W-Well, we're just hired collectors, so we don't know the details…"

"Then I suggest you leave. Punishing adventurers for failed contracts falls under the jurisdiction of the Adventurers' Guild. Furthermore, the Trade Guild offers insurance for goods lost during transport. If this merchant didn’t use it, then they’re at fault as well, wouldn't you say?"

"Uh, well…"

"If you're going to lie, I’d recommend coming up with a better one. Now, please leave."

"Dammit! You'll regret this!"

The thugs spat out typical villainous threats as they left the shop.
So, they were trying to scam us for the goods.

And now, the one left behind was Rajah’s son, still tied up and unable to move.
What should we do with him?

----------

A Case Closed
We decided to release Rajah’s son for now.
It’s hard to have a proper conversation with him still tied up.

“Well then, Gid, was it? Why did you pull such a stunt?”

“Shut up! You’re just some kid, stay out of this!”

What an infuriating person!
I was willing to hear him out!
Fine, if that’s his attitude, I’ve got my own ways of handling this!

“Talat! Bind him up again!”

(Are you sure? We just freed him.)

“I’m sure! He needs to understand his position!”

(Got it.)

Threads spun from Talat, entangling Gid.
Talat’s silk is far stronger than those ropes.
He won’t be escaping!
Especially with the thread still attached to Talat’s rear.

“What the—?! Damn it, let me go!”

“Nope. You’re going to answer my questions.”

“Ugh, you really are a brat.”

“Better a brat than someone who can’t even rise to a Red-rank adventurer.”

“Ugh... you’re really hitting where it hurts…”

“Because it’s true, isn’t it?”

At that, Gid fell silent.
He seemed to be reflecting on something, and when he spoke again, his tone was more weary than defiant.

“… I’d climb up if I could. But I haven’t been lucky with companions, and I can’t even tell the difference between good and bad gear. Now I’ve ended up in a scam like this. How did things get so bad…?”

Seems like he’s had a rough time.
But hardship isn’t an excuse for turning to crime.
He still has proper equipment, so he must’ve earned at least some money.
This means he gave in to weakness, and that’s why he fell into this trap.
He’ll need to be retrained from scratch.

“Gid, how about coming back to us? If you return now and work as a crafter, you could…”

“Stop it, Mom. I left that life behind. I’m not going to quit adventuring now.”

“Gid…”

Looks like he’s not ready to give up being an adventurer.
Well, in that case, we’ll have to help him out.

“Hey, Keuko. Can the Wildcat Claws team help train Gid?”

“Huh? It’s possible, but we can’t leave you unguarded, Lady Lily…”

“No worries. My team and I can cover that. You don’t all have to teach him at once—just take turns in pairs and teach him various skills.”

“I see. In that case, it might work. But are you sure Lady Lily will be alright without us?”

“It’ll be fine, right, Alizée?”

“As long as Plum’s team covers for you, it should be fine. Plus, Gid will have to pay a fine for his involvement in this scam, so he’ll need to earn the money anyway.”

Whoa, I’d forgotten about the fine.
That’s pretty tough.

Anyway, Gid’s situation is settled for now.
His equipment will be re-evaluated by the Gleam of Molten Iron team.
They’ll know what kind of gear is suitable.
Now, back to the main topic.

“So, Mrs. Rajah, would you consider taking Anny as your apprentice? She’s been training on her own, so she has some bad habits, but her skills are quite good.”

I pulled out one of the accessories I’d just bought from my backpack and handed it to Rajah.
She examined it closely before giving her verdict.

“It’s rough in places. Her basics need work. But the piece has its own charm. Alright, Anny, pack your things and come here tomorrow. I’ll take you in as an apprentice.”

“Really?! Thank you so much!”

“No, the thanks goes to you. I had planned on closing this workshop in my lifetime…”

“Huh?”

“But once you’ve honed your skills, I’ll pass it on to you. So, make sure to work hard!”

“Yes, Ma’am!”

Looks like everything’s fallen into place.
My shop now has a supplier for accessories, which is a stroke of luck.
Alizée will handle the finer details of the arrangement, so I’ll leave that to her.
For now, I think I’ll browse the current collection and find a brooch for Plum.
Who knew picking out accessories could be so exciting?

----------

Completion, First Set Done
The process of arranging the accessory deals went smoothly after finalizing the workshop agreement.
It seems there are quite a few fashion designers like me who work directly with workshops.
However, most of them are contracted to large-scale workshops, so my situation is a bit different.
It's rare for a designer to have an exclusive contract with a privately run workshop like mine.
But, I don’t really mind.

“All done! Plum, your dress is complete!”

“Oh-ho. This is quite good. Until now, I always thought dresses were restrictive and a hassle, but this one feels very freeing. Not bad at all.”

“Thank you! Now, what accessories should we pair with it?”

“Hm, let’s go with an emerald barrette and a brooch. I’ll use the brooch as a clasp for my cape.”

I pulled out the specified accessories from the jewelry box.
This box, too, was crafted by Rajah, the accessory artisan.

“Here they are.”

“Indeed. These accessories are quite good. You’ve found yourself a fine artisan.”

“Definitely. Both Anny and Rajah are very talented.”

We regularly receive updates from Rajah and Anny about new accessories they’ve crafted.
It’s our job to go and pick them up.
Since I travel with guards, it’s safer for me to retrieve them.
Though it feels odd to plan my movements assuming I’ll be targeted, there’s no helping it.
I’ve become a well-known merchant, after all.

“By the way, how’s Gid doing? Is he managing to keep up?”

I asked about Rajah’s troublesome son, who had been left in the care of the Wildcat Claws team since that incident.
They’ve been sparing a person or two from their duties to train him each day, so he should be improving, but I wonder…

“So far, no major issues. But for someone who spent years in the blue rank, he’s rather weak.”

“Well, Uhina has a point~ but he also doesn’t seem to grasp the idea of teamwork~”

“That’s likely due to working solo for so long. At this rate, he won’t be able to take on jobs with other adventurers. Right now, we’re focusing on drilling that into him.”

Oof, harsh evaluations all around.
It sounds like Gid is in worse shape than I thought.
The others are only training him because I requested it, but if not for that, they’d likely have given up on him by now.
Honestly, he might even be weaker than me without Talat and the team’s backup.
I really hope he can improve.

“Well then, Plum, your dress is officially done. Next, it’s time to work on Lady Lily’s dress.”

“Huh? Famille, do I REALLY need a new dress? I already have a few, you know.”

“How can a seamstress neglect her own wardrobe? You’ll need a few more, aside from the ones you already have.”

“Ugh…”

“No complaints. Now, let’s get your measurements.”

Looks like I won’t be escaping this.
My second dress, huh?
With Princess Rodenlight expected at any time, I suppose it can’t be helped.

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