Minato Ward Central Wholesale Market

Ebina Akinori is the manager of “Magic Stone Ebina,” a shop based in the Minato Ward Central Wholesale Market.

Minato Ward had once been reduced to a wasteland by the invasion of a giant monster.

However, viewed positively, that also meant a vast expanse of land had become available.

Reclaimed by humanity in an operation one year and nine months ago, Minato Ward was protected by curse-killing magic broadcast across the entire ward from the Tokyo Tower watchtower, while organized urban development proceeded according to a planned layout.

Political and economic affairs were guided by intellectuals who had received the tutelage of the former administrator of Minato Ward, a vampiric mage, and development accelerated even further with the issuance of a new currency and the start of trade with the Tohoku and Hokkaido communities.

The Central Wholesale Market, opened in Takeshiba, Minato Ward, bustled as Tokyo’s major trading hub in place of the devastated Toyosu Market. More than eighty shops stood packed together, including fishmongers, restaurants, magic stone shops, monster-material shops, wand shops, magical beast shops, and amulet shops.

Most of the shops were prefabricated houses or shacks, but reconstruction into wooden buildings was proceeding one shop at a time. Among the Gremlin wholesalers, Magic Stone Ebina was on the larger side, and thanks in part to Ebina’s connections, it had been given priority in becoming an impressive two-story shop with an attached warehouse.

A market was also held at the end of every month in Bunkyo Ward. It had once been the center of trade in Tokyo, but that was no longer the case.

Every shop in the Minato Ward Central Wholesale Market was open year-round. Trading ships from Hokkaido magical-beast farms and the Tohoku Hunting Association also came to Minato Ward’s well-maintained port, making commercial activity extremely lively. It was only natural that the center of commerce would shift from Bunkyo Ward to Minato Ward.

Before moving to Minato Ward, Ebina had merely been an unremarkable Gremlin collector. His main work consisted of gathering Gremlins that fell like hail whenever thunderstorms came, or dismantling electrical appliances to retrieve the Gremlins inside them. His primary wholesale customers had been wand workshops.

However, when he moved to Minato Ward, he resolved to make a fresh start. He opened the Gremlin wholesaler Magic Stone Ebina, and it proved to be a huge success.

As wand production became more active, workshop craftsmen began needing Gremlins in large quantities. If they bought irregular amounts of Gremlins in varying sizes from individuals bit by bit, it made production planning difficult and was a great deal of trouble.

That was where Gremlin wholesalers came in.

A wholesaler first purchased Gremlins collected by Gremlin gatherers, as well as Gremlins harvested from monsters defeated by the security forces. Then, according to the workshops’ orders, it delivered Gremlins of the specified size, color, and quantity all at once.

Ebina adopted an initial investment strategy of offering the highest purchase prices anywhere and prioritizing his reputation over profit, even at a loss. His plan worked. Under the reputation that “if you’re buying or selling Gremlins, go to Magic Stone Ebina,” the business had turned profitable three months ago and was now counted among the Central Wholesale Market’s major shops.

Recently, thanks to its growing reputation, witches from nearby districts――――the Eyeball Witch, the Witch of Setagaya, and the Foresight Mage――had also begun supplying him with Gremlins harvested from Class A monsters they had defeated, giving the shop additional prestige as a favored establishment of the Tokyo Witches’ Assembly.

Magic Stone Ebina purchased Gremlins measuring six millimeters or less at 250 New Yen per kilogram, while those measuring seven millimeters or more were bought individually at the going market rate.

Under the current purchasing standards, the largest Gremlins obtainable from Class C monsters measured ten millimeters. A first-rate specimen with beautiful coloration and an almost perfectly spherical shape went for 1,000 New Yen each.

Fifteen-millimeter specimens from substations, high-voltage factories, and Class B2–3 monsters went for 5,000 New Yen.

Twenty-millimeter specimens from Class B1 monsters went for 10,000 New Yen.

Thirty-millimeter specimens from power plants and Class A3 monsters went for 50,000 New Yen.

Forty-millimeter specimens from Class A2 monsters went for 180,000 New Yen.

Anything over forty millimeters was difficult to obtain in the first place, and such Gremlins were prized mainly as materials for powerful wands, with the price jumping for every additional millimeter.

They also accepted magic gems for purchase, but because they were so rare, Ebina had never seen any reach the general market, at least as far as he knew.

He had heard that small quantities circulated through the black market, but staying away from the underworld was the safer bet.

Now then.

It was one morning in October, after the month had changed and the weather had begun to turn chilly.

Ebina got up before sunrise and was opening the shop’s shutters and preparing to open for business when he noticed an unusually black cloud in the paling sky.

It was far too black to be a rain cloud, and it looked enormous even from a distance.

The black cloud meandered as if it possessed a will of its own, coming from the west and leaving toward the east. Three small dots like airplanes followed behind it.

As Ebina stood there with his mouth hanging open, staring at the sky and wondering what was happening, his wife, who had somehow come to stand beside him in her pajamas, looked up at the sky as well and said somewhat fearfully,

“Is that the thing the Foresight Mage was talking about?”

“Ah, the ‘Migration.’ I hear it’s harmless, but…”

“Oh, dear. If it fell, do you think we could curse-kill it?”

“Well, even if the security forces can’t handle it, the witches will do something about it.”

Apparently everyone felt the same unease. The owners of the other shops preparing to open were also looking up at the sky restlessly, just like Ebina and his wife.

From the end of last month through today, fierce battles had been breaking out all over Tokyo. A Class A monster that had awakened the power to manipulate time had clashed with a witch, and apparently the city had been practically transformed into a battlefield.

A Class A monster that moved at an abnormal speed had also appeared in Minato Ward. The Witch of Setagaya was asked for assistance but refused, while the Eyeball Witch declined on the grounds that she was already overwhelmed and could not go there. In the end, after some time had passed, the Blue Witch came flying in and crushed it with ease.

Since the Arataki Group incident, the Blue Witch had expanded her sphere of activity and was working with extraordinary energy. Even when facing monsters that other witches struggled against or could not fight without being injured, the Blue Witch killed them in an instant.

However, she basically operated out of Bunkyo Ward, so she rarely came all the way to Minato Ward. Rapid assistance was difficult to count on.

While the witches were nearly drowning in responses to the abnormal Class A monsters, the security forces in each area took responsibility for dealing with monsters of Class B and below.

Thanks to the Mana Training Method, the combat strength of the security forces’ mages had risen dramatically.

Since Ebina was in the magic-related business, he knew a little about magic himself, and apparently one standard for measuring a mage’s combat ability was whether or not they could use the spell Frozen Javelin.

Frozen Javelin, the Blue Witch’s spell, was an attack spell whose short incantation, power, projectile speed, and mana consumption were all at a high level. It consumed 15K mana, and if it struck properly, it could kill a Class B3 monster in one blow.

The Mana Training Method had greatly increased the number of people capable of using Frozen Javelin.

The number of people who had become able to use Fire, which consumed 1K mana, and Flame, which consumed 2K, had also exploded. The masses, who had previously been unable to use magic properly, could now use it and had gained a certain degree of self-defense capability.

As a result, the security forces, which had been devoting their efforts to subjugating Class C monsters, were able to focus on Class B monsters.

As a result, witches whose encounters with Class B monsters and below had decreased considerably were able to concentrate on fighting the Class A monsters causing the abnormal incidents.

And as Tokyo’s overall level of magic rose, demand for magical tools such as wands increased. Demand for Gremlins, the materials used in magical tools, increased as well, and Magic Stone Ebina made a fortune in a classic case of one thing leading unexpectedly to another—the wind blows, and the tub maker profits.

You never know what will lead to profit.

Still, Ebina knew that staring blankly at the sky forever would not earn him a single coin.

Ebina urged his anxious wife to open the shop with him, held a brief meeting with the employee who had arrived before opening time, and then welcomed the first customer of the morning, who had come to sell Gremlins.

Starting today, the Migration would begin, and the Class A monster crisis would pass its peak. The witches throughout the region, exhausted from fighting fierce battles day after day, would finally be able to catch their breath.

Even the Sazareishi Witch, famous for being a NEET, had apparently left a manga café for the first time in several years to deal with a Class A monster outside, which showed just how serious the crisis had been.

Now that the Migration had begun, the abnormally powerful Class A monsters would disappear, and the increasingly dangerous trade routes would become peaceful (relatively speaking). Ebina would also be able to lower the purchase prices of the large Gremlins from Tohoku and Hokkaido, whose prices had been raised over the past few months as hazard pay, while keeping an eye on the situation.

By paying high prices in a truly excessive show of generosity to the people of the north who traded despite the risk of being attacked by Class A monsters and having their ships sunk, he had bought something money normally could not purchase: trust. That trust would surely lead to enormous profits in his future business dealings.

Magic Stone Ebina, whose owner never neglected to invest in trust, had won the highest level of credibility in the industry.

In the past, the Eyeball Witch, one of the senior members of the Witches’ Assembly, had even visited the shop.

But that evening, an even bigger name than the Eyeball Witch came to the shop.

The Blue Witch.

The market grew noisy, so it was immediately clear that some celebrity had arrived. Even so, Ebina was astonished when the Blue Witch, looking somewhat tired as she walked through the crowd, stopped in front of his shop.

I haven’t done anything that would have angered the Blue Witch, have I? After briefly reviewing his actions with some anxiety, he sent away the flustered employee, put on a business smile, and went out to greet her.

“Welcome, Blue Witch-sama. I am the shop manager, Ebina Akinori. How may I assist you today?”

When Ebina asked, the Blue Witch took a memo from the inner pocket of a clearly high-quality, well-tailored robe and read it aloud.

“Thirty Gremlins measuring forty millimeters or more. And I want as many greenish Gremlins as you have, regardless of size. Melted and resolidified ones are fine, too. A few red ones as well.”

“Certainly. We also have polishing abrasive. Will you be needing any?”

“Mm. I’ll take that, too.”

“Thank you very much. The large Gremlins are in the back, so please come this way…”

When he ushered the Blue Witch into the shop’s reception room, the employee he had just sent away happened to be finishing preparations of tea and snacks and was on the way out. Ebina inwardly praised the employee for being so thoughtful without even receiving instructions. If this transaction with the Blue Witch went smoothly, they deserved a raise.

According to what Ebina learned while serving her in the reception room, the Blue Witch had not revealed the name, but it appeared that she had come to make the purchase on behalf of Master Craftsman 0933.

Since the Blue Witch’s visit could also become a connection to 0933, this was a time to disregard profit entirely.

However, cutting the price too drastically generally did not leave a good impression either, so he needed to offer a moderate discount and make the customer feel that she had enjoyed a pleasant transaction.

After turning the shop upside down to prepare thirty forty-millimeter Gremlins and the Gremlins in the requested colors, the Blue Witch said in surprise,

“You can provide thirty? I thought I’d have to visit several more shops.”

“Anything for a request from the Blue Witch-sama. Thankfully, the Eyeball Witch-sama and the Foresight Mage-sama also favor us with their patronage.”

“Ah, so this is the shop Eyeball mentioned. As for the quality… Well, there’s no need to check it. I’ll buy everything. Should I pay in cash or by barter?”

“We accept either. Since this is your first visit, we will offer you a special price.”

The Blue Witch thought for a moment, then took a small bottle filled with glittering sand from her pocket and placed it on the table.

Ebina was speechless.

As someone who dealt in magic stones, he had known only in theory that magic gems possessed an indescribable, bewitching allure. He had heard that they shone with a mysterious brilliance that drew the eye and would not let it go.

There was no mistaking it: the sand inside the small bottle on the table contained exactly that. His voice trembled.

“No way. Are those magic gems?”

“You can tell? They’re shavings from polishing magic gems. There are some small pieces mixed in, about one or two millimeters across. I’d like to use this toward today’s payment.”

Faced with a payment proposal far beyond his expectations, Ebina quickly worked out the figures on his mental abacus.

There was no way he could refuse. No matter how much one wished for it, dealing in magic gems was normally impossible.

They were an ultra-rare product that never reached the market. Ebina would likely be able to set whatever selling price he wanted. He could even display them in a showcase to draw customers.

“Are you sure it’s all right to part with something this precious?”

“It’s only part of the stock. I was told it wouldn’t be a problem. They’re curious how much it would be worth at the market price for materials. Can you appraise it?”

“W-Well, yes. If we consider it by weight—or rather, by particle size… Um, compared to the going rate for Gremlins… er…”

“Will it be enough to cover this purchase?”

“! My apologies. It is more than enough to cover the payment. However, if I accept this much, the values will not be balanced. I could add a few more large Gremlins for you.”

“No, thirty is fine. If the values aren’t balanced, set aside another thirty or so large Gremlins for me. You can count the remainder of the payment as a reservation fee.

I don’t know when I’ll be back, but I’ll visit again. Have an appraisal of those magic gems ready by then.”

“Understood. Thank you for your generosity.”

The business meeting with the Blue Witch ended smoothly and highly successfully.

The entire staff saw the Blue Witch off as she departed with her shopping bag. Only after she had disappeared from sight did they raise their heads and celebrate their lucrative deal with such an important customer.

This deal would yield a large profit, but more importantly, it would create an even greater reputation and trust. As long as no one angered her, the Blue Witch was the best customer imaginable.

By nightfall, Ebina’s wife had closed the shop and invited the employees helping with cleanup to a celebratory drinking party. She seemed to assume Ebina would naturally be coming too, but he declined.

His wife sulked, pursing her lips.

“What’s the point of having a party if you don’t come? You’re the manager, aren’t you?”

“I’ll cover the drinks. But today is the day I go see my sister.”

“Oh… Right. Then you’d better go there. Give my regards to your sister-in-law. I don’t know if it’ll get through to her, though.”

“I will.”

Ebina parted from his wife and the others as they headed out for drinks in the nighttime city and went alone toward the pier.

October had arrived, and the nights had grown cold. He turned up the collar of his jacket and held down his hat so it would not be carried away by the sea breeze. When he reached the pier, his sister was already waiting there.

He could hear singing.

A clear, beautiful singing voice unlike any human voice echoed across the moonlit surface of the water.

Sitting skillfully on the edge of a moored trading ship with the fishlike lower half of her body, the songstress sending her voice up to the stars was known as the Mermaid Witch.

Her real name was Ebina Shiori. She was the elder sister of Ebina Akinori.

Ever since the day the Gremlin disaster occurred, everything about his sister had changed.

She had been forty-five years old, yet her appearance had become that of an eighteen-year-old. Her frizzy black hair had turned into glossy golden hair, and her lower body had become that of a fish. Her clothing, which had once consisted of either a tracksuit or a diving suit, had now become a seashell bra and a coral hair ornament.

“Hello!”

“Yeah. Hello, sis.”

The Mermaid Witch spotted Ebina standing on the pier, stopped singing, and cheerfully waved to him in greeting. Ebina felt a pang of helplessness.

“Hello? Hello. Hellooo!”

“Hey, the Blue Witch came to the shop today. It was my first time buying magic gems, and I may have been so nervous that I was rude. What would you have done, sis?”

“Hello.”

The Mermaid Witch gave a little hop and came over in front of Ebina, nodding enthusiastically.

Was she understanding what he was saying, or wasn’t she?

His sister had worked at an aquarium. While cleaning the tank of an electric eel, she had the misfortune of undergoing a mutation and fused with the electric eel, which was mutating at the same time.

In exchange for becoming a monstrous being and gaining tremendous power said to rival the Blue Witch’s underwater, she had lost the ability to speak human language.

Strictly speaking, she could still speak, but her vocabulary consisted of only one word, her grasp of language was unclear, and conversation was impossible.

Before her mutation, she had not been a particularly good older sister.

Whenever they went clam digging, she made him carry the bucket.

She took all of his New Year’s gift money to buy a large aquarium.

She always monopolized the computer and never let him have a turn.

But those were memories from childhood, and now that he was older, he understood that she had had good sides as well.

When he said he wanted to research sea creatures for his summer vacation project, she had helped him wholeheartedly instead of doing her own homework.

For his coming-of-age celebration, she took him to Okinawa and gave him a whale-watching tour that put professional guides to shame.

He had once casually said, when he was very young, that jellyfish were his favorite sea creatures, and she had remembered it forever. The decorations on his birthday cakes and the patterns on his Christmas scarves had always been jellyfish.

His sister loved sea creatures.

She loved the ocean.

Now, she was one with the ocean.

“Hey, sis. Are you happy now?”

“Hello.”

“You used to say you wished you could live in the sea.”

“Hellooo~”

“You can’t really talk anymore, and your memories and mind are all jumbled. Even when I talk to you like this, I don’t know whether you understand me or not. Even after becoming like this, do you feel happy living in the sea?”

“Hello.”

“I don’t know…”

The Mermaid Witch listened intently to Ebina’s words and nodded again and again.

Not all her memories and sense of self had regressed to an animal’s level. On nights with a full moon, she always searched for her younger brother, Ebina, wandering along the coast and singing.

She remembered her family.

“Hello!”

Suddenly, the Mermaid Witch clapped her hands happily and, as if she had remembered something, dove into the sea.

But she surfaced almost immediately, held out a whitish, translucent, floppy thing to Ebina, and smiled brightly.

“Hello. Hello!”

It was a jellyfish.

It was the jellyfish Ebina had once said was his favorite of all sea creatures.

Overcome by emotion, Ebina cried.

His sister bore almost no trace of her former self, and everything about her had changed.

But there were things she still remembered.

She truly was his sister.

The Mermaid Witch fretted anxiously when she saw Ebina’s tears, brought over some seaweed, and wiped them away with concern. Ebina held back his tears and took a deep breath before speaking.

“It’s all right, sis. Thank you.”

“Hello…?”

“I’m fine. I’m glad you seem well, sis. I’m doing fine, too. Business is going well… Oh, right. My wife said to give you her regards. You might not remember, since we got married after you became a mermaid, but you came to the pier with us once, remember?”

“Hello.”

“We’re having a child next year. You’re going to have a nephew or niece.”

“Hello!”

“Once the baby is born and things settle down, I’ll bring the baby to see you. Goodbye for now. Take care of yourself.”

When Ebina waved and said goodbye, the Mermaid Witch seemed to understand and grew a little sad.

Then she waved both hands vigorously, as if reluctant to part, before leaping into the moonlit surface of the water and vanishing.

There are things in this world that never change, and things that do.

Ebina prayed that, for his sister, the drastic changes that had befallen her had been a source of happiness.