Having returned to her normal state from work mode, Tre-san calls out to the bewildered Anne-san.

[Ah, Anne-san, you also make yourself comfortable. Let’s just forget about work and talk about it another time! We got a party to enjoy!]

[Ah, errr…… Y- Yes.]

[Anne-san, you might be confused, but Tre-san is someone you can trust, so you’ll be alright. If there’s anything negotiations-related that you want help with, as it’s my responsibility for introducing you to her, I’ll help you.]

[……N- No, things like responsibility…… Rather, I already feel so indebted to you, Kaito, that I don’t think I could repay you even in a lifetime, so I don’t know how to express my gratitude……]

[N- No, it’s not that big of a deal.]

Anne-san bowed her head to me with genuine gratitude, and from the tone of her voice and her expression, I could tell that she truly thinks of this as a lifelong debt of gratitude.

[No, I’m not exaggerating. I never thought we would get an exclusive contract with the Seditch Magic Tool Trading Company…… I’m truly grateful. My union members have been diligently working to acquire high-level skills, but I haven’t been able to provide them with jobs or pay that match their efforts, and as their representative, I felt a great deal of responsibility for that. The skilled members of my union could have had a better life if they moved to other unions, yet they have stayed with us without switching…… I’ve always wanted to recompense them in some way.]

[I see, there are indeed times when technical skills alone aren’t enough in a business matters.]

[Yes, that’s why I’m really happy to have this connection with the Seditch Magic Tool Trading Company.]

It seems that the issue of being weak with connections was a more serious problem for Anne-san’s union than I had initially thought. Their union seemed like a small to medium-sized business? Since they have to secure work on their own, connections and negotiation are inevitably necessary.

[Hmm~~ This question might sound blunt, but roughly speaking, how much is the monthly salary for members of Anne-san’s union?]

[Errr, for example, my salary is about 2000R/when it’s low, and about 5000R/month when it’s high.]

[Eh? As a representative of a medium-sized union with 7 1st-Class members, if that’s your approximate salary……. Well, it sounds like you’re being seriously underpaid. If someone holds a 1st-Class Mining Qualification, they could easily deserve around 5 times that amount…….]

[I’m embarrassed to say this, but not only are we weak in negotiations…… We also have frail connections, and there are many situations in which I can’t come on strong because we don’t even have many jobs to begin with……]

Indeed, if Anne-san’s side is desperate to secure work while the other side, which could be another union, holds the advantage, then even if they’re disadvantageous, Anne-san’s side might have no choice but to accept them. If not, she might be thinking that she couldn’t even pay her union members’ salaries.

[Fumu fumu, I see. Then, Anne-san, I think it will happen after we officially sign the contract…… If you’re okay with it, we’ll dispatch personnel from our company who are capable of negotiating with external parties. If we enter into an exclusive contract, you must prioritize the tasks we assign to your union, but it doesn’t mean you can’t take on other jobs as well.]

[Eh? W- Would that be alright?]

[Unn. Well, let’s talk about the detailed conditions during the negotiation.]

[T- Thank you very much!}

At Tre-san’s suggestion, Anne-san was extremely moved as she bowed her head. From the look on her face, I could tell that she was having a hard time with negotiations, so Tre-san’s suggestion must have been a godsend.

[By the way, Tre-san, I don’t really know much about it, but is that 1st-Class Mining Skill Qualification awesome?]

[Unn, it’s pretty amazing. There are 10 levels of Mining Qualifications, starting with 7th-Class, 6th-Class, 5th-Class, 4th-Class, Semi 3rd-Class, 3rd-Class, Semi 2nd-Class, 2nd-Class, Semi 1st-Class and then 1st-Class. Well, 7th-Class and 6th-Class are designations for trainees and apprentices, so proper skilled miners start from 5th-Class. Basically, they advance through annual promotion exams, but you can only advance up to 2nd-Class through exams alone. To reach Semi 1st-Class and 1st-Class, one needs to fulfill various conditions such as achievements and recommendations before they can take the promotion exam, so it really is just a handful who had such qualifications.]

[I see, so those with 1st-Class Qualifications really are just the chosen few.]

[Unn. Of course, if we’re talking about the Kruels as a whole, there are quite a few who got 1st-Class Qualifications, but having seven of them in a medium-sized union is impressive. Especially for high-purity magic crystals is challenging, so you really need someone with at least Semi 1st-Class Qualifications to handle them with confidence.]

There are quite a few levels of qualifications, but in this world, magic crystals are incredibly important, so the mining industry may be strictly controlling the qualifications for those who could handle them.

[Then, Anne-san must be pretty amazing.]

[N- No, it’s not like that. It just so happens that my parents have 1st-Class Qualifications, so I’ve learned a lot of things from them since long ago.]

At my words, Anne-san flusteredly shook her head with a blush, and with her petite figure, how should I say this…… She kinda feels like a cute small animal.

<Afterword>

Serious-senpai : [Nuhh…… No, calm down, it’s okay. She hasn’t triggered my heroine sensor yet. She’s still currently on the safe side.]

? ? ? : [She’s a female character with a precious, pale skin tone.]

Serious-senpai : [Stop it! Don’t try to attack with your uniqueness!!! There are people who like that kind of thing after all!!!]