"This is done already?"
"I really spent one million ryō in one go?"
Dazed, Shimura Danzo handed over one million ryō to complete the tulip purchase. Only when the transaction was finished and the broker led him to the warehouse to pick up the goods did he fully come to his senses.
He had really spent one million ryō on a pile of tulips.
That was one million ryō.
Regretting it now was impossible. The money and goods had changed hands, returns weren't realistic, and besides, Danzo couldn't stomach the loss of face.
"Honored shinobi, these are the tulips you bought."
"All premium blooms at their peak."
The broker introduced the tulips with a flourish. Danzo admitted they were beautiful, but trading a heap of flowers for one million ryō felt reckless. He had been impulsive.
Right now he was a total novice just stepping into a speculative market. His mood mixed unease, fear, and excitement. Such feelings can't be described to outsiders; only those who've lived them understand.
"Will you be taking all these tulips home?"
"If it's nearby, we can deliver for free. If it's farther, given how delicate tulips are, you'll want professionals to handle transport."
"Our exchange has professionals to serve you."
"If you prefer to store them for a while, we also offer custody. The fee is a bit high, but absolutely worth it. If any tulip is damaged during storage, we'll compensate at price."
Putting the customer first, the broker asked with great care. Their after-sales service was impeccable, which was how their tulip exchange had grown strong in this boom.
"You really have thought of everything."
Danzo nodded. He liked shops like this with real service sense, unlike those profiteers from the morning.
He had no intention of taking the tulips back. There was no space where he and Sarutobi Hiruzen were staying, and he didn't want Hiruzen to find out. This was his solo move.
"I'll leave them in storage here."
"Understood, sir."
The broker smiled. Another tulip speculator, he thought. He was used to them, though he hadn't expected shinobi to jump into tulips too.
Then he quoted the storage fee. Danzo winced. Expensive. Very expensive. But he still paid honestly. He couldn't turn back now. He could only hope the tulips would make him money—even a few tens of thousands would do.
When everything was finished, Danzo left the exchange, intending to resume the day's procurement.
He hadn't gone far before his heart started hammering, a nameless fear rising in his chest.
"Forget it. The procurement can wait a bit. No rush. Buying everything on the list will take at least a month. One afternoon won't matter."
"This is one million ryō."
At that moment he lost all desire to continue the mission. His whole heart was hanging on the tulip trade. He quickly talked himself into it, turned on his heel, and went back to the tulip market.
Inside, it was as noisy and crowded as before, filled with shouting and the press of bodies, heavy with greedy delusions.
Yet the moment Danzo stepped in, his racing heart began to slow and the nameless fear ebbed away. He realized he loved it here. The brokers spoke so pleasantly. Coming here felt like coming home.
"Honored shinobi, you're back already?"
The same broker spotted Danzo wandering the floor and came over. A good salesman never lets a chance slip.
"Oh, nothing this afternoon. Just looking around."
Of course Danzo didn't tell him the truth—that the moment he left the market his heart pounded and nerves frayed, and only here could he relax.
"I see. In that case, why not sit in that room over there?"
"There's free tea, and a tulip price board. It's maintained by several big figures and major merchants together. Prices are updated daily already. Soon it might be every half day, maybe even every few hours."
At a glance the broker read Danzo's mind. He'd seen plenty like him. Without calling it out, he thoughtfully suggested the room so Danzo could sip tea while watching the price action.
"Mm. Thank you."
"You're very welcome. If you buy tulips again, please consider asking for me first."
Danzo nodded. The service truly was attentive. He hadn't expected a tulip market to be this thorough, even updating prices daily. As a shinobi he was sensitive to information gathering and knew how hard that was. Those "big figures" clearly had clout.
He didn't dwell on it and walked into the room.
A huge blackboard filled his view. It listed today's tulip prices and charted recent moves: a wavelike climb, including a recent explosion that doubled in a single day, followed by a steady, oscillating rise. Even when prices dipped briefly, they were back to prior levels almost the next day.
"This market is so healthy."
After his analysis, that was Danzo's conclusion. Seeing a newcomer, others in the room drifted over.
Speculators gathered do little else besides declaring the outlook brilliant and bragging about their profits. Before long, Danzo slipped right in, smooth as silk. He had just entered the market, and his need for security was acute.
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