Maou to Yuusha no Tatakai no Ura de - Vol. 3 Ch. 13.1 - Considerations and Preparations VI

[Rozzak]

It's a large merchant that already trained their staff on who he is and what he looks like. You don't grow into a large business that's able to go to the palace by scamming people.

The merchant knows about the stampede, chapter implies the merchant also knows it was a near disaster, and MC implies the merchant has at least heard rumors of the Demon king.

"There is no point to profit if there isn't anywhere to spend it." Sure the merchant could scam the heroic student and doom the country.

Not to mention that until very recently in human history charging more than a good was worth was considered unfathomable. Being an unscrupulous merchant was liable to end in swift death.

 

[cryum]

History has no shortage of people who royally screwed over a lot of other people for their own benefit/amusement, and so my point still stands.

I don't think the merchant is physically joining the trip, so he has a certain amount of vested interest not dying in the capital to monsters.

 

[Ncararc]

I don't think the merchant is physically joining the trip, so he has a certain amount of vested interest not dying in the capital to monsters.

Regardless of whether he physically joins the trip or not, the question remains as to how it all factors into his self-interest. Only a few (part-)chapters ago we had nobles pushing their toddlers and grandmothers onto the hero, all to his detriment and for their own personal interest. If the merchant believes that it is in his best interests (and within his ability) to screw over the country, he may very well do so. Even the comment before yours seems to miss the point: Unscrupulous people have existed since the dawn of time, the only question is whether their self-interest calculus will manifest it or not. Even over the internet, seemingly ordinary people can become instant jerkwads simply because they believe they have anonymity (and impunity).

 

[cryum]

Regardless of whether he physically joins the trip or not, the question remains as to how it all factors into his self-interest. Only a few (part-)chapters ago we had nobles pushing their toddlers and grandmothers onto the hero, all to his detriment and for their own personal interest. If the merchant believes that it is in his best interests (and within his ability) to screw over the country, he may very well do so. Even the comment before yours seems to miss the point: Unscrupulous people have existed since the dawn of time, the only question is whether their self-interest calculus will manifest it or not. Even over the internet, seemingly ordinary people can become instant jerkwads simply because they believe they have anonymity (and impunity).

But they aren't complete strangers. This is a known party who is familiar with the MC's father and MC himself made a big purchase with. And MC reported the entire project to the royalty, which means exceptional oversight even if there isn't a system of audits in this particular kingdom.

And the mercenaries were directly hired by MC instead of the merchants. With scouts all over the place.

 

[Ncararc]

But they aren't complete strangers. This is a known party who is familiar with the MC's father and MC himself made a big purchase with. And MC reported the entire project to the royalty, which means exceptional oversight even if there isn't a system of audits in this particular kingdom.

And the mercenaries were directly hired by MC instead of the merchants. With scouts all over the place.

Doesn't matter. If someone wants to do shitty stuff and believes he can get away with it, he will. Our politicians are all public figures, with laws governing their activities, in a government with checks and balances, and yet happens all the time.

 

[cryum]

Doesn't matter. If someone wants to do shitty stuff and believes he can get away with it, he will. Our politicians are all public figures, with laws governing their activities, in a government with checks and balances, and yet happens all the time.

Bro if you're paranoid to that extent about dickass merchants, no amount clauses in the contract is going to change anything.

You literally have the mercenaries AND the government backing your side of the deal, and you think some words on paper are more important?

 

[Ncararc]

Bro if you're paranoid to that extent about dickass merchants, no amount clauses in the contract is going to change anything.

You literally have the mercenaries AND the government backing your side of the deal, and you think some words on paper are more important?

I don't think some words on paper are more important; in fact what I have written so far does not rely on whatever contract they had. My only point, as it has been from the beginning, is that the mc ought to be smarter than most manga protags, and not rely blindly on a single source, because people can and will act according to their own interests. (And this has been satisfyingly been borne out by the mc in subsequent events.) Please refrain from accusing me or anyone of things which we have not expressed, or doing ad hominems.

 

[cryum]

My only point, as it has been from the beginning, is that the mc ought to be smarter than most manga protags, and not rely blindly on a single source

Oh, you were more focused on the separate source? My mistake I guess.

I also guess that I don't really need to add anything else, because with the already mentioned reasons, adding more sources is still weird af.

 

[SunSun]

History has no shortage of people who royally screwed over a lot of other people for their own benefit/amusement, and so my point still stands.

And we know about them because they're the exception not the rule.

A society does not function without trust and merchants/sellers/service providers bank on trust.