I don't think its close at all here. KC is far too strong to ignore. Using it on cantrips is actually great. Playing a Mercenary every turn just about kills all money-based decks, KC amb curse does the rest.
Interesting question is how to trash down asap. All sorts of different approaches could work here. I do like the opening choice of achmed sender (urchin/ambassador). If I'd go that route, and I probably would, I would prioritize getting a single mercenary over anything else.
Another possibility is opening Ambassador/Potion. Buy Urchins if you don't hit $2P.
Always an option is Ambassador/Ambassador, adding a fishing village soon after. I don't really like this with KC on the board.
In the actual game you started out trying to get a mercenary, but after quite some bad luck you added cards that don't help this goal at all (fishing village, potion). You end up getting neither apothecary nor mercenary fast enough. I can understand the gamble of fishing village on turn 3, because you're likely to connect on turn 4. But on turn 4 you really really need to buy another urchin in stead of potion. On turn 6, the fishing village is not what you want. Be very careful of adding cards that don't draw another card and don't help in deck size trimming at this stage of the game. With only one terminal, you don't need the village.
After a while, you want a lot more KC then you bought here, quite some cantrips, and probably just a one-of ambassador and expand. Two expands is definitely over the top, I'd much rather have one and an extra KC. Or maybe even two KC and start using ambassador like a madman.