[Side story] Both arm scales (6)
“Brother, it’s normal for you to wander around here and there, but this time, I’m even more worried since you’re bringing a bell with you. “Is it so dangerous that you can’t handle it alone?”
“No, it’s not particularly dangerous, it’s just… This is out of consideration for Lortel… You still seem very uncomfortable being alone with me… ”
“… is it so? It didn’t look that uncomfortable to me… ”
“That’s it..”
The next day, people were lined up at the front door of the Ross Taylor mansion. This is to see me off heading to the commercial city of Oldeck.
I’ve told Tanya in advance that she doesn’t need to be too concerned whenever I leave the mansion, but when I go out on official schedules like this, I have to follow proper departure procedures.
I am going to the commercial city of Oldeck to carry out my official schedule. The reason is that we are going to inspect the merchants that distribute various household goods under orders from the Ross Taylor family.
In order to go out with Belle, the maid, in person, I needed a suitable justification. This is because Belle was a more advanced person than expected, and her schedule was as tight as that of the mansion’s key personnel.
Young Lortel was hiding behind Belle, clutching her collar. Until yesterday, we were quite close friends, but when I found out that he had read the contents of the note I cherished so much, I suddenly felt distant.
Yesterday, while Lortel was asleep (to be precise, while I was asleep), I checked the contents of the note and couldn’t help but be embarrassed.
In the notebook Lortel always carried with him even before he lost his memory… This is because there were so many thoughts about me written that it was embarrassing.
The stories Lortel describes about me are often somewhat exaggerated or overly glorified. … It seemed a bit excessive, and I almost felt sorry for myself while reading it.
“So, do you mind if I ask what it was about?”
Belle asked in a calm voice, looking at Lortel who was running around among the maids loading luggage into the carriage.
He was the type of person who didn’t ask more questions than necessary, but this time he seemed to have decided that he needed to be heard.
“Well, there are portraits of me drawn in graphite here and there… . Surprisingly, Lortel was quite good at drawing… ”
“… .”
“And the business plan that Lortel put together before he lost his memory was drawn in an easy-to-understand manner. “I think I now know why I always cherished it and wore it on my body.”
As it is a note that details Lortel’s business intentions and the broad direction for the future operation of the company… If you fall into the hands of a business enemy, you will suffer great losses.
However, since it is not possible to organize all the contents in one’s head, I would have had no choice but to cherish it.
“It seems that Lortel was planning to reorganize the company’s internal staff after making a deal with Seonghwangdo.”
“As soon as I get to the position of head of the association, I start by organizing people… In a way, it’s natural.”
“And in the process, they tried to use the deal with Seonghwangdo to gain control over the company.”
Bell tilted his head, perhaps because the story was unexpected up to that point.
“The surest way to tie up merchants is to tie them up with money.”
I said while visually checking the luggage being loaded on the carriage.
“If we attract a large business and hold tightly to the business rights and key connection points, even the merchants within the Chamber will not be able to mess with Lortel.”
Lortel has already proven his ability and power, but in order to finally ascend to the position of Lord, he must demonstrate his influence more clearly.
She cannot reign as the leader of the dark-hearted merchants simply because she is the adoptive daughter of the previous leader, Elte Keheln.
“I guess I get it. The transaction with Seonghwangdo is a transaction of such magnitude that even Elte Trading Company is drooling over it… “If you attract such business partners and keep them for a long time, you can earn astronomical amounts of income.”
“okay. And it’s a business plan that would be difficult to accomplish without Nana Lortel, who will connect the saint and the merchant association.”
Developing a market that other merchants cannot influence and that only you can access.
That was the final straw that would solidify Lortel’s position as a merchant.
Seonghwangdo is a facility that is like the heart of Seongdo Carpea.
If I could supply all the ritual supplies, daily necessities, construction and maintenance materials, and other magical supplies of that massive temple all by myself… The profits that Elte Trading Company will make are incalculable.
What is the size of the Telos Church, and what is the size of the Holy City’s buildings?
Seonghwangdo, where the Holy Emperor and the Holy Virgin reside, consists of only three buildings, and the site is twice as large as Sylvania Academy. Even though Sylvania Academy is enormous.
Being a priest does not always mean living a life far from luxury.
Rather, a huge amount of gold coins are needed to maintain its sacredness and dignity.
The place where the gold coins will flow will be inside the warehouse of Elte Company.
The starting point of the plan begins with me, Ed Rothtaylor, connecting Lortel with Saint Clarisse.
Considering the grandiose business plan that followed, Lortel must have been fully aware of how terrifying my statement that I would introduce Clarisse for free was.
That look that was looking at me with shock wasn’t acting. Well, it’s not like we’re acting with each other anymore.
“It’s not a pleasant thing from Slog’s perspective.”
“okay. So, it was moved at this time.”
If they succeed in concluding a logistics distribution consignment contract with Saint Clarice, Lortel’s position within the company will become so great that no one can touch it.
To do so, he cuts off Lortel’s head. It will be too late before Lortel’s latest blueprint sees the light of day.
“Onii-sama, you know~. “Senior Lortel always draws a picture so big that it’s hard to fathom.”
At that moment, Tanya jumped out of the carriage, wiping off the hem of her skirt.
The workers who were organizing the luggage to be loaded into the wagon before I left were astonished. I certainly had no idea that Tanya, who had been standing at the front gate being attended to by maids just a moment ago, would soon be in the luggage compartment of the carriage.
“You always pop up in strange places.”
“The carriage luggage space is not really my taste. Doesn’t it feel like it’s fitting… ”
“… .”
“Anyway. “After listening to what you said, I can smell it.”
Tanya landed on the floor, her shiny blonde hair twisting.
The porters who were unloading the luggage fell to their knees in shock, but Tanya simply shook her head and gave instructions to continue working.
“smell?”
“Your brother is also aware of this, right? That old merchant named Slog is strangely bold. “It’s as if he has someone watching his back.”
“That’s true, but I can’t see any other forces that could do that… ”
“So… Wouldn’t they have subdued Senior Lortel out of nowhere, and even come to Rosstaylor’s territory to check on his condition? We know very well that if we decide to intervene, they will get tired too… ”
Tanya tilted her chin and tilted her head.
“Do you still have any faith?”
“I wonder how reliable it is even if it were… ”
Rosstaylor’s territory is a place that receives protection from both the Cloel Imperial Family and Saint Carpea.
First of all, within this continent, there is no force that can mess with the Rosstaylor family.
Right now, Lucy, the core force, is recovering, and the family’s own system is not fully restored, so its scale may be limited… You can’t mess around with authority.
“I think it’s better to move cautiously, but… “Your brother doesn’t seem to have any intention of doing that.”
“Well… ”
“You pretend not to notice, out of consideration for your busy younger brother, but this Tanya is with the boxes of weapons on the back of your brother’s carriage… “I’ve already seen ‘that bow’ that my brother cherishes.”
Tanya sat down on a nearby wooden crate and spoke with a natural expression on her face.
“I’m thinking of pushing you away by force. Ever since you said you had to take Belle, I thought something was unusual, but you’re not the type to move around this hotly, right? “I don’t know what will happen next.”
“Well, it’s not like I don’t think about cleaning up afterwards. We are ready to justify our use of force… ”
“still… “I feel strangely un-liked by your older brother.”
“Well, there are times when things go too extreme like this. “I shouldn’t have to give a warning when I have to.”
I spoke without changing my expression.
“You touched Lortel.”
Lortel Kecheln and I have already promised to become each other’s person.
It’s true that I’ve said it over and over again, but it wasn’t a promise I made lightly.
“… ”
Tanya was about to say something, but smiled brightly for no reason.
To others, he may be quite satisfied, but the world seems to be happy, but from my point of view, it is a bit difficult to respond well.
“Still, since I’m the head of the family, I’ll ask questions. Even if you kick in the front door of the business and beat up the slog, how are you going to clean up after that? Senior Lortel also said this, right? If you can’t secure a cause… “Simple and ignorant solutions are meaningless.”
No matter how much of a conspirator he may be, breaking down the door of a large, well-performing business and lifting the owner’s throat is nothing but a fool’s errand.
“You know better the nature of merchants. “They sell their souls to make money, and they mercilessly throw away people who take money.”
“… “I know what you’re going to say.”
Tanya brushed off the dust from her skirt, took the outerwear offered to her by the maids who rushed to serve her, and put it on.
“If it is revealed that he tried to bury a big deal like the Seonghwangdo delivery contract due to a political fight within the chamber, Slog’s own position will be in jeopardy. I agree. It would be difficult to support the decision to block the Sanghoe money banquet in order to maintain one’s position… ”
Tanya was gifted with an innate sense for weighing the direction of public opinion.
Tanya, who was scratching the tip of her nose and thinking for a moment, looked worried for a moment…
“Well, there’s no way Slog wouldn’t know that fact, so he’d have to use some trick… Ah… ”
Tanya must have thought of something in the middle, and with a grin, she went back to the front door where she had seen me off.
“Well, that’s right. Brother. Bye. “Be careful not to get hurt.”
“okay. It will be resolved soon. “Take care of the mansion well while Belle and Lortel are away.”
“It’s something I always do.”
And so the carriage carrying me, Lortel, and Belle left the Rosstaylor mansion.
It was going to be quite a long journey, so I thought I would get some sleep beforehand.
“The wind is getting chilly. Please go in slowly.”
The old vassal bowed his head and gave Tanya a mantra.
Tanya, who was standing at the front gate of the Ross Taylor mansion and quietly watching the carriage disappear into the distance, glanced at the kneeling retainer out of the corner of her eye.
This is the presence of Duchess Tanya Rosstaylor, who is difficult for anyone to meet even on the continent due to her name alone.
The sight of him tightening his legs in fear of making a mistake seems a little pathetic.
“… “You seem angrier than I thought.”
“… yes?”
“no. “Let’s go in.”
Ed, who was getting on the carriage, looked calm and quiet.
The tone was normal as always, but… Tanya, who had already been working with Ross Taylor Mansion for a long time as the owner, was able to read the underlying psychology.
It seems that what was written in Lortel’s notebook was not everything he said. Tanya was half sure of that.
This is because the sight of Ed Rosstaylor heading toward Old Deck as if nothing had happened seemed like a very angry person in Tanya’s eyes.
*
I saw Lortel asleep in the back of the large carriage, half-carried by Belle.
As the journey got longer, I guess I got a little tired. Children of that age were the ones who ran around energetically in the morning and then quickly fell into a nap.
I laid down on the back of the seat again, rested my forearms on the window frame, and rested my chin.
“… ”
I carefully organized my thoughts in the rhythm of the rocking carriage.
Various things I saw in Lortel’s notes. I didn’t feel very good because it seemed like the thoughts I had organized while carrying out the business were coming back to me.
– ‘Re-checking the trend of meat distribution in the Gölenhelt region.’
– ‘Re-assembling internal asset items of the trading company that are less well known.’
– ‘The distribution of equipment ordered by Count Larsen has been blocked. How?’
– ‘It’s been too long since I stopped by the Duchy of Rosstaylor… ‘
Occasionally, I would laugh out loud when I noticed things like my portrait drawn in the corner of the notebook or my thoughts about what gift to buy the next time I stopped by the duchy.
– ‘Breaking the transaction route with Seonghwangdo. I expect interference from that old man.’
– ‘I think it would be best to keep Ed as quiet as possible. Tell them it’s okay.’
I stayed still with my head down. The carriage moved forward with a clatter.
──In fact, Lortel had an easier solution.
All you have to do is run to the Duchy of Rosstaylor, bow your head, and ask for something, like the cruel colossi usually do. It is not a shame for merchants to rely on those in power.
okay. It would have been more convenient to rely on the authority of those in power connected to our duchy and figure out how to catch the pod of Slog and drive it out.
Nevertheless, Lortel still planned to push him out through the merchant’s influence.
In front of me, he did not talk about the political structure within the Chamber of Commerce, but strictly spoke about business matters with Seonghwangdo.
why?
Justice. belief. righteousness. Those cool, romantic words come to mind, but it’s far from Lortel.
Only in front of me does she look like a girl of her age, but in the world of commerce, she has a reputation as a wicked woman who will even make a contract with the devil to win.
Since I was not unaware of the gap, I was able to draw a conclusion without difficulty.
– ‘If you want to get more involved in Sanghoe’s affairs, just say it’s okay until the end.’
The merchants’ fight is a brawl in the mud.
When you fight together there, all kinds of stigma, notoriety, and resentment follow you like a needle and thread.
Lortel, who has lived his whole life in such a place, imagines himself… He must have always been covered in foul-smelling mud.
The Ross Taylor family is growing day by day and slowly regaining its former glory. Lortel did not want to cause harm to the Rosstaylor family.
Lortel is too smart, but on the contrary, she is a dull woman.
“… … .”
I lower my head and stare at the shaking floor of the carriage.
Even though summer was coming to an end, it felt like a cold chill was creeping on my back.
