Chapter 247: Investment |
[It seems we have caused you some trouble this time…]
Ramon explained in a strained voice.
Koharii is currently living in the mansion of Knight Bermakan. It must’ve felt lonely for her waiting alone at Newnelly Castle while I went to the royal capital, so she moved to the castle grounds.
Because of Ramon’s ties with the Bermakan family’s daughter, it can be said that it became easier for the siblings to meet each other. At least it’s much easier for Ramon since he won’t have to deal with the troubles related to visiting the castle.
[I don’t think it bothers me at all. It was cute.]
Koharii was shocked by his brother’s marriage. At first, she was cheerful and happy, saying things like, [Congratulations, brother], but as time went on, she seemed to slowly start to feel lonely. And now that I, her new protector, was gone, Koharii’s “loneliness switch” was finally turned on, and she ended up spending hours alone in her room.
The other day, when I went to see Koharii in the castle town, she snuggled up to me and was cute, as if trying to make up for the loneliness she felt after losing his brother.
[And it was refreshing to see her being stubborn.]
I tried to take her back to the castle, but Koharii wouldn’t budge. If she resides inside the castle, Ramon won’t be able to come visit her easily. She hated it.
In the end, I couldn’t ignore that request. If I give it some time, she should be able to organize her mind.
[I humbly apologize…! Once my life settles down, I think Koharii will feel at ease, so please forgive me…]
This older brother must have been horrified by Koharii’s actions, even though she was in the position of a mistress. I guess he took my words like sarcasm when I asked how Koharii was doing, and the room was so nervous that I felt sorry for the people watching. Well, it’s not like there’s no sarcasm at all.
[I don’t mind that much. No need to be afraid.]
Despite being a mistress, she has not become pregnant yet, so as her elder brother, Ramon must be worried about various things. Now, if I run out of affection, Koharii’s position will become extremely delicate.
However, I had no interest in her brother’s apology. I should probably change the topic a little here.
[…By the way, what kind of girl did you marry? I haven’t met her this far.]
Apparently sensing my feelings, Ramon naturally changed his attitude from apology mode to small talk mode.
[She is such a wonderful person who is too good for someone like me.]
Ramon finally talked about the beauty of his new wife, emphasizing that he was truly happy for her.
This is the correct attitude. A commoner would not be allowed to openly deny the wife he received from the Bermakan family, a senior vassal among the Quordenze knights. It will destroy Knight Bermakan’s face.
[You seem to understand your position well.]
He is highly valued by a nobleman, his younger sister becomes my mistress, and he is given a wife from a knight’s family. If he showed any sign of getting carried away, I should have reconsidered how to deal with Ramon, but if it looks like this, there shouldn’t be any problems.
I hadn’t received any particularly bad reports from the civil officers, and I think I can trust his future work.
[Based on that, I’ll ask you again. Answer honestly. I have high hopes for you to work in Nambonan City. I want you to work as hard as you did before marriage.]
Ramon is very easy to use. Not only does he have excellent administrative skills and strengths in the fields of logistics and business, but he also can accurately read my intentions and take action. I would like to continue to use this service in Nambonan City.
What I’m concerned about is the possibility that Ramon has gotten himself a demon-like wife. It would be a big problem if he continued to suffer from stress as the in-law of a knight family without complaining, and as a result, worsening his work. Besides, if I forced her brother into a painful marriage, it would affect Koharii’s trust in me.
[I will do my best to meet the expectations.]
[…Will there be any problem in continuing to serve me?]
The most important thing is to serve me wholeheartedly and to meet my expectations. It’s heavier than a knight’s face. I tried to offer him an escape route, thinking that at this moment, he wouldn’t be criticized even if he said that he has a demon-like bride.
[None. Since I have been blessed with a good companion, I am confident that I will be able to do my best even more than before. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Young Master for his generous consideration.]
It seemed that the real meaning of my question was conveyed. Apparently, the bride who came from the Bermakan family is a decent human being.
[In that case, that’s fine. Besides, I don’t mind being referred to as the Mayor. You will return to Nambonan City soon.]
It felt kind of strange to be called Young Master by Ramon. It would be more natural if he calls me the Mayor.
[So, how’s Newnelly? I reckon someone from Bermakan has shown you around.]
The current challenge for Nambonan City is to function as a city in the Quordenze territory while maintaining its unique identity. Nambonan City’s special feature is that the vitality of its citizens is unusually high compared to other places, so there is no point in destroying that.
Considering these circumstances, it would be better for Nambonan City to use more locally hired staff. However, if they act too much on the citizen’s side, there will be friction with the officials dispatched from Quordenze, and it may also be inconvenient for cooperation with other cities in the territory.
That’s why I wanted to create executive staff from the private sector who were familiar with Quordenze’s administration. The first step was to have Ramon tour the city.
[I learned a lot of things. I was able to understand things by looking at things from the inside. I began to see, albeit vaguely, the logic of the Knights… something that should be called ethics or norms.]
In a sense, the administration of Newnelly City can be said to be the actual output of the underlying ideas of Nobles and Knights. It seems that a lot of things made sense to Ramon after visiting the site. Back in Nambonan City, he seemed to be having a lot of trouble communicating with civil officers.
[Also, the Bermakan family did a lot of face-to-face work.]
[People in Newnelly City come from Knight families from all over the territory. There’s no harm in selling your face.]
[I’m very grateful for the chance.]
Since Ramon comes from a merchant family, he naturally understands the importance of personal connections. Since he had the perfect opportunity to marry the daughter of the Bermakan family, he actively showed up here and there to say hello.
[It’s great to hear that your stay in Newnelly has been meaningful.]
After listening to a few more stories, I decided to move on to the main topic.
[…Well, that’s just the way it is. I called you today because there is something I wanted to ask you.]
[Understood.]
I continued talking while looking at the person in the room who was feeling a little more nervous.
[I heard that Nambonan City used to have communication with St. Navenpos and the Mammushred Federation. It was around the time when they were in conflict with Quordenze. Is that right?]
I also heard about it from Viscount Galiana, and I’ve heard several similar stories myself during my stays in Nambonan City.
[…It’s…more than a city, it was a place where powerful merchants had their own connections with various parts of the continent…]
Ramon seemed to be having a hard time answering. But, I knew what he’s worried about.
[I’m not blaming them in any way. Nambonan City’s punishment has already ended. I’m not thinking of punishing them again based on the answer to this question, or indicting anyone else. It would be disrespectful to the rule.]
I would like to demonstrate that I value faith and honor. If it turns out to be too inconvenient for us, we can bring it back as much as we want, but that won’t happen this time.
Perhaps relieved by my words, Ramon began answering questions indifferently.
[As the Mayor said, we had connections. Among them were St. Navenpos and the Mammushred Federation.]
However, he quickly corrected himself.
[Strictly speaking, regarding the Mammushred Federation, there was no direct communication to the Great King’s Office. We were just secretly dealing with local organizations. In Mammushred, the power of the government is absolute. Rather, local areas are not necessarily obedient to the central government. Therefore, local officials and military personnel are trying to enrich their own pockets…]
[Are you saying you’re doing business with smugglers?]
When I said that, Ramon looked a little surprised.
[What’s wrong?]
[No, indeed. I was just surprised at how quickly the Mayor understood.]
According to him, when he explained smuggling to people from the Knight family, it was difficult for them to understand. This is probably because the relationship between the central and local areas is completely different from the common sense in Noble’s territories.
[Does that mean it was connected to some areas facing Lake Meo?]
[Yes. All smuggling trade uses the lake. The official trade carried out by the Great King’s Office goes through the Angata Mountain Pass, but I heard that it was not possible to intervene there.]
[…..why doesn’t the lake be used as a formal trade route?]
[We just didn’t know how. It’s only in the last 100 years that water transportation technology has improved enough to cross Lake Meo. Even today, it’s said that out of every 10 commercial ships sent out, seven will sink to the bottom of the water. Therefore, it is by no means a safe route. I think that is why there are no territories under the direct control of the Great King’s Office in the coastal area of the lake.]
It may be unavoidable that the first Great King of the Nagi dynasty did not place importance on the shores of Lake Meo. However, it is said that because of this, in today’s era, local powerful people are busy engaging in smuggling as they please.
The government, fearing a chain reaction to rebellion, cannot force the blame and only partially tolerates it, and as a result, the Nagi dynasty is stable at a low level in a sense.
[Nambonan City also doesn’t face Lake Meo, so how did they do business in that area?]
[It seems that the Mammushred smugglers traded through Noble families like the Evenafis family, who had territories along the shores of Lake Meo. They often used Noble territories that did not belong to either the Kingdom or the Empire.]
[Which Noble family were they dealing with the most?]
[The most often was the Eudion family. I’ve heard several times about the Nambonan merchants who own merchant ships in Eudion territory.]
[Eudion family? Ah, those Spierzeig family’s ilk.]
[…..yes.]
Ramon seemed apprehensive because his answer implied that the Spierzeig family, the nemesis of the Quordenze family, was also benefiting from the smuggling forays. However, this is nothing new. The fact that Nambonan City and the Spierzeig family were connected in various ways behind the scenes has already been exposed to the light of day and is being judged. At least I don’t care.
[Until now, Nambonan merchants were unable to own ships in Evenafis territory and had to rely on independent Noble families. However, it seems that most of them now move their ships to Lake Hartinos Port in Evenafis territory.]
With Nambonan City becoming part of Quordenze territory, it became possible for merchant ships to berth openly in Evenafis territory.
I heard that Nambonan merchants who engaged in smuggling paid high taxes to feudal lords who owned ports. The Eudion family and others who have been sucking in the sweet juice must be greatly lamenting the fall of Nambonan City.
[Do Mayor need to know anything else about Mammushred? Like what kind of water transportation they used in Lake Meo?]
[No, that’s an interesting story, but I called you today because I wanted to ask you something about St. Navempos.]
[I see, St. Navempos…]
Ramon’s expression became even more tense. Maybe he sensed something strange about the relationship between the Nobles and the priests. It felt like the air in the room was getting a little tense.
[First of all, let me start by saying that I am thinking of growing sunflowers.]
[Sunflower…?]
Just like that, Ramon remained silent with a serious look on her face.
Sunflowers represent the Zeth Holy High Society, and raising it means that the next Head of the Quordenze family is trying to approach Saint Navempos… It would be unbearable if it was taken in a strange direction.
[I’m thinking of planting and growing a field of sunflowers. That’s it. There’s no deeper meaning behind it. I’m talking about agriculture.]
[I-is that so…]
It seems that my concerns were valid. Don’t you think you’d be suddenly summoned to a castle and a nobleman would talk about agriculture? It can’t be helped that you misunderstand.
[There are just a few problems. Particularly to get it started around here.]
When I told him about the issues I had listed, such as land issues and the reputation of the surrounding area, Ramon seemed to understand immediately and nodded repeatedly.
[From what I’ve heard, it seems like the scale of the farmland envisioned is quite large…]
I talked with civil officers before Ramon arrived, but for now I would like to start with something about the size of a track. When I explained that, Ramon groaned.
[However, I don’t think sunflowers are very efficient when it comes to extracting oil…]
[If you’re just thinking about using it for oil, you’re not wrong.]
[Then, does it have another purpose?]
So, I signaled to the civil officer and asked him to put the things I had prepared on the desk. They were two wooden boxes of different sizes.
[Newnelly soap?]
[Oh, so you know about it?]
It’s surprising how quickly he could tell only by looking at a package that doesn’t even have any words written on it.
[I’ve been using this a lot lately… I used to use the one in this box at home, so…]
Ramon said that the one he used a lot these days was the one on the large box on the left, and the one he used a long time ago was the smaller box on the right.
[I see.]
The soap on the left is the cheapest of the several Newnelly soaps we sell, and the soap on the right is the highest quality. It was a story that clearly illustrated the changes in Ramon’s economic situation.
Furthermore, in order to protect the brand value, the cheapest soap is priced at a reasonable price. Even ordinary civilians can buy it, but it’s not exactly cheap.
[Do you know what the difference is between these two soaps?]
[The oil used as the raw material?]
The manufacturing method for Newnelly soap is basically kept secret, but it is known that one of the ingredients is vegetable oil. It was kept a secret until a certain point, but as soap production increased, so did the amount of oil purchased, so it became something of an open secret within the city. Well, it seems that the difficult-to-use soap that originally existed on the Eruo continent was also made from vegetable oil, so it may have been known from the beginning.
That’s why they are now starting to open up and promote the fact that they use high-quality vegetable oil in their luxury products.
[Yes, the raw materials are different. This is high-quality olive oil…]
I can’t say with certainty that it’s the same plant as Earth’s olives, but at least it looked and tasted like an olive fruit.
[…And this one is made from soybean oil.]
Soybean oil is a vegetable oil made from pressed beans called hablame. This is probably a plant that doesn’t exist on Earth. It is said that this plant was introduced from the Mammushred region, but its authenticity is uncertain.
As a plant, it looks very similar to soybeans, but it produces beans that are so bad that the only use for them is to extract the oil. However, it is cultivated in many regions because the oil extraction efficiency is very high and it produces a light oil with little odor. Basically, when we talk about vegetable oil in this area, we can say that we are referring to this soybean oil.
[The soap made by soybean oil is the cheapest, but this soap was the first to be completed as a product. It was the origin of Newnelly soap.]
As someone who used to work in a merchant family, Ramon was looking at me intently.
[In other words, Mayor is thinking of sunflower oil soap for your next product? And the sales target is mainly in the St. Navempos area…]
[It’s a good thing that we talked quickly. Do you know that the priests of the Holy City have a ritual where they anoint their bodies with sunflower oil?]
[I’ve heard about it, but I don’t know much about it…]
[Let me explain. To put it simply, sunflower oil is believed to contain the blessings of the great spirit of the sun. The reason they apply it on their body is to absorb that divine protection into their body.]
Like holy oil, it is something that is applied to the body, so I think sunflower soap is suitable for high-ranking priests to use on a daily basis. When I expressed my thoughts, Ramon nodded deeply in agreement.
[I see… Certainly, I think that would make for a good sales pitch.]
I didn’t think it’s an empty compliment. If anything, he sounded like he was interested.
[I heard an interesting story while I was in the capital. Zeth Holy High Society is regaining its former power.]
Perhaps thinking that I was about to say something really important, Ramon kept his mouth shut.
[Will the relationship with the priestly forces deteriorate and lead to war, or will the confrontation continue, or will we build a new good relationship and coexist…I don’t know what the future holds.]
The Levios family was very motivated, but to be honest, I’m not interested. Unless they call me when they have to kidnap beautiful women or plunder works of art. If that’s the case, I’ll be happy to join in.
[There’s only one thing we know at this point. Getting power back means having money.]
If the economy is good, the flow of money should also be good.
[No matter what kind of future awaits us, be it war, conflict, or coexistence, Quordenze is not very happy about money gathering in the Holy City. I think we need to drive a wedge in now. The first step is sunflower soap.]
Soap is a very popular product in the Kingdom and Empire, and I want to brand it properly in the Holy City as well.
[Sending soldiers is not the only way to fight… Do you understand what I mean?]
When asked that question, Ramon nodded loudly. He showed a really good response. This idea of building a beachhead in the economic field is difficult for people from the Knight family to understand.
[That’s why I’m thinking of growing sunflowers.]
After I stated the conclusion again, Ramon lowered himself as if he were going to prostrate himself.
Judging from this reaction, selling sunflower soap doesn’t seem like such a bad idea.
[I’m going to gather experts and decide on a policy soon. There are probably a lot of holes in my plan alone. …I’ll leave the selection to you. When you return to Nambonan City, gather them as soon as possible.]
[Yes. Leave it to me.]
With this, my work is almost finished. If I leave it to Ramon, he will probably manage it pretty well even if I leave it alone. Perhaps.
[The rest is farmland.]
[Yes. I think that is a difficult problem. If it was near Nambonan City, there would be no problem with land or water, but in that case…]
[…Is there a problem?]
I was thinking of building one around Nambonan City. It’s easy to forcibly expropriate land because it just became Quordenze territory, and it’s easy to get water because it’s close to the Amelia River.
It may be a little troublesome to move Cynthia around, but compared to land and water availability, it’s not a big problem.
[No, if you are thinking about selling them in St. Navenpos, I think the sunflowers grown near Newnelly would be better to sell. As Mayor may know, Lydia Plain was once famous throughout the continent as a famous sunflower production area. We have a history of achieving great value. If we can incorporate that kind of value into our products…]
…Ah, I feel like this will succeed on its own without my involvement. He’s a reliable man.
[Even if the sunflowers used as raw materials are from Nambonan, the factory that ultimately manufactures the soap is located in Newnelly City, so wouldn’t that mean the soap was made in Lydia Plains?]
[I, indeed!]
This was the moment when modern Earth’s technology for disguising the country of origin was brought to the Eruo continent.
[If you look at it from a broader perspective, there is no difference that both of them are Quordenze territory. Don’t worry about the details.]
Nowhere is it possible to display the production area of agricultural products, and it is almost impossible to check. Moreover, the quality of sunflowers grown in Nambonan is not bad. On the contrary, I think it will be of high quality since it is a project that I put a lot of effort into. Okay, there’s nothing wrong.
[Then, would it be okay for us to move on to considering the site with a view to creating farmland near Nambonan?]
[I leave it to you… Now that the land issue has been resolved…]
When I blurted it out, Ramon picked it up with a sharp ear.
[Any other problems yet?]
[Hmm? Ah, this has nothing to do with the sunflower field.]
I was a little hesitant, but decided to talk to him since it was a good opportunity.
As long as I cherish Koharii, this brother of hers will never betray Quordenze.
[No, it doesn’t matter. It’s also the place where soap is made.]
[…is it about the Pioneering Association?]
Ramon asked in a low voice.
[That’s right. The production department of the Pioneering Association has become quite cramped recently. They want to mass-produce new products, but they don’t even have the space to build the equipment to do so. It’s a problem. If only I could sell it…]
I would like to sell the white pottery that was popular in the Royal Capital on a large scale, but there is nothing I can do since I don’t have the land anymore.
The fact that the raw material is thick-haired rabbit bones is also a problem. Thick-haired rabbits are livestock that farmers raise and sell on their own time, so if I want to collect a large number of them, I’ll have to contact many farmers. In other words, if a large-scale purchase is made, the manufacturing method may be leaked. If security is to be ensured, everything should be completed within the production department.
[Is it a new product from the Association? I don’t know what it is, but if the merchants of Nambonan hear about it, I think they’ll rush to Newnelly City again.]
[…..hey, show it to him.]
I gave instructions to the civil officer and showed Ramon the white vessel that I had left as a sample.
[What do you think? I think it’s a good product.]
But there was no reply. Ramon was at a loss for words.
[What’s wrong?]
[…………….Umm, is this one really produced by the Association? Isn’t it supposed to be a precious antique?]
He froze in a half-hearted pose, almost bowing toward the plate.
[It’s not an antique. In fact, it was something made recently.]
[Is production halted because the land is small?]
[That’s right. As a result, only a handful has been made so far.]
Ramon somehow understood what I wanted to say. I’m sure he wanted to scream, [What a waste!]. I bet the reason his body was trembling is because he is trying hard to suppress those words.
[We have land around Nambonan City. We have enough manpower, so if Mayor is willing…]
[Nambonan City is no good.]
He must have expected this answer to some extent, but he was still disappointed.
[The Pioneering Association has now become one of Quordenze’s industries. It’ll be dangerous to keep it outside. There is also the fact that the Spierzeig army invaded at the beginning of this year.]
Important secrets cannot be placed in areas close to enemy territory. It’s different from a sunflower field.
Of course Ramon also understood this, so he didn’t chase for relocation.
[I see… However, it is regrettable that such a wonderful product cannot be produced due to lack of land…]
Even though it wasn’t for his own benefit, he was staring at the plate with regret.
[Many people are looking forward to that vessel. I’m thinking of resolving the land issue as soon as possible, but…if it’s going to be a large-scale relocation, I think it would be best to move inland.]
If the Spierzeig family perished, would Nambonan City still exist? …No, the people involved in Quordenze are somewhat conservative, and they seem to be saying that foreign land is high risk, so we should move inland.
[Mayor. Are you sure?]
It seemed like he couldn’t give it up yet.
[If you are considering reorganizing your land, I think one way is to take it outside and think of activities that will not cause problems. For example, in this case, the cultivation of sunflowers does not need to be carried out by the association, so we have outsourced it to Nambonan City. In a similar way, I think it would be possible to increase the amount of land available by proactively entrusting non-confidential work that had previously been done within the association to outsiders…]
In modern terms, it would be a proposal for outsourcing. I feel that if we bring someone who can think of things like this to the Pioneering Association, they will be able to operate it efficiently. Should it be considered in the future?
[…In that case, please use Nambonan City.]
[Quite ambitious, aren’t you?]
Hearing that, Ramon looked a little troubled.
[Some areas are a little worrying. There are some areas in Nambonan City that are currently overstaffed…]
It is said that people who lost their villages in the war are flocking to Nambonan City in search of work. Although the Quordenze family has set up checkpoints outside the area to restrict the movement of people, there are still many people who sneak into the area.
[I’d like to make new jobs available. Some civil engineering will be required to open a sunflower field, so I guess that’ll open up some job vacancies…]
Even so, once it’s completed, it’s over. The number of people who can become farmers is not that large. That must have had something to do with why he was thinking about getting some work from the Pioneering Association.
[Recently, the number of commerce ships has increased, so I guess we’ll have to do port expansion work for now.]
I was told this at dinner last night, so let’s give the instructions before I forget.
[My grandfather said that he had trouble crossing the river because there were so many private merchant ships. I hope that this will be resolved as soon as possible.]
Perhaps because I said it in a slightly stronger tone, Ramon’s face turned serious.
[…In that case, wouldn’t it be better to ask for investment?]
[What do you mean?]
According to Ramon’s explanation, it would be faster to solicit investment from the city’s wealthy merchants than to build a port using the city’s budget, and the funds would be plentiful to build a good port.
[However, port usage fees will increase for about 10 years after construction. Dividends to investors will be added on top of that.]
Well, what idiot would invest money without getting anything in return?
[Of course, we will not collect any money from anyone related to the lord.]
[You can choose a better method as long as there is no harm to the Quordenze side. Please head back to Nambonan City and make arrangements with the local people.]
I suddenly thought that the fact the money could be collected from it meant that the wealthy merchants in the city considered investing in the port a good deal.
[Can I also invest in that port?]
[You, Mayor? …it’s possible, but why would Mayor need to?]
If the lord wanted the benefit from the port, they could simply raise the price. So, Ramon said there’s no point in me investing.
[Well, common sense might say that, but… I don’t know, I feel like it’s healthier to invest properly and get dividends than to raise port usage fees just based on the lord’s wishes.]
[Haha. I think it’s an interesting initiative, and as a citizen of Nambonan, I’m happy about the Mayor’s idea. However, if the investment is made in a regular manner, I think the minimum investment amount will be quite large. Is there no problem with that?]
When it comes to port construction, we have no choice but to target wealthy merchants to be the investors, making the hurdles for participation high. As the number of investors increases, the hassle of paying dividends increases, so we do not dare to deal with small fry. In this case, it is expected that we could only gather ten investors.
[That’s alright. I’ve been wasting money lately. Well, if I suddenly invested a large amount of money, it would cause unnecessary confusion, so I’ll decide to invest only one unit at a minimum.]
[I suppose that’s good.]
This is the beginning of a dream dividend life. It is quite attractive as the dividend would increase as Nambonan City develops. It makes me want to do my best to make the city a better place.
…Is this the reason why Ramon was so keen on my investment?
[However, it’s quite an interesting mechanism. Is this type of investment common in Nambonan City?]
[Yes. Investments were made not only in the city but also all over the continent. There is a wide variety of events, from large-scale events that only large merchants in the city can participate in, to small-scale events held by the general public. Of course, there are many failures as well as success stories.]
[For example?]
[A small-scale example is investing in a bridge that will be built near Nambonan City. This can be done with a relatively small amount of money, but the bridge has to be finished before it is washed away by the floods from the Amelia River. It is difficult to recover the usage fees, and if you are lucky, you can receive dividends many times the amount invested, but in the worst case scenario, the bridge could be washed away by heavy rain the year after construction, resulting in a huge loss.]
There are many rivers that branch off from the Amelia River around Nambonan City, so there is a high demand for bridges.
Although it seems to be enjoyed by the citizens as a bit of gambling, there are some idiots who get serious about it and risk all of their assets and go bankrupt.
[Interesting. What are some large-scale examples?]
[A large-scale example is the construction of facilities within the city. When it comes to investing in other places, there is less collaboration between large merchants who may become business rivals. This is a story that could end up being a big deal. Inevitably, there are many investments that are completed on their own, and many that are unknown to those around them.I also learned about many investments for the first time during the post-war processing of Nambonan City. Most of the investments from the Noble families were made in secret.]
[I see, so sometimes the Nobles are also involved. That would involve a lot of money. …Where did the biggest amount of money move? Is it around the Spierzeig family invasion?]
I thought it was a difficult question to answer, but Ramon replied immediately.
[It was the Orville family from the Rickarga region. They have recently started calling themselves the Rickarga Allied Nations, and there was a merchant in the city who helped raise funds for their military.]
He mentioned the merchant’s name in a tone that implied, [Mayor must know it already], but I couldn’t remember it at all.
[Who was that again?]
[…After the city fell, the entire family was executed together, so I guess it’s no wonder Mayor doesn’t know about it. Please excuse me.]
I remembered. Was it that Councilor who tried to talk back to my father in Nambonan Castle and had his head cut off without any questions asked? He was killed so quickly that I couldn’t remember the name at all.
[And you’re saying that Nambonan merchants were involved in the Orville family’s rise?]
[That seems to be the case. It seemed like a considerable amount of gold coins were taken out.]
Immediately after getting a job at City Hall, Ramon apparently checked the list of assets that had been taken from the Councilman’s house. The reason was that the wealth was much smaller than expected. If there were any hidden assets nearby, there was a risk that the Quordenze family would assume that Nambonan City was involved in the concealment, so the locally hired staff, including Ramon, hurriedly set up an investigation team and investigated day after day. Apparently they went through a lot of trouble that I didn’t know about.
[Rickarga is quite far away, so what exactly did they want to do?]
[There were no records of the details, so I can only speculate, but…maybe they saw that the Orville family would dominate the neighborhood and decided that they should form a connection ahead of others.]
In fact, the Orville family unified the Rickarga region, so if the guess is correct, the Councilman had a good eye for it.
[It’s an advance investment, isn’t it? However, since the person who made the investment has been beheaded, the Orville family has made a profit. They no longer need to return the money. That’s so unfair.]
If the situation calls for it, a Noble can renege on promises made to merchants, but it’s better not to do so.
[If I have Mayor’s permission, I can send them a letter requesting a refund…]
If one considers that the debt has been transferred from the councilman to the Quordenze family, there should be no problem in filing a claim.
It seemed that Nambonan City had not taken any particular action so far, as it could lead to interactions with Nobles from other places.
[Then, why didn’t anyone inform me? …no, would it become a problem if Quordenze’s name is taken into account?]
[It can also be concluded as a transaction between merchants.]
Perhaps the rumors of the fall of Nambonan City have reached the south. Therefore, Ramon could’ve written something along the line of, [The son has inherited the merchant family after the father passed away. Please return the money]. The son in question had actually also died at the same time, but I don’t think that much detailed information has been passed on. You can fake anything.
I also checked with the civil officer, and received confirmation that there was no problem.
[…If anything, I think it would be better if the person delivering the letter had the purpose of exploring the Rickarga region rather than getting a refund.]
It’s not like in modern Japan, where you just put a letter in the mailbox and that’s it. In order to deliver the letters, we need people who actually travel.
[I think that would be better as well. It would be difficult to get a refund if it was in the name of a merchant family, so I think we should focus on reconnaissance of the recent situation. Since there is an investment issue, the Orville family should be in a better condition than a normal peddler. I think you’ll be able to go deeper into the story. Maybe we’ll get a chance to have an audience with the head of the family. Perhaps because it’s so far away, not many people care about it, but we can also learn about the reality of the emerging Rickarga Allied Nations. I’m curious. I would like to choose someone I can trust to deliver the message.]
Ramon is a convenient candidate because he understands my intentions and is capable of making quick decisions. The people around me from the knight families don’t care about Rickarga at all. If the Orville family were a nearby feudal lord, they would probably suggest that we actively investigate, but the Rickarga region is too far away. It was too far away to warrant any caution.
It can be appreciated that Ramon is interested in the fact that it is an emerging force regardless of distance. Is this the difference between a knight who is rooted in the land and a merchant who moves around in search of trade?
[I’ll leave the details to you. Don’t worry about making mistakes.]
[Yes.]
[I know I’ve entrusted you with various tasks, but the first thing you need to do is sunflowers. Probably not this summer, but next year I want to visit the sunflower fields where they’re all in bloom.]
When I said that, Ramon was a little surprised. I guess he didn’t expect me to go to the field.
[I’m going to take Koharii with me.]
I’ve said all sorts of fancy things about growing sunflowers, but in the end, what I want to do is go on a date with Koharii.
After thinking about it a lot, I came to the conclusion that out of all the people I can help with, the one who looks best in a sunflower field and a white dress is Koharii. She has a delicate and graceful aura that could be best described as a lady with a deep window, and long, straight hair. I felt a high level of sunflower index.
[That would be a blessing. I’m sure my little sister would be happy too.]
…..oh, now he’s excited to work on it.
He never would have thought that he would be playing a role in the white one-piece rape plan.
I want you to do your best and create a wonderful sunflower field for your cute little sister. I’m sure it will be a great picture.
