TFLD 31

Chapter 31

“This is as far as we’ll open new branches.”

Elshunain tapped a spot on the large map spread out on the boss’s desk.

It was a small town at the southernmost tip of the Empire.

“You’re excluding the islands, squawk?”

“Yeah.”

The reason the three small heads were gathered together was to discuss the future branch openings.

In fact, Elshunain had deliberately leaked some information about the branches on the day she dealt with the Harwa merchant group.

She’d only made a brief comment amidst the chaos, but the response was overwhelming. The very next day, franchise inquiries flooded in.

“After hearing the news yesterday, I hired five teleportation mages to rush here! Let me meet the White Mask!”

“Hey, you! Get in line! I’ve been waiting here since dawn!”

“Can’t you see this chair? I’ve been sitting here without sleep in front of this door. I’m first!”

Heads of large and small merchant groups lined up outside the headquarters of the White Merchant Group, waiting for the White Mask.

Elshunain, who had gone to work with Ashuray standing in as her decoy, was surprised, but she said in a dignified voice:

“Everyone, go home.”

Even before the news that the White Mask had turned the merchants away could spread, major newspapers had already published a recruitment notice for White Merchant Group franchises.

Gourmets of the Nation — Now Recruiting Branches.

The announcement listed proper requirements and conditions.

“But are these terms really okay, squawk?”

“If big sister says they’re okay, then they’re okay!”

When Gold asked with suspicion, flapping his ears, the prince stomped his little feet and shouted.

“Have you ever seen her make a mistake?!”

“What’s with you lately, squawk?”

“What!”

Ever since the Harwa merchant group was reprimanded and the franchise inquiries exploded, the prince’s attitude had noticeably changed.

He had always been polite to Elshunain, but now he acted like her biggest fan.

‘He’s still such a materialistic person though. It’s hard to feel affectionate.’

Watching the two bicker, Elshunain stepped in to mediate.

“Enough. To answer Gold’s question, this scale is just right.”

“Hmmm.”

“If we open branches for too many groups, ‘Gourmets of the Nation’ will grow too large.”

“That would be bad, squawk?”

Gold tilted his head.

Isn’t the purpose of opening branches to expand the business?

He couldn’t understand why Elshunain insisted that only small-to-mid-sized merchant groups could apply.

“If that happens, ‘Gourmets of the Nation’ would completely dominate the market.”

At this stage, with patent protections making total monopoly possible, allowing unlimited expansion would only result in excessively large capital formation.

“Then the imperial family wouldn’t sit still. Sanctions would surely follow.”

“Ugh. Right, squawk.”

“And second, we don’t have enough manpower to manage them. It’s just the three of us—me and you two.”

“True. And you did say it’d only be the three of us managing things for one year.”

After a year, when Elshunain would hand over the business to the prince, he would likely increase the workforce.

But for now, she planned to maintain the current system.

“So, the branches should remain small-to-mid-sized, spread wide across the regions, but not concentrated in one area.”

She traced her finger over the map as she continued.

“And market it with the slogan: ‘Get food from any region in just 30 minutes.’”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Squawk!”

Following her instructions, branches were established with small-to-mid-sized merchant groups, each spread out in different regions.

“Gourmets of the Nation” ran massive ads highlighting inter-regional delivery.

Although the delivery fees were slightly higher, citizens of the Empire rejoiced at the service.

“Food from the southernmost region that used to take days on horseback—now I can eat it in just 30 minutes!”

“Gourmets of the Nation is the best! I thought I’d never taste the flavors of my hometown again… sob.”

More teleportation mages and riders were needed, so contracts were signed with the Mage Tower to increase staffing.

Many children who had once survived through petty theft now ran busily in tidy uniforms.

The dark shadows that had once loitered in alleyways disappeared after that day.

Meanwhile, in the Imperial Palace…

The continued success of the White Mask was shaking the empire and had reached even the palace.

“White Mask, huh…”

Seamus murmured while staring grimly at a document.

“I thought they’d disappear like a shooting star. And yet, they’ve succeeded even with the merchant group.”

Alfred quickly responded.

“Ahem. Lord Seamus, you were farsighted! You had your eye on them from the beginning, didn’t you?”

“Hmph.”

Seamus lowered the document, unimpressed.

“But in the end, they’re still a commoner.”

He pushed the paper away and pulled out another.

“They’re just a commoner making dirty money from other commoners.”

“Y-yes, that’s right!”

“No need to bother remembering someone like that.”

Seamus continued disinterestedly.

“No matter how successful they become, they’ll never reach my level. So why should I care?”

“Exactly! Exactly, sir!”

Alfred eagerly nodded and hurriedly moved the documents out of sight.

Then Seamus casually opened the closest file.

“More importantly.”

“Yes, sir!”

Seamus’s eyes sharpened.

“I heard that woman said something strange at the temple?”

“Yes!”

The woman who tried to lure Killian but ended up being dragged away instead.

“Luckily, we got to her before the temple’s inquisition did, so the information never reached them.”

“…Hmm.”

Seamus slowly stroked his chin.

“The bracelet…”

She had begged for her life, offering important information in exchange—about a bracelet.

“Elshunain’s wearing a bracelet?”

“Yes, the Guardian—no, the Duke of Hounbert—definitely said so.”

Alfred quickly corrected himself, biting his tongue.

Seamus hated hearing Killian referred to as the Guardian. It made him feel inferior.

The title Duke of Hounbert, being noble, was still beneath the Holy Crown Prince, so he accepted it.

Seamus nearly frowned but relaxed his face and clasped his hands, resting his chin on them.

“Elshunain’s wearing the same bracelet as Killian?”

“Yes!”

Seamus narrowed his eyes. The gentle face twisted into one like a demon.

That transformation gave Alfred chills sometimes.

“That’s strange. I’ve never heard of Killian wearing a bracelet. And now the same one as Elshunain?”

“Hmm. From what we’ve found, the Duke has been wearing a bracelet for a few months. It’s suspicious.”

“Right. Did you check Elshunain’s records?”

“Yes, but there’s no mention of any bracelet—none in the portraits either.”

“…”

Seamus squinted.

“So that means the bracelet appeared recently. And if it was confirmed on Elshunain…”

“Could the Duke have found her?”

At those words, Seamus’s pupils slit like a snake’s and then returned to normal.

“Elshunain… returned?”

His memory drifted to the past.

‘What’s with this little brat?’

A cold comment she’d made while looking down at him with that beautiful face. The memory of their first meeting.

“If that’s true, I’ll have to snatch her back from that bastard.”

He chuckled darkly, then his expression hardened.

“But Elshunain wouldn’t come back. She left Killian on purpose.”

He had seen it with his own eyes.

Seamus chuckled again.

“Gulp…”

Alfred glanced around nervously, unsure how to respond to Seamus’s mood swings.

Then Seamus suddenly seemed to get a bright idea.

“Oh, right! Wasn’t Killian letting that king off the hook?”

“You mean the king of the Kingdom of Dairn?”

“Yes.”

Alfred nodded quickly.

“Yes, he knew the king was a demon and still protected him—he didn’t even report it to the Holy Crown.”

“Hmph. To find Elshunain, was it?”

“Yes.”

“So devoted…”

Seamus frowned again, then smiled sinisterly.

“Well, it worked out for me.”

Meanwhile…

‘Hmm. Something’s weird.’

Elshunain was thinking about Killian—while sitting right across from him.

“Killian.”

“Yeah.”

He answered while tossing the letters in his hand into the fireplace one by one.

Letters briefly rested in his long, elegant hands before falling into the flames as kindling.

‘Aren’t those all from noble households?’

It was their usual tea time.

Normally, Killian would set everything aside to enjoy tea with her.

But today, when she asked “What’s all this?” upon seeing a mountain of letters on the table, he began burning them one by one.

“You’re just going to burn all of that… without reading it?”

“Yeah.”

She blinked at his short reply.

“They seem important…”

“They’re not important at all.”

As he answered, one letter slipped from Killian’s hand and landed at Elshunain’s feet.

She picked it up under the guise of helping—and quickly skimmed it.

‘Ack?!’

She was shocked by the harsh contents.

‘Why are nobles sending Killian complaint letters?!’