Chapter 11
“Looks like you’ve been consistently trading Hessian millet.”
“Ahem, yes, that’s correct. This Hessian millet is a traditional strain from the southern regions—very well established…”
“It’s a standard-grade supply strain.”
“W-well… it is a variety intended for distribution to commoners, after all. Hahaha.”
It was obvious from his reaction that even a simple jab from me made him think, “What could a little girl possibly know?”
“Is that so?”
I smirked and closed the ledger.
If he was going to look down on me, the young lady of the Seton Merchant Guild, I might as well make full use of that image.
“Still, this must be a contract made by our Elbanon Guildmaster with trust and faith in the Elbanon name… so it must be good grain, right?”
I smiled sweetly, subtly mocking everything the Elbanon Guildmaster had been doing until now.
In business, the most important virtue is perception. I’d said enough that he should normally be on his knees begging for forgiveness by now…
“Cough, of course! This Elbanon always works with the ducal house in good faith!”
Wrong.
This guy was irredeemable trash.
Looking at the earlier records, it seemed his predecessor had actually conducted honest trade.
I was even considering letting it slide because of that—but if he insisted on choosing hell, what could I do?
I clicked my tongue inwardly and delivered the final warning.
“I’d like to see this ‘excellent grain’ for myself.”
“…Pardon?”
“You should inspect goods before you buy them.”
Now wait quietly with your neck washed, pig.
* * *
“Is this the ledger?”
“Yes, Mother.”
I went straight to meet Bella.
Of course, the guildmaster—who had something to hide—didn’t hand me the ledger directly…
But that didn’t matter.
[You already used it today!]
“Think of it as a service. It’s all for the sake of protecting the North.”
While speaking with the guildmaster, I had asked Kaiselus to copy the ledger.
The tsundere baby dragon complained, but still did it.
As a result, the copied ledger was now safely in Bella’s hands.
“Looking at the price gaps, it doesn’t seem like the guildmaster started mixing in Heccail wheat from the beginning.”
It wasn’t like they immediately jumped to a 70% blend either.
“At first 10%, then 30%, 50%… and now 70%. Because they weren’t caught, they just kept increasing the ratio of Heccail wheat.”
I pointed out the suspicious parts of the ledger and explained them in a way anyone could understand.
When I finished, Bella, who had silently listened, let out a sigh.
“I was foolish.”
“No one can be good at everything, Mother. We’re not gods.”
I smiled gently as I said that.
“I won’t say things like ‘the deceiver is the only one at fault.’ When a decision-maker makes a mistake, it’s the people underneath who suffer the consequences.”
“It seems they already have.”
“Did I say that? Anyway, what matters is fixing it.”
In this golden world, money is power, fraud is skill, and the foolish are those who get deceived.
Which means—
“When deception is exposed, the responsibility lies with the deceiver.”
Even though the House of Lunein had lost much of its influence, anyone who tried to scam the only ducal house of the Empire would be prepared to lose their hands.
Bella spoke up.
“Elbanon can be cut off without issue. We can just inform other houses who have traded with them about their credibility.”
That alone would force Elbanon out of the North.
A merchant guild lives and dies by trust.
Considering the name of Lunein, they might be finished across the entire Empire.
The Lunein name lacked funds, not prestige. Though of course, the stain of being scammed would remain…
But in their current near-bankrupt state, that kind of reputation damage meant nothing.
Somewhat sad, isn’t it?
We were so far at the bottom that the only direction left was up.
“Milling imports are important. If we stop even briefly, the people of the territory won’t survive winter. But after something like this, it will be hard to trust another guild immediately.”
“That’s true.”
“Can we import through Seton?”
At her expected question, I wiped the smile from my face and looked at her calmly.
“It’s possible, Mother.”
“‘Possible’?”
“Exclusive contracts with a great house like the ducal family bring enormous profit. Not just financially, but also in intangible value.”
If we only considered Seton, it was the right move. Long-term large-scale trade would bring guaranteed profit and prestige.
If we only consider Seton.
I swallowed a sigh.
“But if we do that, Seton will become a monopoly controlling the entire northern market.”
We were already importing various goods through Seton via me. If we also gave them control over food supply…
A monopoly is a merchant guild’s dream. But for a territory’s development? That’s another question.
I thought of a man with violet eyes.
After his parents died, Seton had nearly been torn apart during a period of chaos.
“Elisia” had been the rightful heir, but at the time, I had no power to protect it.
The one who gave me that power was Lunein.
And Schubel.
‘Why did you save me? You should’ve just let me die.’
‘Because you were too radiant.’
‘…What does that mean?’
‘Literally. You were too radiant to leave alone.’
On a night of heavy rain—
In a snowfield where I had lost my parents, the man who saved me smiled gently and whispered:
‘Just live. I want you to live.’
The public’s gaze after I survived a carriage accident last summer was like this:
A young commoner girl who inherited enormous wealth.
The label behind the title of “Empire’s greatest heiress” was brutally clear.
No matter what abilities I had, no one recognized them. Everyone looked down on me.
Everyone except Schubel.
What I needed most then was opportunity.
Through his introduction, I met a high-ranking official from the Treasury Office—someone nearly impossible to meet in a social club.
I discussed the excessive inheritance tax imposed after my parents’ deaths.
I met merchants who had cut ties with me just because I was a young guildmaster.
Using the name Lunein, I entered the Merchant Union. After eight hours of discussion, I proved I was a trustworthy partner like my parents.
The name that made all of this possible was Schubel Lunein.
He gave me back a complete Seton.
So I promised myself I would give Lunein back to him in equal measure.
This was our rightful contract.
You really are troublesome.
I muttered inwardly and spoke.
“If one large guild dominates, smaller guilds will lose competitiveness.”
“Then?”
“We should give them opportunities too. It’s troublesome, but we should distribute the exclusive contract across multiple guilds.”
“That will be a lot of work.”
“Lunein didn’t have the capacity before. But now we have Seton.”
My eyes sharpened.
“Give us 50% of the grain trade. In return, Seton will supervise trade distribution among the smaller guilds.”
If Lunein’s roots were to grow properly instead of rotting, those smaller guilds had to be nurtured.
The perspective of a lord and a merchant differed this much.
Of course, that doesn’t mean we won’t profit at all.
Only frauds claim they won’t make money.
I wasn’t a fraud, so I planned to take a reasonable share.
“Very well. Let’s do that.”
We reached a mutually satisfying agreement.
We immediately drafted the contract, drank tea, and then the topic turned to handling Elbanon.
“What should we do about them?”
“I have a good idea, Mother.”
Did I mention? One of my specialties is acting.
To lead trends in the social battlefield—the war without guns or swords—acting worthy of a stage actor is essential.
Holding my teacup, I smiled coldly.
