“I want information. The exclusive rights to all information handled by the Karan merchant guild.”

Nelly laughed.

“Did you hear from Earl Chetek that I’m an information broker? Then didn’t Earl Chetek tell you how valuable my information is?”

“He did tell me. That’s why I showed it to the guild master. What I can offer. How much I’m worth.”

“Ah, of course that aquarium is attractive. I really like it. I’d love to have it. But it’s not more valuable than exclusive rights to my information. How much do you think the information I have sells for?”

Despite the merciless criticism, Roxiana’s expression didn’t change. She continued to stare at Nelly with a smile and then said:

“Do you know the Forget-me-not tea house?”

“Is there anyone in Selshar these days who doesn’t know Forget-me-not? Their drinks are really amazing. I often use it when I’m tired too…”

Nelly stopped speaking and carefully examined Roxiana’s face before cautiously asking:

“Don’t tell me Forget-me-not is also yours, Master?”

“That’s right.”

“Then that drink there is…?”

“I made it.”

“No way! Just what are you? How can you make such an aquarium and such a drink? Do you have divine power or something?”

“The guild master doesn’t need to know that much. Now Forget-me-not will spread by word of mouth, and many people will come to Torkan just to visit Forget-me-not. But unfortunately, there will be people who find it difficult to travel far.”

“You’ll let those people sell Forget-me-not drinks?”

“How about it? Do you still think my value is small?”

Nelly’s mind raced quickly. The exclusive rights to a mysterious aquarium and mysterious drink. It was certainly an offer hard to pass up.

But as a merchant, she couldn’t easily agree to such a deal. Nelly had no intention of letting her information network, which extended across the entire continent, be taken advantage of so easily.

“Of course it’s impressive, but still…”

“Then let’s stop here.”

Interrupting Nelly’s words, Roxiana stood up. Nelly jumped up in surprise.

“What are you doing?”

“I should be asking you that.”

Roxiana placed one hand on the desk and looked straight at Nelly.

“I honestly proposed the maximum I could offer to the guild master. But the guild master is still trying to calculate with me. What I need is someone I can trust and work with, not someone like the guild master who tries to squeeze out even a little more.”

“…”

“Most merchant guilds also deal in information. If I presented just one of the things I offered to the guild master, there would be an abundance of guilds willing to risk everything for me. I could just choose one of them and get the information.”

“Wait…”

“I promise. Within a year, I can grow any guild to be greater than the current Karan merchant guild.”

“Wait, Master!”

Nelly blocked Roxiana’s path as she turned to leave without hesitation. The wolf, which had been sitting like a statue until now, growled lowly.

“Now, now. I understand, I completely understand Master’s intentions, so please sit down. Okay?”

“No. I don’t want to waste time on something that won’t happen.”

“What do you mean waste of time? As you said, most guilds handle information, but not many handle quality information like our Karan. Do you know how much time and effort it takes to train just one person who can quickly bring in useful information?”

“…”

“I’ll admit it. I was too greedy. So please sit down and give me one more chance.”

Roxiana lowered her eyes as if gauging what to do, then slowly took a deep breath, nodded slightly, and headed to her seat. Watching her sit down, Nelly realized she had been drawn in.

‘To think I’d end up in a position of begging…’

It wasn’t for nothing that she had racked her brains. The problem was that she tried to calculate out of habit, even though she knew from the start that this wasn’t an easy opponent.

Nelly sat in her chair, lamenting her own foolishness, waiting for Roxiana to speak. After examining Nelly’s face for a while, Roxiana said:

“Can I trust the guild master?”

“Master, Earl Chetek introduced me, didn’t he? Why do you think that arrogant and proud man introduced me? I may be quick with calculations, but I have loyalty.”

“Alright. Then I’ll believe you. But I need to assess the capabilities of the Karan merchant guild as well. For now, we’ll provide our services, but we’ll draw up the exclusive contract later.”

Nelly gritted her teeth inwardly, but there was nothing she could do. It was because of her own careless actions that she had lost the upper hand.

The exclusive deal for the aquarium and drink was too big to miss, so Nelly swallowed her pride and asked:

“So what information do you want?”

“This time, instead of buying information, I’d like to leak some information.”

“What kind of information?”

“Information about me. Then there’s somewhere I need to go.”

+++

On a fine afternoon in July, Count Casard Hugh Pelur entered Tepus, the capital of Kanta. Despite the appearance of the new owner of the long-empty Ider Palace, not a single citizen of Kanta rejoiced.

Casard’s party walked through the empty streets where no one had come out, as if in protest. Casard’s guard knight grumbled, “We should teach these impudent ones a lesson,” but Casard wasn’t particularly angry.

It’s not strange that they don’t welcome an administrator from a country that killed their king and made them a colony.

Now everything that comes out of Kanta belongs to Gania. If war breaks out, the citizens of Kanta will be the first to be dragged out and stand at the very front, and when national work needs to be done, the citizens of Kanta will be mobilized to work for very little pay.

As long as they are from Kanta, they have become no different from slaves.

Although the Ider Palace had been empty for a long time, it had been prepared before Casard’s arrival and nothing had changed from before. As Casard looked around the spacious and beautiful Ider Palace, he recalled what his father, Joseph V, had said before he came here.

− “As soon as you arrive, hire some tight-lipped men and secretly search the wells. If anything is found, quietly dispose of it.”

It was probably because of the blasphemous rumor that Lucas had killed the entire Franche royal family and thrown them into the wells. Lucas still denied doing such a thing.

‘Who knows. Lucas is emotional and easily swayed by others’ words, so he might have acted on his feelings after being enchanted by that woman.’

Casard desperately hoped it was just a rumor, but even if it were true, he had no intention of using all his power to make it as if it never happened.

‘For whose benefit.’

He had been placed in the position of administrator of Kanta at the worst possible time. Now, when the citizens were most angry about losing their country, when they had not yet given up, when they still had strength left, was when Kanta was most unstable.

Knowing that they intended to leave it to Casard at such a time and then gobble it up whole once things settled down later, he felt even more annoyed and irritated.

In any case, doing well here wouldn’t benefit Casard at all. At best, he might receive a plot of land in some corner of Gania.

‘So I might as well just kill time and go back.’

At that moment, a well caught Casard’s eye. Casard leaned on the edge of the well and looked inside. The well was deep and dark, making it impossible to see what existed inside.

‘What difference would it make if there was something there.’

Casard chuckled and backed away from the well.

A servant who had been sent to Kanta ahead of time approached and informed him that the king’s bedroom had been cleaned.

“I’m not the king of Kanta, so I can’t use the king’s bedroom. Prepare a guest room. I’ll use that during my stay here.”

+++

In Torkan, the August sun blazed hot enough to burn even silver armor. Floyd stood at the edge of a cliff in his heavy armor, looking down at Selshar City.

During the few months Floyd had been away for the subjugation of monsters, Selshar City had changed beyond recognition.

“Are they building another port? Isn’t that too fast?”

Selshar City had two large ports, Selshar Port and Ketalan Port, and now they were building another one. Kirshan, who had stayed behind instead of joining the subjugation to treat Roxiana’s brand, answered:

“The princess coordinated with the head of the Karan merchant guild to build a new port. The Inferno Guild and Karan merchant guild agreed to provide funding. All the ministers checked and Viscount Brown gave final approval.”

When Floyd was away, decision-making power was delegated to the prime minister, Viscount Brown. Floyd chuckled.

“I hear Viscountess Brown really likes the princess’s cookies?”

“That may be true, but that’s not the only reason…”

“Ah, enough. I’m sure you all did well.”

“Yes. Moreover, the road construction is progressing much more smoothly than expected. The princess goes out every night to the construction site to soften soil that’s too hard and harden soil that’s too soft.”

“She didn’t collapse?”

“No, she looks a bit tired after finishing work, but there haven’t been any major problems.”

The road being built this time will lead to the Kingdom of Enilta, with which they made a contract during the last subjugation. From the Kingdom of Enilta, there’s a road leading to the Empire, so if this road is well-paved, movement within the continent will become much easier.

“At this rate, the road will be completed within a year.”

“I see.”

“Because of the labor shortage, we’ve brought in even the poor to work, so problems that used to occur in the slums have greatly decreased. With talks of increasing fishing boats, captains are also trying to increase their crew, recruiting manpower from here and there.”

Floyd narrowed his eyes and looked around the lively streets of Selshar. He recalled what Roxiana had said before he left for the subjugation.