A Livid Lady's Guide to Getting Even: How I Crushed My Homeland with My Mighty Grimoires Volume 2 E-Book

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• Herausgeber: J-Novel Heart
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Serie: A Livid Lady's Guide to Getting Even: How I Crushed My Homeland with My Mighty Grimoires
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 270

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

The border conflict between the Kingdom of Sarjas and the Yutear Empire gave Elizabeth her first opportunity to take revenge. After thwarting the plans of her worst enemy, Prince Friede, and utterly destroying his closest friend, Robert, Elizabeth returns to the imperial capital. Unrest is growing in the Kingdom of Haldoria, but she is still far too weak to take on its power and vassal states by herself. She must keep growing her firm, Traitre, and extend her influence. Fortunately, the emperor may have provided her the perfect opportunity: a chance to obtain an invaluable certification, called a Special License, that comes with a wide array of benefits. All she has to do is prove herself worthy in the eyes of the sovereigns of the financial world—the seven members of the Empire’s Merchants’ Guild Council.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Cover

Prologue

Chapter 1: Special License

Chapter 2: The Battle of Milista

Chapter 3: Labyrinth

Afterword

Color Illustrations

About J-Novel Club

Copyright

Landmarks

Color Images

Table of Contents

Prologue

The Kingdom of Haldoria boasted one of the richest and lengthiest histories of the Central Continent. Its royal castle, which had been erected roughly six hundred years ago after the relocation of the capital, had never fallen since and stood firmly at the heart of the kingdom.

After attending my classes at the academy, I started visiting this very castle every single day to receive princess lessons. Even though I had completed the curriculum a while ago, I still reported for duty every day under the pretense of “studying.” There, I completed the work our lazy crown prince refused to take on even in the absence of a queen.

One day, while hurrying through the castle’s corridors to attend a meeting, I encountered something peculiar.

“My lady, look...”

“Yes?” I said, following the line of sight of my waiting maid, Mireille.

My eyes landed on two silhouettes in the courtyard just below the window. A man and a woman were sitting on a bench, dangerously close to one another.

“That’s His Highness,” I said, recognizing the man immediately. “And that lady appears to be...the rumored Lady Sylvia, I believe.”

From what I’d heard, Lady Sylvia Lockit was on very good terms with my fiancé, Prince Friede Haldoria, these days.

“Who is she?” Mireille asked.

“She’s Baron Lockit’s illegitimate daughter and one year younger than His Highness and me. Baron Lockit recently brought her back to his home, but she grew up as a commoner. She doesn’t seem to know the proper distance to keep from the gentlemen. The most frivolous ones, including those easily affected by a lady’s charms, have taken a liking to her. Well, I’m sure her lovely face must have played a part in that too. Anyhow, the serious gentlemen and the ladies dislike her. I haven’t had the pleasure of making her acquaintance, but I’ve heard she was growing closer and closer to His Highness. I shall invite her for tea shortly and advise her on the proper conduct expected from a lady such as herself. I’ll also need to ask her whether she truly intends to become the prince’s mistress.”

“Why would you go out of your way to take care of the prince’s mistress?” Although Mireille looked displeased, these things simply happened.

“I must fulfill my duty as a noble,” I answered.

Ever since I started understanding the world around me, I’d lived for the prince and the kingdom. I’d never allowed myself to idle around like the other ladies or spend time admiring the gentlemen. As the future queen, I had to remain disciplined. My role was crystal clear, and I would carry it out.

“Considering Lady Sylvia’s status, it’d be difficult for her to become the prince’s second wife in any official capacity or have her children inherit a claim to the throne. It’s not necessarily impossible, but her family does not have the power to support her. If a power struggle broke out, she wouldn’t be able to protect her children or herself. She’d be miserable. I want her to know what she’s getting into, at the very least.”

While the castle appeared peaceful from the outside, the people who inhabited it were constantly at odds. Even as the daughter of this nation’s most influential duke, I couldn’t let my guard down at any time.

“Invite her to my salon tomorrow during break time. I’ll make sure to warn her properly.”

“Understood, my lady. I shall prepare accordingly,” replied Mireille.

I nodded and hurried to get to the meeting room.

◇

The sky had just started brightening when I opened my eyes. Newsboys usually ran around town delivering the paper at this time.

“What an unpleasant dream,” I whispered as I pushed my bangs, damp with sweat, aside.

There was no one to answer me.

Back then, Sylvia hadn’t heeded my warning and had continued fooling around with Friede without a care in the world. I didn’t know who’d first come up with the phrase “Life doesn’t always go as planned.” But they were right. Well, I supposed it wasn’t anything groundbreaking. For all I knew, it could have been a drunkard in some tavern.

I brought forth some water with my magic to wash off my sweat before dispersing the liquid. It was a trick that required a delicate touch and great control over one’s mana, though it was incredibly handy—especially when camping. I wasn’t currently on the road and could have taken a proper bath. Getting an attendant to prepare me a bath first thing in the morning was a waste of time, however.

Besides, I felt much more refreshed having cleaned myself. I got ready and checked my appearance in my full-length mirror. While I used to only wear the finest dresses, I now only wore my firm’s uniform. Still, the fabric used was of top quality since I’d had the best tailor in the imperial capital make it for me, so it was just as good as my prior dresses.

I, Elizabeth Leiston, had been born in a ducal house of the Kingdom of Haldoria. As the fiancée of the crown prince, Friede Haldoria, I used to do my utmost to fulfill my duties as a noble lady. I’d given my all to my homeland and its people.

And yet, Friede had suddenly called off our engagement and had thrown me in jail. Even though my father—prime minister, Sieg Leiston—and King Bulat Haldoria heard what had happened to me, none had tried to help. The citizens had also started criticizing me, believing the groundless lies Friede fed them.

That was when I had finally decided to say farewell to my homeland. I’d taken my trustworthy waiting maid with me and fled to the Yutear Empire with the help of a viscount.

But I’d never intended to just run away. I’d sworn to take revenge on the man who’d discarded me, the country that had deserted me, and the people who’d betrayed me.

My bangs were a little messy, so I adjusted them with my hand.

To build up my influence, I’d started a business in the empire as Ellie Leis. Traitre, my firm, focused on high-quality cosmetics and toiletries. I exited my room at my current base of operations, a mansion in the imperial capital that doubled as my office and home.

Immediately, a woman wearing a neat maid uniform bowed to me.

“Good morning, Miss Ellie,” she greeted me.

“Good morning, Mireille,” I said.

Mireille, my waiting maid, had followed me to the empire. She was also the one who had convinced me to give up on the kingdom.

When she saw my hair, she took out a brush without a word and directed me to sit in front of a mirror before carefully getting to work.

I’d met Mireille a couple of months before entering the academy. On my way home after a courtesy visit to an orphanage, I’d passed in front of the slums and seen her alone, clutching her knees close to her chest. The discrepancy between the fine quality of her dress and the terrible state of it had intrigued me, and I’d started talking to her. I’d soon learned that she hailed from a noble family that had recently collapsed. She’d had nowhere to go, so I’d taken her home with me. Mireille only had a brief education but worked hard to make herself worthy of standing by my side. Despite losing her rank, she became my trusted confidant.

After a quick breakfast in Mireille’s company, I parted with her and headed to my office for a meeting with Arnaud, the capable butler who took care of my residence’s affairs. I barely finished any work when I heard a knock on the door.

“Come in,” I said.

Two girls entered and greeted me.

“Good morning, Lunoa, Misha.”

Though these girls were still young, I kept these two girls by my side, as they showed great promise.

Lunoa was the daughter of the man who currently ran Traitre in Lucas’s territory. She could use a unique spell, Item Analysis, and would surely grow into a wonderful merchant.

As for Misha, she was a catkin slave I’d bought in the capital. She was training to become my waiting maid and had recently started working as my secretary. I was considering freeing her and hiring her as an employee someday in the future.

Aside from those who’d followed me from my days in the kingdom, they were two of the few select people who knew the truth about my background and goals.

“You’re both accompanying me to the firm this afternoon, so make sure you’re ready,” I said.

“All right.”

“Understood!”

Mireille joined us in the cab that would take us to the firm that was in another district. To get there, we needed to go past the marketplace until we reached a street with several high-end stores. I would usually have asked the cab to take us all the way there but we had some time. Plus, I wanted to take a look at the current price of commodities and had them drop us off by the marketplace.

We stopped in front of a wheat shop, and I examined the produce on sale—large bags of wheat, barley, rye, and other such grains.

“Lunoa, what can you tell me about these products?” I asked.

“They’re a little bit cheaper than they were last week,” she answered.

“Exactly. But do you know why?”

“Hmm... Is it because of the conflict with the Kingdom of Sarjas?”

“Yes. Prices initially rose because of the war but stabilized once the conflict neared its end. What comes next?” I asked.

“Next?” repeated Lunoa.

She frowned, considering my question for a couple of minutes, yet she didn’t have an answer for me.

“The status quo will remain for a few months. But after that, inflation is very likely to start up again. The price of foodstuffs, in particular, should increase substantially. Sarjas is now part of the empire, but we shouldn’t forget that its main source of revenue is tourism. With barely any cultivated land, the area is far from being self-sufficient concerning food. Until now, they relied on the kingdom’s imports, and the empire must assume that role. Regardless, there is no way the current production can easily meet the new demand, and this will lead to a sharp price hike,” I explained, Lunoa nodding along. “But don’t worry, the situation isn’t so dire, and the government will regulate the market and supply to avoid famines.”

I approached the shop owner to order ten large bags of wheat and asked him to deliver one to each orphanage in the capital on behalf of Traitre.

The Church of Ibris managed the orphanages but also held part of the judicial power. There was no harm in making sure we remained on good terms.

“Ellie.”

I was sifting through the fruit and dried-goods stalls when someone called out to me. When I turned around, I saw a woman with hair as red as fire waving and walking up to me.

“Elsa,” I greeted the Rank A adventurer.

Two of her party members, Marty the foxkin and Lisa the healer, were with her. I knew her and her party, Sharp Edge, from the conflict on the border.

“Fancy seeing you here,” said Elsa. “You’re out shopping?”

“Yes. I’m on my way to inspect my store and had a bit of free time.”

I chatted with Elsa, Marty, and Lisa for a few minutes before bidding them goodbye and making my way to Traitre’s store. It was a four-story building on a large avenue next to the noble district. It used to be a luxurious hotel, but I’d hired someone to remodel it.

As soon as I crossed through the doorway, the employees bowed to me and greeted me in unison, “Welcome, Miss Ellie.”

“Hello, thank you for your work. Please bring this week’s ledger to my office,” I ordered.

“At once, miss.”

All right, time to make some money.

◆

“Enough!”

King Bulat Haldoria’s roar echoed in his office. The civil officials present made themselves small as they held their breath. The king didn’t direct his anger at them but at his son, Prince Friede. But the young man couldn’t conceal his annoyance and looked away, pouting.

“That’s not a political measure! That’s a fantasy!” the king screamed.

“Father! Aren’t you tired of doing what your ministers tell you to? Leave things to me, and I’ll show you I can increase our revenue!”

“Why can’t you understand that what you’re offering would only lead our people to their demise?! I keep telling you to get your proposals past Lady Roselia, but you never listen!”

“Women have no place in politics, especially not a haughty bit—”

“Silence! She’s in charge because you had to act like a fool and frame Elizabeth! The militarist faction Duke Fadgal heads has gained far too much influence!”

“That’s all her faul—”

“If Roselia hadn’t kept her father in check, this country would be at war already, Friede!”

The prince clicked his tongue.

“I’ve had enough of you! Go to your room!”

Friede clenched his teeth as he stormed out of the king’s office. Being chastised by his father had irritated him to no end, and he headed straight to his office.

There sat Roselia Fadgal, the young lady who’d become his aide now that Elizabeth was out of the picture. Roselia, who wore a lavish red dress, did not bother looking away from the document she was working on even as Friede, the master of this office, walked in. She didn’t greet him either, unnerving him further.

“Hey! What happened to my bill?!” shouted Friede.

“Your bill? I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” Roselia answered.

“The one I drafted and gave you this morning! I ordered you to pass it!”

Roselia finally lifted her head, looking at Friede with exasperation. One of her subordinates rushed in to fish out a piece of paper from a box labeled “Not Urgent” and handed it to her.

After taking a glance, she simply said, “Rejected.”

She then proceeded to throw it into the tash.

“H-How dare you?! What’s your problem with it?!” exclaimed Friede.

“I’m honestly confused as to how you thought something as stupid as raising the minimum wage by thirty percent out of the blue was a good idea,” said Roselia.

“Isn’t it obvious?! The plebeians will rejoice if they have more money! And if we pass that law instead of distributing handouts, we won’t have to waste a single coin!”

“But their employers will. I’d consider raising the minimum wage if the economic climate were good enough. Passing such a bill would make them lay off thousands of employees immediately. What will we do with them, then? If you finally got it through your skull, go back to playing with that shameless wench of yours. You’re wasting my time.”

“Tch!”

Unable to refute Roselia’s argument, Friede left the room, his face bright red.

That evening, Bulat gulped down alcohol in the comfort of his private quarters and sighed. His prime minister, Sieg, was sitting opposite him with a cup in hand.

“Our vassal states are growing more agitated every day,” the king said.

“I’m terribly sorry, Your Majesty. It’s all my fault,” replied Sieg.

“No, I’m the one who had the final say. I suppose that is what we get for letting Elizabeth deal with those things on her own for so long. That girl used to do all of Friede’s work, so it’s no wonder he can’t do much. Yet he doesn’t seem to have reflected on his mistake with Sarjas. I made Lady Roselia his aide, but she longs to go home already. I just wish we could bring Elizabeth back as soon as possible...”

“I have a few guesses as to where she may be, but I haven’t been able to send people, especially with everything that’s happened.”

At the moment, the Kingdom of Haldoria was hard at work to fix its relationship with its vassal states. They also had to deal with the fallout of the Robert incident. The citizens’ distrust and dissatisfaction toward the nobles grew, making it difficult to maintain public order. With all of these issues, looking for Elizabeth was far from being a priority.

“Your Majesty...” Sieg continued. “About His Highness, if I may...”

“What’s wrong, Sieg? It’s not like you to hesitate. Go on, say what you want to say.”

“Well, this is not something I’d ever dare say as the prime minister... But I hope you can hear me out...as a friend.”

“All right...”

“I’ll be direct, then... The prince is no good. It’s too late, Bulat. If you leave this country to him, he’ll run it into the ground.”

Bulat remained silent.

“I know you expect great things from the boy, especially since he’s inherited the thunder magic of the royal family. But you are the king. You have a duty to your people and your country to make the right choice.”

“Are you sure...?”

“I am.”

“Must I really...make that choice now?”

“Yes. I’m afraid we’re running out of time.”

“I understand. I’ll send out a letter as soon as tomorrow.”

Sieg’s face relaxed somewhat, and after a pause, he said, “You made the right choice.”

Bulat and Sieg silently clinked their cups before downing them in a single gulp.

“So,” Bulat spoke up, “what news of the Kingdom of Sol?”

His expression had returned to that of a king, and Sieg followed suit.

“The insurrection has been quelled.”

“I see. We were lucky that it only affected a small area this time. If our relationships with our vassals keep deteriorating, we’ll soon be looking at a much bigger problem.”

“That is very likely, Your Majesty. Several countries have started stocking up on weapons and food.”

“What?!”

“They may not be preparing to riot, but they want to be ready in case a conflict breaks out between us and our vassals. The situation is quite tense overall.”

“Losing Ernest now was a huge blow,” lamented Bulat.

“It was. We could have called him back to the capital after a couple of months at the border. I never would have thought he’d take his life despite the guards...”

Bulat let out a deep sigh.

Chapter 1: Special License

I was in the townhouse of Lucas Lebrick, the nobleman who had come to my aid when I’d fled the Kingdom of Haldoria.

Two cups of coffee sat on the table that separated us. They’d long grown cold, but there were no maids in the room to replace them for us. Lucas had cleared the room so no one would overhear our sensitive conversation.

We had been discussing the conflict that had broken out a few months ago following the Sarjan attack on the empire, which my idiotic ex-fiancé had orchestrated.

The empire and the kingdom had been at odds for a very long time. Several years ago, both countries had signed an armistice, putting an end to a dreadful war that had caused extensive damage to them. That meant frontal military interventions were out of the question.

However, Friede’s desperation for glory to stop his popularity from hitting rock bottom had led him to misguidedly use one of his nation’s vassal states, the Kingdom of Sarjas, to start a proxy war. He had then joined the conflict himself, under the pretext of helping the Sarjan nation.

As a result, the Kingdom of Sarjas had met its demise. Friede had run back to the kingdom, tail between his legs, and his knight, Robert, had been executed after committing mass murder—the first step of my revenge.

“It seems like the kingdom is busy cleaning up after Robert Arty and concealing the death of his father, the former knight commander,” said Lucas. “Their relationships with their other vassal states also became strained after they abandoned the Kingdom of Sarjas to its fate. They’re trying their hardest to salvage what they can.”

“I see,” I responded. “You seem to have their situation entirely figured out. I should have expected as much of the empire’s spies.”

“You’re one to speak. And you do know our intelligence operatives have become far more efficient after you fed them confidential information, right?”

I laughed and smiled at Lucas.

“Good grief... Do you even know how puzzled I was when Robert disappeared out of the blue after we left Sarjas?” he continued.

“I apologize for my belated report.”

“I wish you’d told me beforehand. After all, that was your plan from the start, was it not?”

“It was. The ability I used on him has its fair share of limitations, forcing me to keep him by my side for a set period of time before I could set my plan in motion.”

“You truly are the one person I never want to face as an enemy.”

“Don’t worry. I promised to let you reap the benefits of Haldoria’s downfall, did I not? I shall stay true to my word, Count Lucas.”

The Yutear Empire had absorbed the Kingdom of Sarjas after defeating it, and it had later become a region. Half of it had fallen under the direct control of the emperor, but he’d offered the other half to Lucas as a reward for being the victor. Lucas had also been awarded a new peerage and had become a count.

As for the former king of the Kingdom of Sarjas, Grint Sarjas had become an administrator, still in charge of his nation under Lucas. Still, he held no real power anymore and was nothing but a figurehead. This was a tactic the empire often employed to smoothen transition periods and avoid riots. The emperor appointed officials who oversaw the new Sarjan region from behind the scenes.

Grint’s younger sister now studied in the imperial capital—a cultural exchange in name only as she and her mother, who’d accompanied her, were hostages. He would have no choice but to remain Lucas’s puppet for the rest of his life. At least he’d get to keep his life, which was already something.

“Anyway, allow me to get back to the main reason I called you here today,” said Lucas with a strained smile. “Take these.”

He handed me two letters. One bore the crest of the empire, and the other the crest of the Merchants’ Guild.

“What are those?” I asked.

“Your reward.”

I left Lucas’s residence and boarded a carriage to return home with Mireille.

“What did the two of you discuss?” asked Mireille.

“Simply put, he gave me a letter of recommendation and a summons.”

“A letter of recommendation...and a summons?”

“The empire’s Merchants’ Guild Council has summoned me. Once every few years, the seven merchants who control the empire’s financial circles meet to discuss the economy. This very council will assemble soon, and they’ve called for me.”

“But...why?”

“I’m assuming this letter of recommendation is the reason. I took part in the conflict because I wanted to do so. But the emperor officially sanctioned the volunteer army I assembled. Since we achieved great results, he couldn’t afford not to reward me. The issue is that I fled the kingdom too recently for him to present me with a peerage or a medal. He must have pondered over my situation for a while and eventually settled on a Special License.”

“A Special License?!” exclaimed Mireille.

The merchants who held Special Licenses enjoyed a wide array of benefits, such as the ability to purchase plots of land, receive loans from the empire, or possess limited items. Only twenty of them existed in the empire, and having such a license meant doubling, tripling, or even quadrupling your profits if you played your cards right. People with them were far more influential than your average puny noble.

But the government could not award Special Licenses all by itself. The only thing it could do was recommend merchants to the council. After an inspection, the council voted, and if the majority agreed, the merchant would finally receive the invaluable license.

“The issue will be this,” I said, showing Mireille the letter that accompanied the summons.

It was a brief message requesting that I show the council my abilities. They hadn’t written how they wanted me to demonstrate them. I assumed they wanted me to prove that I could contribute to the empire’s economy should I be awarded a Special License.

“That is quite sudden. If I’m not mistaken, the council is to meet you,” said Mireille.

“You’re correct. I have a couple of business ideas already, but I’ll need to make up my mind fast.”

“Are you starting a new venture?”

“Yes. They’ve challenged me, so I must rise to the occasion and show them something new.”

“That makes sense,” she agreed. “We must make arrangements as fast as possible, then.”

I’d arrived at home and was busy working in my office when someone knocked.

“You can come in,” I said, my eyes still on the report.

“Excuse...me...” said Lunoa, panting.

She was carrying several large, heavy-looking boxes. Misha, who’d been classifying documents for me, rushed to her side and picked up a few boxes. Once they finished, Lunoa let out a relieved sigh.

“Miss Ellie, these boxes came from the people you sent to Sarjas.”

“What good timing,” I said, getting up and opening the boxes Lunoa had brought me.

I lined up their contents—the new materials sent by the employees stationed in Sarjas—on my desk. They’d found many things, from flowers and fruits to wood and monster fangs.

“Oh my, I remember seeing this flower somewhere,” I commented.

“Hmm... This flower is...” mumbled Lunoa, looking through the list of materials she’d gotten along with the boxes. “Ah! It’s a tarcs. These flowers grow in a specific area in the north of Sarjas. People cultivate and sell them but don’t do much more with them other than appreciate them for their beauty.”

“A tarcs, you said? Divine Artifact, Grimoire of Lucifer,” I chanted, gathering mana in my left hand until my grimoire appeared. “Search.”

My Grimoire of Lucifer stored and recorded everything I had heard or seen. I could also use it to decipher or translate anything I wanted. One of its abilities, Search, allowed me to look for matches with a particular keyword.

Fortunately, Search soon bore results.

“Found it,” I said. “The specificities of tarcs flowers are the same as those of the elumia flowers mentioned in ancient elven records.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that the elven tribe that left this record had access to these flowers. They called them elumias and manufactured perfume from them.”

“Perfume?”

“Yes. The text I read was a travel journal written during the days of the Old Kingdom and preserved in the royal library of the Kingdom of Haldoria. According to it, the Artemi tribe lived in what is now the Sarjan region. In those days, this elven tribe manufactured a variety of high-quality perfumes using elumias.”

“You can make different perfumes from a single flower?”

“Well, the details and recipes don’t say otherwise. The elves would never share such a precious secret with a traveler.”

I used Search for a second time with the keyword “elumia.” This time, I found an essay written by a botanist from the Northern Continent as well as some notes written by an alchemist of the Old Kingdom.

“It would appear that the nature of elumias can change greatly depending on how you process them or the catalysts you use,” I elaborated.

“Their nature?” asked Lunoa.

“Yes. And from what I gather, ancient elves treated the perfumes they made like magic items.”

“You know so many things, Miss Ellie! I’m impressed!” Lunoa praised me.

“Well, the Grimoire of Lucifer records everything I’ve seen or heard even once. I used to have access to the Kingdom of Haldoria’s forbidden collection, and I can still access all of these ancient texts.”

“In other words, you’re carrying an entire country’s library in your pocket,” said Misha.

“Exactly.”

Misha’s metaphor was spot-on.

I wrote everything I’d learned on a piece of paper and handed it to Lunoa.

“Pass this along to the alchemists of the development team and tell them to try recreating elven perfume,” I instructed. “And let our people in Sarjas know that I want a large supply of tarcs flowers for research. They should also try to secure exclusivity on flower production. We’ll figure out how to increase it after our experiments yield results. Don’t worry about the budget; I will deal with that later.”

“Yes, miss. Will you present this perfume to the council?”

“That’s the idea,” I answered. “Lunoa, Misha, are you aware of the biggest issue that currently plagues the empire?”

“Hmm...” Misha pondered before answering. “I think I heard Miss Mireille talk about a flood in the west.”

“That is true, but can you think of another problem that concerns the entirety of the empire?”

Lunoa played with her braids as she considered my question before she made a suggestion. “The growing unemployment rate caused by the discovery of new and better materials?”

“Correct. Cheaper substitutes have surfaced, and the old materials lost all of their value practically overnight. The firms that handled these materials went bankrupt, leading to countless people losing their jobs and becoming a pressing social issue. By welcoming and bringing together every race and people that make up the empire and their expertise, they can achieve progress quickly. But that comes at a cost. Those who cannot keep up with progress are left behind,” I disclosed. “Good job, Lunoa.”

“I read about it in the newspaper the Merchants’ Guild publishes,” she said with a bashful smile.

“Ancient elven perfume has variations depending on the ingredients and process one uses. That means we can find a new use for the materials that lost value and invigorate declining industries. Naturally, that is not a be-all and end-all solution, but we can mitigate the issue somewhat. I would say that’s already an achievement.”

“In that case, research on this perfume should be our priority, right?”

“Exactly. There isn’t much time before the council assembles. Let us devote as many employees and as much budget as possible to this project.”

Thus, I had Traitre try to reproduce ancient elven perfume to prepare for my interview with the council.

◇

I made my way to the Merchants’ Guild, letter in hand. Someone showed me to a waiting room, and a man walked in shortly after.

“It’s been a while since I last had the pleasure to see you, Miss Ellie,” Cedric Luins greeted me.

He smiled and extended his hand to me. The slave merchant, known as the Educator, was a member of the council. I assumed he’d come to lead me to the meeting.

“Far too long, Mr. Cedric,” I answered. “I never dreamed someone as important as you would welcome me yourself.”

Cedric laughed heartily. “I was lucky enough to win the right to escort you, Miss Ellie. Thankfully, us being acquaintances gave me a head start.”

“Why, I’m most pleased,” I said with a little laugh.

On the surface, we appeared to be old friends overjoyed at the prospect of meeting once more. But I knew his true intention was something else—he most likely wanted to observe me. What had won me my ticket to this meeting wasn’t a notorious achievement as a merchant but rather a military feat. I could see why he and the others would be wary of me.

“I’ve heard so much about your recent campaign,” said Cedric. “They say you did not only lead the volunteer army into battle but also distinguished yourself with fine swordplay.”

“I did what I had to do for peace to return to the empire and for my firm to thrive,” I responded.

Cedric smiled and said, “Your production base was close to the conflict area, was it not?”

“Indeed. Thankfully, the damage was minimal.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“But I must say this event opened my eyes. Hiring villagers isn’t enough; I should have placed well-trained guards in the area. It wouldn’t have suffered any damage at all, then.”

“So you took this as a learning opportunity instead of simply being satisfied by your good fortune. You’re quite diligent, Miss Ellie.”

“You’re overestimating me. That was just my inexperience showing. I hope to fix my shortcomings one day by learning from the best, Mr. Cedric. Naturally, that includes you.”

Cedric and I kept chatting as we walked through the corridors of the Merchants’ Guild. I dodged his prying as much as possible while ensuring I showed no hostility toward the council’s members. I was here to start a mutually beneficial relationship.

Our back-and-forth only lasted a moment as we eventually reached a large door deep within the building. Delicate ornaments decorated it.