Chapter 16: Rostine Shokai (Middle)

[2]

The commercial guild ranks its members according to the “rank” system.

This rank is basically based on contribution to the country, that is, the higher the tax payment amount, the higher the rank is given. Since the commercial guild itself is an organization that operates across national boundaries, it does not matter where the taxpayer is.

Of course, in the case of “Rostine Shokai”, the amount of tax paid to the Kingdom of Eldard, the Principality of Silesia, or the Holy Kingdom of Nimun is evaluated equally. Therefore, Rubetta, the chairman of Rostine Shokai, was naturally certified as the highest grade “A rank”.

On the 3rd floor of the commercial guild, there is a special room called Social Room (Salon), which is available only to members of “C rank” above and their servants. Inevitably, the users of the social room are only merchants who run multiple stores. The social room is the best place for merchants who have begun to have a considerable influence on society to obtain information to expand their business, and ambitious merchants tend to use it more frequently.

However, the taste may be a little different for the past week.

Nildea-based business people of “C rank” or higher have been visiting the social room for the past week and working to collect information. It’s not because they are ambitious. On the contrary, it could be said that they are hungry for information to protect themselves.

Despite the occupation of the city, no one has any information about the occupied nation called the “Yuri Empire”. They don’t even know how wise it is to stand up against the nation as a merchant because there is no information.

The merchants who are now in the social room. All of them were afraid of the “Yuri Empire”, and were driven by the urge to protect themselves so that the position and profits currently established by the company would not be robbed by new rulers.

Needless to say, Rubetta Rostine is one of them.

The interests of merchants are always targets that are collected by the state and those in power. In order to prevent that, the existence of a powerful person who will be your backing, that is, a “noble” is indispensable.

Rubetta has no messenger to the aristocrats of the “Yuri Empire”. On the contrary, no one even knows the name of the “noble” in this country. Of course, in this situation, they couldn’t hope for a backing to protect themselves.

It is too reckless for a merchant to face an opponent who can easily occupy the city. If they want to do it, the “Yuri Empire” will be able to take away all the goods, and everything from the Nildea merchants. Therefore, Rubetta wants to have a connection with the aristocrats of the “Yuri Empire” as soon as possible.

No, it’s not just Rubetta. Every merchant in this social room wants to be introduced to someone else and get in touch with the Yuri Empire and get backing.

Then, take themselves, their family and protect their commercial members.

“— Lord Rostine!”

When Rubetta moved to the 3rd floor entered the social room. Several merchants who found her immediately rushed over.

Rubetta just shook her head and denied what they would have expected.

“Even for me, nothing for now”

“Is that so … sorry.”

The person who ran up returned to the place where he was originally without hiding the disappointing color. They expect Rubetta, the chairman of a major trading company, to be the first to make a connection to the “Yuri Empire”. Wondering if they could piggyback on it.

It is the same with Rubetta that they are unable to do anything against the “Yuri Empire”. She doesn’t want to take them down, but she also doesn’t want shop a good face because she is unable to help by herself.

Rubetta looks around in the social room. Then she found an old gentleman waving to Rubetta in the back of a large room.

“Hello, Tormark-san. Do you have any situation?”

“Good mood, Lord Rostine. Nothing has changed from yesterday.”

When Rubetta exchanged a greeting mixed with questions, Ados Tormark answered so and smiled gently.

“Tormark Shokai”, which he runs, is a company that operates in two cities, Nildea and the royal capital, and mainly handles books and works of art, as well as magic tools.

Because all the items for sale are expensive, it is a trading company that deals with millionaires and aristocrats instead of ordinary people. The amount of tax paid is not so high, so the evaluation of the commercial guild remains at “B rank”. Considering the influence on aristocrats and influential people, it has much higher ground power than the poor “A rank” company.

Because books and works of art originally have a small population parameter, there is a limit to the items that can be collected only in the suburbs. If you want to collect good products that satisfy the interests of aristocrats and influential people, you must actively trade with countries outside the continent.

Therefore, Tormark Shokai has a messenger not only in this continent but also overseas.

In addition, businesses centered on expensive products are much more dependent on “information” than the high sales of ordinary people. In order to respond to this, Tormark Shokai has its own intelligence organization and secretly operates it at home and abroad.

“What is the” Yuri Empire “?”

“I don’t know, so it’s a big deal…”

While pulling his eyes, Ados leaked with a bitter voice that made him feel old. If anyone in the country has a more detailed map than Rubetta has, it’s definitely the Ados Tolmark in front of her.

The area within the reach of this old gentleman is so wide. It seems strange to have a store only in the Kingdom of Eldard.

“Can the intelligence forces of Tormark Shokai not get the details of her ’empire’?”

Of course, the empire here is the “Yuri empire.” In the past, the empire was the “Volmicia empire”, but nowadays it doesn’t really matter.

“I haven’t grasped even the slightest thing. The more I act to gather information, the more I feel that I can clearly point out the fact that I don’t know anything about the Yuri Empire.”

“Is that so……”

“Sir Rostine, keep this story only here — in fact, yesterday I sent a trader to the eastern gate of Nildea to ask the person in charge of guarding the eastern gate to visit and give them a bribe. ”

“… By the way, I’ve heard that” maids “are guarding the gates at the current east and west gates.”

she once received such a report from a person in the company.

At that time, she didn’t think it was very important, so she didn’t ask him to investigate. When she thought about it, it was clearly abnormal, and she couldn’t really understand what it meant.

“It seems to be the case. According to the company’s confirmation, there are three maids wearing dark blue dresses under the apron dress and one maid wearing black dresses, for a total of four maids. It seems that they were to protect the East Gate. By the way, the person wearing the black dress is the commander. ”

“I see……”

“A person from the company said that when he asked the maid of the black dress to visit me, she was willing to follow him to another room. He thought, “There is a hope” and guided the maid. I heard he tried to give a bribe in the room. ”

“How much is a bribe?”

“A wooden case filled with gold coins. Is it about “400,000 Beth”?”

“That — you inspired me a lot.”

Speaking of 400,000 Beth, it is enough for ordinary people to live for two years. It can be said that it is definitely exceptional as a bribe to give to a soldier who does not know the name.

“Did the bribe give you a connection to the ‘Yuri Empire’?”

“… I heard that she didn’t receive it in the first place. I was angry with “Do you think you can buy our hearts with money!?”, And the people of the company were beaten out of the east gate station.”

“That’s so…”

The story of the old gentleman surprised Rubetta from the bottom of his heart. I don’t think it’s an amount that can be repelled by the loyalty of a soldier.

“By the way, I did the same thing at the West Gate yesterday evening, but the moment we offered the bribe, the messenger was kicked out of the station.”

“… It seems that her “empire” is made up of subordinates who have a lot of loyalty. I want them to be my commercial members.”

Basically, the “heart” can be bought with money. Loyalty is just the amount of gold coins needed to buy the person’s heart. At least Rubetta had always thought that way.

―――― By the way, the “maid in a black dress” that appears in the conversation between the two is a person who belongs to the “Nashiko” unit.

They put a “white” wedding ring on the ring finger of their left hand, and their liking for lilies exceeded “150,000”, and of course they have absolute loyalty to Yuri. Whether the bribes piled up were 100 times or 1000 times that amount, their loyalty could never be shaken.

“Why can’t we give them a gift in the first place …”

“… I don’t even know that.”

In Rubetta’s words, Ados squinted his eyes.

Both Rubetta as the chairman of “Rostine Shokai” and Ados as the chairman of “Tormark Shokai” are sending letters to the Empress of “Yuri Empire”, requesting a visit via commercial guild. The reason for hope is “We’d like to give a congratulatory gift to the empress of the Yuri Empire who has conquered the city.” and wrote if the visiting request is not accepted then we’d like to send the gift via the aide.

Normally, there should be no reason for the ruler to refuse this kind of hope from the merchant. In fact, when the Kingdom of Eldard won the war against the Principality of Silesia 11 years ago and ceded the territory of the other party, she requested a visit under the pretext of giving a congratulatory gift to the Kingdom of Eldard with exactly the same content. It was also allowed on the same day.

Even so, there is still no response to the hope that the two of them gave to the “Yuri Empire” this time. It was neither “permit” nor “rejection”, and the reply itself did not arrive. As long as it is sent via the commercial guild, it should not be said that the letter itself has not arrived …….

“— Hello everyone who live in strategic locations city Nirudea”

It was in the middle of talking about that. Rubetta and Ados all look astonished at the voice that is suddenly heard directly in their heads.

She will never forget it. It’s exactly the same voice as the “Declaration of War” she heard a week ago.

“Five minutes from now. Well — after about a cup of tea, I would like to tell some things to everyone living in the city.

I think it will be a little longer this time, so I’m sorry, but if you are driving a horse-drawn carriage, please stop once, and if you are working, please take a break from work. Please listen carefully.

It has been the case since the last declaration of war, but as a general rule, it is set so that only people over the age of 15 can hear my voice. ”

“………”

“………”

Rubetta and Ados all lose their words.

No, not just two people. The entire space of the social room (salon) was quiet as if it had been hit by water.

The attitude of the “empress” who talks to the commoners is abnormally humble.

After all, a telepathy that talks to almost all citizens of the city at the same time very easily. The fact is, it is possible to set whether to hear or not according to the age of the target person. And above all — from the “Empress” who was rumored by the two of us, the telepathy arrived at the perfect timing as if she had seen them the whole time.

Both of them had no idea which of them they should be surprised at anymore.