Chapter 129

Pellet Corporation's office.

"…What did you just say?"

Clerivan, who was busy working in the morning, asked again, surprised enough to drop the flag pen.

I said it again in a calm voice as much as I could.

"Perez is the owner of Monak Top."

"...Are you sure?"

Clerivan looked at Bate sitting next to me and asked.

"Yes, I'm sure. I was surprised, too, so I checked it several times before telling you."

"Oh, no... No way..."

Clerivan couldn't speak as he washed his face.

I know how you feel.

I was quite surprised when I first heard it.

I don't know how many times I've asked Bate if he's sure like Clerivan did.

I said, pouring a glass of water to Clerivan, feeling like I was looking at myself.

"First, have a glass of water and calm down."

"Yes..."

While drinking water, Clerivan was still dumbfounded.

After blinking a few times with a blank face, he muttered as if he had realized.

"That's why he was so wary of me. He's still competing with Pellet in the north..."

"Did that happen?"

"Yes, just before Lady Florentia came from the banquet..."

"Don't worry too much. If Perez was really wary of you, he would have completely hidden his innermost thoughts. To the point where no one would notice."

"Well, that's true..."

Clerivan nodded and smiled in vain.

"I thought he must be an experienced merchant. I feel like I've been stabbed in the back of my head..."

"Oh, you're right."

Bate picked up one of the guest chocolates on the table and put it in his mouth.

"He built the Top with a middle-aged merchant named Nosier. But the real owner is the Second Prince."

"Well, it's like me and Clerivan."

"Ah..."

I was speaking calmly, but I was quite surprised.

I've never heard the name 'Monak Top' in my previous life.

"By the way, His Highness Second Prince is no ordinary man. I can't believe he made a Top with a borrowed name. Oh, of course not comparable to Lady Florentia."

Clerivan, who returned to his usual calm appearance, said, giving a lot of strength to the last word.

"But at this rate, the First Prince is truly no match for the Second Prince."

"It wasn't the right opponent from the start."

Who cares about Astana.4

"But there's Empress behind him, so it's not an easy fight."

"Empress Rabini is not an easy opponent."

I don't know anything else, but I acknowledge the Empress's political skills to quickly grasp what the other people want as well as their weaknesses.

"The Empress is very active these days."

Bate also agreed with us.

"Recently, she has been close to Ivan in the North and often called him to the Imperial Palace."

"I'm sure he has thought about appointing the Crown Prince."

It was the Emperor's authority to choose the Crown Prince.

However, there was a formal procedure to seek the consent of the Imperial Nobles.

When the Emperor chooses the Crown Prince, the Aristocracy must agree to it first.

If the majority of the Aristocracy agreed, then the consent of the representative families of the East, West, South, North, and Central Empire was needed.

The unanimous agreement.

The representative family is simply the family with the largest territory in the region.

Luman in the East, Sussew in the South, Angenas in the West, Ivan in the North, and finally Lombardy in the center.

For now, it is.

And this procedure has quite a significant legal effect, so he has not been entitled to a 'fair' Crown Prince if he did not meet these conditions at the time of his inauguration.

Of course, in most cases, nobles follow the Emperor's orders.

"For now, His Highness Second Prince must capture the aristocracy. Since the Emperor has decided him to attend the conference, the problem will be solved easily."

Clerivan was right.

In my previous life, the aristocracy was not a big problem in Perez's future.

The problem is.

"The key is to get the consent of the local representative families." Said Clerivan while fixing his glasses.

"Even if the other families can be persuaded, what happens to Angenas in the West? We need to get unanimous agreement."

Bate asked as he tilting his head.

In my previous life, Perez had to face Lombardy's and Angenas's opposition.

Toon down Angenas from the West's representative and Lombardy from the Central deposed for tax evasion and aiding and abetting treason.

"Scary bastard."1

I shivered at the sight of the spiteful Perez in my previous life.

Then Clerivan looked at me with little worried eyes.

"Lady Florentia?"

"It's nothing. Perez and Monak. How are things going with us?"

"Although the Monak Top is still bothering us, fortunately, the purchase of the tree is stable."

"Violet seems to be working hard."

"Don't you know Violet's personality, who doesn't give up and hates to disappoint Lady Florentia more than to die?"

I laughed as if I couldn't help at Clerivan's words.

Violet is the most diligent and hardworking person I know.

"But she needs to know how to rest a little bit. We've been collecting trees since last year, so we don't have to make aggressive purchases anymore."

"Then how can I tell Violet?"

"Keep buying Tribal trees, but reduce the frequency of competing with the Monak Top. I'm afraid they have something to do with the tree."

I know what's going to happen in the future, but I want to see what Perez thinks.

"Then I'll go back to the store."

Bate, who greeted me, went away saying his job was done, and Clerivan and I continued our meeting.