“We... become owners?”
“That’s right.”
In response to Ethan’s answer, Marakan cautiously said,
“But we...”
“Marakan, aren’t you the best when it comes to attribute enhancement?”
“...I have that confidence.”
“Scarlet, aren’t you the best when it comes to dyeing magic?”
After a moment’s thought, Scarlet nodded vigorously.
“Yes, I don’t think there’s a mage on the continent more proficient in color and dyeing magic than me.”
Ethan asked the same question to the other mages.
They all similarly answered with confidence.
“Then we have our answer. You should become the owners of Ethan’s workshop. As workshop owners, all authority will be returned to you.”
“We... become owners? Owners leading a workshop...?”
They all had bewildered expressions.
But soon, they nodded with determined looks in their eyes.
“So that’s it. That’s why you were expecting this from us.”
The mages understood Ethan’s intention.
He wasn’t satisfied with the current scale.
From the perspective of individual mages, it was an incredible result, but from Ethan’s standard, this was just the first step.
And he wants to take the next step with them.
“We won’t waste the opportunity you’ve given us.”
“Leave the workshop to us!”
The mages made their resolution.
***
“Alright, let’s do it that way.”
“You’ve made a good choice, Count Huntar.”
Count Whiskers and Count Huntar shook hands.
The negotiations were quite long, but the result was successful.
Currently, the Whiskers territory was absorbing all the floating population that should have spread to surrounding territories.
As a result, the surrounding territories were each experiencing difficulties.
While smaller territories could be incorporated into the Whiskers territory through Count Whiskers and the Steward’s skills, it was difficult to do so with larger territories.
Especially the Huntar territory.
The Huntar territory was a territory that until recently was of higher rank than the Whiskers territory. Therefore, absorbing it like other small territories was impossible.
That’s why Count Whiskers proposed a deal.
What they were worried about now was the continuously decreasing income of the territory.
So they agreed to distribute a certain profit on the condition of opening a branch of the Lightweight workshop within the territory.
‘Since attribute enhancement and dyeing magic can only be done in Whiskers territory.’
“You must have been in a hurry. To give up all the lands you had.”
“It’s natural. Although Count Huntar didn’t openly try to swallow us, he was prepared to absorb the territory at any time if we fell.”
Therefore, Count Huntar had already purchased several lands near the Whiskers territory.
Through this deal, Count Whiskers acquired all those lands.
Thanks to this, they could further increase the scale of the territory.
Moreover, it became advantageous to proceed with what Count Huntar had been preparing.
“Ultimately, he was planning to open a road on that land to connect with Count Huntar’s territory.”
That was Count Huntar’s ultimate goal.
But the situation has completely changed.
The positions of the two territories have completely reversed, so Count Huntar’s long-standing plan has become a stepping stone for the development of Count Whiskers’ territory.
“Our territory will be connected to Count Huntar’s territory. Then, before long, Count Huntar’s territory will come under our Whiskers.”
“But if that happens, there will surely be checks from the surroundings.”
There were two Great Lords around the Whiskers territory.
Count Yurahan, who boasts enormous wealth.
And Marquis Dren, a member of the Twelve Families.
“Even if we set aside Dren as they’re already above us, if we absorb the Huntar territory, we’ll become a scale no less than the Yurahan territory. There will surely be checks.”
“That’s right, so we need to prepare in advance. Let’s talk as soon as we get back to the territory. About how to persuade Count Yurahan.”
After returning to the territory, the two were greeted by a welcome face.
“Ethan!”
“It’s been a while, Father, Steward.”
“When did you arrive? Hahaha! You’ve come just as we’ve had some good news.”
The steward smiled brightly and talked about this achievement.
“Then the scale of the territory will be as large as the Yurahan territory. Count Yurahan won’t just sit back and watch.”
Count Whiskers nodded seriously at Ethan’s words.
Until now, they had grown very smoothly without any particular checks, but now it was different.
That’s why Ethan hid everything with a smile.
“So you came? What does that mean, Lord Ethan?”
“Count Yurahan’s territory boasts a long tradition. It has long been the center of this region. Even when monster invasions occurred, even when wars broke out. Now, exchanges between territories have decreased, but at that time, wasn’t it the Count Yurahan family that took the lead as the center? I still think the lord who rules the Yurahan territory is the leader of this region.”
Even when Count Huntar, Count Whiskers, and several other families in this region united, the Yurahan family was always the leader.
“The Marquis Dren family isn’t our orthodox, is it? They’re a rolling stone.”
Count Yurahan’s eyebrows twitched at Ethan’s words.
He felt as if the phrase ‘our orthodox’ grouped the Count Yurahan family with other families.
“Since when did they come to represent this region? Wasn’t it originally Yurahan?”
“...Didn’t you come to talk about business?”
“Yes, this is an extension of that, Count Yurahan.”
Count Whiskers and the steward, who were present, couldn’t help but admire Ethan’s bold rhetoric.
It was an extremely sensitive topic.
But as he led the conversation to the topic the count himself was most concerned about, Count Yurahan couldn’t hastily get angry.
Of course, Ethan’s reputation for successfully running various businesses had an influence, but more than that, the stage Ethan had set was quite excellent.
“Yes, as you say. But that’s all in the past. The Marquis Dren family is a member of the Twelve Families.”
“But you don’t want to bow your waist, do you?”
Count Yurahan frowned deeply at Ethan’s words. He was thinking of bowing. He was planning to endure the current humiliation somehow and build up strength.
That’s why Ethan’s words felt even more like a dagger. There’s nothing as shameful as having one’s humiliation exposed by others.
“I’ll make it so you don’t have to bow.”
“What?”
“I’ve come to propose an alliance, Count Yurahan.”
Ethan extended his hand. In that moment, Count Yurahan’s heart raced.
“The goal of our Whiskers isn’t simply to grow big. Of course, we’re not close, but at least when our region was attacked, we fought together as one. So let’s go together.”
“Together...?”
“Yes, together.”
Count Yurahan’s eyes kept shaking at the words flowing smoothly.
“Let’s grow together, Count Yurahan. We form an alliance between ourselves to oppose the Marquis Dren family.”
“...I’ll think about it.”
It wasn’t an issue that could be answered right away.
***
Count Yurahan was inwardly sighing with relief.
When he first met Ethan Whiskers, he said he was going to work with the David Merchant Guild.
He had a feeling then.
“He really was working with the David Merchant Guild.”
As his bad premonition came true exactly, he also thought he did well not to meddle carelessly.
“A way to grow without bowing to the Marquis Dren family...”
Ethan proposed a united alliance. Of course, he knows this united alliance isn’t just out of goodwill.
“He’s trying to buy time. If we form an alliance, we’ll have to just watch them grow out of duty. Eventually, Whiskers will become bigger than us, and when that time comes, they’ll talk about the alliance again. Maybe...”
The steward of the Count Yurahan family frowned.
“The Marquis Dren family and the Count Whiskers family might pressure us simultaneously.”
But somehow, Count Yurahan’s intuition was whispering that he should accept this alliance.
After closing his eyes for a moment and falling into contemplation, Count Yurahan opened his eyes and decided.
“I trust my intuition. Just like when I first met him.”
***
“I wonder if he’ll accept.”
Count Whiskers and his steward, who had returned to the territory, put their heads together and talked.
“Count Yurahan is a wise person. He will have grasped what we meant by proposing an alliance. There’s a high possibility he won’t accept.”
“I think so too. But... it’s undoubtedly an attractive proposal.”
“It was an excellent proposal. Young Master Ethan continues to grow. It’s almost frightening.”
The count smiled contentedly.
“He takes after me.”
The steward narrowed his eyes and looked at the count.
“Speak with your hand on your conscience.”
“He does take after me somewhat.”
Knock knock-.
“I have a report.”
“Come in.”
The subordinate who entered immediately handed a parchment to the count.
“It’s a letter from Count Yurahan.”
The count, who immediately opened and read it, grinned.
“It’s an alliance contract.”
Author's Thoughts
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