40 [1-40] Mary with ears on the wall and ears behind. (1/2)

The headquarters of the Toman Chamber of Commerce was located in one of the most prestigious commercial areas of Wesara, and even more prestigious than that.

Ulrich Toman, the head of the Toman Chamber of Commerce, was visited by Holger, an official of the Duke of Gerald's domain involved in commerce, just as Ulrich was taking a break and eating greasy baked goods in the reception area of his spacious office.

It's been a long time, Mr. Thoman. It's been about seventy hours, I think.

”Yes. I think I've been seeing your face more than my wife's lately.

The two men smile at each other and shake hands.

Both men are in their mid-forties. Holger, a skinny man in a black and blue official's uniform, the mark of a government official, and Ulrich, who wears bright red and opulent clothes and is called ”pig” by any child he meets for the first time, have contrasting appearances. The two men, the nervous Holger and the boisterous Ulrich, seem to be a good match, and they hit it off through their professional connections.

So, did you get a good response?

Yes, he'd like to talk to you.

Well, thank you!　Thanks to the Duke, you, ......, and most of all, the new King!

Ulrich tried to hit his knee and pulled at his stomach, which was sticking out by mistake.

The Toman Trading Company is a trader that deals mainly in exports and to a lesser extent in imports. Among the goods they deal in is Ciel-Teira's pride and joy, glacelm.

Up until now, we've only been buying gracelms from the mines at the price the government tells us to, and exporting them to the Federation at the price the government tells us to (that is, the Federation tells us to).

How unfair those prices were!　We were supposed to be dealing with a very high-class product with the permission of the government, but our profits were sparse. The honor of being ”a merchant who is allowed to deal in gracelms” is not enough to earn a living.

But the days of such humiliation were finally coming to an end.

With a new king in place, the treatment of Gracelm was about to change.

Duke Gerald had connections in Noa Curio and Diretta, and he was coordinating with them as a lord to develop a sales channel for glacelms. Recently, Ulrich had been in frequent meetings with Holger about this matter.

If this continues, Ulrich will be able to sell Gracelm outside the Federation.

Well, look at that, I thought. He could see the panic on the faces of the Federation's sourpusses who had been buying up Gracelm. It was indisputable that the Federation, as a nation, looked down on Ciel-Teira, but even the Federation's official merchants who bought the glacelms looked at Ulrich as if he were some kind of servant. That was something Ulrich could not stand.

Ulrich, of course, knew the true value of glacelm. What would happen if we sold glacelm to Noa Curio at the right price? Even with a little extra money in the mines, Ulrich's pockets would still be incomparably more profitable than ever before!

I'm drooling just thinking about it. I'm drooling.

...... Ulrich believed that tomorrow, the next day, and the day after that, he would be able to buy the same amount of gracelum from the mines as he could today, but he still didn't know that the four major powers were demanding control of the gracelum mines.

But he still didn't know that the four major powers were demanding control of the Gracelm Mine, and he still didn't know that it was highly unlikely that he would make it to tomorrow morning alive.

I heard that the duke is gathering his troops.

”...... Yes.

When Ulrich made small talk, Holger's eyes swam.

I'm not sure what to make of that.

Even a child knows that the Duke is gathering troops because the city is in such a state, but Ulrich knows the circumstances behind it.

Between you and me, is it true that the thing is still on the run?

That's .......

No, no, no, I won't tell anybody!　So tell me.

Ulrich shook his head, and the flesh around his bulky neck throbbed and throbbed.

If you are a merchant of Ulrich's caliber, you will hear information from somewhere that the average citizen would not know.

He had also heard that the ”Rose Princess of Hell,” who was supposed to have been defeated by the First Knight Commander in King's Landing, had escaped. And he knows why the country wants to hide it.

If a named monster that rampaged through King's Landing, even one that was the former king's daughter turned into an undead monster, were to escape, it would be a huge blunder for the Knights, whose job it is to protect the people, and the new government would be in trouble. It is not desirable for rumors to circulate in the city that could destabilize the reign of Hilbert II, whose government has just taken over and is not yet solid.

It's a good thing I know what happened to King's Landing that day. I don't think the Order screwed up if they let him go. In fact, I'd say they did well.

Ha. ......

The square was already overflowing with people, like a trolley full of rocks!　People were shouting, 'Kill him! ”Death to the traitors! Death to traitors!

The mother would be brought in and beheaded first. Then came the daughter. ...... When the guillotine fell apart, she floated up in the air with the severed head.

I was so surprised!　But that's when he started using his strange magic to kill all the people in the crowd!

All hell would break loose. Everyone would be running for their lives. It was like an avalanche.　I panicked, too. All the while, he's using magic. ......