Chapter 164

Chapter 164:  The Master of the Trade Route (1)

Echina’s eyes turned cold, like the Nord mountain range.

The atmosphere she exuded as she left the mansion was so intense that no one dared speak to her.

Only one person stood by the Grand Duke’s daughter.

Baron Obi.

The middle-aged man who had grown acquainted with her after the incident involving Deyan’s artwork rode in the same carriage as her.

“There’s no need to be so upset. Even with one more competitor, your only true rival is still Prince Eric.”

The head of Luton Transport.

Though he had once been closer to a loyal vassal of the Grand Duke of the North, he had always maintained a neutral stance.

However, now he had become the first executive to officially side with Echina.

Was it because of Roger, who was close to her?

If it were really just that, he wouldn’t have chosen to take her side.

He would’ve simply remained by Duke Luton’s side as before, while maintaining communication solely with Roger.

But now, he was almost openly supporting Echina.

The reason was simple.

“You only need to focus on the new mission entrusted to you by His Highness.”

The baron deeply valued what he considered Echina’s greatest strength.

“Just like the self-discipline you practiced in the Knights.”

That strength was the fact that Echina came from a military background.

By nature, soldiers do not abandon their own.

To become a founding contributor within her faction—

Just as he had reigned as Duke Luton’s left arm in the House of the Grand Duke of the North, his instincts were firing once more.

“I’m not particularly angry. It’s just that it feels like someone else snatched the credit for what Roger accomplished…”

“You seem to place quite a bit of trust in Lord Roger.”

Baron Obi looked at Echina seated beside him with the fondness of a father watching his daughter.

In response, Echina cleared her throat and maintained her composure.

“I’ve made up my mind to at least protect those who are mine.”

Baron Obi gave a faint smile at her words.

Because that one sentence perfectly revealed the reason he had chosen her.

“That way, won’t they trust me and follow me in turn?”

“You speak the truth. You’ve clearly learned well from His Highness.”

She felt different from Eric or Freya.

Eric used his subordinates for the sake of his own success.

And once achievements were made, he maintained a strict master-servant relationship by rewarding them accordingly.

Freya wasn’t much different.

Those who followed her were all loyal retainers, but their relationship rarely went beyond a cool, business-like dynamic.

But Echi—standing before him—was different.

She understood well why her father’s enterprise had remained so strong for so long.

While all her siblings had been glued to their desks learning the family trade...

Echina had learned camaraderie and unity in the knight order, and had gained a similar understanding of relationships from her father and his subordinates.

“I’m heading to the Erian Hotel. Where are you headed, Baron?”

“Let’s go together. I was just hoping to see Lord Roger myself.”

Even though he wasn’t yet a baron, Obi still addressed him with honor.

――――――

A carriage bearing the proud insignia of the Black Lion came to a stop in front of the grand hotel.

The staff there no longer flinched at the sight of the Black Lion emblem.

Instead, they greeted Echina and the baron, who stepped out of the carriage, with gentle smiles.

“Welcome, Grand Duke’s daughter.”

“Baron, you’ve come as well. Welcome.”

The baron had only been here a couple of times, yet the staff still remembered his face, which surprised him.

“So you remember me.”

“Our director instructed us to give you the utmost care whenever you visit. Please, come in.”

Baron Obi immediately understood why he and Echina got along so well.

They both shared a deep understanding of the importance of human relationships.

――――――

The baron and the Grand Duke’s daughter entered the office on the eighth floor.

As they walked in, I rose from my desk to greet them.

“Grand Duke’s daughter, I trust the meeting went well? And Baron, you’re here too.”

I guided the two of them to the sofa.

When I tried to offer her the main seat, the Grand Duke’s daughter declined and sat in the guest seat.

For some reason, I couldn’t help but glance at her.

“By the way, aren’t you cold? It’s December, but your outfit seems rather light.”

……

Black stockings wrapped her firm thighs, paired with a uniform skirt.

Simple military boots and a slim jacket that accentuated her beautiful hips and waistline.

“I can protect myself from the cold with mana.”

“Still, dressing warmly would help reduce fatigue.”

I offered the advice with sincere concern in my eyes.

Echina looked at me with a flat expression for a moment, then let out a long sigh.

“Just think of it as part of my regular mana control training.”

“Ah, I figured as much.”

A fitting response for a skilled knight on the cusp of becoming a Swordmaster.

Every time I saw that side of her, I couldn’t help but feel admiration.

“Lord Roger can be a little clueless in this area. Even someone my age understands this stuff.”

“I didn’t spend long as a cadet, you see. My mistake.”

I chuckled awkwardly, scratching my cheek.

But every time I laughed, Echina’s eyebrow twitched ever so slightly.

“Enough of that. You were curious about the results of the meeting, weren’t you?”

“Yes. What were the main topics?”

Echina took off her jacket.

Her dress shirt seemed just a bit tighter than usual.

“Just as you guessed—it was about improving the trade route.”

“Yes, selecting the project lead, I assume. And I’m guessing they didn’t make a final decision today.”

I spoke as if it were obvious, taking her jacket from her.

A sweet, fruity scent softly rose from her clothes.

“How did you know that…?”

“Indeed. Did someone send you a hint by carrier pigeon?”

Baron Obi also turned to me with a curious look.

“It’s nothing special. Since Grand Duke’s daughter Echina formed an alliance with Freya, her faction must’ve grown considerably, and His Grace likely thought she was now capable of competing with the eldest son.”

I lightly swallowed the saliva that had unknowingly gathered in my mouth, then continued.

“Appointing the project lead for the trade route is, in effect, choosing the next Grand Duke. He likely meant to spark competition.”

“That’s right. He gave them a task—to each select a village along the Nord mountain trade route and develop it into a satellite city.”

Of course, with my knowledge of the next ten years, I already knew this.

However, what had changed was the unexpected participation of Echina and Edward.

“What caught me off guard was that Edward joined the trial under the pretext of having discovered mithril.”

The Grand Duke’s daughter bared her sharp canines, as if even thinking about her younger brother made her bristle with rage.

“He got his hands on that ore thanks to someone else, and now he’s using it to stab us in the back…?”

“Well, considering Edward’s personality, it was a plausible outcome.”

With no particular expression, I turned toward the office desk.

I retrieved a map of the Nord mountain range I had prepared beforehand and spread it across the table.

“That doesn’t necessarily pose a problem. All we need to do is fight our own battle.”

“…You sound just like the baron.”

Obi looked at me with a proud expression, as if impressed that someone much younger than him shared his outlook.

“For now, let’s focus on the task His Grace has given us. If you’re appointed project lead here, Edward’s momentum will be cut short.”

The place I had in mind was the area in the Nord mountain range with the widest flatland—

The Ande Plains.

“The Ande Plains? Why there, of all places?”

“There’s definitely enough land to build on, but it’s a shame it’s a bit removed from the trade route.”

The baron expressed a hint of concern as well.

“Eric and Edward will probably prefer Skoddish. It’s the closest to the trade route and has suitable flatlands.”

“That’s right. They’ll both go for the same spot and compete with each other.”

It’s not like we couldn’t compete too.

But if we did, it was obvious we’d end up constantly interfering with one another, stunting our growth.

Rather than that, it was far better to quietly execute a well-prepared plan in a more distant region.

“So, the plan is for us to grow without direct competition. Not a bad idea. But…”

Echina leaned further over the table.

Her neatly combed black hair cascaded down softly.

“If the two of them decide to keep us in check and form an alliance, it’ll actually be a disadvantage. Their financial power is immense.”

The baron’s lips parted slightly in surprise at the Grand Duke’s daughter’s sharp analysis.

It wasn’t just her talent for building personal connections—she clearly had a knack for business as well.

Thanks to that, he seemed even more reassured in having chosen to side with the second daughter’s ship.

“That’s right. So, since we’ve gone out of our way to choose such a remote location, we’ll need a distinct advantage to back it up.”

I leaned back comfortably in the leather chair.

Then, as if to test Echina, I stayed silent, waiting for her deduction.

“An advantage… If you went out of your way to choose this place, it means you’ve got an exceptional card up your sleeve…”

“I can’t think of anything either. The only notable thing about this place is that it has a lot of land.”

Even the baron couldn’t offer an easy answer.

As the owner of a major transportation company, he couldn’t quite grasp the reason for choosing a site somewhat removed from the trade route.

But soon enough, befitting the head of an organization, he came up with a plausible theory.

“Don’t tell me… Are you planning to establish a state institution?”

A state institution.

A very sharp guess.

But I didn’t answer his question right away.

Instead, I simply looked at Echina.

For a clear reason.

If Echina could demonstrate true leadership here, Baron Obi’s trust in her would deepen.

Since this was a trade route-related project, his role would be even more vital.

On top of that, the baron still held a strong image of being a centrist.

Which meant Eric or Edward could always try to win him over to their side—making it all the more important to leave a strong impression now.

“A state institution…”

Echina fell into deep thought, her body heating up as she lightly tugged at her necktie.

Her golden eyes spun in concentration until they met mine.

But I didn’t offer a single hint.

Like a fox posing a riddle from a fairy tale, I merely tilted my head in silence.

……

Thanks to that, she was left to consider, on her own, what possible benefit the Ande Plains might offer—despite being so distant from the trade route.

Then, about three minutes passed.

“Don’t tell me… the ‘state institution’ you’re talking about is a knight order?”

At last, the Grand Duke’s daughter arrived at the correct answer.

As if in response, I smiled brightly and nodded.

“That’s right. I plan to establish a brigade-sized knight order on this wide open plain.”

A full brigade.

A facility capable of housing roughly 3,000 to 5,000 knights.

Echina clapped her hands, quickly organizing her thoughts and reinforcing the idea.

“Of course… Once a knight order is established, support facilities for their convenience would naturally follow.”

“Exactly. Restaurants and hotels, and even a broad array of commercial districts could spring up and continue to thrive afterward.”

Baron Obi also nodded in agreement.

“The justification is sound. The Empire considers this trade route project extremely important.”

Now brimming with confidence, Echina continued speaking in an even tone.

She began laying out everything she had studied and researched so far—smoothly, without a single stumble.

“With just the trade route improvement alone costing around 400 billion gold, the flow of money and people to this area will be enormous.”

“Which means they’ll want to pay that much more attention to security and maintaining public order.”

I lightly clapped my hands beside her, as if praising a lioness in her prime.

Echina folded her arms and crossed one thick thigh over the other.

“If the Imperial Palace grants permission, I could finish the approval process quickly by persuading the commander of the knight order.”

“Exactly, exactly. The commander places his full trust in you, Grand Duke’s daughter.”

Truly, no skill in the world is ever useless.

The power she gained from spending her entire life in the knight order was finally beginning to shine.

“Well then, I suppose it’s time to submit the proposal to the Imperial Palace.”

I leaned back on the sofa like a relaxed master who had passed on a secret technique to his disciple.

In contrast, the Grand Duke’s daughter shot to her feet.

“You’re right. I’ll head to the capital soon and explain everything in person.”

Since she had already established a connection with Her Majesty the Empress, it shouldn’t be too difficult.

While she worked on establishing the knight order, I would handle a different matter.

“Roger, come with me.”

“Ah, I’m fine. There’s something I need to take care of first.”

Edward, who had dared to exploit the blood and sweat of laborers for his own greed—

A plan was needed to break that momentum.

“I see… You must be very busy, huh.”

As I casually declined, the fierce corners of Echina’s eyes softened into a crescent moon.

It felt like watching a beast transform into a cat that stirred one’s sense of humanity.

“Um… are you alright, Grand Duke’s daughter?”

“It’s nothing. You came up with the strategy, so it’s only right that a knight like me handles the execution…”

She seemed oddly sullen.

A woman who almost never showed that side of herself. What was going on?

As I glanced around a little confused, trying to read the mood, the baron, watching the whole exchange, chuckled and took a sip of his tea.

“Seems my eye for people is better than I thought.”