Chapter 173

Chapter 173:  Master of the Trade Route (10)

The Empress slowly closed her eyes as she read through the letter.

Suddenly, she recalled the red fox she had once seen performing tricks at the Imperial Zoo.

Thinking that the man who had delivered this letter was just like that clever creature, the Empress rose from her seat.

Just as she had ordered a special treat for the fox, she intended to bestow a favor upon this man as well.

――――――

The resplendent Imperial Palace.

Her heels touched the luxuriously laid marble floor, a reflection of the Empire’s towering prestige.

Countless attendants followed closely behind her.

Each and every one of them guarded by elite knights, strong enough to face a hundred foes alone, standing at the massive gates.

As those doors opened, a long dining table came into view.

At the very end of that grand table sat the master of this vast Empire—

His Majesty the Emperor, Leonidas, dining with someone.

『Isn’t that the Empress? I heard she would be dining separately.』

"Welcome, Your Majesty the Empress."

Sitting beside the Emperor and enjoying the meal with him was none other than the Western Grand Duke, Harriet.

He was a relative of the Emperor and a famed gourmet, often sharing dinners with the continent’s most powerful figure.

"I brought something amusing to share."

The Empress lightly took a seat across from the Western Grand Duke.

At that, an Imperial maid swiftly and skillfully arranged her cutlery.

『Amusing news? If the Empress is calling it that, then it must be quite something.』

"That’s right. Lady Margaret rarely finds anything exciting."

Indeed, as someone with the strongest influence among the Emperor’s relatives, Harriet responded with a lighthearted joke.

The Empress gently nodded in agreement.

"Exactly. I don’t even bat an eye at most dishes anymore."

Then she laid down a letter, far more appetizing than anything on the table.

"So, since it’s been a while since a fine plate has been served, I thought I’d bring it to Your Majesty."

『Let’s see it then. Now I’m curious.』

The Emperor gave a light smile and adjusted his lips.

He then picked up the letter his wife had placed before him.

『Roger Julius. A familiar name.』

"Yes. He’s the one we saw recently at the Imperial Academy."

As soon as the name he had mentally flagged was mentioned, the Western Grand Duke set down his fork.

"A letter from him…?"

『That’s right. He’s currently involved in the Northern trade route project.』

A name he had kept an eye on, now tied to a major undertaking led by the rival Northern Grand Duke’s family.

Was it the harmony of these two elements?

『He proposed establishing a knight order near the trade route and assigning newly graduated knights there. It sounded like a good idea, so I approved it.』

"Ah, I had heard the news. So it was his doing after all."

Harriet found himself completely distracted from the lavish feast prepared by the Imperial chef.

The rich aroma of beef didn’t even register.

『Now let’s see here… a request for an audit of the mithril buildings?』

The Emperor tilted his head slightly, surprised by this part.

『Mithril… I heard recently that the Duke of Luton’s second son secured a large amount of it.』

"Requesting an audit on that must be because of the feud over the family headship. Roger sided with Echina’s second daughter, after all."

As if agreeing with the Western Grand Duke’s comment, the Emperor calmly set the letter down.

At the same time, he let out a short sigh, as if something didn’t sit well with him.

『Constructing a mithril building in the Nord mountain range’s climate doesn’t seem like it would pose a significant problem.』

"But if this case becomes a precedent, there may be a surge in shoddy construction elsewhere."

Leonidas looked at the Empress intently.

『You’re right. But… I suppose it’s a little disappointing.』

Disappointing.

Coming from someone who had mostly been satisfied with Roger’s actions up until now, those words sounded like a letdown. Both Harriet and Margaret, who had thought favorably of him, seemed to tense up.

『Until now, his actions have always painted a picture that benefited both himself and others. He had solid justification for everything, too.』

When he revived the city of Haman, he barely borrowed anyone’s strength, and solved things in an incredibly efficient way.

While his rival rented out a large art museum, Roger had done it all with just a single sandwich.

Even at the Imperial Academy, he had nurtured the one-eyed knight Sonia so well that he had earned the Emperor’s interest.

But this time, it seemed like the Emperor felt there was something a bit forced about it.

『However, this time… it sounds more like he’s just asking for help.』

Now that Leonidas had spoken to that extent, the Empress had nothing more to say.

Harriet, too, didn’t offer any rebuttal to the Emperor’s view.

『Tsk……』

He clicked his tongue and skimmed through the letter roughly.

But then, the ruler of the continent suddenly paused as his eyes landed on a particular phrase written at the very end of the letter.

It was a line that seemed as though Roger had anticipated the Emperor’s disappointment.

And the moment he read it...

The Emperor’s expression began to change.

Naturally, for the better.

『……』

He read the phrase on the back of the letter several times over.

Then, as if he had changed his mind, he chuckled and shook his head.

『Right, he wasn’t the type to whine like a child.』

"Well, did you find something you liked in there?"

The Western Grand Duke asked, and the Emperor personally turned the letter around to show him the back.

Harriet relaxed and read the content.

This is what it said inside:

『If Your Majesty is reading this, I expect that it doesn’t sit well with you. After all, this family headship battle has nothing to do with the Imperial Family.』

A phrase that read as if it had predicted the Emperor’s response.

『You may even feel displeased, thinking someone is trying to drag you into a household feud.』

Seeing this, Harriet slowly nodded, clearly satisfied.

『However, in the bigger picture, this matter could very well have a significant impact on the Imperial Family too.』

The Western Grand Duke read on, curious to see what ingenious method the young man would use to persuade the Emperor.

『The Nord mountain range is one of the best places to conceal corruption and illicit activity. If large hotels and casinos are established there soon, it will only become more dangerous.』

"That’s true. Especially considering the second son of House Luton…"

Harriet was already well aware that the second son was close friends with the Third Prince, who was well-versed in the casino business.

Because of that, he could already imagine what kinds of enterprises might pop up if the second son built his own city in the North.

『To counter that, I believe we’ll need an Imperial Embassy and an Imperial Security Office stationed there.』

These two state institutions would serve to monitor and restrain the corruption and private interests of both Grand Dukes.

And the location Roger had proposed for them was—

『I’ve already secured a building in the busiest district of the Fern estate. If Your Majesty permits, I would like to “donate” it.』

It was the heart— the very core— of Edward’s city, its most bustling area.

"With a location like that... it must be the most expensive land in the city."

"And apparently, it's a fully completed, legitimate building constructed with traditional materials, not mithril."

The Empress chimed in to support the comment.

『Yes. Now that’s more like the Roger I had grown fond of.』

At the offer of a building situated on such prime land, Emperor Leonidas curled his lips into a broad smile.

At the same time, he turned toward the Western Grand Duke, Harriet, and asked,

『Did you know there are only two people I’ve ever contacted privately, Your Grace?』

“If I may hazard a guess, it would be myself and Duke Luton.”

The ruler of the continent picked up his wine glass, clearly pleased with the correct answer.

Then, after taking a clean sip of the dark red wine, he continued,

『I like former Grand Dukes. When making a deal, they always present a clear purpose and the price upfront.』

“Even if it’s for personal gain, if there’s a mutual benefit to be had, our predecessors always accepted the offer. That’s the wisdom I learned from them.”

Harriet naturally offered praise for the Emperor’s father.

Encouraged by that compliment, Leonidas pointed to a name written in the letter.

『This young man is no different. Though he slipped it in toward the end, testing the waters, he’s once again clearly stated what I would receive in return for helping him.』

“The location is ideal. I don’t believe it would be a loss for Your Majesty either.”

“It’s rather curious, actually. They’re competitors, yet he managed to secure this golden location.”

The Empress examined the summary map of the Nord mountain range enclosed with the letter.

On it was a conceptual illustration of the Imperial building, drawn by Roger himself.

The most notable part of the drawing was that all other buildings in Edward’s city had halted construction—while this one stood tall and complete on its own.

『……』

The Emperor instantly grasped the meaning behind the image.

Then, instead of merely chuckling, he burst into hearty laughter and gave the table a light tap.

『Empress, now I understand why you call this young man a fox.』

“…Pardon?”

Margaret tilted her head slightly, unsure of what the Emperor truly meant.

So Leonidas, raising a finger, took it upon himself to explain.

『We’ll recruit a building inspection team. The audit will begin—without any prior notice—exactly two months from now.』

“Won’t two months be too late? By then, much of the construction might be complete.”

To her question, the Emperor pointed that raised finger straight at her.

『Exactly. When the buildings are finished, that’s when we halt them. If needed, we can even tear them down.』

“…!”

Even the sharp-minded Margaret only just realized Leonidas’s intent.

The Western Grand Duke, who had already predicted this, answered in her stead.

"Picture it—when all of the second son’s buildings are halted, and only the Imperial structure stands tall in completion."

『The people who placed their trust in Lord Edward will be sorely disappointed, and external merchant powers will once again witness the strength of Imperial authority.』

The Emperor declared that it had truly been a fine banquet, and ended the meal.

Then, to respond to the proposal of one young man, he began assembling an inspection team—

In absolute secrecy, known only to the two who had dined with him.

『――――――』

During this time, the Fern estate was abuzz with activity due to the ongoing city construction.

Leading this construction was none other than the Western Grand Duke’s daughter, Helena.

“At this pace, we might see completion within three months.”

She communicated smoothly with the architects from her own house, proceeding with the project without any notable issues.

Watching her closely from a distance was Edward.

He observed her with suspicion, unable to believe she was genuinely building without some sort of scheme in mind.

“My lord, the progress is remarkably fast. At this rate, we should be able to save quite a bit on the budget as well.”

“Yes, that’s good news. Good news indeed…”

Of course, Edward already knew that Helena and Echina didn’t get along.

His personal investigation had revealed that the two had once clashed violently during the Sword War.

And yet, with everything proceeding so smoothly—perhaps too smoothly—

Or perhaps because he had once nearly been outfoxed by a certain cunning young man—

He couldn’t shake the doubt gnawing at him. He slowly rose from his seat.

Then he approached the brilliant blonde woman directing the bustling site.

“Lady Helena.”

“Lord Edward. The construction is proceeding without trouble.”

The Western Grand Duke’s daughter faced him with a formal, expressionless gaze.

She lightly shook the hand he offered with detached courtesy.

“I didn’t expect you to come all the way to such a cold and barren place yourself.”

“This is a national-scale project. No businessman would pass up something of this magnitude.”

Helena responded without even the twitch of an eyebrow.

Then Edward, with his hands clasped behind his back, casually dropped a question.

“I see... Then, might I ask who recommended you for this project?”

“Recommended me? Why do you ask that all of a sudden?”

At the Western Grand Duke’s daughter’s cool-toned question, Edward waved a hand lightly.

“Just curious, that’s all. I simply found it fascinating how quickly the information made it to the far West.”

“……”

Helena said nothing for a moment.

When she finally spoke again, it was after she rested her chin gently on her hand, lost in thought.

“It was Roger Julius who recommended it. Said it would be a profitable opportunity.”

“Roger Julius… Since his name’s come up—what exactly is the relationship between you two?”

Edward had always been good at detecting lies.

Even though it rarely worked on the sly Roger, he could usually tell whether people were lying or not.

This time, too, he tried to peer through Helena with the same golden eyes he inherited from his father.

“Our relationship…”

Helena closed the construction blueprint she was holding.

And if Edward resembled the Northern Grand Duke—

Then she answered with the same piercing, unsettling gaze of someone who had reached the same level as the Western Grand Duke.

“A business relationship, of course.”

“I see… Understood.”

Edward couldn’t glean a single hint from her unfaltering expression.

If anything, her unwavering stance only deepened his suspicion. Was it truly just business?

“If you have nothing else to ask, may I return to my duties?”

“Of course. My apologies for taking up your time.”

As the second son stepped away, Helena calmly walked past him.

At the same time, she murmured quietly under her breath.

“It is business.”

A relationship formalized with a contract.

A partnership where even affiliations merged.

“An eighty-year-long business contract, that is.”

The Western Grand Duke’s daughter wore a faint, enigmatic smile on her red lips.

And her father, Harriet—currently in audience with the Emperor—was no different.

The father and daughter shared the same vision, dreaming of a monumental business endeavor.