Chapter 41

■■■ ＜Red Lock＞Cherina Veriello ■■■

My loyal shadow entered the room.

"What is it? At such an early hour?"

I always give my shadow permission to enter my room, but it's unusual for him to come at this hour.

"The target is near the merchant guild."

He said only that. It's my job to verify the information.

"Do you know why?"

"Unknown."

He is a person of interest. From the perspective of maintaining the secrecy of the Sky Tools, he is someone we want to keep within our guild.

"Tell me the location."

I asked the shadow for the location and headed there.

"Good morning, Akira-sama."

He was smoking an unusual cigarette and leisurely watching the ships. It doesn't seem like he was scouting, as a merchant's intuition would suggest. So, I asked him straightforwardly what he was doing, and he replied that he had ended up staying for a long time. In fact, I already had that information. It's hard to believe, but there's a possibility that he is an apostle of some god. Although the likelihood of that being true is low, the important point is that the Aigas religion considers it significant. He is not just a wandering merchant.

I tried to invite him to my guild on a whim, but he was completely uninterested.

His reaction is different from anyone I know. If I were to approach any other merchant, they would wag their tails in joy. But Akira just waves his hand as if it's a bother. His reaction is so odd that it makes me smile.

Just then, an unsightly subordinate came to interrupt this moment. I thought about scolding him, but the news he brought was too shocking.

"Miss! It's terrible! King Kobel Pilatus has come for an inspection!"

I think I screamed. For him to visit the guild himself is completely out of bounds. I rushed to the guild, half unconsciously grabbing someone's hand.

---

When I returned to the guild, the unmistakable King Kobel Pilatus II was waiting for me.

I remember he looked better about ten years ago, but now he is as fat as a pig. It's such a waste, given his originally good looks. No matter how handsome he might be, I have no intention of being with him. I want to live my life as a merchant. The ideal man for me is someone who supports me in my business.

However, the repeated advances from this pig—King Pilatus—are relentless. Despite the fact that a king should have no spare time, he often calls me in to ask me to be his concubine or wife. According to my memory, he already has over a dozen partners. I wonder what makes him so fixated on a merchant's daughter like me. Recently, I've been dodging his invitations by citing illness or sea voyages, but I never expected him to visit the guild himself.

I tried to greet him politely, but after a brief exchange, he said something strange.

"Who is that man? Surely he's not your fiancé?"

"Huh?"

Only then did I realize I was holding Akira's hand. I quickly let go, but it was too late. Trying to bluff my way out, I had a brilliant idea. I decided to forcibly bring him into the guild as a consultant. He seemed to agree, albeit with a sigh. The king, on rare occasions, does something good.

This is a rare opportunity, and I have no intention of letting him go. I'll see how much I can use him. As I was making these plans, the king dropped a bombshell.

I was set up. It was a complete trap.

The import volume of potatoes had been falsified, and even if I were to present a copy now, I might be arrested for perjury. The king's aim is clear: to take me into custody in exchange. I never expected him to use such a crude and direct method. This country might be finished.

Just as I was losing the will to live, Akira interjected. He seemed to be trying to help, but it was just buying time. Still, I clung to his words and forced myself to go outside.

Once in the corridor, Akira's attitude changed. His speech became rough, and his demeanor cold. However, this was not a problem; I had received reports from my shadow, and we needed to be equals. He said we needed to go to an empty warehouse and spoke seriously.

"Promise me that you won't tell anyone what we're about to do."

I couldn't find the words to respond. The situation demanded it. So, I continued.

"Could it be that you will use the power of a god?"

How ridiculous. He is not a pope or anything. But I was certain. And he used his special ability to save me, by the grace of a god.

---

The next day, Akira was smoking on a high bluff overlooking the port. I think the cigarettes are quite expensive, but he lit a second one without hesitation. What caught my attention was not the cigarettes but the strange Sky Tool.

Sky Tools come in various shapes, but only two are commonly used: a metal ball with a handle and a bag or box that can store many items. Of course, there are other shapes, and this might be one of them.

His Sky Tool appears to be a transparent rectangular box with a metal lid. The transparent part seems to be made of the same material as a plastic bottle. However, the metal lid might be the functional part of the Sky Tool. But the "lighter" he called it is not a Sky Tool; it's a reusable ignition device. Akira doesn't realize how amazing this is. His idea of making Sky Tools into cards and his values are quite unique.

As I was trying to figure out how to bring up the topic of "lighters," he brought it up. This was a stark contrast to our first negotiation, where he had to be on edge to take the initiative. Now, he seemed to be casually bringing it up while smoking. Feeling a bit frustrated, I proposed a very low price, but to my surprise, he said he would accept half of that. I quickly moved to finalize the deal before he changed his mind. He mentioned a deal for 10,000 units, which I wanted to jump on, but it seemed too risky. I decided to buy 30 units and end the discussion. I finally realized that Akira is a formidable merchant, even when he seems uninterested.

---

It was a shock. I don't have the words to describe it. If I had to, I would say it felt like being hit on the head with a giant hammer or pierced through the skull with a massive iron rod. Had I ever been so emotionally shaken in my life?

While discussing exports with my brother, Akira casually mentioned some words: Hub Port, Distribution Center, Economic Free City, Special Economic Zone. These are the ideals I aim for in this country. Not a withered, exploited, and dying nation, but a young, vibrant, and beautiful country where merchants can freely wield their power.

I shook my head, remembering the words of "them." For a moment, Akira's words and "their" words overlapped. This is wrong; they must not be the same. But at that moment, I didn't realize how deeply these ideals had taken root in me.

... If I had realized it then...

... Perhaps that future would not have come to pass.

... No, it was probably inevitable.

... At that moment, I had already carved these ideals deep into my heart, and the passion has never faded.

... If there's anything I can change, I would want to return to that moment and start over.

... Let's stop the regrets.

... I've digressed.

... Let's return to that moment.

... After the three of us finished talking, I had dinner with Akira and reviewed the local specialties. I already knew them well, but foreigners sometimes say unexpected things. I was hoping for something new.

However, what caught Akira's attention was not the items on the list but the list itself. He seemed interested in the wooden blocks. What else could be used to preserve information besides wooden blocks and parchment? I didn't understand what he was saying. Then, using his special ability, he produced something.

It was a magnificent book.

He showed it to me.

It was beyond comprehension.

How could so many colored illustrations be sealed in one book?

How could anyone draw such realistic pictures?

Why were the techniques described so clearly and comprehensively?

Technical books are usually written in codes to prevent others from understanding. They are designed to be incomprehensible to anyone but the author. But this book was written in a way that even a child could understand the first half, and the second half was detailed enough to be replicated with some trial and error. It was chilling. This could be a deadly item to possess. Akira didn't seem to understand, but I am a merchant, and I must use this.

It's hard to imagine something called "paper" or "washi," but my merchant's intuition tells me it will be valuable. Akira explained that "paper" refers to the pages of the book. I hadn't noticed, but the pages were thin and numbered in the hundreds. A typical book made of parchment would have only a fraction of the information in this thickness.

Only then did I realize the value of "paper."

It was thin and light, making it incredibly valuable.

I immediately gathered my executives and ordered them to secretly create a prototype.

If this succeeds, it could open a hole in this closed country.

However, the excitement was quickly dampened by the next task.

I had a dinner with Baron Rettel to attend.