Chapter 69

(Third Person)

In a small private room of the Veriello Chamber of Commerce, there were the shadows of a man and a woman.

The room had no windows and was highly soundproof.

The only source of light was the candle the woman held.

After placing the candle on a small table, the woman offered the man a seat, but he shook his head and declined.

"Then, what is it you wanted to talk about?"

"Well, it's not a big deal, but I heard that His Majesty the King came here the other day."

"Yes, and?"

The woman's face, illuminated by the flickering candlelight, showed no signs of fatigue.

"Everyone in this country, even a three-year-old, knows that His Majesty desires you. You should be worried."

"Thank you. Thanks to Akira-sama's quick thinking, we managed to avoid any issues."

The dark-skinned man slowly crossed his strong arms.

"…I see. But there's no guarantee that things will go as smoothly in the future, right?"

"Yes… that’s true."

Finally, the red-haired woman furrowed her brow.

"Shouldn't you leave the country?"

"…"

"Indeed, there are many things you hold dear here, but if you stay, you won't be able to protect them. As a maritime business, you have countless destinations to choose from. And the power of this country doesn't extend beyond the rivers and seas. This is the only way for you to escape safely."

"…Yes, that’s true."

The woman spoke as if squeezing the words out. The man let out a small sigh, making sure she didn't hear, and continued.

"Besides, aren't you in love with him? You could always follow him."

"Follow him?"

"…Hey, I'm not joking around right now."

The man became slightly irritated by the woman's attitude.

"Are you talking about Akira-sama?"

"Who else?"

"…"

The man exhaled in exasperation, but the woman's eyes widened in surprise.

"Hey… you don't realize it, do you?"

"Eh? S-Such a thing? No way… Akira-sama is just a business partner…"

The woman suddenly became flustered, her words jumbled. The man lightly pressed his forehead.

"…I see, if that's the case, then it's fine. But probably… time is running out."

"Time…"

The woman emphasized the important word, perhaps to calm herself down.

"Yes, you know that, right?"

"…"

"Soon, you should run. Otherwise…"

"I won't go anywhere. I was born in this country, and I will die in this country. I might even sink with a ship."

"Don't joke around."

"I'm being serious. My dream is to travel to different countries for business. But I swear, I will return to this country in the end."

"Is that your resolve? Even if that man leaves?"

"Yes."

"Will this country remain the same?"

"Will it?"

The man was confused. It was an unexpected answer. He had assumed she would have come to the same conclusion.

"…What?"

"Over the past few days, I've started to think that we might be able to change this country."

"Hmm… what do you mean?"

This woman was supposed to be a thorough realist. Who had shown her such a dream?

(It's obvious, isn't it?)

The man inwardly mocked himself.

"I don't intend to do anything special, just continue working as usual… no, even harder. I think we can change this country."

"Business won't change a country."

"Is that so?"

You've changed. The man swallowed those words and said something else.

"…By the way, have you heard of the Sea Dragon?"

"The giant dragon that lives in the Western Midar Sea and sinks ships, right?"

The man stopped speaking and stared at the woman. She maintained a thin smile, not moving a muscle.

"…I see… I understand. Thank you for your time."

"No, it was a pleasure to hear your concerns."

"Yes… until next time."

The man strode out of the room, the door closing a bit roughly. He left the chamber of commerce and walked away.

"…"

The woman stared at the candlelight for a while, then closed her eyes tightly.

When she opened them again, a gentle smile was plastered on her face, almost exaggeratedly so.

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There was nothing particularly noteworthy about the work that afternoon.

Since there was no need to go to the development site that day, I didn't have to force Hagg to run, making it a peaceful day. Chelina Veriello, the eldest daughter and current acting president of the Veriello Chamber of Commerce, who possesses the波动 (wave) of a snake with a red chain wrapped around her body, seemed to have successfully concluded all her scheduled negotiations.

I didn't have any role to play today. I was practically a scarecrow. …No, I didn't even scare away a single bird, so maybe I was even less useful. But thinking about that makes me feel down, so I'll stop.

As usual, Hagg, Yararai, and I were treated to dinner before heading back to the inn.

It was peaceful.

Completely peaceful.

I hope such peaceful days continue, so I'll pray to the gods.

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I look forward to your evaluations, bookmarks, and comments (comments can be submitted through activity reports).

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