Chapter 25

The customer who tried to enter the izakaya Nobu by opening the sliding door simply closed it again.

Shizuno, the server, didn't even have the chance to greet them.

This was already the fifth group of customers to do so. Lorenzo shook his head, glancing at the table in the back, the cause of all this.

Three people were glaring at each other across the table.

A bald man with a fierce face.

A handsome man lacking in vigor.

A beautiful woman polishing her nails, looking bored.

Any one of them sitting there would be enough to make a native of the ancient city flee the scene.

These three were the masters of the three major water transport guilds in the ancient city, boasting immense influence in the city council.

"Mr. Lorenzo, about those customers over there..."

Shizuno, who had been idly wiping the counter, directed a reproachful gaze at Lorenzo.

"I'm sorry, Shizuno. It's my fault."

"It doesn't help to bow."

Despite her words, there was a sharp edge to Shizuno's tone.

Ever since Lorenzo brought those three in, the izakaya Nobu had been effectively closed. No customers were coming in.

Even if Lorenzo was a regular and the father of Hans, there were limits.

Customers who accidentally stepped in would quickly leave after a drink or two of Otoshi and Ale.

Taisho was engrossed in making an unusually elaborate salad for his own meal, while Efa, the dish washer, was diligently practicing her reading and writing. And Shizuno, with nothing to do, was pestering Lorenzo.

"First of all, why are you holding a water transport guild meeting here? There are plenty of more suitable places."

"I looked, but they all turned us down."

"All of them?"

"Yes, all of them."

While he said "all," in reality, there were only a few places that could host the masters of the water transport guilds.

Lorenzo himself wouldn't have brought them here if it weren't for his own experience of eating here once and the recommendation of Geaunot, the city council's foremost gourmet.

Those three were that troublesome.

"That's why, as I've said many times, it's come to a point where mere apologies won't suffice."

The bald man with the fierce face, Godhardt, leaned in close to the handsome man lacking in vigor, Reinhardt, intimidating him. They were almost spitting distance apart.

It looked like a thug boss was extorting a noble's son, and in reality, it wasn't far from the truth.

The ancient city's canals were crisscrossed by countless water transport operators, all of which were controlled by one of the three men sitting at the table.

While "water transport operators" sounded somewhat respectable, in the ancient city, they were essentially just day laborers and gangsters. These three, who managed the rowdy and problematic migrant workers, were considered influential figures in the city council.

"Still, Mr. Godhardt, we are willing to make concessions. Can't you accept the conditions we've already discussed?"

"Mr. Reinhardt, we don't want to start a conflict with you. It's just that the terms you're offering are too cheap."

Since the dispute had nothing to do with his own interests, Lorenzo, the honorary master of the glassmakers' guild, was asked to mediate, but with the two of them in this state, he couldn't intervene.

If the other water transport guild master, Eleonora, could mediate, it would be ideal, but there were reasons why that wasn't possible.

The two men, who hadn't touched their drinks or food, were just shouting at each other, while the third person, Eleonora, was indifferent.

Overwhelmed by the atmosphere at the back table, the three staff members at the counter were also distracted. But with nothing to do, it couldn't be helped.

"Mr. Lorenzo, what are those two arguing about?"

"Reinhardt's subordinates were taking jobs in Godhardt's territory. And they've been doing it for quite a while."

"Ah, that would make Godhardt angry, wouldn't it?"

Lorenzo nodded while biting into the grilled bacon that had been brought over.

The bacon at this place was cut as thick as a shoe sole, requiring a lot of jaw strength to eat, but for Lorenzo, who loved bacon, it was incredibly satisfying.

Eating the bacon, which oozed plenty of fat, with mustard made the Ale go down smoothly.

"Reinhardt's guild is the oldest water transport guild in the ancient city, with a lot of prestige. But the previous master passed away suddenly, leaving Reinhardt, who was still a child, to run the guild."

"Lack of experience, huh. Didn't the adults around him help?"

"If they could, it wouldn't be a problem... That woman, Eleonora. Her mother pulled all the executives away using her charm."

"Wow, that's scary."

"Because of all this, Reinhardt's subordinates started taking on all sorts of troublesome jobs."

While ordering his seventh Ale, Lorenzo sneakily glanced at the back table. The discussion was still at an impasse, with no sign of resolution.

"So, if Reinhardt apologized to Godhardt, wouldn't everything be settled?"

"If it were that simple, it would be easy, but Reinhardt has no assets to offer as compensation."

A loud clatter made them turn around; an Ale mug had fallen over. Godhardt had slammed his fist on the table.

"That's why I'm saying, no one wants fishing rights."

"But Mr. Godhardt, the only thing our guild can offer in payment is a royal charter for fishing rights."

"I'd take it if it could fill my stomach, but who wants fishing rights for a canal where you can only catch carp, catfish, and eels, Mr. Reinhardt?"

"If neither of you want it, I'll take it."

"Eleonora, just stay out of it."

Godhardt warned Eleonora, who tried to intervene.

While Godhardt's guild was the largest in the ancient city, Eleonora's guild had the most money and power.

Neither Godhardt nor Reinhardt wanted to give Eleonora any more profit, which was why they had deliberately invited her to this meeting.

"By the way, eels are sold at the ancient city market, too."

Taisho looked up at Shizuno's words.

"Yes, I saw them once. They looked quite delicious."

"Delicious? Eels?"

Lorenzo almost spat out his Ale in surprise at their words.

"Of course, eels are delicious."

"What's so good about those snake-like things? You can only cut them into pieces and boil them or make them into jelly."

"I've never heard of such a way to eat them."

Eels swam up the ancient city's canals in large numbers, but they were completely unpopular as food. Not only were they hard to handle, but their raw blood was also toxic.

Lorenzo, who had traveled as a glassmaker, believed that only the eccentric people of the United Kingdom enjoyed eating eels.

"Well, whatever. This discussion is going nowhere."

"Are you talking about whether eels are delicious or not?"

"No, I'm talking about Reinhardt's apology. I don't think Mr. Godhardt will be satisfied with fishing rights for eels that are only good for eating."

"Still, eels are delicious."

Shizuno puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction, and Efa timidly spoke up.

"I've never had a delicious eel."

"Come to think of it, we haven't stocked eels recently because they're expensive."

Taisho's words brightened Shizuno's face.

"Then let's make eels for today's meal!"

"But at this time, there won't be any domestic eels left."

Shizuno gave a sly, confident smile to the hesitant Taisho.

"Don't worry. There should still be some at the market over there."