Chapter 21

Having obtained the letters of assurance from the seven chieftains of the deepest part of the Allied Nations, Bertine's mission was complete.

"You should stay a bit longer."

"Cassandra, thank you. However, I want to return quickly to deliver these letters of assurance to His Excellency. But, there is one thing I'm concerned about."

"What is it? Please tell me."

Bruno, Evans' father, leaned in to look at Bertine's face.

"It's the crimson fabric. I wanted to know in detail the materials used to dye it and the dyeing method."

"Oh, is that it? Then I'll send someone who knows about it with you."

"No, that person might have other commitments. Perhaps I can visit again another time."

"No, wait a moment."

Saying this, Bruno called out to a servant.

"The one who dyes it is Meira's mother. Meira always helps her, so she knows the dyeing method well. Meira's brother is in Ibit, so there's no need to worry about accommodation. Take her with you."

"But... isn't it too sudden to ask her like this?"

"It's fine."

(If I cause trouble for Meira, what should I do?)

Bertine regretted saying too much. However, within half an hour, a small carriage arrived, and Meira ran in, saying, "I'm going! Please take me!"

"Is it okay? This is such a sudden request."

"Of course it's okay. I don't plan to live in Ibit, but I've always wanted to visit for a short time. I just didn't have a reason to go. I've been helping with the dyeing since I was a child, so I know it well. Leave it to me."

I can understand that a young lady would be attracted to the city, but I feel a great responsibility to bring her back safely.

"It's fine. Once Bertine learns how to dye the fabric, we'll return. I'll buy some fashionable items that are only sold in Ibit!"

"Hey, Meira. This isn't a sightseeing trip, is it?"

"No, Evans. I'll just do some sightseeing when I have the chance."

With this, the carriage, loaded with a large amount of souvenirs and what seemed to be a large amount of tree bark, set off for Ibit with Meira and Bertine.

"Bertine, come back again. Next time, come for a visit."

"Yes! Cassandra, I'll come again."

"Please take care of my son. Ibit is cold. Make sure his stomach doesn't get cold."

"Stop it, Dad!"

"I'll take care of it, Bruno. I've been well taken care of this time."

The carriage traveled north and returned to Ibit, and Evans left for the Empire after quitting his job at the trading company.

"Well, I'm heading to the Empire right away."

"Be careful of pickpockets, Evans."

"Sure! I'll be careful."

"Make sure you don't get cold."

"Diego, stop teasing me. I'm off!"

Evans set off on his journey. Just as everyone thought he was gone, he came back.

"Did you forget something?"

"No. I forgot that I can only speak a little of the Imperial language. What should I do, Bert?"

"Oh, I was careless too. But it's fine. Use the money I gave you to hire an interpreter. You should have enough. Wait a moment. I'll give you the address and name of a reliable interpreter. It's a trading company where the teacher who taught me the official language works. But, try to learn the Imperial language as soon as possible."

"Thanks a lot! I owe you one..."

"Pay me back when you get a promotion, okay?"

"Sure! Of course!"

Bertine smiled and saw him off, then headed to Cecilio's office.

At the Allied Nations' hall:

"Excellency Cecilio, I have obtained the letters of assurance from the seven chieftains of the deepest part, stating that they will follow your instructions on the price of wheat. The past and future selling prices, the quantity of wheat to be shipped, and the approximate number of wagons are all recorded."

"…I'm surprised. How did you manage it in such a short time? Even if you rushed through each region and got immediate approval, the time doesn't add up."

Bertine tried to keep a cool face, avoiding a smug expression.

"Perhaps… it's my skill?"

She almost burst out laughing at her own words.

"No, I'm really surprised. Did you use magic?"

"Hehehe. What do you think?"

"Then, how much in gold coins did you save by preventing the leakage in the deepest part that you handled?"

"The total for the seven regions in the deepest part is 569 gold coins. Including the difference from the previous sales around Ibit, it's 652 gold coins."

Bertine answered immediately without hesitation.

Cecilio froze for a moment, then laughed heartily.

"I see. A total of 652 gold coins in such a short time. Even the regions where the civil servants are working would have sold at low prices if you hadn't pointed it out. Half of their work is also your achievement. Considering this, you have already done more than 1,000 gold coins worth of work for this country."

Bertine thought, (Isn't that a bit, no, quite a generous assessment? Including half of the civil servants' work?)

But her father had said, "When someone offers you a bonus, thank them and accept it with a smile."

"Excellency, can I live in this country?"

"Yes, stay as long as you like. We welcome such an excellent talent. If you need citizenship, we can arrange it."

"Thank you! If possible, could you also arrange it for Dorothea?"

Cecilio looked at Bertine closely.

"Do you like this country so much?"

"Yes, I'm now completely captivated by this country. I'm also drawn to the delicious food. The emu stew, the star fruit wine, the dragon eggs, and the grilled tamauri rabbit were all excellent."

As she said this, Cecilio covered his mouth with one hand, as if trying to hold back something.

"Excellency?"

"Ah, no, I apologize. I almost drooled at the thought of them. But, these are things that people from other countries can't taste unless they are welcomed. How did you manage to get into the favor of the chieftains of the deepest part? Was it your Sanluan training?"

Bertine decided to tell the truth, thinking it would be mean to keep it a secret any longer.

"Do you remember my housemate Evans? He was the son of Chieftain Bruno from the Bilva region. Thanks to him, I was able to enjoy feasts and music at the chieftains' homes, and obtain the letters of assurance from the other six chieftains."

"Hmm. He was the chieftain's son… The world is small."

Bertine added, "By the way."

"I was initially rejected by Bianca's father, so I went to see him directly. I had a bit of a confrontation with Bianca, but I was well-received by her father, Kurt, and he wrote the letter of assurance."

"Even the troublesome Bruno and Kurt? That's…"

"Troublesome? They were understanding chieftains."

"It took me years to gain their trust. You're quite a charmer. But, I need to apologize to Bianca. For calling you her fiancée and insulting you. I'm very sorry. I was also rude about your housemate."

Bertine smiled, leaning in to look at Cecilio's bowed head.

"It's fine now. We had misunderstandings. The Sanluan Kingdom was the one who was rude for trying to reduce the compensation. Excellency, am I now a citizen of this country?"

"Yes. I'll have your identification issued today."

"Then, would you like to come to my house tonight for some star fruit wine? We have both red and yellow. We also have dried emu and tamauri rabbit."

Cecilio's face lit up like a boy's.

"Is there star fruit wine? I've been missing that fragrant wine lately. Can I come? I feel like I've been troubling you. I must have made a bad impression on you."

"Excellency, it's fine now. You've apologized enough. Dorothea will serve delicious food. Please look forward to it. Can you make it at 7? If you're busy, 8 is also fine."

Cecilio, sounding a bit flustered, said, "7 is fine. I'll definitely come."

Bertine found his expression endearing and smiled brightly.