Chapter 65

†† (Eltoria Octave's Diary)

The other day, the young man Ike rescued my daughter from a band of thieves. At first, I was wary of this unknown man, but upon meeting him, he turned out to be a fine young man, contrary to my expectations.

From his black eyes, I could sense no malice. From the moment I saw him, I knew he was a trustworthy person, but I also felt he was dangerous. It wasn't because he was a messenger of the Demon King's army.

It was his talent that frightened me. In fact, he easily solved the difficult problem I presented to him.

He defeated the pirate Carossa, who had long plagued us, the Xenobia merchants.

At first, I proposed it half-jokingly, or knowing it was impossible, as a bargaining chip, but Ike accomplished it effortlessly.

Moreover, he captured Carossa without killing him. Furthermore, he quickly saw through what I wanted and provided it.

The 'cannon' he offered was something the Octave Trading Company desperately needed.

If we could load it onto our merchant ships, we would have a decisive advantage over the pirates, and we could even resell the surplus cannons to other allied cities.

It was a valuable weapon and commodity for a merchant.

--- However, while he generously provided the cannons, he did not reveal the secret recipe for the crucial 'gunpowder.'

This is where the shrewdness of the young man Ike lies.

The cannon barrels can be replicated, but not the gunpowder. It's a negotiation tactic of an excellent merchant to keep their trump card hidden until the end.

If he had been born into a merchant family, he might have become a rival to us, the Octave Trading Company.

The thought of that makes me shiver, but fortunately, he was born on the side of the demons (though he seems to be human inside).

For that, I must thank the gods. I must also thank them for bringing Ike into my life.

At first, I proposed a marriage between Ike and my daughter Yuria half-jokingly, but now I genuinely want him to become my son-in-law.

He is such a rare individual. Gathering gold is easy, but gathering talent is difficult, which is the family motto of the Octave family.

In that sense, I really want him to take my daughter, but will my daughter Yuria be to his liking?

That is what worries me. My daughter is beautiful, but she has a difficult personality. Perhaps I have spoiled her too much. I should educate her to be more womanly before Ike comes to Xenobia again.

If that doesn't work, as a last resort, I, Eltoria Octave, could marry him myself. I may say it myself, but I am not past my prime. I have the confidence that I surpass my daughter in charm. If the young man Ike prefers older women, that would be ideal...

--- Oh, this might be an inappropriate entry.

Even though I am married, leaving such writings is indiscreet. If my husband reads this later, he will surely be upset. I will have to revise it later. Despite appearances, I love my husband and have no intention of upsetting him.

However, the young man Ike has something that even I, who have interacted with many people and accumulated life experience over the years, find captivating.

Whether or not he will become my daughter's husband, I sincerely hope to meet him again. For that to happen, he must win the upcoming battle against the Alliance of Kings. I hope he wins, and not just any victory, but a decisive one. That would prove that my judgment as a merchant was correct.

And my daughter Yuria would be delighted. The more victories he achieves, the closer the day will be when she can marry him.