Volume 4 Chapter 10 (1/2)
Chapter 4 Episode 10
Editor:Starbuck11
Noon, 17th Day, 12 Month, the Year 2813.
A group of soldiers camped in the plain on the outskirts of Epiroz.
The soldiers numbered around 300 people.
In addition, approximately around 100 men in poor clothes sat down on the ground.
The soldiers who wore black leather armor gave sharp eyes toward the surroundings that did not match the young face they had.
A fluttering flag with a black background raised in the campsite, was blown by the wind.
The design on the surface of the flag was a double-edged sword with two snakes coiling around it. The red eyes of those snakes gave off a mysterious light.
The flag that was swayed by the wind felt very intimidating to the surroundings.
But, everyone in the camp was very proud of that flag.
The sword symbolized power. And the two snakes , that twined around the sword symbolized stratagem and political maneuvering.
That design was the exact embodiment of their master, it was also a testimony to the new country that they had built together with their own hands.
”Salted Fish, forty barrels.”
”Dried Dates, fifty barrels.”
”Dried pig meat, fifty barrels.”
Voices of soldiers could be heard in sequences near the wagon that had been brought to the campsite.
”It might be a ha.s.sle, but please open the lid and check the contents one by one.”
After the soldiers received Laura's instruction, they began working once again.
At the same time, confirming the soldiers' words, a good-looking merchant checked the parchments in his hand in a hurry.
”I guess this is everything... Geez, Earl Salzberg’s recommendation aside, it was truly hard to gather this amount with such a short-time notice, you know?”
Having finished to check all the goods, the merchant greatly sighed.
Ten wagons of goods were brought by this merchant to the campsite.
They then began checking the goods one by one matching the register.
It was natural for him that fatigue could be seen from his expression.
Still, after two hours of work, a smile finally appeared on his whole face.
”I did add an extra payment because of that, no? And in addition to that, isn't this all being sold above the market price?”
Laura turned her cold eyes toward the merchant who complained while he kept his eyes on the parchments.
As a result of the inspection, there were no problems when it came to the number of items or their quality, but the amount in the invoice delivered to Laura was too high.
As a matter of fact, the merchants were enthusiastic about today’s business, because their opponents were someone unprepared.
That also showed how experienced they were when it came to negotiation with an unskillful n.o.ble.
They aimed at such opportunities with eagle eyes, just so they could increase the profits even a tiny bit more.
Even in front of Laura, the merchant continued showing a good smile while looking at the parchments in his hands. She could not let her guard down just because the good-looking merchant appeared to be a sincere man.
”Please don't joke like that. These all are the same prices Earl Salzberg usually pay us...”
The merchant protested while looking vexed.
Mentioning the Earl's name here showed how sly this merchant was.
Certainly, once he had mentioned the Earl's name, the aristocrats who had ranks below him wouldn’t be able to protest.
They won't be able to protest because the aristocrats with lower ranks did not want the Earl to have a bad impression toward them.
Thus such fear caused them to be unable to protest against the merchant.
The goods brought by this man were food that could be preserved, such as dried meat and fish.
Although it was true that the items were hard to gather because they were items that are consumed on a daily basis by ordinary people, but in much greater quant.i.ty, Laura still could not accept the amount in the invoice that the merchant just gave her.
Because it was a little bit of an unreasonable demand, Ryouma had already told Laura to pay silently if it was 10% higher than the market prices, but as expected, a 30% increase was too much.
Ryouma had conducted a market survey in advance and honestly bought some from the smaller shops who dealt with the household.
Thus, he could easily determine the appropriate prices for all the items.
Ryouma was not naive enough to easily accept the merchant's words. -
”Is that so? Then you can take all of this back. We can just purchase the goods from another company.”
Laura told the merchant to take the goods back home without hesitation.
Ryouma certainly needed supplies, but there was still a limit to everything.
This was one of those things where he could not compromise with.
”Wha?! That would be unreasonable. We had arranged the items despite them being impossible to gather, only because of the Earl's recommendation. If we bring them all back home like this... your relations.h.i.+p with the Earl would turn bad, you know?”
The merchant seemed to have seen Laura as a naive girl. He threatened her while mentioning the Earl's name.
Indeed, this method would have been effective if it was the usual, but right now, he will regret his own words.
”What's going on?”
”What ?!”
After the merchant said those words, Earl Salzberg appeared while being protected by his guards.
One could guess that he had arrived since a while ago.
The merchant's mouth trembled looking at him.
”Oh my, Earl Salzberg-sama. pardon my rudeness, welcome to our camp.”
Laura showed respect for the Earl with a perfect movement.
”Umu. Since Mikos.h.i.+ba-dono is going for an expedition, I'm thinking of saying goodbye personally. I did not send a messenger beforehand, but is the time alright?”
With a happy smile on his face, Earl Salzberg asked Laura.
”Although we're busy preparing everything, toward the Earl who gave us consideration in various things, how can we say no?”
”Is that so? Then, please guide me.”
After saying that, The Earl directed his eyes toward the merchant.
”You're one from Rafiel firm right?”
Earl Salzberg didn't particularly raised his voice, but the merchant’s expression changed as if he was sentenced to death.
It was the words of a feudal lord who also married the daughter of a firm’s chairman and had Epiroz business alliance within his grasp.
For this merchant, the Earl's words were equal to that of an oracle from G.o.d.
”Mikos.h.i.+ba-dono worked hard for the sake of the Rozeria Kingdom. How about you think about that a little?”
The Earl himself did not order the merchant to do something in particular.
However, the merchant was not a fool and he knew the real meaning behind the Earl's words.
”O-Oh, it was very rude of me. It seems like we've made some mistake here...”
The merchant did not say anything about giving a discount openly, but it was obvious that he was going to do just so.
And Earl Salzberg didn't say anything more.
Since the merchant seemed to understand what his words meant.