Unbending Tasks And Inviolable Principles (7)

I was able to have meetings with the merchants individually afterward.

While there were cases where the masters of the Continent’s Seven Great Merchant Companies came in person, it was mostly their successors who visited, and what they wanted without exception was medicine and alcohol.

The quantity was also significant, and since they all tried to secure large amounts by calling out high prices from the start, I agonized for a bit, but eventually, I moved toward not releasing the supplies and delivered a single message to them.

“Since it is a situation where we don’t know when we might be swept into war, I intend to use this as a negotiation tool and cannot sell it.”

All the merchants who heard this pleaded for me to sell even just a little, but I stuck to the answer that I couldn’t sell even a bit unless it was a pre-existing trade case, letting them burn with anxiety.

Then, the last of the Seven Great Merchant Companies I faced was a merchant group called the Golden Leaf Trading Company, and the interesting part was that the person who came to meet me was a ‘woman’ and was very young.

Furthermore, she was a woman who gave off a similar feeling and atmosphere to Idlen, but her personality seemed quite bold.

“I am Hilde Bare of the Golden Leaf Trading Company. Why are you trying to start a civil war within your own country while the world is in such a grim state?”

It was Hilde who asked the question along with her greeting, and looking at her, I first asked a question.

“Did Miss Hilde come to obtain information? Or did you come to buy goods?”

“I could say it’s both. And to add one more, I was curious about you, Viscount Ingrad.”

“It’s not that unusual, but it’s burdensome. So, what are your impressions?”

“I thought… you weren’t ordinary. The public evaluation of Viscount Ingrad was very extraordinary yet ordinary. However, you give off an unpredictable feeling that makes the thought that I would know my opponent if I met them face-to-face pale in comparison.”

“Then would that be extraordinary?”

“I don’t know. What kind of conclusion will be reached….”

She was an interesting person, but I brought up the topic that needed to be said first.

“The Golden Leaf Trading Company also intends to buy medicine from our domain, right?”

“We wanted to purchase mainly alcohol. High-end alcohol is always regarded as a luxury food item that draws attention from those in power. Moreover, it stimulates curiosity even more because it’s a form of alcohol that didn’t exist in the world.”

It didn’t “not exist” in the world. There were similar types of alcohol, but the problem was that they couldn’t produce a clear, clean color and taste due to a lack of brewing technology.

Hilde made such flattering remarks as if it were the only one, even though she couldn’t have been unaware of that. I thought she was a woman who knew how to praise people, but unlike the words she spoke with a smile, her eyes were calmly sunken. Since I knew that getting wrongly entangled with such a woman would ruin everything, I spoke.

“I won’t be able to grant what Miss Hilde requested. Alcohol can literally be used for food purposes, but the high-proof alcohol produced in our domain can be used as a fire-setting weapon like a ‘Molotov cocktail.’ It means it can become a kind of strategic material. That’s why I must tell you that I cannot sell it.”

“To use such precious and expensive alcohol as a mere fire-setting weapon… Is your boldness extraordinary? Or are you that desperate?”

“I will not take any more questions. It would have been a good trade if it weren’t for this situation, so it’s a bit of a shame.”

“We think so too..”

Her voice felt very disappointed, but in reality, there was no big change in her expression. It was as if she had expected it.

Hilde stood up and was about to leave, but she suddenly asked another question.

“Ah, actually, I didn’t just come to buy goods, so I’d like to make a proposal. We can bring in high-grade iron ingots from the Western Continent. Since it’s iron with very high purity, an excellent product is born no matter what you make. Demand is so high even within the Western Continent that supply might not reach the Central Continent… but for us, a quantity suitable for the Ingrad Domain’s circumstances should be possible… If you are interested, will you look for me?”

Hilde left the room immediately without even listening to an answer. No matter what, it was a moment where I thought she was quite a troublesome woman.

‘High-grade iron ingots…’

I heard that the method of creating high-purity iron ingots was very difficult. I knew that even on Earth, making iron close to 99% purity was difficult, so I became curious about just how high the purity of the iron Hilde mentioned was.

However, her proposal didn’t feel enticing. What we wanted wasn’t something like high-grade iron ingots. Literally, the quantity was important.

I might have been tempted if she had proposed quantity instead. Her aim was off.

Afterward, I finished the schedule with the merchants and began to ponder with Linda how we could utilize the merchants who weren’t leaving.

“They want items unique to our domain. I think this is a very important part that could even become a weapon.”

I tended to agree with Linda’s words. It was a time when war was in full swing. Setting aside stamina enhancers which always had high demand, many merchants wanted healing agents because they were literally directly linked to life.

I remembered hearing news that a major change had recently occurred in the Pharmacists’ Guild, causing a disruption in the supply and demand of highest-grade potions. Apparently, Marquis Doriyan had done something after being discarded, and although I couldn’t know exactly what it was, thanks to that, I knew people were buying medicines that were absurdly expensive and less effective than the treatments I made to send to the battlefield.

Furthermore, I heard that other kingdoms knew of this situation and were adjusting the demand for highest-grade potions being sent to the battlefield. Since it was literally becoming a form where most people except for the Hero couldn’t receive supplies, the demand for the high-grade healing agents I made, which were positioned somewhere between high-grade and highest-grade, was naturally on an increasing trend.

“By the way, Linda…. If there were something with even better efficacy than the high-grade healing agent…. how do you think it would be?”

“….Compared to the highest-grade potion, what level of efficiency is it?”

“What if the condition is that its efficacy is 1.5 times better than the highest-grade potion?”

“Is production possible…?”

“It’s possible. But since the ingredients are complicated, I thought it was a poor item when considering the efficient aspect.”

“No wonder… Everyone used to wonder why the Viscount, who only produced the highest grades, was staying at high-grade for healing agents, but was the reason because of the ingredients?”

To be precise, it was because of ‘laziness.’ There were over 20 ingredients to prepare, and mana had to be infused according to a certain flow and mixed in a fixed manner.

Literally, it would be accurate to say that the effort put into a single production was too great.

Linda began to agonize once I told her that.

“It would be correct to say that the production itself isn’t that difficult. However, the efficiency reaches 1.5 times only if the process up to preparing the ingredients all passes through my hands. If we use the current production method, the efficiency will drop significantly to about 1.2 times.”

“But it still means the efficiency is higher than the highest-grade potion, doesn’t it?”

“That’s right.”

“Then wouldn’t it be better to try producing it? And we can use this to negotiate with the merchants.”

“Negotiate?”

“Yes,”

The words Linda brought up after that were quite plausible.

“You mentioned before that what you think the Empire’s actions are is containment, pressure, and slowing down growth, right?”

“That’s right. They are trying to regulate our domain, which is in a state of rapid growth. The Imperial Court doesn’t want the power of the nobility to become too strong. It could be called an attribute of those in power. Even if that’s not necessarily the case, shall we say the current situation is flowing that way?”

“If so, I thought about making the voices of those standing on the front lines consistent this time, would you like to listen?”

It was an unexpected story, and as I nodded, Linda’s words continued.

“If what the Imperial Court wants is the weakening of our domain, let’s do the opposite. Anyway, there’s a mandatory quantity that needs to go to the battlefield, right? We can deliver it this time only with a reason attached.”

“In what way?”

“After delivering it for free, we appeal by saying, ‘We cannot give medicine for the time being. The reason is that because the Imperial Court is hindering the growth of the Viscount’s domain, the Viscount cannot disobey that order with his power and is in the process of reducing everything external as they wish.’”

“And what is the profit we can gain from that?”

“We can gain the support of those on the front lines and pressure the Imperial Court. Furthermore, I think some nobles will inevitably develop a sense of resistance if such circumstances are made known. Since it could be called an infringement of the Imperial power upon the autonomy of the nobility. And I think it won’t be easy for them to reach out to us even if they know such facts.”

“Hmm, that and the highest-grade recovery agent… Ah, surely you aren’t suggesting that the highest-grade recovery agents should also be provided for free or sold at a low price?”

“You’re half right. For the high-grade recovery agents, we provide them once for free, and then we supply a large volume at a slightly lower price. After that, we send the highest-grade recovery agents as supplies to a small number of people active at the frontmost lines, including the Hero. While doing that, we say similar things every time.”

She was saying we should create anxiety by making complaining noises.

“A problem could arise on the morale side, so what do you plan to do about that?”

“Since our domain’s alcohol is very strong. That’s why we send it to the battlefield for consolation purposes by diluting it with water or fruit juice. We give the feeling that since there isn’t much we can do anymore, we are trying to replace it with things like this.”

“Alcohol…”

Alcohol was necessary in many ways for those on the front lines.

It was used to disinfect wound areas, but it was often supplied to soothe mental fatigue. Linda was saying we should try doing such things a few times on their behalf.

And add complaining noises just like before?

The result was something that would have to be seen, but I thought something interesting would happen. To put it bluntly, the Imperial Court’s actions were excessive.

“I should mix in the things the Imperial Court requested this time and spread rumors…?”

Even if we had to endure a slight loss, I thought it would be good to try this if it were an absurdly small amount compared to the overall loss.

Since I thought a material loss was better than a human loss occurring due to war, I spoke to Linda.

“Go ahead with it. I’ll support you actively. Still, we can’t rest from building the fortresses.”

“Because we must prepare for any eventuality.”

Linda looked at me with an apologetic expression, but there was nothing for Linda to be sorry about. It was because everything was something I had started because I wanted to.

“Politics is truly difficult. Hah…”

Linda looked at me awkwardly and laughed.