A Noble's Opportunity
The awkward atmosphere was thankfully broken when a server appeared with our food at just the right moment.
“Wow~ This looks delicious!”
“Eat up. That oppa over there is treating us.”
“Thank you, oppa!”
“Yeah. Go ahead and eat a lot.”
While the girl, clearly captivated by the luxurious and mouthwatering dishes, focused on her meal, our conversation continued.
“By the way, why are you calling me oppa?”
“I’m seventeen now, you know?”
“Huh?? Seventeen? You’re really seventeen?”
“Yes.”
“I was sure you were older than me. You’re actually younger?”
He seemed more shocked by my age than by my true identity. Was it really that surprising?
“Ugh… My beautiful memory of subduing an older woman…”
“Aha~ So you have a thing for older women~”
“Please don’t tease me.”
“I’m not teasing. What’s wrong with preferring older women?”
“In noble society, it’s a bit… Never mind. There’s no point in saying it.”
As he covered his face with his hands and groaned in embarrassment, the girl—who had been quietly chewing her food—let out a small, amused snort.
“Oppa, there’s nothing to be ashamed of about your preferences.”
“That’s not something a little lady should be saying, is it? You’re pretty cheeky.”
“I’m a virgin, though?”
“Shut up, you sassy brat.”
“Tch~ I should just focus on eating.”
After their brief squabble ended, he seemed to feel a bit better. He straightened his posture and said,
“Well, it is ridiculous for a exiled noble to talk about taking concubines when he doesn’t even know what tomorrow holds.”
“Tarykin is in complete chaos right now. You managed to escape quite well. By the way, you can speak casually to me.”
“Hmm, alright then. Anyway, our family has been trading with Eden for years. Of course we have connections. With both networks and money, exile was easy.”
“So how are you living these days?”
“Just waiting aimlessly. The elders of the family seem to want to return once Tarykin stabilizes… but I don’t think that’s going to happen. We’ll either settle in Eden like this or move to a larger foreign country. One of the two.”
Honestly, I agreed that going back seemed unlikely. That aside, since they were once known as a wealthy family, they must still have considerable assets even after fleeing. Their business acumen must be excellent too. If I could persuade them to settle in Eden, they would be a tremendous help.
“Instead of going far, why not settle in Eden? It’s a good place to live. If you want to start a business, I’ll provide whatever convenience I can within my power.”
“Hmm. I was thinking of continuing our family business in distribution, but most of Eden’s distribution is handled by the state, so it’s difficult for private operators to break in.”
“I see…”
When they were in Tarykin, trading with Eden was fine, but now that they were inside Eden, their position had completely changed. The distribution of daily necessities and raw materials was managed at the national level by Eden. This was partly due to its nature as a small city-state with a limited population and territory. Luxury goods and other items were either imported and sold by private distributors from other countries or produced and sold by foreign businessmen who had opened shops directly in Eden. Trade within Eden was active, but so was intermediary trade. Each country had different export restrictions and tariffs, which caused many headaches during trade. By going through neutral Eden, which had special trade agreements, they could handle consistent tariffs and restricted items much more smoothly. For example, Ryuzan’s famous specialty tobacco would face double tariffs if exported to Kensers through Xenuma or Tarykin, but only a single tariff if routed through Eden. Neutral Eden profited from its middle position, while other nations benefited from an easier trade route, creating a delicate balance.
A particularly unique aspect was how Eden imported raw materials and daily necessities.
“The Dreculle family specialized in distributing daily necessities, right?”
“We handled most of the daily necessities and raw materials supplied from Tarykin to Eden. It was incredibly profitable since it’s a city-state with a small population but enormous wealth.”
“Now that Tarykin is in that state, Kensers and Ryuzan have taken over the market share.”
“That’s right.”
“How about establishing a formal trading company as a private Eden-based enterprise? Right now, the system is passive—Eden simply purchases whatever foreign private companies bring. Instead, we could create a new model where an official Eden company actively visits foreign production sites, builds relationships, and conducts direct trade.”
“You mean shifting from a passive buyer to an active trader?”
“Exactly. As I mentioned earlier, passively buying whatever private companies bring means we’re paying huge intermediary fees. If we can negotiate those losses directly with suppliers through contracts, it would benefit both the suppliers and Eden.”
“Hmm…”
He fell silent for a moment, lost in thought, before speaking again.
“If the existing businesses push back, Eden’s position could become awkward.”
“There’s one misconception private operators have. They think they hold Eden’s food supply by the throat. This seller-favorable, unequal trading relationship that has persisted from the past until now was created simply because Eden’s previous ruler found governing the country too bothersome. Although Eden relies on external sources for daily necessities, with four neighboring countries, it is a massive customer that purchases enough volume for tens of thousands of people.”
“If Eden seriously starts choosing its suppliers, the existing businesses would lose their sales channels in an instant.”
“Yes. And if an Eden-affiliated company creates its own suppliers and handles direct imports? There would be countless private companies facing unemployment.”
“So you’re entrusting that role to us?”
“Not to us. To you, Ed.”
At my words, Ed’s eyes grew even more serious. He straightened up from where he had been leaning against the backrest and placed his hands on the table.
“If things proceed as you say, one company would essentially monopolize the distribution of Eden’s daily necessities and raw materials. On what basis would you trust me?”
“I trust the pure-hearted version of you from the past.”
“Back then I was too naive… Ahem.”
He looked slightly dumbfounded by my answer, but he seemed pleased overall.
“Of course, I can’t just hand it over on a whim. You’ll have to undergo evaluation from my sisters. You’ll need to demonstrate your capabilities. Are you lacking confidence?”
“Oh~ This is subtly attacking a man’s pride. Of course I’m confident. That aside, no matter how much capital our family has, breaking into new suppliers and building a distribution network will be an enormous burden. There’s also a high chance of clear conflict with the existing private operators, so interference will be severe.”
“This is an important company that will handle Eden’s imports of daily necessities and raw materials. Do you think we’d just sit back and do nothing? Don’t worry about the money.”
“Those are reassuring words. If the capital is sufficient, we can win over as many people as needed. The truth is, the producers of food ingredients and such don’t actually receive that much.”
“I know distributors take a large cut, but how much are they actually taking for you to say that?”
“Based on the intermediary fees our family used to charge, it’s roughly… one-tenth of the final selling price in Eden?”
“Good heavens, they’re complete thieves.”
Since goods purchased from private operators in Eden had no value-added tax, they were sold to Eden residents at nearly the purchase price. One-tenth of that? It was pure profiteering.
“Why else would our ducal house, a great noble family, have directly entered the trading business? Still, you have to consider that this was in Tarykin, where slave labor was practically free, so labor costs were barely factored in. In Kensers or Ryuzan, it would be at most one-fifth.”
“That’s still a lot. Now I understand why the revolution happened in Tarykin.”
“Mm, I have nothing to say about that part.”
The produce was already being sold at rock-bottom prices, yet the plantation and factory owners took most of the profit while almost nothing went to the laborers. It was easy to understand why they had risen up.
“Of course, I have no intention of defending those extreme ideologues running wild right now.”
“Those people are lunatics who’ve drowned in twisted ideology. Everyone is a worker, everyone does equal labor, and everyone receives equal compensation? It would be more convincing to say there are owners who work instead of slaves.”
“Well, that’s true enough. So, what do you think? Will you do it?”
“Our Dreculle family has been reduced to hollow nobles with nothing but a name and money after being driven from our country. This is our chance to take root once more and stand tall. Of course I must seize it. Haha, the woman I happened to meet and form a connection with has appeared again by chance and brought me such an opportunity. They say men move the world, but women move those men. It seems that saying is true.”
Though he laughed bitterly, the anxiety and helplessness that had lingered in his eyes vanished, replaced by a bright gleam. The sight of a man overflowing with motivation and vitality never failed to make my heart race.
“Then I’ll convey the details of our agreement to my sisters. Do you have a contact number?”
“We haven’t fully decided on immigration yet, so I don’t have an Eden identity.”
“I’ll take care of the identity issue as well. If you call this number, it will connect directly to me.”
I gave him my contact information and spent some time listening to detailed information about his family, organizing it carefully. By the time our discussion was wrapping up, the girl—who had finished eating and was quietly swinging her legs while waiting—tugged on my hand and asked,
“Elisha, when are we leaving?”
“Oh right. We only came here for a quick tour.”
“Ah, I’ve kept the little lady waiting. Shall we go play together?”
“No thank you.”
“Wait, why on earth…”
“Just because.”
“Kuh.”
I spoke to Ed, who looked devastated by her two short words.
“I have a prior engagement, so I must be going. Let’s meet at one o’clock in front of Central City Hall in two days.”
“Alright, got it. See you then.”
I saw him off as he left with his attendants, then toured the Underground City with the girl before heading to the city hall to meet Maria. Unlike when we entered, we passed through security without issue on the way out and took the elevator back to the surface. In the central plaza, where the sun was setting, streetlights were beginning to flicker on one by one, welcoming the night.
When the girl and I stood in front of the closed doors of the city hall, the Blackman standing guard bowed politely and said,
“Lady Elisha, you’ve arrived?”
“Hello. I’d like to meet with Maria unnie.”
“She is inside. However, the girl beside you…?”
“She is a guest who has come to see unnie.”
“Understood. You may enter.”
The fact that he opened the door without even checking us made the girl’s mouth fall open in awe.
“Ooh~ Elisha, you’re amazing.”
“This much is nothing.”
I entered the city hall with the girl, who was eagerly turning her head in every direction to take in the sights, and headed toward Maria’s office. Unlike the Underground City hall, which had strong Daviwana influences, this building had originally been a temple built in Eden’s clean architectural style, giving it an elegant charm.
Standing in front of the thick wooden door of the office, I said,
“Maria, I’m here.”
“Come in.”
When I opened the door, the interior of the office came into view. As it was the workspace of Maria, the ruler, it had an even stronger antique atmosphere that overwhelmed anyone who entered.
“We saw each other this morning. What brings you here?”
“A guest has come to see you.”
“A guest?”
“Maria unnie. It’s me.”
Maria, who had been focused on her work and hadn’t lifted her eyes from the desk, raised her head to look at the girl. The moment she saw her, her face lit up with delight.
“Ah~ It’s you. It’s been a while. Have you been well?”
“Yes, it’s nice to see you again.”
“How did you recognize her right away? I couldn’t tell at first.”
“I remember the unique scent of a Queen. Shall we take a short break?”
Maria rose from her chair and guided us to the reception area on one side of the office. Once seated on the plush sofa, she said,
“So, have you finally immigrated?”
“No. I came to discuss that matter.”
“Ah, then I’ll take my leave. You two should talk.”
“Huh? You’re leaving already?”
“I only came as a guide, and I have a dinner appointment. Let’s meet again next time.”
“Thank you, Elisha.”
I returned the girl’s bright smile with a nod of my own and left the office.
I descended back into the Underground City and walked briskly toward my room. Since Zadyn was coming, I needed to prepare to greet him in advance. But while I was walking, I ran into Dahgon, who was returning from the training hall.
When he spotted me, Dahgon held out a ring and said,
“Krrk, Elisha.”
“Oh? You’re speaking in human language now?”
I asked after he had put on the ring and called my name in human speech.
“Learned from black friends. Female’s name.”
“You must have gotten quite close. They even taught you the language.”
“Black friends. Fun. Strong. Like them.”
As we walked to the room, he told me about the various funny things that had happened while he was getting to know the Blackmen. How they had competed in all sorts of strength contests to establish dominance, how they had drunk the entire bar dry during a drinking contest, and how after getting completely drunk they had picked prostitutes together and had sex at the same time. It was a relief to see that he was getting along well with humans.
“Krrk. Won easily in contest of boasting about own female.”
“Why?”
“The moment they described their females, they admitted defeat.”
“Well… I suppose that makes sense.”
There weren’t many women in Eden who ranked higher than me.
“Everyone was envious.”
“It’s good that they were envious, right?”
“Yes. A good female is a male’s pride.”
By the time we reached the room, Dahgon grabbed my crotch with his massive hand.