Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: Merits (1)
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Apprentice accountant Letty of the Lapis Lazuli Merchant House had recently developed a worry.
Putting aside when she might finally shed her apprentice status, she was starting to question whether joining this merchant house as an accountant had been the right choice for her.
Of course, the primary cause was that her direct superior, Lian, had taken on far too much work.
"Ugh! Here are all the documents you asked for!"
"Good work, Letty."
"It was a relief that the government office kept copies of the North Port records too. Though the most recent update was from the end of last year."
"Got it. I'll reference them."
A major incident had occurred at the North Port, so no one would complain if he took a few days to rest properly.
Yet instead of resting, he had come back loaded with even more new tasks.
"What happened to the second-in-line heirs for Amalia Foundry?"
"Let me see... It's the two collateral branches of the original owning family, the Monis House. This one looks relatively straightforward."
"Then we should probe both sides with the same terms and decide which one to back."
"Ah, yes! What about the ratios?"
"Factoring in compensation for whichever side relinquishes their inheritance claim, we need to secure at least 40% for ourselves."
Most of the workshops and trading companies in the North Port had been owned by nobles.
And that was just the beginning.
The countless farmlands, mines, and other assets on the island owned by nobles weren't few and far between.
But their owners had vanished overnight, and inheritance issues had tangled everything into a mess.
Lian planned to step in, sort out the chaos, and insert straws into every opportunity to suck up the profits.
"Um, Mr. Lian?"
"Yeah?"
"Didn't you say before that your dream was to train up subordinates and then live leisurely yourself?"
"Yeah. I did."
"But you don't seem to have any intention of doing that."
Honestly, anyone could see he was nothing but a hardcore workaholic. Did he even realize that?
Lian's eyes flickered momentarily as he reviewed the documents, caught off guard by Letty's sharp observation.
But who wouldn't want to rest?
It was just that the situation wouldn't allow it.
"If not now, we'll never get a foot in this game. This is the last of it, then I'll rest for real."
"Still, profiting off others' misfortune like this feels a bit like it pricks the conscience..."
What could one say...
Most hadn't even held proper funerals amid the chaos.
Wasn't it a bit too humanly insensitive to go around bereavement homes and immediately bring up money?
Such thoughts flitted through Letty's mind.
"Letty. You think if we sit still, others won't muscle in? They'll exploit the situation unscrupulously."
"Mm. You're right?"
"If we, the ones doing business with a conscience, step up first, it stabilizes the market and benefits everyone, right?"
"Huh? Now that you mention it, that does make sense..."
Letty blinked her large eyes and slowly nodded.
Since Lian took charge, the Lapis Lazuli Merchant House had earned a reputation for the fairest dealings anywhere.
She couldn't deny that this venture also had some public benefit aspects.
"Alright. Now that you get it, get back to work!"
"Ah, yes!"
Even so.
Letty wished Lian would cut back on work just a little.
Whether due to the recent turmoil, the North Port docks felt a bit quieter than before.
Simon stood there like a statue awaiting his late father, watching passengers disembark from the ships.
"Strange. The letter clearly said they'd arrive today..."
The person he awaited was an investigator dispatched from the Royal Mage Corps.
Yet they'd only notified him of the arrival date, not the specific time.
Thus, he was stuck waiting endlessly like this.
If only the wait bore fruit.
The sun was setting in the sky, but no sign of anyone resembling an investigator appeared.
"Hey. Is this the last regular ship from the mainland today?"
"Aye. It is."
"By any chance, among today's passengers, was there anyone bearing the royal crest? Two eagles embroidered in gold thread."
"Tch. Dunno. Can't say I recall anyone like that."
"I see. Thanks."
Perhaps something had gone wrong en route.
Simon had no choice but to turn back.
With the lord absent, he was the only one handling affairs, so he couldn't afford to be away too long.
"Do I have to do this again tomorrow? What a headache..."
If something had come up, they could have at least sent a messenger ahead.
Matching the regular ship's arrival was fine in theory, but it was a massive time sink.
Yet sending someone else to greet a royal envoy was out of the question.
That would be tantamount to disrespecting the king's authority.
"Ah! Advisor Simon. Empty-handed again?"
By the time he reached the castle.
A soldier guarding the gate gave him a sympathetic look.
"Seems so. Anything happen while I was out?"
"Nothing in particular."
"Good. Keep up the good work."
"Yes, sir. You too, Advisor!"
No sighting at the docks or the gate meant they definitely hadn't crossed paths with the investigator.
Tomorrow, he'd be statue-bound again.
With that thought, Simon passed through the gate and headed to the lord's office, currently without an occupant.
"Hm?"
Oddly, the office door was half-open.
Even more strangely, he sensed a presence inside.
'I definitely locked up properly when I left...'
He checked his pocket; he still had the key.
No duplicates existed.
This meant an intruder who had entered illicitly.
Simon slowly drew his sword and placed a hand on the door.
"Who's there!"
He flung the door open, and before his eyes appeared...
"A cloak bearing the royal crest...?"
None other than the royal mage corps investigator he'd waited for all day.
"You're here? A bit later than expected."
A youthful voice and petite frame.
She almost seemed like a girl at first glance, but her pointed ears revealed her true age differed from appearances.
Elves' childhood growth wasn't much different from humans', though.
Looking again with that in mind, her face actually had a mature air.
"Hm. Is this all the material on the recent magical disaster? Something seems missing."
"Uh... When did you arrive?"
"Oh. A bit after noon?"
Simon felt like he'd been struck hard on the head with a mace.
That meant she'd arrived on the first regular ship of the day.
All his back-and-forth at the docks had been for naught.
"Investigator, if you'd arrived, you could have sent word..."
"Pirka."
"Pardon?"
"My name. Advisor Simon."
"Do you... know me?"
"Nah? First time meeting today, right?"
Of course, she could have learned his name as the advisor beforehand.
But he didn't wear a sign saying "Advisor," so being pegged so easily was surprising.
Considering she was a mage, though, it wasn't that odd.
Her undetected presence here was the same—explainable by "magic."
"Why didn't you announce your arrival? I went to meet you several times!"
"That's why I deliberately didn't specify the time. Why bother coming out unnecessarily?"
"But you said you were arriving today, so I thought..."
"Had to give that much formality."
If that was the case, they could have added not to bother greeting.
Simon had plenty he wanted to argue, but it would only tire him out more.
No point provoking the investigator, so he swallowed his frustration.
"Anyway, this is everything, right?"
"Probably... yes."
"Answer precisely. Anything more? Or not?"
"To my knowledge, that's all there is."
It had been a covert operation, so proper records wouldn't exist.
He'd scraped together whatever indirect clues he could to make it look presentable.
"The court mage's lab was completely cleared out. You do that on purpose?"
"When did you even..."
"Hey, Advisor Simon. Don't you know how to answer questions?"
"...Sorry. We didn't clear it; the fleeing court mage did."
"Hmph. Figured as much."
Scrrch—
Pirka snorted as she perused ancient documents even Simon hadn't seen.
Likely from the previous lord, Francis, or even earlier generations.
In other words, she'd ransacked every old record room in the castle basement.
She'd prowled the castle all day undetected.
"The report sent to the capital. You wrote it, right? Anything omitted?"
"I don't think so... No, nothing."
"This prisoner, Delico Matron. Turned into a tree by the court mage's experiment. That's it? No specifics on the experiment's purpose or anything?"
"Yes. The lord didn't tell me that much..."
"Hmph. Convenient excuse."
This experiment was clearly the cause of the old town's disaster.
But jumping to conclusions was unwise.
The court mage executed it, but Leon ordered it.
Was the disaster the intended result?
An unintended accident?
Or third-party interference?
Plenty left to dig into.
"Lian, the one who cleaned up the disaster? Rumors say contrary to the report, he caused it. Know anything?"
"There was recent friction with the lord. I think it's a misunderstanding from that."
"That's your opinion. Looks like intentional omission in the report, then."
Scribble-scribble—
Pirka jotted something in her notebook.
The lord's advisor defending someone suspected after clashing with his superior?
Objectively suspicious.
Simon had likely just joined the list of suspects as a conspirator.
"So where is that guy now?"
"He returned to the South Port."
"Huh? Really? When?"
"The day after the incident. He's a busy man, after all..."
"Hmph. I see."
Pirka's expression turned ominous.
Simon wanted to defend Lian, but that would only deepen her suspicions.
Best to answer only what's asked.
"You were security force, right?"
"Yes. Though not an actual security officer."
"Anyway. When evidence is thin and suspects unclear, what do you check first?"
"Who gains the most from the incident."
"By that logic, Lord Leon only lost out. Even died."
At least, not intentional on Leon's part.
Simon agreed there.
But he hoped the topic ended there...
"Lots of lands and assets floating ownerless now. Who benefits most?"
"If anything, collateral branches or distant relatives of the houses. Hard to pinpoint one."
"Come on! Isn't there someone sneaky enough to slip right in?"
"Is there? I'm not sure."
"Hmph. Gonna play dumb like that?"
Simon claimed ignorance, but he knew exactly who she meant.
Pirka's instincts had locked onto Lian.
"No ships to South Port except at dawn?"
"Yes."
"Can't arrange a special one now?"
"We can, but even departing now, you'd arrive late at night. That okay?"
"Yeah. Nothing more to find here."
Simon was taken aback by her words.
He'd expected her to stay several days. Was there such urgency?
Unease gripped him—had his careless words made her suspect Lian?
"Understood. I'll hurry and prepare a ship."
But meeting Lian in person would change her mind.
Simon believed that without doubt.