How to Negotiate
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I looked at Franche and asked, "I assume we'll have to sneak out again this time?"
"We must," she replied.
Well, we'll be back soon anyway, so it shouldn't be an issue. I doubt anyone has any urgent business with Franche right now.
"I'll go let Helena know."
"Alright. I'll get ready to leave."
I opened the door. Helena was nodding off right in front of it.
"Helena."
"Y-yes?!"
Startled, Helena stared up at me with wide, round eyes. I spoke to her.
"Step inside for a moment."
"Pardon? What is it?"
"Just get in here, quickly."
Helena cautiously stepped into the room, scanning the air. I closed the door behind her and fixed her with a sharp glare.
"Helena."
"Y-yes?"
"The Lady is going out for a short while."
"Oh, then should I inform the Young Duke...?"
I stared her down in silence.
"I... shouldn't tell him, right...?"
Quick on the uptake.
"Exactly. We'll be back shortly, so if anyone comes looking for her, buy us some time."
"Buy time? How?"
"You'll have to figure that out yourself."
I patted Helena on the shoulder and continued.
"Come up with a plausible excuse. I'm counting on you. Under no circumstances can anyone find out we left, understand?"
"Eeeh..."
Making that troubled face wasn't going to change anything.
"You know what happens if we get caught, right?"
"Do I... go missing...?"
"You know it well."
"H-heck!"
Helena gasped, clapping her hands over her mouth.
"Then I'll leave it to you. Absolutely no getting caught."
"Y-yes, sir!"
Helena hurriedly scurried out of the room. Tsk, tsk. She's so naive—how is she going to survive in this cutthroat ducal estate?
Turning back to Franche, I saw she had already changed into clothes that were easy to move in.
"I suppose we have to squeeze through that gap in the iron bars again," Franche muttered.
"We won't be using that anymore."
"What? Then how are we getting out?"
I swept Franche up into my arms.
"W-what are you doing?!"
"Hold on tight."
"What are you planning?!"
"We're going to clear the iron fence in a single leap from the window."
Franche looked utterly appalled. "Are you out of your mind? Is that even possible?"
"Nothing is impossible for a Sword Master."
I perched my foot on the windowsill. Franche wrapped her arms around my neck and buried her face in my chest.
"It won't be like last time... right?"
"It'll be slower than then, so don't worry."
Huuup. I took a deep breath. My lungs expanded, and the muscles in my legs tensed with power.
Hup! I leaped, keeping it lighter than last time so I wouldn't shatter the window frame. We soared through the air, sailing clean over the iron fence.
Thud! A perfectly safe landing. I scanned the surroundings to see if anyone was nearby. Fortunately, we were far from the main gate, and the area was completely deserted.
"We're clear," I said, setting Franche down.
"Phew. I wonder if I'll ever get used to this."
"You'll get used to it in no time."
"Honestly. You pull off these absurd stunts and act so nonchalant about it."
"Let's talk while we walk. We don't have much time."
Franche nodded. We set off toward the tavern to meet Seldas Freya.
As we walked, Franche asked, "But can this Cazar Uplain person really help me use magic?"
I nodded quietly. Cazar Uplain was an incredibly talented mage in the game. Specializing in support magic, she was an indispensable character—the party simply couldn't function without her. Blessed with both outstanding mana talent and vast magical knowledge, she usually joined the story around the mid-game. Right now, she was likely researching magic on her own. Since I had already taught Franche a decent amount of mathematics, learning magic from Cazar would be a breeze.
"But how will I learn from her? It's not like we can bring her into the ducal estate."
"I have a plan, so don't worry."
"You always brush it off like that."
"Well, it's the truth, so what else am I supposed to say?"
Franche narrowed her eyes and stared at me. Stare all you want, you won't get anything else out of me. After walking for a while, we arrived in front of the tavern we had visited last time.
"Wait a moment." Franche rummaged through her coat and pulled out a cheap animal mask, slipping it over her face. Why is it always that mask? Surely she has others. Unable to suppress my curiosity, I asked her.
"May I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"I was wondering why you're so attached to that animal mask."
Franche tapped the mask with her index finger. "It's the mask I bought the very first time I escaped the ducal estate. It holds deep meaning for me."
Ah, like a souvenir. Fair enough.
"Is your curiosity satisfied?"
"Yes."
"Then let's go in."
Tinkle. The bell chimed as the tavern door swung open. Heads turned toward us, but the moment they recognized my face, the room fell dead silent. No doubt a lingering effect of the murderous intent I had unleashed last time. I led Franche toward the reception desk. The receptionist recognized us instantly.
"The Master is waiting for you in the back room."
Franche held her head high, looking down at the receptionist. It seemed she was wearing her high-society persona on top of her animal mask. Stepping into the back room, we found Seldas Freya.
"You got here quickly."
"Indeed." Franche sat on the sofa.
Seldas Freya tilted his head back and propped his legs up on the desk. The arrogant way he crossed his legs was incredibly grating. Cocky bastard.
"Then let's get straight to the results of your request." Seldas stood up and pointed to a spot on the large map hanging behind his desk. It was a rural village I had never even heard of.
"This is the region where Cazar Uplain is currently living. As for the details..." He pointed to an envelope resting on the desk. "All of her information is inside this envelope."
Franche nodded, looking down her nose at Seldas. "You work fast."
"Don't underestimate the Exeed Information Guild." Seldas Freya was the heir to a count family, yet he ran a dark guild. He was a noble who had carved out quite a reputation for himself in the underworld. The reason I needed to recruit him wasn't just for his overwhelming information network, but also for our future business ventures. Though it was still too early to launch the business.
Seldas spoke. "Now, I'd like to collect my payment. Where and how did you obtain information about me?"
Franche cast a brief glance up at me. I quietly sent her a Sound Transmission, and having received her instructions, Franche replied.
"Surely someone like you knows about the party held at the Eldas Marquisate recently? And you must know that I attended."
Seldas nodded silently.
"At that party, a rumor was circulating among the young noblemen. A rumor that the identity of Exeed's famous broker was none other than Seldas Freya."
Through the gaps in his mask, I could see his brow furrow. He looked highly displeased.
"So you took a shot in the dark based on a mere rumor, and I bit the bait?"
"Precisely."
Seldas leaned back against his chair and let out a sigh. "I've been thoroughly played. I must have panicked at the thought of my identity being exposed. I should have just denied it."
Exactly, why did you do that? But I can't entirely blame him. Imagine the shock of thinking you've perfectly concealed your identity, only to find out someone already knows.
Seldas clasped his hands and rested his forearms on the desk. "Do you know which young noble spread that rumor?"
"I see no reason why I should tell you that."
"What a sly customer indeed." I could see his eyes narrowing behind his mask. That look meant he wanted something.
"Fine, that's enough for payment. At least now I know such a rumor is going around."
"Is that all, then? May we leave?"
"No. I still have business with you." Seldas's voice grew heavy. "Let's talk about business."
Franche glanced up at me. I whispered to her, outlining the details of the business and our future plans. Only then did she nod and speak.
"Business, you say? We aren't fully prepared yet."
"Is it still in the conceptual stage?"
"You could say that."
Seldas stroked his chin. "Even if it's just a concept, would you mind sharing?"
"We're going to start an apparel business."
"Apparel? You're choosing a difficult path."
There was no need to worry about that. Having cleared every sub-quest and conquered every single route in this game except for the hidden ones, I knew exactly which businesses would thrive in this world and how to make money.
And there's a specific reason I chose the apparel business.
At this point in time, there was a master artisan who had yet to see the light of day. This artisan could be encountered through a sub-quest in the mid-game; if you helped them then, they would go on to become the greatest designer in the Empire. If we could recruit them first, the apparel business would be a guaranteed success.
"Whether it's a difficult path or not is none of your concern."
"Is that so? You're overflowing with confidence. Perhaps because you've yet to taste the bitter reality of the world?"
"My family isn't one to be shaken by a single failed business venture."
The only problem is that we have to get the Duke's permission first.
"So, what is the request you wish to commission regarding this business?"
"Find a suitable plot of land for an apparel business. And acquire that land at a cheap price."
"That's a highly difficult task. Do you have any idea how complicated real estate can be?"
"Isn't that exactly why we're commissioning you?"
Seldas let out a chuckle. "You ask too much of a mere information broker."
You're not just a mere information broker, though. I whispered to Franche once more. Her eyes went wide as she looked at me, her gaze asking if this was really true. I gave her a quiet nod.
Franche looked back at Seldas and spoke. "How long do you plan on pretending to be a simple broker? I know you own a Dark Guild."
His eyes widened behind his mask. Thoroughly rattled, Seldas flinched and recoiled.
"I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about."
"It's useless to deny it when I already know."
"Tsk. If your information network is that superior, why even come to me?"
Seldas clicked his tongue and muttered to himself, then shook his head before continuing. "Fine. Let's get back to the main point. When does the business start? And what will be my compensation?"
"We'll discuss compensation next time. The launch date hasn't been set yet. There is something we must do before that."
"Does it have to do with finding Cazar Uplain?"
"I see no reason to answer that either."
Yes, perfect. Seldas is the type of guy whose curiosity you have to keep teasing.
"Tsk. You've been a difficult customer from the start."
"For now, this is all you need to know about the business. We'll return once we officially launch."
"Fine. But if you ever expose my identity..."
"That won't happen. Why would we foolishly throw away such an excellent business partner?"
Seldas chuckled and nodded. "A wise choice."
Franche stood up, looking down at him. "Then we shall take our leave."
"Very well. Next time you visit, I'll make sure you receive the finest hospitality."
With that, we left the tavern. On the way back to the ducal estate, Franche asked.
"But what's the plan for the apparel business? You do know how incredibly difficult the apparel industry is in the Empire, right?"
"Don't worry. I have a plan. Once we get there, you'll understand, Lady Franche."
"Right... you always have a plan. Won't you let me in on it later?"
"Of course. I was planning to tell you anyway."
"Well, that's a relief."
A short while later, we arrived back at the ducal estate. I picked Franche up and leaped over the iron fence. The coast was clear, and since we had left the window open, we managed to slip back inside without being detected.
"Phew. What a headache. To think we have to travel like this every single time."
"Don't worry. You'll get used to it soon."
I placed my foot back on the windowsill.
"Where are you going?"
"To bring back Cazar Uplain, the key to our plan."
I absolutely needed Cazar Uplain to achieve my goals. Teaching Franche magic was part of it, but my ultimate plan was to completely revolutionize the industries of the Empire.