Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: The Answer Is Already Decided—You Just Have to Say It
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The lineup of noble ladies gathered here was impressively glamorous.
It made sense. My grandma and Delphia had handpicked them in secret, pulling out all the stops, even dragging in their souls if they had to.
‘Melpirn’s a big name in high society, and she’s been dying to meet you, sweetie.’
‘Uung?’
‘She can’t get enough of cute things.’
……Grandma had the guts to casually call a high society heavyweight a “thing” like that.
‘Hmm, what about Lady Yoren? She’s a dynamite expert—specialized in making bombs. Let’s bring her along in case we need to blow something up.’
‘Gasp…….’
‘She’s not too hot-tempered, so she’ll be fine.’
And that’s how Delphia’s friend, the dynamite developer Lady Yoren, joined the team.
Once the lineup was set, Delphia and Grandma huddled together, deep in thought.
‘Anyone you know in divine power, Delphia?’
‘What about merchants?’
‘A pharmacist would be good too. Just in case.’
‘The list of patrons seems mostly ready. Who should we pick for the last spot?’
That included the genius pharmacist Melang; Marchioness Melpirn, a powerhouse in high society; Delphia’s close friend and magical engineering prodigy Lady Yoren; Lady Cynthia, who had divine power but turned down the saintess position; Great Merchant Mandel, a commoner who built a top-tier trading company; and…….
‘No matter how much they scheme, they won’t get in our way.’
‘They might try to interfere?’
‘Yeah! So…… legally.’
The moment I finished, Grandma let out a long sigh.
‘Exactly. They exploited legal loopholes at first, so they might try it again.’
‘Guroonikka…… someone from the legal field.’
Delphia’s lips parted slightly as she spoke.
‘How does a five-year-old even know the term “legal professional”…….’
……Which threw me off a bit.
But anyway, we found her.
Delphia and the Duchess’s connections were pure gold.
“What law is this?”
A law scholar and Imperial Constitutional Court judge, Countess Mursha.
Whether it was fury at anyone daring to block her path with talk of the law, a vein bulged at her temple.
“Th-that…….”
“Speak. Dare to lecture me on the law right here.”
These officials knew it too.
‘Countess Mursha used to teach at the Academy’s law department.’
Any capital administrator would’ve audited her class at least once.
“W-well, you see…….”
The official muttered in a shrinking voice.
“Per the Imperial Constitution, unless there’s a special retroactive clause, laws don’t apply retroactively. Right?”
Retroactive application meant enforcing a newly revised law on past cases. It was a huge hassle since you’d have to dig up every old instance.
So in commercial matters, ‘retroactive application’ was practically impossible.
This time was no different.
Take my situation: I’d already completed my trading company registration.
But if the law applied retroactively, I’d have to shut it down.
If not, having patrons would let me open up just fine.
“It’s not in the Constitution, and you dare try to shut down Mirmod’s trading company on your whim?”
“…….”
“Shall we file an administrative lawsuit?”
Official Jorju shrank back. He clearly feared a lawsuit.
Of course—going up against a former Supreme Court Justice like Countess Mursha would cost him his job.
At that moment, Melang adjusted her glasses and asked the official.
“Tell me. What’s your name?”
Listening to their exchange, I rested both arms on my sides and grinned.
Bringing a law expert was a smart move.
Watching the official who hadn’t spoken up till now, I said teasingly.
“It’s Jorju!”
Then, finally, I said it sternly.
“Jorju, issue the permit. Now.”
Jorju pressed his temple like his head hurt.
But…….
“Won’t do it?”
……He couldn’t withstand Countess Mursha’s icy tone.
He hemmed and hawed, lips pursed, before finally stamping approval for my business.
It was the historic moment when Sien Mirmod Trading Company truly launched.
Countess Mursha snatched the business registration from his hand and tucked it neatly into my arms.
“Congratulations, dear.”
I flashed a huge smile and bowed deeply to every patron there.
“Yesh! Thank you!”
Unlike the poor underling official under fire, the section chief was at least seasoned. He composed himself, ran a hand through his thinning hair, and said.
“Well then, we’re done here, aren’t we? Time to wrap up—please leave.”
I blinked.
“Uung?”
The section chief looked at me with a faintly pained voice as he asked back.
“What is it?”
“There’s this.”
The section chief’s face flushed red again. Not just him—the underling next to him too. Both hid their panic poorly.
“I still have something to say.”
I smiled brightly.
They furrowed their brows, faces saying they dreaded what came next. They didn’t reply, of course…….
As they fell silent at my words, Lady Yoren—Delphia’s friend and dynamite developer—nodded at them.
“Spit it out already.”
“Wh-what…….”
“Excuse me?”
“……What is it?”
Lady Yoren indeed.
A pro at shutting people down without a peep.
Now was the time for my final counterpunch.
I flashed a cheerful smile.
“What’s this envelope?”
I shot my hand out fast. With the patrons crowding in, they hadn’t cleared it away—the temple envelope. I snatched it nimbly.
Jorju looked flustered.
“Th-that’s a short prayer from the temple. They sent it because we made a small donation.”
The section chief chimed in casually from the side.
“Why are you curious about a personal prayer for Jorju?”
“Just am.”
“……It’s just a plain prayer. What if it really is a prayer inside that envelope—what then?”
The section chief threw out a quick gamble. I shot back at him in a half-mocking tone.
“Just gonna look. Why not?”
With that, I opened the envelope and read the contents aloud.
[To our faithful brother Jorju.
Thank you for visiting the temple.
We will pray for you starting today.
Atop the statue of beautiful Yellennia, a tiny angel’s wing will cheer your day.]
No matter how closely I read, it was legit a temple prayer.
But something felt off…….
As I stayed quiet, the section chief and Jorju saw their chance and started gloating.
“See? Nothing, right?”
“Now hand it ove—.”
The moment Jorju impatiently reached out.
Smack!
From behind, the quiet patron sister—glasses like a nerd, wild long hair—slapped his hand down creepily.
Then she swiftly took the letter from my hand.
“Prayer my ass. Decoding ciphers is my specialty.”
Jorju’s jaw dropped.
He hadn’t expected me to think of cryptography.
‘Gotta bring a cipher expert too, or they’ll get away.’
‘Why ciphers?’
‘Y’know, just in case they pull shady stuff.’
I’d wanted to search the whole office for evidence, but luckily, no traces left.
“Yellennia statue—that’s probably Porchin Temple.”
“……Wh-what?”
“Tiny angel’s wing means baby saintess statue.”
“……What in the world are you saying?”
“Cheering your day means a year’s salary hidden there. Such a simple code.”
The pro cryptographer Pien smirked and shook the envelope.
“Now we investigate your moves.”
With that, I nodded at them.
“Guroonikka, what happens to these uncles now?”
The cryptographer stepped back, and now Grandma the former Supreme Court Justice took the stage.
“From administrative lawsuits to civil and criminal ones—all of them. I stake my honor as a Supreme Court Justice.”
From the elegant, beautiful noblewoman came vulgar curses that even Delphia might envy.
“I’ll crush you to the end. Look forward to it.”
Whoa, this is legally crushing someone. Made me want to study law—it was that cool.
‘But can’t crush with just law. I’ve got Lady Yoren too.’
I grinned wide and spread my arms toward Jorju.
“Uncles. Dynamite or confess. Pick one.”
Jorju stared at me with trembling eyes.
Watching his pupils quake wildly, I curled my lips up.
Honestly speaking.
I said pick, but the answer was set.
“C-confess…….”
You just had to say it.
***
“Everywhere I go these days, it’s all about Sien Mirmod, that stupid little bitch!”
“Oh, Gabrielle.”
Melodia gazed warmly at Gabrielle, who bit her lip hard.
“That stupid little bitch got lucky and snagged a trading company! It’s ridiculous. What can that puny thing even do? What does she know!”
As Gabrielle ranted on, Melodia added leisurely.
“Gabrielle, too bad. The officials all confessed.”
“That crafty bitch pulled off another one! With her devilish tongue……!”
“Crafty? Better say smart.”
Tears welled up in Gabrielle’s eyes from grievance. She’d always believed she was this world’s protagonist, lived like it.
And now that girl was taking everything from her.
‘Not one to underestimate.’
Melodia kept her warm smile, but her lips stayed rigidly still. It felt oddly off-putting.
“Gabrielle.”
“Yes, Lady Melodia!”
With the Pope’s backing, Melodia was becoming a prime saintess candidate, her influence spreading everywhere. She stroked Gabrielle’s hair with a soft, gentle smile.
“I’ve realized Sien Mirmod is a dangerous child.”
Dangerous enough that she couldn’t just leave her be.
She’d sent assassins after Mathias, and they’d failed as if it were nothing. Sien’s trading company was thriving without a hitch.
All around, it was Melodia’s defeat. Couldn’t touch a hair on either of them—total, utter loss.
“Ah…… y-yes! No need to worry about trash like her, but she is dangerous!”
Melodia closed her eyes deeply, then opened them with a brief, icy blank expression.
“Time to uproot her. Eliminate the root.”
“How will you do it?”
Melodia replied kindly.
“First, we need to dig deep into the Mirmod family.”
She flashed a refreshingly beautiful smile that inspired trust.
“We’ll prepare carefully. Dealing with Mirmod will take quite some time.”
“That’s…….”
“Slowly, step by step, so they can’t rise again.”
Dry up the Mirmod line, deal with Sien and Mathias, and Melodia and the temple’s perfect goal would be achieved.
As if envisioning that radiant future, her gentle smile deepened.
“Got it, Lady Melodia!”