Chapter 36
Chapter 36
“Miss Aileen, did you hear the news?”
Even after arriving at the Urban Planning Department office, I was still thinking about how to persuade the lord when Anton Brown asked me.
“What news?”
“They say we won’t be able to secure Nereia timber for the construction this summer.”
Nereia timber was commonly used in Belheim’s buildings because it didn’t rot easily even when soaked in water and was extremely durable.
But now they couldn’t obtain it?
“Why all of a sudden? There was no mention of that at the meeting just a few days ago.”
“Nereia timber is a special material that only grows in the eastern region of the Empire. Apparently the lord of Nubiar has declared that it will only be used for flood-prevention construction there, so it won’t be sold to other regions.”
Nubiar again.
I frowned.
Since we were also preparing for the summer monsoon, we couldn’t exactly complain if Nubiar was stockpiling materials to prepare for river flooding.
So if I solve the Nubiar problem, that means we can bring back Nereia timber.
And perhaps I could even use that to persuade Calix Krauvel.
The moment that thought crossed my mind, I jumped to my feet.
“The lord already knows about this, right?”
“Huh? I’d assume he does.”
“I see. Then I’ll go speak with the lord.”
“W-Wait a moment…!”
Anton Brown shouted behind me, but I ignored him and headed straight for the lord’s office.
It would have been troublesome if he wasn’t there, but fortunately he was.
Noah Rohaim was with him as well.
“What brings you here so suddenly?”
“Have you heard about the Nereia timber situation?”
I didn’t want to drag things out, so I asked directly.
“I know. I was just discussing it with Sir Rohaim.”
He waved the document he had been reading.
“We’ll probably have to find a substitute material. Do you have anything in mind?”
“No. Even if we did, adapting to a new material would take time. That means finishing construction before the summer monsoon would be impossible.”
Calix Krauvel nodded silently, apparently already aware of that fact.
“In my opinion, rather than searching for substitutes, it would be better to persuade Nubiar to supply us with Nereia timber.”
“I’m not sure about that. It seems the Smith Marquis has staked everything on preventing the Raed River from flooding this time. I doubt persuasion will work.”
“Then we can just stop the Raed River from flooding.”
His eyebrow rose slightly, clearly not expecting that answer.
“Do you have a method to prevent the Raed River from flooding, Miss Aileen?” Noah Rohaim asked, sounding surprised.
“No. As I told the lord before, I can’t give a definite answer until I see the situation in person.”
After taking a brief breath, I continued.
“But since there’s a possibility, we could at least attempt negotiations. If we prevent the river from flooding, they provide us with Nereia timber.”
“Hm…”
Calix Krauvel stroked his chin thoughtfully.
The fact that he didn’t reject the idea outright meant there was room to push further.
“This is all for Belheim, my lord.”
From what I had observed so far, Calix Krauvel genuinely cared about Belheim.
“To stop the summer monsoon damage, we absolutely need Nereia timber.”
I pressed that point relentlessly.
“I believe it would be worthwhile to at least speak with His Excellency the Smith Marquis,” Noah Rohaim added, siding with me.
“If necessary, we could offer to release Sir Conrad Marlow in exchange for at least some of the timber.”
Ah, right. That man.
I had completely forgotten about the middle-aged gentleman.
He had already been imprisoned in the dungeon for five days. I wondered if he was alright.
“There’s no point in bringing back only a small amount of timber. We need the full quantity originally planned.”
Since I absolutely had to go to Nubiar to complete the Main Quest, I insisted firmly.
“My lord, His Excellency Marquis Howell Smith has requested a magical communication.”
Perhaps the heavens had decided to help me this time.
“My lord.”
I called Calix Krauvel with a hint of earnestness in my voice.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, studying me as if measuring my sincerity, then finally nodded.
“Understood. You may leave now.”
After Aileen left, Calix instructed Noah to connect the magical communication.
Noah Rohaim immediately brought out a magical communication device shaped like a yellow lark.
Arcana was embedded in its chest, and a small winding mechanism was attached to its back.
When the spring was wound, the lark spread its wings. The metal feathers gleamed under the light, and its small beak opened and closed as it spoke with a human voice.
“It has been a long time, Your Grace the Grand Duke. Have you been well?”
“I’ve been well.”
Calix leaned back deeply in his chair, the corner of his lips curling slightly.
“Except that someone released a rat into my territory without permission, which put me in a rather unpleasant mood.”
“….”
The lark’s beak stopped moving.
It meant the marquis had fallen silent.
“The signal must be bad. Perhaps we should reconnect later.”
Calix said it as if he didn’t understand, though he clearly did.
“…I have committed a grave discourtesy toward Your Grace.”
Only then did the lark’s beak begin moving again.
“Conrad Marlow only acted under my orders. Please show mercy and forgive him just this once.”
“I’m not sure about that.”
Calix tilted his head slightly. Though his lips still smiled, not a trace of warmth remained in his eyes.
“Then the marquis who issued the order should pay the price.”
“…Is that really necessary? I wasn’t trying to do anything malicious…”
“You weren’t?”
Calix’s eyes narrowed.
“You tried to secretly steal an important talent from Belheim.”
“Steal? I was merely requesting assistance.”
Marquis Smith spoke with a tone full of grievance.
“Surely Your Grace understands. If the Raed River floods next year, Nubiar will—”
“That’s your problem.”
Calix cut him off coldly.
“Why should I concern myself with another lord’s territory?”
The lark fell silent again. Though they couldn’t see each other’s faces, it was easy to imagine the marquis trembling in anger.
Well, no one had forced him to do something so foolish.
He had brought this upon himself.
If he wanted Conrad Marlow returned, he would have to pay a price.
“If you want Conrad Marlow back, you’ll have to offer something appropriate in return.”
“…Is there something Your Grace desires?”
“I wonder. What could a marquis possess that I do not?”
Calix deliberately stretched out his words, clearly enjoying himself.
“The only thing that comes to mind is Nereia timber.”
“If you require Nereia timber, we can sell it to you in any quantity.”
The moment Calix cast the bait, Marquis Smith reacted immediately.
“However, it will be difficult this year. We must prepare for the river flooding as well.”
“In other words, if we stop the river from flooding, you’ll sell us the timber?”
“If you can do that, of course.”
The marquis’s previously subdued voice suddenly came alive.
“Hm.”
Calix, on the other hand, sounded unimpressed.
“So I’m supposed to release the rat who dared to steal one of my people, and solve the problems of your territory as well, just so I can buy some timber?”
“Well….”
“Besides, if the problem isn’t solved, I’ll be the only one who loses. In that case, it’s better not to do it at all.”
“W-Wait!”
As Calix moved to end the communication, the marquis shouted urgently.
“If you release Sir Conrad Marlow and install drainage canals in Nubiar, I will sell you as much timber as you want.”
“Hm…”
“And furthermore, I will sell Nereia timber to you at a ten percent discount for the next three years.”
Calix scoffed.
“Only ten percent? It should be thirty.”
“Th-Thirty percent?”
The marquis’s voice rose in shock.
“If it’s that much, we won’t even cover the shipping costs. We still have to pay the merchant caravan transporting it…”
“If you prevent the river from flooding without using protective magic, you’ll save enough money to cover the transport costs.”
“But if the flooding cannot be stopped, we will be the only ones who suffer losses.”
“In that case, you’ll simply have to take responsibility for choosing poorly. Wouldn’t you agree?”