Dialogue is a Good Means
Dialogue is a good means, isn’t it? The study in the Legrian mansion. Just days ago it had been completely empty, but now it was reasonably filled. Not entirely, of course, but enough to finally call it a study.
“There used to be so many books here.”
[There were that many?]
“Yeah. All kinds of encyclopedias, history books, etiquette manuals… Mother always said knowledge is power.”
[Ah……]
[She must have been a wonderful mother.]
[Knowledge is power!!]
[And she even taught that to her children!! How admirable!]
[Exactly. The more you know, the more wisdom you gain to avoid danger.]
[As expected of someone who held their ground so magnificently right next to Monster Land……]
“She was wonderful. She turned the knowledge she gained here into an art form—squeezing money out of nobles.”
[……Eh?]
“She’d research their interests, butter them up, find their weak spots, and drain them dry. Mother’s skill was truly impressive.”
[……]
System had nothing to say. Its disbelief was palpable through the messages. To use knowledge for that… Albert’s origins were now crystal clear.
“Half the books in this study were about rhetoric or psychology—books that dig into people’s minds. There was even hypnosis.”
[Why hypnosis……?]
“I figured it might make squeezing money easier…… Well, it didn’t work.”
Albert picked up a nearby book.
“Alright, let’s read.”
[Ah, understood.]
As Albert opened the book, System began scanning.
Scan complete.
[Next page, please.]
Scan complete.
[Next page, please.]
Scan……
The scans took less than a second each. Albert had no intention of actually reading, so he flipped through the pages at lightning speed. It looked less like reading and more like skimming.
“Brother…… what exactly are you doing?”
Elena entered the study. She stared at Albert rapidly turning pages, utterly baffled. Albert finally looked up from the book.
“What else would you do in a study? Read.”
“You’re looking at me while flipping pages. That counts as reading?”
“I’m reading.”
System was. Since System didn’t obtain information through Albert’s eyes, simply turning the pages was enough.
This is so frustrating!
If my authority were higher, we wouldn’t even need to flip pages like this!
Albert finished one book and set it down, then reached for another. A new volume flew straight into his hand.
Telekinesis skill activated.
Hurry! Next page!!
Elena couldn’t help but be impressed.
“Are you memorizing everything as you read?”
“Of course. What’s the point if I don’t memorize it?”
“That’s amazing!”
“I am pretty amazing.”
Eh?!
Albert isn’t the one memorizing anything, so why is he acting so proud?!
I’m the one storing it all!
System grumbled noisily, but Albert ignored it completely.
“So why are you here?”
“Ah, I was just wandering around to clear my head and happened to see you enter the study, so I followed.”
She looked around the study with a wistful expression. Her eyes, filled with deep longing, seemed to gaze not at the present but at the past.
“I sold all the books that were here. Back then I needed money to pay the knights, so I got rid of anything I thought was unnecessary……”
The study had been Mother’s domain. She always said a merchant must be knowledgeable and well-read, so she spent every spare moment here with books. Elena used to fall asleep watching Mother read. In a way, these books were Mother’s mementos. Elena hadn’t wanted to sell them, but desperation had left her no choice.
“Mother would have been furious if she saw this. Her precious books……”
“No, it’s fine.”
“Eh?”
Albert stopped reading and met Elena’s gaze.
“Mother would understand. You had your reasons.”
“I sold them at a quarter of their value because I was in such a rush…… Was that still okay?”
“……”
A quarter of their value? Mother would have clawed her way out of the grave to smack Elena on the back of the head. She would have said, “Elena! Selling my mementos is one thing, but if you’re going to sell something precious, at least sell it for a high price!! A quarter of the value?!” Her blood pressure would have skyrocketed. Even in desperation, a quarter was too much. The sound of Mother’s screams echoing from the grave might not have been entirely imaginary.
Still…… She must have been that desperate. When Elena decided to sell Mother’s belongings, how much anguish had she endured? She must have stayed up for nights on end before making that choice. Albert could understand.
“That’s……”
Knock knock.
“Young master, young miss.”
Just then, before Albert could continue, the nanny’s voice came from outside the door.
“Come in.”
“Excuse me.”
At Albert’s permission, the nanny carefully opened the door and entered.
“What is it?”
“You have a visitor.”
“A visitor?”
“Yes.”
“Who? Did we have an appointment today?”
Albert turned to Elena, who shook her head.
“No, we didn’t. They said they’re from the Alchemist Guild. But something felt off.”
“What do you mean?”
“They said they came to talk…… but the atmosphere was tense, and the people with them were a bit……”
“Talk, huh……”
Albert’s signature crooked smile spread across his lips. The fish had taken the bait. Judging by how quickly they’d come running to bite, it was obvious.
“Then they’re my guests.”
“Your guests, Brother? What does the Alchemist Guild have to…… Ah, don’t tell me.”
Elena was quick on the uptake. Having served as lord for so long, she immediately connected the Flower Soap they were selling in the territory with the Alchemist Guild. Flower Soap—the popular item sold exclusively through the Flower Merchant Group, with excellent reviews from both commoners and nobles. Orders were pouring in, which meant the dark elves were working themselves to death mass-producing soap in the factory.
Anyway, soap had originally been the Alchemist Guild’s monopoly.
They were making a fortune selling it exclusively, and now we’ve started making and selling our own.
It must have been a thorn in their side. They’d been happily sucking honey through a straw stuck into the nobles, only for an uninvited stone to come rolling in and knock their own stone out. Of course they were furious. That was why the Alchemist Guild had come in this manner.
“Brother……”
“It’s fine.”
“But they said the atmosphere was strange……”
“What? They said they came to talk. You know how it is.”
Albert stood up and gently stroked Elena’s soft, lustrous hair.
“I’m an expert at persuasion and dialogue.”
You mean dialogue (physical)!
They interrupted our reading time! Let’s go teach them a lesson!!
( ง •̀_•́)ง=3=3
* * *
“Hand over the Flower Soap recipe to us. In return, we’ll treat you generously.”
Jeco, the alchemist from the Alchemist Guild, made his proposal to Albert. The guild’s goal was, of course, the Flower Soap.
That soap is definitely far superior to anything we’ve made with alchemy. If we could have it, we could cover our perpetually short research funds.
Jeco let out a small, sinister chuckle. He’d been short on research money lately due to various projects. With the Flower Soap, that shortage would be solved.
Selling that soap for just 10 gold, 100 gold? Ridiculous.
Once they obtained the Flower Soap, the first thing they’d do was raise the price. Sell it to commoners for 100 gold. To nobles, around 500 gold. The Flower Soap had that level of competitiveness. There might be some complaints at first, but eventually people would have no choice but to buy it.
The problem is whether these people will hand it over.
The Flower Soap was clearly a superior version of the soap the Alchemist Guild produced. How much research and effort had gone into creating it was unknown. They wouldn’t give it up easily.
But that didn’t matter.
They’re just a baron family. A house that already collapsed once. A little pressure should be enough.
Even among nobles there were ranks. A baron family might be nobility, but their power was insignificant, and the Legrian house had already fallen once. No connections. No wealth. In name only.
If they don’t hand it over…… well, then we’ll just use force.
“Refused.”
Albert rejected the offer outright. Jeco gave an awkward laugh. He hadn’t expected such a clean, immediate refusal.
Look at that confident face.
He said he returned after ten years? He still doesn’t understand his position.
His mind was still stuck in the glory days of being a count’s family. Foolish. He needed to know his place.
Still, Jeco decided to give the noble a chance.
I’m generous, after all.
“Why don’t you think it over? This is an official proposal from the Alchemist Guild. It’s not something you should decide so easily—”
“Whether I decide easily or not is my choice, isn’t it? I said no. Didn’t you hear me?”
“……”
Albert was treating him like an unwelcome guest, clearly annoyed. Jeco felt a flash of anger but forced it down.
“Nngh…… Don’t say that. This is actually a good offer……”
“I said no.”
“Come now……”
“A~ I don’t want to.”
“Just a little……”
“Refused.”
“……”
“I said no.”
“I didn’t even say anything yet?”
“Oh, really? Still no.”
“……”
Infinite refusal. It was clear from the start that Albert had no intention of accepting. Now he was rejecting without even listening. Jeco felt trapped in an endless cycle of rejection.
No matter what you say, I will refuse—is that it?
Some movie comes to mind.
“Haa…… This is going nowhere. I heard the Legrian house has a separate head of the family……”
“Ah, I’ve already been given full authority by my sister, so it’s fine. Speak comfortably.”
“……”
“Of course, my answer is already decided.”
The answer was already set. No matter what Jeco said, Albert would refuse. No matter what proposal he made, Albert would refuse. At this point, it felt like talking to a wall.
No choice then……
“This is troublesome…… I wanted to resolve this peacefully through dialogue……”
At Jeco’s signal, the mercenaries behind him reacted. Wearing leather armor, their bulky frames and faces made it clear they had short tempers.
Analyzing.
They seem to be around B-rank hunters.
Ah…… occupational hazard……
The mercenaries’ presence intensified. As the pressure mounted, the atmosphere in the reception room turned deadly. Each mercenary placed a hand on their weapon, ready to draw at any moment.
This should be enough for them to understand.
This was a method they used often elsewhere. Occasionally there were people who wouldn’t listen, but threatening them with mercenaries like this made them submit quickly.
A fallen house with no knights, right? They have guards, but what can guards from a place like this possibly do?
Jeco smirked and looked at Albert as if to say, Now what?
“If Lord Albert continues to act this way, we have no choice either.”
“No choice about what?”
“I wanted to resolve this purely through dialogue, but it seems that won’t be easy…… So what choice do I have? We’ll have to have this kind of conversation.”
“Oh? So you want to have a different kind of conversation?”
Jeco shrugged, then flashed a nasty, triumphant smile.
“No choice, really~ I clearly gave you a chance to talk, but Lord Albert refused, so I’ll have to……”
“Dialogue~ That sounds great. I like it too, and since you’re taking the initiative, I’m quite pleased as well.”
“Eh?”
At that moment, before Jeco could fully process Albert’s words, something astonishing happened.
Crack!!
A massive, muscular hand burst through the closed reception room door! The hand grabbed a mercenary’s head.
“Kuhak! W-what is this!!!”
“How dare you.”
The next instant the door was completely destroyed, revealing Aiden with his overwhelming muscles. Aiden bared his teeth in fury and lifted the mercenary by the head.
“Aaaagh!!”
Veins like serpents bulged on his arm as the mercenary thrashed. The mercenary was easily 180cm tall, yet in Aiden’s grip his legs dangled like a child’s.
“Threatening my lord…… You must be tired of living.”
His menacing voice pierced the mercenary’s ears. Aiden tightened his grip, trying to crush the man’s skull. The pain was so intense the mercenary struggled desperately to escape, but it was futile. He soon went limp.
“Tsk.”
Aiden tossed the mercenary into a corner like trash.
“You……”
“Got a problem?”
Another mercenary tried to charge at Aiden, but it wasn’t going to be easy.
“What kind of muscles……”
Twitch!
Those weren’t human muscles. Look at those thighs. The mercenary prided himself on his physique among his peers, but compared to what he saw now, his own muscles felt pathetic.
The vast pectoral muscles seemed to say, If you’re pissed, come at me.
The angrily raised trapezius muscles also spoke. Come at me and die.
There was no winning. And that face…… The mercenary had met plenty of rough-looking people in his line of work, but that face was in a league of its own. Even battle-hardened mercenaries who walked around with their guts on the outside would have to stuff them back in when faced with this.
“……”
Aiden silently took his place behind Albert. Jeco struggled to hide his panic and asked,
“T-that man…… who is he……?”
“Ah, let me introduce him. He’s Aiden, the captain of the guard in charge of security in our territory.”
“……With that face?”
The same reaction as always. But it couldn’t be helped. With that body and that face, he was the last person who looked like a guard captain.
“What’s wrong with our guy’s face? You got a problem with Aiden being our territory’s guard captain?”
That’s right!
Why are you trying to crush our guard captain’s spirit!!
(° ㅂ ° ╬)
“N-no, I don’t.”
“Well then~”
Albert looked at the still-stunned Jeco and flashed a thoroughly wicked smile.
“Shall we continue our dialogue (intimidation)?”
A pleasant time for conversation had arrived.