Chapter 45 — Everything Now Belongs to Your Majesty (5)
Chapter 45 — Everything Now Belongs to Your Majesty (5)
The launch ceremony of the state-run trading company was grand.
The emperor's mere appearance—he who never showed his face at official events—became an enormous sensation.
Those invited to the trading company's launch could now recount tales just as heroic as the commoners who had the bizarre experience in front of the city hall.
— Do you know what GDI stands for?!
— They say it signifies collecting only the most precious things. An abbreviation for Gold, Dragon, and Iron.
— What a profoundly meaningful name!
— Good heavens. His Majesty and the concubine looked so lovely together.
— It's not easy to see all four members of the Small Council gathered at once! Liron rarely goes out.
The noble houses and high society were buzzing.
The emperor, and the human concubine who was the vice-head of the trading company.
And the four high nobles of the Small Council who were said to sway the nation.
It was the first time anyone had seen them all seated together. The emperor had never even shown his face at the annual New Year Festival.
"In some ways, it's remarkably easy."
Baron Grabe spoke to Grünent.
"In Arteala, the existing trading companies would have raised a huge uproar about oppression and tyranny long ago."
"That's because Evirgio is a nation maintained by His Majesty's strength."
"I've grasped that reality. And precisely because of it, I'm cautious about what I teach. The cultures are different."
"I understand, Baron."
At the top of the trading company building, Baron Grabe smiled. The figures in the documents gave him every reason to laugh.
The state-run GDI Trading Company sold an immense amount of wheat from its very first day of business. Stock was sufficient. There was so much wheat from the start that they couldn't possibly hand all of it over to private trading houses.
There was no need to slash prices drastically. The wheat only had to be cheaper than what was already on the market.
It was like fleeing a bear: you only had to be faster than the person beside you. They only had to sell it cheaper than the competition. There was no need to abandon their profit margin.
Thanks to this, wheat sold like wildfire, even at prices higher than the original market rate.
The private trading houses automatically lowered their wheat prices, and only then did the GDI Trading Company lower its selling price as well.
Even the wheat sacks had the following phrase written on them:
'Trustworthy wheat sold by the state-run trading company, founded directly by His Majesty, who could not forgive trading houses that toyed with the people using food!'
This preemptively blocked any other false rumors the trading companies might try to spread among the populace.
"I have only seen His Majesty for a short time."
Grünent waited for the baron's next words.
"But he seems to be someone who cares deeply for the people."
At those words, Grünent smiled.
"Indeed. I think so as well."
"He seems so different from the rumors I had heard up until now."
Grünent fully understood what the baron was leaving unsaid. It was what she herself had heard back in Merde.
Mad dog. Tyrant. Despot.
The enemy of humanity. One unworthy of even the title of king.
A cannibal and one insane with bloodlust.
The Demon King.
But the figure she had observed over the months since being freed from the underground dungeon was far too different from those assessments.
"Yes. He is a deeply considerate and meticulous person."
"Then why didn't he act this way before?"
It was a sharp question from Baron Grabe.
If he was originally this kind of person, he could have acted like this at any time. So why was he rectifying internal affairs and engaging in diplomacy only now?
"Could he be thinking that the war is unfavorable?"
However, Grünent was one of the people who knew the military situation of Merde better than anyone.
She shook her head.
"I also find His Majesty's heart difficult to fully fathom. I too was imprisoned in the underground dungeon when I first came to Evirgio."
The baron looked at her with surprised eyes.
"He said that demonkind do not inherently value justifications. While living here, I've felt that to be true in many ways."
"Ah, certainly."
If every single justification were required, creating a state-run trading company in three days would be an absolute impossibility.
"I also did not see the previous His Majesty in person, but I've heard that his personality changed suddenly."
The close demon maidservants used to say it often.
That His Majesty had suddenly become so generous.
Yes, as if,
As if the person had been completely replaced.
And the speculated reason for it was.
"It's an embarrassing... thing to say. But I've heard that his personality changed a great deal after meeting me."
"Oh ho."
Baron Grabe let out an exclamation at the sight of Grünent's face flushing pink.
Grünent was certainly a charming woman.
A Demon King who would reform overnight just to win her.
It was hard to see it as natural, but it wasn't an incomprehensible statement either.
If he kept Grünent with him, and if Evirgio had sufficient military strength, he could even conquer Merde's capital and then install her as queen.
Because she possessed legitimacy.
But Grünent was honest.
"However, even when he first summoned me from the underground dungeon, His Majesty was already someone who thought of the people. Even then, he was thoughtful, frank, and possessed the magnanimity of a conqueror."
Looking at the face of a maiden in love, the baron swallowed a bittersweet sigh at that youthful freshness.
"When I first met him, His Majesty was already a perfect person. I do not think he became that way because of me."
"You are truly guileless, Your Highness."
At the baron's rueful words, Grünent only smiled. The baron was saying something similar to what Roan had told her the week before.
That she had a chance to become queen.
But now, her people were the people here in Evirgio.
Demon and human alike. Once here, they became people who enjoyed life under His Majesty's protection. And she assisted such a His Majesty by his side.
With that, she could be satisfied.
"Fufu, you should watch until the end."
Managing a trading company here in Evirgio might bring happiness to more people than being the queen of a collapsing Merde.
It was then. Someone knocked on the door.
"It's Naore."
To report on the morning's situation, the working-level officer knocked on the office door at the same time as always.
"Enter."
The girl's face vanished, leaving only the face of an administrator. Grünent sat in the seat of honor and observed the demon who entered the office.
He was someone with black horns and violet eyes, similar to His Majesty. She had heard that horned demonkin were rare.
He was said to be a collateral branch of a distant high noble lord. Like His Majesty, the demon also had black hair. Smiling broadly, he presented his report.
"Here is the sales statement for this morning. I have also attached the matters you ordered investigated."
"I see. Any notable issues?"
"There was one disturbance, and one heartwarming story."
"Oh?"
Grünent's blue eyes fixed on Naore.
The smiling young demon of the trading company met her gaze.
"Which would you like to hear first?"
Baron Grabe's eyebrow twitched, but Grünent, oddly enough, did not dislike Naore.
Perhaps it was because he resembled His Majesty.
In any case, she was the emperor's concubine, not a queen consort, and there was no problem if the trading company's manager spoke a little comfortably with an employee.
Grünent decided not to classify even this as discourtesy.
"Shall we hear the bad news first?"
"A ruffian burst in, brandishing flame magic, shouting that wandering humans were disgusting and that he would kill them all."
"...What?!"
"So there are still such individuals."
A startled Baron Grabe and a sighing Grünent.
Hatred toward humans was not something that could vanish overnight.
Most of the staff carrying out the actual work in this trading company were demons. Most of the humans were still learning the work from Baron Grabe.
There were only a handful of humans who had previously worked as merchants in Merde. They were working alongside demons in the trading company.
Since demons were powerful, if demons were present together on the first floor, the humans would have been protected.
"What happened?"
"He was immediately dragged away by the guards."
"Casualties?"
"None. As it happened, everyone in the first-floor shop except one were our demon staff."
Grünent visibly relaxed.
"What is the good news?"
When Baron Grabe pressed, Naore smiled and answered.
"As for that, you'll have to go downstairs and see for yourself."
*
"So, this is all of it."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
With an animated expression, Grünent pointed to the flowers, fruits, and various tributes piled before Roan.
It was more than a person could carry in two full arms. The overflow in front of the trading company had been transported in two carts.
Some items among them, like furs and animal carcasses, gave off odors, so they were sorted to be prepared separately. Even excluding those, there was this much.
Roan felt his chest swell with emotion.
"But. Why all of a sudden?"
"Among the wholesalers who bought wheat, there were some who displayed the phrase written on the wheat sacks."
Grünent explained in an excited voice.
It was a rare occurrence considering her usually composed tone.
"Once one place boasted about selling His Majesty's wheat in that way, it seems it became a trend for everyone else to hang up those sacks as well."
"Ah."
Rauka let out a note of admiration.
"Before that, there were occasionally one or two people who came back holding flowers, but for some reason today, everyone came back carrying something by the armful. So that was the reason."
Diobe spoke in a voice tinged with laughter.
"Did that happen there too?"
Grünent's eyes widened.
"Yes. Apparently, people were gauging whether it was acceptable to leave tributes at the trading company building. Some delivered tributes to a nearby human, and others simply left their tributes in front of the building. That seems to be how it happened."
"Amazing. He's as popular as the Goddess."
Rauka's voice held no trace of sarcasm.
The head maid had once said it.
The Demon King was like a religion.
But until now, the Demon King had never revealed himself to the demon race.
A Demon King with no political actions, not even excursions outside the castle.
So, to the people outside the castle, the Demon King might have felt like a figure from drifting ghost stories.
But then, that very Demon King actually moved.
He showed himself, created a trading company,
and even said he was acting for the purpose of feeding them.
The incident in front of the city hall had already become a topic of conversation among the populace. It was the emperor who had proclaimed, 'I will not leave you weak ones be.'
And he proved those words.
To make an extreme analogy, the experience must have been similar to an apostle of god from the scriptures coming out onto the streets to preach, and providing people with the food they needed most.
"Hmm. This is a grateful thing."
"Of course, I love His Majesty's restrained demeanor as well, but you could afford to be a little happier."
Grünent pouted slightly.
I really am happy!
I'm just a bit embarrassed.
Roan smiled slightly and spoke.
"Decorate the castle with the flowers. Send half the fruit and animals to the head chef. Let the humans and demons working together share the remaining half and take them home."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Diobe, who had visited the castle for a report after a long time, bowed her head.
Her affection, which had risen in little ping-pong increments, now stood at +12.
"Still, I'm glad Grünent looks good working now. It's still difficult for me to guard her outside."
Since Rauka was in a state where only half her power was released, it was hard for her to protect Grünent outside.
After her affection had risen to -25 and some of her power had been unsealed, today's anecdotes in this meeting had brought her affection to -20 after her ping-pong sound effect.
The sight of Grünent happy definitely seemed to have a good influence on her.
"Yes. I'll be able to recover all of my power soon."
For Rauka to gain power, Grünent's permission was needed, and Grünent was waiting for my permission.
Grünent also knew that Rauka's rebellious feelings toward me had noticeably decreased. She probably thought it was right to wait a little longer too.
"I think Rauka still needs a little more time to get used to the demon folk's culture. Please wait."
"Mm, fine. If I accidentally blurted out 'you demon bastards' there, it'd be a public nuisance."
Thank goodness. She had that much self-awareness.
Though I'm not sure if she thinks it's fine to do it in front of me.
Grünent was aghast, but Rauka already knew I didn't scold her for such words.
"Yes. Since the families of the Small Council members will be there as well, I must watch what I say."
Rauka nodded.
Aranya, who had already formed a large clan, involved her own family members in the process of recruiting staff for the trading company.
She bore 200 children at a time.
So the children she personally gave birth to alone numbered in the hundreds.
It was said that everything—from her personal secretary who aided her work,
to the scouting party that tracked the rescue team, to the management of the clan—was handled within the family.
Thanks to that, the GDI Trading Company easily secured staff, but the building's interior seemed a little cramped with the large-bodied Arachne.
"Then, shall I get going?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. I will visit you with Helen."
"Mm."
Grünent spoke and bowed her head politely.
During the ten-odd days the trading company had grown,
Helen was already staying inside the castle and had begun helping Roan with his work little by little.
Her affection stat was, surprisingly.
+20.
It was the result of effort and luck.
Literally, the help of a goddess.