No One Turns Down a Request from a Duchess

With the village quest finished and our things packed, we got back on the road with the carriage.

Orleans sat in the cargo bed, cradling the Fire Elemental Stone in both hands and gazing at it.

Simply bringing a fire magic stone close to it replenished its mana.

Handy thing.

Unfortunately, water magic stones and the like got no reaction from it.

Just being near the stone, you could feel the heat.

The very attribute of fire itself was contained within this Elemental Stone.

"Was this originally an elemental?"

"Probably. I can't say how it was transformed into a stone, though…"

"I believe the fact that we cannot touch it, yet Orleans alone can, is related."

"Um, I can touch it now too, you know."

"In your case, Azu, the Water Elemental is simply assisting you."

The Fire Elemental Stone continued to gleam red.

"At the very least, this doesn't seem to be a forced arrangement like with the Water Elemental. If it were, no human would be permitted to touch it," Alexia said.

If Baron Aarg had continued persecuting the Water Elemental, some catastrophic natural disaster might have occurred alongside its crystallization.

What the man had planned to do afterward, I couldn't say.

Whether he'd even thought that far ahead.

… The noble who had sought the Water Elemental Stone was Alexia's family's patron, and Baron Aarg's as well.

Who had they intended to send it to?

I never did dig deeper into the patron. I could have asked Finn again and found out, but I hadn't.

The matter was far too big.

I had no intention of getting involved with an ambitious noble aiming for a seat on the Council of Elders.

We already had a runaway serf on our hands as it was.

Staying off the radar was what mattered right now.

"Once we arrive, let's head back to Kassad first. I want to process those pelts too."

"Understood. You're bringing Orleans along, right?"

"Yeah. Then I'll come back on another peddling trip. I plan to return her to the manor estate then."

I said it and looked at Orleans.

She nodded quietly.

Keeping her with us indefinitely was never an option.

If she'd lost both parents, I might have considered taking her in outright. But her parents were still alive.

I certainly had my own thoughts about the manor estate as a place, but that wasn't reason enough to tear a child from her parents. Even if her parents wished for it, surely she wouldn't run away again.

"Sir, what will you do with this?"

Orleans held out the Fire Elemental Stone to me.

Azu could barely touch it, and it showed no reaction to her the way it did to Orleans.

But letting Orleans keep it and sending her back to the manor estate would guarantee trouble.

An Elemental Stone was a rare and expensive treasure, valuable enough to be chosen as a gift for a high-ranking noble.

Given what I'd seen of that household, hiding the stone completely would be difficult.

The soldiers were one thing, but that nervous man overseeing them would never miss it if he caught even a glimpse.

"Do you want to keep it?"

"… Strangely, holding this stone puts me at ease. But I'll leave it to you, sir."

"I see."

After that, we rode in silence.

Now then, what to do.

Some time later, we arrived at the city of Ateil.

We entered the city and headed for the inn.

There, the innkeeper was speaking with someone.

The innkeeper kept bowing repeatedly, which told me the other person held considerable status.

As the carriage drew closer, the innkeeper pointed our way and the person turned around.

They wore clothes tailored from fine fabric.

A noble, most likely.

I stepped down from the carriage, and the person approached with an imperious bearing.

I made sure to keep Orleans behind me, out of sight.

When they got close, I involuntarily swallowed.

Had they found out we were harboring Orleans?

Suppressing the urge to panic, I forced my mind to work, scrambling for an excuse.

"Are you the merchant who was selling these at the market?"

"These are… yes. That's me."

The words weren't what I'd expected, and I was caught off guard as I looked at what was being shown to me.

The nobleman was holding soap and fragrance.

The new products I'd brought here to sell on this trip.

Sales had exceeded expectations, and I'd been planning to bring a much larger stock next time.

I'd gotten positive feedback from the ladies too, so I'd assumed there were no issues. But had something gone wrong?

"These have reached Her Grace, the Duchess Lecreune. She is most pleased with them and wishes to distribute them among her lady friends. Two hundred of each. They are to serve as souvenirs for a large tea party to be held soon."

He conveyed the request in a smooth, clearly audible voice. The content was easy to understand, but the tone brooked no refusal.

It simply wasn't considered a possibility that I'd say no.

And of course, I couldn't.

If the deal went through, the profit would be enormous. And I had no desire to imagine the future of a foreign merchant who'd slighted a duchess.

Besides, this noble, likely the house steward, had probably come without any escort.

That meant I was being treated with a certain degree of respect.

For the first time in a while, the merchant in me was thrumming with excitement.

"When would the deadline be?"

"Deliver them to the ducal estate within fifteen days. Bring this with you."

He handed me a tally stick.

Without it, I wouldn't be able to enter the ducal grounds. Understood.

I tucked it away carefully.

"I'll return to my country at once and prepare everything."

"If the goods are of good quality, Lady Lecreune will make purchases even from a traveling merchant such as yourself. Be certain to meet the deadline."

"Understood."

Without waiting for me to finish speaking, the steward mounted his horse and rode away.

But I couldn't afford to waste time watching him go, either.

Fortunately, today was our last day at the inn.

I quickly gave everyone instructions and had them bring down the luggage from our rooms.

I had Orleans water the mule while I thought about how to procure the goods once we got back to Kassad.

Even if I sent a letter, if I hurried back I'd arrive faster.

And it would be quicker to handle things directly in person.

"Yohane-sama, that's the last of what needs loading."

"Good. We're heading back at full speed. It's a race against time."

Everyone nodded.

In the face of a massive business opportunity, everything else could wait.