A Handshake Is Proof of Trust

The maids swiftly arranged the setting, and tea was served.

If you looked at just this scene, you'd think it was a tea party.

Anatia-jou moistened her throat with the tea, placed the cup back on its saucer, and began to speak.

"After what happened, I've been feeling uneasy. Until now, my maids doubled as bodyguards. But they're attendants first and foremost, not trained security professionals."

"One of them did die."

"Yes. A tragic loss. I can't afford to let her death be in vain by allowing the same thing to happen again. But arranging proper security on short notice isn't easy."

What a bodyguard needed was strength and loyalty.

Achieving both was no simple matter.

Even if you hired someone for coin, you couldn't place them close without first investigating their background and confirming they could be trusted.

Anatia-jou moved her hands and gently enveloped Yohane's left hand in hers.

Behind him, one of the three girls shifted.

Anatia-jou's silk-gloved hands were smooth to the touch and warm.

"A delegation from the Church of the Sun God is coming in secret. Officially, it's to investigate the statue."

"Should you be telling me this? Isn't that confidential?"

"Don't worry. You're involved, after all. I have my father's permission, too. Come to think of it, I heard you also encountered the attackers where my father was."

"That's right. It was through that encounter that I ended up selling the Anti-Magic Orb to him."

"And that orb ended up saving me as well. So you really are my savior."

It would be a lie to say I didn't regret parting with the Anti-Magic Orb, but twenty-five hundred gold coins paid with a smile was awfully tempting.

I might have gotten more at auction, but there was always the risk of it underperforming or a similar item hitting the market at the same time and driving the price down.

I'd chosen the sure thing over chasing the ceiling, and I had no regrets about that.

"Could you lend me just a little of that good fortune and strength? I intend to prepare adequate compensation. Consider it a belated thank-you as well."

Her grip tightened around my hand.

It wasn't that I had no defenses against women, but being this close to someone this beautiful made it impossible not to feel self-conscious.

The merchant part of my brain urged me to stay calm.

Letting charm cloud your judgment was the first step toward a bad deal.

Someone behind me pinched my back.

That hurt. It took some effort not to let it show on my face.

I was curious who'd done it, but I couldn't exactly turn around right now.

… And now someone else was running their palm across my back.

"From what you're saying, the Sun God delegation is coming, but you don't have a bodyguard you can trust in time. What about borrowing one from the duke?"

I'd have thought he could spare at least one person for his own daughter.

Anatia-jou shook her head.

"He said it was a learning experience. That I should find someone on my own. That a person who drowns in status and power could never govern a domain."

"That's harsh. But as someone among the common folk, I appreciate the sentiment."

Having seen real examples, the words came with genuine feeling.

A duke like the one in the Empire, one who could discern the bitter from the sweet and play the villain when necessary, was one thing. But nobles who drowned in self-preservation and self-interest were a sorry lot.

My first run-in with nobility had left me a bit gun-shy, but after dealing with various nobles since then, I'd come to understand a thing or two.

Fear was an illusion, in a sense. You feared what you didn't understand. Once you understood it, you could deal with it, and the fear faded.

Now, I could probably handle things well enough to avoid being thrown into a cell the way I once was.

Not that I wanted the opportunity to arise.

"Well, we are adventurers, after all. If the compensation is fair, of course we'd accept the job. This is a one-time arrangement, correct?"

"Yes, exactly! I'm glad I came in person. I knew you'd say yes."

Anatia-jou finally released my hand and had a maid bring over a sheet of parchment.

"As compensation, I'll pay one hundred gold coins upfront."

A hundred gold coins for a single guard detail.

The danger was hard to gauge, but it was a princely sum.

Then again, guarding a duke's daughter was in a different league from an ordinary escort job.

"I thought this might please a merchant."

What she handed over was a stiff, processed card.

Properly manufactured. Could this be…?

"I've heard it many times when dining with merchants. Tariffs are such a burden, aren't they? With this, you'll no longer need to pay tariffs when entering Alsarm."

A tax exemption certificate. My first time seeing one.

The magic paper that every merchant would kill to get their hands on.

"I wanted to make it a full exemption, but that was beyond my authority, I'm afraid. So it's limited in scope."

The exemption certificate had stipulations clearly written on it.

I read every last detail.

It exempted tariffs on alcohol and mineral goods.

It bore the ducal house's official seal.

This was a legally authenticated document.

"No, no. Even limited to specific categories, this is what a merchant would call the highest honor imaginable."

Just not having to pay tariffs on visits to Alsarm practically guaranteed a profit.

It was restricted to alcohol and mineral goods, which couldn't be transported in bulk, but there were plenty of ways to work with that.

How much profit could be squeezed out was a matter of a merchant's skill.

As compensation that Anatia-jou was in a position to offer, nothing could surpass this.

And once this was on the table, no merchant alive would say no.

The hundred gold coins were practically a bonus.

The joy was so intense that, for just an instant, emotion slipped through onto my face.

"I'm delighted it makes you so happy. It was worth preparing. As for the duration, you'll start tomorrow and continue until the inspection is complete. I'll have rooms prepared for you at the manor as a live-in arrangement. Given what happened, an unofficial visit like this one is unlikely to provoke anything… but those attackers didn't seem to care about consequences, so I'd rather be safe than sorry."

There was an old saying: debts of gratitude are meant to be sold.

Leaving Alsarm peacefully was no longer an option, but a substantial prize now dangled before me.

If that was how it was going to be, then I'd go for it.

But there was one thing I needed her to promise.

No matter who the other party was, noble or not, there were lines I wouldn't bend on.

"In an emergency, follow our instructions. Just like last time. And we'll be protecting you, Anatia-sama, and you alone. If something happens, we'll ignore the duke and prioritize your safety above all else."

He who chases two rabbits catches neither.

This was one point I absolutely had to secure her agreement on.