Whether the Princess Nods Is the Question

"I intend to make arrangements immediately, but how long can you stay?"

"The Duke told me I could remain until there's a result. Perhaps because we're old acquaintances."

"I see. I can sort something out for lodging. We're not strangers, so take your time."

"Thank you, sir."

Orleans bowed deeply as she said this.

I could clear out the storage room… no, it was full of goods right now.

It would be best to have her stay at the inn under Kazusa's care. It would serve as practice for her too.

"By the way, what would you have done if I had refused?"

"This matter cannot be made public, so I would have returned home had you declined, sir. At most, I would have purchased what I could from the market."

"That would be wise. Though I wouldn't recommend buying from the market."

This deal was like pulling chestnuts from the Empire's fire.

If it leaked to unrelated parties, Orleans's life would be in danger.

The amount Orleans could buy as an Imperial citizen from the market would be insignificant.

And in that case, transportation costs would be high.

I suspected she had been entrusted with a considerable sum from the Duke, but it would probably only fill a single cart.

"Scale merit matters in these kinds of deals. Buying a small amount would result in a massive loss."

"I still don't understand business very well… I have learned to understand numbers to some extent, though."

"Hmm. It seems your studies are already paying off."

Just from talking, I could tell her education had improved.

Previously, she had simply tried to speak politely, resulting in somewhat awkward formal speech, but now it came naturally.

"Do you have anything to prove this request comes from the Duke?"

"I do. I have been entrusted with a certificate and a bill of exchange."

"… They've placed considerable trust in you."

"That's precisely why they lent someone like me a robe like this."

"Don't be so self-deprecating. The Duke wouldn't have entrusted you with this if he didn't trust you."

"Do you… think so?"

Orleans responded somewhat anxiously.

I asked to see them just in case, and as far as I could tell, they were genuine.

I may be a mere merchant, but I was confident in my appraisal skills.

A certificate or bill of exchange bearing the Duke's family name could be easily misused in the wrong hands.

It would cause considerable loss.

Giving such documents to someone untrustworthy was unthinkable.

"I had you show me this time, but never show these to anyone else unless I say it's alright. These are that kind of item."

"I understand. I showed them to you precisely because you are who you are, sir."

"Is that so? Then that's fine."

A touch of embarrassment crept in at Orleans's direct words.

Right. Orleans didn't have an ounce of guile in her.

"If that's the case, I'll have you come to the meeting as well. That will make things faster. And I can't exactly hold onto those for you."

"Understood. Who will we be meeting with? Will you be introducing me to a large trading company?"

"No. Even the largest trading company in this city would probably refuse this deal. The profits are large, but the risks are too great, and more importantly, they couldn't get authorization."

"Authorization…"

Individual trade and transactions were one thing, but several months' worth of food for a city to a foreign country?

It wasn't within any single trading company's discretion, no matter how large.

This was a matter for the state to handle.

And the management of grain and other exports and imports fell under the jurisdiction of our lovely Princess Tianis.

Was this fate, or perhaps a divine prank?

"The person we'll be meeting is Princess Tianis, Second Princess of the Realm. If she doesn't grant permission, this deal won't go through."

"… The Second Princess."

Orleans repeated like a parrot, looking stunned.

"It's become quite a significant matter, hasn't it."

"The scale is too large. If I didn't have connections, I wouldn't have taken this on in the first place, so whether that's good or bad…"

"What kind of person is she?"

I sensed multiple meanings in Orleans's question.

In essence, she wanted to know if this was someone who could grant authorization.

That question was entirely reasonable. No matter how thoroughly we worked out the details here, it would all come to nothing if those above said no.

"I don't have a deep relationship with her yet, but I believe she's someone who understands profit and loss. And she has compassion… I think."

"You think, sir?"

Orleans seemed to want to say something.

Probably that she'd prefer I not say uncertain things.

I didn't believe she was cold-hearted.

She also seemed calculating enough to weigh her own interests against others'.

It would depend on how she viewed this matter, but it wasn't a bad deal by any means.

If it went well, she could earn favor with an Imperial duke and the Crown Prince.

Even if another faction won, all she would have done was sell food to the Empire.

There would be no grounds for blame.

If there was any issue, it would be if another member of the imperial family had already established a connection with Princess Tianis.

In that case, she would certainly refuse.

I felt bad for Orleans, but if that happened, there would be no way to overturn it.

The best we could do would be to sell what our trading company could handle.

When I summarized my thoughts and explained them, Orleans quietly digested the information.

"That possibility… I don't think exists. Basically, no faction wants outside intervention, and this time we're going through the Duke. If Princess Tianis had personal connections with someone, they probably would have already acted."

"True."

Last year's wheat harvest had been quite bountiful.

Prices had reflected that, and there had been no periods of reduced circulation or price increases.

It was probably safe to assume Princess Tianis had no connections to imperial royalty.

"In any case, we'll need to talk first. There's also the possibility she won't want to release the national food reserves. For now, I'll petition for a meeting, so rest and recover from your journey. I'll show you to the inn later."

"Please do."

After that, I petitioned Princess Tianis for an audience through Jacob.

Then Azu and the others returned, and things got lively.

Azu was practically in tears as she embraced Orleans.