Can You Not See This Warrant?!

The Royal Capital Market.

Those in the business often simply called it "the market."

It was no exaggeration to say that half of everything entering the Royal Capital passed through here.

Not just food, but ores, magic stones, and magical tools were all sold here.

About the only thing you couldn't buy here was slaves.

Generations of kings had established the rule that anyone could freely buy and sell as long as they paid the location fee, drawing people in and helping the Royal Capital grow into one of the continent's great cities.

While it might pale somewhat compared to the city of Alsarm or the Imperial capital these days, it remained as bustling as ever.

For people like Ann who bought cheap daily supplies and sold them with a markup, this place was a lifeline.

Large trading companies also sourced goods here.

My shop frequently made purchases here as well.

And so, the market was already alive with buying and selling by sunrise, filling the air with noise.

I'd brought Princess Tianis and Azu's group to the market.

From here on, I decided to address her as "young miss" rather than "Your Highness."

"Miss Tianis, have you been to the Royal Capital Market before?"

"I came once when drugs were spreading, but we had temporarily closed it for the crackdown, so it was completely different."

"Then this might surprise you. This is probably the noisiest place in the kingdom."

"What do you mean by— whoa!"

Just as Princess Tianis asked, an auction started nearby.

The sudden loud voices made her flinch. Kinda cute.

It appeared to be an auction for a large shipment of sheep.

This didn't seem related to the embezzlement.

Princess Tianis watched with fascination.

She'd probably never seen an auction before.

The embezzlement group hadn't shown themselves yet, so I let her observe for a bit.

"Hey, Yohane. I can't understand a word they're saying. What language is that?"

"Ha ha. Those are auction signals. See how the buyers are raising their right hands and making gestures?"

"You're right. They say something each time they move their hands."

"They're indicating prices. If they said everything in full each time, they couldn't keep up, so they abbreviate. That's why outsiders can't understand. See, that butcher just won the bid."

A large man in a white apron had offered the highest price, winning the rights to several particularly fine sheep. I knew he was a butcher because I'd seen his face during the Luido affair.

Looking pleased, he gave orders to his subordinates and had them lead away the sheep he'd won.

Those sheep would be slaughtered, butchered into meat, and sold to dinner tables.

The prized sheep were gone, but others remained.

The auction resumed.

"So this is how distribution works. With auctions, sellers can get high prices from buyers. And buyers can get what they want, then process it or transport it elsewhere to sell."

"Exactly. It's not always auctions, but the money received by sellers gets spent on feed for new sheep or something else. That's how the economy circulates."

"I see. And part of that circulation goes to the treasury as taxes. So if you grow the economy, tax revenue increases."

"Yes. At your age, understanding this much is plenty."

"Wait, are you making fun of me again? Sometimes your words sound like insults."

"I'm hurt to hear that. Then, can you tell me why the damaged Royal Capital is actually thriving economically right now?"

Good opportunity.

Let's help her develop greater awareness as a ruler.

Her decisions alone could save or kill everyone here.

"Um, because the population increased?"

"That's true, but not quite. Just having more people isn't enough."

"Then… because jobs increased?"

"Right. Specifically, government-commissioned work has increased substantially."

"But jobs are jobs anywhere, aren't they? The government commissioned them this time because of the urgency for the nation."

"It's different. The government never skimps on the wages it promises, and it never fails to pay. It's a trustworthy client, so to speak. That's why so many craftsmen have gathered for the capital's reconstruction."

This reflected trust in the kingdom itself.

Even if the currency exchange was said to be declining, this proved the nation hadn't collapsed.

Craftsmen considered it worth migrating here for work.

Things weren't so bad after all.

"Not paying people for their work? That can't be real. That's outrageous."

"Miss Tianis, you think that because you've never had to work. When you're working, not having to worry about whether you'll definitely receive your wages is important. And yes, my shop pays properly."

"Not getting paid for work even though you're not a slave… I can't believe it."

Azu gave an awkward laugh.

I'll just note that being a slave doesn't mean it's okay to treat them as disposable.

"When the government spends money, it flows through the market, circulates throughout the nation, and comes back as taxes. A nation where that circulation gradually grows in scale is a healthy one. Many nobles don't understand this, though."

"I've said this many times, but I'm a noble too, you know?"

"That's true. But you and Lady Anatia don't hoard unnecessarily or levy excessive taxes for luxury. I hope that continues."

"Well, I'll try. My reign will be long if nothing goes wrong."

"If nothing goes wrong." Those words carried weight.

Jacob was a good example of urban development.

Thanks to him, the city of Kassad had made a tremendous recovery.

Luido was also doing well despite being a satellite city, operating efficiently and profitably.

"Master, isn't that them?"

"Where?"

"Over there."

In the direction Alexia pointed, a group had arrived with a large wagon.

The cargo was clearly substantial.

The moment they arrived, people in the area began gathering around.

They must have known a bargain sale was about to start.

"Miss, as we planned."

"I know. You'd better not mess up either."

"Of course. A merchant who can't talk his way through things can't survive."

We all walked toward the group, pushing through the crowd.

People around us complained about our cutting in line, but we ignored them.

Bear with us this time. These goods were meant for the soup kitchen.

"Stop selling. We're going to inspect that cargo."

"What's this about? This is a free and open market. What authority do you have to say that, little miss?"

The man dismissed Princess Tianis's sudden demand, condescending to her as a child.

Expected reaction. But when he saw the warrant Princess Tianis held up, his expression changed.

"What authority, you ask? I'll tell you. By the authority of Tianis Deiancle, member of the Deianclure Kingdom's royal family, I order this cargo to be inspected. You are suspected of embezzling soup kitchen supplies."

We had prepared the warrant through proper procedures.

Princess Tianis had written it and Princess Tianis had approved it—a somewhat circular document, but no one had the right to stop it.

That's what it meant to be royalty.