Using the Right Title

"Well then, thanks for the meal."

"Please eat properly, okay? I rely on you for a lot of things, Ramiza-san, so it'll be trouble if you collapse again."

"I know, I know. You're such a worrywart."

I saw off Ramiza-san after she'd finished her meal and recovered her energy.

She should be fine now.

While Azu and the others ate their pudding dessert, I checked Cat's Paw Inn's ledger.

The food service department was steadily improving. The meal ticket system and various innovations were paying off.

What surprised me was that the lodging department was also gradually increasing its numbers.

I had thought it was sufficient for the lodging side to be slightly profitable after expenses, since it was offered cheaply for adventurers and travelers…

But lately, even the private rooms were constantly occupied, generating substantial profit.

"Are you really getting that many customers? The lodging services are average, right?"

"I think so. We're not doing anything special, but my brother loves cleaning, so we're confident in our cleanliness, and the meal service is popular. But lately, we've been getting so many customers that we've had to turn some away."

"That's surprising."

"When I talk to the lodging guests, many of them have moved from the Royal Capital. Apparently there was some major incident."

It seemed people temporarily evacuating from the Royal Capital were using the inn.

Since the lodging was cheap, it met the demand for long-term stays.

I hadn't thought of that.

"So that's why burning stone is in high demand."

"Yes. On chilly days, some people want to rent heated items that use burning stone, so consumption adds up. It shouldn't be as much once summer comes, but we'll need quite a bit for the following winter."

"Blankets aren't enough when winter gets cold…"

Crushed burning stone has long been used as an inexpensive heating method.

You could call it a winter tradition.

I returned the ledger to Kazusa and left Cat's Paw Inn.

If I leave the inn to Kazusa, it'll keep thriving.

She has a talent for business.

She's good with numbers and has the enthusiasm to innovate.

It probably helps that, unlike being a porter, her earnings directly reflect her efforts.

I trusted her because she was Azu's friend, and it was the right call.

I returned to the shop and spoke with Kaimol right away.

But the situation was more serious than I'd thought.

"The domestic supply dropped to less than half a while ago. On top of that, the government is securing most of it, so what's left is being fought over. That's why even the Adventurer's Guild has multiple quests for buying burning stone."

"At this time of year? How's our procurement looking?"

"I've added burning stone to our overseas procurement routes. Since it sells at high prices, the purchase cost isn't a problem, but it's bulky and heavy, so we can't bring in that much."

"So we can get some. Building relationships really pays off."

"Indeed. They're prioritizing us."

It seemed burning stone had become extremely hard to obtain only within the Kingdom.

There were even jokes about adventurers becoming miners with pickaxes in hand.

I instructed him to allocate a little to Ramiza-san.

Then the Blacksmith came by.

It seemed he'd come to pick up burning stone.

"Here you go."

"Thanks for setting some aside for me."

"Not at all. We've known each other a long time."

"You're a lifesaver. Oh, young Yohane, rare to see you here."

"This is my shop, you know."

"You say that, but you're hardly ever here lately. Bring that girl's weapon by for maintenance."

"I'll let her know."

The Blacksmith left with a hearty laugh.

"I hope the burning stone supply recovers soon…"

"Is someone buying it all up, or is someone holding back supply?"

"It doesn't feel like a buyout. The middlemen have no inventory at all. So I think the cause is further upstream, at the mines."

"The mines… Merchants can't interfere due to regulations."

Direct purchasing of burning stone from mines is not permitted.

Since it's both a daily necessity and a cornerstone of military industry, this was implemented in the Kingdom to prevent unfair lowballing of the mines.

So normally there's nothing I could do, but as the Queen's secretary, things are different.

With the justification that there's harm to the Kingdom, I should be able to investigate the cause.

It's a title I was given, after all. Let me put it to use a little.

It's not for personal gain, so there shouldn't be a problem.

I promptly wrote a letter to Her Majesty Tianis about this matter.

The reply came back via portal a few days later, granting permission.

Apparently, it had been raised as an issue at the castle as well, so the timing was perfect.

If I recall correctly, the Kingdom's largest source of burning stone is… the mining district of the city of Shirok.

It's located north of here.

It's near the settlement where we were helped by the Dragonslayer before.

I remember freezing during that time since it was the middle of winter.

It shouldn't be that bad this time of year.

"So, we'll be heading to the city of Shirok. Have you all gotten enough rest?"

"Yes, I'm full of energy!"

"What kind of place is the city of Shirok?"

"It's a typical mining city. It used to be just a small settlement, but after a massive burning stone vein was discovered, it grew rapidly. A man known as the Kingdom's Coal King runs the place."

"Ah, one of those places."

"We're going to investigate the burning stone, right?"

"That's right. As a merchant, I can't ignore this situation either. If the supply remains stalled, people won't be able to get through winter."

"Hehe. You're so kind."

"I'm talking about lost business opportunities. It's not like that."

I have no intention of doing charity work.

It's about selling what you can to those who'll buy it.

"Doesn't sound very interesting, but it's better than staying home."

"May I come along too? I'd like to see a mine."

"Of course."

There's no portal in the city of Shirok. Even using portals partway, it would take several days, so we decided to travel by carriage.