Chapter 22: The Queen’s Cruelty and a Hasty Bargain

“Your Majesty,” the envoy began, “due to the famine in the northern regions, there has been a significant increase in bandits and refugees this winter. They are now infiltrating the southern areas and nearby cities, inevitably leading to conflicts and disputes within those urban centers. Your Majesty, I believe it is time to initiate disaster relief.”

“Oh?” Queen Sisi responded.

She extended a hand, tossing the steak before her onto a nearby mat. Two individuals scrambled over, frantically clawing and biting at the food. A faint smile played on her lips as she watched them.

Then, she beckoned the envoy with a graceful flick of her finger. Her attendants swiftly brought a bowl of spiced water for her to cleanse her slender fingers.

After drying her hands, she looked up, a smile gracing her features. “Am I truly expected to manage so many affairs? Is disaster relief my responsibility? If such matters require my personal attention, then what purpose do my lords serve?”

“This situation is primarily a consequence of the army’s campaigns, Your Majesty, which led to excessive grain requisitions. The lords themselves no longer possess sufficient provisions for disaster relief.” The envoy’s voice grew urgent.

“In many areas, their manors and granaries have already been plundered. The current state of affairs is such that only your personal intervention can bring it under control.”

“No, no, I have no desire for that.”

Queen Sisi chuckled lightly. “I have only just returned home and have yet to fully enjoy my leisure. I have no wish to concern myself with these matters. Besides, are there not still troops stationed in the north who have not yet withdrawn?”

“In that case, let the rioters be slain. Eliminate these rioters, and there will be no more refugees, will there? Oh, and as for everyone else… Achilles, Achilles!”

“Your Majesty, how may I serve you?”

A man entered from outside and knelt before the Queen. He was remarkably young, perhaps in his early twenties, with short, light blonde hair neatly combed back.

His youthful face was impeccably clean and refined, and his dark eyes shimmered with exceptional spirit. His lips, sharp as blades, curved into an elegant smile as he knelt attentively before the Queen.

“Are you not the Merchant Guild? If so, then you must possess ample grain. I trust you to manage the disaster relief. Of course, I know you will undoubtedly extract various benefits from this endeavor.”

“Therefore, I need not worry. However, regardless of the circumstances, this is a national crisis. I implore you, as merchants, to profit as little as possible.”

“You need not worry, Your Majesty. I represent your Merchant Guild and will act solely on your behalf. We would never commit any beastly acts for the sake of mere money.”

Queen Sisi regarded the man with a curious gaze, then burst into laughter. She kicked away a ‘dog’ that had been lingering nearby.

“How amusing! Truly amusing! I simply cannot believe that you, a merchant, would not pursue money. This is utterly delightful. Enough of this nonsense; I don’t believe a word of it, so there’s no need to say more.”

“Just go and assist me. Oh, a thought just occurred to me: is Vilya also in the disaster-stricken area?”

“Yes,” the envoy confirmed with a nod.

“However, I have received no reports of disaster in Lord Vilya’s territory. It seems their food supply issues have been resolved. Although… well… I find it quite peculiar myself.”

“Lord Vilya’s land has already been taxed once. Normally, there shouldn’t be any surplus funds. Yet, among all the northern territories, only Lord Vilya’s domain remains untouched by the famine.”

‘Is Vilya truly a talent in administration? Did she perfectly distribute the available grain?’

For the first time, Queen Sisi displayed a look of genuine astonishment. She then burst into hearty laughter, her eyes alight with excitement and curiosity. She licked her lips, as if savoring a taste of exquisite nectar.

“I am truly fascinated by the changes Vilya has undergone. She was merely a merciless butcher before; why has she suddenly transformed into a lord skilled in governance? I am genuinely, profoundly curious.”

“Oh, speaking of heroes, what are those champions who performed so excellently in the slaying of the Demon King doing now? It is time to conduct a purge among them. And be sure to find reasons that will incite the people’s hatred. This famine, I believe, serves as an excellent pretext.”

“What about Lord Vilya, then?”

“Has Vilya not performed admirably? We shall spare her this time. Frankly, I am quite fond of Vilya. For now, we shall continue to observe her. Should anything change, it will not be too late to act.”

****

I sat blankly at the table, watching the two women across from me. The elf’s long ears twitched slightly, her slender fingers constantly picking up beans and tossing them into her mouth. Vilya, meanwhile, maintained her usual composure, sitting serenely in her chair, gazing straight ahead.

I found some peculiar leaves and brewed them a tea-like beverage. It seemed both women quite enjoyed the drink.

I hadn’t expected anyone to visit Vilya today, let alone a familiar face—or at least, someone I considered an acquaintance. It was Lucia, the elven hero, who had served as a scout and archer in the Hero’s party.

Lucia seemed to be returning to the elven lands from here and had specifically come to see her good comrade. However, their reunion appeared quite dull. Vilya never initiated conversation, and after the elf had said what she wished, she too fell silent, content to drink tea and eat beans.

I stood beside them, not taking a seat. Lucia looked at me, her long ears twitching. “Long time no see,” she said.

“Long time no see, Lucia.”

At this, Lucia laughed heartily, then looked at me. “From now on, please don’t call me Lucia. My true Elven name is Luercilia; they simply shortened it to Lucia because it was too long.”

“To be honest, this name is shared with a distinguished elf from our ancient history—an exceptional assassin known as the ‘Wind Elf.’ I am deeply honored to bear her name.”

“Understood… Hello, Luercilia.”

I dutifully used her proper name. Lucia nodded happily, then looked at Lia, who was beside me, and smiled warmly. “Long time no see, little one! It looks like you’re doing well here!”

“Vilya isn’t one to coddle people, but your complexion is much better now!”

“Yes… thanks to Papa…” Lia replied shyly, pulling my hand closer to her side.

Lia wasn’t particularly afraid of Lucia. This elf hadn’t done anything truly egregious to us; rather, she had helped us a great deal.

“Oh, oh, it seems you are a very attentive and gentle man. If I were human, I would surely be very fond of you. Unfortunately, you are currently by Vilya’s side.”

Lucia leaned closer, scrutinizing me, her long ears twitching with amusement. I noticed a subtle shift in Lia’s demeanor and quickly cleared my throat to change the subject. “Do you have any other business here?”

She turned to Vilya. “Actually, I do have something to discuss with you, Vilya. You are a lord now, and I wish to purchase some grain to take back with me. Do you have any to sell?”

“Don’t worry, it’s a cash transaction. I’ve just received a reward and am quite wealthy now. I’m simply very keen to buy a batch of grain to bring home.”

“How much do you need?”

Before I could even speak, Vilya had already interjected. It seemed that despite her outwardly impassive expression, she genuinely cared for her comrade. Thus, the moment Lucia made her request, Vilya was already prepared to help.

Lucia rubbed her ear. “I’d like to buy about twenty sacks of grain. Just your human woven sacks, twenty full sacks of unground rice. For you humans, twenty sacks isn’t much, is it? I’ll just buy some to eat back home.”

“I’ve grown accustomed to human food, and now I fancy some staples.”

Vilya nodded, leaving me stunned. I quietly interjected, “Vilya, our town doesn’t have much grain. This is all we have. What will we do if we sell it all to Lucia?”

Vilya’s agreement had been far too hasty. The town’s grain supply was already tight; selling it to Lucia would spell disaster. This grain was meant to sustain the town through the winter.

While I desperately wanted to convert these goods into tradable currency, this was absolutely not the way. Gold coins, after all, could not be eaten.

In such difficult times, economic considerations had to take a backseat.

“We’ll buy grain from other places. Don’t we have money now?” Vilya said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

I paused, then quickly retorted, “Then why doesn’t Lucia buy from other places?”

“Of course, it’s because this is the border of the elven lands. Naturally, I’d choose a nearby place to buy grain to send back. And since I’m Vilya’s former comrade, I’d obviously prefer to do business with someone familiar.”

“Otherwise, your human merchants might try to swindle me.” Lucia’s tone was matter-of-fact. Vilya nodded, then looked at me. “Then I’ll leave it all to you. A day’s journey south should take you to a city. Just buy the grain from there and bring it back.”

“…But…”

“Just do it. You cannot refuse me. There is grain in the southern city; I saw people selling food there when I was stationed. You are responsible for buying it.”

“The problem isn’t whether there’s grain, but whether they’ll sell it! This grain is what our town needs for winter. What if you sell it to Lucia, and then they refuse to sell to us?”

“Just go and prepare.” Vilya cut me off directly.

I was left speechless. After all, I was merely Vilya’s trophy, her s*ave. I couldn’t refuse her orders. So, no matter what, I could only obey. Vilya and Lucia seemed to have an excellent relationship, which was why Vilya had agreed so readily.

I really should have explained to Vilya that not everything could be bought. In winter, the price of grain would rise significantly. Moreover, even in the city, it was uncertain whether grain merchants would be willing to sell such a large quantity.

After all, grain merchants differed from other merchants; their primary method of making money was hoarding. Normally, the value of grain was relatively stable, and many people sold it, leading to too many substitute merchants if prices rose.

Therefore, the only way for grain merchants to profit was to hoard. By collecting all the grain, they could set their own prices. And to ensure a steady, long-term income, even when hoarding, prices wouldn’t be excessively outrageous.

However, once grain was hoarded, the price could indeed be set by the merchant. In winter, a season when grain was not produced, prices would naturally increase significantly. And because hoarding was the sole method of profit, grain merchants would not easily sell large quantities to private individuals.

To purchase a large amount of grain, the price would be even higher. Since Vilya had already agreed, any protest from me was meaningless. Without my consent, Vilya had sold the grain to Lucia.

Lucia quickly received her grain. It was the entire town’s supply, but she left us with a sufficient amount of coin. According to the record keeper, this money was roughly equivalent to the normal price of purchasing grain in winter.

Lucia joyfully loaded the grain onto her cart and departed the small town without delay. As I watched her retreating figure, my thoughts lingered not on the now-empty granary, but on Lucia’s true objective this time.

However, I currently had no evidence or conclusions.

I looked at the bag of gold coins before me, gently turning them over. Then, I glanced at the small portion of grain that remained and sighed helplessly. “There’s no choice. Since it’s Lord Vilya’s command, it must be carried out, no matter what.”

“But, are these gold coins truly the right price?”

“Yes, she simply gave us these gold coins directly, and we, as per your instructions, transported the grain in batches.” the record keeper explained.

“Transporting in batches was to prevent panic, so that should be fine. However, Lucia’s prepared coins were remarkably precise; there was no need for change.”

I tapped the gold coins, then carefully packed away the coin bag. “I will head to the city to procure grain immediately.”

“It might be difficult to acquire,” the record keeper sniffled. “There’s a famine ongoing, and many hungry people are fleeing. Grain prices are very high right now, and many merchants are unwilling to sell.”

“Your gold coins may not be enough to buy as much grain as before…”

“Is there a famine in this vicinity? Does Lucia know about this?”

“All these northern areas are suffering because the soldiers have levied too heavily. As for whether the elf knows… I’m not sure…”

“Then why didn’t you tell me?!”

“I thought you knew…”

“How would I know what’s happening in the vicinity?!”

I nodded, then said, “I will find a way to resolve this. Although I am very displeased with this command, what can we do? Lucia might have planned this… perhaps she intended to speculate and profit… Vilya… how can I even begin to describe her…”

📚 Also on NHV Novels

Scream for Me

BLLove–Hate RelationshipModern

Read Now →
Not interested