Chapter 32: Merchant Guild (1)

“Excuse me, Rachel? May I do some work here?”

“Of course. Um. Shall I get you some snacks?”

“No. I can’t be that much of a bother.”

Emily sat at the arranged table and began to work.

All sorts of documents came out of her subspace bag, and there were many at a glance.

Since that day, Emily has come to our house every day to handle business.

It wasn’t particularly uncomfortable.

Since we both like books, it was fun to have conversations about books.

It’s like understanding why women chat for hours in cafes.

“So, have you read it? Owen’s new work has come out this time? It’s called The Exploration of the Demon Realm.”

“Oh, has a new work already come out? It’s only been a month since I read the previous one.”

When we talk, we don’t know how time flies.

Sometimes, Emily would even realize it and focus on her work. The conversation time was that enjoyable.

“Then I’ll be going now. See you tomorrow.”

“Yes. Please go safely.”

We parted ways.

I started to clean up the dripper with the remaining coffee grounds.

“I wonder what book I should read tomorrow.”

Emily liked novels as well as specialized books. If possible, it would be nice to have a book that we can read together, so I wondered what to borrow.

“I should go to the library first.”

As I made up my mind, I headed to the library.

It’s still 6 o’clock, so there’s time until closing.

“Oh? Baronet Rachel?”

“It’s been a while.”

The man who just greeted me. He is the person who will be assigned as the librarian to succeed me.

Thanks to two days of handover, we had some acquaintance.

I nodded and walked inside.

“The Fairy Tale Federation? Would it be fun?”

Novels here, unlike web novels on Earth, did not have intuitive titles. So you have to figure out the content with the cover text.

It feels like I’m back in the rental shop days.

“Oh. This is interesting. Let’s put this in first, and I need personal growth, right?”

I also chose books related to alchemy.

Honestly, I didn’t want to read it.

In Yona’s case, I studied hard with the determination to save her, but now I have no remaining goal.

‘But I said I was the heir of the Medicine King.’

I need to achieve some results so that those words don’t become a lie.

I checked out novels and alchemy books and headed to the alchemy workshop.

“Baronet Rachel?”

“It’s been a while. Liela.”

“Since there was no contact, I thought the Baronet had abandoned me.”

“What do you mean abandoned? I never had you. Let’s go in.”

Her lips drooped at my words. It seems that she was sad that I didn’t contact her.

Now that I think about it, my relationship with Liela has also developed considerably.

When I first met her, she tried to kill me, saying this and that, and tried to bully me, but now she’s just an alchemist who follows me.

So when I said that, Liela’s face turned red. Her eyes narrowed and her mouth turned into a triangle.

“P, please forget that. Ugh. It’s still so embarrassing.”

Liela blamed herself in the past and entered the alchemy room.

“Sigh. What kind of potion are we going to make this time? How are you going to surprise me?”

“It’s not that great. First, bring out the medicinal herbs here. I’ll tell you the method after that.”

I handed the paper to Liela.

[Tears of Gyesu, veins of Ro, shell of Hera, …]

She went into the warehouse and brought out the medicinal herbs. There were more than ten kinds of bells that went into this potion.

“I can’t guess at all.”

Liela’s eyes sparkling brightly. It’s even a little burdensome. But I’m used to it.

Since I made the top-grade potion, she’s been sticking to me with that look.

I pushed her away roughly and said the process.

Liela started alchemy according to my words, and it took about 30 minutes to complete.

Sooooooong.

A red elixir floating in the cauldron.

“This is… really.”

It’s an ordinary elixir on the outside, but it’s a special medicine that raises the temperature of the surroundings just by its existence.

Liela looked at it with admiration.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before. What’s the name? …Could it be that you made it yourself, Miss?”

“No. It’s a common ruby. If you eat it, the power of fire magic will increase significantly.”

“This is a ruby?”

Liela’s eyes widened. She still muttered as if she couldn’t believe the heat emanating from near the ruby.

“Even the most outstanding rubies do not emit heat to the surroundings….”

As she said, the ruby of this era is just a red elixir that increases firepower.

It does not emit heat to the outside like the current ruby.

‘It’s the first time I’ve seen it in person, but it’s certainly amazing.’

I was surprised too.

That ruby is a recipe that the future Fire Tower Master will develop himself, and it was made for the battle against the demon army.

Unlike other rubies that focus on stability, it is an elixir that focuses only on destructive power.

The reason I made this now is simple.

I’m trying to build trust in the image of being the heir of the Medicine King, and it’s also a new product to be exhibited at the merchant guild.

I haven’t released top-grade recovery potions, mana potions, etc. to the world yet.

Why?

Because their ripple effect is too great.

It’s a top-grade recovery potion that numerous alchemists have failed to make despite sticking to it.

If that suddenly comes out of the hands of a single individual? The public’s reaction is obvious.

Even if the Great Duchy protects me, it’s the same. If I can’t prevent the fall of the Great Duchy, the truth will soon be revealed.

On the other hand, ruby was a field that had not been tried before, but it is not difficult.

So I’m going to make money with things like this.

“I’ll go first, so make a few more.”

“Yes. I understand.”

I packed the ruby in a box and came out.

Current time is 12:20 PM.

It was almost lunchtime.

I left the Duchy and entered a nearby restaurant.

“Did you make a reservation?”

“Yes. Rachel.”

“Rachel… Ah. Here it is. Baronet. Please go into room 7.”

The restaurant I entered is a high-class restaurant that operates by reservation. It can be said to be a restaurant on Earth.

It’s expensive. But it doesn’t matter because it’s an important meeting.

When I entered room 7, a woman with white hair was quietly drinking tea.

She stood up and greeted me when our eyes met.

“I am Janna, the owner of the Janna merchant guild. It is an honor to meet Baronet Rachel.”

“Nice to meet you. Janna. I have been paying close attention to the merchant guild that Janna operates.”

I greeted her briefly and sat in the opposite seat.

After a while, the staff brought an appetizer.

“Enjoy your meal.”

After the staff left, I picked up a salad.

“Shall we talk while eating?”

“Yes! I understand!”

Janna answered in the form of a new recruit with a tight military spirit. She kept looking at me and fiddling with the salad awkwardly.

It’s like a job applicant eating with an interviewer.

I watched her carefully.

‘She’s still young, so she’s definitely nervous.’

The reason I took the time to meet a woman named Janna is because she is a capable person who will later become the protagonist’s helper.

Janna merchant guild’s owner: Janna.

In the original work, after the Muelia family fell, this woman manages all the routes for Emily to use funds to take over the imperial family.

She also has good commercial skills, so she makes her own merchant guild into a huge merchant guild.

Later, she will receive the title of merchant and become a wealthy person who controls the lifeline of the continent.

‘Of course, now she’s just the owner of a small merchant guild.’

While I was thinking, the next dish came out.

The main menu after the appetizer.

The main menu here is steak. A delicious-looking steak came out as a whole.

I cut the meat with a fork and knife and said to her.

“Let’s talk while eating.”

“Yes. Yes. I understand. That… I have something I brought, just a moment. Excuse me.”

She handed me a few documents.

[Janna Merchant Guild Activity Report]

It is an activity report of the merchant guild, Janna, that she is raising.

It was written in detail where the merchant guild has been active, where it has invested, what the first half of the year’s performance was, and so on.

“Hmm.”

I read it slowly.

Knowing this would happen, I organized the problems that she mentioned herself in the play before coming here.

‘I can see a few others because I’ve studied so far.’

The knowledge I studied to increase my wealth for a few months also helped.

After reading it all the way to the end, I returned the document.

“It’s definitely a good merchant guild. The profits are stable, the investment direction is good, and you donate a lot. It’s exactly my style.”

“That’s right. Our merchant guild is…”

“But it’s lacking.”

Janna, who was relieved at my one word, stiffened. There was silence, so silence flowed.

Gulp.

She listened to my next words.