Chapter 122

Arellay Irellas was a stubborn old man.

“Don’t even get me started. Don’t!”

He waved his hands in front of Serena.

He seemed to have been working for a while, as his leather apron was dirty with oil stains.

He looked like he was in the middle of repairing the carriage himself.

The old man, who was once the Head of the Merion Craftsmen’s Guild, had skills that were as great as his reputation.

No, his reputation was even less than his skill.

He had the ability to handle various fields that required a craftsman, such as leather, glass, and magic circuits.

“Give up on the carriage. It's a complete bust!”

I glanced behind the old man.

I was curious as to what had happened that was making the old craftsman wave his hands like that.

There was a carriage.

It was old and worn out in many places.

Yet, it had an unmistakable antique feel to it.

It didn't have a roof, but instead, it was a ceremonial carriage that carried large decorations.

The emblem of the Verchello family could be seen in many places.

It was old but beautiful.

The worn leather had been replaced with new, the crumbling frame had been replaced with a new one, and new engravings were carved on it.

As it was an object from the Verchellos’ most glorious time, even time could not completely take away its dignity.

“The work seems to be going smoothly.”

“The work is going smoothly.”

Arellay Irellas snorted.

His white hair, tied in a single bunch, swayed up and down.

“But it’s a bust! That one won’t work!”

“That doesn't make sense. The work is going smoothly, but it's a bust.”

“Well, where should I start…”

The old man scratched his chin. His face was etched with the wrinkles of a stubborn lifetime.

The old man chose his words and slowly opened his lips.

“This Arellay Irellas, I’m an old man who wants to live a quiet life. How long has it been since I retired?”

Huh? I tilted my head. It felt like the focus of the conversation was off somewhere. But Arellay didn't give me a chance to speak and started pouring out what he had to say.

“Then Milady Serena brought me a job. I was just happy to accept it. Why wouldn’t I be? I, this old man, was happier than anyone to hear the rumors that the Verchellos were regaining their vitality. So as soon as I got the job, I immediately gathered other people. I went and got the best craftsmen and the best materials for leather and wood, and I started hammering away. I even stopped drinking! I stopped drinking, I tell you! This Arellay Irellas, I didn't even drink for two whole days and got oil stains all over me. The carriage was so good to begin with that my artistic soul was on fire for the first time in a while, so I put my all into it…”

“Wait! Wait!”

I waved my hand.

“Just get to the point, just the point!”

“There’s no part of this that isn’t important! And who is this insolent brat who dares to interrupt an old man?”

Arellay Irellas looked at me.

The old craftsman recalled the rumors about the blonde, blue-eyed boy.

“Are you the one who’s been helping Milady Serena these days? You may be good-looking, but how dare you to milady…”

“Just get to the point. The point!”

“How impertinent!”

The old craftsman continued.

“Anyway, well…”

He made a snorting sound from his nose.

“We don’t have the materials.”

I tilted my head once again.

“They seem sufficient.”

Behind the old man, around the Verchello carriage, there were piles of things like leather and wood.

Since it was the workshop of an old man who was the Head of the Craftsmen's Guild in Merion, there shouldn’t have been a shortage of any ordinary material.

“And you must have received a generous amount for the repair costs.”

“The materials are sufficient. But we don't have the materials.”

“Just… speak clearly.”

Suppressing my frustration, I wracked my brain.

I sort of knew what he meant.

The Verchello carriage was regaining its former beauty.

But upon closer inspection, there was a part that hadn't been touched at all.

It was the magic-powered part that carried the festival decorations and imbued them with power.

“…So, you’re saying you have the materials, but you're missing a few of the most important ones?”

“That's right! I've been saying that all along!”

“…Ah, yes.”

Knowing that asking any more questions would be a headache, I quickly changed the subject.

“Specifically, what materials are you missing?”

“Sepdi oil and Hojen wood.”

Both were materials for crafting that conducted magic well.

In particular, when Sepdi oil was used on Hojen wood to carve a pattern, a subtle dark brown magical light would appear, and some craftsmen considered this light to be the most beautiful in the world.

“The Verchello carriage won't have its original beauty without Sepdi oil and Hojen wood. It’s a must-have!”

“Why can't you get them?”

“They won't sell.”

The old man spat out a short answer.

“Both of them are native to cold places. The one from Schmeizen is the best.”

“Is there no way to get them in Merion?”

“No, they sell them in Merion. But they won't sell them to me.”

I grabbed my throbbing head.

This old man’s way of speaking was a bit of a headache.

No, it was so much of a headache that I wondered if he was doing it on purpose to annoy people.

Still, I tried my best to understand the true meaning of his words.

“…So, there's a place that imports them to Merion, but they won't sell them to Master Arellay?”

“That's right! Try to understand from the start!”

“Did they sign an exclusive contract or something?”

“That's what I’m saying!”

Now the whole story was beginning to make sense.

Arellay Irellas crossed his arms.

“There’s no reason for them not to sell to me, so it must mean they won't sell them to the Verchellos.”

“The name of the company that has the exclusive contract?”

“Maridadio Trading Company.”

“…The Del Contis, then.”

“The Del Contis.”

The Maridadio Trading Company has had a long-standing friendship with the Del Conti family.

Of course, they would be hostile to the Verchellos.

But since the trading company wasn't owned by the Del Conti family, there might be a way.

My eyes flashed with a blue light.

“What did they say when they refused?”

“They didn’t refuse.”

“Now I understand it all at once. Since it was obvious that word would get out that Master Arellay was repairing the Verchello carriage, they didn't even place an order?”

“Now you understand it all at once. I’ve been speaking clearly from the start.”

What a joke.

I shook my head.

“Still, just try placing an order.”

“The Del Contis will find out, you know? The rumor will spread that the Verchellos are entering their carriage in this Harvest Festival.”

“The Del Contis have probably already found out. As for the rumor, that’s what we want.”

The regressor prince smiled.

As usual, it was a gentle, almost girlish smile.

“Just place the order, and I’ll take care of the rest.”

“Hmph. If you say so.”

I turned my head.

Serena de Verchello was watching our conversation.

Since Arellay Irellas and I were talking without giving her a chance to intervene, she could only watch.

“Milady, you'll forgive this much interference, won't you? Since I’ve taken on the job, I want to do my best.”

“…Forgiveness? I’m the one who should be sorry.”

Serena smiled. I looked into her eyes.

The chilling, deeply sorrowful raspberry color was still there. I couldn't help but smile back.

“You can look forward to a good result.”

***

“Did Master Arellay place an order for Sepdi oil and Hojen wood?”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Hmph. Everyone knows that Master Arellay was practically a retainer of the Verchellos.”

Kukulo Del Conti smiled with his thin lips.

“Looks like they’re going to enter a carriage in the Harvest Festival after all. How incredibly impudent.”

“I have accepted the order for now…”

“Good.”

Kukulo turned his head.

“You were right, Tibel.”

“It wasn’t a difficult prediction, my lord.”

A woman in a butler's uniform smiled softly.

Her name was Tibel Bartole, a guest retainer of the Del Conti family and Kukulo's lover.

She asked in a whisper.

“Could I see the order form?”

“Trading company president, give me the order form.”

Yes. The president of the Maridadio Trading Company handed the order form to Kukulo.

Kukulo didn’t even look at it and handed it to Tibel Bartole.

She brushed her side hair back and read the order form.

“The Verchellos, they have no fear. They ordered the highest-grade Sepdi oil and Hojen wood from Schmeizen.”

“That would be eighty silver coins, where did they get the money?”

“That wealthy person, my lord.”

“Is that so?”

The thought of the brazen face that called himself Viscount Rampo still made his teeth grind.

How much humiliation had Del Contis suffered because I had won the duel?

Anger welled up automatically.

Kukulo Del Conti was a man who was an expert at shifting his own mistakes onto others.

“I wonder if he’s impatient or just has a lot of money…”

There were ways to get Sepdi oil and Hojen wood even if it wasn't from the Maridadio Trading Company.

If they just went around to nearby cities and bought up the supplies, they could get the amount they needed somehow.

It would just take a little time.

But they were acting so aggressively.

He wasn't nervous.

There was no reason to be.

No matter how wealthy I was, they were the Del Contis.

They had the wealth of the metropolis of Merion in the palm of their hands and occupied the gateway to the grand canal.

There were not even three places in the entire Bururade Peninsula that could make Kukulo nervous.

“…My lord.”

The president of the Maridadio Trading Company cautiously opened his mouth.

No matter how big the Maridadio Trading Company was, it could not boast in front of the Del Conti family.

He did not want to displease Kukulo.

They were not in a master-servant relationship, so he might show a timid act of defiance if someone gave him hundreds of gold coins, but no one gave him that kind of money.

Therefore, the president spoke with great courtesy.

“What should our trading company do?”

“What should we do, president? You already know.”

Kukulo Del Conti said in a pompous voice.

Tibel Bartole was already practically sitting on his lap.

“Cancel the Verchellos’… Master Arellay’s order. I don't need to tell you what excuse to use, do I?”

“I will prepare a plausible reason.”

“You should.”

Arellay Irellas, the former Head of the Craftsmen’s Guild, was a notable person in Merion who had an influence on the city, but he was shabby compared to Kukulo.

It was no exaggeration to say that the Del Contis held the key to Merion’s prosperity.

“Since we accepted the order, we’ll have to pay a cancellation fee, right? Of course, I’ll pay… No, there’s no need for that.”

Kukulo’s thin lips smirked.

It was because he had come up with a cunning little trick.

“Tibel, was the price specified on the order form?”

“It said the price could fluctuate greatly since it's an item brought from far away, my lord.”

“That’s very welcome news.”

Kukulo chuckled and tapped the armrest.

“Just raise the price, president. By about ten times.”

Sepdi oil and Hojen wood were already high-grade crafting materials.

But they had the audacity to order the best ones, so if he raised the price tenfold, the Verchellos would not be able to afford them.

“I have to teach the elegant Verchellos the fear of money.”