On the following day, as promised, I returned to Gaien’s shop to see Kagali. Today, too, she was watching over the shop, clearly bored.
“Oh, it’s you, Ellie,” she said. “The kids aren’t with you today?”
“They went out with my daughter to look at this city’s craft stalls.”
“You have a daughter?”
“She’s my adoptive daughter, but yes.”
“I see. I’m sorry to tell you this when you’ve come all this way, but my master still isn’t back yet.”
“Well, that’s out of your control. I still have plenty of time, so I’ll wait for him to return.”
“Feel free to do so. In the meantime, could you tell me some more about the capital?”
“Of course.”
Kagali brewed tea for the both of us, and we chatted for a while. She wasn’t only eager to learn more about the imperial capital; she also seemed interested in discovering the world beyond this city.
“It must be nice to be a merchant. You get to see so many different places,” she said.
“You don’t plan on traveling yourself, Kagali?”
“My parents are pretty strict... They wouldn’t allow it—they say the roads are too dangerous. I’m not a kid anymore, though.”
“They must treasure you a lot. And I have to tell you that they’re right: Traveling is dangerous.”
“Is that so?”
“Absolutely. We’ve been attacked by brigands several times.”
“Seriously?! I hope nothing bad happened! The kids I saw last time were with you, weren’t they?!”
“Don’t worry. Those girls aren’t so weak they’d let mere brigands best them.”
“Come to think of it, you bought knives for them. Are they training to be bodyguards?”
“Not at all. The catkin girl is training to become an attendant, and the human girl aims to be a merchant.”
“Why are they able to fight, then?”
“In this day and age, it’s vital to know how to protect yourself at the very least.”
“Really?”
“Yes,” I insisted.
Considering the look on her face, Kagali didn’t seem entirely convinced. When I told her about the cities and villages I’d visited so far, however, she listened with rapt attention. Then, the sound of bells pealed from the Central Square, and Kagali practically leaped to her feet.
“Oh no! I lost track of time! Sorry, Ellie, but I still have some work to do!”
“I understand. I’ll take my leave, then.”
“Thanks for today,” she said. “I had a lot of fun.”
“Me too,” I replied, waving goodbye. I was about to exit the shop when Kagali spoke again.
“My master should be back in a couple of days at most.”
“Really?”
“Yep. He’s actually supposed to return tonight at the earliest. I can’t tell you where he’s gone, but I suppose giving you a clearer timeline won’t hurt.”
“Thank you, Kagali; I appreciate it. I also wouldn’t want to bother him immediately upon his return, so I’ll come back again in a few days.”
“Okay! I look forward to your next visit.”
Thanks to the good news, I was in high spirits as I went back to the inn, but when I arrived, the innkeeper looked troubled.
“Oh, welcome back, Miss Ellie,” she greeted me.
“Hello. Um... Is something wrong?”
“Well, actually...” The innkeeper turned around and opened a safe. She retrieved a letter and handed it to me. “This morning, while you were all away, a messenger from our lord came by to deliver this. It’s for you.”
I accepted the letter and scrutinized it. The ink was of fine quality, and the seal bore the crest of the marquess who ruled over Hephaest. The name of the sender was Lekius Hephaest—the current head of House Hephaest.
“It seems to be legitimate,” I whispered to myself.
I was here to place a personal order rather than to do business, so I hadn’t bothered contacting the marquess. What could he want with me? I was considering the matter when someone called for me from behind.
“Mama!”
“Oh, there you are, Alice. I’m glad you’re here,” I said, picking up the little girl as she ran into my arms.
Behind her were Mireille, Lunoa, and Misha. They’d just returned to the inn.
“Miss Ellie, did something happen?” Mireille asked, looking at the letter in my hand.
“It’s from the lord of this land,” I replied. “I’ve yet to read it.”
After heading back to my room, I opened the letter. It started with polite pleasantries before praising Traitre’s notoriety. It was all rather straightforward. The marquess seemed to want me to open a branch store in Hephaest’s capital.
“I didn’t expect the contents to be so ordinary,” Lunoa said.
“I thought he’d ask you to eradicate the monsters that are said to be rampaging in the mines,” Misha added.
An amused smile found its way to my lips. “He’d never ask that of a merchant.”
“I doubt he’s all that serious anyway,” Mireille said. “It’s a well-known fact that Miss Ellie has stopped opening new branches for the time being.”
“Why write, then?” Lunoa asked.
“He probably just wants to get acquainted with Miss Ellie for now,” she replied.
I agreed with Mireille’s conjecture. “If the two of us build a relationship now, I may be more inclined to choose Hephaest when I start opening branch stores again. He’s inviting me for a meal at his residence and encourages me to bring all of you, even Alice. That’s his way of signaling that he doesn’t intend to conduct serious business negotiations at the moment.”
“What will you do, Miss Ellie?” Lunoa asked.
“I see no reason to refuse. Building connections with important nobles is always beneficial for merchants,” I said.
“Um... If it’s all right...could I come too?” Misha asked. Her hesitant voice betrayed her nervousness.
“Of course you can, Misha. He seems to have researched me a little in advance and clearly knows who’s traveling with me. As I said earlier, he’s invited our entire group.”
Lekius had even specified that I was welcome to bring the carbuncle along if I wished to.
“I know, but...I’m a slave.”
“That won’t be a problem,” Mireille said. “I’ve also done my own research, and it appears the marquess is not one to place much importance on status. To be honest, I believe one of his subordinates likely wrote this invitation on his behalf. From what I’ve heard about his disposition, he would have simply come to this inn himself instead of bothering with a letter if he’d been left to his own devices.”
“Oh, so he’s that sort of person,” I said.
A daring and needlessly active free spirit, huh? You sometimes ran into others like him among military-oriented nobles. If they were smart and knew to listen to their advisors, these types were often wonderful lords. If they weren’t, their proactive tendencies led to catastrophes. Considering the prosperous state of Hephaest, I assumed the marquess was the former.
“I’ll accept the invitation,” I said. “The current marquess is Mr. Gaien’s brother-in-law. Getting acquainted with him can’t hurt. Mireille, please send him a reply. Lunoa and Misha, I’m putting you in charge of preparing fitting gifts.”
“Understood, Miss Ellie! For starters, we’ll need alcohol...” Misha said. “Miss Mireille, do you have information on the marquess’s family?”
“Everything is summarized here,” Mireille said, handing her a memo.
“His wife and daughter will surely appreciate Traitre’s products, but what should we get for his son?” Lunoa asked Misha as the two read through Mireille’s notes.
I left the two girls to their discussion. Lunoa knew which products I stocked in my grimoire for such situations, and I trusted they’d do a fine job picking out which ones to give to the marchioness and her daughter.
We couldn’t possibly go to a meal at an important noble’s house in our everyday clothes, though. I was considering taking out some of the dresses I kept in my grimoire when someone pulled on my sleeve. It was Alice. She’d been quietly eating a snack with Carol until now.
“And me, mama?”
“Huh?” Oh. I’d just assigned tasks to everyone else, so I assumed Alice also wanted to be given some sort of mission. “Hmm... I know! How about you help me pick out dresses for everyone, Alice?”
“Okay!”