“Ah! I forgot Tida! Oh well... She’ll manage.”
Tida wasn’t a child; she knew how to take care of herself. Besides, Lekius’s residence was filled with countless kinds of alcohol. To her, his mansion might as well have been paradise.
After I got back, Mireille made us tea, and I filled her and Lunoa in on everything that had happened. We were the only three people in the room, as Alice was still sleeping and Misha was staying at her bedside.
“So she’s a spirit? Or rather, a half spirit...?” Mireille asked.
“According to Salamander, ‘her body is almost identical to a human’s, but her soul resembles that of a spirit.’”
“Her soul... The study of souls is almost taboo. Looking into that might be dangerous.”
“I’d like to know a little more, but I’m not thinking of investigating the matter thoroughly,” I replied. “No matter her origins, Alice is still Alice.”
“You’re right,” Mireille said. She took advantage of a pause in the conversation to pour everyone another cup of tea from a beautiful metallic teapot with intricate engraving. She’d likely bought it here.
“What about the marquess?” Mireille asked. “Did you talk to him?”
“That man certainly is an interesting character,” I said. “Despite what his appearance and personality led me to believe at first glance, he’s actually a very capable man. I think I will end up opening up a branch in this city after all.”
“I suppose we shouldn’t have expected any less from a descendant of royalty.”
“Indeed.”
I told Mireille and Lunoa about my chance encounter with Arte and her brother, and my subsequent conversation with Lekius.
“It sounds like you’ll need to meet with Baron Hilgardie once more while we’re here,” Mireille said, once I was done speaking.
“I will. The proposal the marquess showed me was full of issues, but with a bit of refining, it could be a very good deal for Hilgardie and Hephaest alike. Furthermore, if we set up a branch here, we’d reap the benefits too.”
“But Miss Ellie, why did the marquess show you the proposal to lure you into helping Baron Hilgardie? Couldn’t he have just pointed out and corrected the flaws himself?” Lunoa asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion.
“Factions are an important facet of the world of the nobility,” I replied. “Until very recently, the members of House Hilgardie were nobles of the robe, which means they likely did not belong to any faction. If Marquess Hepheast extends a helping hand to Baron Hilgardie, there is a high chance that other nobles from his faction will interfere or try to get involved. After all, they might see this as a threat to their vested interests.”
“And nobles from other factions might try to sabotage the deal altogether,” Mireille said. “It’s not easy for noblemen to seek change before they’ve established and strengthened their position—especially for those of a low rank.”
“Only high-ranking nobles, or those with enough power and influence, can act as they please without depending on the dynamics of factions,” I added.
“I’m not sure I understand what part he wants you to play in all of this, though...” Lunoa said.
“If I help the baron amend his proposal so that it becomes perfectly fair, no faction will be able to comment on the marquess’s choice to take the deal or interfere.”
“Nobles have it hard just like the rest of us...” Lunoa replied with a sigh.
“Low-ranking nobles certainly do,” I agreed. “Ordinary people may not realize it, but many of those nobles lead much harsher lives than wealthy commoners do.”
Lunoa had a conflicted expression on her face. I smiled and handed her a letter.
“Could you deliver this to the lodgings of the Hilgardie siblings? I’m using a meal invitation as a pretext to talk to them.”
“Understood, Miss Ellie!”
“As for you, Mireille, I’d like you to start looking for staff in the city. We’ll likely keep the employees of whatever workshop we purchase, but we’ll need to fill management roles.”
“All right. I’ll select suitable individuals. Still, this goes to show that we should never underestimate the marquess.”
“Indeed, he’s a force to be reckoned with. If this deal with Baron Hilgardie succeeds, the stagnant economy of the marquessate will welcome a new boom. If the proposal falls through again, he will suffer practically no losses,” I said.
“And yet, we and House Hilgardie are both set to profit, so we have to go along with him,” Mireille replied. “I wouldn’t want to have him as an enemy.”
“I-I’ll go deliver the letter!” Lunoa blurted out. She ran out of the room.
Mireille watched her leave. “She doesn’t seem to like his methods. Well, the marquess played this like a true high-ranking noble. He’s taking the least amount of risk while being on track to benefit the most.”
“Lunoa’s feelings showed on her face a little, but she didn’t comment on them. That proves she’s growing up, don’t you think? I’m sure in a few years she’ll be able to face the dark world of the nobility with a smile on her face while securing her own profits,” I said.
“Do you really think so?” Mireille asked. She seemed to be picturing Lunoa’s timid expression.
“She will,” I replied assuredly. “I’ll see to that myself.”
“We meet in two days. Mireille, make arrangements for the meal,” I said after Lunoa returned with Nestart’s reply.
“You can leave it to me, miss.”
I had Lunoa deliver another letter saying I agreed to the proposed date and time, and then I took the rest of the day off. After our excursion to the Sacred Mountain, I’d gone straight to the marquess’s banquet and hadn’t had a moment to rest since.
I entered my room, where Alice was still sleeping.
“Ah, Miss Ellie, welcome back,” Misha said. She was sitting on a chair next to the bed, reading a book.
“Hello, Misha. I’m done for the day, so I’ll watch over Alice. You should go get some rest.”
“I will. Thank you, Miss Ellie.”
Misha returned to her own room without delay. She, too, must have been exhausted.
I changed into comfortable loungewear and stared at Alice’s sleeping face. The fact that her appearance hadn’t changed one bit reassured me a little, and I slipped into bed beside her. There wasn’t any alcohol left in my system, but sleepiness finally caught up with me anyway. As I closed my eyes, my consciousness quickly faded away.
The next day was filled with preparations for the meal with the Hilgardie siblings and preliminary inspections of buildings that could become my new store or production base. When Alice opened her eyes, however, we put everything on hold and rushed to her side. Despite our worries, she seemed just fine.
“Alice, how are you feeling?” I asked.
“Good!”
Alice was surprised to learn that she’d slept for three days. Carol jumped on her, practically begging for her to give her mana. However, when Alice tried to feed her pet as she always did, powerful fire mana emerged from her hand instead.
“Ah! What was that?! Aaah!” Alice yelped. Thankfully, she stopped herself before the mana could turn into a spell and burn anything, but she was completely taken aback.
“Are you okay, Alice?” I asked.
“Y-Yes, mama. I was surprised, but I’m not hurt.”
“Was that the power Salamander gave you?” I asked.
“I think so,” she said. “I feel a loooot of mana inside me.”
“He must have amplified your fire attribute mana. It looks like you’ll need to train a little to learn how to control it.”