Nestart and Arte both seemed completely overwhelmed by the extravagant party I’d prepared. I performed the refined curtsy I’d learned during my princess lessons and greeted them.
“Welcome, Lord Hilgardie and Lady Arte. I hope you will enjoy this meal.”
“M-Miss Ellie?”
“Is something the matter, Lady Arte?”
“No, it’s just that... Well... What are you...” Arte appeared so confused that she couldn’t even finish her sentence.
I scraped the practiced noble smile off my face to let out a small laugh. Then, the friendly smile I’d always used with her took its place.
“Come on, just go along with it.”
“O-Okay.”
It had taken them a minute to get used to this atmosphere and my current behavior, but Arte and Nestart were nobles, so they quickly adapted. There were only five of us in this room: the Hilgardie siblings, Mireille, Lunoa, and me. Alice and Misha were enjoying a relaxed meal in another room.
When it came time for dessert, we had exhausted all of the small talk. I signaled to Lunoa that it was about time to broach the main subject. She slipped out of the hall to prepare another room and quickly returned.
This was my cue. “Well, that was a delightful meal, but what would you say to sitting down for a more relaxed conversation?”
“It’d be our pleasure,” Nestart said. He seemed stressed, and I could tell he’d been anticipating this moment.
“Follow me, then.”
The room I led them to was one you could always find in high-class establishments: a small, private space designed for business negotiations. Arte, Nestart, and I sat on the sofas while Mireille prepared tea for us. Lunoa stood next to the wall and simply observed.
“Now then, Lord Nestart, do you mind if we go back to speaking more casually with one another from here on?” I asked, returning to my usual demeanor.
“Not at all,” he replied, looking relieved.
“Miss Ellie, could you explain what this is all about?” Arte asked. She appeared to have been wondering that the entire time.
“Simply put, I wanted to show you one of the main reasons why you’ve been struggling so far.”
“Huh?” the siblings let out in unison.
“Tell me, how did my hospitality make you feel?”
“Well...to be honest, we felt a little overwhelmed by your money and influence,” said Arte.
“And that’s the issue. Nobles do not display lavish lifestyles for no reason. The point is to flaunt their financial power and authority to make others understand that they are superior. The two of you brought only two servants to this city, right?”
“Yes.”
“That’s too few. The lord of a noble house should always have at least ten people in his retinue. The same goes for the lodgings you selected. You should not be staying at such an average place. You need to show you can afford luxury.”
“The problem is that we can’t exactly afford it...”
“Nobles must at least know how to give an illusion of grandeur. As a nobleman, you can surely get loans from the Merchants’ Guild. Besides, you don’t need to buy a nicer carriage or hire skilled servants in the long term. You can rent transportation and hire commoners temporarily.”
“But that’d leave us saddled with debts!” Nestart exclaimed.
“Would you rather let your territory sink and bring down your people with you? Picture yourself as the lord of a large territory or as a wealthy merchant. Two nobles come to you with business proposals. One rides in an old carriage, sleeps at cheap inns, and has merely a couple of servants. The other arrives in a beautiful carriage, stays at a nice hotel, and has a proper retinue. With whom are you more likely to partner?”
“Well...” Nestart started.
“The latter,” Arte finished.
“Exactly. I apologize, but I’ve also looked over the proposal you gave to the marquess. It was naive, but it wasn’t terrible. Some merchants might have taken you up on it.”
“In other words, we failed not because of the contents of our proposal, but because people can tell at a glance that we’re not worthy of partnering with them?” Nestart asked.
“Image is everything in the world of the nobility,” I said. I paused briefly to pull out a document. It was roughly the same proposal they’d given the marquess, but this one was adjusted to balance out the benefits equally among the two parties. “The marquess will surely accept these terms. You won’t profit as much as you would have with your initial draft, but if you think long-term, you’ll find your benefit is likely to increase with time. You might even be able to diversify your activity.”
“So that’s...good, right?”
“It is,” I confirmed.
“Miss Ellie... Why would you do so much for us?” Nestart asked.
“I simply followed the marquess’s suggestion because I knew it’d benefit me too,” I replied.
I relaxed my posture as much as I could, and Nestart naturally followed my lead—although he only loosened up slightly. He’d been so tense this entire time that watching him was almost painful. He truly lacked experience.
“To tell you the truth, the marquess was very keen on taking your proposal. However, he couldn’t help you amend it himself lest the factions involve themselves. That’s why he used me after luring me in with another deal altogether. If you’re wondering what I’m after... Well, as someone who’s about to establish a production base in this city, I will greatly benefit from your plans to develop river transportation.”
Baron Hilgardie’s plan was to invest in distributing goods through waterways. There were many rivers in his territory, and they were connected to several major cities within the empire. When the land used to belong to Haldoria, it couldn’t have become a hub that connected all these major cities, but with the change in dominion, there was a new opportunity. While the profit potential was immense, Nestart and Arte’s planning wasn’t good enough.
“The rivers stretch across several territories, which means you need to negotiate tariffs with each of the lords and get their approval. You have to check where the riverbed needs to be lowered and plan the work accordingly. And you also need to have a clear plan to protect the transiting goods from monsters. Without first clearing these three hurdles, you’re looking at a risky pipe dream.”
Their original proposal completely neglected to touch upon these issues. If you only mentioned the positive aspects of a plan, people naturally would become wary and start focusing on the drawbacks.
Arte and Nestart lowered their heads after receiving my criticism, but Nestart carefully placed the document I’d given them in his bag as though it were a treasure. Then, the siblings stood up and bowed to me.
“Oh my. Are you sure you should be lowering your head to a commoner like me?”
“I’m well aware that a noble should protect his pride. However, I’d lose my pride as a man if I couldn’t bow to a person I’m indebted to,” Nestart replied.
The pride of a noble, huh? I had long since thrown that away, so his words hit a sore spot.
“I shall accept your gratitude,” I said.
“I swear to repay this debt one day.”
Nestart held out his hand, and I shook it. Arte watched us pensively before nodding once to herself, as though she’d made up her mind. She dropped to her knees and lowered her head.
“Miss Ellie—no, Lady Elizabeth Leiston. I beg you to forgive such an impudent request when you’ve already given us so much, but would you please consider teaching my brother how to behave as a proper nobleman?”
“S-Sister?!”
“Recent events have made it abundantly clear that I’m lacking as his guardian,” Arte continued. “I’m not sure how much our house could compensate you, but we’ll give you anything we can. Please consider it, Lady Elizabeth.”
Nestart knelt next to his sister and bowed his head too. “P-Please, Lady Elizabeth!”
This made things a little awkward for me. I expected Arte to know who I was, considering her background, but I was still surprised by her request. I’d assumed that at the most she’d ask me for advice.
What’s the best choice I can make right now?
“Raise your heads,” I said. “I threw away my title when I abandoned my country. As a noblewoman, there is nothing I can teach someone capable of bowing to a commoner for the sake of his people.”
The two of them clenched their fists in defeat.
“However,” I continued, “I can give you advice on how to best deal with fellow nobles and merchants—speaking as a merchant, that is.”
“Does that mean you’re willing to become my advisor as a merchant?” Nestart asked.
“If that’s enough for you, yes.”
In the empire, the role of advisor was a proper position. It involved giving counsel to a young lord, and in most cases it was fulfilled by an experienced vassal who’d long served the previous head of the family, or to a local influential figure. As the name suggested, an advisor could only advise. They had no right over the noble house they served and could not give orders to their lord’s vassals, nor could they push their opinion against their lord’s will. They were simply expected to assist, which fit my current situation perfectly.
“Thank you so much, Lady Elizabeth,” Nestart said.
“I’m not a lady anymore. And please, call me Ellie Leis,” I reminded him. I stood up and put a hand on Lunoa’s shoulder to pull her out of her thoughts. Witnessing what had just happened had left her completely frozen. “Now then, since I rented out this hotel, let’s make the best of it. Shall we enjoy the hot spring?”