Of course, I warned of invasion knowing it was unlikely to happen. Leo was in Rondine, even if he was pretending to be me. And Elna was there as well. They would manage to come up with some reason to persuade Rondine not to invade, since they'd assume I was in Albatro as long as I hadn't shown up yet.
That said, Albatro waiting a while to agree would actually be advantageous to me. I wanted some time to think, and I might even be able to work in a visit to the capital. The problem was, I would have to use transfer magic twice to get there and twice to return. I would need to be very careful about finding the perfect time to take my leave. With those thoughts whirling around in my head, I bowed and left the throne room.
3
Demi-Humans Inc. was, as its name implied, a mercantile company operated by demi-humans.
All of its members were demi-humans. That unique point alone attracted attention, but the various types of demi-human employees also allowed the company to operate with much greater efficiency than other companies.
The stocking of goods was done by demi-humans with great strength, the transportation by those who were fast, and the harvesting of food products by those with a superior sense of smell.
There was a type of demi-human whose abilities vastly exceeded those of humans in every role. It was only natural that matching the right employee with the right job would produce greater results than a company of humans could achieve.
In that manner, the company had grown in size, and its influence gradually spread out from the eastern part of the continent to the point that they were opening a branch within the capital of Adrasia. The demi-human in charge of the entire company was a mysterious vampire who never showed her face in public.
That was Demi-Humans Inc., and their branch in the capital was where Lynphia and Finne were headed. They were going as a pair as per the company's request. Originally, the plan had been for Sebas to go, but on the supposition that a party of women would seem less of a threat, they ended up with Lynphia going along as Finne's only escort.
"The commotion in the East happened just as they finished the construction of their branch and were about to start operations in the capital, so they never actually opened the branch for business. They don't even have a sign up outside since their leader is a vampire and it was vampires that attacked the emperor. The people of the empire are now sensitive and wary of the association with demi-humans. I think it was a wise decision to hold back on the opening."
"You think so? If the company hasn't done anything wrong, then I don't think they should need to worry. It's not as if one of their own employees attacked the emperor."
"That would work if everyone else thought about it in the same way as you do, but unfortunately, the rest of the world isn't so rational and kind. Instead of seeing the attackers as individuals, there are lots of people out there who discriminate against all demi-humans."
Lynphia thought Finne's ability to be understanding was an impressive virtue. Finne had been a victim, not a bystander, to those same events, and yet she had no prejudice against vampires or other demi-humans.
That was proof that she didn't see people through the lens of status or race. She saw them as individuals, and therefore never fell victim to any stereotypes or conflicts based on someone's characteristics.
However, Lynphia also thought it was important for Finne to realize that that was uncommon. Since Finne didn't seem like she quite got it, Lynphia emphasized her point.
"Lady Finne, humans are creatures that sometimes possess different opinions and viewpoints. You understand that, right?"
"Yes, of course."
"Then you should also understand that your way of thinking sometimes isn't the way of the majority. I have no preconceived notions about demi-humans, but if I did, I might have taken your statement a minute ago as being defensive of them. That would be disadvantageous to you, and by association, our influence. If you care about Prince Arn and Prince Leo, you need to think carefully about if and when you express your personal opinions."
"O-oh. You're exactly right. I shouldn't have said that."
Watching Finne shrink with guilt almost made Lynphia feel as if she herself had done something wrong. Even so, she didn't try to soften the blow. Given that Arn, who'd agreed to help her village, had entrusted Finne into her care, she felt a responsibility for Finne.
As an adventurer, she had to work hard in order to deserve any given reward. At minimum, she had to protect Leo's influence and help Finne accomplish something. Otherwise, she couldn't claim to have earned her reward this time.
After all, Arn had already assigned Abel's party to guard her village for a hefty reward fee. It was a huge sum of money that would far overshadow even the best results she could achieve in return.
He was able to do so having amassed an enormous amount of wealth as Silver; an ordinary prince would've been hard-pressed to afford that amount. Lynphia knew she'd asked a lot of him, and that was what spurred her sense of responsibility.
"We're going to meet with the representative of a major company. She could easily trick us into something if we say anything careless. You have to stay alert and think before you speak."
"O-okay!" Finne answered with a look of renewed caution, and Lynphia nodded.
At the same moment, the carriage they were riding in came to a stop. They had reached Demi-Humans Inc.'s imperial capital branch.