Chapter 41: Dinner at the Marquess’s Estate
THE stingers’ popularity skyrocketed in the Empire, successfully selling at a high price. Though belated, the herb also eventually gained critical acclaim in the Federation’s capital of Ybit, where restaurants incorporated them into their menus. Many Federation citizens had been unaware of the product since it grew in the far southern reaches of the country, so its popularity as a new type of aromatic herb continued to grow. However, Cecilio and others from the south were overjoyed to be able to experience the taste of their homeland in the capital and used the stingers extensively.
“Seems that a small jar sells for one large silver coin in the Empire.”
“Wow! Lucky for us in the Federation that it only costs two or three small silver coins, eh?”
“I’m just glad to know that at long last our nation is finally getting its money’s worth from the Empire.”
Cecilio and Bertine heard this conversation from beyond the partitioning screen. They smiled wryly at each other while enjoying their spirits. Recently, the two of them had been venturing on outings like this quite often. Cecilio was the one who always invited her.
“Excellent work, Bertine,” he said.
“Thank you. I’ve come to learn how much fun it is for my business instincts to pay off since moving to this country.”
“For my part, I’m certainly grateful to be enjoying Callisto’s seafood goods every night.”
“I certainly hope the seafood jarring business continues. It seems the people there would rather harvest and dry stingers.”
Cecilio nodded then commented about something that had been on his mind for some time now. “I appreciate your decision on how profits should be distributed for the stingers. Wise of you to determine it on the basis of each medium jar sold.”
“Oh? Why is that?”
“If it had been in the form of a percentage of net income, like the fruit goods, the Callisto district would have been in an uproar right now with everyone flabbergasted by the large sums of money they’d never seen before. If the situation had come to that, they might have begun to deride humble work such as fishing and working in the fields. And that would have been undesirable.”
She understood what he meant. Fruit goods were already being sold in abundance in the Empire before the Federation’s entry into the market, so the margins were easy to read. Stingers, on the other hand, were a completely new kind of herb, ones that didn’t grow in the Empire like other herbs. Therefore, it had been harder to predict the profit margins, so the price was determined based on the cost of labor. But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
“I’m glad to hear you say so,” Bertine replied. “I certainly don’t want to take any actions detrimental to this country.”
“Right. Now that that’s settled, tell me what you wanted to discuss, Bertine.”
“Yes, of course. Ships, Your Excellency. Specifically, I would like to construct vessels to sail up and down the Saran River,” she said. “I envision elegant boats, ones that even aristocrats and women aren’t afraid to board, to shorten the travel time to places like the hinterlands and the southernmost tip of the country. The round-trip journey by boat to either of those regions would be much faster than by carriage.”
Cecilio’s expression was pensive. “Boats, hm? You wish for imperial nobles to use them, don’t you? But I wonder if they would be willing to undertake a river journey. After all, we’re discussing people who love to show off their personal carriages customized with their family crests.”
“Then we should build boats that they’ll want to board. The Federation boasts tremendous supplies of stingers, fruits, and meat. Eventually, when I build my own quaint hotel, I’ll use all of those and more to entice the imperial nobles here and reap the profits.”
Cecilio drank the distilled spirit in his tiny glass then grinned at her. “You know, Bertine, lately, I’ve been thinking that anything you say really does become reality.”
“Well, I very much plan on bringing this idea to life as well, Your Excellency.”
“Ignacio calls you our very own goose that lays the golden eggs.”
“A goose… I can take that as a compliment, yes?”
“Of course. Thanks to you, our country is producing specialty goods one after another, leading to our people becoming ever more prosperous. Frankly, I’m still amazed a single person can achieve so much for us through sheer willpower. The national government will bear the costs of the riverboats as part of our transportation infrastructure.”
“Thank you very much! I’m certain that once river journeys are fully underway, we’ll see even more progress.”
Cecilio’s words delighted Bertine.
“The Kingdom of San Luenne truly committed a grievous blunder by sending off such a talented individual to another country,” Cecilio said. “They must be regretting their actions deeply by now.”
“I wonder about that, since I’ve been circumspect about keeping my name out of our ventures.”
Bertine strove to put Luca and the Federation at the forefront of her ideas. She had come up with this tactic after she’d been attacked for the dyes. Standing out too much in business inevitably meant drawing a target on one’s back. Thankfully, only two villains had tried to rob them back then. But if it had been five or ten, she and Diego might not even be alive now.
“If you make a name for yourself in business, then you’ll make enemies. It’s even worse for women. So be discreet when it comes to earning your keep. Don’t seek attention or accolades. You don’t need that sort of validation. The numbers in your ledgers will give testimony to your talents instead.” Those were her father’s thoughts on the matter and she found herself explaining them to Cecilio.
“I’d like to meet your father at least once.” An earnest expression accompanied his reply.
“Oh, that would be fascinating indeed,” she responded. “I wonder what sort of conversation you and he would have. I very much want to hear that.”
“I may not know much about commerce, but I still want to chat with him. Right, then. I’ll consult some experts on shipbuilding. Give me some time, won’t you?”
“Thank you!”
They spent the rest of the night as usual—enjoyable conversations while drinking together, with Cecilio escorting her home at the end of the night. But Bertine still couldn’t bring herself to ask him about his research into San Luenne’s law. She was a bit afraid to learn his answer.