Episode 596. The Merchant from Bariel
Near Kalamat, the capital of Burgos.
A line of huge carriages slowly ascended the hill. As the old crates creaked, soldiers hanging on the sides of the carriages pulled the ropes taut to secure the load.
“How much further?”
“I see it over there!”
“Please hurry up a little bit! It’s too late.”
“It’ll be harder if you keep making a lot of noise. Hang in there!”
The grooms snickered and cracked their whips, and the horses hurried along. In the distance, the outer armory gates, which served as a supply point, were wide open.
People waving royalist flags in front of it. When the carriage arrived, everyone greeted it and fixed a support under the wheels.
“Who is the supply officer this time?”
At that moment, a woman with long hair tied up in a ponytail called out to the coachman. It was Kayla, the daughter of the Duke of Hullin. Her clothes were neat and perfect, not matching the desolate surroundings.
“…Who are you?”
The quartermaster looked her up and down, his mouth still on a cheap cigarette, for it seemed strange to him that a young woman he had never seen before should act like his superior.
But the innate class gap that was felt instinctively. No matter what, honorifics came out naturally. The coachmen also sensed the ominous atmosphere and hid themselves in the back of the carriage.
“This is Kayla Hollin. I am in charge of checking and inspecting the items you received from the Bariel border.”
“Ah. Kayla Hollin?”
She’s the daughter of the Holinga family. The supply officer grumbled and untied the rope that bound her. Who would be happy? She’s a responsible person because she was born to good parents, and she walks around with a strong sense of pride.
“But why is that?”
“It was one day later than the expected delivery date.”
“So?”
He continued to untie the rope, spitting out the cigarette.
It is known that the Royalists are friendly with Bariel and are fighting with weapons from them. If it were not for the weapons provided by Holinga, it is also known that there would have been significant losses in terms of military power.
But fundamentally, isn’t this all because of Bariel?
‘But you’ve always acted as if you were doing me a favor. But now you’ve got a little kid sitting down to have tea and such, and you’re like, “Manager? Are you kidding me? Tsk.”
I had been driving a carriage for three whole days to get the goods, but I felt embarrassed to report the situation to someone I had never heard of.
Kayla frowned, moved closer and muttered.
“… Did you just say, ‘So?’?”
“You are from Bariel, so aren’t you familiar with the Burgos language?”
It was an obvious disrespect. I would have liked to cut off his head right away, but this was Burgos, in the midst of a civil war. I knew very well why the author was being rude to me.
Kayla cooled down her emotions and whispered to the man in perfect Burgos.
“There is no reason or excuse for the delay in the schedule, so you will have to pay the price for neglecting your duties. I will cut half of the promised salary. How about picking up a cigarette that fell on the floor and smoking it? I think that will be difficult for the time being.”
“What are you saying now… … !”
Taat!
As the man tried to strike Kayla, Kayla also took a counterattack stance.
But in an instant, a fan stood between them. The decorative black feathers fluttered in the air. The woman smiled as she swept the fan away with a firm gesture.
“Thank you for coming.”
“…mother.”
Her violet eyes, with a hint of laughter, looked back and forth between Kayla and the man, as if the commotion was troublesome.
“But the reason you weren’t introduced to Kayla on time is because you were behind schedule. The items made by Holinga are precious weapons used to ensure Burgos’ safety, so shouldn’t we keep the time we’ve made for the sake of those who are waiting for them?”
It was Dante Hollin, the second wife of the Hollin Duke and the one who oversaw the business in Burgos. Her refreshing smile, white teeth, and powerful eyes were extraordinary.
The man bowed his head in apology.
“I’m sorry. I was about to leave when a sudden, heavy rainstorm started… so I’m late.”
“I’ll make sure to tell the higher-ups, Kayla.”
“Yes, Mother.”
Kayla opened the chest herself, following her mother’s instructions. She checked the refined iron objects, swords, and protective gear one by one, confirming that there were no problems with the items.
Danit nodded his head repeatedly in satisfaction and patted the soldiers on the shoulder.
“Now, hurry up and move and get rid of the poison.”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Kayla, let’s go.”
The woman nodded for Kayla to follow her. As they entered the building, she looked around at her daughter’s face and asked,
“Are you okay?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t organize it well.”
“No, it’s okay. I was like that at first too. We are the ‘nobles’ and ‘women’ of ‘Bariel’, and they are the ‘customers’ who buy things.”
It was a business officially approved by Bariel, but that was it. It was Holinga’s job to develop the market in a country in the midst of civil war. The wife straightened her daughter’s disheveled hair.
“All weapons supplies within Burgos must be supplied by the Royalists. Why?”
“… It’s cheaper than bringing people from Bariel, and it’s more profitable to trade with them. And above all, if a Barielian crosses the border with weapons in the midst of a special civil war, even the most loyalist of people won’t be heard favorably.”
“I know you well, my daughter. Who did you take after to be so smart?”
side.
The woman smiled and kissed Kayla’s forehead.
“In particular, the author is the third highest-ranking officer among the supply officers. He sometimes shows stubbornness that cannot be helped, but it is difficult to cut him off rashly. Well, that will not matter later, though.”
The two checked again to make sure there was no one in the hallway. They were conversing in Bariel just in case, but it would be a mistake to let your guard down.
“How was the weapon?”
“It was completely inferior.”
Perfect meant that, on the outside, there didn’t seem to be any major problems.
And this was exactly the purpose of Kayla’s crossing over to Burgos and meeting her mother. To supply defective weapons to the royalists at the suggestion of Bariel, or more precisely, the Emperor and Ian, and weaken Burgos’ military power, thereby gaining the upper hand in the war.
The woman looked back at her daughter with a look of emotion as she ascended to the upper level where the royalist officials were waiting.
“I knew there would be an end, but I didn’t expect it to end this way. And you being here, Kayla.”
“I’m sorry, Mother. It’s not good news.”
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“No, whatever news you bring is good news. If this matter is resolved well, the imperial sanctions against Holinga will be lifted, and then the remaining ones on that side will run things well.”
Kayla looked up at her mother with a faint smile. She seemed genuinely happy. It must have been her joy to be able to demonstrate her business acumen in a foreign country, but her true happiness lay elsewhere.
“Above all, it is truly, truly unbelievably good that His Majesty the Emperor has come of age at the right time. And now, this civil war! Kayla, I promise you. When your mother passes away, I will present you with a seat next to His Majesty.”
“But, Mother, he already knows that my blood is Burgos’s.”
“That makes it even better!”
Taaak!
The woman’s eyes sparkled as she flicked her fingertips. It seemed as if she had already finished calculating in her head.
“What do you mean by supplying defective weapons to the royalists, not the anti-royalists? The imperial family also expected it. That the royalists could be a problem in occupying Burgos.”
“… That’s true. And I understand what you mean, Mother.”
If even the royalists were pushed out, the only ones who could fill their place were the mother and daughter. They were descendants of the Burgos royal family and held the title equivalent to the Duke of Bariel.
This was, in effect, the greatest opportunity of a lifetime: to ascend to the throne of Burgos and become the empress of Bariel.
“Let’s go up first. I’ll go and introduce you to each of the royalist leaders. There are many people you should know for the future.”
They are the ones who are needed when discussing state affairs by pushing out, pushing out, and on the other hand, keeping them under me.
Kayla followed her mother, breathing steadily.
smart.
Squeak.
“Excuse me. I’ve kept you waiting for a long time.”
“You’re here. How’s the stuff?”
“We just got here. They said they encountered a sudden heavy downpour. We’ve completed the initial inspection, and we’ll check it again thoroughly before moving it inside the Kalamat camp.”
Five or six people sitting around a round table looked at Madame Danit. They exchanged silent signals with their eyes, and the youngest of them pulled out a couple of pieces of paper and a wooden box from beside him.
“Here is the remaining balance.”
“thank you.”
It was a jewel the size of a person’s fist, a gold coin from Burgos, and a bond for the Burgos royal family. Right now, the royal family is ineffective and cannot be used, but if the country is stabilized under the leadership of the royalists in the future, it will be worth the world’s gold and silver treasures.
It was a reasonable means of payment for royalists, as it balanced present and future values, and by issuing bonds they could buy weapons cheaply right away.
It was when his wife was collecting the money and handing it over to Kayla.
“This time, send me straight to Bariel?”
“… Yes, Sir Alans. As you know, due to the nature of the civil war, it is not easy for us to maintain private soldiers. We do not have the means to protect our funds. For now, it is safer to operate in Bariel, so that is what we are doing.”
“exactly?”
The atmosphere is different than usual.
The woman approached slowly with a smile on her face and sat down, while Kayla listened cautiously outside the door to check for any signs of strangers.
But the surprising news came from within.
“Then I wonder if you heard that I am still in contact with Bariel.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I heard that Bariel has taken over Agiar and captured Rutherford.”
“… … !”
The woman’s pupils dilated slightly. Since she supplied defective weapons, wouldn’t it be right to wind up the business and withdraw before it gets discovered?
But if the news that the Bariel army had captured Agiar and the main anti-royalist faction reached here… … .
“I didn’t know. We send funds to Holinga in Bariel, so we operate independently of the imperial family.”
“That may be true. But there is a problem. Could you please listen to me?”
“If your Majesty wishes.”
Chiik.
The royalist cadres took out thick cigarettes and put them in their mouths. It was a kind of fight.
The woman was still smiling, but her eyes were like, ‘Look at these?’ She also took a gold case out of her bosom and put a cigarette in her mouth.
“Why are you all so hesitant? Time is gold.”
This is true for you too, but especially for me.
The executives added, coughing loudly.
“I asked the Bariel side for the right to execute Rutherford, but it didn’t work out. It looks like they’ll head south to Kalamat. Would you be able to help me out?”
“Us?”
“After this deal, you said you would return to Bariel for resupply, but please stay with us in Kalamat instead. If the Duchess of Bariel is there, then… … .”
“Ah, yes… … .”
The woman smiled and trailed off like them.
I was planning to just supply weapons and retreat, but you told me to stay in Kalamat and face the Bariel army? Don’t you know what that means from Bariel’s perspective? There’s a chance that Holinga might misunderstand that I’m on Burgos’ side.
So, is rejection possible?
‘It’s not easy.’
It is possible that the authors will point their swords at you at any moment to take you hostage.
The woman answered willingly, muttering curses under her breath.
“Your Majesty, if you wish, yes. Of course. First, I will postpone the schedule.”
