Chapter 38: The Merchant’s Scheming Advice
It seemed that the crops Geo had cultivated had even made their way to the lord’s castle.
(Come to think of it, that’s not strange at all. The quality is unmatched, and any lord would naturally take notice. If I recall correctly, he said he was selling to merchants too…)
With the skill of a first-rate chef added to the mix, the three of them were able to savor a truly exquisite taste.
Well, except for one among them—a certain alchemist who hardly seemed to register the flavors at all.
“Hmmm… the more I hear about it, the more fascinating it becomes. Truly, a tale of heroes,” the lord murmured, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
Meanwhile, Elisabeth herself appeared to be thoroughly satisfied with the recounting of their daring exploits.
“In that case, I shall see to it that you all receive some reward,” she declared.
“A reward, milady?”
“Indeed. Anything you wish, within reason, of course.”
The three exchanged glances, utterly unprepared for such a turn in the conversation.
At that moment, perhaps sensing that something needed to be communicated, the butler approached Elisabeth and whispered into her ear.
“Milady, Lilcarlia-sama has arrived. How would you like to proceed?”
“As you can see, I am currently entertaining guests. Simply hear her purpose, and have her depart for today.”
“However… it seems she is acquainted with these guests as well,” the butler added cautiously.
“What? Is that so? Do you know this Lilcarlia, then?”
Sena, having met her several times at home, and even Shifa, who had received her aid for her father’s workshop recently, were both familiar with the woman. For Shifa, she could almost be considered a benefactor.
“Very well, then allow her to enter,” Elisabeth commanded.
No sooner had the butler left the room than Shifa suddenly rose to her feet, bowing deeply before the lord.
“Whoa—what’s this all of a sudden?” one of the others exclaimed.
“Elisabeth-sama… thank you for helping my father’s workshop the other day,” Shifa said, her voice steady but filled with heartfelt gratitude.
She had been waiting for the right moment to express her thanks, and with Lilcarlia’s name now mentioned, it seemed like the perfect opportunity. …Whether it truly was perfect, however, remained debatable.
“Huh? What are you talking about?” Elisabeth asked, tilting her head, clearly confused.
“Thanks to your request, Elisabeth-sama, my father’s smithy was spared from closure,” Shifa explained.
“…?” Elisabeth’s confusion deepened. She did not yet understand what Shifa meant.
“The production of mithril weapons…”
“Oh! That was your father’s doing?” Elisabeth’s eyes widened. “Well, actually, I was persuaded by Lilcarlia herself—she begged me relentlessly, so I had no choice but to agree. Nevertheless, I am satisfied. To think I could obtain mithril weapons at such a price… and the quality was beyond my expectations.”
For an ordinary blacksmith, the sum might have been staggering, but to the lord, it seemed to be a bargain well worth the price. Of course, this extraordinary deal was only possible because Lilcarlia had supplied the costly mithril for free.
“But how did a single workshop procure such an amount of mithril? And at that price, it hardly seems like a profit, does it?”
“No, the mithril was provided by Lilcarlia,” Shifa replied confidently.
“What? You mean… she also covered the material costs…?”
“Hello there~”
At that moment, the very Lilcarlia herself entered the room, her usual bright and breezy demeanor in full display.
“Looks like everyone’s here~” she chirped, glancing at Shifa and the others.
Sena waved cheerfully. “Lil-chan, long time no see~”
“Lilcarlia, just now we were speaking of you. I never would have guessed that the recent mithril weapon affair involved Shifa’s father’s smithy,” Elisabeth remarked, astonished.
“That’s right~” Lilcarlia replied, smiling.
“But from what I hear, you were the one who sourced the mithril? Surely that means your share would be zero—or worse, in the red?”
Faintly chuckling, Lilcarlia responded, “Oh, don’t worry about that~”
Her enigmatic smile made Elisabeth raise an eyebrow, suspicious, while Shifa and the others exchanged looks, a spark of realization passing between them.
(Could it be… that garden of his can even cultivate mithril…?)
“Very well. Now then, Lilcarlia, what brings you here today?” Elisabeth asked.
“Well, you see~ I heard that Elisabeth-sama was planning to invite them to the castle~” Lilcarlia said, her small feet padding lightly as she maneuvered behind Shifa and the others.
“Have you decided on your rewards yet~?” she continued, turning her cheerful gaze on them.
“Not yet…”
“That’s wonderful~ then, everyone, lend me your ears~”
She leaned in, whispering and consulting with them in secret. The three girls nodded eagerly, clearly approving of the clever plan.
“What on earth are they plotting?” Elisabeth muttered under her breath.
Meanwhile, Merlin, as usual, found himself left out of the loop.
“My lord,” Shifa spoke up on behalf of the group, “we have discussed the matter of our reward.”
“Well… technically, it was four of us,” she added, a subtle nod to Lilcarlia’s possible input. Elisabeth felt a twinge of unease. Lilcarlia was a cunning little merchant of the Popit tribe—trustworthy, but not to be underestimated.
“My lord… we would like land,” Shifa said.
“Land…?” Elisabeth blinked, utterly taken aback by the unexpected request.
“Yes. Land that is uninhabited and of no practical use. Ideally, as close to the town as possible.”
Indeed. Lilcarlia had suggested to the three girls that they request land as their reward.
Naturally, it would not be for their own use—it was intended for Geo’s extraordinary gift: the home garden.