After leaving the inn, Sian and Ophilia soon arrived at the mayor's mansion. Though it was called a mansion, it was just a bit larger than a regular house, with few ornaments or decorations typical of noble homes.
This was understandable, as it wasn't worth investing in a house that could be looted at any time by the enemy army.
At the entrance, the guards stopped them, but their well-dressed appearance helped convince the guards to inform the mayor about their visit. Soon, a guard came and informed them that the mayor agreed to meet with them and invited them inside.
They were led to a waiting room with only a few chairs. Sian sat down calmly, while Ophilia wanted to stand, but Sian insisted she sit too, and she eventually agreed.
After a few minutes, a servant came to escort them to the mayor's office. The mayor's face seemed displeased, but he greeted them politely, "Welcome to my humble residence. Please have a seat." He gestured towards the sofa in front of him.
Once they were both seated, he asked in a dry tone, "What brings you here?"
Going straight to the matter like this, the mayor was probably dissatisfied with their visit. Despite his usual inclination to solve things by force, Sian decided to restrain his impulses, especially with Ophilia present, and opted to behave like a gentleman supposedly should.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir Priston Ballos, my name is Sian de Castilho and this is my wife, Ophilia," Sian said with a smile.
Continuing, he explained, "I recently arrived at Solaris, and after looking around, I noticed an opportunity to open a business. So, I wanted to know if there is land available to buy."
Upon hearing Sian's full name, the mayor's demeanor quickly changed, possibly because only nobles had surnames. Nervously, the mayor asked, "S-So Your Lordship wants to settle in my humble town?"
"Yes, it's my intention at the moment," Sian replied.
"Since Your Lordship wants to buy land in my town, I can sell as much as you want, but I must warn you that we are in a pre-war period, so this town can become a battlefield at any time," the mayor then warned him cautiously.
"I'm aware of that, but I still want to buy," Sian insisted.
The mayor quickly agreed, saying, "Since Your Lordship wishes, you can buy as much as you want."
"In that case, I want 6 hectares on the northwest side," Sian specified.
"Your Lordship only needs to say the specific place, and I will immediately prepare the paperwork," the mayor said.
"Near to the river."
The mayor excused himself and called a maid, who soon returned with tea for everyone. They sat down to have tea while the butler prepared the paperwork.
During the wait, a strange atmosphere filled the silent room. Eventually, the butler returned with a small silver box and the paperwork, which the mayor handed over to Sian.
"Now everything is ready. Your Lordship only needs to fill in your information on both contracts," the mayor said, providing papers and a pen.
Maybe it was just Sian's impression, but the moment he received the pen from the mayor, he was sure he saw his hands tremble slightly.
"Looking at it closely, it looks like a lot of papers," Sian said as he received them.
"In the past, it was just one or two sheets for a purchase like this, but Lady Charlotte's reforms changed many things, especially the contracts and finances. She wanted them to be concise, secure, and without loopholes," the mayor explained.
"I've heard of her before. She's apparently very capable," Sian commented as he read the contract.
"Indeed, she has been changing and improving many things. She's truly gifted," the mayor praised.
After quickly reading the contract, Sian said, "This contract is well-drafted. It seems she lives up to her reputation."
As he examined the contract, Sian noticed its resemblance to ones he saw in the Sacred Treasure's 'How to Manage Your Business' section. He wondered if Lady Charlotte had also obtained one.
While Sian had doubts in mind, the visibly nervous mayor asked, "W-what do you think of the price, Your Lordship? I can make adjustments if you wish."
"No need, 36 gold coins it's a good-"
*Cough Cough Cough*
Sian was interrupted by Ophilia's sudden coughing fit. He quickly checked on her. Ophilia, with a red face, nervously covered her mouth with both hands.
"Are you okay?" Sian asked with concern, placing a hand on Ophilia's back and gently caressing her.
"I'm fine, sorry for interrupting," Ophilia responded quickly, her face still slightly reddish from the coughing.
"Are you sure?" Sian asked, still worried about her well-being.
"Yes, I'm much better," Ophilia reassured him, her voice steadier now.
Hearing her response, Sian breathed a sigh of relief. When he returned his attention to the mayor, he noticed the man sweating profusely.
"Did something happen, mayor?" Sian asked, curious about the mayor's reaction.
"I-I-It was nothing, j-just happened so fast that I got scared," the mayor stammered nervously.
Hearing this, Ophilia bowed slightly and said, "I'm really sorry, it wasn't my intention."
"Don-Don't worry, I'm the one who apologizes for acting like this in front of guests," the mayor replied, trying to compose himself.
Although it was strange for a knight to be startled by a simple cough, Sian decided not to comment further.
"Leaving the cough and the scare aside, let's get back to the main subject," Sian said, trying to bring the conversation back on track. "36 gold coins is a fair price."
"I am glad Your Lordship is satisfied with the price," the mayor said.
Sian carefully filled out the contracts and handed them to the mayor. After a quick check, the mayor pulled out two seals from the silver box the butler brought. He stamped both contracts with his own seal and the seal of the Rotherham family, the one that rules the marquisate.
Handing one contract back to Sian, the mayor kept the other. Sian then handed over the 36 gold coins as agreed.
"With that, the contract is concluded," the mayor said, visibly relieved.
"Before I go, I'd like to know how much tax I have to pay," Sian inquired.
"It will depend on the type of business you want to open," the mayor explained.
"I intend to open an inn and a restaurant, maybe something else in the future, but that's it for now."
"In that case, the tax would be 13% of net profit," the mayor replied.
Surprised by the low rate, Sian remarked, "This is very cheap. I expected something around 18% to 20%."
"That's why merchants and peasants call Lady Charlotte the goddess of fortune. With the lowest tax, the prices of goods sold and bought here also fall," the mayor explained.
"Got it. How often should I pay the tax?" Sian asked.
"It's up to you, it can be weekly, biweekly, monthly, or annual."
"Alright, in that case, I'll be going. When I finish the construction, I'll come back here again," Sian said, preparing to leave.
"Wait, wait!" the mayor suddenly called out. "Since you're already here, why not register your inn right away?"
"There's no need to be in such a hurry, I haven't even chosen a name yet," Sian replied.
"I'm sure you're a busy person. I just want to save some of your time, so you don't have to come back here just for that," the mayor insisted.
Sian found the mayor's behavior peculiar, but he decided to proceed without delay. "Okay, let's do the registration," he agreed.
The registration process was quick, with Sian providing some basic information, and everything was ready. With the goal completed, he and Ophilia left the mayor's mansion and began their way back to the inn.