Time flew by.
The sender of Levery appraised several sets of mother's necklaces and paid them generously. And it has been a month since she returned with a precious little lead box from Ran.
Ran paid back the money to Baron Wilde and Lance. The two barons already said they didn't have to pay back, but they seemed relieved.
'She's borrowed that much.'
It must have been burdensome for the two male writers. Blaine looked uncomfortable and asked, "You sold jewelry," but Ran laughed. But in the mansion, the rumor goes around fast.
A whisper of the Duke's financial status spread among the employees, along with the story that the owner Ran had disposed of all the jewels of the former Duchess.
"I didn't expect such rumors."
Ran muttered, so Eustaf snorted.
"You said the rumor was going to spread?"
"No, I knew there would be rumors that the duke had made money by selling jewelry. The Duke's on the verge of bankruptcy, you're not expecting this rumor?"
Ran kicked her tongue lightly. The way people think is a little different from what they are today.
She sells jewelry to pay back her mother debts because she has debts, which is natural, but it must be a huge disgrace here.
"'What do we do?"
"Good for you."
In Eustaf's answer, Ran looked blankly at his face, and Eustaf also looked at her.
'You really can't get it right?' With a face like that. If you don't get this right, your brother's dignity········
"Ah!"
Ran soon realized and made a short noise.
"I see. We can pick people out."
"That's right."
"Well, that's good, then!"
"Anyway, if the ice crystal is released, the rumors will disappear."
Ran nodded at Eustaf's words.
'You've got an unwanted dump.'
This can clearly divide the employee into two. Those who serve money and those who do not.
Of course, it doesn't mean that people who serve money are bad. But if they serve you with money, they don't treat you any more than an employee.
And if there's anyone who doesn't, you should treat them accordingly.
'It's the hardest thing to find someone you can trust.'
Ran decided to use all the opportunities she did not intend to use.
'But it's annoying, so let's leave it to Eus.'
Meanwhile, two magic cleaners arrived at the mansion. One was a woman about the mid-40s, and one was still a young boy.
I was curious that it was a rare combination for a magic cleaner.
"Bless you with the blue flame. I'm Lydia, the humble wizard."
"France."
Wherever they heard it, the craftsman gave a greeting of Lazia. Ran was greeted by people who came from far away.
"May the blue flame blessed you. It would be rude to ask you this, but do you have any relationship ······?"
"Not between us."
As if it was a question that she had heard a lot, Lydia smiled and answered. Tightly tied with brown hair mixed with gray hair, she looked more like a literary historian than a work of art.
"Welcome to Lazia. Did you had a hard time coming here?"
"No."
"I have a room ready, so the maid will guide you. You can unpack there. Ask for whatever you need."
"Thank you."
"And what we're going to do now should be kept secret."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Lydia said with a serious face. Ran glanced at Frances. You think he's 13 now?
The little boy also blushed and replied, "I will also keep that in mind."
"Great then."
When Ran winked, the housekeeper (housekeeper: the pinnacle of female employees who lead all female
employees), who stood politely next to her, quickly rolled out the cloth on the tray.
"Do you know what it is?"
At Ran's words, Lydia picked up the Mana Stone on the tray with a cautious face and swallowed her breath.
"Is this... is this...?"
Lydia couldn't believe it at all. Twenty years have passed since she became a magic tax corporation, but she has never seen such a mana stone in those three months.
"How... how-"
Ran smiled and said to the stuttering Lydia.
"I would like you to work with it."
Lydia's fingertips trembled.
"Are you going to leave this precious thing to me?"
Ran grinned at the words.
"It's not precious anymore."
"What?"
"There's a lot of those Mana Stones."
Lydia seemed to have a good breath. There's a lot of mana stones like this?
I couldn't even imagine what I could make with it. No, I had so many thoughts that my mind went blank.
"So, if you have money, you can keep using our Mana Stone. Let's spread the Mana Stone here and there. That's my goal. I named them Ice Crystal, not Mana Stone."
"I see"
Her voice barely came out. Ran grinned and said.
"The Guild sent you because this is Lazia, right?"
Lydia's face turned red at Ran's words.
The wizard should not approach the Lazia at a radius of 10 kilometers.
That's the Wizard's rule.
Magic tax works are free from the regulations. However, the magicians did not want to approach Lazia.
As if they were magicians. That's why he sent their own, a woman, and young France. Ran put his hand on her chest and said, "I'm a woman, too. So, shouldn't women help each other? Please make a good work, Lydia. And be the Duke's exclusive artisan."
"I will surely repay you with my best work."
"There's something I would like you to make first."
Ran's voice went down. Lydia also lowered her voice by herself.
"Tell me."
"I want to order something first."
"What is it?"
"Electric field – no, a magic tool to warm the blanket."
Lydia opened her eyes wide at her words.
*******
Winter is coming.
September will be the season when the temperature gradually drops and the heat is sometimes late, but September is the season when you have to pack your coat in Lazia.
In October, all the leaves are gone, and in November, the winter begins in earnest.
And stay buried in the winter until April.
'So, I really need a heater and an electric pad!'
Even if it's a beautiful mansion built by a wizard, stone is stone.
Cold weather is extremely cold. It was heating that was hard to adapt here. The fireplace is only warm in the neighborhood and does not heat the whole room.
It's better if you put a warm water bag in the bed, but that's all.
'I'm going to spend this winter with my electric pad!'
And I'll make this a hit for the whole Empire!
There was a light knock on the door while having such ambition.
"Come on in."
"You don't even ask who it is."
Ran grinned as Eustaf came in.
"I already know it would be you."
"You figured it was me?"
"There isn't anyone else who would visit me after dinner."
At that words, Eustaf looked at Ran for a moment and said,
"We have a visitor."
"Visitor?"
Ran looked at him.
"Why is Eus telling me this?"
There are a lot of people who tell me that we have guests.
"Because he's a special guest."
At Eustaf's words, Ran tilted her head more.
"Special guest? Who is it? Did the Emperor come?"
"No"
Saying so with a unique accent, a tall man came in from behind Eustaf. Eustaf stepped aside, leaving Ran behind.
When the man leaned the hood back, Ran opened her eyes round. He has sharp ears.
Elf!
The elf, who cut his deep blue hair neatly, stood tall.
"Did you hear I called you?"
"Yes, I did."
"And this is from you."
The E.L.F. snatched something from the middle and showed it to Ran.
Red Mana Stone.
A thick line was drawn around Ran's mouth.
That's right. You're biting.
"Yes, that's from me."
"Where did it come from?"
"Do I owe you an answer?"
The elf's forehead was twisted tightly. Ran stretched her back and said.
"I just want to talk on an equal footing."
"Haresh."
Ran blinked at the man's words. Elf? Or-
'Aha'
"I'm Ran Romia De Lazia. You can just call me Lan. Can I just call you Haresh?"
Haresh nodded at her words. Ran swept her chest inward.
When I glanced at Eustaf, he stood with a face as usual. Except for fiddling with the red Mana Stone.
'Oh, I haven't told Eus yet.'
I hated it because I couldn't think of an excuse to tell you when you asked me how I knew it.
But I didn't expect an E.L.F. to show up without any news. Ran took a deep breath into her mind.
This is the Duke of Lazia's independent trade.
Although mana stone was mined, sales of mana stone were to be left to the top of the Golden Rose. The Duchess of Lazia has no hope of reaching the entire continent.
However, exchanges with people of different species such as Elves and Dwarves are different.
Ran intended to make a small top inside the Duchess of Lazia and trade such high-end items himself.
If that's the case, the target for sale is also set to be aristocrats, so you don't need the same size as the target group.
This was going to be the first step.
"Sit down, Haresh. Would you like some tea?"
"Water will do. The quality of human tea is low."
Ran held back her laughter and looked at Eustaf. Maybe he thought the same thing as her, but his face was slightly loosened.
He speaks without thinking about the other person's feelings. In other words, it means that there is no merchant mind that operates quietly.
Then, it's much easier to make a deal here, too. Ran grinned.
*******
Haresh seemed to have a cold sweat coming from his back. The little human girl in front of him knew much more about their culture than he thought.
"But herbs are limited in the amount we make-"
"Of course, I know. So, if you put in the ointment that you make part of the world's coefficients, I'll give you ten times as many other drugs."
"How else did you know that?"
"You only make ten a year, but you have nothing to use, so it's piled up, right? Exchange it with a useful Mana Stone. But after a certain period of time, your potency goes down."
"And how do you...!?"
"And of course, we get Elf's work. No one can keep up with the Elves with the woodcrafts."
Haresh was full of energy. However, there was no mistake in what she said as she was outspoken. If she had asked for too much, he would have gotten up from this table without saying a word.
However, Ran did not use force and did not say anything that was apparently glossy. She is only making a reasonable offer.
'But why do I feel like I can't refuse?'
Haresh unconsciously pulled his upper body back slightly. Ran stopped talking when she saw it. Haresh gave him a moment to breathe out, and Ran hit the collar.
"We're also thinking of doing business with the Dwarves."
"With those little guys!?"
Ran corrected what he said with a blatant frowning nose.
"They're reliable."
Haresh was full of energy, so he breathed lightly. You're dealing with Dwarves?
"Are you going to send them a Mana Stone, too? But theirs and our magic system are different. You can't move them with the same Mana Stone."
"I'm aware of that."
That's why there are blue mana stones.
Haresh's eyes narrowed. Ran smiled plainly and said.
"I already know that Elves and Dwarves are not in a good relationship. But don't you need to interact with both sides? You can interact comfortably with me in the middle."
"..."
Haresh glared at Ran with his arms crossed. Ran faced him with the face of a smiling merchant.
This deal was very important to her.
'I'm going to make personal fortune out of this.'
I will make a lot of money with Mana Stone. And besides that, Ran had another piece of money to make.
But it was only part of the territory.
If you get kicked out of a territory or leave the territory, the purse strings are blocked in no time.
'And all the property from the estate has to be taxed.'
Even the Mana Stone alone did not know how the emperor would turn out if full-scale sales were put in place. Even if the tax rate is applied, such as the existing Mana Stone Mine, a significant amount will be devoted to the Empire.
But the triangular trade is different.
Ran's attention was not to sell the Mana Stone itself to the Elf or Dwarf. It is difficult to open commerce with them. Rather than the two tribes being self-sufficient, their distrust of humans was the biggest problem that prevented commercial transactions.
'Digging a Mana Stone is just a start. What's important is the triangular trade between humans, the Dwarves, and the Elves. That's it anyway.'
This means that no matter what happens, you will have property belonging to the Lazia owner.
It was literally personal property.
Of course, in this era, money from the estate = money from the Duchy was the best, but even so, there was a clear limit.
'Anyway, it's only limited to the house owner.'
Money does not fall to anyone other than the eldest son. But personal property is different. It can be used for personal use as much as possible.
'The former duke was the one who squandered his private residence and secured the land.'
So, Ran wanted to raise her personal fortune for the Lazia family separately. In short, we need a pocket of money that can be used at will without the approval of an accountant.
Words will definitely come out among the nobles. Because not working is a virtue of the finite class.
'So, we should have someone as our representative and cover our eyes and make a mockery, but········'
Anyway, another pocket! Moneybag! It's important. Please tell me you'll do it.
Don't you think I'm gonna get my allowance if I somehow get a plus?
You need a mana stones, right? You need it, don't you?
Perhaps Ran's desperate heart worked, Haresh said with a low sigh, with his arms folded.
"It's a matter that I can't decide by myself."
"Of course. Please go back and consult with the elders."
"Sure"
After answering, Haresh asked sharply.
"So? Is the doctor's fee paid for the Mana Stone? What about the patient?"
"Oh, the patient is the daughter of my disciple. But it's late at night now, so can I send the news and pick it up tomorrow?"
"You're going to visit her?"
"Because she's a patient. I can't make it move."
When Ran said, "Yes," Haresh nodded and rose from his seat. Ran got up and said, "Where are you going to stay...?" and he replied.
"I hate human homes because they are too stuffy. I'll be back at dawn tomorrow."
"Yes, please."
Please enjoy the forests of the Lazian Territories. With that thought, Ran saw Haresh, who had disappeared before she could finish her speech, off her mind and closed the door.
Clack.
Turning around, the sound of Eustaf putting down a red mana stone on the table was unusually loud. He looked up at Ran.
"Then shall we listen to an explanation? Noonim."