Chapter 159 Commerce Guild
After finishing their meeting, Sara and Rebecca left Cindy's house and rode their beloved horses towards the central district of the capital.
"Mother, this is my first time in the central street of the capital since coming to Grandchester Territory."
"Ms. Sophia, who knows who might be listening? Please call me Rebecca for now. I don't like being called Lady Orson; it sounds too formal."
"Hehe. Then I'll call you Lady Rebecca."
The central district of the capital was actually located about 4 kilometers (� 2.5 miles) away from the castle walls of Grandchester Castle, in a town below the castle. Moreover, the streets connecting the castle and the central district were intentionally lined with forests on both sides, making the surroundings pitch black at night.
This forest was off-limits to anyone without permission from the Grandchester family. The reason was quite simple: traps were set up everywhere in the forest to repel external threats. It was a safety measure.
Due to this, children of the servants working at Grandchester Castle were often forbidden by their parents from going to the capital alone. Of course, the overprotective Robert didn't permit Sara to ride a horse, and Marquis also expressed disapproval of going out without an escort.
'Ugh... thinking about the merchant guild, it's inconvenient not to have the freedom to move around...'
As Sara thought this, she arrived at the main branch of the merchant guild prepared by Marquis. The building was enormous, with a sturdy stone structure and elegant decorations made of lacquer.
And a sign was hung on the building, reading "Sophia Merchant Guild".
'Finally, I know the name of the merchant guild. It's normal to name it after the founder, after all.'
As they entered the building, the interior was already complete. The first floor was a store, but there was no showcase window, and aside from the counter, meeting space, and break room, the rest of the area was left open.
"I wonder what kind of goods I'll display, so they've left a wide space open like this."
"Yes, it seems they've designed it so that customers can sit comfortably and look at the products."
'I see. With this atmosphere, it feels like a high-end store that's hard for ordinary customers to enter. It's probably targeting nobles and the wealthy.'
As they went up to the second floor, there were several empty rooms, and the largest room at the very back was the office. All the necessary furniture, such as desks, chairs, bookshelves, and safes, had already been brought in.
"I imagined a more humble atmosphere, but it's even more grand and impressive than I expected."
"I suppose His Excellency the Marquis has high expectations for Ms. Sophia."
"By the way, the cleaning is thorough. Even though no one has started working yet."
"The building's maintenance staff has already been hired, it seems."
"Has the salary payment already started? That means I have to hurry with various things."
Although the atmosphere was empty because there were no people, every room was fully furnished. Once people start working, the place will surely come alive.
"This building is amazing, and the store is well-established too. As the main store, this is good, but it would be better to have a separate store that sells the products developed by Ms. Amelia (Pharmacist Girl). I want to make it feel like something even a commoner can reach with a bit of effort."
"Does that mean it's a cute store geared towards women, then?"
"Yes, that's the image I have in mind."
As Sara looked at the actual building, she got a real sense of the merchant guild's operations and started jotting down the ideas that came to her one after another.
After Sara and Rebecca finished looking around the store, they decided to split up for the time being. Sara had to go to the Commerce Guild headquarters to apply for membership.
As they had made arrangements in advance, Robert's horse-drawn carriage and Jeffrey's hired guard were waiting for them in the courtyard. The guard was a former member of the Grandchester Knights, but he had to retire due to an injury and was now working as a personal bodyguard.
Rebecca felt uneasy about splitting up with Sara, but it was difficult to have her accompany Sara since Rebecca's face was too well-known.
"I think it's likely that people will realize I'm connected to Grandchester, but if Lady Rebecca goes with me, it will give the strong impression that the Sophia merchant guild is closely related to Grandchester's merchant guild. Even though we're closely related, we need to be seen as a separate organization from the Grandchester family."
"Ms. Sophia resembles Adelia, so people might notice from that side."
"Do I really resemble my mother that much?"
"I do, but Adelia had a softer atmosphere. You also resemble Arthur, but Ms. Sophia gives off a more dignified impression. Maybe it's because of the clothes."
Indeed, Sara is currently dressed in a boyish noble style.
"Shall I change into dresses and go? That way, the Guild people might let their guard down."
"Even Ms. Sophia thinks that way. I thought women's weapons were the type that denied things."
"I can use all the weapons I have. I don't dislike seeing people who underestimate others and get hurt."
"Ms. Sophia just got a bit scary."
Sara changed into a dress in an empty room, of course using magic to do so. When she came out, Rebecca was taking out makeup from her bag. She quickly fixed Sara's makeup, giving her a softer atmosphere than before.
"Looking at you again, Ms. Sophia is really beautiful. I'm still worried about letting you go alone, though."
"Thank you for the compliment. But if someone attacks me, I think I can counterattack."
"That's why I'm worried. Be careful not to overdo it, okay?"
"I'll be back soon after going to the Commerce Guild, so it's okay."
Sara got on a carriage, waved goodbye to Rebecca, who looked worried, and headed towards the Commerce Guild.
The Commerce Guild was about a 10-minute walk from the merchant guild's main store, but due to the Marquis's comment that "it would be unbecoming for the merchant guild leader to visit on foot or by horse," she ended up taking a carriage. However, what the Marquis was really worried about wasn't Sara's dignity, but her striking appearance.
The Commerce Guild was located in a magnificent brick building. Escorted by the guards, they got off the carriage and headed towards the reception desk.
The receptionist confirmed Sara's name and purpose.
"I'm Sophia from Sophia merchant guild. I'm here to apply for membership in the Commerce Guild today."
"Understood. Please wait for a moment, and our staff will attend to you."
As instructed, Sara sat down on a nearby sofa, but in the crowded reception area of the Commerce Guild, she stood out like a sore thumb with her imposing guards. Feeling everyone's gaze on her, Sara forced a elegant smile, as Rebecca had taught her, but that only made things worse.
'What do I do? I'm getting way too much attention.'
It was hopeless. In just a few minutes, Sara had become the center of attention, with countless people staring at her. The Marquis's concerns had been spot on.
In the meeting room, guided by the staff, she found 2 men waiting for her: a stout middle-aged man and a younger man who seemed to be his subordinate.
"Welcome to the Commerce Guild. I'm Guild Manager Kojimo."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Sophia from Sophia merchant guild."
"Finally, we've met. You're a beautiful merchant guild leader, aren't you?"
Kojimo was smiling softly, but his gaze was clearly appraising Sara. The same was true for his 2 subordinates.
"I applied to join the Commerce Guild, but it was rejected, I hear."
"That's right. I thought it was necessary to meet the merchant guild leader in person and confirm what kind of guild it is."
However, in reality, there was no need for an interview with the Commerce Guild's Guild Manager, and as long as one paid the processing fee, the guild membership application would go through smoothly.
"I've come to see for myself, so I was wondering if I could get your permission?"
Sara asked Kojimo with a smile.
"By the way, what kind of business do you plan to do?"
One of the subordinates asked Sara.
"We plan to handle a variety of products, but for now, we're thinking of herbs, Elma liquor, and sachets with potpourri."
"That's a very feminine and lovely business, isn't it?"
The man who asked the question smiled slightly mockingly.
"It's still in the future, but I've found women who can make sachets as a side job. By the way, do we need to report what products we're handling?"
"No, unless you're handling exclusive products like salt, reporting is not necessary."
In reality, Sara knew this answer too. Nevertheless, the staff were trying to figure out what she was selling.
'What a hassle. I think we'll wrap this up at a suitable point.'
"By the way, Ms. Sophia, are you from the Grandchester territory?"
"No, I came from the capital city."
It's a fact that she came from the capital city to Grandchester. In reality, she only lived in the capital city for half a year, though.
"What brought you to Grandchester?"
"I was invited by an acquaintance, and I'm also interested in Grandchester's Elma liquor."
"I see. Elma liquor is indeed delicious, and it's popular among women too."
"It's truly amazing, isn't it?"
Sara smiled brightly.
"Still, it's surprising that someone as lovely as you would move all the way from the capital city, which means you must have a deep connection with your acquaintance."
"I don't know. I wish to be close to them in the future, but I can't read their mind. However, they helped me when I was in trouble and assisted me in moving here, so I'm grateful to them."
Kojimo and his subordinate seemed to want to dig deeper, but they sensed that the noble family might be involved, which made them hesitant to ask more questions.
As for the goods she planned to handle, they didn't think it was something that could rival other merchants or the merchant guild. Rather, it was suspicious that someone connected to the noble family would go through the registration process just for this level of business.
However, considering that the lord's family members, lovers, and illegitimate children are involved, it's not surprising that such things happen, Kojimo and the others thought. It's undeniable that Sara's appearance and youthful looks had a significant impact on their narrow-minded thinking. Even with years of experience as merchants, people can only measure things based on their own standards, which is a great example of this.
And so, the Sophia merchant guild was able to safely join the Commerce Guild.
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