Chapter 319 The One With Power
After sending Baron Jilbafuchs off with a gift for Crown Prince Gerhart, Sophia felt exhausted and slumped down on the sofa.
"Lady Sophia, are you okay?"
Daniel rushed over in a panic.
"Today has been really hard. I've been busy since this morning, had to deal with a lot of chaos, and now I'm mentally drained."
First, Sophia confirmed that it was just fatigue, then she called out to No. 28 outside the door to bring her a drink.
"Poor Crown Prince Gerhart, it's not really his fault."
"Even though I was tired, I should have chosen my words carefully with Baron Jilbafuchs. The real problem started because Odel relied too much on the fairies. As the first King Roisen said, 'Human activities are done by human strength,' and that's really important. Even in Avalon, where there are so many fairies, it's not just the fairies that support everything. They can be quite fickle."
Daniel couldn't help but smile wryly at Sophia's words. After all, the woman in front of him was using the power of fairies to her advantage.
"It's quite strange to hear you say that, Lady Sophia."
"I think so too. In reality, without the fairies' help, it would have taken a long time for us to be able to fight the Coastal Union. From their perspective, it's a terrible situation."
"However, by the time we are ready, Roisen will probably..."
Receiving Daniel's gaze, Sophia made a slightly troubled face and let out a small sigh.
"It's hard to imagine that the country of Roisen could disappear, but it's likely that a puppet king and government have formed. I don't think Crown Prince Gerhart is safe either. But, that's just part of human life. It's not something to discuss in terms of good or evil, and maybe being ruled by the Coastal Union, which thrives on trade, could actually make the people of Roisen richer."
"That might be true."
"Actually, the Coastal Union is gaining influence in many countries they trade with. Naturally, they are pouring in a lot of money, so there are people getting rich."
"Still, Lady Sophia, you are going to help Crown Prince Gerhart, right?"
Suddenly, Sophia started to giggle.
"Daniel, I'm sorry, but I'm not that nice of a person. Plus, I don't think I'm arrogant enough to say I will 'help.' I'm not acting with the intention of helping Roisen. This time, we got involved, so we're just going to retaliate. If the Coastal Union hadn't involved Grandchester, I would have just watched sadly."
"Even if they asked for help?"
"That would mean helping someone who can't even understand their own situation. It would be a bad investment with little chance of getting anything back."
"But there are mineral resources, so wouldn't you be able to recover the costs?"
"Daniel, do you know what mineral resources can be mined from Roisen and how much can be extracted? Of course, you also need to consider how much effort it takes to use and process them."
"Well, that's..."
"If you want information from a few years ago, I can tell you a bit."
At that moment, No. 28 walked in with drinks.
"You know what I'm talking about, right, Daniel? No. 28, thanks for everything."
"You're welcome. You looked tired, so I made a fatigue recovery blend for you."
"Thank you."
"Is there anything else you need?"
"Could you join me for my brainstorming session?"
"Of course."
Sophia straightened her posture. Using magic, she controlled the chalk and began writing on the blackboard built into the wall.
"I have a few things I'm curious about. First, what does the Coastal Union plan to do with Roisen in the end?"
"The prediction from Magi is that they will maintain Roisen's monarchy while signing a treaty that favors the Coastal Union."
"Yeah, I agree with that. But what exactly does the Coastal Union want so badly that they are going through all this trouble?"
Magi's prediction matched Sophia's thoughts. However, the motivation was still unclear.
"Isn't just having mineral resources a benefit, Lady Sophia?"
Daniel, who had been quiet, chimed in.
"Well, saying 'mineral resources' is simple, but there are so many types, Daniel. Without experts looking at them, we can't know what kind of ore it is. We don't know how difficult it is to mine, what the quality is like, what kind of processing is needed, or even what it can be used for... The list goes on. Right now, Avalon doesn't have as many experts as Roisen or the Coastal Union. So, we often import metals that are processed to some extent."
"Ugh..."
Daniel looked blankly at the conversation.
"For example, if we want to make a greatsword like the one Daniel has, we need to know how to process the metal from the ore into a sword. If we don't know what equipment we need or what fuel to prepare, we won't know how much it will cost to turn the ore into a sword, right? I'm not sure what the fair price for a greatsword is, but if we want to sell it at a reasonable price, we have to think about how much we should buy the ore for to make a profit."
"Also, we need to consider what skills the craftsmen need to have, how many of them are available, and how much they charge for their work. There are also factors like how long the processing will take. Of course, we should think about the distribution routes and the risks of holding inventory. The accuracy of demand forecasts for weapons and armor by Magi isn't very high yet."
As Sophia explained, 28 chimed in immediately.
"Sorry. I underestimated the merchant's job a bit, Lady Sophia."
"Really? You're getting weak now? I was just about to talk about fuel price trends."
"Please, give me a break."
With a smirk, Sophia teased Daniel.
"There should be experts in the Coastal Union, so it wouldn't be strange if they were after mineral resources... but I think only some merchant guilds would profit from that. However, since the Coastal Union is made up of several small countries, right? Even within one country, there are conflicts over interests, so do you think the people in the union would only let a few merchants profit?"
"Magi predicts that it's highly likely they are targeting not just mineral resources but also human resources, mainly the military power of Roisen. In other words, it's an invasion from another country."
"So, are they saying we should go to war in exchange for money and food?"
"Yes. And the first target of the attack is very likely Avalon."
"That possibility is indeed high. Even though Roisen's national power is declining, it has always been a military nation. I thought it was strange that war hawks like Meyer wouldn't use force, so why didn't I think of that? Avalon isn't just getting caught up in Roisen's schemes. The Coastal Union wants to take Avalon as well."
To capture Sophia's thoughts, the chalk made a scratching sound as it wrote on the blackboard.
"Of course, other countries besides Avalon will also be targets. Even just using Roisen as mercenaries has its benefits, but if the invasion fails, they can shift the blame onto Roisen and pretend they had nothing to do with it."
"They probably thought of that much."
"It's also a benefit that they can prepare their own weapons and armor. They might need to send craftsmen, but this is a land rich in mineral resources."
"Do you think it will go that smoothly?"
"It doesn't all have to go perfectly. Even if just one part works out, it can be very profitable. They have already succeeded in selling food to Roisen at high prices."
Daniel, who was listening to the conversation between Sophia and Number 28, felt a chill at the content.
"Wait, wait a minute. You're talking about something really scary here, right?"
"Yes. It's quite a frightening scenario. The higher the probability, the greater the fear, Daniel."
"How can you stay so calm about this?!"
Sophia smiled sweetly at Daniel.
"Are you really planning to let them fail? You can just count the fur of the prey you haven't caught yet as much as you want right now."
"But shouldn't we tell His Excellency the Marquis, or even His Majesty the King about this?"
"I should talk about it someday, but I still don't have enough evidence. If I report it now, they'll probably think it's just the nonsense of some arrogant merchant. But..."
Sophia put the chalk back in its place and showed a serious expression.
"The Coastal Union sees me and the Sophia Merchant Guild as a huge obstacle, right?"
"There's no doubt about it. Their plan is based on being able to control Roisen for their own convenience. However, since the value of the products we handle is very high, the merchants of the Coastal Union will also want the knowledge of the manufacturing methods that the Sophia Merchant Guild has. I think the maidens are also at high risk."
"Exactly. We need to increase the number of guards. It seems like there will be more people like today's assassin or kidnapper showing up."
"I recommend golems for the guards too."
Number 28 spoke up, looking somewhat happy.
"Maybe the Magi are happy to have more golems?"
"The more information, the better."
"I see, No. 28. But I don't want to make the golems fight too much, so I'll choose human guards instead."
"That's too bad."
However, Daniel, who should have nodded strongly here, was still recovering from the shock he felt earlier.
"Hey, Daniel, are you okay?"
"Maybe it's not okay. To be honest, at this point, I don't think there's anyone in the Grandchester Knights who can foresee that. It might even be difficult for His Excellency the Marquis or anyone from the royal family."
"That's true. The amount and quality of information they have is different from ours."
"Why isn't Lady Sophia a ruler?"
"I wasn't born to be a ruler. Besides, I don't want the Grandchester family to have internal conflicts, and I definitely don't want to walk the path of domination."
"But you have power!"
"Don't say things like those who have power should protect the weak, like some knightly spirit. The moment you say that, I would have to dismiss you. I'm not a god, so I can't save everyone. It's the lord's job to protect the people, and it's the king's job to protect the citizens."
'Honestly, I can't believe that the god of this world would protect humans at all... but I can't say that.'
"But there are definitely many people who think like Daniel."
With a deep, long sigh, Sophia looked out the window. Since the winter solstice was approaching, the sun was setting very early. The sky outside the glass had turned completely to night, and she could see stars shining in a position completely different from her past life.
The glass used in the main store of the Sophia Merchant Guild is surprisingly clear. This glass was created not by a craftsman but by Sara using magic. Cindy and the other glassworkers have asked her many times how to make it. However, since it was created only from her imagination, Sara herself can't explain how to make it.
"It's gotten really late."
"I'm letting Thomashiina at Maiden's Tower know about Lady Sophia's plans, so they are aware of the situation over there."
"Even if you're in contact, you shouldn't be coming and going at Maiden's Tower too late. We should head back soon."
Sophia quietly stood up. Daniel stepped closer to offer his hand for escort, but Sophia walked away on her own without taking it.
"Daniel, I'm fine today. You can go home."
"No, I will escort you to Maiden's Tower."
"That's enough. I don't want to be protected by you right now."
"You might get attacked again!"
"Even if that happens, you know I won't be in trouble. Didn't you say I have power?"
While speaking to Daniel, Sophia simultaneously pressured him with her magic. Despite feeling like he might buckle under the strong pressure, Daniel desperately held on.
"I'm not planning to dismiss you yet, but I'm going home alone today. You seem worried about my brainstorming session with Number 28, so go report to Sir Jeffrey at the knight headquarters. He can relay it to His Excellency Marquis Grandchester."
"But!"
"Daniel, this is an order. Go now."
"...Understood. I will come to pick you up again tomorrow."
Daniel, sweating nervously, still tried to argue against the pressure, but when that was coldly rejected, he left the room, looking resigned.
"Was that alright?"
"I don't mind. If Daniel is serving me with the same feelings he had when he was in the knight order, then we can't continue together. If he wants to live as a knight, I think he should return to the order. His injuries are completely healed, and Sir Jeffrey should accept Daniel back."
"Is that how it is? I find it hard to understand the movements of the human heart. It's difficult to predict."
"I can only hope that, to protect our pride as humans, things won't be predicted accurately."
"Um, is Lady Sophia correct in the category of humanity?"
"Magi can make jokes like that too, huh?"
"No, I'm asking seriously."
"That's even worse!"
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