Chapter 321 I See, Not A Saint
Golem No. 28, who belongs to the main branch of the Sophia Merchant Guild, sent Golem No. 18, who also works at the main branch, to the Knights' Headquarters. This was to deliver the results of a discussion between Sophia and Magi, but just in case, No. 18 was also given a small gift to take along.
The golems are very skilled as Magi's terminals, and they know that bringing food as a gift can improve the knights' favor towards them.
The golems regularly visit orphanages and slums to provide meals, so they have basic cooking skills. Recently, sandwiches and hot dogs, which are breads filled or topped with ingredients, have become a standard offering.
Actually, these breads were instructed to be made by Sara. In this world, bread is just bread. People usually eat it between meals or on its own, and it's not common to eat it with fillings. Adventurers or travelers might use bread like a plate to put something on top, but there isn't a food culture of making sandwiches.
However, busy Sara preferred to have these breads made for lunch or snacks. The first time she instructed the kitchen was while she was helping organize the books for the Grandchester territory, so this food culture was starting to take root in Grandchester Castle and the Sophia Merchant Guild.
Since they eat with their hands instead of using cutlery, the first Rebecca showed some hesitation. But as Rebecca herself became busier, she started to accept this kind of meal as normal.
Sara's recent favorite is bread topped with a fried egg. Thomashiina, who saw her shouting "It's a Ghibli meal!" while putting the fried egg on the bread, asked Rihito what Sara meant by that. However, Rihito, looking troubled, said, "There are some things in the world you don't need to learn," and didn't explain.
But Melchior, one of the 3 wise men who make up Magi, strongly argued that "There is no knowledge you don't need to learn." So, Thomashiina directly asked Sara what she meant. However, since Sara also avoided giving a clear answer, Magi is currently secretly trying to figure out the meaning of "Ghibli meal."
Thus, Number 18 prepared a lot of snacks, a new type of Elma, and some light wine, filling 2 large wooden boxes with them. It secured the boxes to her backpack and ran off to the knight headquarters. Although it wasn't running at full speed to avoid shaking up the contents of the backpack, it was still going over 40 km/h (≈ 25 mph).
After running for a little over 10 minutes, Number 18 arrived at the knight headquarters and told the young knight apprentice guarding near the gate, "I have a message from Sophia of the Sophia Merchant Guild for the Grandchester knight commander."
The golems from the Sophia Merchant Guild have already become familiar to the Grandchester knights, but it is still rare for a small golem meant for office work to visit. The knight apprentice asked Number 18, "Is it really a golem from the Sophia Merchant Guild?"
"I'm really sorry, but I don't have anything to prove that I'm a golem from the Sophia Merchant Guild. However, since only a few can control golems like this, I believe my very existence is proof enough."
"Hmm... That logical tone does indeed suggest you're a golem from the Sophia Merchant Guild."
Golem Number 18, who had been guided to Jeffrey's office, noticed that Jeffrey was getting ready to leave.
"I'm sorry for visiting at this hour."
"Don't worry about it. It's quite rare for an internal golem to come, so it must be something important."
"Here, this is a delivery from the Sophia Merchant Guild."
"I see. I appreciate it."
Jeffrey signaled to a nearby knight, who then received the delivery from Golem Number 18. All 3 wooden boxes were quite heavy. The knight called over a few subordinates to help carry the boxes. After they checked for poison, the food would be served to the knights and the knight trainees.
The knight order welcomes food deliveries from their own people, but if poison is mixed in, there's a risk that all the knights could be poisoned at once. Therefore, it is a rule that any food cooked outside the knight order's kitchen must be tasted by a few people for poison before being eaten.
Back when Avalon was not yet unified and each territory was still a clan settlement, there was a family that often used the trick of having a beautiful girl deliver poisoned wine. That family's name was Avalon. In other words, they are the royal family of this country. Because of this, the knight order of Avalon and the knight orders of each territory strictly enforce these poison-tasting rules.
"I'm not writing down the message on purpose. Could you please ask everyone to leave while I share it?"
"Understood."
Without needing Jeffrey's instructions, several knights who had been waiting all left the room at once. Silence fell in the room, and the candle burning on the candlestick attached to the stone wall made a faint crackling sound.
"The message I brought this time is that Lady Sophia is not in a hurry. Originally, Sir Daniel was supposed to come to report."
"Daniel? Isn't he Sophia's bodyguard?"
"It seems he has upset Lady Sophia a bit, and she told him he didn't need to guard her today."
"What on earth did Daniel do... I can't believe he would suddenly attack Sophia."
"He wouldn't do something so reckless."
"Well, he would definitely be countered. In a sword fight, they would be even, but if magic is involved, no human could win."
"Sir Rihito might be a good match. However, since the total amount of magic power is different, if they don't finish it quickly, Lady Sophia would win."
"A showdown between a magical beast and a divine beast? It might be fun to watch from a safe place, but I definitely don't want to get involved."
Jeffrey is said to be one of the strongest in Avalon, but he is also aware that he hasn't graduated from being human.
"I won't ask which one is the magical beast."
"It seems the golems are becoming more and more intelligent."
"We are always learning."
"That's terrifyingly diligent. But even though it's not that urgent, why go out of your way to ask a golem to deliver a message?"
"Lady Sophia is not only planning to use Roisen as a puppet for the Coastal Union, but also to utilize Roisen like a mercenary to attack surrounding countries, including Avalon."
"What!?"
Jeffrey stood up, knocking over his chair with a loud crash, and slammed both hands on the table.
"Can you tell me more about this?"
"Of course."
Number 18 began to explain in detail the guesses that Sara and Magi had discussed. As the explanation went on, Jeffrey's expression became increasingly sharp, and his face grew paler.
"What a situation..."
"However, before that happens, Lady Sophia intends to stop the Coastal Union's movements."
"But if that plan fails..."
"The most likely case for Lady Sophia's plan to fail is if the Coastal Union notices our scheme early and withdraws from the wheat market."
"But that should be a failure for the Coastal Union."
"You're right. However, even if they spend money like water, it will be impossible for them to buy all of Lady Sophia's wheat. They might be able to buy what we currently have, but with the trick of the fairies, they can't win against Lady Sophia. They will have to retreat at some point."
"Hmm..."
"If they don't determine to retreat soon, they won't even be able to survive. If they spend all their funds, only ruin awaits them."
"I see. But if it turns out that we are at a disadvantage in the battle for money, won't they come to overpower us with force?"
"Yes. The chance of them switching to using force is quite high."
"I thought so."
"However, the first target will likely be Roisen, who received the wheat from Avalon. The Coastal Union and Avalon are separated by Roisen, so they don't directly touch land. Of course, there are sea routes, so naval battles are possible, but it will take time to prepare for a large-scale military invasion. If they need to act quickly, piracy will be their only option."
Jeffrey rested his chin on his hand, considering the damage that might occur if a naval battle happened.
"Depending on how the pirates attack, it seems there could be significant casualties."
"That would be true if we didn't prepare anything, but with Lady Sophia, we can check the positions and detailed information of the pirate ships. We can know where they are coming from, how many ships there are, and how many pirates are attacking, so the damage can be minimized. It should be close to 0."
"...She is definitely someone we cannot make an enemy of."
With a complicated expression, Jeffrey muttered softly, and Number 18 nodded in agreement.
"That's right. If His Excellency Marquis Grandchester had taken Miss Sara under his wing and sent her to the Grandchester territory, this operation would have succeeded. Even if we wanted to help Roisen, we would have lost the wheat and cash needed for support."
"But it was Rob who brought her into the administration. Is it keen insight, or just good luck?"
"Luck plays a big role, doesn't it? If the Young Marquis's kids hadn't bullied Miss Sara in the royal capital, she probably wouldn't have run away to the Grandchester territory. Of course, I don't think bullying should be accepted."
Jeffrey paced around the office, trying to organize his thoughts.
"For now, is there really no need to rush into action?"
"Well, this is just Lady Sophia's theory, but I recommend that Your Excellency Marquis Grandchester report this to the royal family, just in case."
"Can you tell me why?"
"There's a chance that His Majesty the King wouldn't be pleased to know that a mere merchant, the Sophia Merchant Guild, is controlling the wheat market. By raising awareness of the crisis, we might lessen the pressure a bit. Our relationship with the royal family affects our mobility."
"I see."
"And we should quickly prepare a mansion for Lady Sophia."
"We have permission from Your Excellency Marquis Grandchester to build a new residence, so we should be able to start construction right away. But why is Sophia's home so important?"
"They will probably realize soon that Lady Sophia is controlling the wheat. Considering Meyer's past actions, he might even send assassins after her. It's easier to welcome a lot of guests (assassins) if she has a proper home."
"So Sophia will be targeted even more. She was just attacked today."
"However, I must say that the chance of that assassination succeeding is lower than the chance of lightning striking a traveler in a dry desert."
"Haha, the golem's way of speaking is amusing. But for now, I must inform Your Excellency Marquis Grandchester."
"Well then, I will take my leave."
Suddenly, Jeffrey realized there was one thing he was curious about.
"I would like to hear the golem's opinion."
"What is it?"
"I've heard that Mr. Rihito has complicated feelings towards the Roisen royal family. However, Avalon and the Sophia Merchant Guild will end up taking actions that help Roisen. Wouldn't that go against his wishes?"
"That should be fine. Sir Rihito is not someone who would approve of innocent people suffering. This applies to the people of Roisen as well."
"Unlike Sophia, Mr. Rihito is not a warlike type, which is a fortunate thing."
Jeffrey let out a sigh.
"Sir Jeffrey, we golems do not underestimate someone who survived alone in the wilderness as a child. The 350 years have made him seem like a calm person, but he was said to be on the battlefield when Odel was changing into Roisen."
"But if he is strong like Sara, why did Odel disappear?"
"It seems he did not want to turn Odel's land into a wasteland. Also, most of the army led by the rebels was made up of farmers. They were just ordinary farmers who could not defy their lord's orders, and Sir Rihito wanted to avoid hurting such people."
"Well..., it seems he's strong, but not the type suited for a soldier."
"When the ceasefire between Odel and Roisen was established, Sir Rihito supposedly said, 'No matter who the leader of the country is, the people don't care.' So, he really isn't suited for military life."
"However, the fact that the Roisen royal family is in charge is causing the land to keep getting worse."
"To be more precise, it's just returning to its original state. It's not the Roisen royal family's fault."
"Could there be anything that would hinder the actions of the Sophia Merchant Guild this time?"
"Sir Rihito? If the Sophia Merchant Guild doesn't release wheat, the people of Roisen will starve. We find it hard to believe that Sir Rihito would take such actions."
With a wry smile, Jeffrey asked 18.
"Is he some kind of merciful saint?"
"About Sir Rihito's past, Thomashiina and Lady Sophia's golem have been getting information directly from him. It seems he becomes quite talkative while replenishing his magic power."
"Ahahaha! Even after living for 350 years, a man is still a man. So, he's definitely not a saint."
Rihito: "I never said I was a saint! ヽ(`Д´)ノ"
Jeff: "Well, I was just wondering if living for 350 years would make you wither away."
Rihito: "I'm still in my prime!"
Rob: "Hey, move out of Maiden's Tower right now!"
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