Chapter 336 Fever Illness Countermeasure Meeting Iii
"Miss Sara, you mustn't be selfish. His Excellency Marquis Grandchester will be troubled."
Sophia spoke to Sara in a scolding tone. This was a completely scripted exchange. In other words, this was the start of the Sara Theater.
"But the people who are being abandoned are just too pitiful."
"Only God can help everyone equally. As humans, we can only save those within our reach."
Sara looked back at Sophia with big, teary eyes. It was hard to cry naturally, so she secretly used water magic to make her eyes watery. Thanks to that, her eyelids didn't get puffy, and she could quietly let tears fall while keeping her pretty face. This is a handy trick that women who can use water magic without chanting should definitely learn.
"Aunt, no, Sophia, then please tell me how long my reach is. If I used everything I have, what could I do?"
"Miss Sara, even though you have magic, you are still just a child. There isn't much you can do."
"Can we provide warm food for the poor?"
"Aren't we already serving meals in the slums? That funding comes from the dividends for Miss Sara."
"Mr. Paracelsus, will you provide warm meals to help prevent infections?"
Rihito had a serious expression on his face.
"Miss Sara. I'm sorry to say this, but the fever is a disease that spreads from person to person. In a place where many people gather, like a food distribution event, there is a high chance of infection spreading. Especially since people will be eating."
"Really!?"
Sara started to cry again.
"Oh, my lady, please don't cry. Of course, it's important to get proper nutrition. If your body gets weak, the chance of infection increases. How about having a golem deliver meals? We can have a golem with a cart go around."
"Is there anything else we can do?"
"It might help a lot if we have the golem explain how to prevent the fever and what to do if symptoms appear. We could also distribute blankets."
"Sophia, can we cover the costs with my dividends?"
"That might be a bit difficult. Well, it can't be helped, so let's also get some funds from the Sophia Merchant Guild. It's hard to say no to your requests, after all. Is it okay to use the usual slums?"
"I'd like to cover other areas if possible."
"We might manage within the capital, but it would be tough to cover a wider area."
At that moment, Marquis Grandchester spoke up.
"Sara, don't try to handle everything alone. It's my duty to protect the people. I can't leave it all to you. We will provide support separately from the Grandchester territory and use the Grandchester family funds. It's important to spread knowledge about prevention and treatment methods throughout the territory."
"Thank you very much, Grandfather."
"I'm not worried. This is part of my job as the lord. But it's surprising that a young child and a newly established merchant guild are putting in so much effort, while the other merchant guilds are doing nothing."
Marquis Grandchester glared at Kojimo.
"Uh, then the Commerce Guild will also ask for donations from the merchant guilds that belong to it and provide support supplies. If you have any requests for necessary supplies, please let us know in writing."
James, the bureaucrat standing next to Robert, looked down at the documents but smirked slightly as he listened to Kojimo's words.
"Actually, I've already made a list of the support supplies we need to arrange. It would be a great help if the Commerce Guild could cover some of these. We can discuss what you can provide later."
"Mr. James, in that case, we should definitely announce the names of the merchant guilds that donated a lot. Can we send thank-you letters from my grandfather and Uncle Edward?"
"That's a good point."
"I see Sara is smart. Then, Kojimo, make sure to announce the donation amounts from each merchant guild."
James and Marquis Grandchester quickly teamed up to squeeze money out of the Commerce Guild.
"Then, from the Sophia Merchant Guild, we will donate 5,000 Dallas in cash. Also, since we need magic stones to make the tools for the IV drip, we will lend some of the magic stones and magical tools developed by Alicia that can recharge magic. We will prepare the same amount for both the Alchemy Guild and the Pharmacist Guild. Of course, this is separate from the food distribution and supplies that our merchant guild will provide on its own."
"Is it really the magic stones and magical tools that the professors at the Academy wanted so badly?"
"Oh wow. That's amazing!"
Theofrastos and Bernard reacted excitedly. Seeing her father's reaction, Alicia showed a slightly proud expression and continued Sophia's statement.
"You're right, it's the magic stones that have been a hot topic at the Academy. It's an invention that even received an apology from His Majesty the King through Prince Andrew. Moreover, the magical tools for recharging magic are still prototypes from the Sophia Merchant Guild that haven't even been made public yet. We have conducted several tests, but there is a possibility that issues may arise. In any case, after the situation calms down, we will need to collect both the magic stones and the magical tools. I trust that no one will try to take them apart for analysis, but if someone does forcefully try to open them, they are designed to break. If that happens, you will be charged for the damages, so please handle them with care."
Alicia smiled lightly and gave a quick glare at her father, Theofrastos, and her uncle, Mercurius, who was sitting next to him. Her father and uncle looked back at Alicia with resentful eyes, but Alicia remained calm.
"Hmm. If the magic stone issue is resolved, we should share the manufacturing method with the Pharmacist Guild. Theofrastos, can you prepare the documents right away?"
"Yes, great-grandfather. I can provide them anytime."
Theofrastos was completely in great-grandson mode in front of Rihito. Mercurius was probably the same. Even though these brothers had been looking at Alicia with resentment, their eyes sparkled when they looked at Rihito.
"Hmm. I'm sorry for always putting pressure on the Sophia Merchant Guild."
"Please don't worry about it. The well-being of the people in Grandchester means that our customers are also doing well. You can think of it as an investment to ensure that the money earned from working hard comes to our merchant guild."
"I see. That's one way to think about it."
"Yes. And this might be a good opportunity."
"Opportunity for what?"
"Of course, it's an opportunity to identify merchant guilds that we can work with for a long time as the Sophia Merchant Guild. There are many voices wanting to handle not just wheat, but various products from the Sophia Merchant Guild. I believe that in such emergencies, a person's true nature is revealed."
"Does this mean we can find out which merchant guild Sophia trusts?"
"Yes. That's what I think. If we only look at the amount of donations, a big merchant guild might have the advantage. So, I want to compare the size of the merchant guilds with their donation amounts and work with those who are genuinely doing business."
"Hmm... as always, Sophia is sharp."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Sophia's words had a big impact on the Commerce Guild members. Until now, the Sophia Merchant Guild had never sold products to other merchant guilds. There were many merchant guilds struggling because customers were asking for Elma brandy, Spieluhr, cosmetics, and more.
In other words, if they wanted to do business with the Sophia Merchant Guild, they had to donate to the Grandchester territory. Even merchant guilds based in other regions would probably have to donate to Grandchester. Of course, donating doesn't guarantee a deal, but without a donation, they can't even start.
'Sara is ruthless. How much does she plan to take from the other merchants? Should she be invited to the knight order as a strategist rather than a wife?'
Jeffrey admired Sara's ability to gather a lot of funds for the Grandchester territory, even while he was troubled by her strategy.
Then suddenly, Rihito stood up, walked over to Sara, and slowly knelt down.
"Miss Sara. May I ask for just a little more of your kindness?"
"Mr. Paracelsus, please stand up. You are not someone who should kneel before a young girl like me."
"Could you please listen to this old man's request?"
Sara struggled to hold back her laughter at Rihito's boldness, as he called himself an 'old man' while clearly looking like he was in his twenties.
"What do you want from me?"
"Please allow me to reveal the knowledge I inherited from the past. Because of a confidentiality agreement with the previous His Excellency Marquis Grandchester, only you, Miss Sara, as the heir, can lift this contract."
"Mr. Paracelsus's knowledge? That's fine with me, but what kind of information is it?"
"It's a treatment for fever."
As soon as Rihito spoke, a wave of tension swept through the meeting room.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)