Chapter 431 Audience Chamber III
Even after Freddy from the Arowz merchant guild was captured, and the kingdom's knight captain and Duke Russell left the audience chamber, the king's anger didn't subside.
The leaking magic didn't just continue──it felt like it was getting stronger.
A glance around revealed the pale faces of the king's aides and officials.
Some lower-ranking bureaucrats were commoners, and they looked like they might collapse at any second.
'Ah, this is bad.'
Instinctively, Sophia formed a magic barrier in front of the king──shaped like a sliced cylinder.
Because the intimidating magic he unleashed carried mixed elements, it usually spread forward, or sometimes formed a circle around the caster.
Since it wasn't an attacking spell, the magic dissipated easily when it hit her barrier.
"Ah, so magic was leaking out, huh."
The magic wall wasn't visible, but the king clearly noticed it.
'With Prince Andrew's magic outburst and now this... are royals just really quick to snap?'
Putting her own temper aside, Sophia recalled Andrew's out-of-control magic during the hunting tournament and felt a bitter chill.
"I owe you an apology, Sophia. You came all the way to the palace, and yet things have gone so wrong."
"Such generous words, Your Majesty."
The king sat on his throne, legs crossed, rubbing his forehead──clearly nursing a headache.
"Russell's interruption cut our conversation short. Could you explain again why the Sophia Merchant Guild is being so cautious with the wheat trade? Feel free to start from the riots in Grandchester territory. Hiding the truth any longer won't help."
"──With all due respect, Your Majesty, I would prefer to explain the Grandchester riots myself, as I am the lord of that territory."
"Very well."
"As you wish."
The king's approval of Marquis Grandchester's offer made everyone present turn their attention to him, ready to hear his report.
"This happened just before the hunting competition started. Near the venue, a riot broke out. At first, we thought it was just a fight between woodcutters and hunters, but strangely, some mercenary pretending to be adventurers from another territory joined in on the hunters' side."
"Which territory are we talking about?"
Questions bubbled up from the crowd.
"Turns out, they weren't adventurers at all. They were a ragtag group of mercenaries based in Roisen. Knowing the Grandchester Knights would come to suppress the riot, they even hid ambush troops in the forest."
"That's not a riot──that's an invasion by Roisen!"
One noble shouted, anger clear in his voice.
"I thought so too at first. But there were no official knights or soldiers among the rioters."
"Just a bunch of mercenaries? The Grandchester Knights are the strongest in Avalon. Everyone knows that. It's reckless──almost stupid──to try an invasion like that."
The king crossed his legs, resting his chin on his hand as he turned to Marquis Grandchester.
"Exactly. An invasion made up only of mercenaries seemed too strange. We were puzzled as well. But Sophia, who overheard the reports, pointed out that Roisen might be targeting the wheat fields in Grandchester territory."
"Targeting the wheat?"
"Sophia has business experience in other nations. She told me, 'It's unlikely Roisen would invade outright. Nor would they burn their own wheat fields; that's like shooting themselves in the foot.' We were skeptical too, but just to be safe, we split the knights and militia to check the wheat fields. We found some rioters trying to set fire to wheat patches, and caught them. All of them confessed the client behind it was a noble from Roisen."
'Grandfather's really embellishing this, huh? It wasn't quite that neat and tidy.'
"So, what exactly did Sophia base that on?"
The king leaned in with keen interest and addressed Marquis Grandchester.
"Roisen's grain harvests have been shrinking little by little for some time now. Especially these past few years, bad weather hit hard, pushing them close to famine."
"Indeed. Gerhart-dono told me himself. The Crown Prince secretly came to our country, asking to buy wheat. Roisen is also ready to export the minerals we need. Naturally, both nations agreed to avoid hostility. As proof, Gerhart-dono suggested a marriage alliance between himself and a woman from our country."
"I knew Roisen wanted a marriage tie with us, but I never imagined there was this kind of backstory behind it."
Murmurs began to ripple through the crowd. The king glanced at the attendant by his side.
At that, the attendant snapped his fingers sharply, silencing everyone around.
"During those secret talks, news came in that a riot broke out in Grandchester territory. Naturally, Gerhart-dono denied it on the spot. Marquis Grandchester himself rushed to the Royal Capital, insisting, 'It's hard to believe Roisen planned an invasion.' Isn't that right, Marquis Grandchester?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. But then Sophia began to tell a truly terrifying story."
"A terrifying story?"
The king pressed Marquis Grandchester for the rest, and the nobles around held their breath, hanging on every word.
"Not just this year, but for many years, the Coastal Union has been the one supplying grain to Roisen, which has faced constant shortages."
"Makes sense. The late Crown Princess of Roisen was from Sardinia, after all. That connection probably played a part."
"Indeed. When the Crown Princess was alive, they say grain was imported steadily from countries centered around Sardinia. But once she passed away, the Coastal Union countries started holding back on selling grain, especially wheat, to Roisen."
"No way!"
"To be more precise, they've been 'jacking up the prices'. Unable to cope with the Coastal Union's outrageous demands, Roisen is now trying to find a lifeline through trade with our country. There's no way Roisen would torch the wheat from Grandchester territory."
"So, the culprit is the Coastal Union?"
The king, who had a grasp on the situation, remained composed, but his statement sent whispers fluttering among the surrounding nobles.
"I can't say for sure if it reflects the Coastal Union's consensus, but it's certain that a powerful figure within them is involved."
"Hmm."
"The riot in Grandchester territory was a poorly conceived plan with minimal chances of success. They probably anticipated that once the perpetrators were caught, they'd name names of Roisen's nobles."
"So the goal is to ruin the relationship between Avalon and Roisen?"
"Absolutely. Using the riot as a cover to burn down the wheat in Grandchester territory was certainly part of the plan. The Coastal Union is a group of nations skilled in maritime trade, and as you all know, they're quite active in commerce. They also purchase a large amount of our wheat. While we typically export a lot of wheat through the Coastal Union to many countries, this year, the purchasing volume has been especially high."
"And what's so wrong with that?"
"If a significant amount of wheat from Grandchester territory were burnt, we wouldn't have enough to export to other countries. Depending on the losses, we might even have to start importing wheat from the Coastal Union ourselves."
"Are they trying to inflate the prices of their own wheat?"
"Exactly as you say. In fact, merchant guilds tied to the Coastal Union have been snapping up wheat nonstop, driving up prices. And that wheat doesn't even stay inside Avalon."
"This is outrageous!"
Having said that much, Marquis Grandchester spun around to face Sophia.
"Sophia, you may continue."
"Yes, Your Grace."
Sophia gave a slight bow and turned toward the king.
"We aren't hoarding wheat to hike the prices. Rather, we've been pushing out merchant guilds aiming to export wheat to the Coastal Union. Naturally, we intended to deal fairly with guilds focused on domestic trade, but sadly, many don't trust me──a newcomer, and a woman at that. There's been a boycott led by the major grain traders against the Sophia Merchant Guild's wheat. That failure is on me."
"I understand. Those old hands must be furious to be outplayed by some greenhorn girl like you."
"Most likely, they're just waiting for me to crack and sell at a loss..."
With that, Sophia glanced back at the merchants below, a sly, mocking smile tugging at her lips.
"If it comes to selling at a loss to such people, I'd rather throw every grain of mine away. I won't bow to unfair pressure, not with my pride as a merchant on the line."
"What did you say, you foolish witch?"
"Do you seriously think you can run a business with that attitude?"
"Do you even care about the lives of the people?"
The merchants shouted insults, but Sophia's voice cut through sharply.
"Silence! I won't hear you toss around the lives of common folk lightly. I have been waiting for you to make fair deals. But I won't wait any longer. If this goes on, the people will starve for real."
Sophia turned back to the king and knelt, pleading earnestly.
"Your Majesty, I beg you to purchase half of the wheat stock held by our merchant guild."
"I understand your concern, but it's not that simple."
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