She counted as she muttered the names of the powerful magical tools in my possession.
Zoey, however, looked increasingly puzzled after she had muttered all of them.
“So, whose power was that?”
“Yeah, I see. You’ve been by my side all these years, so you had some idea of everyone’s power.”
“Yes.”
“Just as you wondered, it wasn’t any of them.”
“Eh?”
“It was my own power.
I came here to find out about the salt tax, and while I’m here nurture Zoe as well.
I can’t talk about me thinking like that if I’m not improving at all.
My current status and my experience so far combined.
I spent a night thinking about what I could do, which led me to my present attack.
It’s easy to swing out an attack with force.
However, I got the idea from the fact that clapping your hands makes a better sound if you focus on the momentary impact rather than just hitting them, and I tried a strike that concentrates on the surface – or rather, on the point.
As a result, I created a technique that shatters fallen leaves fluttering in the air.
“Just by yourself,…… I knew Master was awesome………….”
“More importantly, have you talked to the guys?”
“Eh? Yeah……”
Zoe glanced around uneasily as she said this.
“Don’t worry, Ziz’s power controls the wind around us.”
“Wind?”
” Air is what transmits the sound. I manipulated the wind so that the sound would not leak outside. If it’s indoors, it can travel through walls, but in the garden, it’s fine.”
“I see. Then I will report to His Majesty.”
“Umu.”
“When I told them that I had used the 3,000 reens I had received to bribe Kate, they were very surprised. So I asked for more money and they gave it to me.”
“How much?”
“Eh?”
“How much did they give you?”
“The same amount, 3,000 reens.”
“…….Fuu, I see.”
As I smiled a little, Zoe tilted her head curiously.
“What is it, Your Majesty?”
“If someone like Zoe came to my door, I would pay at least twice as much, or even ten times as much. It’s a classic example of a strike when the iron is hot.”
“I see. ……?”
“It just seemed odd to me that it was the same amount.”
“Umm, …… you mean?”
I smiled again at Zoe, who was still not quite sure what to think.
“Even though someone came in with that kind of money to spend, they only offered the same amount. At best, he’s a B-grade, or at best, an A-grade, even if he has the advantage of being in the area. He’s not stupid, but he’s not great either.”
Explaining it in terms of status and comparing it to the “+”.
“I see! I suppose you could say that.”
Zoe nodded with a knowing look on her face.
“Hmm?”
“After informing them of His Majesty’s response. The other side was divided on whether to go on as is or change their approach. Even I could tell, there was a hesitation, and not a good one.”
“I see.”
“And they’ve been asking me what His Majesty prefers.”
No lie, considering what I have been doing, that answer is true enough.
But it is also very limited.
“Well done, Zoe.”
“Thank you very much!”
Zoe broke into a happy smile.
“Then I wonder if they will send someone like Evelyn-san.”
A woman of talent.
From Zoe’s point of view, it would be reminiscent of Evelyn, a senior maid and a rising member of the Thirteenth Household, who has now risen to the rank of Governor.
But,
“That would be overrating them.”
“Really?”
“A B-grade person would send in a skilled prostitute or an entertainer, at best, with information such as that.”
“Haah, …… I see. ……”
Zoe looks a little confused.
Well, we’ll see.
“Well, now that we know how they’re coming out. Let’s go out today and pretend to investigate, and wait for their contact. I’m sure they’ll try to get some ‘gifted girl’ close to me.”
“Yes! I will prepare for it!”
Zoe nodded, ran inside the inn, and prepared to leave.
☆
Out on the town, it was another slow day.
The city was so empty of life and goods that it was hard to imagine that six horse-drawn carriages could stand side by side at the same time on the street.
As Zoe had told me, it seems that the city is continuing with the guise of a recession, which is almost overdone.
I wonder how much money they are holding on to at all.
At this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if the other side says boldly, “There’s nothing we can’t do in this city.”
That’s how much they are creating a situation.
“Master,……, this means …… that people are forced to live a different life than usual, doesn’t it?”
“You could say that.”
“I still can’t believe …… that people are following it.”
“I guess the guilds, or the associations, must be very powerful. Well, they have money, of course, they do.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. You know about the ‘separate house’ that the Princes have?”
“Eh? Umm, …… you mean the ‘village’ as we call it?”
“That’s half incorrect.”
I giggled.
“It’s just a ‘separate house,’ away from the capital. Just that, it is usually the same size as a village or a city.”
“Ah, yes.”
His Majesty the Emperor and other members of the royal family often have their own towns and villages called villas or residences.
The thousands of people who live in these villas are the servants of the royal family.
“In the villa, if the main royal family says it is black, it is black, and if they say the sun rises in the west, they are right. If the villa is inspected, some members of the royal family will order the villa to refrain from various activities during that period, won’t they? It’s the same thing, only on an exasperatingly large scale.”
“That makes sense…….”
Zoe gulped, swallowed her saliva, and looked around.
It wasn’t on the level of ” slightly bigger” in scale, but she understood it metaphorically, and that seemed to give her a small taste of the power that the salt merchants had.
“Mm?”
“What is it, Master?”
“Over there, the ‘business’ is looking good.”
I pointed to the end of the main street.
The city had deliberately created a false image of recession to deceive my eyes, but that one corner was as bustling and lively as the night I entered the city.
As I approached there, with Zoe in tow, I could hear the conversations of the people of the city.
“There’s an amazing songstress from the capital over at that store over there.”
“A songstress from the capital?”
“Yes, I’ve already heard the song, and it was great. It’s something you’ll remember for the rest of your life.”
“Is it really that great?”
Overhearing the conversation of passersby, who were paying attention here, I exchanged glances with Zoe.
This is it. We nodded to each other, and from the fragments of conversation we heard, we headed toward the store where the songstress or whoever she was was.
“As expected of you, Master, you were right!”
Zoey was very excited that my prediction came true.
Shortly thereafter, she-no I was surprised as well.
As we walked to the front of the restaurant, we heard a familiar singing voice.
“This is …… Alice-san ……?”
The singing voice coming faintly from inside the store was definitely Alice’s.