Chapter 5: 5

Chapter 5 Dealings with the Serra Trading Company (1)

　I thought I would go home and immediately return to our domain, but that didn’t happen.
　I would’ve done so immediately if it weren’t for the prince’s triumphant return and the grand banquet that ensued.
　The prince and his companions were hailed as heroes, receiving the highest praise as everyone rejoiced.
　The banquet lasted seven days and seven nights, at the end of which his engagement to Saint Elisabeth was announced, and mine never happened.
　I didn’t attend, but as a count, my father could not avoid being present at the celebration, and every day he drove his carriage to attend the banquet he so much despised.
　To be honest, it was wrong of me to do so, and yet father never said anything to me.
　While I was in the Royal Capital, I was under house arrest in the mansion, not even stepping outside.
　While my father was going through a hard time, I, the cause of it, could not be so carefree. Besides, I knew I wouldn’t be staying here, so I decided to get rid of some of my belongings.
　Clothes from three years ago no longer sized me, and my taste in accessories and jewelry had changed, so I no longer liked them. Which is why I decided to sell all but the most memorable items and exchange them for money.
　Plus, since I was free during the day, I snuck into Father’s room and asked to see the documents concerning our domain.
　The daily banquet had slowed down the work of managing the domain, and the documents were piling up. As I looked at some of the documents, I found a report compiled by the accountant.
　This was my first time seeing an accounting report about the domain, and I had a hard time reading it, but once I got used to it, I got the general idea of what was going on.

　What I could tell from a quick glance was that tax revenues were steadily declining.
　The accountant who compiled the report attributed this mainly to the threat of the Demon king’s army and the monsters they had unleashed that were ravaging the domain, young men being taken by soldiers, and a lack of labor force. I don’t deny that, but I suspect that the overall economy is cooling down due to repeated tax collection.
　In particular, the fact that sales of porcelain, a specialty product of our domain, have declined is the best proof of this.
　Porcelain was founded during my great-grandfather’s reign, and its sales helped our family prosper.
　Our tableware has been the favorite of royalty and nobility all over the world, but times are turbulent. Demand for luxury goods is declining. Our goods were overstocked, and they were being bought by merchants.
　In addition, sales in the industrial sector, such as brandy distilled from wine, glassware, and more, which Father had been promoting with great enthusiasm, were not doing well.
　The policies that he had steered based on the idea that industry would be more profitable than food have backfired in wartime.
　Father is doing his best, but he’s still unable to rebuild.
　I also painstakingly examine other documents of the domain. I find the place I’m looking for and scrutinize the documents there. It seems to be quite interesting.
　Because of its remote location, Father hasn’t read through the documents thoroughly, and the accountant has taken the reports as they are and placed his seal on them, since it’s not really an important area, but if you look closely, you’ll see it. This could be a problem of many kinds if they beat us to it.
　I get all the documents that have been compiled, and then go to the archives to search for past documents.
　As expected of the Graham family, the archives are well organized and easy to find.

　When I returned to my room with the necessary documents, I found Grandma Cairo pacing left and right among the incoming and outgoing merchants.

“What’s the matter, Grandma?”
“Miss, are you really going to sell these things?”

　The old lady looked ruefully at the clothes and jewelry being carried away.

“It can’t be helped, I mean, what’s the use of having clothes you can’t wear?”
　
　Besides, I’ve saved some memorabilia, so it’s all the stuff I don’t really care about that’s for sell.

“But the Grahams are peddlers.”

　The old lady was saddened that there were physical problems.
　Certainly, it’s not a very good look for an aristocrat to dispose of their family’s possessions.

“oh well, but I have use for this.”

　Perhaps it could be of great benefit.

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“Well, well, miss, thank you very much for doing business with us.”
　
　As I was talking with the old lady, Minebeau of the Serra Trading Company, the company with whom I was doing business at the moment with, came over and bowed reverently.

“Of course. It’s only natural that I’d come to your company, with whom we’ve always done business with.”

　The Serra Trading Company is one of the outgoing merchants. It is reputed to be the best in the kingdom and has opened a wide range of stores around the capital. As I recall, Minebeau is the son and heir to the family business. I heard that he went out of his way to visit me this time.

“Thank you, so how much would that be?”

　I immediately ask for the price.

　
“About this much?”

　Minebeau offered me a price on a piece of paper, but it was much lower than the market price.
　I knew I’d be undercut, but he was willing to offer me less than half of what I had expected.
　Of course, they’re but merchants. I understand and do not deny that they believe profit is the only god and strive to maximize it.
　However, this attitude is unacceptable for such a small transaction, as they underestimate the other party as a failure.

“Oh, okay.”

　I pretended to be an idiot who didn’t know the market price, took the paper and signed it. The deal was done.

“By the way, there was one more thing I wanted you to pick up. How much would this be?”

　I take a box out of my desk drawer and show him what’s inside.
　It was a grayish stone-like object.

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