“May I ride the carriage with you?” Ver asked to share the carriage ride with Roman.
“I’m not very interested in men requesting a date.”
“I have something to tell you.”
Despite Roman’s mischievous words, Ver didn’t budge.
“Your reaction is consistently uninteresting.”
Roman said this while indicating towards the carriage with his head and then climbed in first. The carriage soon set out with the two people inside.
“Is this about the ship tax?”
Roman took the initiative and struck first. He made the joke because he had already perceived the purpose earlier.
He also remembered the scene he saw on the way over yesterday. And he was no less curious than Ver about this. This curiosity only increased since the territory once belonged to the Grant family of which Ver was a member.
“So you knew.”
“I do. It was such an uproar for quite some time.”
He couldn’t help but remember because of the commotion between the Council and the emperor over the issue of ship taxes. However, this issue disappeared at some point and was never discussed at length nor an announcement made if it would be implemented. But it was actually being carried out in Minnippi.
“You know there is no way to stop it at the moment, right?”
Roman knew what Ver wanted to say to him. However, the land now belonged to the imperial family. There was no immediate way of stopping it.
“Why don’t you contact the families who agreed with you at the time and put them forward on the agenda to present it in the next assembly?”
Once it’s brought before the assembly, any unfair, flawed, and problematic issue brought up there will be stopped in its implementation. Then the tax won’t have to be levied for the time being.
Even if it could only be paused for a while.
“Are you going to do it?”
Back in the days of Marquis Grant, putting forth an agenda in the assembly was not difficult. There was power in the family and the people around them.
Now, the situation was different from what it used to be. He no longer had that power and many aristocrats still regarded his family, with preconceived notions, as a traitorous one even though it’s been said they had already paid for the crime.
Knowing that, Ver was troubled and frustrated. It was because the looming, subsequent failure was clearly visible. At least, that was how he felt yesterday.
“Yes.”
But today, he decided to try doing as much as he could even if that meant he couldn’t do it as easily as he used to.
He acted as soon as he became determined. He had already sent a letter to Albert* of the Grant family that very morning.
[TL/N: The butler.]
He would then put the agenda on the table according to procedures. Letters to the other families would also be sent according to Ver’s instructions.
Another letter was also due to arrive at Marquis Weiand’s residence. Of course, the letter only wrote of Minnippi. Jack would make his own decision when he saw Albert’s letter, which would be sent to the Weiand Marquisate later in the name of the Grant family.
The reason he did this was because he didn’t want to force the decision if Jack didn’t want to.
Yet on the other hand, Ver had faith in Jack. It was his belief in the man, Jack Weiand, who had seen and became acquainted with him as the family knight, and accepted him as he was.
He also hoped that Jack would trust him as well.
“You’ve already got your answer.”
“I wanted to hear what the Duke thinks of this.”
Duke Tonz was the only nobleman who could be on equal ground with the Crown Prince. He was the most influential within the Council. Of course, that was also why the agendas that Roman could put on the table were limited. There were too many things that could be changed according to his tastes because of the resulting, immense ripple effect.
In return for the limitations, whether a proposed agenda would be approved depended on Roman’s will.
“It seems to be the answer.”
Simply presenting the agenda before the assembly could only pause the process for a while.
In addition, there was also Crown Prince Lucio; it was a fact that could be seen clearly by organizing the series of events that took place. He was the first person to pursue the trade business project and he was also the first person to propose the ship tax.
Roman was a necessary card in order to counter it.
Ver also needed a man with wealth, abilities, and credence comparable to the imperial family.
“I just want to ask one question.”
Roman called out to Ver who was about to get off the carriage.
“If I tell you to stay away from the Young Lady of Marquis Weiand in exchange for this, would you do it?”
Ver’s eyes shook.
“Are you making a deal?”
“A deal, you say. Let’s just consider it as a small favor”, Roman corrected him with a light smile.
*
“Ver.”
Ver, who had come to help, seemed distracted. He looked lost in thought as he picked up goods to verify them.
“It’ll be hard to obtain another one in time if that breaks.”
Among the goods from the East, that item was quite precious. Cecia took the item from Ver’s hands and laid it down in a safe place.
“What’s the matter? You shouldn’t overdo it if you’re tired.”
She knew he was strong and had high endurance, but perhaps the travel fatigue hadn’t completely cleared up yet. And it looked like something was going on today.
“No.”
Ver shook his head to erase the thoughts in his mind. Then, he continued checking the goods.
The products consisted of extremely expensive items. Porcelain, spices, and delicately crafted handiwork were all hard to find items in nearby kingdoms, including the Acreo Empire.
Medicinal herbs were also included in this. And it seemed to be a new type coming in from the East this time.
[TL/N: I don’t know about you guys, but doesn’t this screams sus?….. And unfortunately, Cecia seems to be ignorant of what her dad’s been doing.]
“Do you display this too?” Ver asked Cecia to confirm.
There was also the question as to whether it was possible to display medicinal herbs.
“No. I’m going to be moving half of this and setting aside the other half. They seem to be sought after a lot these days.”
It was a product that had increased in quantity according to the recent purchase list that Cecia saw before coming to Minnippi.
The wealth accumulated from this product was incredible. Ver nodded at her words and quickly continued to look through the other items.
At the end of the daily routine, the two headed back to the castle in a carriage together.
Ver looked at Cecia as they sat facing each other inside the carriage.
Despite having seen her for such a long time, he had a new hunch this time.
“Do you have anything you’d like to say?” Cecia noticed Ver’s gaze and asked him.
He shook his head instead of answering. However, Cecia felt that the eyes she was looking into spoke of something more. It was a gaze full of sadness and pensiveness. And that countenance remained with him for days as he helped with the work.
*
There were many mountains in the Hühgel region of the Barua Kingdom. So darkness fell quickly.
As light faded, human shadows could be seen silently moving along obscured areas. They were moving along cautiously and not too quickly. It was perhaps because of something they were carrying.
They were attuned to the slightest sounds and they moved up the mountain carefully so as not to make rustling noises.
It took quite a while for them to come back down the mountain. And this time unlike how they ascended, their footsteps were light, fast, and quiet.
After a while, morning came to the Hühgel Region.
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