TRVLT 29

“Why did you choose me?”

Even while signing the contract, Ismail still looked like he couldn’t believe this was happening.

The young merchant, whose eyes curved downward and made him look like he was smiling even when expressionless, glanced back and forth between Glen and Duncan as if asking for an answer.

“We can’t even offer you a deposit… Our shop is small, and our distribution network is nothing compared to the large trade companies.”

“I was just thinking the same,” Glen said.

“Pardon?”

“Would you explain the reason now, Teacher Aril?”

At Glen’s signal, Duncan pulled something out from behind the sofa.

“Ah!”

Arilleti, who had been lying on her stomach writing hard in her sketchbook, was suddenly lifted into the air.

She ended up seated between Duncan and Glen, her big eyes blinking in confusion.

Ismail brightened.

“Ah, so you’re Teacher Aril!”

“You can tell?” Glen asked.

“I did think something was strange. Of course, the other ‘Teacher Aril’ here is also very impressive and respectable, but the Snow Fairy kept circling around this child.”

The fairy, who had been sitting on top of Arilleti’s head combing her hair proudly, shot a small snowball into the air.

“Nice to meet you, Teacher Aril,” Ismail said.

“Uh…”

Arilleti awkwardly shook his hand.

How should I act?

She pressed her index finger to her lips.

“It’s… it’s a secret.”

“Of course. I would never reveal information about a business partner.”

Ismail pretended to zip his lips shut.

“Then may I ask why you selected me?”

Because you will become the greatest merchant in Caspel.

Arilleti hesitated before answering.

“…You seemed the most capable…?”

Right now, his company was on the brink of collapse. But within ten years, Ismail’s company would grow into a massive trading firm, dominating not only Caspel but the entire central Bertel region.

“And your conditions were the best.”

The materials from Hezeit would sell even if laid out on a simple mat in the street. Customers would line up without needing middlemen.

The reason they still wanted a connection with a Caspel merchant was to ensure a steady supply of goods for the territory.

And beyond that, to build ties with Ismail’s company and future clients.

At first glance, Ismail’s offer didn’t look special. But to someone who understood the value of the goods and the nature of the main customers, it was the most tempting and attractive choice.

“Our future customers aren’t ordinary people.”

“Exactly,” Ismail replied. “The main buyers of monster byproducts are mages.”

“And mages are people who would gladly pay 500 gold for a single Snow Fairy.”

“That’s right! Anyone who says a Snow Fairy is worth only 10 gold is a scammer!”

Ismail clenched his fist.

“The heads of the Liam Company and Abracium Company surely understood the value of these materials at a glance. And yet they offered such insulting terms. I couldn’t say it to their faces earlier, but…!”

“Who do they think they’re fooling!”

“Exactly! Who do they think they’re fooling!”

Glen and Duncan, who had almost become those fools, wisely kept quiet.

“For now, we’ll focus on displaying and promoting these samples,” Ismail continued. “After that, we’ll operate on a pre-order basis, receiving payment first. When enough orders are gathered, we’ll come to collect the goods. We’ll deduct our commission and settle the payment then.”

“Mm. Sounds good,” Arilleti nodded.

“Is there anything you need from Caspel? If we carry it, we’ll provide it. If not, we’ll try our best to obtain it.”

“In that case,” Glen said, raising his hand, “we’d like some warming stones.”

“Warming stones?”

“The snowstorm has stopped, but in Hezeit the snow never melts all year. Even in summer, it only gets slightly warmer. Until then, we need to keep fires burning. One warming stone works better than burning five bundles of firewood.”

Glen glanced at Arilleti, as if waiting for final approval.

Why are you looking at me? If we need it, we buy it.

Ismail brightened.

“We deal in warming stones! We have a contract with a raw stone supplier. If you need them in large quantities—not flame stones, but warming stones—we can get them much cheaper than market price.”

Warming stones were rocks formed in volcanic regions, absorbing heat and mana over many years. If the mana concentration was high enough, they were classified as mana stones. Most, however, were simply warm stones with only a small amount of mana.

They were still expensive, usually used by nobles or the imperial family for winter heating.

Arilleti had a fist-sized warming stone beside her bed.

Now that she thought about it, that was the only one in the entire castle.

Glen smiled as he collected the contract.

“Good. We’ve run out of warming stones to distribute to the residents.”

Ah. So that’s why there weren’t any left.

Glen stamped the Hezeit family seal onto the contract, completing the deal.

Arilleti handed Ismail the box of materials she had prepared.

“Limited sale. First come, first served. Don’t forget.”

“Of course, Teacher.”

Workers from Ismail’s company carefully loaded the large boxes onto a cart. Inside were bottles containing the Snow Fairy’s breath, organs from ice-attribute monsters, and carefully selected usable weapons.

“Ha ha! We look forward to working with you, Head Merchant. May everything sell out!”

“Business runs on trust, right?”

Arilleti, sitting on Duncan’s shoulders, cut in. Among the intimidating Hezeit adults, only she could say such things.

Her turquoise eyes glinted.

“If you mess up the books or fake records… you’re dead. You’ll learn what bankruptcy means.”

Ismail answered firmly, “Of course.”

“To celebrate the contract, may I shake hands with the young lord and with you, Teacher?”

He shook hands with Glen, then raised his hand high to shake Arilleti’s.

Then, very seriously, he asked:

“To strengthen our trust… Teacher Aril, may I hold you just once?”

“…?”

Arilleti pouted.

She didn’t like being picked up by anyone except Glen, Duncan, Tanesa, and Doctor Sergio.

Seeing her hesitation, Ismail scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

“My apologies. If my first child had survived, they would be about your age now…”

“!”

“My wife had a miscarriage a few years ago. I was too busy trying to save the company and couldn’t care for her properly. It still pains me.”

Glen’s eyes quickly filled with tears as he looked at Arilleti.

Arilleti had already spread her arms wide.

“Come.”

Hug me, future great merchant.

Half a month passed after Ismail returned to Caspel.

“Young Lord! Letters!”

“More letters have arrived!”

Glen’s office was filled with endless piles of letters.

The Hezeit aide had never handled so much correspondence before and was flustered.

It wasn’t just letters. Territories and cities near Caspel rushed to obtain ice-attribute potion materials.

“We’re here to see Teacher Aril!”

“Is Teacher Aril here? We would like distribution of the potion materials you supplied to Ismail’s company!”

“Count! Please let us meet Teacher Aril!”

Merchants from Caspel, drawn by the scent of money, crowded in front of the lord’s castle. Most were potion makers, followed by merchants, and occasionally physicians, mercenaries, and mages.

With a creaking sound, the castle gate rose.

A massive shadow fell over the crowd.

“I am Teacher Aril.”

“…Uh.”

The merchants swallowed nervously.

A huge man covered in thick muscles stood with his hand on his hip, looking over them.

“If you have business, line up, write your name on this paper, and wait your turn. No cutting in line!”