🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 45
“……In our family, you say.”
What was he talking about?
As I mulled over Kenneth’s words, I voiced my doubt straight away.
“The Renesti Trading Company has never dealt in plants.”
“Publicly speaking, that’s true.”
“…….”
“As a rule, secret goods are handled from the back, not the front.”
Kenneth clasped his hands together and placed them on his knees.
“It was quite some time ago, but I heard that the Renesti Trading Company once traded with a foreign envoy. And among the items in that transaction was a mermaid’s tear.”
“And why do you need that?”
“That is……”
Kenneth trailed off and furrowed his brow. It seemed to be something quite difficult for him to say; his hesitation was obvious.
But until I heard the details, I couldn’t back down either. I needed to hear the core of the matter to decide whether to bring him over to my side or not.
When it became clear that I had no intention of retreating, Kenneth seemed to give up and let out a deep sigh.
“I have a younger sibling who is ill. It’s a rare disease that isn’t well known, so there’s still no proper medicine. For now, all we can do is give painkillers that temporarily ease the pain.”
“!”
He had a sick younger sibling?
I don’t think I ever saw that kind of setting.
Or had I just missed it? I quickly searched through my memory of the original work, but nothing in particular came to mind.
As for Kenneth, he’d only been portrayed as a genius eccentric at most. I didn’t recall any personal details beyond that.
Or maybe…
Maybe they had passed away before the story even began. Of the various possibilities, that one seemed the most plausible.
“I tried to develop a cure myself, relying only on my own mind, but that hasn’t gone well either. And their condition has been getting worse lately.”
“So that’s why you came to Renesti?”
“Yes. That said, I can’t exactly be employed in one place and work a second job on the side here, can I?”
That was true enough.
Leaving aside mutual trust, it was legally prohibited.
“In any case, money doesn’t really matter to me—whether I have it or not. In the past, I did work a few times because I needed funds to find medicine for my sibling, but I never managed to obtain a cure.”
With that, Kenneth concluded that this was the entirety of his reason for coming here. After carefully mulling over everything I’d heard, I slowly nodded.
“For now, I understand your circumstances.”
He didn’t seem to be lying, and his purpose for coming here was clear. He didn’t appear to have any ulterior motives either.
Still, there was one thing left that I needed to confirm.
“How did you find out that Renesti handled mermaid’s tears?”
“When I was working elsewhere, I had several opportunities to meet foreign merchants. That’s where I heard about mermaid’s tears, and I also learned that Renesti had traded with that place a long time ago.”
“Where was that?”
“Apoltan.”
Apoltan?
That was the Holy Empire where the Pope resided. Unlike this empire, which was ruled by an emperor, Apoltan was governed entirely by the Pope, said to be the one closest to God.
“It’s rare now, but until about a hundred years ago, there were quite a few trading companies that did business with the Holy Empire. It wasn’t unusual.”
“……Wait a moment.”
A hundred years ago?
“Don’t tell me the time of that trade was……”
“Yes, a hundred years ago. To be precise, it was probably around a hundred and fifty years ago.”
“…….”
So he came all the way here, relying solely on a single transaction record that old?
I knew he dropped out in his fourth year, but…
He really was impossible to pin down. Realizing anew what an extraordinary person I’d ended up recruiting, I was momentarily dumbfounded.
But things had already come this far—what else could I do?
“……There might not be any surviving records. It was a long time ago.”
“That’s fine.”
“You might not be able to find anything at all.”
Kenneth lifted the corners of his mouth in a smile.
“Just having a lead is enough.”
“Are you really okay with that?”
“I’m not in a position to be picky right now. I think I’d regret it if I didn’t grab every lifeline I could.”
“…….”
“And besides, isn’t it true that you brought me here because you need me as well, Madam Head of the Trading Company? What we each want is clear, and I’m a capable talent—so it’s an excellent deal, if you ask me.”
“You really are good with words……”
“One of my strengths is eloquence. I’m sure you’ll find it useful whenever you need to negotiate, intimidate, or mediate.”
“Ah, yes……”
If only he weren’t so good at talking.
Swallowing a hollow breath, I stood up from my seat. When I decided to hire an aide, I’d prepared the contract in advance.
You never know when or where you’ll need it.
I just didn’t expect to be showing it like this.
I took a document envelope out from the desk, returned to my seat, and handed it to the new aide sitting across from me.
Kenneth accepted the envelope without hesitation and untied the string at its opening.
“You mentioned earlier that it would be room and board in a shared room. The other person would be your younger sibling, correct?”
“Yes. If it’s a shared room, even the servants’ quarters are fine. I’d appreciate it. I need to keep an eye on their condition at night.”
“Just stay in the main building. We have plenty of rooms. We can just move a bed over, so if you need anything, just let me know.”
If he was fine with it, then so was I. Finding the mermaid’s tear was something he’d have to resolve himself afterward, so I trusted he’d handle it appropriately.
I was also fully willing to help with gathering any necessary materials or information.
“Then, when would you like me to start work—”
“As soon as possible. You’re welcome to move into the estate today, if you’d like.”
“Then I’ll move in today and start work tomorrow.”
“Sounds good.”
It was nice that the conversation flowed so smoothly.
Who knew his straightforward personality would be such a boon in moments like this? While he skimmed through the documents, I prepared a quill in advance.
“The contract is very clean.”
“Is there anything that bothers you? Anything you’d like to add?”
“Not particularly. This is fairly standard. Other families tend to lace every line with poison clauses.”
After flipping over a page, Kenneth shrugged once.
“By the way, are you planning to hire other aides besides me?”
“I’m planning to hire one or two more.”
“If you don’t mind, may I ask who you’re considering?”
“Huh? Ah, sure.”
There was no harm in showing him.
I’d brought along a separate, organized list. Kenneth set the contract aside and quickly scanned the names I’d shortlisted.
“Are Philip and Russell your strongest candidates?”
“How did you know?”
“They just stood out to me. Compared to the others, those two seem the most capable.”
Setting the list down again, Kenneth spoke confidently.
“I think I can bring those two in myself.”
“Really?”
No—how?
When I widened my eyes in surprise, Kenneth grasped the quill and replied,
“They were my classmates at the academy.”
He added that gathering them wouldn’t be any trouble at all, then opened the very last page of the contract.
“Just give me three days.”
Within that time—
“I’ll have them secured.”
