CLICK.
The moment I opened the door to the Commerce Bureau office, lilting laughter poured out.
“Big Sis! I’m here!”
“Oh my, our Lisa is here?”
“Yes, yes. I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t even been able to come visit.”
“What brings you all the way here?”
“I came because I have a favor to ask. Hehe.”
“Now I’m nervous because you said it’s a favor. Hurry and tell me.”
Hmm… listening to the conversation of corrupt Imperial officials, dripping with nasal sweetness, made me feel as though all the mana in my body were draining away.
“For starters, we’d like to sell a promissory note.”
“Really? How much is it?”
The Commerce Bureau official stopped talking with Lisa and looked at me.
Ah, was this where I had to take over?
“My name is Mikael. This is a promissory note worth one hundred gold coins that I received in Marcella.”
“……!”
Her eyes widened.
Her lips moved slightly.
…This made me uneasy.
Surely, they did not lack the money, right?
“One hundred gold coins… Hmm.”
When she hesitated at the unexpected amount, Lisa stepped in with supporting fire.
“Big Sis, this friend came to apply for promotion to a small merchant company today. You absolutely have to exchange it for him!”
“Is that so…?”
After receiving Lisa’s request, she wrote numbers down on parchment.
Then, after calculating for a moment, she soon nodded.
“It’s a little tight, but… since it’s Lisa asking, all right.”
“Thank you, Big Sis.”
…If there were a god of business, it would probably say this.
‘In the end, business is connections.’
THUD. CLINK, CLINK.
The Commerce Bureau official went somewhere and came back, then set a small leather pouch down on the desk.
“Here are one hundred gold coins.”
“Thank you.”
“You said you wanted to apply as a small merchant company, correct? Are you familiar with the conditions?”
Unlike her conversation with Lisa a moment ago, her voice now carried a subtle smell of paperwork.
“Yes. Profit of at least one hundred fifty gold coins in a single trade, means of transportation, and a recommendation letter. Those three.”
“Correct. Please check this document.”
She spread a document out on the desk.
On the paper, the dark printed text and the mark of red sealing wax were clear.
∿∿∿∿∿∿∿∿∿∿∿∿
[Small Merchant Company Promotion Requirements]
– Imperial Commerce Bureau No. 203
Trade Profit: Net profit of at least 150 gold coins from the most recent transaction
Transport Capacity: Total loading capacity of at least 50 stones (including equivalent transport means such as mules and carts)
Reliability: One recommendation letter from a noble family or government office
<National Seal of His Majesty the Emperor ⚜>
∿∿∿∿∿∿∿∿∿∿∿∿
One hundred fifty gold coins, based on net profit.
I had already decided where I would sell.
Next was a loading capacity of fifty stones.
One mule counted as one stone, so….
Should I buy some horses and a wagon this time?
Lastly, a recommendation letter.
Whether it was from a noble family or a government office, both were bothersome.
In any case.
“Yes, I’m familiar with all of them.”
“Before you fill out the application, I’ll confirm a few things first. What trade goods do you plan to handle?”
“I plan to sell marine-grade steel.”
Her businesslike expression shifted subtly.
“Steel, not grain, from Heindel…? Yes, well, fine. There is no separate deadline, but you will need receipts that can prove your profit. As for confirmation of transport means, I will go inspect them personally.”
“Yes. Then may I submit the application right away?”
“Yes, yes.”
Scratch, scratch.
With the quill pen she handed me, I quickly filled out the application.
When the papers were neatly placed on the desk, her businesslike face finally relaxed.
“I wish you luck, future Merchant Company Head.”
“Ha ha, thank you.”
As Lisa left the room, she waved lightly.
“Big Sis, thank you for taking care of us today. I’ll come visit again next time!”
“Yes, Lisa. Get home safely.”
On the way back to Heindel.
Jab.
Lisa poked me in the side.
“Mikael, I prepared a present for you. Curious?”
“What? Wh-what is it?”
Had I not already received a great deal of help?
A sudden present?
I was not mentally prepared yet….
“You said last time you needed cherrywood plywood, right? A merchant from the Southern Kingdom stopped by our Guild for a while, so I got some for you.”
It was not the present I had been thinking of, but….
Actually, this was even better.
“Did you buy it with your own money?”
“The method is a secret. Anyway, do you need it or not?”
“Of course I need it!”
“For free?”
“Th-then what? Should I give you a bottle of wine?”
“Hehe, look at you getting embarrassed. Forget it. I have plenty of plywood, so stop by the Guild later and take it.”
“…….”
When did I get embarrassed…?
For some reason, my steps back to Heindel felt much lighter.
As though I had received the Blessing of Levita.
***
As soon as I returned home, Mother was the first to run all the way to the door.
“Was everything all right? Did the hearing end well?”
“Ha ha, it was fine. I even submitted my application for promotion to a small merchant company.”
“That is a relief.”
With the entire family gathered, one hundred gold coins glittered on the dining table.
My third older sister picked one up as though she could not believe it.
“This is… really one hundred?”
“Yes, and this is only the beginning. Heh heh.”
No matter how much I bragged about money, I never got tired of it.
“Whew.”
I took a moment to steady my breathing and looked at Father.
This journey would likely be long as well.
“Father, this time, I’m thinking of purchasing marine-grade steel in bulk from Oxhorn Pass.”
“Good. Have you decided where you will sell it?”
“Yes, Port Marina.”
“A port city…….”
Port Marina was not just a port city.
It was an independent city-state outside Imperial territory.
The center of trade across the strait.
Not only maritime trade, but even smuggled goods flowed through that place.
“Right. Steel trading leaves a great deal of profit, but will it not be heavy? Six mules will be nowhere near enough.”
“That is why there is something I need the whole family to help with.”
When I sent Father a look asking for help—
“Heh heh, just say the word. It is not as though our house has only one or two workers.”
—Father’s gaze drifted to the side.
All three older sisters grimaced at the same time.
“Heh heh.”
As expected, the authority of the head of the household was impressive.
I decided to make active use of that authority.
First, I needed to replace those terribly slow mules.
I smiled at my eldest sister.
“I’d like you to go to the horse market with Third Sister, sell all the mules, and buy horses.”
“With Lumiel? Seriel seems like she would be better at buying and selling horses.”
“Second Sister has another job to do.”
To think I was making my second older sister work….
For no reason, I felt magnificent.
“What is it?”
My second older sister’s expression was chilly.
Instinctively, I leaned back.
“You need to go buy wine with Garen. At the grape vendor’s place.”
“All right. How many boxes?”
“Three hundred boxes. Just stack them in the warehouse.”
“That won’t be possible in one trip.”
“Yes. With mules, you’ll probably have to go at least three times.”
“All right, understood.”
Now the work instructions were finished.
…But if I ended the family meeting like this, I would probably be beaten to death.
So I quickly added,
“Once the wine is gathered, I’ll visit the church. I’m going to ask for the Blessing of Levita.”
Even if we bought horses, they would not be enough to move three hundred boxes at once.
I could not keep going back and forth to Oxhorn Pass twice for each deal, so if possible, I had to load everything in one trip.
My eldest sister furrowed her brow.
“Huh? You have connections at the church?”
“Yeah.”
“Hmmm. You did go west to do business, right? Last time, you brought Lisa home, and this time, it’s a female priest?”
…I never said it was a woman, did I?
“Mikael, you know priests can’t get married, right?”
“I know, but why does that matter?”
“Do you want to be dragged off as a heretic? Keep it under control.”
“Keep what under control?”
“You know, that! That!”
Just as the conversation was about to wander off into the mountains, Father settled things in the end.
“The horse market is too rough for two women to go alone, so it would be better for Mikael to go with them.”
“Yes… Father.”
Once the tasks were settled, I returned to my room and organized my thoughts.
“…….”
We would need at least seven or eight horses.
If two horses pulled a cart, it could carry up to fourteen or fifteen stones. Three carts and one wagon.
‘The eldest son of a merchant company should be allowed at least one wagon.’
And the horse market….
I recalled memories from my previous life of handling warhorses.
I had heard stallions were expensive, and transport horses had difficult temperaments.
This time, please let me suffer less.
And what kind of horse should I buy?
“White… black… red… Ah, I don’t know….”
I muttered inside my mouth and collapsed just like that.
***
The horse market.
In the central auction ground, horses were being demonstrated.
NEIGHHHH. SNORT, SNORT.
“Good, raise your head—and start with a walk!”
After showing the walk, trot, canter, and obedience, the breeder read out the height at the withers and the age, and the auctioneer called the minimum price.
The outer area was for private transactions.
Most people brought anywhere from two to as many as five horses to sell.
Each horse had a pedigree ribbon tied to its tail, and its hooves were stamped with registration brands.
Of course, no market was complete without touting.
“Imperial bloodline horses! Direct descendants of the Althia stallion!”
“For transport, this way! I’m telling you, they can pull four freight carts!”
“This one has mana resistance! It even has a military certificate!”
‘I already have a feeling this is going to be a long day….’
I had come to the horse market with Mariel and Lumiel—in other words, my eldest sister and my third older sister.
Third Sister’s ears had already perked up at the words “Imperial bloodline horses.”
“Mikael! Do you know horses?”
“Me? I know them well.”
“You’re going to say you saw it in a book again, aren’t you? Keke. Forget it. Let’s hurry and go over there.”
In front of the sign that read “Imperial Bloodline Horses,” six chestnut horses were milling around.
They looked a little gaunt, as though they had grown up barely eating proper hay.
‘Althia stallion, my foot… What a complete scammer.’
My sister strode up to the merchant.
“Are they really Imperial bloodline horses?”
“Heh heh, why so suspicious? Have you heard of Althia?”
“Of course I haven’t. Do they run well?”
“That goes without saying. Ten gold coins a horse! I’m practically giving them away.”
“But if they’re Imperial bloodline horses, how are they here?”
“Wh-what?”
Like someone who had been struck in a blind spot, the merchant began babbling.
Pfft— I burst out laughing without realizing it.
“Sister, let’s just go somewhere else.”
“Kekeke, yeah. They didn’t look right at first glance.”
I turned my head to move away with Eldest Sister as well—huh? Where did she go?
“But I don’t see Eldest Sister.”
“Really?”
At that moment, a shout came from far away.
“Mikael! Aren’t these white horses magnificent?”
Over there stood white horses that truly seemed worthy of the words “Imperial bloodline.”
Their pure white coats fluttered in the wind, and their hooves rang against the stone pavement.
“Uh…… they are magnificent. Did you ask how much they cost?”
“Fifty gold coins each.”
“……Come out of there, quickly.”
“Why! You earned one hundred gold coins.”
“If we buy two, our family will have to live sucking on our fingers.”
“Then just one—”
“No.”
“Ugh, you miser.”
I firmly led my sisters away.
In the end, we bought six medium-sized horses said to be optimized for transport.
Nine gold coins per horse.
It was a transaction worth a total of fifty-four gold coins.
We sold all the mules for five gold coins each.
“…Now we really will have to suck on our fingers.”
“Cheer up, Mikael. You still bought them well.”
“Now I need to find the horses that will pull the wagon….”
Just as I was chatting with my eldest sister, a shout burst from far away.
“Hey! Stop that horse!”
“Catch it! The reins snapped!”
“Who opened the gate?!”
“Move, move!”
“Child, get away from there!”
People rushed in one direction.
What was going on?
As if by instinct, I moved that way.
GRRRR— NEIGH!!
There, a black horse had lost its mind and was rampaging.
CRASH— CRASH—
Two stalls fell over in succession.
The moment I saw it, I knew.
Its build, size, and even its coat—
At that level, it was a military horse.
Then why could no one control it?
‘If we leave it like that, the villagers will get hurt.’
“One moment. I’ll try to calm it down.”
My eldest sister waved her hand.
“Mikael, it’s dangerous. Don’t step in for no reason.”
“It’s all right. It’s frightened and its eyes have gone wild. It only needs to be soothed for a moment.”
Speaking quietly, I slowly walked toward the horse.
The basics of handling a horse lie in the “approach-and-retreat method.”
You approach and make it recognize that you are safe, then retreat to make it lower its guard.
After that, you throw a rope and catch the reins….
Then press the nape of its neck to steady its breathing….
‘No, that crap isn’t what matters right now.’
A horse whose eyes had already gone wild had to be overwhelmed with presence.
Otherwise, I would be trampled first.
Tap, tap, tap.
I deliberately tapped the ground with the tips of my feet and drew its gaze.
“Grrrrr….”
At that moment, its black eyes, without any whites, flashed.
I held my breath and stared straight at it.
Gulp.
A silence hung over the area so heavy that the sound of swallowing could be heard. Even the onlookers shut their mouths.
I quietly reached out and gripped the rope.
Its black eyes dug into mine.
Inhale.
Taking a deep breath, I glared at the beast without backing down.
The air was so taut it felt as though it might tear.
Between me and the horse, one of us had to retreat first.
And though it lasted only an instant—
Its momentum wavered faintly.
‘Now.’
Step, step, step.
I walked toward it one step at a time.
NEIGHHH.
The black horse took one step back.
‘Where do you think you’re running?’
SWISH! I pulled the rope long and swung it once.
Its trajectory curved smoothly toward the nape of the horse’s neck.
“Kurrrr—!”
The moment the rope caught around its neck, I twisted the rope in my grip and pulled it to the right.
The horse jerked its head, lost its balance, and its massive body swayed and tilted.
I ran to the opposite side, pushed its flank diagonally with the tip of my foot—
And climbed straight onto its back.
I pulled the rope and fixed my balance with my knees.
“It’s all right… calm down.”
I slowly soothed it in time with the sound of its heartbeat and covered one of the horse’s eyes with a cloth.
Hrrr– hrrr–
When one eye was covered, the black horse’s breathing shook roughly.
And a moment later.
Its head slowly tilted toward me.
“Whew… the horse has calmed down. Everyone, please stay quiet.”
Still mounted on the horse, I looked at the merchant.
“How much is this horse?”
“Y-yes. He’s a very sturdy one. But horse prices have risen somewhat lately….”
The merchant stammered.
‘Something about him looks guilty….’
Whip marks carved far too deeply into the horse’s back, and instinctive fear in its eyes.
My mouth grew bitter.
And irritation slowly began to rise in me.
“You abused this horse, didn’t you?”
“What nonsense!”
The merchant waved his hands, but his expression had already given the answer.
He was denying it to the end.
“The wounds left on its back are at least ten days old. On top of that, its eyes are unstable. It’s become extremely wary of people because it was abused for a long time.”
“…….”
“To be honest, a horse this sensitive is hard to sell. If an accident happens, the loss will be great too.”
The merchant’s Adam’s apple jutted upward.
“B-but this horse’s bloodline—”
“Then release it right now in front of me and make it run to you.”
“What?”
“If you’re not confident enough to do that, you’ll have a hard time doing business here. How many witnesses do you think there are?”
“Do you know what I went through to get this horse……? I won’t go below fifteen gold coins!”
Instead of answering, I looked at the black horse’s face.
I did not have the skill to converse with horses, but its eyes were saying it—“Hurry up and make an offer.”
“Fine.”
“Really? For fifteen?”
“No.”
“……?”
“Ten. If you don’t like it, I’ll leave it here. With no reins, it’ll be quite the sight when someone gets kicked by its hind legs.”
“Damn it… fine. What kind of business can anyone do in this backwater? Ptui!”
I wanted to punch him once, but I paid the gold coins and purchased the horse.
It had only been a brief moment, but I already felt attached to it.
“…….”
Then was this one mine now?
What should I name it?
While I was absorbed in such trivial thoughts, my eldest sister shouted toward me.
She even waved her hands.
“M-Mikael! We’ll put the transport horses in the warehouse. You said you were going to the church, right? Go!”
It seemed she was still too scared to stay near the horse.
That was fine by me.
Pat, pat. I lightly patted the black horse’s flank.
Clop, clop, clop—
The wind struck my face, and my hair scattered.
‘…What the hell, you’re incredibly fast.’
The black horse ran so boldly that I wondered whether it truly had been an abused horse.
People moved aside in surprise, and the noise of the streets gradually grew distant.
Before the sun had even finished setting, the church spire came into view.
“Everblack, stay here.”
I stopped the horse and slowly stood in front of the door.
Ah, I had just named the horse Everblack.
As though it had only now begun to acknowledge its owner, its snorting had calmed.
I reached out and pushed the door.
CREEEAK—
The church door slowly trembled open.