Read Novel Full Vol 23 Chapter 5
Vol 23 Chapter 5
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Chapter 5 – Camille-san’s Counterattack
The trial run of the consciousness liberation program for the Saporabis ended with results that were generally satisfactory for both us and the Saporabis. The next step will be to wait for the results of the second evaluation by Camille-san, who now has some free time, which will determine whether the working conditions for the Saporabis will change. However, Ines provoked the emotions of the Saporabis, which led to some sad events.
“I’m back. Did anything happen while I was away?”
After finishing the Saporabi’s vacation and evaluation, we returned to the Beastmen’s Village. Initially, the purpose was just to give them a reward and reduce my sense of guilt, but the conversation took an unexpected turn that surprised me a bit.
I greeted Marina-san, Carla-san, Claretta-san, and Fuu-chan, who greeted us outside the Beastmen Village and asked them about the situation in our absence.
By the way, how did Marina-san and the others know that we were coming back? Even though it’s called a village, it’s expanded so much that it’s quite large.
“There were no particular problems. However, Camille-san seemed to be in a bit of trouble.”
After greeting everyone, Claretta-san reported on the current situation.
Camille-san is in a little trouble?
Camille-san is supposed to be negotiating with some important people right now, so maybe a problem has arisen.
“A little” is a vague term. If they make unreasonable demands, we can respond accordingly, but if it’s just “a little bit,” it’s hard to know how to respond when dealing with people in power.
The question is how much to give.
“Let’s go greet Camille-san and hear what she has to say.”
“Please do that.”
I won’t know until I hear what she has to say, so I go to the guild and go to Camille-san’s office.
“I’m back.”
“Welcome back, Wataru-san.”
I greet Camille-san, but she doesn’t seem particularly worried. As Claretta-san said, it must be a minor problem.
“Camille-san, you seem to be in trouble. Is there anything I can do to help you?”
Actually, I’m just dumping my work on her, so it’s only natural that I help.
“Ah, there’s a little problem, or rather, a troublesome matter… Everyone, I need to have a serious talk, so please leave the room and take a break.”
Camille-san sends the Toyumi Trading Company employees out of the room.
Huh? I thought it was a small problem, but maybe it’s a big one?
I’m getting nervous.
“Actually, the higher-ups in this country, including the king, are in favor of the Castle’s arrival.”
Oh, I see. Well, just the fact that the Castle is docked here has a lot of influence.
I thought there was no need to send the staff out if that was the case, but since the owner of the Castle is supposed to be the magician, she probably wanted to be considerate. Such small considerations are touching.
“If they’re favorable, why is it troublesome?”
“Yes. They heard rumors about the Castle and gathered information, but since it’s such an influential ship, they said they couldn’t give permission to dock without seeing it for themselves.”
Ah, I see. I can understand that. A country can’t just give permission for something it doesn’t know anything about.
“I see… Wait a minute. In that case, it’s surprising that the Kingdom of Latina gave permission.”
We had almost reached an agreement during the discussions in the Southern City.
“This country isn’t as far from the Kingdom of Brescia as the Kingdom of Aquamarine, so nobles and guild leaders came to inspect the Castle. I greeted them myself. I think the fact that accurate information was conveyed was a reassuring factor.”
I see. It’s located halfway between the Kingdom of Aquamarine and the Kingdom of Brescia, and unlike the Kingdom of Aquamarine, which is an independent island, it’s connected to the mainland. This must have lowered the barrier to visit.
The depth of information affected the difficulty of getting permission.
“But what’s so complicated about it? Whether it’s an inspection or a regular route, the Castle will dock once, so we just have to show them and give them permission, right?”
The distance the ship travels is the same.
“It’s because it’s the first time, so we want to make a big impression with the Castle. If we don’t get permission, we can’t bring in guests from other countries.”
Ah, it’s all about first impressions.
I’m sure the Castle alone can make a great impression, but imagine a huge ship docking with dignitaries from the Kingdom of Latina and the Kingdom of Brescia on board.
Then, the dignitaries of the Aquamarine Kingdom board and the glamorous social gathering of the three nations begin.
It’s not a bad idea.
It’s not a bad idea, but if you think about whether it’s absolutely necessary, it lacks impact, and socializing can be done even if it’s not the first time.
So Camille-san is worried, too, but it doesn’t seem like a serious concern.
As a businesswoman, it’s a dilemma that comes from the desire to maximize profits.
“Can’t it be arranged as a one-time special permission for the nobles to board? It wouldn’t be bad for the Aquamarine Kingdom to establish relations with the powerful of other countries, right? Then they could inspect it during or after the social gathering and make a decision.”
I don’t think it’s that complicated.
“I think your request will probably be granted. However, it would be a favor from the Castle, and it could lead to a debt.”
Is that so? I think it’s okay since we’re the ones granting the favor, but negotiations between countries might not be so easy.
“If that happens, other countries such as the Kingdom of Brescia, which has refused to interfere so far, and the Kingdom of Latina, which is new to the scene, will also try to gain influence over the Castle.”
Really? This is getting complicated, and I’m starting to lose track.
“If it’s too much trouble, why don’t we just start regular routes between the Southern City and Cagliari for now?”
At first, I thought there might be some problems, but now it smells like a power struggle and a fight for privileges.
It’s inevitable that privileges will arise where there are profits to be made, but I don’t think it’s right for us to worry about such people.
It may sound harsh, but aren’t we in a superior position as the ones giving the benefits?
“Are you sure you can be so assertive? It might affect the construction of the Beastmen City.”
Ah, so that’s why Camille-san was so reluctant, even though we’re in a strong position to negotiate.
“It’s okay. I think it will be good for Beastmen City in the long run, but right now, we have a lot of work to do with the construction of the city, the waterways, the reservoirs, the villages, and the fields. Please consider the Castle as an additional measure. There’s no need to negotiate weakly for the sake of the Beastmen City.”
The purpose of the Castle is to provide work for the Beastmen City. Regardless of the future, there is a lot of work to be done now, so there is no need to rush.
If the irrigation canals and reservoirs work well, and the agriculture and poultry farming of the scattered villages take off, we will be able to provide jobs, housing, and food, so there is no need to rush as we did when nothing was decided.
In the worst-case scenario, we can always load the Beastmen onto the ship and look for a new land. However, unlike the Dark Elves, the numbers and effort involved would be extraordinary, so this should be our very last resort.
Camille-san’s eyes sparkled.
“I understand. In that case, I will speak firmly to those pesky nobles.”
So, the nobles were trying to interfere after all.
The powers that be never miss a good opportunity.
Come to think of it, it was probably a good deterrent that I was seen as someone who couldn’t be reasoned with.
“Yes, if those nobles try to harass us, we can use that as a reason to refuse to negotiate. Let’s have Luke-san and Miranda-san spread the word that those nobles are harming the national interests of the Aquamarine Kingdom.”
If the heads of the Adventurers’ Guild and the Merchants’ Guild spread the rumor, it would affect the position of the nobles.
Once we see how this plays out, I think we can renegotiate, and things will go smoothly.
“If you allow me to go that far, I can finish the negotiations today.”
“What? Today? The negotiations?”
“Yes, tonight. Are you coming too, Wataru-san?”
“No, I’ll leave everything to you, Camille-san. Make sure you’re thorough with them.”
If this saves Camille-san even a little trouble, then I’m glad I came back at the right time.
＊＊＊
Camille’s POV
“Let’s begin the meeting.”
The moderator calls the meeting to order.
Although it is called a meeting, it is actually nothing more than a means to satisfy the desires of countries and nobles who want to gain as much control over the Castle as possible.
That is why they visit the Beastmen City every day, even though it is still undeveloped. It seems that every country is sensitive to profit.
Well, I’ve had many similar discussions both when I worked for the merchant guild and after Wataru-san entrusted the Castle to me, so I’m not surprised.
However, due to the weakness of the Beastmen City, we couldn’t take as strong a stance with the Aquamarine Kingdom as we did with the Brescia Kingdom.
The other side understands this, so while they are friendly, they are unwilling to compromise on the details, causing the negotiations to drag on.
That’s fine as a merchant, but Wataru-san’s return has changed the situation.
He’s completely changed his cautious approach and is now using force to turn the tables on the negotiations.
As a merchant who values negotiation above all else, I shouldn’t be doing this, but deep down, I’m a little excited. Well, let’s go.
“I’m sorry, but the situation has changed, so I’ll tell you first.”
I said this to get the other party’s attention. Since I had received permission from Wataru-san to use the mage, I decided to go on the offensive from the beginning.
“The president of the Toyomi Trading Company, Wataru, has just returned from a meeting with Mage-sama. Mage-sama said that if it takes time, we should first establish regular shipping routes with the Kingdom of Brescia and the Kingdom of Latina and that negotiations with the Kingdom of Aquamarine can be conducted slowly.”
The expression on the Aquamarine Kingdom’s face changed.
That’s right. The impression given to the public is completely different between the original members and the additional members. Since the premise of the negotiations has been undermined, they must be panicking, right?
I wonder how they’re going to counterattack? I’m very curious.
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