Chapter 281
It was really worth seeing Chanton Sushou"s face contorted at my greeting.
"Don"t waste your time with useless words. It"s a matter of life and death for this side."
"It"s a useless word? You"re too harsh."
I said as if I was seriously hurt.
"It"s autumn soon, and I was going to ask if you"re well prepared for winter."
"......"
Of course, Chanton Sushou couldn"t answer.
I wasn"t expecting an answer anyway.
The situation in the South was obvious, and we had already been aware of it through the report.
"What"s wrong with you? Is the harvest not going well?"
I wanted to rub salt on the wound a few more times, but I thought he would cry like that.
I sat down on my office chair and said.
"Did you receive my letter?"
"...I"m here to check it out myself. Really..."
Chanton Sushou asked with a firmer face than usual.
"Did you really find a cure for the disease?"
"The damage in the South is quite serious right now, right? I heard that the export of Sushou"s grain farming has stopped immediately."
Oh no, I"m just going to poke it one more time.
"That"s what I said. You"ll be punished for being so mean."
"No way..."
Chanton Sushou"s voice became lower.
"This disease..."
Is this black bear?
"Are you suspecting that I spread it, now?"
"Isn"t it?"
"It"s not even worth talking to anymore. Get out."
I pointed to the office door and spoke coldly.
Chanton Sushou, who was conscious of such a change in my att.i.tude, apologized, clenching his fists.
"I made a mistake, Matriarch Lombardi, please."
"I am glad that you know it"s a mistake."
I still spoke without releasing my expression.
I wasn"t really angry, so it didn"t matter.
If something similar happens to Lombardi one day, I"ll suspect Chanton Sushou first.
Above all, the fact that the black bear, which is like a wooden stone and cannot understand its insides, makes such a mistake, must mean that his body was sweet.
That"s why I pretended to be more angry on purpose.
This was to secure an advantageous position in future negotiations.
I took a bunch of papers from the drawer and deliberately put them on the desk to make a b.u.mping sound.
It was a research report sent by Lombardi"s scholars from Luman.
Chanton Sushou"s gaze quickly followed.
"If I give you this, what can Sushou give me?"
Chanton Sushou answered my question as if he had been waiting.
"If it"s a sure cure for the disease, it"s a good price..."
"No, no."
I shook my head, picking up a bunch of papers.
As if I could put it back in the drawer at any time.
"Do you think Lombardi lacks money?"
I didn"t forget to click my tongue.
"Show your sincerity, Patriarch Sushou, think carefully. What I want."
After a moment of heavy silence, Chanton Sushou opened his mouth.
"...I"ll stop the topographic construction of the Tamal region."
I didn"t react on purpose.
It meant that it was still not enough.
"Also, I promise not to open a port in the Tamal region under Sushou"s name."
"And?"
"What the h.e.l.l more do you want...?!"
"Arcadia."
Chanton Sushou"s eyes became fierce with what I said.
Arcadia was the territory of Sushou, which bordered on Lombardi, and was located on the road leading to Chesail.
"My condition is to stop construction in the Tamal region and hand over Arcadia to my father, Gallahan Lombardi, the Lord of Chesail."
Without Arcadia, Chesail is no longer isolated, and naturally Chanton Sushou can no longer touch Chesail"s eastern trade.
"That"s!"
"Why? You can"t do that for the local residents who you cherish so much? Didn"t you say it"s a matter of life and death?"
He was silent for a while.
He only clenched his fists tighter.
I enjoyed the silence, leaving Chanton Sushou alone.
Because the answer to come back was obvious anyway.
"...I"ll do that."
I won.
I smiled and took out the contract that I had prepared in advance.
Exactly what I said a while ago was written in advance.
At that moment, Chanton Sushou"s face showed an expression of "I fell for it", but it was already too late at the latest.
After that, the process went smoothly.
Anyway, it was just a matter of signing two copies of the contract and stamping the householder"s seal.
"You can refer to this for detailed research data, and the finished medicine will be sent to Sushou"s mansion tomorrow. It"s good to go now."
I said, waving one hand.
Hurry up and go out.
I need to enjoy this time.
Chanton Sushou stood tall, holding a copy of the contract and the report from scholars in one hand.
But that"s also for a while.
He paused as he was about to leave, and turned around, rubbing his forehead roughly with a tired face.
"I have to rewrite the contract."
"The contract? Why?"
"Here, the clause not to open a port in the Tamal region is missing."
I re-read where Chanton Sushou is pointing.
In the contract, there were only phrases written: "I will stop and never resume the topography of the Tamal region" and "I will hand over all rights of Arcadia to Gallahan Lombardi".
"Hmm, that"s surprising, Patriarch Sushou."
I thought he"d pa.s.s like a mischievous snake.
"Wouldn"t it be better to use your mistakes to fix the future?"
Then Chanton Sushou frowned as if he was displeased.
"I do not do anything cowardly in the promises made under the name of my family. Because Sushou"s name is not that light."
"It"s the same for me."
"What does that mean?"
Chanton Sushou, who had not yet understood my words, seemed to need an explanation.
"It means that the clause not to build a port in Tamal is intentionally excluded. It means that it is not up to me whether Sushou will build a port in Tamal or not."
"But then..."
"Do you think Lombardi will be afraid of compet.i.tion?"
I kindly added it to Chanton Sushou, who is still in shock.
"Tamal is good in location, but it won"t be easy to build a port because the river is narrow and the current is strong. Next time, I recommend hiring Lombardi Construction, which has experience in port construction."
It"s not because it"s my family"s company, but there really is no better place than Lombardi construction to build a port.
"Then I"m done with what I have to say, so get out."
However, Chanton Sushou did not move from the spot as if he had been nailed.
And he suddenly asked me.
"If I didn"t accept the deal, what were you going to do then?"
"...It"s none of my business, no matter what the South"s crops will be."
I shrugged and replied.
Chanton Sushou looked at me like that.
Then he suddenly picked up and let out a weak laugh.
"You"re not honest."
What are you talking about?
"What happened to your head? ...You lost your Arcadia."
"That"s right, Matriarch Lombardi."
...Did I get caught?
In fact, if the deal didn"t work out, I was thinking of distributing the cure in Lombardi"s name for free.
Of course, while explaining that I discovered it by accident.
Because it is impossible to let innocent people of the Empire to suffer in the power struggle of the householders.
"Don"t talk nonsense and go out. I am busy."
Then Chanton Sushou made a honorific greeting and began to take steps.
Unlike a while ago, after he bowed his head politely towards me.
"Then I"ll see you at the next conference, Matriarch Lombardi."
As if he wasn"t tired, the heavy footsteps of the boots he was still wearing moved away.
Only then did a peaceful silence fell again in the office.
"It means we don"t owe each other because we made a deal."
I got up from my office chair, remembering Chanton Sushou"s last words.
And slowly walked towards the window.
A panoramic view of Lombardi came into view.
When I was young, this was the place where my grandfather used to stand when I looked up while playing in the garden.
Now I look down from the window, which is also my favorite place in the office.
Just then, I saw Chanton Sushou getting into the carriage.
"I don"t do anything cowardly under the name of my family."
That was what Chanton Sushou said.
"I wouldn"t have let you go if you just left."
It"s as naive as a teddy bear.
"That"s why I can"t hate you."
It was a pleasure for me to be a compet.i.tor who knows the line that should not be crossed.
Unchecked power is bound to rot.
"Well, shall we go back to work?"
After stretching out loud, I sat down at my desk again.
I didn"t know why a smile stayed on my lips like that.