“What?”
I became frustrated so I urged him to hurry.
Harry stared at me without a word and jumped out of bed.
“Anyway, it’s the last time I’m pulling your neck out so don’t worry too much.”
“Thank you for protecting my neck. ……”
I was curious about the worst Harry had ever imagined. But he sneaked his eyes and turned away.
“No problem with that, just tell me about the credit you said to that prince earlier. What are you going to do with the Wyverns?”
Oh, that.
I was going to ask Harry for his opinion because he knew the world well.
I thought it through my thoughts and concluded that it would be possible, but I still needed someone else’s assurance.
“Have you ever heard of a Dragon Rider?”
It didn’t appear in <Lady Catherine>, but I’d seen it in other novels.
“A Dragon Rider?”
“Yes, a knights who fight on dragons.”
“You mean, a human fights on dragons, like Wyvern?”
Harry looked at me as if it were unfamiliar.
“How could that be possible? The Wyverns aren’t even the kind who would put anyone on their backs.”
“But I came back in a ride.”
“That’s because you have the scales of the captain.”
“What if I had the scales and asked them to fight with the knights on their back?”
Harry pursed his mouth.
The Chief Wyvern said he could do anything to help if Harry stop the Wyvern massacre.
“To prevent people from killing Wyvern, we’d better show that they can definitely coexist with us. If the Wyvern becomes a member of the Knights, there is no better evidence than that. “
“Do you need to do that? The deal I made with the chief was to make sure I didn’t kill the Wyverns, not that people wouldn’t kill the dogs.”
“But. ……”
The Wyverns and humans were able to communicate.
So, wouldn’t we able to live a life favorable to both sides through dialogue?
The Wyverns lose their eggs every year.
Humans get hurt or killed every year.
It was negative for both sides.
‘Uh. This occupational disease that mediates both sides to make a deal.’
As expected, humans do not change overnight.
‘In addition, if the Wyverns and humans become friendly, Erell doesn’t need royal support.’
That’s how the connection between the annoying kingdom and the people here will end.
It’s not a bad business for me.
“Is it the Dragon Riders you’ll give the prince? To give him a Wyvern loyal to the knights?”
“It’s a gift too much, riding the Wyvern is for our frost knighthood.”
It was our frost knights who gained strength by becoming Dragon Riders.
“The Frost Knights? What will the Prince take?”
“The right to take the Wyvern’s bones and claws, who have died at the end of their lifespan.”
Wyvern has a lifespan anyway.
If they was alive, there will be no bones or claws sticking out in the yard where they die.
‘It may be of great value to humans.’
“They have to promise to quit the Wyvern subjugation instead of getting it.”
The reason for the Wyvern subjugation was because of the damage they inflicted on humans.
What if the Wyverns became a part of the frost knights and helped humans?
Naturally, the cause of the subjugation disappears. There was no reason for the royal court to refuse, if they could get the bones and claws of the Wyverns without struggle.
“Originally, it’s the law of the royal family to reward for the resources that people can get by killing beasts, but it’s only possible when you can kill the Wyverns, and there’s a lot of people who violate the law and smuggle. Wouldn’t it be good for the royal family to have a peaceful supply and demand of good resources?”
If there were concerns, it was a check on power.
“They might check wheter the Oberon’s Frost Knights, who have the Dragon Riders, have too much power. But can the royal family doubt the loyalty of Oberon? They will probably take it.”
Harry listened to me calmly and looked a little dubious.
“Why? Do you think it’ll be hard?”
“No, the King of men will accept it. But as you say, the Frost Knights in Erell will ride the Wyverns…”
“Yes. Why not?”
“There’s ‘him’ in the Frost Knights.”
“Oh.”
Harry didn’t say his name, but I realized at once who he was.
Lionel Dilph.
I can’t believe he will ride the Wyvern and fight bravely.
“…I can’t imagine.”1
“Isn’t that right?”
Harry agreed, and I began to worry about this plan.
***
When the day came, as promised Liddon came to me.
I greeted him in the drawing room and asked Emma for a tea. Liddon, who saw the figure, sat in his seat with a smirk.
“I didn’t expect the day I was served tea by Yvesria Oberon.”
“I didn’t know the day would come for me to serve tea to the prince, so let’s call it a tie.”
“I didn’t know you were such a good speaker.”
“Thank you very much for your compliment.”
“Did that sound like a compliment? I said you were good at your words.”
“Did I really seem grateful? You knew but you pretended you didn’t know?”
“What?”
Liddon raised his hands again, his eyes widening.
“I can’t stand it. Erell’s Yvesria Oberon is a completely different person from the capital one. Is it possible that a person can change like this?”
“Experience and environment make people.”
Emma brought the tea while I and Liddon were engaging in a meaningless fight.
“Do you want a bite of something while talking?”
Emma asked carefully if she sensed the atmosphere between Liddon and me.
“I ask of you.”
“I will now go out, miss.”
Emma greeted us and stepped out, taking all the servants out.
“Harry, you should get out too.”
Emma called Harry, who was guarding the door.
Harry looked at Emma’s hand that was calling him and asked me,
[What should I do?]
[Be nice and behave outside.]
[I’m always nice and behave.]
[That’s right.]
[In case anything happens, call me. I’ll be right back. ]
Harry peeped at Liddon and followed Emma.
Everyone was out of the room, Liddon opened his mouth first in the space where only the two of us are left.
“Let’s continue our unfinished business. Starting from the main point without preamble like yesterday.”
“That’s a very good offer.”
I smiled satisfactorily and repeated the conversation I had with Harry in front of Liddon yesterday.
Throughout the conversation, Liddon’s expression has changed several times.
He was serious, surprised, and at the end he let out a despondent laugh.
“I thought it was a poisonous Holy Grail.”
“I told you. There’s no poison in that Holy Grail.”
“It’s a proposal I have nothing to lose, and it’s a bit puzzling. Actually, I never imagined it would be this good for me.”
“Instead, you’ll have to write your report well to the king. Isn’t that quite a job?”
‘I hated writing plans and reports for my boss the most.’
Reports showed that no matter how well you write it, you will be scolded.
“With this much reward, I should bear the hassle lightly.”
“Just write good things, Erell is a very peaceful neighborhood.”
“If it’s not for this problem, it would be true without asking.”
“Not necessarily. Not long ago, the whole estate was talking about wood.”
As the conversation continued, I remembered what I had to say to Liddon.
It was a good time to argue, because I was giving him a big gift.
“Speaking of which, if you have a problem with me, why don’t you fight one-on-one fairly from now on? Don’t let anyone else involve in the way.”
“What does that mean?”
“I’m talking about the wood. I understand you’re very attached to me, but isn’t it a little bit too much to release your anger all over Erell? Everyone almost froze to death.”
I would have been the first victim of the cold if I hadn’t called Harry in and got the blue flame.
But Liddon has still a face that didn’t know what’s happening.
I became stuffy and pointed to the fireplace.
“You cut off all the wood that came into Erell. That’s why everyone can’t even light a fire.”
“Wood?”
He raised his hand as if he couldn’t keep up with the flow and interrupted me.
“I can’t believe they cut off the wood coming into Erell. Who the hell? I know it’s hard without wood because it’s so cold.”
It was an unexpected and normal remark.
‘It’s not something that will come out from the mouth of the person who cut off the distribution of wood.’
I was lost for a moment and looked at Liddon, his frowned face felt quite genuine.
It made my mood eased a little.
“…what are you talking about? You convinced the Earl of Meliol to cut off the Ocal and Erell’s lumber trade. You used a cowardly way to get me into trouble, and now you’re acting like you don’t know?”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
Liddon brushed his hair up, still confused.
“Did you think I was the kind of man who would make an effort on annoying you?”
“Because you hate me so much, I thought it was possible.”
“That’s ridiculous but I certainly hated you, and I didn’t want to get close.”
“Oh…yeah… thank you so much for saying that in front of the person.”
Liddon laughed at my questionable gratefulness.
“Who’s going to be thankful for that? Besides, isn’t Erell’s the one who unilaterally declared to break the deal with the Ocal Corporation?
What the hell are you talking about?
I quickly refuted.
“That’s impossible, wood is essential to Erell, so why break the deal?”
“Erell is part of the Duke of Oberon, and Ocal has been making a decent profit from the deals. This side, too, has no reason to break the deal, either.”
“That’s why I thought you broke the deal because of me…”
“Aren’t you’re taking the Ocal Corporation too lightly? They are famous for turning their eyes on everything that makes money.”
Certainly there was a story like that.
“My uncle is the one who’d snort if I asked him to cut off the deal with Erell because I’m upset about Miss Oberon.”
Merchants managed by aristocratic families often failed to bargain properly because they were trying to save face.
But Ocal, which was under Meliol, was being accused of being vulgar and compulsive in money.
‘They made a lot of money, but they had a lot of criticism. ‘
Count Meliol was one of the richest men in Zerrette.
If honor is the power of the old age, money is the power of the new era.
Everyone called him vulgar in the back, but they crawled in front of him to please him.
The Count of Meliol was an unexpected man of Liddon.
The true leader of the First Prince, who is at odds with the Cassian fanction.
It was my idea that if it was Liddon’s words they were loyal to, they would follow it even if they suffered a loss, but Liddon frowned as if it were ridiculous.
“Well, if you want me to pay for the damage caused by the transaction, maybe I’ll convince him. But there’s no reason to bother young lady by doing so. I can find a lot of other ways that doesn’t cost money if I put my mind to.”
After reading the original book, I knew that this was not just a bluff.
His closest friend, an another fish in Catherine’s fishing grounds, and the head of the information guild, Luke, who moves in the shadows.
With his help, there will be many different ways of bullying.
In fact, in <Lady Catherine> there was an episode in which Luke properly screwed a lady who had called Catherine to a tea party and made her stand up all day.
“…but I heard it clearly. The Ocal Corporation, which has been in a relationship for a long time with Erell, unilaterally cut off the deal, so there was no wood at all in the estate.”
Both the butler and Emma said so.
I even saw the situation with my own eyes, so it couldn’t have been a lie.
“That was when I came to Erell, and I thought the prince were the one who had done it. Because other than that, I can’t think of any other reason to destroy the long-running deal.”
“We thought exactly the opposite. I thought you decided you couldn’t make a deal with Ocal anymore because of my relationship with them and the fact that I had a hard time with young lady.”
“It doesn’t make sense. Now, I’m being treated here as a normal person, but when I first came here, everyone was treating me like a nuisance. I was in a situation where I thought you’d cut the deal because of me.”
The situation was even more strange after sharing both of each other’s positions.
It’s clear that there’s no reason to break the deal in Ocal or Erell.
What if it wasn’t both Ocal and Erell that led to cutting off the deal?
It was meant that someone with an intention, intentionally separated the two from each other.
“It smells fishy.”
Soon the exact words I was thinking came out of Liddon’s mouth.
“It’s probably they wanted to make things worse between the Earl of Meliol, who runs the Ocal Corporation, and the Oberon who holds Erell.”
He knocked on the table and began to make inferences like he’s talking to himself.
“Who’s the happiest person when Meliol and Oberon fall apart? The one who gains profits by dividing the two families…”
The inexorable inference has been cut off.
The sound of regular knocking on the table also broke off.
I looked at Liddon, waiting for his next word, but he didn’t tell me his conclusion.
“Who’s making the profit?”
I was frustrated and urged him.
His eyes darted to me.
“There’s a person who reminds me, but it’s hard to put it in my mouth, until I’m sure.”
“Is there any way to get certainty?”
“Maybe? I have a good guide.”
The guide was a slang word for an informant.
‘Maybe he was talking about Luke.’