“Duke?”
Meanwhile, Logan, with his mouth wide open, had been watching Ian from the entrance of the council chamber.
“You’re here earlier than I expected.”
“What were you doing just now?”
“Didn’t I say I was rearranging the order?”
Logan followed Ian with a shrug of his shoulders.
“What I said wasn’t about that. Did you really have a duel?”
“I intended to resolve it through conversation, but it didn’t go as planned.”
As they entered the study, Logan hurriedly closed the door and asked,
“I couldn’t ask before because of the mine issue. When exactly did you start learning the sword? And when did you learn magic? Why were you hiding that power?”
Ian hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should reveal that it wasn’t hidden, but his soul had changed.
But who would believe such a statement?
It seemed even more peculiar.
Ian lied without any hesitation.
“Would I have been able to hide if I had shown my power?”
Logan clenched his jaw tightly.
If Ian had the strength to defeat a knight, he could never have hidden.
“And now?”
“Because I have a goal.”
Logan sighed at Ian’s unwavering words.
“Enough of that talk, today is the day we meet with the merchant management, right?”
“Yes.”
After seeing diamonds in the mine, Logan was eager to start mining them.
But without the merchant management, mining would only result in stacking them in the warehouse. He hoped to meet the merchant management that Ian had introduced, as they were the ones who could turn the diamonds into actual money.
“They’ll be waiting in the reception room.”
“You said they weren’t the ones previously managing the merchant management?”
“That’s right. You might be surprised when you see them.”
With a faint smile, Ian walked towards the main building.
Watching Ian’s retreating figure intently, Logan made his way to the reception room.
He had the ability, but to think he would surprise even himself…
Logan couldn’t quite grasp who would be the merchant management.
***
“They’re waiting for you.”
Nodding at the servant’s words, Logan stepped into the reception room.
He looked at the person waiting for him with surprise.
‘She looks too young. And a woman, too.’
All the merchant management he had met so far had been middle-aged men.
While there were women working in the empire, the prevailing bias favored men for positions of authority.
With an uneasy glance, May sighed inwardly and greeted first.
“Hello. I’m May.”
“…Sorry. I’m Logan.”
After returning the greeting, Logan sat on the sofa with an awkward expression, prompting May to speak.
“I’ve already received some information about you from the Duke. You’re the head of the mining operation, right?”
“…Yeah. But I heard you haven’t managed merchant management before. Can you really handle it? If the Duke forced you into this position, I’ll make sure to convey it.”
May’s expression hardened at Logan’s words.
“Is it because I’m a woman and young?”
“To be honest, yes.”
Being in merchant management wasn’t as easy as one might think.
Dealing with people as old as century-old snakes, and occasionally mingling with nobles, was part of the job.
Despite delivering the best goods, merchant management could vanish without a trace after just one contract.
Although May trusted Duke Ian, she couldn’t help feeling anxious.
“You may have doubts, lord Logan, but I’m confident. I’ve been involved in merchant management since I was five.”
“You’ve been in merchant management since you were five?”
“Yes. My aunt was a mid-tier merchant manager in Rubia, so I helped out there from a young age.”
If she worked in Rubia, even if not in merchant management, it was still a mid-tier position.
If she learned the ropes there and worked in merchant management, managing a single mine wouldn’t be a problem.
‘Being a woman is a concern.’
It wasn’t just simple prejudice.
In places dominated by men, sexual harassment was rampant.
If they could suppress it with class or power, even more so.
Especially as a commoner and a young woman, May had all the elements to be underestimated by them.
If Logan had children early, May was still a child in their eyes.
Despite knowing clearly which path to take, it was difficult to entrust it willingly.
Furthermore, merchant management wasn’t just about existing deals; it involved new deals, including mining diamonds, as well as overseeing cutting and selling, from start to finish.
Doubts lingered about whether such tasks could be handled by a woman’s body.
“…Can you really handle it?”
May reached out first with prepared documents.
“These are the documents I’ve prepared since you mentioned that Duke Ian will sell diamonds in advance. This one is related to mining, this one lists the artisans capable of cutting, and this one contains a list of potential buyers.”
Logan carefully examined each document May handed over.
The mining section contained calculations for necessary manpower and cost estimates.
The cutting section included renowned artisans as well as emerging talents.
And the list of buyers consisted of transactions with noble, especially high-ranking noble, clients.
Logan’s eyes widened at the perfectly organized documents.
“While Intrac Cutting has a reputable name, their process takes too long. They don’t aim to enhance the brilliance of diamonds but prefer to cut them according to their own tastes. So, I’d rather entrust the work to the emerging cutter Shasha, who emphasizes the diamond’s natural beauty.”
Diamonds mined from the mine were top-grade.
They were naturally beautiful, so there was no need for intricate cutting.
Logan looked at May with admiration.
Only Logan had seen the actual mined diamonds.
Despite not seeing the actual diamonds, May focused on the gemstone and even considered cutting.
“…Duke Ian wishes to proceed with everything discreetly, but is it possible?”
“Yes, it is entirely possible. Rumors won’t spread since retired workers from the Duke’s estate will fill in for mining, and the cutter Shasha is currently unavailable due to guild affiliation. He desires clandestine operations.”
May had no hesitation in expressing her opinion, beyond just preparing the documents.
‘I was mistaken.’
Merchant management needed to express their opinions to anyone and remain emotionally stable.
May embodied those traits.
Her calm expression while asserting her opinion to Logan without showing anger resembled the famous merchant management figure in the empire, Mona.
Logan stood up politely, bowing his head.
“Oh? Viscount?”
“I apologize. I misjudged you.”
“No, please, rise your head. Quickly.”
May’s momentarily flustered appearance made her resemble not the assertive merchant management she had been but a young lady her age.
“Will you accept my apology?”
“Of course! Please, rise, I’m fine.”
As Logan chuckled and sat back down, May let out a sigh of relief.
“I didn’t expect this.”
“If I made a mistake, it’s only proper to apologize politely.”
“But you’re a noble, and I’m a commoner.”
“Where does nobility or commoner status come into play when it comes to making mistakes?”
May looked at Logan with surprise.
“Why? Does it seem wrong?”
“Yes.”
Logan burst into laughter.
“You’re quite honest.”
May looked at Logan with a puzzled expression.
“While honesty can be an asset, it can also be a disadvantage for an merchant manager.”
“I understand. But I’m not an merchant manager now.”
Once again, Logan burst into laughter.
His initial disappointment in the merchant manager brought by the Duke was momentarily forgotten as he wondered how such a person had been brought in and whether Ian had just been hiding in the room.
“It seems I’ve been quite rude by laughing in front of you. Let’s get to the point now.”
As Logan’s friendly expression turned serious, May’s demeanor changed as well.
It was time for the formal meeting between the merchant manager and the acting Duke.
Inside the study, Ian, Logan, and May were gathered.
Rose sat on the couch, nibbling on snacks, stealing glances at Ian from time to time.
His hair, glinting in the sunlight, resembled strands of gold rather than lemon; his half-lidded lilac eyes were as transparent as jewels.
“Pretty.”
Rose murmured unintentionally, then quickly covered her mouth with both hands.
Ian, still focused on the documents, chuckled and asked,
“Rose, what’s pretty?”
“Huh?”
“You just said ‘pretty’ before.'”
This time, laughter erupted from Logan and May as well.
Unable to bring herself to say her uncle was pretty, Rose rolled her eyes, thinking of a different topic to divert the conversation.
Then she remembered something she had wanted to say for a while.
“Uncle.”
“Yes?”
With an affectionate reply, Rose jumped up from the couch and ran to Ian.
“Why, Rose?”
As Ian turned his gaze towards her, Rose clenched her fists and said,
“I want to learn swordsmanship too.”
“Swordsmanship?”
Rose nodded, and Ian hugged her, seating her on his lap before asking,
“Why do you want to learn swordsmanship?”
“Because it’s cool!”
“Haha.”
“Hehe.”
Laughter filled the air as Rose grinned.
Ian affectionately tousled Rose’s hair and asked gently,
“Swordsmanship can be tough to learn, are you sure?”
“Yes! I’m sure.”
Ian nodded in approval at her spirited response.
“Then let’s do it. Uncle will teach you.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Despite not planning to teach due to its difficulty, Ian couldn’t refuse when the child was so eager to learn.
‘As long as I don’t have to send her into battle.’
Learning swordsmanship moderately would be good for her health, at the very least, it wouldn’t hurt.
“Wow! Uncle is the best!”
Rose, unaware of Ian’s thoughts, hugged him tightly with a big smile.
“When will I start learning?”
“Hmm. When do you want to start learning?”
“Today!”
Rose shouted, raising both arms in excitement.
“Sorry, but Rose needs to get even healthier first. So let’s wait until you’re a bit stronger.”
“But I’m not sick.”
Logan chuckled at the logic that being not sick equaled being healthy.
“Young lady, not being sick doesn’t necessarily mean being healthy.”
“Really?”
“Yes. You need to eat more and sleep more to be healthy.”
Ian smiled at Rose’s puzzled expression.
“Grandpa says that if Rose eats more and sleeps more, you’ll get healthier.”
At the mention of ‘grandpa,’ Logan coughed, but Rose looked at Ian with sparkling eyes.
“How much more?”
Ian pondered his schedule briefly. Since he’d finish monster hunting in three days and head straight to the capital, teaching the sword along the way wouldn’t be a bad idea.
“In a week.”
“Really?”
“Yep!”
“Wow!”
It was a moment of endearment as Rose, full of joy about learning swordsmanship, bounced off Ian’s lap and darted around the study, with Ian, Logan, and May looking on affectionately.
Suddenly, Rose froze in her tracks.
“But Uncle.”
“Yes?”
“What if I’m not good at it?”
