Chapter 273 |
TL: TangSanFan
ED/PR: Tanthus
『Side Story』 The Balance Scale (14)
“When do you think you’ll retire from being a merchant?”
I had asked Belle the same question before.
The sudden talk of retirement was prompted by a certain event. The reason I harbored such significant thoughts could be summed up in one word: inevitability.
“… Huh? All of a sudden?”
“You’ve lived your whole life as a merchant, haven’t you? If you ever think about quitting this life you’ve devoted yourself to, when do you think that would be?”
“… I don’t quite understand the intention behind your question, but well… I’ve never thought about retirement. It’s still too soon…”
Somewhere between midnight and dawn.
Too early to call it morning but too dark to be dawn. At this boundary line, we walked past the harbor, listening to the sound of waves.
Large sailing ships were docked aplenty. Soon, diligent workers would appear to start loading today’s cargo.
Many ships set sail early in the morning. So, there were quite a few preparing in advance since the break of dawn.
“And usually… according to the words of the great merchants, it’s not good.”
Lortelle was familiar with the scenery of the harbor, talking while watching it quietly.
“It always ends with a betrayal, getting backstabbed or dying, messing up in a deal they can’t handle and falling into despair, or being framed by hostile forces and being driven out… Most… end their lives mired in mud.”
“…”
“Now… I want to live with greater purpose, but… Yes, if you rashly rush forward, there will certainly come a time when you’ll stumble. Those bearing the name of a great merchant always do. Falling into greed, chasing higher ideals, and finally plummeting.”
It’s not easy to retract one’s ambition and tie up life’s journey neatly.
Most are like moths leaping into the flame, consumed by desire, burning to death. That’s the life of those called great merchants.
Does Lortelle not see herself as an exception, either?
“Well, I always live on the edge as if walking on the blade of a knife, but it’s not yet time for me to retire.”
Lortelle still harbored the ambitions of a merchant. Above all, she was still too young.
Even if she decided to retire one day, the thought of how to wrap up all the affairs she’d started seemed daunting.
“That’s right…”
“Merchants don’t retire easily after all…”
Lortelle said, looking down at the ground.
“Before you know it, you’re entwined in countless interests, and there’s no escape. You end up knowing too many crucial secrets, and if you retire rashly, the balance of power in Oldik might shift too much, preventing you from stepping back easily.”
“Yeah. That’s a tough one.”
“What some merchants do after years of careful planning, is retire cleanly and completely… Stashing away secret funds and successfully erasing their tracks. Though it happens as rarely as beans sprouting in a drought.”
“…”
“But usually, as you predict, Senior Ed, their career ends in death.”
Sadly, death is often the cleanest form of retirement.
Lortelle spoke quietly as we continued our walk along the harbor.
The cool dawn air grew colder. Summer had passed. Now it was autumn.
Lortelle wrapped her arms around mine, lifting her spirits with a faint smile.
What good is it to delve into such dreary topics?
“Well, it’s quite a special feeling walking along the harbor of Oldik with you, Senior Ed. This place has always been at the forefront of business affairs, but it feels quite different coming here at this quiet hour…”
“The busy merchants will soon fill the streets though.”
“Indeed. It’s such a city that, try as you might to grow fond, you can’t. Anyway, you suggested this walk for my change of scene, didn’t you? There was no need to be so considerate. I’m really fine.”
The corners of Lortelle’s mouth rose in a gentle smile. Folding up against my shoulder, she giggled joyfully.
“Well, there was that reason… But I had something I needed to check.”
“Something you needed to check?”
“… Well, it’s nothing that significant… It’s just that I helped someone out a bit.”
“… Huh?”
The moment Lortelle questioned, a person appeared far down the path of the harbor.
The figure was large, draped in a ragged robe, hiding their face.
They moved at an eerily slow pace. Tapping the frayed edges of the robe, they walked along the late harbor, appearing almost ghost-like.
… Nothing but a passerby.
Lortelle and I would continue walking to the trade building where Secretary Lien awaited us.
The man visible from afar seemed to be catching a dawn passage, slowly advancing towards the harbor.
– Thud, thud.
So, we approached each other with arms crossed.
“…”
Neither of us spoke a word.
The man in the robe stopped briefly before me, inclined his head ever so lightly, then as if nothing happened, passed by us.
– Shuffle, shuffle.
– Whoosh.
And so, we passed by and advanced towards our respective destinations.
We to ours, the man to his.
Like most encounters in our lives.
Passing and fleeting.
Lortelle’s eyes widened suddenly as she was wrapped around my arm. Had she noticed something?
Considering my out-of-the-blue question earlier, if Lortelle was as clever as she seemed, she might have picked up on something.
There was no need to explain further.
“There.”
Thus, Lortelle called out to the man without hesitation.
By now, the man had moved well past us. He seemed quite busy, probably rushing to catch the departing ship.
The reason he was in such a hurry at this early hour to board the ship was unknown. The man had his own circumstances, as everyone does.
Without turning around, he tilted his head back just slightly… and Lortelle glanced quietly in the man’s direction.
Despite not knowing who was underneath that robe, Lortelle seemed to have a strange sort of confidence.
Then, with a scoff, she let out a sarcastic chuckle.
“The season is changing, the night air has become quite cold. It must be colder out at sea.”
Beneath the shadows of the robe’s hem, the man remained motionless.
“Dress warmly. It’s getting very cold.”
After Lortelle spoke, silence fell upon us.
“…”
For a brief span, an empty silence filled the still street of Oldik.
The sound of seagulls, the sound of the waves, the sound of workers arriving at the harbor in the distance.
Morning noises melded together, filling the blank silence.
After a while, the man finally broke the quiet with his voice.
“─Alright, I’ll keep that in mind.”
A casual response, as if it was no big deal.
From the gruff tone, it was inferred he was an older person.
“Thanks for the advice.”
Exchanging a few words, we turned back and went our separate ways.
Such is the parting of merchants.
A fleeting meeting, a fleeting farewell. If fate allows, we meet again for a good trade; if not, that is where the connection ends.
Thus, we drifted apart once more.
Lortelle tightened her grip on my arm and laughed as we continued on our way.
Ocean breezes lifted her hair lightly.
“… I couldn’t even give a severance.”
With a brief lament, Lortelle leaned her head on my shoulder and we walked on.
Even the crescent moon above seemed to smile along.
* * *
The Scales of Two Arms at Elte Trade Company always balance.
The merchants of Elte scoffed at the saying as deceit. Seasoned merchants knew all too well that perfectly balanced scales didn’t exist in this world.
“Wow, what a ruckus.”
Lortelle marveled as she entered the lobby of the trade company.
The exterior walls were damaged here and there, the interior a mess. It had to be, given the situation required a grand fuss.
Still, secretary Lien had somewhat managed to tidy up the major mess.
The merchants who had attached themselves to Slog had their list organized by Secretary Lien. Slog the ringleader was dead, and now they had no foothold in Elte Trade Company anymore.
“You’ve worked hard.”
“I’ve indeed shown a rather unsightly side of myself too much, Lien.”
“No, it couldn’t be helped under the circumstances…”
Lien, too, had become quite stalwart.
Having worked as Lortelle’s lead secretary for so long, she’d toughened up quite a bit.
Lien herself had been kidnapped and confined by Slog, among other hardships, but in the end, Slog had released her with his own hands.
Secretary Lien was meant to be the final card to wrap up the old merchant’s plan.
“The heartache is complex indeed.”
“You can rest a bit more if you’re feeling exhausted; I think I can manage to sort out the semi-destroyed merchant building by myself. With all the laborers, we should be able to handle the urgent work by daylight.”
“Still, it’s better for me to be at the site. I need to assess the damage.”
I couldn’t help feeling a bit sheepish as the one who had caused the damage, but as I had repeatedly said, it was beyond my control.
If I hadn’t created such a disturbance, those cunning merchants of Elte Trading Company wouldn’t have been easily deceived.
“And perhaps this is a bit premature, but…”
Secretary Lien bowed her head slightly as she spoke.
“You will formally ascend to the position of the head of the association. Congratulations.”
“As you said, it’s too early.”
With a gentle smile, Lortelle received Lien’s expression of gratitude.
The gazes of the laborers tidying up the building complex converged upon us. Yes, now Lortelle Keheln stood as the ruler of Elte Trading Company.
Behind her were the influential Rothtaylor family, the imperial city of Chloeron, and the holy city of Carpea. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that he now held the continent’s trade routes in her hand.
“Furthermore, the name of Elte Trading Company seems to be growing old…”
When one grasps power, the first task is seemingly predetermined.
The era of the Golden King has ended; now is the era of Lortelle Keheln. The name Elte will vanish into the annals of history.
“The company has grown too large to be called a mere trading association. If we combine all the small merchant businesses under our command, it would be far better to call ourselves a grand commercial trading company.”
Indeed, Elte Trading Company had long since grown too large to exist as an independent entity.
Now was the time to step forward, transforming from a mere operational venture to a conglomerate that unified merchants and amplified their collective voice.
Lortelle Keheln would sit at the apex of this union, orchestrating internal regulations and negotiating with external forces as their representative.
As ruler among merchants who risked their lives for gold, it was fitting to think of her as their queen.
“There will be more paperwork to deal with from the government offices.”
At those words, secretary Lien replied with a faint smile, “I’ll gather the necessary documents in advance. Chairman.”
With Elte Trading Company’s name cast aside, it was time to coin a new one for the commercial trading company.
Amidst a plethora of possible association names, Lortelle wasn’t particularly troubled.
It was as if she was naturally compelled to utter the new name.
Upon hearing it, Lien nodded with a smile.
* * *
The office that once belonged to the head of the association was in ruins.
When Ed and Lortelle entered, there was almost nowhere to sit due to the dust from the collapsed outer wall.
Lortelle took a brief look around before briskly dusting off a teatable reserved for guests and casually sitting atop it.
She gestured to Ed to sit beside him, then leaned on his shoulder, sporting an expression of utmost happiness.
In the predawn hush, a single sailboat preparing to set out was visible at the pier. Though there would likely not be many ready to depart at such an early hour, preparations for its departure were diligently in place.
The ship was bound for the vast ocean beyond the horizon.
Before the night of Oldec ended and dawn broke, that sailboat would hastily leave Oldec behind.
As if nothing had happened, the commercial city’s sun would rise again.
Yet, it was still night.
The crescent moon, tenderly shining, seemed to whisper across the horizon.
Bathed in the faint moonlight, the world slept for a brief moment.
But even at this hour, there were diligent individuals wide awake.
Belle, traveling toward the Rothtaylor estate by carriage, opens a window to gaze up at the stars in the twilit night sky.
Tanya Rothtaylor sits by a candle in her office, reviewing a diplomatic pouch that arrived from Oldec.
Secretary Lien, too, is occupied, providing various instructions to the employees while they rehabilitate the damaged building.
After an energetic day under the sun, they now indulge in a brief respite.
And to the industrious among them, the moon smiles.
“Th-That can’t be right…! You clearly stated the fare was seven Telos silver coins… What is this nonsense…?!”
At the dock, in the late night, a young boy was arguing with a sailor.
An inexperienced youth on his first attempt at peddling, he protested to the sailors with a face full of injustice, but they paid him no heed.
“You’re the one being unreasonable here! Look, the scales are clearly tilted on your part! The weight of the weights and the silver coins don’t match up. Are you trying to pass counterfeit coins?”
“That’s…preposterous! These are fresh from the Halo Bank exchange…!”
“And how are we supposed to believe that..! Adjust the weight properly before you speak! Add another coin!”
It was clear exploitation.
However, it was obvious that the scales the sailor placed on the table were not level.
The boy’s expression conveyed his injustice, but it would not sway the menacing sailors.
“If you can’t pay the fare, you can’t board! You’re such a…”
– Thunk.
Just as the argument escalated, a gold coin landed on the scales.
The weight of the gold coin was significant; the scale tipped completely. It was enough to cover the fare for nearly half a dozen people.
The astonished boy looked around to see a man in a worn robe tucking away his purse.
The previously bickering sailor, stuttering, then directed him, “Ah, you can board now.”
“Thank you.”
With those words, the robed man patted the boy’s shoulder several times before disappearing into the ship.
– Cackle, cackle.
Several industrious seagulls sat on the mast, watching the distant horizon.
The man in the robe leaned against the ship’s railing, gazing vacantly out to sea.
“Thank you for before. I, I had brought exactly enough silver coins… but for some reason, the weights didn’t match…”
“You should’ve checked the scales. It’s a common swindle used on those who look like novices. Next time, be careful not to fall for such obvious tricks.”
The boy seemed more startled by the hoarse voice of the man than the advice itself.
Those embarking on this ship at dawn had their own stories, each more complex than the last.
Among them, this man seemed to bear a particularly significant tale.
“I hadn’t considered…that someone could tamper with the scales.”
“One should always know that perfect balance in such scales is nonexistent.”
The boy had dreams of adventuring through the world as a merchant, yet he was embarrassed for failing to spot such a basic scam.
“May I ask… what did you used to do before?”
The man pondered what to say, then let out a resigned laugh and smiled.
Seeing the boy reminded him of his own childhood, when he too, fooled by simple deceit, suffered hindrances.
Everyone has experienced a time like this.
Even the Golden King Elte, or Chairman Lortelle. At first, they were all inexperienced and anxious rookies.
The man lifted the hood of his robe. Amidst the flecks of gray in his chestnut hair, the lining of age was clear.
An old merchant. Once fondly known in Oldec as the ‘Old Fox’.
It was time for that chapter of his life, too, to become a bygone era.
“I used to handle a fair amount of money, but now I’m just a retired old man.”
To the boy’s eyes, the old merchant, laden with experiences, seemed admirable and imposing.
Silently, he could only gaze up at the moon over the distant ocean.
Aboard the ship leaving Oldec, he faced the sea breeze and looked back at his lifelong companion, the commercial city.
A glimpse of the damaged building caught his eye, and for a moment, the old trader bowed his head and chuckled.
“Let me give you a piece of advice, boy.”
To an unseasoned newcomer unaware of how to judge the scales, the old man, weathered by life’s many trials and still standing, shared his wisdom.
“Scales are never perfectly balanced. But, in truth, it doesn’t really matter.”
“… Yes?”
“Human relationships are like that by nature.”
As we give and take, the scale tends to tip one way. There are those who suffer loss.
The individuals with whom we have no qualms despite this, we call them life’s companions.
Perhaps it’s more important to find life’s companions before business partners.
“Knowing your people is how you last in this field.”
The sea breeze tugged at the edge of his robe.
The man straightened his robe a few times before leaning back against the railing to absorb the view.
The journey to their destination was still long.
With someone to talk to, the trip wouldn’t be so tedious.
Looking out to the broken building in the distance, he thought to himself:
The night in Oldec is long. May you have a good rest.
After all, there’s still a long road ahead for those who remain.
Swayed by the sea breeze, Lortelle took a moment to rest.
A balancing scale that tilts this way and that, but in the end, it didn’t matter.
The chairman of Oldec’s overarching commercial trading company ‘Three Gold Coins’, Lortelle Keheln.
Before becoming a cold-hearted merchant, she was simply a girl.