To fish, you need to cast bait
A few more days passed and on a bright afternoon...
A tense atmosphere hung over the Weinstein family castle.
It was only natural, as very important guests were visiting today.
"Hmm..."
Rudell looked in the mirror and made his final adjustments to his attire.
His hair was neatly combed back, and he wore a uniform embroidered with the House of Weinstein's insignia.
It was an extremely uncomfortable outfit for Rudell, who hated feeling constricted, but it couldn't be helped.
This occasion was not one to be taken lightly.
"Phew..."
"Are you nervous?"
"Of course I am. It's not just anyone we're dealing with."
Kyle asked as Rudell let out a short sigh, and Rudell nodded.
The large trading companies he was about to deal with were, simply put, in the same position as the conglomerates in the world he originally lived in.
They were those who ruthlessly trampled on the weak and could easily break the law for their own benefit.
If the House of Weinstein hadn't been under the protection of the Lagrind Dukedom, it might have withered away long ago.
"It will go well. It's you, Young Master, after all."
"I hope so too."
He had a plan, but there was no guarantee that everything would go according to it.
What lay ahead was uncharted territory even for Rudell.
As Rudell was calming his mind with a composed face...
-Knock, knock.
Someone knocked on his door, and Janice entered as the door opened.
"Janice? What's going on?"
"Young Master, Mr. Bering has arrived."
"Greetings, Young Master Weinstein."
Bering entered with her words and bowed to Rudell, who also nodded in response.
"Welcome, Mr. Bering. How have you been?"
"Haha! I've been very busy. But it's been a very enjoyable time."
It might have sounded sarcastic to someone else, but his expression clearly showed that he was genuinely enjoying himself.
The best moment for a merchant is when a deal is successfully closed and a huge profit is made.
As such, the past few days had been the best time for him.
"That's good to hear. How are the preparations going?"
"We've made all the preparations we can on our end. How about you, Young Master?"
"We've also finished all the preparations we can."
"Then that's good. I hope it all works out well, but..."
Their opponents were none other than the large trading companies that controlled the kingdom's economy.
They had the trump card of magical beast byproducts, but even with that, it might be difficult for Bering, the head of a medium-sized trading company, and Rudell, the young master of a count's house, to handle them alone.
"We can only do our best."
"Indeed, there's no other way. May the gods guide our path..."
There was no turning back now.
Looking up at the clear, cloudless sky outside the window, they both said so.
Thus, the appointed time was drawing near.
* * *
The reception room of the Weinstein County.
Four people were seated in the room, which had undergone extensive renovations to welcome the guests.
"It's been a while. It seems like a little over two months."
"I think it's been about that long."
"..."
"Ehehe~ I want to go home~"
They all had different appearances and personalities, but they had one thing in common.
They all had other motives besides the original purpose of the meeting with the Weinstein County.
'Those guys probably came here after hearing about the magical beasts.'
'They must have heard the rumors about this deal.'
'If I can just finish this well, I can reach a higher position...'
'I want to go home...'
As a tense atmosphere filled the room, the door to the reception room opened.
At the same time, they all stood up from their seats...
"...?"
"Wha, what...?"
"..."
"Huh...?"
Then, they couldn't help but look dumbfounded at the person who entered.
This was because the person standing before them was not Carlos Weinstein, the head of the Weinstein County.
He had neatly combed-back hair and wore a uniform embroidered with the House of Weinstein's insignia.
His emerald eyes behind thick glasses held a confident air of composure.
"Greetings, everyone. My name is Rudellheit Weinstein. I am the young master of the Weinstein County."
Rudell politely bowed to the representatives who were looking at him with puzzled expressions.
The representatives of each trading company also seemed to grasp the situation and bowed their heads in response...
"The reason I am here in my father's place today is because he has entrusted me with full authority over today's negotiations."
"Oh..."
"I see."
"..."
"Ehehe~ What a surprise~"
At his following words, the representatives of the trading companies present showed blatant signs of discomfort.
It was only natural, as this meeting was crucial to the fate of the County.
To send a son as a proxy instead of the Count himself?
From their perspective, it was inevitable to feel slighted.
'As expected...'
Of course, this was also Rudell's intention.
To provoke them and make them lose their composure, even slightly.
That was the first step of the plan.
"As you all know, you have agreed to supply goods to our Weinstein County through a contract with Duke Lagrind, haven't you?"
"Of course, we regret that matter. We are doing our best to resolve it quickly, and we will definitely supply the goods in the near future."
The first to answer Rudell's question was a woman with sky-blue hair.
If I remember correctly, her name was Claire from the Callod Merchant Union...
Thinking so, Rudell narrowed his eyes and looked at her.
"I believe you said the same thing to my father a month ago. At this point, it's questionable whether the Callod Merchant Union even has the intention to fulfill the contract, isn't it?"
"Ahem...!!"
"..."
"Ehehe~ That hits the nail on the head~"
At his gaze, the representatives of the trading companies averted their eyes, showing various reactions.
It was only natural, as they were the ones who weren't fulfilling the contract in the first place.
From Rudell's standpoint, he had every reason to take a hard line.
"The same goes for the Keleborn Transport Company. I could make allowances on a personal level, but this is a business transaction between the County and the transport company. In such a situation, it's difficult to make any more allowances."
"...I understand."
At his words, the short, dwarven man nodded...
"Kirk & Katz Market... since you brought half of the goods that were due for delivery today, we'll let it slide."
"...!!"
"Ehehe~ Thank you~"
As the brown-haired man replied in a languid voice, the representatives of the other trading companies looked at him in surprise.
They could stab each other in the back if necessary.
That was the nature of the relationship between trading companies.
Even among the large trading companies that dominated the kingdom's economy, it wasn't much different.
"Lastly, the Gold Rush Trading Company..."
"..."
With a short sigh, Rudell shifted his gaze to the man sitting at the table.
He had a greedy, obese appearance and arrogant eyes that seemed to look down on others.
He was none other than Gord, the branch manager of the Gold Rush Trading Company in Preselium.
And he was the mastermind behind the delayed delivery, dragging in the other trading companies.
"Unlike the other trading companies that have delivered at least some of the goods, the Gold Rush Trading Company has not yet delivered a single item. I think it's time to discuss the penalty for breach of contract."
"Regarding that matter, we will deliver half of the goods due within a week."
Gord replied as if he had been waiting for those words.
At that moment, Rudell could be sure of one thing.
'It seems the rumors have already reached them...'
There was no need to confirm why the trading companies, who had been acting unreasonably stubborn until now, were backing down.
Information about the magical beast trade had somehow reached the ears of the trading companies.
Otherwise, there was no reason for them to be so humble.
'Then things will be easier...'
Watching them, Rudell grinned and looked at them.
At the same time, the gazes of the trading company representatives turned to him...
"Then, let's set aside the delivery issue for now and move on to the next topic, shall we?"
"What do you mean by the next topic...?"
"Actually, our Weinstein County has established a route to stably supply magical beast byproducts."
"...!!"
The expressions of the representatives sitting at the table changed at his words.
Surprise, bewilderment, anticipation.
Looking at their faces mixed with various emotions, Rudell continued with a faint smile.
"Since the representatives of the trading companies are all here, I'd like to discuss a deal."
"..."
"If anyone is not interested, you are free to get up and leave."
Of course, no one got up from their seats.
After all, what merchant would leave with the scent of money wafting in front of them?
"The quantity we have secured this time is the leather, bones, organs, and byproducts of five medium-sized magical beasts."
"That's incredible... Five medium-sized magical beasts? That amount must be substantial..."
"How were you able to secure such a large quantity?"
"Ehehe~ That's amazing~"
At Rudell's words,
"That's not the important part. The important part is how much you are willing to pay for it."
Selling to the highest bidder.
It was the basic principle of trade that even a fool would understand.
"Our Callod Merchant Union will pay this amount!"
"The Keleborn Transport Company will offer weapons crafted by dwarf artisans in addition to this amount!"
"Ehehe~ We'll go with this price~"
"The Gold Rush Trading Company is willing to pay this much."
At the same time, the representatives of each trading company handed Rudell notes with the prices written on them.
It was like a scene from an auction at a marketplace, but it also meant that securing a supply of magical beast byproducts was that important to them.
Their position could drastically improve depending on the outcome of this deal...
'I can't just hand it over to them.'
However, Rudell had no intention of handing it over to them so easily.
Considering how much the County had suffered because of them, he couldn't just let it go.
"Everyone, please calm down... First of all, I intend to receive payment for this transaction in goods, not cash."
"Are you referring to... barter trade?"
The representatives of the trading companies looked bewildered at his words.
Barter trade.
It was a method of paying for goods with other goods instead of currency.
It was a method rarely used in ordinary transactions, so it was natural for them to be surprised.
"What do you think? Are you willing to try it?"
Looking at the representatives of the trading companies, Rudell asked with a faint smile.
Rudell said those words with a faint smile as he looked at the representatives of the merchant groups.
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