〈 Episode 40 〉Wild West 4

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Sergen's bargaining skills were remarkable.

"I'd like to buy the supplies at 70% of the current price."

"Well... if we do that, we'll lose money on transportation and labor."

"When I came here, I thought they were selling at a profit margin. I was taking one and a half times the usual markup, but I think a seventy percent inflation adjustment would be sufficient. I wish you would settle for buying in bulk and buying at peacetime prices. There are plenty of tops that would be happy with even sixty percent, but with such disregard for the goodwill of Count Sirtus, it's bound to happen."

"Ha, I'll do it! Seventy percent!"

"No, 60%. I was going to give you a little more on the margin, considering my long dealings with you and Mr. Sirtus, but the way you've been talking falsehoods, I don't think you're very trustworthy, and I feel no more guilty about pricing you like everyone else."

"Well, I suppose that's something we'll have to decide after a meeting with the other officers. Mr. Sergen. If you'll have some tea while we wait..."

"I'll have to negotiate with my other tops as well, and I apologize in advance that I'll have to do some bridge-building, as professionally, a monopoly in one place is not a good option in wartime."

The merchant, sweating profusely, trying to stall for time.

"What are you doing, standing in the way of Countess Sirtus's lady love? Standing in the way of a lady, have you no sense of decorum, this Hermès top?"

"Ah, no, Joe, very well, sixty percent; that's how I'll settle the purchase of bows and arrows in the ordnance department!"

The merchant hurriedly brings the contract, in case Sergen changes his mind.

"Hmm, you're prepared, but seeing as the usual price field is blank, I assume you've been thinking about the bargain you're about to make with me?"

"Well, a merchant is always prepared...I hope you don't take that as a bad thing."

Top note at the top. Somewhere, somewhere, she was being served by the kind of people who made her wonder if a cough would make her wonder if hospitality wasn't cool.

"Unfortunately, my contract was with Arwell Sirtus, and it has been determined that he is now void due to his transition from Earl to Chipger. As the top, I hope you understand?"

"Amyo, it is unfortunate that your contract with Arwell has been voided, but we will always look forward to your contract with Sergen, the salt and light of Sirtus."

"You talk a good game, but what was Arwell's rate of inflation under the old contract?"

"Well... it's commercial law that even if a contract is voided, the percentage specified in the contract is not to be disclosed..."

Serghen looked at the water merchant.

"I'm not curious either, but I need to know how much he's wronged. Can you help him?"

The question was like a compulsion to fully side with Serghen. The merchant quickly changes his demeanor and pulls out a contract.

"Ninety-five percent of the current market price, and you've only been doing this much business, and you've been running around like a rat digging holes in Sirtus."

Sergen compares Arwell to a rat raiding a granary. It's surprising that she has such an intellectual side to her, in addition to her charm of strength and freedom.

"I'd like to thank you for my longevity and for the business we've done, but I'm running out of time and must get up."

Serghen runs down a list of the tops he's done thorough market research on, noting which ones are extortionate and how much he trades with them.

"Mr. Arwell... you were never very good at dealing with the tops?"

Serghen purposely forced the merchants to produce their contracts, and all of them brought them to him, as if they were willing to abandon Arwell and side with Serghen.

"Not so much incompetent as blinded by bravado, though I suppose you could say there are no Sioux administrators among them."

"What?"

"There are no administrators around Arwell to do market research, no vassals with connections to merchants. With me in control of most of the Sioux, he only knows the current prices around him, and he's almost always making deals at a fraction of the market price, which further compares him to me. The guy who can't use a knife can't even make a deal with the top."

"Does that mean...that you've been limiting Arwell's abilities?"

Serghen, walking down the marketplace, turned to look at me.

"Is that wrong?"

No one can say it's wrong when you're vying for the earldom. Even Cersei would have competed fiercely, even if she were a princess.

"No, I just remembered Arwell's cry of loser."

The word "loser" rang a bell with me.

"It's the loser who takes advantage of being a loser. He was born the son of an earl, and has lived a life of wine and debauchery while I've been making all the arrangements. Is it wrong to cull a pig who has never seen administration, who thinks everything belongs to him, who has never known administration, leaving aside the use of administrators and subjects?"

"Is he not a brother to you, Sergen?"

"By blood, yes."

No matter how much of a rival Sergen is, he can't say that he's related by blood. He simply follows alongside her, matching her steps, as if nothing could happen between them.

"You're a good follower. I thought you'd be bored by the third time we stopped at the top."

"It's fun, to be honest."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, from my perspective, the people at the top are the ones with the highest titles, and watching them squirm, you can't say it's not fun."

"Haha, I'm an incompetent boss who couldn't fathom your feelings."

"I didn't mean to imply that. It's just that I like what you're doing."

"Well?"

She stopped walking.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't mean to tease you, but honestly, you look like you're having a lot of fun right now, and that makes me happy."

Sergen looks at me in disbelief.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know...maybe the change of clothes has changed your mood, or maybe...maybe a doppelganger or something has kidnapped my escort and is now acting as my escort."

"Sergen...?"

"Identify yourself. There's no way a slug like you could be my escort."

"Ah...Mr. Sergen, did you hire me as your escort just to make fun of me?"

"Just so you know, being fun to be around is one of the pluses. Hmm...judging by your brightening, you must have had a good time with that Eli?"

My face flushed at his words.

"He, he..."

"Now that's your answer, Tir. That embarrassed look on your face cleared up any doubts I had about you being a doppelganger."

Laughing, she accepts the chicken skewer offered by the orc vendor.

"Haven't you had a proper lunch in all this traveling?"

"...Is this a good enough lunch for you, Serghen?"

"Ah, are you being sarcastic because I'm a servant of the noble Count Sirtus, and this kind of cloth won't fit in my mouth?"

"Serchen... Oh, stop teasing me. It's more that I'm worried that it would be overworking to do the next part of my schedule without a full stomach. You certainly seem to be enjoying yourself from the look on your face, but haven't you just circled the top five places without stopping, and that was in the middle of the morning?"

"Well, your concern seems to have eased my fatigue, and I thought you'd make a decent escort, after all."

Blushing, she looked at me.

"You said you used to be a servant, did you walk around this brightly even then?"

"...I wasn't."

I can't blame it on Noel, but to be honest, I don't have many fond memories of Count Deckard. Today, I can't say I agree with Sergen's statement that I'm brighter, but I feel like I'm flying much higher than I did at Count Deckard.

"Maybe it's the freedom of having a job," he says.

I have to admit that I'm feeling a bit excited now, having a place to live, a lover, and a job gives me a sense of freedom from being manipulated and led.

I wonder if I'm even more excited than Sergen was.

Sergen's eyes shine as he takes down Arwell and uses every right he has to drive the deal. He wondered if she could be brighter than that.

"Ah, and how much power does Count Degerk have, in your opinion?"

"You want a comparison?"

"I want a sober comparison."

Chuckling, Sergen looked at me.

"I haven't seen Count Sirtus' power in action...but I have seen Noel's sword."

"...How much?"

Serghen was my superior now, and I had no choice but to give her the information.

"A blue light emanated from the sword, and it was so beautiful that I thought he was painting the world with it. I could only tell that it was not ordinary swordsmanship."

"...Painting the world with a sword..."

"Yes. The blue light seemed to burst out of the sword, overflowing and flowing, and it had the ability to lightly climb up and down buildings over ten meters tall. Oh, and with the blink of an eye, it can close the distance between at least five carriages in a row in an instant."

"...."

Sergen's expression only grew grave.

"It's hard to explain how it could have gotten stronger.

I keep quiet because it's hard to answer the question of why I'm so sure I'm stronger.

"I see...I'm beginning to understand why Deckard refused to negotiate."

"...To be honest, I wouldn't recommend going to war with Noel, not only because he's my natural master, but also because...well...he's strong, but he's also the kind of guy who'll cut you into seven pieces while laughing."

She thought of the time when she would slay the Bastards in one fell swoop.

"When the time comes...

Serghen is forced to fight Noel. She considers the war for a moment.

"I wonder what will happen.

I try not to think about it, but as she prepares for battle, I'm forced to enter the fray.

"Well, let's go to the next top..."

I can't help but keep my eyes on one spot.

"What's wrong?"

"...That...Sergen-sama?"

"Go ahead."

"Do you mind if I...stop for a moment?"

"Is it important?"

My teeth were clenched so tightly that the muscles of my jaw were visible, and my eyes were wide and bloodshot. Sensing it, Serghen nodded.

"These are Deckard's men?"

"...Yes."

He recognized the man, a man whose face he could not help but remember.

"Rats that have entered Sirtus, and you intend to deal with them?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then I'll give you an order, not a break."

Sergen looked at me with a look of trust.

"Make sure you take care of it."

"...I'll try."

I disappeared into the crowd. Serghen sat down on a large bench and watched me disappear, then muttered to himself.

"Leaving a lady unattended. Not a good character trait for an escort."

She too disappears into the crowd.

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