[64] A Request II

When Princess Ariel and her two bodyguards finally left the room, Aurelia remained in her place, lost in thought with a distant gaze. She let out a soft sigh, seemingly immersed in deep contemplation.

"Carmen..."

Aurelia's personal maid, Carmen, who was standing upright with a very composed posture, immediately responded to her mistress's call. Her body slightly bowed, with one hand placed on her chest while the other remained hidden behind her back.

"What is it, My Lady?" Carmen asked in a respectful tone.

Aurelia initiated a discussion that seemed important, pondering something complex and seeking Carmen's opinion. "Do you think Pilemon is truly following the princess? Considering that some of the nobles still side with Prince Grabell?"

Carmen adjusted her position to be more comfortable, stroking her chin as she thought about her response. "It is possible, My Lady. Seeing the growing sentiment among the lower and middle classes that supports Princess Ariel, Pilemon might see an opportunity to place his support with Ariel. However..."

"But that's not enough for him to openly declare his support in front of Prince Grabell," Aurelia continued, highlighting the shortcomings in Pilemon's support.

"As expected," Carmen confirmed seriously, "Prince Grabell wields significant influence, fully backed by the current Prime Minister. This makes Pilemon's public support for Princess Ariel very complicated. Pilemon would face great risk if he openly supports Ariel for the succession to the throne."

Aurelia nodded slowly, adding, "Not to mention, the increasing frequency of assassination attempts on Princess Ariel makes Pilemon's decision even more hesitant. Even in some instances in front of Prince Grabell, he seems to grovel at Grabell's feet, displaying highly ambiguous behaviour. Whether he truly supports Princess Ariel or not remains unclear."

"Indeed," Carmen explained confidently, "Pilemon seems to be following the tide of victory, but he still holds a faint hope for Ariel. However, it's nothing more than a vague hope."

The discussion between Aurelia and Carmen continued in deep silence. Their background as commoners did not prevent them from having profound thoughts on this highly complex political situation. Ash's influence and the philosophical knowledge he had left behind in the form of important books had shaped their way of thinking, giving them insights that went beyond a superficial understanding of the circumstances.

Aurelia finally let out a long sigh, her voice full of exhaustion and despair. "All of this is too complicated and seems beyond our concern as merchants. Our primary goal is to maximise the profit from this company. However, it seems we've entered a territory filled with deep internal conflicts."

Carmen nodded in agreement, adding with a serious tone, "Ultimately, this place might experience a coup. If that happens, we as merchants would be among those who suffer. This situation could directly impact the stability of our economy and business."

Aurelia gazed out of the window, her mind drifting towards the potential disasters that could occur. "You're right, Carmen. I need to discuss this with Raphael. The situation is becoming increasingly unstable and potentially dangerous."

"Yes, My Lady!" Carmen responded firmly.

Aurelia continued, "Prepare a summary of all the information we've gathered from the palace and the matters we've discussed. I want Raphael to get a clear picture of this situation as soon as possible."

"As you command," Carmen said, immediately moving to carry out her task.

As Carmen left to prepare the documents, Aurelia spent some time reflecting. She realised that this situation was not just an internal issue within the kingdom but could also affect the entire network of Costatine's business and power. The tensions within the kingdom had the potential to disrupt the stability they had painstakingly achieved.

---

Raphael nodded in agreement while sipping his hot coffee, his eyes focused on the document open before him. Meanwhile, Aurelia stood in front of him, appearing anxious and uneasy.

"I understand," Raphael said in a calm yet attentive tone.

"That's why I'm asking you to consider withdrawing our entire company from this kingdom. We've established a base in the Kingdom of Britania, which is far safer than this kingdom. Even though this kingdom is at the top in terms of economy, the teleportation disaster in the Fittoa region, which supplies half the kingdom's food, has already caused a collapse." Aurelia reiterated, even though Raphael had already read the document.

"So?" Raphael looked at Aurelia with full attention, her hand trembling slightly, showing how nervous she was.

"Then there's no reason for us to stay here," Aurelia continued, "It's only a matter of time before the Prime Minister proposes the confiscation of all our properties, with some fabricated excuse."

After this statement, silence enveloped the room, making the atmosphere tense. Aurelia felt the tension rising, while Raphael calmly placed his coffee cup on the table and let out a long sigh. He placed the document in his other hand on the table, then looked into Aurelia's eyes gently, trying to calm the situation.

"It seems you're overthinking this situation," Raphael said in a gentle yet confident tone.

"What!?" Aurelia was shocked, feeling threatened by Raphael's response, which seemed to downplay her concerns. Everything she had discussed was the result of deep analysis and information from their spies in the palace.

"We've built our company's name to become very large here, facing various problems to reach this stage. Abandoning this place is not the best solution."

"But!" Aurelia tried to interject, but Raphael raised his hand to calm her down.

"I fully understand. With Princess Ariel's departure from the palace, our company is indeed in danger. Even though we've placed our people as key infiltrators in the palace, without Princess Ariel's assistance, our spies will be more easily detected."

Aurelia, still confused, did not understand the solution Raphael was offering. Her hands clenched, trying to calm herself but still feeling anxious.

Seeing the anxiety on Aurelia's face, Raphael stood and diverted her attention. He opened the yellow curtain on the side window of his desk and signalled for Aurelia to approach.

As Aurelia approached, she saw a surprising sight: a crowd of people gathered below the company building, their faces bright with hope.

"Do you notice anything?" Raphael asked in a softer yet challenging tone.

At that moment, Aurelia began to understand Raphael's point. She realised that their presence in this place had a much greater impact than she had previously imagined.

"Yes," Aurelia replied, "If we leave this place, the people here will lose something important. Their bright faces reflect hope and confidence in a better future."

"That's right," Raphael continued with conviction, "As the Costatine company, we uphold high moral values and do not discriminate against anyone, whether by race or social class. If we leave this place, all those people will return to their old lives before our company arrived."

Aurelia pondered Raphael's words, feeling the weight of the responsibility on her shoulders. Leaving this kingdom would mean destroying the hope they had built together.

Raphael gently patted Aurelia's shoulder, offering unspoken support. He knew that the decisions they made would affect many people, and the impact would go far beyond mere business affairs.

"Listen, as the chairman's representative and Ash's substitute, I know what needs to be done, and you don't need to worry that much. Those who want to take our rights will never be able to do so. Rest assured, I've thought about this well in advance, and your task is to do what you can."

Aurelia carefully considered Raphael's words, each phrase sinking deep into her thoughts. With his characteristic wisdom, Raphael released his hand from the girl's shoulder and turned with his hands clasped behind his back, resembling a philosopher unravelling wisdom.

"Furthermore," Raphael began, his voice filled with determination and indisputable wisdom, "I feel your abilities are being stifled here. Therefore, I'm sending you to the Sharia Academy."

"Wait!" Aurelia was shaken by the sudden announcement, her eyes widening in surprise.

"I've already made the decision, Aurelia," Raphael continued with a serious and firm tone. "You will continue your studies in the city of Sharia, and that's not the only thing you will do there. Along with Carmen, I'm assigning you to establish a Costatine branch there. Understand?"

Aurelia, who often felt Raphael's firmness, knew that trying to negotiate or argue would only make things worse. Most of her knowledge of trade and philosophy came from Raphael, including the skills to understand people's personalities and their goals.

With a furrowed brow, Aurelia finally nodded slowly, her soft voice full of resignation. "Yes..."

"If there's nothing else to discuss, you may leave," Raphael concluded the conversation with a tone that could not be disputed.

Aurelia, with steps that felt heavy and burdened, left the room, the door closing softly behind her. Once the door was tightly shut, Raphael let out a long sigh, his yellow eyes reflecting the depth of his complex thoughts.

"Aurelia," Raphael murmured softly yet meaningfully, "it's too early for you to understand the intricacies of this game. And as for Prince Grabell, I never expected someone to be able to compete on this scale." He closed his eyes for a moment, appearing to reflect.

Then, his eyes opened, revealing slit-shaped yellow eyes filled with intensity and mystery. "However, he's far from surpassing my ability to manoeuvre people," Raphael said with a sinister laugh, slipping in a threatening nuance, as if he was devising a strategy yet to be revealed.