87 - I Became a Guy Who Got Caught Up in the Summoning of a Hero

**Chapter 87: North Rabbit - Web Novel Archives** To Solve the Problem! Standing before the teleportation magic circle, I turned to Demina and Hare and said, "We're heading to the royal palace, so make sure not to cause any trouble. Understood?" The two women nodded at my words, but the way they looked at each other was anything but ordinary. The situation had escalated after leaving the task with Rita and returning. Today, Demina had been too busy to accompany me due to a meeting among the Sain Tribe, leaving me to wander the estate alone, which turned out to be the root of the problem. "Why is the Lord roaming around alone?" Hare spotted me and made her presence known. "It just happened. But what brings you here?" "…Where's Demina?" "She mentioned something about a tribe meeting, but I'm not entirely sure what it entails." "Is she saying her tribe's meeting is more important than your safety as the Lord…?" Hare seemed upset, so I hastily explained to her, "If you're upset about me being out alone, there's a reason for it…" In fact, I had slipped out of the lord's mansion while seeing off the Hamern siblings. Two women from the Sain Tribe had been assigned to guard me, but I left on my own without informing them, a fact Hare refused to listen to. Her two puffed-up tails clearly signaled her displeasure. To calm her down, I took Hare's hand and suggested, "Shall we have a calm conversation?" "Are you going to defend Demina?" "…Half and half, actually." "So, I have to listen to the incorrect half?" "Haha… You're right. But why do you seem upset?" "…Fine. Go ahead." "The truth is, during the send-off for the Hamern siblings, I avoided the two Sain guards and moved on my own. So, it's my fault…" "Isn't it a problem that they didn't stick close to the Lord who went out to see them off?" Could this conversation continue like this? Thinking so, Hare began to reprimand me and the Sain guards. Admittedly, it was my fault, but frankly, no one in this estate posed a threat to me. However, saying this would only make things worse, so I kept silent. As her scolding drew to an end, Demina hurriedly excused herself from her meeting to find me, sparking a confrontation between the two that led me to hasten back to the lord's mansion. Now, somehow, here I was breaking out in a cold sweat. "If not for careless Sain Tribe, mistakes like these wouldn't happen." "That's harsh. Are you feeling superior because of the natural strength of the Hoin?" We were on the verge of teleporting, and they were already like this. "If you two keep growling, I'll leave you both behind. Honestly, I think I'll manage just fine alone." The two women glared at me with fierce eyes, but I wasn't backing down either. "I'm holding back and not saying much to consider you both, but you seem to forget something. I am the lord here, and I'm not so magnanimous to simply laugh off being treated this way by you both. I'm not saying anything because the situation doesn't call for it, but please don't escalate things to make me angry." Eventually, I let out a stern remark, which caught the two women by surprise, prompting them to apologize. Yet, neither Hare nor Demina ceased eyeing each other fiercely, anxious to one-up one another. While this concern for me was appreciated, it was beginning to overshadow the initial intent. I stepped onto the teleportation circle and looked at Vincent. He held a magic stone in his hand and asked with genuine concern, "Are you sure you need to go? We can handle this." "It's better if I personally select my people. I also need to gather some things, so I'll handle it. Please take care of the estate. Just three… no, four days." "But… Lord, that's one more day than…" "Ah, who's correcting the lord's words?" "…Just like this, you’re… too much sometimes." To Vincent, who looked defeated, I said, "I’ll give you vacation time later, so bring your entire family and spend time together then. I'll even build you a nice house, so let’s agree on that, shall we?" "…Impossible to argue with you. Have a peaceful journey, then." As soon as the teleportation activated, the world spun violently, and the surroundings started to blur. I had given Demina and Hare a potion earlier to prevent mishaps, but I feared it would be ineffective, leading them to empty their stomachs. When the surroundings returned to normal, Demina and Hare quickly darted left and right, clutching buckets. My condition was no different, but anticipating this scenario, I held a bucket in hand while teleporting. A fanfare of retching filled the air, the bucket in my hand capturing it all. --- I was about to leave the castle directly, but a summons from the Empress required an audience first. "I never thought there would be a time when you'd leave your estate voluntarily." "I had no choice, as there were things I needed." "I heard you're doing business with the southern tribes?" How does she pick up on everything? Admiring her information network, the Empress spoke to me. "They are a very rough people. It took quite some time for the ancient Terrakan Empire to subdue them when ruling the continent. Even post-annexation, it took a long time for them to integrate. How did you manage to build relations with such a peculiar people so quickly?" Was Ildren such a unique nation? Pondering this, I replied, "Isn’t it a relationship born out of necessity?" "Hah, keeping secrets, are we?" "It's no secret. I'm being literal. Our interests simply aligned, and that's all there was to it. Besides, it's not the past anymore, is it?" I hinted at moving on, but the Empress wasn't letting go easily. "What would it take for you to confess your secrets?" "I think you'd need to have a secret worth confessing first." "Amusing. Then let me ask, why did you sever the dealings with Valsen?" "Are you referring to Duke Valsen?" "Indeed. He came here complaining, demanding severe punishment for breaking the deal." Unbelievable. It's business. There's no obligation to always buy what's offered. The Empress nodded as I explained, but she continued with a deeper implication. "Valsen is a prominent noble who wields considerable power through his influence in the liquor market. His financial power supports a group known as the 'noble faction.' A significant portion of that wealth comes from the south. However, you cut off that stream." "...Can you tell me the content of his complaint?" "He sent a letter of protest claiming that the inability to sell the agreed amount left his finest-quality wine unable to hit the market in time, threatening massive financial losses, and demanding compensation from Ingrad territory." "Mind if I speak bluntly?" The Empress chuckled but told me no, continuing with another point. "I dismissed it as unreasonable, but Duke Valsen is tenacious and vindictive. You should be cautious. By the way, the southern merchants are currently creating quite a buzz with small quantities of alcohol they're releasing." "Did they release it?" "They know that spreading the word will raise prices. If rumors reach the central region, the liquor prices from your estate will soar. They plan to profit from this information upon returning south, milking it further from the southern nobles." Well, that's up to the buyers. If I could benefit from it, it was all the better. However, the Empress added her concern. "I'd like to avoid too high a price being established. Many of your creations are beneficial to humanity. I desire not for such goods to be exclusive to the privileged but rather accessible to more people. Isn’t your wealth overflowing as it is?" She had a point. I was indeed making a lucrative amount. Just from the drafts Princess Riana sent every fortnight, I received ten notes each worth a million in currency. And after the bridge's completion, the income from merchant transactions exceeded half of what Princess Riana sent. In simple terms, I was earning at least 1.5 million. All from selling consumables. Considering exclusive items like body-enhancing potions or trading monster hides, the profit would escalate rapidly, but that was the visible estimate. "I will consider your wishes, Your Majesty." "Please do. It's only a humble request, as I can't intervene in the lords' prosperity. By the way, what brings you to the capital?" She sure was quick to inquire. I explained various purposes for my visit, to which the Empress nodded and offered, "If that's the case, I could send you some exceptional talent." "No, thank you. I prefer to see and hire people myself. Thank you for the offer, though." I declined outright. It was clear such aid would come with strings attached, and even the slightest tax evasion would be reported to the center. Keeping my enemies close was foolish, and despite her repeated offers of assistance, I had to sweat through rejecting them all until I was finally free from her clutches. By the time I left the palace, I felt utterly drained. "Ah, talking with someone in power is exhausting... I'm so tired..." Not the most appropriate comment at the palace gates, but I wasn't defaming anyone, so I was unfazed. Hare, overhearing, asked, "Rumor has it the Empress is a cautious and fearsome person. What is she truly like?" "In reality?" I pondered for a moment before answering quietly. "She is intelligent. Actually, I'm not sure if 'smart' or 'terrifying' is more fitting." She likely foresaw circumstances beyond any imagination, masterfully orchestrating everything. Additionally, her intelligence network was almost supernatural. She's probably planted spies everywhere. Subtlety is expected from someone managing a vast empire, and I wasn't eager to get tangled with such a figure. "It's simpler to think of her as someone you shouldn't get involved with in any matter." Afterward, Hare guided me around the capital, allowing me to inspect various academies, especially the top-notch one in economics. I arranged a meeting with the academy’s principal. Was this the academy that graduated a chancellor? I wondered if it was that chancellor, but first, it was time for a conversation. "I'm interested in hiring someone skilled in economics." "They say it's the famous Ingrad Viscounty, isn’t it...?" When the principal commented, I nodded, and he looked over my shoulder at the two women accompanying me with a serious gaze. "Is it true you survived the Demon’s Crescent?" "As you can see. But let’s skip personal questions and focus on referring someone capable, shall we?" "Well... It's the season when most graduates who couldn't find jobs return home. Those who linger in the capital are typically unreasonably stubborn or have other motives. Are those acceptable?" "Was I a bit late in timing?" "It's not that. It's just that the royal pharmacy employed many of the brightest minds quickly." In other words, Princess Liana had tied up a lot of potential talent.