Ch.171Interlude, On the Continent (3)

Lancent, a city located near the Outer Continent.

The employee at the Dieta Company’s Lancent branch blinked at the emblem before him. That emblem looked familiar. It didn’t take long to recall exactly where he had seen it.

Ah, during employee training. Wasn’t it mentioned that anyone carrying an emblem with the company’s symbol should be treated as a VIP with the utmost respect? When that memory surfaced, the employee’s eyes widened.

With eyes stretched open, he examined the emblem before him. The Dieta Company produced various types of emblems, each with different values depending on the engraved pattern. And the emblem now placed before the employee had a “golden flower” engraved on it.

Not a gold coin (金貨), but a golden flower (金花).

An emblem permitted to only one person.

The employee recalled how the branch manager and executives had earnestly instructed, “If someone with this emblem visits the company, send them upstairs immediately without question.” And he could also recall what kind of person possessed this emblem.

A distinguished guest of the Dieta Company’s chairwoman.

Someone who could meet with her privately whenever they wished, someone who could make her cancel all appointments. Moreover, this was the person who had prompted the establishment of a company branch in this remote city bordering the Outer Continent.

“Huh,” the employee gasped.

He stood up abruptly and looked at the man before him. The face hidden by the robe now came into his view. A young man with gray hair and sunset-colored eyes. A figure who had recently caused quite a stir in the Empire.

“I-I’ll escort you!”

The youngest Sword Seeker.

The youngest to achieve 4 stars.

Morning Star, Najin.

The company’s most distinguished guest who had made an enormous contribution to the company’s rising stock. The employee bowed at a perfect 90-degree angle, something he hadn’t done in a very long time, at the appearance of someone who deserved several more Vs before the term VIP.

2.

Shortly after, a carriage arrived before Najin. It was provided by the company, and when Najin reached into his pocket to pull out his long-unused wallet, the employees frantically waved their hands.

“No need! Please, please use it freely! Our Dieta Company’s Lancent branch welcomes your return, and we will do our utmost to ensure you have no inconveniences during your stay in Lancent…”

As the branch manager of Lancent personally came out and bowed his head, Najin boarded the carriage. The carriage carrying Najin departed smoothly. The ride was quite comfortable.

The carriage was headed for the Empire’s capital.

The location of Dieta Company’s headquarters.

Najin glanced out the carriage window.

The blue sky and warm sunshine. Clean air and a peaceful atmosphere. It was relaxed enough to make one drowsy. The continent’s atmosphere felt quite unfamiliar to Najin after returning from a four-month absence.

‘It’s peaceful. Usually by now I should have seen at least one or two spirits…’

-Common sense dictates there shouldn’t be such things on the continent, right?

Since the distance to the Empire’s capital was considerable, they stopped at small towns along the way for food and lodging. While eating a well-grilled steak, Najin smiled unconsciously as he recalled the “giants’ special meat” he had eaten in the Outer Continent.

That was quite tasty.

After about a week, Najin arrived at the Empire’s capital. Being a distinguished guest of the Dieta Company, he could enter the capital without any verification procedures.

The Empire’s capital, Camelot.

Always impressively splendid, but neither the brilliant artifacts nor the architecture captured Najin’s attention. Najin only raised his head to look toward where the imperial palace was located.

The imperial palace surrounded by five towers symbolizing the pillars of the Empire. Najin looked at the pillar positioned at the very front among them.

The Empire’s First Seal, Gerd’s residence.

The moment he looked at that pillar, Najin felt a gaze. Just as he was looking in that direction, the old man residing in that pillar was also looking back at him. He was certain of it.

‘Come to think of it, didn’t they say the Empire’s capital is practically that old man’s front yard?’

From the moment one sets foot in the capital, they’re essentially within Gerd’s firing range. He had heard such rumors before. Believing those rumors to be true, Najin moved his lips while staring at the Empire’s first pillar.

Despite the countless crowds, noise, and buildings between them, Najin and Gerd conversed across it all.

The seven stars hanging above the Empire’s first pillar briefly sparkled. Najin announced his intention to visit soon, and Gerd granted permission. After slightly bowing his head, Najin got off the carriage.

He had already arrived at his destination.

A street where the headquarters of the continent’s prominent companies were gathered. Each building had flags bearing symbols representing their respective companies, but Najin looked around and tilted his head in confusion.

Wasn’t the Dieta Company building around here?

It seemed to be in this area when he visited with her, but the building Najin looked up at didn’t have the Dieta Company’s symbol hanging. It seemed they had changed locations.

“This way, Sir Najin.”

As Najin was looking around, an employee wearing the Dieta Company uniform personally guided him. After following him for a while, Najin blinked.

“This is the company headquarters?”

“Yes, this is correct.”

In the center of the street, where the most splendid buildings stood.

In the central area where the headquarters of the continent’s top two large-scale companies, Roctid Company and Cornelhild Company, were located, the Dieta Company building stood tall between the two towering structures.

A flag hung high on the company.

Looking at the Dieta Company, which occupied not a shabby building but a proper one that didn’t fall short compared to the buildings of the continent’s renowned large companies, Najin couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

It seemed that while he had been rolling around in the Outer Continent for four months, the chairwoman hadn’t been idle either.

3.

Snake that Swallows the Gold Coins, Dieta.

Having achieved a success story in Cambria, City of Opportunity, she is an object of admiration for countless merchants. It was quite an achievement to establish a company representing an entire city from scratch in just five years.

However, merchants belonging to large trading groups, rather than small business owners, would point to the Dieta Company and remark, “Isn’t it just a company that only works in Cambria?” highlighting the limits of its growth. After all, to be called a large trading group, one needed to exert influence across the entire continent, not just in a single city.

A frog in a well.

A company only highly regarded in Cambria.

They looked down on the Dieta Company like that and laughed that it wouldn’t grow any further. But it didn’t take long for that laughter to turn into astonishment.

The subjugation of the Red Dragon and White Dragon.

From the moment she monopolized those materials and began to move forward with that monopoly, the tide began to change. In an instant, she established herself in the Empire’s capital and contracted with the Master of Platinum Tower, one of the most influential figures.

Those who witnessed this process gossiped, saying it was “just luck,” “a seasonal business,” or “it will collapse as easily as it rose,” but those voices didn’t last long either.

The Dieta Company expanded at an excessively rapid and aggressive pace. What accelerated this expansion was none other than the statement from the Master of Platinum Tower.

“You know the chairwoman of the Dieta Company? She’s so diligent and bright. Unlike young people these days, you know? She’s friendly, polite, and quick-witted. I was just mumbling to myself, ‘It would be nice to have this and that…’ and guess what? She sent it the very next day! I didn’t even ask for it! How thoughtful is that?”

Safria Gachefsga, Seal of Eternal Beauty.

The center of the Empire’s logistics, managing most of the Empire’s artifacts, and one of the pillars supporting the Empire. Initially, she didn’t think much of the contract with the Dieta Company, but as time passed, she changed her stance.

At first, she sent her secretary to conclude the contract with Dieta, but at some point, she began to invite Dieta to her magic tower. A grand magician, who was one of the Empire’s pillars, had a private meeting with a mere company chairwoman.

And every time Dieta visited the magic tower, Safria’s attitude changed.

“She’s so friendly. She speaks so beautifully, doesn’t she?”

From an indifferent look to a smile.

“The Dieta chairwoman sent a gift? Again? What is it this time? Oh my, what’s this…? Wait, this is from Romarien year 134, isn’t it? How did she know I like these… What? She sent a letter too? Just a moment. Where’s my quill pen?”

From referring to her as “that girl” to “the Dieta chairwoman.” Safria even went so far as to personally write a reply to the letter Dieta had sent.

“Chairwoman! Welcome, I’ve been waiting for you!”

At some point, Safria began to come out to the front of the magic tower to greet Dieta when she visited. The sight of Safria linking arms with Dieta and chatting “haha hoho” as they went up to the top floor left the magicians of the tower wide-eyed.

It was the first time they had seen their prickly tower master smile so brightly.

“The company I originally contracted with… what was it? Roctid Company? How much time is left on the contract? Six months? Hmm. Sixty years is a long time. Should I change it now?”

When she hinted at being negative about renewing the contract with Roctid Company, which had been exclusively contracted with the Platinum Tower for nearly 60 years, Roctid Company was put on the spot.

The chairperson of Roctid Company personally visited the Platinum Tower with gifts, but Safria merely sent him away with an indifferent look.

By that point, one had to wonder.

How on earth did she manage to butter up Safria Gachefsga? By what means did she win over that prickly grand magician? Merchants could only stick out their tongues at Dieta’s conversational skills, which had managed to win over a transcendent being in less than four months.

Four months since the Dieta Company set foot in the Empire’s capital.

Now, large and small trading groups gathered under her company’s flag, and based on the companies she had acquired, she began to extend her distribution network across the continent.

Four months, just four months.

At that unbelievable speed, merchants jokingly said that the heavens should bestow a star upon her.

Snake that Swallows the Gold Coins, Dieta.

Just as the name “Morning Star Najin” was constantly on the lips of adventurers, knights, and mercenaries, the name “Dieta” was continuously pronounced on the lips of merchants.

“A great merchant.”

“A born trader.”

“If you sit in the same place as her and have a few conversations, you’ll end up making a contract as if bewitched. If you want to negotiate properly, don’t talk for too long.”

“Don’t talk for long. It might be better to face her in writing. You’ll be enchanted.”

The young chairwoman with eyes resembling gold coins.

Her status continued to rise without limit.

Of course, Najin had no way of knowing this.

“Gasp.”

Recognizing Najin, the headquarters employee took a sharp breath and guided him to the top floor. While others might bring all sorts of bribes to secure an appointment to talk with Dieta, Najin had no need for that.

The moment he showed the emblem, the path to the top floor opened up cleanly.

And so, in the reception room on the top floor, Dieta was waiting for Najin. Sitting modestly on the sofa, brushing her side hair, and sipping coffee, Dieta raised her head.

Flinch.

The moment their eyes met, Dieta’s shoulders briefly trembled.

She had known about Najin’s visit for about a week and had been waiting in the reception room, fully prepared for his visit. However, seeing Najin’s face after a long time, Dieta was momentarily flustered.

It was truly a face she hadn’t seen in a long time. Perhaps because it had been so long, joy and excitement came first. If it had been her in the past, she might have blushed and stumbled over her words.

But now, she was different.

Ahem, hmm.

Clearing her throat, she smiled brightly at Najin.

“It’s been a while, Najin? Have you been well?”

A perfect smile, even by her own assessment. It was a smile that perfectly showcased her beauty, enough to melt the hearts of countless men and make them fall for her. It was an expression she had further developed over the past four months.

More natural, more beautiful, more elegant.

During that time, Dieta had honed each and every one of her expressions, gestures, and even the smallest body movements. She had learned the art of conversation to win the favor of others. It was time to show that growth to that man.

‘Meeting after a long time, joy would come first, right? This time, I’ll make it a bit more certain…’

Numerous plans formed in Dieta’s mind. The corners of her mouth twitched as she imagined a rosy future. Given the distance that had kept their relationship from progressing, she was determined to close that gap this time. Just as she was about to put more effort into her acting…

“I can’t say I’ve been well, but I’ve had quite a valuable time. Yes, it’s been a while, Dieta.”

Najin smiled.

A smile that truly seemed glad.

A smile filled with sincerity.

That was enough. Enough to completely empty Dieta’s mind, which had been imagining an audacious future. Dieta’s eyes wavered at the perfect surprise attack.

Her acting crumbled. Her tongue, which had been oiled to pour out pleasant words without stopping, creaked like an old hinge. Her breathing became irregular, and after swallowing air, Dieta began to hiccup.

“Hic.”

Covering her mouth with her palm, Dieta turned her head away. There was no smooth talker who had buttered up the Master of Platinum Tower, no legendary businesswoman who had perfectly settled in the Empire’s capital in just four months, no chairwoman of a large trading group dominating the continent.

In the end, before Najin, Dieta was just a girl.

One who had completely exposed her weakness.