Ch.227Head of All Trading Companies, Dieta (1)

While on the continent, I had some business to take care of.

My duties as a postal worker were finished, but my work as a free knight wasn’t. Najin had obtained information about Quixote, Star of Contempt, and needed to share it with Gerd.

‘The grave of stars, La Mancha.’

Najin suddenly recalled Quixote, Star of Contempt.

An apostle of the Empress of Bliss, a court jester.

A constellation who once had 7 stars, but after losing one in the last battle, now possessed only 6.

‘About the constellation Quixote, Star of Contempt, exactly how powerful is he?’

-Since I’ve never seen his powers, I can’t say precisely, but if we compare him to the constellations you’ve met…

Merlin wiggled his fingers as if calculating something, then nodded.

-He’d be about second.

‘…Second?’

-Yeah. The Lighthouse Keeper would be around third, and the Empress of Bliss is obviously in a league of her own. So the Star of Contempt would be second.

Recalling the transcendents he had met so far, Najin felt confused. Wasn’t Quixote a constellation with 7 stars, now 6? Even Anton, whom he’d met recently, had 8 stars.

-As I’ve said repeatedly, the number of stars doesn’t necessarily indicate strength. There are many exceptions. Especially constellations like the Star of Contempt are rather tricky.

‘Tricky?’

-Because he’s mad.

Merlin tapped his temple with his finger.

-It’s kind of funny, but in this field, the more insane a transcendent is, the more advantageous it is. The structure favors self-centered, dogmatic lunatics trapped in their own worlds.

‘Why is that?’

-Because they never doubt themselves. Madmen who don’t live with their feet on the ground but believe the entire world revolves around them never waver.

A self-confidence beyond mere firmness—one that has taken root in the world itself.

-Such people are difficult to deal with. Transcendents are beings who define the world in their own way, and if you’re not careful, you’ll be devoured.

By their stage, Merlin said.

Najin thought he understood what that stage meant.

‘The sudden laughter, windmills, ridiculous props and jesters.’

The stage created by the Empress of Bliss and Quixote.

Even when dozens of constellations invaded the battlefield, their stage remained intact. Despite the will created by dozens or hundreds of stars, the jesters never stopped performing, and the laughter never ceased.

-It’s a battle of momentum, you know.

Merlin wiggled his finger.

-In battles between transcendents, it’s hard to win if you lose in terms of momentum. So Quixote, with his powerful presence, is among the upper ranks of transcendents.

‘Then what happens if you destroy that stage?’

-He’d fall quite a bit lower. From that point, having more stars would become advantageous.

Quixote is a constellation who relies on his stage.

The same would apply to the Empress of Bliss.

Listening to Merlin’s muttering, Najin fell into thought. He could understand why the Empress of Bliss and Quixote wanted to keep that place called La Mancha hidden.

‘Ah, then who’s first?’

-The Helm Knight.

Merlin answered decisively.

-If we’re talking about his prime, not the weakened state when he lost all his stars and encountered you, he’s first.

The Empire’s Best Swordsman, Alderan Basaglia.

Even in his weakened state after losing all his stars, he was terrifyingly powerful, and Merlin placed him first.

-To be honest, he was at an astonishing level. Even in my era, such powerful individuals were rare. He would have been formidable enough even in Camlann.

‘That powerful?’

-Yes. He was worthy of joining the Round Table.

Najin unconsciously touched his shoulder plate.

A shoulder plate modeled after a golden horned helmet.

As he adjusted his free knight attire that he would someday show to his master, Najin exhaled deeply.

“…”

Watching the rapidly passing scenery, Najin pulled out a newspaper that had been placed in the carriage. He was curious about what had happened on the continent during the months he spent in the Outer Continent.

Rustle.

On the front page of the newspaper he opened was a familiar name. Reading through the newspaper with a sense of familiarity, Najin couldn’t help but laugh.

-Why? What is it? What does it say?

‘Nothing much.’

Najin pointed at the newspaper.

‘It seems someone is chasing hard after me.’

Before Roseline Askarlo, there was someone who had told Najin, “Let’s head to the heights together.” A pillar of the Empire rising high in the capital, who smiled while pointing at the stars in the sky.

“Rocktidd Trading Company, with hundreds of years of history, goes bankrupt overnight; Shagel Rocktidd, head of the company, sells…”

“Rocktidd Trading Company’s bankruptcy shakes the market.”

“Crisis in contracts with smaller trading companies affiliated with the company; amid economic turmoil… (omitted) Dieta Trading Company purchases all rights including management rights and interests of Rocktidd Trading Company, acquiring the company.”

First, I’ll occupy this street of merchants.

A girl who said she would make all the flags of the giant trading companies hanging in the highest places her own.

“Rocktidd Trading Company acquired by Dieta Trading Company.”

Najin could almost hear her voice.

‘I told you, didn’t I?’

If you’re going to hang your star high in the sky, I’ll climb to the highest place possible on this earth.

“As always.”

Najin smiled as he recalled the image of a certain girl rolling a gold coin on her hand.

2.

Rocktidd and Cornelhild.

These two trading companies were known as “giants” in the industry. With a history spanning hundreds of years, they were prestigious companies that had dominated the market for centuries.

The market economy fluctuated with just one step of these giants, and with a single gesture of their hands controlling the flow of gold, not only did smaller trading companies go bankrupt in succession, but even renowned noble families could fall.

Gold coins meant power.

Except for the Pillars in the sky above, the heads of Rocktidd and Cornelhild Trading Companies were power holders whom even nobles dared not treat carelessly.

“…”

But here stands a merchant.

The merchant looks at the giant.

When many trading companies gave up looking at the top of that massive body and history, she gazed at the giant’s summit. She saw where the giant stood and where its gaze was directed.

In her eyes, the giant was not an invincible being.

Quite the opposite.

The larger the body, the more food and water it needs to maintain that size. That’s the law of the world. And for a trading company, food and water converge into one thing.

Gold coins. In other words, money.

The Snake that Swallows the Gold Coins slowly began to coil around the giant’s feet. The first target was the Platinum Tower, which had an exclusive contract with Rocktidd Trading Company. Using dragon merchandise as bait to approach the Master of the Platinum Tower, the snake cooked and devoured her, making the Platinum Tower its ally.

The Master of the Platinum Tower and a Pillar of the Empire.

Seal of Eternal Beauty, Safria Gachefsga.

She became the snake’s ally. The snake didn’t demand much. Just a small favor and a little sincerity.

“Platinum Tower signs exclusive contract with Dieta Trading Company.”

“Contract change after 60 years.”

With that alone, Rocktidd Trading Company lost its biggest source of gold. The complacency of thinking a caught fish would stay forever, the carelessness of believing that what had been true for decades would remain unchanged tomorrow—the snake persistently bit into the gaps these created.

One by one, yet too quickly to counter.

The snake unleashed all the moves it had prepared in advance.

It bit the giant’s ankle, poisoned the lake where the giant drank, set fire to its food storage, and made the ground beneath the giant soft, causing it to lose balance and fall.

Once a giant falls, it’s extremely difficult to rise again. With enough time, it might stand up again, but knowing this, she wouldn’t give it that time.

The businesses, bonds, and debts that the giants had extended, trusting their size, strangled the giant’s breath. At this point, there’s not much left to do.

Finally, with a snap.

Biting the giant’s nape would end it all.

“…”

Looking at the head of Rocktidd Trading Company sitting across from her in her office with a face like he’d bitten into a bug, the Snake that Swallows the Gold Coins smiled. Even after signing the contract, the old man couldn’t leave his seat.

His face showed he couldn’t accept that his lifetime’s work and his family’s centuries of history had crumbled in an instant.

It was an unsuitable face for a merchant. A merchant should be someone who accepts losses to gain even a little more profit, and who never reveals their true feelings until the very end.

“I have another appointment,” said Dieta with a smile.

“Would you mind leaving, Chairman?”

Grinding his teeth, the chairman stood up from his seat. The old man’s hand holding the cane was trembling, and his expression suggested he wanted to spit out one more word, but Dieta had already turned her gaze away.

Her eyes were directed not at the old man but at the clock on the wall. A skilled merchant, a seasoned negotiator, speaks not only with words but also with their gaze.

The head of Rocktidd Trading Company, Shagel Rocktidd, is also a merchant. He understood well what the girl’s gaze meant. Looking at the clock meant “I have no more time to spare for you,” essentially a dismissal.

The old man’s expression soured further.

But when Dieta took her eyes off the clock and looked at him, the old man couldn’t say anything.

“…”

Those yellow eyes staring silently.

Eyes the color of gold coins.

When faced with those eyes, commonly called “gold coin eyes” or “golden sand eyes,” the old man couldn’t help but feel intimidated.

Eyes gleaming with a yellowish light like those of a beast.

Overwhelmed by the pressure of that gaze, the head of Rocktidd Trading Company finally left the office without saying another word.

Click, tap.

When the footsteps and the sound of the cane faded into the distance, Dieta quietly approached the office door and put her ear against it. Then she glanced at the guard knight standing beside her.

“Is he gone?”

“I believe so, miss.”

“Good. Then.”

Dieta exhaled deeply and said:

“Why did he waste so much time? Just sign and leave quickly! What’s the point of glaring? I’ve spent too much time on this. What should I do?”

She stamped her feet anxiously.

While the head of Rocktidd interpreted Dieta’s glance at the clock and her mention of another appointment as an insult meaning “I have no more time to spare for you”…

“I’m running out of time…!”

It wasn’t that at all.

She really did have another appointment, was genuinely short on time, and her anxious gaze was simply hoping he would leave quickly.

“I need to get ready now. I’m busy, Passion. First, I need to bathe, and then clothes… Right! Clothes. I should have clothes prepared for today. Contact my secretary and ask them to bring the clothes quickly… Oh, and premium black tea too. What else? Snacks? Yes, and…”

Dieta started rattling off words.

“I’ll take care of it. Please calm down a bit…”

“I’m counting on you, Passion!”

After shouting that, Dieta immediately grabbed her things and rushed to her mansion.

Who could make her so anxious?

Even the Master of the Platinum Tower, a Pillar of the Empire, couldn’t make her this urgent. As a merchant, she was always composed and perfect. But as a woman named Dieta… that’s a different story.

“Hurry, hurry…!”

Dieta began walking briskly.

…There could be no one else who could reduce the notorious Snake that Swallows the Gold Coins to just a girl named Dieta.

The protagonist of the appointment scheduled two hours later was Najin.

To prepare for meeting him after months in the Outer Continent, Dieta practically ran through the corridors of the trading company. As an added bonus, employees tilted their heads in confusion seeing their chairwoman, who always appeared dignified, elegant, and composed, running.