Inside a private chamber within the Sharon estate, Count Sharon—head of the house—the Countess, their eldest son and heir, and Cornelia sat together in conference. Anne, her husband, and several other high-ranking aides stood quietly in attendance.
Every face in the room was etched with a uniform exhaustion, looking as though they had just weathered a catastrophic disaster. In reality, they had merely finished listening to the contents of the correspondence Cornelia had received.
Of course, that alone was enough to make even Count Sharon feel like burying his face in his hands. The sheer scale of the situation was staggering. However, as a man who had wielded considerable influence as a high-ranking noble, he possessed deep experience. He let out a long, heavy sigh before finally speaking.
"We have a mountain of issues to address, but when circumstances are this tangled, it’s best to deal with the certainties first. Cornelia."
"Yes, Father."
"We are moving forward with our previous assumption. Our house will purchase the management rights of the Victor Trading Company and install you as its head. For the time being, the current chairman will remain in his post to oversee daily operations, but you will hold the final decision-making power. Once things have stabilized, we may entrust the chairmanship to another, but for now, we will keep internal changes to a minimum while bringing the company under the direct umbrella of the Sharon Count House."
"I understand."
This course of action had been decided the moment they realized the Victor Trading Company, in its current state, could not possibly handle the flood of orders coming from the Dragon King’s subordinates. By buying out the ownership, the Sharons could provide the necessary capital and authority, with Cornelia as the face of the operation.
Cornelia had already been cramming intensively for her studies in business management, so she had fully expected this outcome.
"I’ll ask for your preference, though I suspect the answer... do you have any desire for a fiancé at this time?"
"Taking a fiancé now would only sow the seeds of conflict. Besides, speaking honestly, I don't have the mental capacity to think about anyone else's affairs but my own."
"Quite right. At this moment, you are the goose that lays the golden eggs. It’s best we don't give opportunistic vultures any opening to strike. As for our official stance... yes, let us say that because your value within the Count House has risen so precipitously, we have decided against arranging an engagement until the heir formally receives his succession nomination, in order to avoid any potential succession dispute. If we need to finalize matters later, we can simply hold a ceremony under that very name."
It was easy to imagine that marriage proposals would flood in for a noble daughter who, despite not being the heir, was set to lead a trading company poised for astronomical profits.
Therefore, they decided to use the threat of a succession struggle as a convenient shield. Since this was effectively a declaration that "anyone who attempts to propose under these circumstances is an enemy of the Sharon family," it would serve as a more than sufficient deterrent.
In truth, Cornelia and her older brother shared a harmonious relationship. It was a settled matter that the eldest son would inherit the house, and Cornelia had never received the education required for an heir anyway. There was no real risk of a struggle, but the excuse was perfect for keeping the rest of the world at bay.
"What we must address immediately is the expansion of the workshops. However, we also need to secure skilled craftsmen. Increasing production volume so quickly will be a challenge... we have no choice but to set priorities."
"True. How about we establish a policy of prioritizing those who were personally introduced by Kaito-sama? I believe that would make it difficult for others to voice their complaints."
"That might work for the human nobility, but is the name Miyama Kaito actually recognized by the Dragon King’s subordinates or the members of the Winged Race?"
In response to the doubt voiced by her brother, Cornelia tilted her head in thought. While Kaito’s name was undoubtedly famous among the upper echelons of the nobility, he remained a figure largely unknown to the general public.
Whether the vast legions of the Dragon King or the Winged Race—who almost never interacted with other species—would be satisfied by simply hearing his name was an unknown factor.
Of course, the reality was that every last one of the Dragon King’s subordinates had been informed of Kaito’s status by Magnawell himself, and the Winged Race revered him to the point of treating him as an envoy of the gods. Understandably, however, the members of the Sharon family had no way of grasping the situation to that extent.
"We should verify that. Regarding the Dragon King’s subordinates, we will inquire when we reply to the Dragon Kings' letters. As for the Winged Race, we’ll confirm the details during negotiations. Still... the Winged Race. Are they truly seeking to open trade with our house solely for the sake of these specialized brushes?"
"They take immense pride in the beauty of their wings, so it is not an impossible story," the Countess replied to her husband. "However, regarding trade with them, I believe we should first speak with the Viscount whose house has held a monopoly until now."
While the Winged Race was technically free to interact with whomever they chose, a new point of contact was being established where there had previously been an exclusive arrangement. The Sharons needed to show enough diplomatic grace to ensure it wasn't perceived that a Count House was simply trampling over a lower-ranking noble house.
"The Viscount in question is a member of the Reformist Faction, but he belongs to a different branch than ours. It would be safest to ask His Majesty to act as a mediator."
"And what about this letter from Amel-sama? Should we consult Kaito-sama about it?"
"We have no choice. It may be a trifle rude to her, but misreading her intent would be a far greater disaster."
They reached an agreement to confirm the details of Amel’s letter—written in her thick Chunibyo phrasing—with Kaito. They couldn't very well tell the sender that they didn't understand a word she had written, yet they couldn't afford a misinterpretation. They judged it best to ask Kaito, who was close enough to her to be called her Sworn Friend.
It was, of course, the logical conclusion. However, by doing so, they ran the risk of Kaito being helpful and offering to "sit in on the negotiations with Amel-san."
If that happened, Kaito—who held an overwhelming level of favor with the Winged Race—would inevitably secure a deal with terms so lucrative that the previous Viscount’s monopoly would pale in comparison. The members of the Count House would once again be left clutching their heads in a panic, but at this stage, predicting such a development was impossible.
Serious-senpai: "A secondary disaster triggered by Chunibyo... Because Amel possesses such an unnervingly high position and level of ability, everything has become unnecessarily complicated. The Sharon family’s suffering continues. And, in a quiet aside, it looks like Chris is about to be dragged into this mess too..."