Jin began to wonder about the trading partners of the Four Principalities.
The one to answer his question was Laojun, the supervisory brain of Hourai Island.
"My Lord, each of the Four Principalities maintains different trading partners."
"Is that so..."
It certainly made sense.
Or rather, Jin realized that if a single nation were selling weapons to both opposing sides, they would be nothing more than merchants of death.
"First, the Mimaka Principality trades with Avalon."
"That figures."
That much was obvious from the fact that a garrison was stationed there.
It seemed that the majority of the wheat consumed in Avalon was imported from the Mimaka Principality.
"The Darato Principality trades with the Shouro Empire."
"I see. Given its location, that sounds likely."
Laojun noted that goods were transported there by ship.
"The Norha Principality trades with Mitsuho."
"Ah, that must get expensive..."
Since it was entirely overland, even Jin, with his limited grasp of economics, understood that the shipping expenses would be astronomical.
"Of course, they do not trade exclusively with them," Laojun added with a note of clarification. "Merchants from the Shouro Empire also visit the Norha Principality by using the highway running through the Mimaka Principality."
"Well, naturally."
The Four Principalities were not practicing national isolation, so there was no reason to bar merchants from traveling through.
"In that case, does that mean the Norha Principality's golems were made in the Shouro Empire?" Reinhard asked.
"Most likely," Jin agreed.
Since Mitsuho had virtually no magi-craftsmen, there was no way they could export golems.
"If so, I wonder where those golems are being manufactured. Could it be... clearance of leftover inventory, perhaps?"
There were certainly a few aspects of that Type V2 that seemed characteristic of the Shouro Empire's style, Reinhard noted.
"Still, to sell such low-performance golems..."
Reinhard felt a bit disappointed, wondering if merchants from his homeland were acting in bad faith.
"No, Reinhard-sama, the circumstances appear to be slightly different," Laojun explained further. "It seems the Norha Principality simply lacks the solvency to pay for better."
High-performance golems were expensive.
With agriculture as its core industry, the Norha Principality lacked the financial power to purchase costly golems in large numbers.
Therefore, they had been forced to purchase obsolete models instead.
"However, it appears they upgraded their capabilities by replacing only the control core."
"Indeed, its tactical judgment and reaction speed during the fight with Manon were quite advanced compared to what its chassis could handle."
With Laojun's explanation, Jin found himself nodding in understanding.
"Still, swapping out a control core couldn't have been cheap either, right?"
"Yes, My Lord. That was apparently done out of the merchant's personal goodwill."
"Oh?"
Since the Quinta had already infiltrated the Shouro Empire, they were well-informed about the local situation.
"And who is this merchant?"
"House Techles."
"Techles?...I feel like I've heard that name before... Techles... Techles... Ah! Eckart-san's family!"
Jin remembered.
Eckart Techles.
Originally a prominent merchant in the southern Celuroa Kingdom, he had spent his own fortune to build what was, at the time, a large, state-of-the-art vessel to venture into maritime shipping.
However, he suffered the arbitrary injustice of having his ship and wealth confiscated by the king of that era. He subsequently defected to the Shouro Empire, where he came to be heavily relied upon as an economic advisor.
Apparently, the current firm was a trading company founded by his son, Mitchell, after he reached adulthood.
"That's a nostalgic name..."
It had all started when Jin wanted to try making a cat golem; he paid a visit after hearing from Vivienne that a merchant there kept a cat.
Afterward, moved by the man's passion for his ship, Jin had dispatched Quinta as technicians to help complete its construction.
"I see, so it's a trading house run by Eckart-san's descendants."
"Yes. Their primary business appears to be maritime transport, and their base of operations is in Ordone rather than Loizart."
"Oh, there?"
Reinhard recognized the city as well.
Ordone was a city in the southern Shouro Empire, and the region encompassing Lake Wasu was governed by the Richter house—the family on Elsa's maternal side.
"My uncle used to dote on me back then."
Hearing the familiar name, Elsa chimed in on the conversation.
"His name is Barrows Richter von Alabas. He is a viscount, and Mother's younger brother."
Having never been blessed with children of his own, he had thoroughly doted on his older sister Marlene's children—especially Elsa—despite having no blood relation to her.
"Laojun, we've strayed quite a bit from the topic. Tell me about the last nation, the Jagus Principality."
What they were originally discussing was the trading partners of the Four Principalities.
Jin brought the subject back on track.
"Yes, My Lord. The Jagus Principality is the most economically prosperous among the Four Principalities. Consequently, they are capable of purchasing even exceptionally expensive goods."
"Figures."
"Therefore, the Jagus Principality maintains trade relations with all of the Conference Countries."
"Come to think of it, I heard a bit about that before... They enforce national isolation and established a House Arrest Zone in the regional city of Draugr, right?"
"Yes. To be precise, it is designated as a Treaty of Amity and Commerce Zone."
"Even so, their transportation methods would have to be overland or by air, wouldn't they?"
"That is correct."
Either way, the distance was considerable, meaning transit costs could hardly be ignored.
Even so, the fact that merchants still made the journey meant there were substantial profits to be reaped.
And when it came to the primary product of the Jagus Principality, it was grain.
"The grain from that nation is of high quality and remarkably cheap. That low price is likely only possible because they brainwash their own citizens."
"So that's how it is..."
Dumping prices made possible only by working their people into the ground, Jin thought, a bitter taste lingering in his mouth.
"Furthermore, until recently, they were extracting taxes from the Melkana Autonomous Region and exploiting talent siphoned from its populace."
"I see."
If anything, Jin felt the Norha Principality deserved credit simply for not having been overrun and conquered under such circumstances.
"So, where does the Jagus Principality procure their golems from, and what kind do they buy?"
"Yes, regarding that matter..."
Laojun began to lay out the details.