"Thank you for waiting."
A different maid from before arrived to announce that preparations were complete. Thanks to Arone and Lilian, my nerves had settled significantly. Finally, it was time for my audience with the Ducal House.
"This way, please."
I started moving again, following our guide. She was a cat-kin, and her beautifully furred tail swayed in front of me as I walked. Clutching the box of souvenirs, I proceeded solemnly down a corridor lined with vases and paintings that probably cost more than I could fathom.
"Right here."
She stopped before a set of pure white doors and asked with her eyes if I was ready. When we nodded our assent, she gently pushed them open.
"Welcome, Ryoma-kun!"
"...Madam?"
The room was bright, with massive windows letting in a flood of sunlight. Surrounded by lush houseplants, Madam Elise was waving her hand vigorously. Her greeting was as friendly as ever, and it made me genuinely happy.
However, the warm welcome also caused every bit of formal etiquette and the greetings I had practiced to vanish from my head. I recovered quickly, but—
"Welcome! We're glad you made it. Let's skip the stiff formalities. Come on, sit down, all three of you."
This time, Reinhardt—the current Duke—was the one cutting through the protocol.
"Hahaha... Well, since he said so, let's head in, Master Ryoma," Serge whispered.
"Right."
I really did practice all those bows, though...
"It has been a long time. I am very glad to see you both again," I said, trying to regain some composure.
"As are we. We knew you were safe from your letters, but seeing you in person is much better," Elise replied.
"I was worried you might be overworking yourself in the city," Reinhardt added.
"Serge-san, Pioro-san, and many others have been a huge help," I assured him.
A pleasant conversation started, and the couple greeted Serge and Pioro as well. Eventually, the maid set out tea and snacks before taking her leave, leaving the five of us alone.
"This is delicious tea."
"I'm glad you like it. It's my favorite blend. Please, try the sweets too."
"Thank you. If I may ask—is Reinbach-sama here today? He was very kind to me, and I was hoping to see him."
"About my father..." Reinhardt started with a wry smile.
"He ran away."
"Ran away?"
"This is the season for social visits, you see. There aren't many people who just want to catch up like you. Most visitors come with hidden agendas. He eventually got fed up and fled to the Fire Dragon Mountains. He took Sebas with him as an attendant. He left us with a message: 'Don't rely on us forever!'"
The Fire Dragon Mountains... I remembered Branch Master Taylor mentioning that was where Reinbach-sama's contracted Divine Beast lived. It wasn't exactly a place a merchant could just drop by for a chat.
"I see. That's a shame."
"I'll tell him you were asking for him when he returns. He'll be delighted."
As the small talk warmed the room, the time came to present the gifts.
"If I may be so bold as to go first," Serge said. He took a small box from a side table and placed it on the main table. It was white and glossy like porcelain but smelled of wood. It was elegantly decorated with simple cords—very tasteful.
"This is a 'music box,' a new item my company started carrying this summer. The melody was composed by the famous Fletch Merlin, and the box is crafted from the rarest pure white Banand Rockskin Wood."
It sounded like an incredibly high-end piece.
"A music box? I've been hearing a lot about those lately," Reinhardt noted.
"The Dinome Workshop is quite famous for them," Elise added.
"Indeed. The internal mechanism for this one was crafted by Dinome's finest artisan."
"It's beautiful. It will definitely be a conversation starter at parties."
"While this specific one is not for sale, we've already received numerous orders for our standard stock."
Music boxes, huh? There were museums for these back in Japan; maybe collectors would start appearing here too.
Next was Pioro. He gave a cheerful preamble and produced a box that made my eyes go wide. No way!
"These are chocolates made from Bulwanart cacao."
Chocolate! Back in my old life, I could buy it whenever I wanted, but this was the first time I had seen it in this world. I didn't care about the business details or the quality of the beans. My mind was made up: I had to ask him to sell me some later.
Finally, it was my turn.
"I have brought these for you."
I laid out the Cleaner Slime deodorizing fluid and the blade-resistant shirts made from Sticky Slime silk. I pitched the shirts by combining the technical specs from Tigger's Weapons and Armor Shop with my own experiences wearing them.
"They're light and thin enough for a woman to wear comfortably. You could even use the material as a protective lining..."
"Affordable blade-resistant material with performance comparable to Metal Spider silk? This could be excellent for the territorial army," Reinhardt mused.
I made sure to be honest about the limitations—they didn't stop blunt force impact, and advanced magic or Qi could still pierce them.
"Still, it's worth a look. Training a single soldier is expensive and time-consuming. Equipping them properly so they come home safe is always the priority... assuming the cost-benefit ratio is right."
"I think the craftsman would be happy just to have you consider it," I said.
"I'll give you a proper answer later. For now, I'd like to order a set for my entire family. I'll provide our measurements."
"And this is the deodorizing fluid from your shop, Ryoma-kun?" Elise asked.
"Yes, it's the exact same formula we sell."
Recently, the demand for the liquid had spiked. I had seen reports of large-scale purchases at the Lenaf branch and wondered if people were reselling it, only to find out last week that it was all being shipped here to the Jamil estate. I had brought extra samples for the servants as well.
"This is a lifesaver. Our staff loves it. With so many guests lately, the scent of perfume gets stuck in the furniture and clothes."
"If you'd mentioned it in a letter, I would have sent some over immediately..."
"I felt bad asking for such a large amount. I knew if I told you we wanted it, you'd try to give it to us for free," Elise teased.
"Well... I can't say the thought wouldn't have crossed my mind. But from now on, I'll just give you a bulk discount." I gave a sheepish smile.
"Serge, Pioro, Ryoma-kun—thank you all for these wonderful gifts. As a token of our gratitude, we'd like to invite you to dinner tonight. Are your schedules open?"
The dinner invitation. The final stage of the merchant-noble dance. In this busy season, nobles cannot spend hours on a single person, so merchants group up for short greetings and gifts. If the noble is interested in further business, they invite you to dinner. If that goes well, you might even get an invitation to stay over. Caulm had drilled this into me over the last two weeks.
"I would be honored," I replied.
"Excellent. I'll inform the chef."
We were about to take our leave, but...
"One more thing, Ryoma-kun."
"Yes?"
I looked at Serge and Pioro, but they seemed just as surprised as me.
"You're quite skilled at making figures, aren't you?" Reinhardt asked.
"I remember you saying so back in Gimul."
"And you can make statues of the gods?"
"Occasionally, yes... Do you require some?"
"Actually, we need three: Lulutia-sama, Kufo-sama, and Willieris-sama. Life-sized or slightly larger. I'll pay ten small gold coins per statue. Would you be willing to take the commission?"
"A wedding ceremony, then?"
Lulutia, the Goddess of Love, along with Kufo and Willieris, who represent life and fertility. They were the standard trio for weddings.
"Exactly. As you might have heard, we're hosting a wedding on the estate soon."
"The bride has served us for a long time. She's incredibly diligent, but..."
"I heard she wasn't planning on having a ceremony?" I ventured.
"That's right," Elise said.
Arone had filled me in earlier. The maid was highly respected but so focused on her work that people assumed she'd never marry. When she suddenly announced her engagement last month, everyone was shocked. Since most of her friends were estate staff, she didn't want to inconvenience the Ducal House with a ceremony and figured she'd just save the money.
"She's a hard worker, but she forgets to prioritize herself," Elise added.
"So, we decided to surprise her with a celebration. Her colleagues are all eager to help. I'd love for Serge and Pioro to consult on the decorations and food as well."
The merchants agreed instantly. But I had one concern.
"Are you sure you want me to make the statues? It's a once-in-a-lifetime memory for them."
Reinhardt laughed. "Don't worry. The cat's out of the bag now, so we're actually planning it with her input. They specifically requested that you make the statues."
"If you're nervous, you can talk to her yourself," Elise said, ringing a silver bell on the table.
"You called, Madam?"
The cat-kin maid who had led us in appeared.
"We were just discussing your wedding, Lulunese."
"Oh!"
She was the one getting married? Up close, she was a striking woman with sharp eyes and glasses—the quintessential professional secretary type. She looked flustered, her cheeks tinged with pink. I bet the guy she was marrying was getting a lot of dirty looks from the other staff.
"Thank you so much for everything you're doing for us," Lulunese said.
"Nonsense. We've asked Ryoma-kun to handle the statues. Is that alright with you?"
Lulunese nodded. "Master Takebayashi's skill is renowned, and he is a benefactor to both me and my fiancé. My husband has always said he wanted Ryoma-kun to craft them, and I would much rather have statues made with heart than something bought from a shop—provided it isn't a burden."
"Not a burden at all! If that would make you happy, then by all means, please let me make them."
But something caught my ear. "You mentioned your husband... Do I know him? You said I was a benefactor."
Lulunese tilted her head. "Hasn't he told you? He said he met you yesterday."
"Yesterday?"
"Yes. He said he'd tell you the next time he saw you. He mentioned he guided you to your inn last night—"
The voices of the couple and the maid started to fade as the pieces clicked together. Benefactor. Knew my stone-working. Met yesterday. Guided me to the inn.
"...Is your husband Hughes-san?"
"Y-yes. My husband-to-be is indeed Hughes..." The cat-eared beauty turned bright red.
Hughes? He's a great guy, but I never pictured him with someone like her. I was genuinely shocked. Age-wise, it made sense, but... those two?
I was happy for them, but as a guy who had been single for two lifetimes, a small part of me just wanted to tell him to go explode.
My first official audience with the Ducal House ended with a very complicated mix of emotions.