In a room within the Rich Baron House—a space more spacious and conducive to discussion than the others—Baron and Baroness Rich, who had rushed back via teleportation, were struck dumb by Marie’s report.
Speechless didn’t even begin to cover it. Baron Rich stood frozen with a dazed expression, requiring a considerable amount of time before his brain finally managed to "reboot."
"…The Lord Trading Company, an executive of the Death King, and the Goddess of Fertility… and on top of that, a cutting-edge teleportation tool as a return gift for the Ripples… No, this is too much. My head is spinning."
"…Mine as well. To be honest, I just want to pretend I never heard any of this and go lie down in the bedroom."
The Baroness squeezed out the words while clutching her head, her face ashen. What truly terrified them was that every entity requesting an audience was, from their perspective, an overwhelming powerhouse.
The Lord Trading Company was one of the Five Great Trading Companies, wielding massive wealth and staggering influence within the Arclesia Empire. Then there was an executive under Death King Isis, one of the Six Kings. Finally, there was a Goddess residing in the Temple of Fertility, perhaps the most vital institution in the Empire. For a man like Baron Rich, whose noble rank was such that it was faster to count from the bottom of the list, having any contact with such figures was normally unthinkable.
"U-Um, Father… I-I have to be there too, don't I?"
"Since you were named personally, Marie, you have no choice. Since our guests are of such exalted standing, it's best if only the two of us attend. Is Rasal Marfik of the Death King Faction the only one whose business we actually understand?"
"Yes. That was in Miyama Kaito-sama's letter. He said they want to procure a bulk supply of Ripples, so there shouldn't be a major problem… assuming we don't make any blunders. But I've only had a basic education, so I-I'm not very confident…"
"Don't worry, Marie… neither am I. None of these are the sort of people a poor frontier baron is meant to talk to. I don't have the foggiest idea how to handle this either."
For the time being, the Baron and Marie were the ones specified, so they would be the ones to handle the inquiries. Of course, the other parties were of a rank that made refusal impossible; the option to decline a meeting simply did not exist.
However, the complete lack of information regarding the other two requests filled them with an inexpressible dread.
"…What in the world does the Lord Trading Company want? Our territory has nothing but Ripples."
"And it’s not just a subordinate coming; Satania Darklord herself is visiting, isn't she? Since my name was specified, I assume it’s related to Miyama Kaito-sama, but I can't think of a single reason why…"
They couldn’t have possibly imagined that Satania, tipped off by Razulia, was planning to propose a land purchase contract to build a teleportation gate in the Baron’s territory. Thus, the Rich family could only tilt their heads in confusion.
"The Goddess of Fertility’s message said we could visit whenever it was convenient, so we could theoretically go as early as tomorrow."
"True. We don't know her business at all, but we can’t keep her waiting. We’ll go as soon as possible. I will write the replies to Rasal Marfik-sama and Satania Darklord-sama to coordinate our schedules. We’ll need to set the dates as early as we can, so Marie, be prepared."
"U-Understood."
Though many mysteries remained, now that Baron Rich had taken charge, their course of action began to take shape.
The Baroness and Marie both suffered from sharp stomach pains and immediately took the medicine they had received from Elis. They thought that, for now, they had found their footing… but right at that moment, a frantic-looking maid rushed into the room.
"Pardon the interruption! There is something you must see at once!"
"W-What is it?"
"Please, look at this magazine. It’s one of my personal things, but it’s quite popular. I bought the new issue today, and on this page…"
"!?!"
The Baron, his wife, and Marie all widened their eyes as they stared at the magazine the maid had placed on the table.
"One to Watch! The Sudden Rise of the Rich Baron House’s Ripples"
They stared at the headline as if looking at an impossibility. It was only natural; while the Ripples of the Rich Baron House were certainly of good quality, they were not famous in the slightest, being distributed only to neighboring cities.
To put it kindly, they might have been called hidden gems, but they weren't of particularly standout quality. There were plenty of other Ripples out there with quality similar to or even exceeding theirs.
At the very least, they were not the kind of item that should have been featured in a magazine… or so they thought.
"A rumor is spreading like wildfire through the Demon Realm regarding the Ripples of the Rich Baron House. While the source remains unknown, we have gathered information that the owner of the Great Fairy Plantation, a dignitary of the Seditch Magic Tool Trading Company, and Six Kings' Executives—including the Fairy Princess Tiltania of the Seven Princesses—have all been discussing this fruit. Though details are still sparse, it seems a woman named Marie is at the center of this movement, and we are currently in the process of gathering information on her as well."
As they read the article, which was written in a gossipy, sensationalist tone, the faces of Baron and Baroness Rich and Marie turned as white as sheets. Unknown to them, Razulia and Tiltania—whom Kaito had told, "Feel free to recommend them to your acquaintances if you like"—had taken him very literally. By aggressively introducing the fruit to their social circles, a sudden, massive boom was about to arrive.
Stomach Pain Devil: "Trap Card activated! Additional attack!"
Serious-senpai: "Do you even have a heart?"