DAY 4.
Every successful strategy eventually reaches the same conclusion.
Acquire more assets.
Crusch's alliance was secured.
Wilhelm was onboard.
Felix was onboard.
Rem was onboard.
An entire military operation was currently assembling because I had weaponized spoilers and emotional trauma.
Good progress.
Unfortunately, the White Whale remained a giant flying death machine.
Which meant I required additional insurance.
Specifically:
More DPS.
More magic.
More people whose job description included "fight horrifying monsters."
Which brought me to Anastasia Hoshin.
The merchant candidate.
The walking embodiment of economics.
And, most importantly, the current employer of Julius Juukulius.
God help me, I'm voluntarily scheduling another political meeting.
[ ─── ❖ ─── ─── ❖ ─── ─── ❖ ─── ]
The tea house was expensive.
Not merely expensive.
Professionally expensive.
The sort of establishment where every chair looked worth more than my monthly salary back on Earth.
Which was impressive considering I currently lacked a salary.
A servant guided me to a private room.
Inside sat Anastasia Hoshin.
Small.
Elegant.
Smiling.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Some people carried swords.
Some people carried armies.
Anastasia carried economic influence.
Arguably worse.
Standing behind her was Julius Juukulius.
One of the finest knights in the kingdom.
Immaculate uniform.
Perfect posture.
Expression calm.
Still terrifyingly handsome.
Unfortunate.
Anastasia smiled brightly.
"Well now, if it isn't Subaru-kun."
I smiled back.
"Lady Anastasia."
"Please sit."
I did.
Tea was poured.
Everyone smiled politely.
The atmosphere was civilized.
Which meant absolutely nobody trusted anyone.
Business as usual.
[ ─── ❖ ─── ─── ❖ ─── ─── ❖ ─── ]
I skipped directly to the point.
"Lady Anastasia, I would like to discuss a high-yield strategic opportunity involving synergistic market positioning."
Silence.
Julius blinked.
Anastasia leaned forward.
Immediately interested.
Hook acquired.
I continued.
"Specifically, risk mitigation through infrastructure optimization."
The merchant candidate's eyes sparkled.
I wasn't entirely convinced she understood what I was saying.
But she definitely liked how it sounded.
"Go on."
"Current trade efficiency remains constrained by a four-hundred-year-old aerial logistics obstruction."
Anastasia stared.
Julius stared.
I maintained complete confidence.
"The White Whale."
"Oh."
There it was.
Recognition.
I took a sip of tea.
Then continued.
"The elimination of said obstruction will generate unprecedented transportation opportunities."
"Mmhm."
"Trade routes will reopen."
"Mmhm."
"Shipping costs will decrease."
"Mmhm."
"Market expansion will accelerate."
"Mmhm."
"Whoever positions themselves first will dominate post-calamity logistics."
Anastasia's smile widened.
The merchant had officially smelled profit.
Excellent.
The trap is functioning as intended.
"Subaru-kun."
"Yes?"
"How much of this opportunity have ya already sold?"
"Crusch."
The smile froze.
Just slightly.
"Already?"
"Yes."
"That's annoyingly efficient."
"Thank you."
"I wasn't complimentin' ya."
"I accepted it as one."
[ ─── ❖ ─── ─── ❖ ─── ─── ❖ ─── ]
The negotiation rapidly devolved.
Or evolved.
Depending on perspective.
Anastasia tapped her cup thoughtfully.
"Have ya considered defectin'?"
There it was.
The headhunting.
Corporate warfare.
Nature was healing.
"Frequently."
She blinked.
"...Ya have?"
"Certainly."
Julius looked mildly alarmed.
Anastasia looked delighted.
"And?"
"I concluded my current contract possesses superior long-term returns."
The merchant candidate burst out laughing.
"Ya sound like a businessman."
"I prefer strategist."
"Same thing."
Disturbingly accurate.
Anastasia pointed directly at me.
"I could pay more."
"I don't doubt that."
"I could provide resources."
"Also true."
"I could offer influence."
"Expected."
"Then why stay?"
Simple.
Very simple.
"Because if Lady Emilia becomes queen, my retirement plan improves dramatically."
Silence.
Julius looked confused.
Anastasia looked fascinated.
Then she laughed again.
Louder this time.
"That's the most honest political answer I've heard all year."
Finally.
Someone understands me.
Everyone else kept assuming I was motivated by destiny.
Or heroism.
Or romance.
Ridiculous.
I was motivated by the money and life I cared about.
The fact that helping people also happened to improve my future prospects was simply efficient planning.
[ ─── ❖ ─── ─── ❖ ─── ─── ❖ ─── ]
While Anastasia was busy trying to purchase my soul through conventional business practices, Julius remained silent.
Watching.
Evaluating.
Suspicious.
Very suspicious.
I could practically feel it.
The problem wasn't that he thought I was lying.
The problem was that he increasingly didn't.
Which raised much more concerning questions.
I looked toward him.
"Sir Julius."
"Sir Subaru."
"Thank you for attending."
"It was my duty."
"Your presence significantly increases investor confidence."
Julius paused.
"...Investor confidence?"
"Certainly."
I gestured vaguely.
"You look expensive."
Silence.
Anastasia nearly choked on her tea.
Julius stared.
I stared back.
Eventually he spoke.
"I am uncertain whether that was a compliment."
"It was."
"I see."
He clearly did not.
Excellent.
Balance had been restored.
For a brief moment, I noticed several faint lights dancing around Julius.
Tiny spirits.
His quasi-spirits.
The little guys seemed deeply confused.
They drifted around him.
Then around me.
Then back around him.
Like researchers attempting to understand an especially strange laboratory specimen.
Same.
I also had questions.
[ ─── ❖ ─── ─── ❖ ─── ─── ❖ ─── ]
Business concluded quickly after that.
Because, ultimately, the argument was solid.
The Whale represented profit.
The operation represented influence.
And I represented information.
Information was worth money.
Which meant I was worth money.
A realization Anastasia seemed increasingly enthusiastic about.
"Very well."
She set down her teacup.
"We're in."
Excellent.
Julius nodded.
"The knights under my command shall participate."
"And the Iron Fang?"
Anastasia grinned.
"I'll authorize Ricardo's deployment."
Perfect.
Exactly what I needed.
More fighters.
More flexibility.
More contingency plans.
The coalition continued to grow.
By the time the meeting concluded, I found myself walking back through the Capital streets.
Alone.
Thinking.
Dangerous activity.
I counted mentally.
Crusch.
Wilhelm.
Felix.
Rem.
Anastasia.
Julius.
The Iron Fang.
An elite military coalition assembled from multiple factions.
A force powerful enough to challenge one of the kingdom's oldest nightmares.
Remarkable.
A month ago I had been a random teenager buying groceries.
Now I am prospering.