"What in the world is the baron-consort of Reberk coming here for...?"
Gaston stared down at the letter in his hand and let out a weary sigh.
The letter had arrived several days earlier from the Baroness Regnant of Reberk. Stripped to its essentials, it said only this:
"There is a matter requiring attention, so my husband, Yuri von Strauss, will be coming to see you."
"Surely they haven't already run through the loan...?"
Too worried to sit still, Gaston pressed a hand to his brow and knit his brows together.
He had agreed to the loan out of gratitude to the late Margrave of Ishurias, and because the man's daughter—the Marchioness Regnant—had come to him for help. If the Baroness Regnant of Reberk's townhouse in the royal capital and the land in the March of Ishurias had not been put up as collateral, he never would have touched the deal.
He had known the situation would be severe, but even so, for them to come asking this soon was too much.
The Baroness Regnant was a noble of proper standing. For such a noble to visit an ordinary merchant house in person was unheard of. And to bow her head over debt? Unthinkable. Normally, a noble would summon him instead, preserve their dignity, and make their request from above. That was their way—never showing weakness, never letting the pride of the privileged class slip.
"And yet he's coming here himself... what in blazes is he thinking?"
Unease and curiosity tangled together in Gaston's mind.
Whatever brought the man here, it could not be a mere loan negotiation. Gaston wanted to know his true purpose, yet at the same time his heart stirred with apprehension over what sort of demand might come flying at him.
At length, he quietly settled back into his chair and read through the letter once more.
No reports of anything amiss had come in from the men he had sent peddling through the barony. About the only thing he had heard was that, with the Butchers' Guild still throwing its weight around as usual, the Baroness Regnant would likely have a hard time of it after entering the territory.
As for the baron-consort, apparently he had secluded himself in the harem and never shown his face in public affairs. Even Gaston's own men had failed to get a clear read on what sort of person he was.
What was more, the women who came and went through the inner palace were all tight-lipped. It seemed even slipping them money had failed to shake any information loose.
"As expected of the former Virtuous Consort... it seems she still keeps a firm hand on the reins of the harem."
The moment Gaston murmured that, a restrained knock sounded from beyond the door.
"Master, the baron-consort of Reberk has arrived. He is waiting in the reception room."
Hearing the report delivered through the door, Gaston answered shortly, "I'm coming at once."
Now then... let's see what sort of man this husband of the baroness truly is.
Publicly, he was supposed to be "a noble with a merchant's Gift," but what sort of man was he, really?
Feeling a long-forgotten thrill stir in his chest, Gaston made for the reception room at a brisk pace.
When he entered, his gaze fell upon a man and a woman already seated there, with two more women standing behind them.
The man must be the baron-consort of Reberk.
The woman seated beside him was Lady Claudius, known throughout the kingdom as the Jet-Black Moonflower Princess. Rumor had it she had now entered the baron-consort's household as a consort. Her hair was black as deepest night, and her composed violet eyes carried a sharp impression. Gaston had heard her house had nearly fallen into ruin for a time, yet there was not the faintest shadow of that left in her now.
One of the women standing behind them was Aina, an attendant to the Baroness Regnant of Reberk. Gaston remembered seeing her at the Baroness's side during their earlier business dealings.
The last person to catch Gaston's eye was a graceful young maiden he did not recognize.
She had soft pink hair, blue eyes, and a pure white-and-pink dress that made her look like some flower fairy stepped out of a tale.
For a moment, Gaston was captivated by the loveliness of her appearance before a thought rose unbidden within him.
Is this girl another attendant in the baron-consort's service? Or perhaps a new consort?
As Gaston approached, the man rose to his feet and greeted him with an easy, good-natured smile.
"A pleasure to meet you. I am Yuri von Strauss. It is an honor to make your acquaintance."
Next, Lady Claudius stood as well and gave a graceful bow, a refined smile on her lips.
"How do you do? My name is Ophelia von Strauss. I look forward to your favor."
After that, Aina bowed modestly.
"Master Gaston, it has been some time. Thank you for the wedding gift you sent the other day."
At last, the graceful young maiden who had caught Gaston's eye offered her greeting, looking just a little nervous.
"My name is Lily von Edelweiss. It is a pleasure to meet you."
Gaston returned their greetings, then inclined his head slightly and spoke.
"Welcome. I am Gaston Dioreano, head of the Saint-Elmo Trading Company. The honor of meeting you all is mine."
Once the formal introductions were out of the way, Gaston invited them to the sofas and took his own seat.
"Then shall we get straight to the point?"
Yuri nodded and turned to face Gaston properly.
"I came today because there are several matters concerning the Reberk Barony I wished to discuss with you."
There was quietness in Yuri's voice, but resolve as well, and Gaston's own expression sharpened in response.
"I see. And what would those matters be?"
"There are four points I would like to consult you about."
Four? That's a lot. He might at least ease into it a bit... Is that youth for you?
At Yuri's words, Gaston let out a sigh in the privacy of his own mind.
"First, we have closed the market used by traveling merchants and established an arcade district called the Passage Arcade in its place. We have already prepared a storefront there for the Saint-Elmo Trading Company, so I wanted to ask whether you would be willing to sell your goods there from now on."
"...What?"
He closed the market? What is the boy talking about? The Passage? An arcade? I haven't heard a word of any of this.
"You are saying... that you closed the market for traveling merchants?"
Gaston frowned and fixed his gaze on the young man before him. He could not quite conceal his bewilderment at this unfamiliar talk of arcades.
"...In that case, would you explain in more detail exactly what this 'Passage' of yours is?"
"Put simply, a passage is a covered commercial street. Traveling merchants, craftsmen, and various merchant houses can keep permanent storefronts there, and customers who come to the street can shop without worrying about the weather. In other words... it is an attempt to create a more stable form of commerce."
The explanation made Gaston's brows rise of their own accord.
"So instead of holding periodic markets with stalls in the square, you mean to build a permanent shopping street?"
"Yes, exactly."
Yuri answered with confidence.
"I would very much like the Saint-Elmo Trading Company to join that street as well. I want it to do more than sell goods—I'd like it to showcase and handle local specialties too."
For a moment, Gaston was at a loss for words, and inwardly he wanted to sigh.
A shopping street in a rural barony...? What on earth is he thinking? Will people even gather in a backwater like Reberk in the first place? There are so few residents, and so few people to trade with. Is this young man simply far too much of a dreamer?
That thought passed through his mind.
Does this baron-consort know nothing of the harsh realities of the countryside? Perhaps he made a bold move knowing full well it was reckless—but does he really see what comes after it?
With a faint crease between his brows, Gaston asked, as though to confirm the matter:
"Then is your first request for new capital to build this shopping street?"
"No, the shopping street is already finished. All I ask is that you conduct your trade there from now on. And yes—going forward, we will no longer levy either market tax or entry toll, so if you would, please pay only the tax on profits and the sales tax."
"...What?"
Gaston furrowed his brow, doing his best to keep the confusion off his face.
A covered commercial district is already complete? And without any additional loan from me, they somehow finished the construction before I even knew of it...? Just where did the funds come from? And if they mean to forgo both market tax and entry toll, how exactly do they intend to repay their debts?
Fixing Yuri with a sharp look, Gaston kept his tone outwardly calm, though irritation bled through around the edges.
"If you levy neither market tax nor entry toll, how do you intend to make your repayments? Do you truly believe that, with that revenue structure, this commercial district can become a stable source of funds?"
Yuri drew back slightly, but he answered in a firm voice.
"Yes. The aim is to lighten the merchants' burden by abolishing market tax and entry toll, and in doing so attract more merchants to gather there. If they can continue doing business steadily, then in the long run, the tax on profits and the sales tax should generate a return."
Gaston folded his arms and shook his head, unconvinced.
"In theory, perhaps. But the Reberk Barony is a remote frontier backwater. Do you truly believe merchants will settle in a place like that? And as for this covered commercial district already being complete... I would very much like to hear how you came up with the funds for it as well."
Yuri took a small breath, as though steadying himself.
"As for whether merchants will settle, that ties into my second request. As for the funds, I raised them by converting the jewels we received as wedding gifts into cash. That matter also connects to my third request."
Gaston could not hide his surprise at that answer.
He sold the jewels? He went that far for the sake of reforming the barony...?
"Please, continue."
The string of surprises had left part of his mind struggling to keep up, but to let that show would be a merchant's disgrace.
So Gaston kept his composure on the surface and prompted Yuri to go on with the second and third points.