Chapter 167: Soleil
I’m shopping in Naruadeid. While picking up some spices, my main goal is to check where everything is coming from.
Naruadeid engages in trade with the southern regions where Dragons roam, the western lands beyond the mist, and the eastern territories as well. From here, we mainly export wool products, while they send back spices, grains, rare textiles, and flowers.
The central continent has the largest population, but there are also countries scattered across the lands, protected by powerful beings known as Spirits, Dragons, and Sacred Beasts, who can communicate to some extent. Since I haven’t been to those places yet, it’s possible that only the people living on the central continent think this way.
Merchants and nobles from various countries gather here to purchase goods, and it would be a waste to come empty-handed, so they bring their own local specialties.
Naruadeid is overflowing with all sorts of items.
So here I am, gazing at some mysterious goods. What I thought was an iron ladle turned out to be a fire iron, and there are scissors designed for trimming candle wicks that have a special place for the wick to fall when cut.
Beeswax is expensive, while animal fat candles are cheap but smelly and produce a lot of soot. They emit a terrible odor when they burn improperly, so trimming the wick properly is essential. Even in Kanum, simple wick-trimming scissors, similar to the small Japanese scissors used for pinching, are available.
In households that use animal fat candles, it’s usually the children who handle the wick trimming with small scissors designed for gripping. However, the scissors used at evening parties or in public are often beautifully decorated, and silverware is particularly popular.
According to the shopkeeper, the wick trimmers at the theater in the Royal Capital are quite the stars. They must trim the wicks without extinguishing the flames. The music is live, and if the wick trimmers are responsible for the lighting, I can’t help but want to see what kind of performance they put on.
I’d like to create some kind of entertainment facility on my island too.
“That looks cool.”
“This grape scissors over here is popular too.”
The scissors the shopkeeper mentioned, I thought they were pruning scissors, but they turned out to be scissors for cutting bunches of grapes at the dining table. I’m currently in a shop that sells silverware for the wealthy. While I find many of the items here puzzling, they are the everyday tools used around here.
Since I thought they looked nice, I decided to buy a pair of wick-trimming scissors.
In Naruadeid, bulk buying is the norm. Most customers are either merchants returning to their countries to trade or people purchasing large quantities for their grand estates.
While large transactions are the main focus, Naruadeid is also famous as a commercial city and tourist destination, so there are small shops that sell leftover items from the big stores, just like the one I’m in now.
Now, it’s time to head to my island. After discussing with Ish and Pal, who were in the fields this morning, there are some changes to my plans.
I arrived at the usual boathouse, but it seems to be busy. The old man is arguing with a voluptuous beauty with deep purple hair?
“I told you, this boat is a deposit.”
The old man pointed his kiseru at my boat.
It seems that the small boats suitable for reaching the island are mostly out, as they are busy transporting materials.
She’s not wearing any jewelry, but her simple dress flows down to accentuate her figure, clearly made from fine fabric. And she’s barefoot.
“Oh, so you really won’t let me? Then I’ll just swim there.”
Wait, it’s quite a distance to the island.
“Do as you please.”
As soon as the old man said that, the woman swiftly stripped off her clothes! The old man is frozen! Strong mental fortitude!
“Why do you want to go to the island?”
Even if it’s just a bluff, my mental state can’t handle it. She’s only wearing a corset and panties.
“I’m going to get hired by the Lord. I was asked to gather a few servants by the end of the year, but I’ll volunteer myself. There’s a bit of time, but I have enough of a favor to be supported during that period—so you’re the owner of this boat, right?”
“Yeah.”
Could you please put your clothes back on before you start talking?
The light at the boathouse is dim, coming from the opening that faces the sea and the shimmering sunlight reflecting off the water, but her chest is fully visible.
“People with problems don’t get hired, do they?”
“The problems will be resolved, so it’s fine.”
I wonder if it was Auro or Kiel who asked me to gather people, or perhaps it was someone from the island they requested. Either way, having a favor that lasts over six months is quite something.
Still, what kind of problems could disappear just like that? I can’t help but glance at the old man.
“That girl is Soleil, the vice president of the Karuba Trading Company, and the adopted daughter of the president. The president has been sick, going in and out of consciousness, and there’s been a rumor lately that the foolish son has returned and wants to marry Soleil.”
Her name is the same as my alias. I’m not sure how it works here, but isn’t Soleil a male name?
“Right now, the foolish son is doing whatever he wants, but within a month, the trading company will be absorbed with the president’s consent, and at the same time, the process to sever ties with the Karuba family will be approved. I won’t have to listen to the foolish son anymore. I can’t say more, but if I can escape for a month, I’ll be free.”
In many regions, marriage decisions are made by the head of the family. The foolish son seems to be taking advantage of his bedridden father, wanting to marry Soleil—something like that?
“Don’t you have any regrets about the business?”
The old man asked Soleil.
“Rather than letting that foolish son do as he pleases, it would be better to crush it and let someone else take over for the sake of the company members. I’d just be a hindrance to that.”
“You’re quite decisive.”
He squinted and took a satisfying puff from his kiseru, clearly pleased with her.
“Alright, I’ll take you to the island. But first, put some clothes on.”
Please stop standing there with perfect posture in just your underwear. Even if you’re covering yourself with your hands, it’s still a bit troubling.
Looks like I’ve managed to snag a glamorous and strong-willed candidate for a servant.