Chapter 32: A Brief Interlude (The Guild Master of a Certain Trading Company 4)
“Food trade…?”
“What we can offer is limited to seafood. However, since these are processed goods, they have a long shelf life, and I believe they will be beneficial to you.”
The goddess of the Paraiso announced that she would start bringing food from now on. The sample she handed over resembled dried fish. Alongside it were dried seaweeds. They could be eaten as they were, grilled, or rehydrated with water. While I knew that fishermen consumed seaweed, it was not something the average person would eat often.
However, that was not the real issue.
The sudden declaration of selling food was the problem. Why the abrupt change?
“We are somewhat aware of your circumstances. The trade thus far has been highly beneficial. We believe that losing this town would be detrimental to us.”
“Losing… what does that mean…?”
If only I could laugh it off as an ill omen.
I hadn’t fully conveyed to the residents of this town just how dire the situation was in the surrounding areas.
Self-sufficiency in food was impossible, forcing us to rely on imports. Currently, merchant caravans were coming here for the threads and fabrics brought by the Paraiso, so there was no immediate issue. But that was a fragile lifeline, one that could snap at any moment. In this third round of trade, the Paraiso had brought an astonishing ship. The size of the trading vessel was impressive, but the accompanying ships were even more remarkable. With such a fleet, it was reasonable to expect continued trade in the future.
Yet, the supply caravans from the royal capital could stop at any time.
In a country where civil wars raged everywhere, how long could we expect to receive precious food supplies in exchange for luxury items like threads and fabrics? Moreover, we had to be cautious of bandit groups, necessitating an exaggerated security detail. It wouldn’t be surprising if they ceased coming altogether.
Given such circumstances, why did I have to be reminded of this by the Paraiso? Where did they acquire this information?
“This is a report to add food to the list of trade goods. What we are proposing now comes from us.”
“…”
Last time, they appeared as goddesses. Now, they seemed more like inscrutable demons. No, perhaps that was too extreme. However, combined with their usual expressionless demeanor, they certainly appeared more otherworldly.
“Our request is to continue the iron trade. For that, we need this town to survive. However, as things stand, the future is bleak.”
“…”
“What we can provide immediately is defense.”
“…Defense?”
“If it is our ships, everything from the port to the outskirts of the town is within range. Should an external attack occur, we can annihilate them with naval gunfire.”
That proposal was indeed a godsend given our current situation. If we could obliterate enemies with precise fire, the town’s defenses would be solid.
But.
“…Does that mean the entire town is within range?”
“Affirmative.”
That fact equated to the town itself being taken hostage. No, I had anticipated this. The capabilities of those cannons had been speculated by knowledgeable individuals. They likely had considerable long-range and high accuracy. Yet, hearing that fact directly from her was still terrifying.
“We have no intention to threaten you. Moreover, there is no benefit in doing so.”
She paused, picking up a teacup. Watching her white throat move as she swallowed reminded me that she was human. I slowly exhaled the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
“…I hope you will judge based on reason.”
By reason. This town was ensnared within the range of that ship. The blade was thrust before me… no. The Paraiso hadn’t even drawn their sword. It merely existed there. If that were the case, then indeed, fearing it would be irrational. Emotionally, I felt fear, but rationally, the Paraiso was not an enemy. They had never acted oppressively nor forced an unequal contract upon us. They had not deceived us nor taught us falsehoods.
Well, it wasn’t as if we had a long-standing relationship, but at least in terms of trade, they had treated us sincerely in both previous exchanges.
“…Understood. I will trust you on that.”
“Thank you.”
The Paraiso would not harm this town. On the contrary, they would protect us from external threats. While that proposal was immensely appreciated, what would be the cost?
“What we seek is iron. Iron ore would suffice. Securing iron must be our top priority.”
As expected, what they desired was iron. Hearing it articulated was a first. They had likely hidden their true desires until now. Whether they had managed to conceal it entirely was another matter, but there was a clear distinction between hinting at something and explicitly stating it.
“Iron, huh… However, this town does not produce iron. We can only secure quantities from the inland iron town…”
“We are aware of that. We cannot allocate defense forces for the inland mines. We also cannot provide escorts along the way.”
“…Even if we were to dispatch forces from our town… We need them for our own defense; protecting that town seems nearly impossible.”
As I spoke, I realized the premise had shifted.
“We will handle the defense of this town. We can prepare a certain number of personnel. To put it bluntly, we would like you to use all your military strength to secure iron.”
“…That is.”
To delegate the town’s defense entirely to the Paraiso and take all forces to protect the iron town. If asked whether it was possible… it wouldn’t be impossible. However, that would mean entrusting the fate of Terek Port Town to the Paraiso.
Was I to make such a decision as the leader of this town?
“We believe there is no time to waste. We are analyzing the gathered information, and the likelihood of a major war breaking out within the next few months is high. Once the war begins, refugees will flood in. Rioters will emerge. Bandit groups will increase, and worst of all, the regular army may seize this town.”
The future she described was the worst possible scenario. What made it so dire was that it aligned almost perfectly with what had been discussed in the council. In other words, the Paraiso truly had a correct grasp of the internal situation of this country.
“We can provide a certain amount of weapons and armor. Although it may be skewed, we can also prepare provisions. There are many things this town lacks, but we will do our best to supply them.”
And so.
After much deliberation, the Guild Master of Terek Port Town, Kuravia Terek, made the decision to fully accept the support of the Paraiso.
The groundwork would begin from here, but there was no doubt that she had agreed to come under the protection of the Paraiso.
The kingdom was unreliable. To protect the town and its residents, including herself, a significant decision was necessary. If the Central Council learned of her entering the protection of a foreign power, it would undoubtedly become a major issue. However, the Central Council was dysfunctional, which was precisely why this country was in turmoil. The king had lost his influence, and the nobles continued to fight amongst themselves to protect their interests and expand their influence.
This country had no future.
That was the judgment of the great merchant, Kuravia Terek.