< Ratak Vanas and Baron Lizton >
In the inner courtyard of the Vanas ducal castle, tucked away in the most secluded corner of the fortress, there is a small space dedicated to Ratak Vanas. A wooden staircase leads up to his study from there.
Beneath a white canopy emblazoned with the House Vanas crest, shielding against the intense sunlight, several keenly sharpened swords and spears lie arrayed on a long table covered in black cloth.
This modest space—Ratak Vanas's personal training ground—was created in a simple fashion to help him overcome the physical aches that built up from long hours seated in his study chair, assisting his father, Varnavil Vanas, with the myriad administrative duties of the estate.
The floor of this small training area is paved with processed Leunalite, a deep sky-blue stone known to be several times harder than granite. Reflecting the owner's preference for austerity, there are plain wooden chairs without any decorations and a round table.
"Hup!"
Ratak's figure could be seen letting out a sharp cry as he swung his spear.
-Clang- -Crack- -Snap-
Ratak's movements came to a halt only after he spotted someone approaching from afar, as he thrust the spear—its tip pointed and blade wide—toward a roughly hewn wooden dummy.
"It's a shame to bury such fine skills under books and scrolls."
A man clad in a wide-sleeved black tabard, with a blue knotted sash around his waist, stopped his approach, removed his hat, and offered a greeting with the refined courtesy typical of nobility.
"Welcome, Baron Lizton. The beans and barley you sent last time arrived safely not long ago. I was just about to send a letter regarding that."
"Hahaha. I've come to spare you the trouble. I'm glad they reached you well. Since you mentioned they were for feeding the warhorses, I took extra care in preparing them."
Setting down the spear he held onto the long table, Ratak gestured for Baron Lizton to take a seat and pulled out a chair for himself as well.
"I've heard it said that you, Lord Ratak, are the spitting image of the Grand Duke in his youth. Watching you wield that spear just now, I can almost picture the Grand Duke's exploits on the battlefield against Krukuut back in the day."
"I am still far from reaching my father's level. Only recently, upon his return to the castle, he sought to discern whether I had fallen into idleness by crossing swords with me — and the outcome was no different from when I was but a child wielding a wooden blade."
"Hm-haha... Oh dear, my apologies. Please consider this laughter a sign of joy at hearing that Grand Duke Vanas is still in good health."
In response to Baron Lizton's words, Ratak offered a smile instead of words, nodded to a servant waiting nearby, and signaled with a gesture to bring refreshments for the guest.
"As it happens, I have a favor to ask of you, Baron Lizton, so your timing is perfect."
"Oh? A favor... If it's something the humble lord of Chalais can manage, I'll do my utmost. Of course, if I fail, I hope you'll forgive me in advance, considering my best efforts."
"Haha. No need to seek forgiveness from me ahead of time. It's nothing else... I'd like you to procure a large quantity of iron for me. The Rowin Mountains to the east of Rensillore have many high-quality iron mines, after all."
"Yes, obtaining iron is straightforward. The issue would be the amount, I suppose? Otherwise, you wouldn't ask me and would handle it yourself. How much do you need? And by when?"
Baron Lizton, realizing the request seemed less troublesome than expected, let out a short sigh of relief before asking Ratak.
"The amount... is substantial. Enough to fill about 100 ordinary wagons. I need 100,000 stones of iron ingots."
"..."
A brief silence settled between the two. For a moment, Baron Lizton wondered if he'd misheard what Ratak had said, but seeing Ratak lean back in his chair, waiting for a response while accepting tea from an approaching servant, he realized his ears hadn't deceived him.
"100 wagons' worth? 100,000 stones of iron... That's not something that can be gathered quickly."
"Yes. As long as you can prepare it by next summer, that will suffice. Winter is coming soon, so production will decrease anyway."
"Hmm... This is just personal curiosity, but may I ask what such a vast amount of iron will be used for?"
"It's to replace the soldiers' scabbards."
"Scabbards? You mean the sheaths for swords?"
"Yes, that's right. The current scabbards made of wood and leather have low durability, requiring frequent replacements. To fix that, we're planning to reinforce them by wrapping iron rings around the mouth and middle of the scabbard, and fully encasing the tip in iron."
Rising from his seat for a moment, Ratak fetched a wooden scabbard from the long table and showed it to Baron Lizton as he explained.
"Hmm? But are scabbards really something that break so often?"
"They break more often than you might think, Baron. Wood and leather are sensitive to moisture, water, and cold. In humid environments, wood can rot or grow mold, and leather can dry out or crack. They're usually worn at the waist, so in daily life, they bump against corridor walls or fellow soldiers' scabbards. With so much time spent outdoors, they get damaged frequently. Among the soldiers, scabbards are already seen as consumables. Because of that, they're handled roughly, leading to quite a few replacements needed each day."
"Huuumm. I see... So, by supplying more durable scabbards, you're aiming to change their mindset about them. In the long run, switching to iron-reinforced ones, which last longer than wooden ones that need constant replacement."
"Yes. That's precisely why this large amount of iron is needed here in Ves-Dinas. Additionally, some of the leftover iron will be used to make spears with broader blades."
"I've heard a satisfactory answer. Now that my curiosity is sated, may we discuss the reward I'll receive upon completing this task?"
"Of course. I'm not inclined to hire the Toothpowder Baron of Chalais cheaply, so please tell me what you desire."
"Then... I'll state what I want. For starters, about three things..."
Baron Lizton cautiously extended three fingers toward Ratak as he spoke.
"Go ahead. If it's something I can provide or accomplish, I'll offer it as compensation for this matter, no matter what."
With a bright expression, Ratak lifted his teacup along with its saucer and leaned back in his chair.
"Er... Well, first off, please introduce me to Lady Yilda Vanas, who has strong connections in dealings with the elves. I've heard that among the elven merchants, there's one named Usphiel who cultivates chairs that can be grown in gardens. More precisely, they grow trees into the shape of chairs. Anyway, I plan to sell them to the nobles of the Esteta Kingdom."
"Tree-shaped chairs? A rare garden tree... or should I call it furniture? It's a concept I've never heard of before, so it's unfamiliar to me."
"Yes, I figured as much. I only recently learned about a merchant selling such uniquely shaped garden trees. Apparently, it's a very familiar idea among the elves."
"I see. If the opportunity arises, I'd like to purchase one myself. I'll arrange the meeting with Yilda as you requested. Please continue with the other two rewards."
Glancing down at the worn wooden chair he was sitting in, its legs beginning to split, Ratak imagined the form of living furniture grown into chair shapes and continued the conversation to hear the remaining terms of the deal with Baron Lizton.
"Then, the second one... In a way, it's connected to the third, but... First, could you dismiss the servants around us?"
"Very well."
Ratak nodded and waved away the servants who had been standing by.
"Are you acquainted with Prince Dirita Drasllat, the king's brother?"
After slowly turning his head to scan the surroundings, Baron Lizton leaned toward the round table and asked Ratak in a low voice.
"Prince Dirita... I met him once, long ago, when I visited Drasnarr. It was a brief encounter, just exchanging names..."
Ratak replied in a calmly lowered tone.
"Hmm... I see. The truth is... Prince Dirita is here in Ves-Dinas."
"Hm? The prince? Here?"
Ratak furrowed his brow at the unexpected news.
"Yes. And for some reason I don't know, he seems to have come alone, without escort knights or mages. He was armored and on horseback, so I assume he's here to participate in the Grand Tournament..."
"I've skimmed through the names of all participants, but Prince Dirita's wasn't there. He must be using an alias."
"Probably the jousting? Or maybe not... It could be dueling or archery..."
"If it's certain that Prince Dirita is in Ves-Dinas, tracking his whereabouts won't be difficult."
"Yes... So, for my second request, I'd like you to hire skilled guards to protect him. They need to be discreet, with faces not well-known and mouths tightly shut."
"Guards? He seems to have come incognito for a reason... Is that necessary?"
"In ordinary circumstances, perhaps not, but Hadin Kavil has also arrived here. And hastily, too, taking an airship from Drasnarr. As you know, he's the type who prefers scheming through others to stay hidden himself. The fact that he's skipped a Privy Council meeting to come here personally gives me a bad feeling."
"Hmm... Understood. I happen to have suitable individuals in mind. I'll assign protection right away."
"Then, I'll leave Prince Dirita's matter to you... For the third reward... Demanding one of the House Vanas's newly built merchant ships would be... too exorbitant, I think, so I'll ask for something else."
"..."
At Baron Lizton's words about changing his mind from requesting a merchant ship, Ratak let out a long sigh of relief.
"Go on."
"Please arrange a dinner with Prince Dirita after the Grand Tournament has concluded."
"Huh? A meal?"
"Yes. A meal setting for a quiet conversation would suffice."
"Ah... Yes."
Ratak responded with a surprised expression at Baron Lizton's somewhat suspicious request for a reward.
"Hahaha. You look utterly puzzled. I can't explain everything in detail yet, but to avoid any misunderstandings, I'll add a bit more explanation."
"Yes, please do, Baron Lizton."
"Hmm... At first, I grew wheat and made tenfold profit. With toothpowder, twentyfold, and with the Mavenn Gateway Fortress and elven furniture, perhaps thirtyfold?"
Baron Lizton paused for a moment, clasping his hands together and fidgeting his thumbs rapidly, as if pondering what to say next. After a very brief silence, he spoke again.
"Though I'm a minor noble, I've lived a life closer to that of a merchant. So, profiting from trade has become second nature to me. Allow me to ask you something, Lord Ratak. If I were to create a king, how much greater a profit could I reap?"
"..."
A heavy silence fell. Likely because both men understood the weight of the implication in Baron Lizton's question.
"That... I can't even calculate."
"Hahahaha. That's what I intend to attempt from now on. And... thank you."
The "thank you" from Baron Lizton was an expression of gratitude for not immediately rising from his seat, branding him a traitor, and throwing him into some deep dungeon within the castle upon hearing his words about creating a king.
"I've brought a few barrels of beer made from Chalais barley on my way here. It's still early, but let's have a taste."
"Yes... I think we should."
On that day, Baron Lizton's grand scheme emerged from his mind into the world for the first time.