TLS : Shenks

  I stared at Clerivan, wondering if I had misheard him.

  "When I stopped by the mansion today, I heard them talk about it."

  "From whom exactly did you hear it?"

  "The top merchant of Lombardy…… I heard it from him"

  Lombardy’s top merchant, Clerivan’s father, Romassie Dillard.

  That is absolutely not the type of man to talk nonsense to his son.

  Then it must be true that Lombardy heard rumors about the Lira mine.

  I recalled my memories and began to go over them meticulously again.

  However, no matter how hard I try to recall my memories it was true that the highest bid was 2000 gold.

  "Lombardy will spare no money just to maintain an iron monopoly. So you may have to prepare more than what you think, my lady."

  Advised Clerivan with a serious look.

  He’s right

  If Lombardy knew about iron ore, there was a good chance he’d call in around 5,000 gold right away and win the bid.

  Did I possibly cause a butterfly effect from one of my actions suddenly causing Lombardy to participate in the auction?

  However, the jewel buried underneath is worth buying even if it costs 5,000 gold.

  If I start to move now, it’s not impossible to prepare 5000 gold on the day of the auction.

  And a thought suddenly raised in my head.

  What if Lombardy actually joined the auction in the past?

  I felt like I was tangled up in my head and my worries grew deeper and deeper.

  * * *

  Tuk

  There’s something on my head.

  "……What?"

  When I touched my head, I felt something light and soft.

  I’m seriously thinking about something, what is this?

  I was a little annoyed and took off the object on my head, and it was a flower crown made of white wildflowers.

  "What is……"

  "I made it!"

  The child’s unique soft voice reached my ears.

  "It really suits Tia!"

  Crane shouted with a big smile on his freckled face.1

  Ah, right

  Right now I’m flower viewing.

  I was out of my mind for a moment, recalling a conversation at the Pellet’s office a few days ago.

  That’s right, Flower viewing.

  It’s hard to be an 11-year-old too.

  "Yes! It really looks good on Tia!"

  Larane smiled when she brushed off Crane’s filthy hands, which were green and grassy.

  We were now out in a field inside Lombardy’s mansion.

  At this time of the year, small flowers bloom filling the fields. The children would then make flower crowns and rings with it.

  It was one of the ways of playing for children in this era where there was not much to do.

  "Ah, this is hard……"

  Right now in my head, the Lira coal mine, the Angenas, and Lombardy are all messed up.

  2000 gold or 5000 gold, it’s too complicated to calculate.

  In reality, I just want to sit here in the grass and play.

  My worries and reality has a great disparity

  "You look good with yellow flowers too!"

  "I really think so too"

  "It’s because Tia is pretty!"

  Crane puts another flower crown on my head and compliments me again.

  "All of them looks good on you!"

  "Crane really likes Tia"

  Larane says while she pats Crane’s red hair.

  "Yes! I will marry Tia!"5

  "What?"

  Larane looked at me with big, smiling eyes.

  Now, how do you want me to react to that?

  Haaa.

  I thought all the wildflowers here would lose their will to live and wither themselves and lie down.

  Sigh.

  I need to protect his innocence.

  I replied with a slightly mechanical voice even when I heard it.

  "Wow, I’m glad"

  But the excited Crane doesn’t know anything and runs around the field again to make a ring for me.

  "Tia, what’s wrong?"

  Larane asked, pulling a small grass off my cheek.

  I’m still doing what an 11-year-old would do, but Larane was purely taking care of me and Crane and playing with me.

  The kind-hearted Larane.

  "Hmmm? Nothing. There’s nothing wrong"

  "You don’t look so good for the past few days. If you have any concerns…… Though I’m not much of any help."

  Larane smiled beautifully.

  Then, the wind blew like in the field from a distance, fluttering Larane’s long coveted brown hair.

  Even though her finely combed hair is tangled, her smiling face turns to the direction of the wind.

  Yes, Larane is this kind of person.

  My heart aches thinking about Larane at that time when she lay still and came back with a flower on her chest.

  I smiled when I said to Larane.

  "No, right now I’m fine. But if I have any worries I hope you would listen Larane."

  "I will, anytime"

  Larane’s was pleased with my words.

  "Tia! Tia!"

  Crane’s blushing face ran coming from somewhere far away.

  "Let’s give flower crowns to Gilliu and Mayron too!"

  "You made one for the twins too! you’re so kind Crane. Their sword training should be done by now should we go back too?"

  "Yes!"

  Fortunately, the place where Shananet and the twins live is not far from here.

  I stood up after Larane and Crane.

  Oh my God.

  I think my joints hurt after sitting and playing in a hard field for hours.

  I’m still at a brisk age but, anyways.

  "I’ll wipe Crane’s hands and go. Take the flower crown and go first."

  "Okay, I understand"

  Larane and Crane held hands and went somewhere while I alone went to the twin’s drawing-room.

  "There is no one here……"

  A familiar voice was heard from inside as I push through the door to look for the twins.

  "……Lira Coal mine…… Is it going as expected……"

  Lira Coal mine?

  I hid behind a pillar and held my breath.

  * * *

  ’I can’t believe a man like this is the Durak Merchant of Angenas.’


  Vestian laughed inwardly at his opponent sitting opposite him.

  He was no better off than Vestian himself in any way than he was born into a good family.

  That good guy did nothing else good other than be born in a good family of Angenas.

  The top merchant, a very undeserved position.

  Angenas, and even Lombardy too.

  They are all undeserving of their positions.

  "It’s not that I don’t believe it……"

  "It’s a very important issue, so, naturally, they care."

  Vestian said with an amiable smile.

  "As I said before, the auction is a week from today."

  "Fortunately, there’s no change. If so, the auction bid……"

  "No change. Lombardy will bid 1,600 gold just like he promised."

  After this, He’ll be in a bit of a bind, but Vestian wasn’t too worried.

  He was Lulak Lombardy’s only son-in-law after all.

  Lulak had a soft side of covering his family until the end, so he could have pretended to restrain himself for days.

  It was not a big loss for Schultz to win the right to the Lira mine.

  "If that’s the case then Durak will bid 1800 gold."

  "Yes, that’s right. As we have discussed earlier."

  "Haha, come on."

  Durak Merchant scratched the side of his head and smiled silly.

  "I’ve been ordered to check about this, but I’m embarrassed really. I can’t believe you’re doing this without a hitch."

  "Haha, I’m flattered. But as you said, I think it would be nice to have a little bit of faith in this Vestian Schultz."

  "Ye-Yeah. You’re right"

  Durak shied away and smiled stupidly.

  Then he spoke in a rather gracious manner

  "Don’t worry about mining rights. If we win the Lira Coal Mine, we’ll go back to Schultz as promised."

  "Of course, that’s the terms of the deal."

  Vestian smiled brightly at Durak hiding the fact that he has the upper hand.

  "I’ll only trust the Angenas……"

  Clatter

  A very small noise was heard.

  Vestian immediately stopped talking and began to scour the room with his hawkish eyes.

  The smiles on their faces cooled down.

  Then, behind a post on the side of the doorway, a blue dress could be seen sticking out.

  Chak Chak……

  Vestian grabbed the small lady’s shoulder that was hiding behind the pillar.

  It was Gallahan’s daughter, a brunette-haired girl wearing a sloppy flower crown, came out in his tough hands.

  "……You."

  When Vestian wants to questioned with a distorted face.

  "Is Gilliu and Mayron here? I came to give them flower crowns!"

  Florentia smiled brightly holding the 2 flower crowns in her hands.

  * * *

  Damn, I got caught.

  I feel like I’m having a cramp in the corner of my mouth smiling with all my might.

  I was sure I stayed quiet. How did they know I was here.

  He usually had an amiable face, now Vestian’s eyes are glaring at me like a snake.

  So this is what you are.

  "Since when did you get here?"

  "I just arrived now."

  "But I didn’t hear the door open?"

  "I just came in because the door was open…… I’m sorry……"

  I drooped my shoulders to look as scared as I could.

  Just then, my savior arrived.

  "Tia?"

  It was Larane holding Crane’s hands.

  "……What’s wrong?"

  Larane frowned her face, feeling the atmosphere was tense.

  "That……"

  "Nothing"

  Vestian let go of my shoulder which he was holding painfully and smiled.

  "Oh my, there are a lot of visitors today?"

  Shananet appeared from a distance opposite from the drawing-room.

  "You were here, too? I was going to give refreshments to Tia and the children. Then you and your guests……"

  "No, don’t bother. We were about to stand up and leave."

  Vestian was back to his usual facade and patted Durak’s shoulder.

  "I’m going to be late today. Don’t wait and go to bed first."

  Vestian, who kissed Shananet’s cheek affectionately, immediately left the drawing room.1

  I looked at his cowardly back and looked at Shananet.

  "The twins are not here yet……"

  The tea set held by the smiling Shananet was only for two people, and the tray was scattered with tea leaves.