Chapter 308
Still feeling the lingering effects of last night’s hangover, Noah lay listlessly on his bed, idly fiddling with the edge of a document. He wasn’t just trying to read the fine print—his fingers traced the paper as if trying to summon memories of the night two days ago, which had completely slipped his mind.
May glanced at the prince as he prepared to finalize the official ceremony.
His eyes were narrow, lips curled slightly upward.
To outsiders, it often looked like he was smiling, but—
“Noah.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Did they say everything written here is feasible?”
“Absolutely. We received a firm confirmation. If there’s anything you want to change, though, I don’t think you’ll have time today because of the appointment ceremony. But Lord Ian promised to arrange another meeting before you leave the palace.”
Noah wore that same expression whether he was working, standing before the king and queen, or even reprimanding his subordinates.
The only clue to his mood was the furrow between his brows. May focused all her attention on that crease, watching it deepen little by little.
“At first glance, there’s no problem. Like any contract.”
But as Noah’s frown deepened despite the compliment, May’s eyes darted anxiously. He’s frowning even though I said it was good? Is it the hangover?
Noah pressed his temple and groaned.
“Earlier, Barrick said that I…”
‘I am the prince of the Cream Grape Kingdom! How dare they mock my country—wahhh!’
Snap.
The proposal crumpled in his hand, a blunt expression of displeasure.
May swallowed hard, tense. She was truly relieved the curse had been lifted, but every time they had to clean up after these situations, the helplessness was just as overwhelming as when the curse first struck.
“…I made a mistake.”
“A mistake? Well, you did say something embarrassing, but it’s nothing to worry about.”
Huh? Is that what you mean?
May tried to reassure him, but Noah’s frown only deepened. It was as if he decided it was better not to hear or know.
He shook the crumpled paper as if to change the subject.
“May, do you remember how the ministers reacted when the three-nation alliance was first discussed?”
“Of course. It was a huge uproar.”
Some warned it would anger Barrick, others said they couldn’t remain under the influence of a great power forever.
But no one could deny that with only a young crown prince left, this was their chance.
“But what would Father say now? If I put my seal on this?”
The proposal Ian had handed over read as follows:
1-1. This includes all existing fertilizer stock in Burgos plus the amount to be produced over the next two years, qualifying as a bulk purchase. The price would be slightly below market value, and with tariffs waived, the supply price would be even lower.
Based on this discounted price, Barrick will sell premium fertilizer to Clifopod, also exempt from tariffs.
In exchange, Clifopod will break the three-nation alliance with Burgos and Luswena and enter into an exclusive alliance with Barrick.
Details of the exclusive alliance will be formalized separately at a later date.
……
Burgos had little reason to refuse Barrick’s offer.
First, it was a chance to sell off all their fertilizer stock at once, and the contract spanned an enormous scale through next year. Setting aside political relations with the great power and neighboring countries, such an economic opportunity was hard to ignore.
“Don’t we usually sign contracts every six months? If Barrick is even waiving tariffs, Burgos wouldn’t even consider it. They’d have to sell to them.”
“Is the two-year term because of fertilizer production cycles?”
“Yes. The fertilizer being produced now will be ready next year.”
But does Barrick take a loss to woo Clifopod? No. Although tariffs are waived, these were items they never traded before.
Since it’s not replacing existing imports, there’s no actual cash flow going out. And Clifopod will be buying the fertilizer anyway.
“Clifopod benefits more than buying through Burgos.”
“Roughly how much cheaper?”
“About ten percent on average. There’s information that Burgos is becoming less fertile, so prices will rise. They say they don’t plan to raise prices, but they did so quietly two years ago.”
Besides getting fertilizer cheaper, Clifopod gains an alliance with Barrick, the strongest nation.
That’s probably the biggest advantage—being able to bypass the three-nation alliance without issue.
Also, it means complete independence from Burgos, which had been their main trading partner for this crucial import.
“So money really talks, huh, May? A country that can buy that much fertilizer at once.”
“We hope to be like that someday.”
“Yeah. We should be. But…”
Noah fell silent, stroking his chin.
Reducing dependence on Burgos means, in other words, increasing dependence on Barrick. Can Clifopod handle dealing with a great power that controls two years’ worth of fertilizer supply?
No, if Burgos finds out, the next contract will surely fall through. From now on, all fertilizer trade will go through Barrick.
They call it an alliance, but who knows? Nothing is more precious than a nation’s pride.
‘Monopolies are always dangerous. But if we refuse the offer, that’s a risk too.’
If Clifopod refuses to cooperate, Barrick might buy all the fertilizer and withhold it from everyone. That would backfire on them the most.
“And this is just verbal for now, but if the official alliance is signed, they want a clause to maintain permanent silence about the royal curse on Clifopod.”
Right. That too.
If fertilizer is a card that can ruin a nation’s economy, the curse is a weapon that can destroy its very system. They had no real choice. Unless…
‘We share this with the three nations and come up with a countermeasure.’
But it’s uncertain how Burgos and Luswena would respond, and even if the three-nation alliance helps, it might not be effective.
It’s a reckless move. If Burgos finds out, they’ll immediately reject Barrick’s offer.
“Damn. This is really dirty. So dirty.”
“I understand your concerns. But that’s a problem that could arise only when the official alliance is signed. For now, this is the best offer we have. As for dependence, we can work together over time to find solutions.”
She was right. Worrying about uncertain problems can’t make you miss out on immediate gains. Noah threw off the blanket and got out of bed.
“Tell Minister Ian Hielo to rewrite the proposal.”
“What parts will you change?”
“Not two years—at least ten. And while I like the low price, we need to trust it. Add a clause requiring disclosure of Barrick and Burgos’s trade records when setting prices.”
If they set a long supply period and stable prices, even if dependence increases, the risk will be lower. Ten years would give Clifopod time to find its own fertilizer solutions.
May nodded and jingled a small bell.
Ding.
“Prince Noah is preparing. Summon the attendants.”
At her call, the attendants waiting outside entered in perfect formation.
“By the way, what about the kings of Burgos and Luswena? What have they been up to?”
Noah asked as the attendants helped him dress. He had been out cold from the side effects of medicine, but the others wouldn’t have been.
May shrugged and whispered.
“I haven’t seen them either. Barrick deliberately separated their schedules. I heard Luswena went to the western hunting grounds to discuss related business, and Burgos visited the magic department to talk about trading and supplying mana stones. That was all yesterday, and now they’re probably preparing like you.”
The three nations were kept strictly apart. Aside from the banquet and the ceremony, they likely wouldn’t meet. I’d guess they even set separate departure dates for returning home.
“I shouldn’t have drunk at the banquet. That was probably the last chance for the three leaders to sit close and talk.”
“No, don’t blame yourself. King Damon and King Eriphoni did leave the room together, but not for long. Eriphoni didn’t come back until Lady Jin took over.”
“Really? What were they doing?”
“I don’t know. But it’s certain they didn’t have a deep conversation. With suspicion of eavesdropping by mages, how could they?”
May glanced around the room and muttered. The suspicion was baseless but so reasonable it was hard not to consider.
Noah changed into his traditional Clifopod ceremonial robes and checked the time.
“When is the appointment ceremony?”
“Ah, it’s a bit tight. You should hurry.”
The ceremony would be held at noon, when the sun was highest—a perfect time to mark the beginning of a new Barrick.
“Romandro, Prince Noah will request revisions to the proposal. I expect he’ll focus on the duration and price. Schedule the meeting for the day after Burgos leaves the palace. That will be more advantageous for negotiations.”
“Hmm. Understood. Honestly, we don’t have much to say about Yuri or anything else. Ha ha. So, should we keep Luswena at the palace?”
“Yes. It’s best to send Luswena last.”
“Let’s proceed as planned. But I’m a bit worried—if we pressure Burgos like this, won’t it make supplying mana stones for the annex construction more difficult?”
Romandro, running alongside Ian as they sorted through their tasks, asked this. Ian smiled and tilted his head slightly, a look of mild surprise on his face.
“No, it’s visible. Ahem.”
“I thought you were against building the annex, Romandro.”
…He sees right through me.
Romandro coughed awkwardly, dodging the question.
In truth, as an aide to the Magic Department, he should be in favor. But more importantly, is it really necessary to stir up controversy by poking the hornet’s nest?
“Sometimes it’s better to keep things smooth. That’s all.”
“You don’t need to worry about that.”
Just then, a wizard came running up, out of breath.
“Ian! Ian! I just got a message through the Mana Stone Management Division. It seems there’s a missing section in the report. Could you check it first? Also, the two wizards standing before the ceremony are duplicates. What should we do?”
“Change the Philip listed at the end to ‘Filik.’ Send the report this way.”
“Ah, Filik? But he didn’t look well. I’m worried about him leading the ceremony.”
“Not well? How so?”
“He said he ate inside the carriage while fetching supplies outside. Seems like he’s got a bad stomach.”
“Tell him to come up to the office. And there’s no missing part—the recorded figures are correct.”
Ian didn’t elaborate on what he was worried about. If he had the time, he might have said more, but right now—
Romandro gripped his papers and pen tightly, watching the wizards rushing in from all directions. The priority was to get through the ceremony, which was only a few hours away.
Screech.
Ian and Romandro entered the office and soon faced those seated on the sofa.
Jin, looking tense with a stiff smile, and Viviana, showering the boy with all her praise and encouragement.
“Ian.”
“Welcome, Mother.”
Philia and Nersarn were with her.
Ian exchanged light embraces and greetings with the guests.
“Your Highness, it’s time to move to the main palace. I’ll finish up here at the Magic Department and then escort the guests inside. The Prime Minister will review the ceremony’s procedures, so please confirm with him.”
“Right. Yes, understood.”
“Your Highness.”
The boy’s posture stiffened. Seeing this, Ian gave a sympathetic smile and met his gaze.
“What day is it today?”
“The appointment ceremony.”
“And?”
Unconsciously, Jin gripped Ian’s shoulder tightly, as if trying to pass on his tension.
Ian gladly accepted the gesture, supporting his elbow.
“…The day a new era for Bariel begins.”