Chapter 91:  The Empress’s Test (3)

“Alright, young man. Still, it seems like you’re trying to do something good for our city, so let’s hear it.”

The man, adjusting his hunting cap, put both hands on his hips as if to show off.

He waited for my answer with a face missing one of his front teeth.

“Haman currently serves as a storage hub for various goods from the capital. Because of that image, people don’t come here often.”

I began eating my sandwich again, starting from the corner with relish.

Then, after taking a sip of coffee, I spoke to them.

“However, thanks to the many ingredients gathered from across the country, new food recipes are blossoming here.”

“Well, our city’s food is tasty, that’s for sure.”

A plump woman proudly raised her thumb.

“What is most important for human life is food, clothing, and shelter. Among them, Haman has a great advantage in food culture.”

The two workers, who had been watching me playfully until now, gradually lost their smiles.

They began listening to me intently with more serious expressions.

“If this is promoted properly, the city’s image could change at a rapid pace.”

Haman had always suffered from a terrible reputation.

A city of rough men, a city where merchants’ turf wars could erupt into knife fights at any moment.

But this was also a place where people lived.

A place where children were born and raised properly, where fathers worked hard and sweated for their families.

Yet the children who grew up here always carried the stigma of being from Haman.

Workers, who had long suffered under such prejudice, now asked me:

“What’s the reason you care so much about our city?”

They also wanted to know if I was just another corrupt noble trying to exploit them.

‘I’d better choose my words carefully here.’

I instinctively realized this was an important turning point to win their trust.

So, I erased every trace of a smile and exhaled deeply.

Then, I spoke.

“Because I was ordered to.”

I said it with the same weary expression as theirs, the expression of tired laborers.

“I’m actually from the northern region, Nord. But my family sent me here, saying it was for an important project.”

I had come all the way from the far north to this place.

At those words, one of the workers’ lips parted slightly, as if he too had once left the provinces for the capital.

“So, at first, I came to Haman thinking I’d just get it over with and leave, but my thoughts changed.”

To be honest, not a single part of this was a lie.

I had only added a ‘little’ embellishment.

“Fathers who, for the sake of their children, move materials bigger than themselves without rest. Mothers who, no matter how tired, still wake up early every morning to prepare food.”

I raised my fist firmly into the air.

Then I accidentally nudged the table, making my coffee ripple.

“The supplies you work so hard to load and transport are like blood, flowing to every corner of the Empire.”

I pointed to the left side of my chest with my finger.

“Just like a heart.”

Afterward, I gestured toward the parasols, now empty because everyone had gone back to work.

While nobles could leisurely drink coffee and enjoy their pleasures at this hour, workers had to work, so this time of day was always quiet.

“It really bothered me that people who play such an important role were branded with such a bad reputation.”

I swallowed a deep breath.

Then I slumped back down into the chair and said,

“As someone who lived comfortably in the North, my conscience weighed on me too.”

“……”

The workers stared down at me.

The woman watching nearby did the same.

The people of Haman stayed silent for a moment, saying nothing.

“Alright, young man, I understand your feelings.”

“I can’t say I believe you entirely, but since you’re saying you want to do something good for us, why would we refuse?”

The middle-aged men didn’t seem to trust me one hundred percent.

But perhaps they decided I wasn’t trying to use them for selfish gain, because they spoke up readily.

“If there’s anything we can do to help, just say so. At the very least, we can spread some word around.”

“That’s right. Like you said, we may be just workers, but in the union, people call us nobles.”

At their playful jokes, I chuckled like an old man.

“That won’t be necessary. Just treat outside visitors kindly when tourists come later—that alone is more than enough.”

Maybe it was because I didn’t ask for anything in particular.

Unlike the swindlers who had come from outside before, my attitude seemed different, and the woman stepped closer to us.

She slung her thick arm around the shoulders of the two warehouse workers and said,

“See? I told you an interesting young man had come.”

The two of them finally nodded firmly, as if in agreement.

“That’s true.”

“As expected, our Miss Remy has a good eye for people.”

The man who had been standing with one leg bent straightened his posture.

The man who had both hands shoved into his pockets placed one on my shoulder and pointed at the menu.

“Order more, young man. You’ve come from far away, so you need to eat well.”

“Right, no matter where you are, eating well is important. Now, you’ve had a sandwich, but our pasta is something else, you know?”

They had grown much friendlier.

As if showing off, they started offering me several of Haman’s representative dishes.

I, in turn, smiled with simple sincerity and responded to their warmth.

But then—

“Pasta sounds great. Can I add meatballs to it?”

“……?”

At the words about adding meatballs to pasta, the faces of the fatherly men suddenly turned cold.

“Add what to pasta…?”

“Ah, so Haman doesn’t add meatballs? Then how about cream pasta…?”

“Cream???”

Their faces, once those of factory workers, changed as if they had reverted to warriors from wartime.

Now that I thought about it, every one of them belonged to the generation that had lived through the war.

“Sorry, I’m from Nord, so….”

I laughed awkwardly, like someone completely clueless about the ways of the world.

At that, they exhaled through their noses like bursts of steam and slammed the table.

“This kid’s hopeless….”

“We treat him kindly, and he stabs us right in the back?”

They turned their heads toward the woman.

Their eyes looked as if they were about to tell her to bring the butcher’s knife.

“Miss Remy!! Over here….”

I swallowed deeply, looking a little nervous, ready to subdue them if things went wrong.

But then—

“Bring some seafood gambas and a Haman beer each!!”

Thankfully, they weren’t angry with me.

“To not even know how to eat properly!! What, does the North only live off potatoes?”

“This won’t do. We’ll teach you how to eat right!!”

Their expressions had only been a little exaggerated.

And so, before I knew it, I ended up being treated to a lavish meal by these fatherly men.

「―――――」

About an hour later.

The warehouse workers said it was time for them to leave, telling me to enjoy the food before going.

Apparently, they were foremen at the factory, so it didn’t matter much if they were a little late.

The restaurant lady also sat down at the counter, saying she needed a nap, her eyelids heavy with drowsiness.

Considering she woke up at dawn every day to prepare meals for the merchants, it was understandable.

Thanks to that, I could sit alone in the quiet streets of Haman and enjoy the silence.

“Truly, aside from the working population, there are practically no visitors here.”

I thought so to myself as I sipped my coffee.

Then, noticing a familiar face reflected in the black surface of the drink, I turned my head.

“Lucun, you came?”

Lucun Fern.

One of the secretaries the Grand Duke’s house had selected after I submitted my resignation.

And the only one among my peers with whom I had formed an alliance. He sat down beside me.

“You managed to make it back somehow.”

“I didn’t come back. My position just changed.”

Lucun crossed his legs and looked at the countless dishes laid out on my table.

“You mean as the major shareholder of the Erian Foundation?”

As the son of the biggest pawnshop in the North, his access to information was impressive.

He might even rival Mansachs in that regard.

“Yeah, and since I’ve got plenty of channels for money to flow in, consider it an early retirement.”

“Lucky you. So, does that mean once this job is over, you won’t be working with the Grand Duke’s house anymore?”

I shrugged at his question.

“No, my resignation was put on hold. For now, they told me to keep leading the Erian Foundation.”

“You really are a strange one. No matter what you do, everything always seems to work out for you.”

Lucun shook his head, as if envious.

“So, how about hitching a ride on my luck one more time?”

“Your luck…? But we’re rivals.”

He gave me a puzzled look at my words.

After all, he was currently co-managing a project with me.

“The Empress said it herself. Whether we compete or cooperate, it doesn’t matter.”

I placed a plate in front of him.

Then, handing him a still-warm untouched sandwich, I said,

“Anyway, isn’t the reason you came looking for me to get a hint for this project?”

“……”

Lucun stared blankly at the food in front of him.

Then, with a sheepish look, he answered,

“You’re still as annoying as ever. Yeah, you’re the expert when it comes to things like this.”

“Choosing the right partner to ally with is a skill too. No need to be embarrassed about it.”

I gave a faint chuckle and patted his sturdy shoulder as if massaging it.

Maybe I looked like a sly fox flattering a great bear, because his expression turned sullen.

“Right now, Tobang is putting a huge effort into this event on behalf of Archduke Eric, who has the Second Prince’s favor.”

“Of course. An art exhibition in a warehouse city like this—it’s on a grand scale, befitting a prestigious family.”

Lucun, not much in the mood to eat, only took a small bite off the edge of his toast.

“Not only that, but he hasn’t even used a single coin of the budget the Empress granted. He’s relying solely on his family’s and his eldest son’s money.”

That was truly overwhelming financial power.

At this level, even if Haman wasn’t suited for an art exhibition, the story would change.

It was like forcing an oasis to appear in the middle of a desert.

But still.

Even if such a thing appeared, it would inevitably stagnate and rot away again.

And the Empress Margaret I knew…

She was a strategist more than capable of telling the difference between a true oasis and stagnant water.

“Don’t worry. There are plenty of ways to win.”

“Like what? If it’s a matter of funding, we can help on our side too.”

Lucun spoke with steady confidence, as if saying it was only natural we could match even Tobang’s overwhelming power.

But soon after, his face turned even more bewildered.

“It’s fine, we don’t need money at all. Fifty thousand gold will be enough.”

Fifty thousand gold.

When Tobang’s side might be spending five billion, I said I only needed that much.

Unable to understand, Lucun furrowed his brows like an angry bear.

“You’re not joking, are you? This isn’t a problem that can be solved with smooth talk.”

“It’s more than possible, so relax your forehead.”

I pulled a tissue from the table.

Then, smacking my lips, I drew a pen from the inside pocket of my suit jacket.

“Here, look.”

I pressed the blunt-tipped fountain pen firmly against the table.

Ink began to flow out just enough, and with that, I started drawing on the tissue.

“What do you think is the most famous thing about our Grand Duke’s house in the North?”

“Why bring up the Grand Duke’s house all of a sudden?”

I kept drawing as I asked back,

“This city too—if you look at it broadly, it’s like a family. And each family has its own symbol.”

The Grand Duke’s house had the Black Lion.

The Imperial Palace and the Western Grand Duke’s house had the Golden Lion.

“But Haman doesn’t have anything like that yet. At most, it’s just known for having a lot of food warehouses.”

On the tissue, a plate was drawn.

On top of it, I sketched a delicious-looking sandwich and a cup of coffee.

“When you take ingredients out of the warehouses and combine them, you get this sandwich. And the merchants here eat this every single day.”

Even someone with a dull palate would find it hard to eat the same food every meal.

Yet the people of Haman ate sandwiches every day.

“In other words, this is something that people won’t get tired of easily, and it’s even good for their health.”

Lucun glanced at the sandwich he had only nibbled at the corner of.

“From now on, your job is to spread word of this sandwich to the various gourmet societies connected with the Fern family.”

The Fern family, though not nobles, possessed a vast network thanks to owning the largest pawnshop in the Empire.

They were to spread the word of this sandwich there.

“And at the same time, tell them this.”

I showed him the phrase written on the tissue.

‘Wouldn’t you like to try food made with specialties from across the nation?’

It took less than five minutes to make.

All it required was eating casually with both hands, no formality needed.

I handed Lucun a sheet of tissue and stood up.

Carrying with me the sandwich, soon to become the symbol of Haman, now neatly wrapped.

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