The purchase price for the Shirasho stone stand was easily settled at fifty gold coins per unit.
　In determining the price, the method of sale was taken into consideration.

　If the supply is unlimited, it will be difficult to maintain its value.
　Furthermore, it is likely to damage the existing market and make unnecessary enemies.

　On the other hand, if the number of products is limited, it is possible to maintain strong prices for wealthy customers.
　If the price does not fall easily, more people will consider buying it as an asset.
　The problem, however, is that Hans and his team have no sales channels.

　They would have to go through a merchant association with connections to the upper class, but then there would be the possibility that their suppliers would be suspicious.
　Any smart merchant knows that it is more profitable to reduce the number of intermediaries.
　At present, Nino and his men do not have the power to hide the existence of the underground labyrinth in front of serious merchants.

　That's why they turned to Paula's uncle, Leocadio.

　Leocadio, Paula's uncle, is well connected to the country's royalty and aristocracy, and since he is from a foreign country, no one can predict where he will get his goods.
　Moreover, if you ask him, he will not pry into your business, and will turn a blind eye or cover up most things.
　He is the ideal business partner.

"Hmm, I understand the situation in general. It's a favor from my lovely niece. Leave it to me.

　As a result, the price for the white light stone was easily agreed upon, and the number of moon purchases was reduced from three to five.
　In addition, the jade oil would be sold exclusively by Leocadio's trading company.

As for the jade oil, it will be sold exclusively to Leocadio's merchants. I've just had it checked out and it looks good. It's all over the news.

　This is one barrel and twenty pieces of silver. 　
　The price has become inaccessible to the common people, but it has also made the Golden Bear Pavilion more popular.

　And there was another great advantage of dealing with Leocadio.

"Come on, tell me everything. I'll get you everything you need.

　The first thing he strongly recommended was a carriage.
　Safety on the road and shortening the travel time were said to be business necessities.

　In addition to the two large horses in the back of a magnificent covered wagon, there were seventy gold coins.
　A few more books and seeds of rare crops. A lot of glass bottles.
　New farming tools, armor, carpentry tools, sewing tools, etc.
　That's about 30 gold coins at least.

　And that's not all.

My name is Noemi. Please make my acquaintance. Hans-sama.

　The one who bowed to me gracefully was one of Leocadio's secretaries.
　She had the brown skin of a demon race and large, almond-shaped, red eyes.
　Her body is slender and lean, and her flesh is well trimmed.



　In fact, she was the person Paula had asked for. 　
　Leocadio also assured him that he would find a hard-talking craftsman as soon as possible.

　After spending a whole day examining the goods to be brought back, Hans left for the village the next day.
　Leocadio watched him go and quietly turned on his heel to return to his room.
　There was still one important task left to be done.

"Well, how should I report to His Majesty? No matter how I do it, I'm sure he'll want it. ......

　The demonic man muttered to himself and traced his finger over the surface of the white illuminated stone on the desk.
　Paula's letter had blurred the lines, but he had undoubtedly found an unregistered labyrinth.

　That is a matter of concern, but the bigger issue is the person who performed this operation.
　With a technology that increases light intensity to such an extent, it can be applied in any number of ways.
　In terms of value, it is incomparable to that of Shirasho.

　However, it was not Leocadio's intention to see his niece grieving.
　Exhaling heavily, my uncle gave the usual greeting.

"My great emperor...


　§§§


"The White Book of Laws?
"Yes, he insists on it for future study.
It's a masterpiece. I can't believe that brown-skinned bastard wants our holy book. ....... Hmm, what do you want?

　Fluttering his white vestments, the old man sat down on a sturdy, unadorned wooden chair.
　He has a long white beard that almost reaches his waist, and laugh lines carved into the corners of his eyes and around his mouth.
　At first glance, he gives the impression of a good-natured old man, but his eyes are piercingly sharp.

　On his head, there are two horns extending from his temples and a large monk's cap that indicates his status.
　It is a sign of the supreme leader of the Holy Komyo Order, which has a large number of demon followers.

　When Archbishop Niklaus gave him a cautious look, the young attendant replied with cold sweat dripping down his back.

I don't know. It's just that ......
What is it?
It's not too much to ask in exchange for such a wonderful tool.

　The young man's gaze fell upon a large white illuminated stone with a pedestal on the table.
　It was donated by a merchant, but even a practitioner who was not familiar with the world could easily estimate its value.
　The White Book of the Law, on the other hand, was merely a textbook for learning a medium-grade recovery method.
　Moreover, the person to whom I was giving it was a demon race without the blessings of light.

　Shaking his head lightly, Niklaus carelessly extended his finger and touched the white light stone.
　In an instant, a dazzling light overflowed, illuminating every corner of the basement separated by iron bars.

"Eternal gratitude for the peace of light.

　Niklaus took one look at the attendant, who had unintentionally uttered the words of a prayer, and spoke as if spitting them out.

"How dare you? How do you know it's their hand?


"I beg your pardon, Your Eminence.
"They make you swallow modest requests at first, but they grow louder and louder, and eventually you choke on them. Hmm, you thick-skinned brown-skinned bastards!
"So, this time, .......
No, give it to him. I'm very interested in anyone who can smelt this stone. We can't cut the connection.

　Niklaus smiled in an unchristian manner, but stood up quietly.

Now that the magic is back, let's continue.

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
　The wings on his back suggested that he was a pterodactyl, but his eyes and mouth were covered with a black cloth, so it was hard to tell what he looked like.

　Niklaus nodded, and the young samurai lifted a red-hot iron rod.
　Without a hint of hesitation, he pressed it against the walled man's chest.

　Immediately the smell of burning flesh filled the air and the winged man let out a muffled scream, shaking his head from side to side like a madman.
　But the young man showed no sign of caring and continued to sear his shoulders and stomach evenly.
　The chains are yanked again and again, making a deafening sound, but the struggling man is not free.

"Okay, that's about it. Six severe skin burns.

　The old man writes down the man's symptoms on a piece of paper in his hand as if it were someone else's problem, then raises a huge amount of magic power while holding up his hand.
　Then he released it with ease.

"Let the light guide you to complete healing.

　The next moment, all the terrible burns that had covered the man's body disappeared as if they were a lie.
　The young attendant looked ecstatic in the face of this unbelievable sight.
　The Archbishop, however, seemed to be less so.

　Niklaus closes his eyes for a moment, as if in meditation, and then shakes his head ruefully.

"You were touted as the victor of all wings, but you have failed me. Your profound skill has yet to be attained.


　§§§§


"Oh, this is delicious.

　The woman with three horns on her head shouted excitedly at the unfamiliar food served in a small bowl.
　The woman with three horns on her head squealed in delight at the unfamiliar dish.

"It's called jade oil, Your Majesty.
"Yes, it's the perfect flavor for these oysters. It's wonderful.
"They say it comes from a rare plant.
You know so much, Zeke.
Yes, I got a bottle from the Leocadio family.
"Oh, you did?

　As she said this, the woman's eyes shifted to the large white light stone on the table.
　She told me that it was a very rare stone from the Imperial Labyrinth.

What's going on here?


"............ I don't understand.

　The man's tone of voice suddenly sank, and the woman, her eyes downcast, lightly poked the food on her plate with her fork.

I'm sure this is her favorite flavor. ...... Anything since then?
No, other than the wreckage of the damaged ship, we still have no new leads.
...... Yeah. Where the hell is she?
I'm sure Lady Alma is safe. We're doing everything we can to find her.

　At these words, the woman looked up again and quickly changed her face from that of a mother worried about her daughter to that of a politician.

Speaking of the search, what happened to the man or woman who was spreading the rumor?
"I'm afraid there are no leads there either.
Wasn't he the alchemist's son?
He escaped before we could get a confirmation on that. According to the workshop, he was sent to a village on the eastern border, but the subordinate who sent him there reported that he had not arrived there.

　The commander of the Holy Order of the Dragon Spear let out a protest to his boss, who sighed deliberately.

I don't think he's important enough for you to care about, sir.
No, he definitely knows something or is aware of something. Or .......

　Of all the tidings that came to the palace, the ones that had been increasing in number over the past month were all about anomalies in the water supply.
　It was just like the rumors spread by the said person.

Something's about to happen. No, I'm sure it's happening.
All right. We'll need more men on your side.
I'm sorry to bother you.

　In addition to the anomalies in various places, there were also suspicious movements in the frontier county and Shinmyoukyo.
　With the founding of the Kingdom of Holy Vilnia just around the corner, the Kingdom was undergoing a major shakeup.
　Now is the time for all vassals to exert all their strength.

"No, everything is as you wish. Her Majesty Queen Valtrude.


　The Shirashoishi created by the all-powerful alchemist was carried all over the island, causing various ripples.
　In the end, it turned into a huge wave that swept over the island, but she had no way of knowing that yet.