153-Episode 140: Sage Receives Hospitality from the King




So that's the Saw Kingdom...

 I gulped as I looked at the capital spread out below me.

 Surrounded by a dazzling cobalt blue sea.
 Floating there was a huge city with high-rise buildings.
 Beneath the cannon-tube-like buildings, small one-story buildings lined the streets, and a number of ships that I had never seen in the harbor were passing by.

 At any rate, the buildings were built so tightly together on a small island that the island itself looked like a giant creature.

"This is where the 'Numbered Children' (Numbers) hideout is located, isn't it, brother?

 Sheila snuggles up to me.
 Is she nervous?
 Or is she angry?
 Her lips were quivering a little.

 I lightly stroke Sheila's head.

"It's okay, Sheila. I'll protect you.'

My brother....

 Sheila's cheeks were stained.

 That's where the sideways jab comes in.
 It's Cecil.
 At her side, Sarasa and Rowan are also waiting.

''Yes, yes. As usual, you and your siblings are very close to each other.

Hmm? It's kind of a thorn in your side, Cecil.

It's not that. (You can't get in between them when they're making out that much.)

What did you say?

It wasn't anything. But I'm surprised they let you go on your school trip to the Saw State.

 Cecil's lips twitched and he changed the subject.
 Rowan nodded at that opinion.

''Cecil's right. ........You understand that even they are under suspicion, right?

And yet you allowed us to come in. I don't understand.

 Sarasa shines the [Future Vision] behind her glasses.
 There is still little information, so it will be difficult to see a definite future.

 Looking at my companions who were talking anxiously, I said.

''It's the other way around.''

What?

''I guess he allowed us to go on a school trip to clear up that suspicion. If you turn them down, they'll suspect you of the opposite.

 And there is still the possibility that the Saw Kingdom of Commerce is not involved in The Numbered Children (Numbers).
 They may not even know that there is a rebel organization under their immediate control.

 The probability is low, though........

 Creating a magician is expensive.
 In that sense, it can be said that the Sow Trading Country is the centralized place for all Galveer's money.

 Saw Trading Country is a country that makes huge profits from the relay trade.
 No, I'm told that it wasn't even a country in the past, but was founded recently.

 This small island nation serves as a transit point for countries, and once commercial goods are unloaded here, they are redistributed to each country again.
 Geographically, this Sow trading nation is in the best position.

 The government of the Sow Commercial State is the one collecting the money.
 The richest government in the world was indeed hard to imagine that the richest government in the world was not bothered by demons.

''Considering those reasons, it's hard to imagine the government messing with us.

That's true. The golden rule of business is trust first.

 Cecil, the blacksmith's heir, nodded yes.

''If there are any missing, dead, or injured people from among us...''

I'm sure Sawyer's trust in commerce will fall to the ground.

 Salasa and Rowan concurred.

 Then Sheila opened her mouth.

'But, brother. I thought the 'Numbered Children (Numbers)' would not be silent.

Sheila's right. They won't shut up. After all, I'm the one who came in here after embarrassing the Numbered Boy (Numbers). I don't think I'm shrinking like a turtle. So be very careful.

Okay.
Yes, sir.
Oh!
Yes, sir.

 My friends nodded.

 I turned to Chrome.

'Wise man, people are waving at you.'

 Chrome moved his beak to point.
 I looked beyond it.
 There was indeed a large number of people in a line, waving at us.

 It's the only place in the small Sow Trading Country that's wide enough.
 That's where we can get Chrome down.

'Crom, come down carefully.

'Yes! I get it!

 Chrome turned abruptly, wings upright.
 There was another scream of an a-nosed scream.
 Everyone hurriedly hangs on to Chrome's wings.

 Oh dear.........

 Maybe I needed to train a little bit to get people on Chrome.
 I let out a breath while raising a point of reflection for one person.


 ◆◇◆◆◆.


Welcome! To Saw Commerce, Chapter 5, ladies and gentlemen.

 The man who appeared was well dressed.
 With a turban on his head and jewelry on his fingers, he has the air of a rich man.
 His narrow fox eyes are smiling, but his brown irises are shining suspiciously.

I'm not going to be able to get the same thing done. I'm the merchant king of the Saw Trading State.

 He bowed along with the rest of his entourage.

'What? Lies!
The King of Sawyer?
"The king himself greets you!
Wow!

 The students of Chapter 5 were in a state of excitement.
 I was also surprised.
 I hadn't expected to be greeted by the king himself.

 We stepped out of the chrome and lined up in front of the king of commerce, "Thank you for the personal welcome.

"Thank you for this personal welcome. On behalf of my students, I thank you.

 I thanked him formally.

 The Aeglia Merchant King doesn't change his expression.
 Is it a sales smile or does the earth look like this?
 Anyway, he smiles and holds out his hand to me.

''It's been a long time, Lacel Singh Stark-kun. I haven't seen you since last year's Kowloon Cup.''

 I see.
 I met you once on the eve of the Kowloon Cup.
 I didn't have much of an impression of you, so I had forgotten about you.

''It's a pleasure to welcome a superstar like this. Go ahead and enjoy yourself to the fullest.''

Thank you. I didn't come here just to have fun. I've come to learn about a country called Saw Commercial State.

"Guhahahaha.... I've heard of you, but you're a hard man. Well, that's all right. You must be tired from your long journey. First of all, you should rest in my palace.

The palace?

 I look up.

 I looked up at the building behind the Aegyria Merchant King.
 It was a building that looked like a cannon tube, which I could see even from above.
 The walls were lined with glass windows and it looked like a series of private rooms.

'Don't tell me this is a palace?'

'Hahahahaha! It's not surprising. My job is to meet with people, sometimes more than 100 people a day, all at the highest levels of government. And it's all high-level people from different countries. I couldn't afford to have them stay at a cheap hotel in the city while I waited for them," he said. We couldn't afford to have them stay in a cheap hotel in the city while we waited, so we turned the palace into a big hotel.

Isn't there a security issue here?

'Not really. 'Not really. The floors are divided into small sections, and apart from a central floating stone, the structure is almost entirely one-way, which means it's easy to see the movements of intruders and for security to reverse them. That means it's easy to see how the intruders are moving and it's easy to reverse security. The floating stones can be stopped immediately in case of an emergency.

 Ho......
 You're thinking about it, aren't you?
 It's not like he's just a rich man after all.

I'll take my leave. Have a good time.

 The Aegyria Merchant King raised his hand and left.
 We bowed our heads and watched it go.
 Then I turned back to the others.

'Good. You must be tired from your journey. We'll have some free time until supper. But don't leave the palace grounds. We'll go to the city tomorrow. You must save your energy for today. Also, never go alone.

Yes. You're such a good teacher, Racel. You look like a leading teacher.

 Cecil smiles wickedly at her.

 You, you're forgetting something.
 I'm still an instructor in this........

 Good grief.........

 If you're willing to take my place, I'd like to leave it with someone else.

 I couldn't help but cower my shoulders.