Just as Ted and the other "Meibei no Meisei" left the Zimbalil Chamber of Commerce, Aldis was sitting on the sofa in the Ritte Chamber of Commerce's parlor, meeting Marida, the president of the Chamber of Commerce.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most of your time in the world.

I'm not going to be able to say that I'm not the only one. I'm not sure if you brought that thing with you?

　Removing her mouth from the cup of tea that had been served to her and placing it quietly on the table, Aldis looked the woman straight in the eye and replied shortly.

'Yes.'

That's good news. Now, let's see if you can get on with it.

　With a smile full of affection as a merchant, Marida holds out her hands.
　It's a lovely gesture, like a child begging for sweets, but she is a strong merchant who runs the business. It's a good thing that you're able to get away with it, because if you're deceived by appearances, you'll get hurt.

"But first--

　Turning a piercing gaze on him, the dark-haired boy opens his mouth.

'Let me make you a condition.

"Conditions?

　The woman's smile did not falter at the sudden words.

'Yes, on one condition. I've certainly brought you what you want. But it's up to you whether or not you give it to me.

...... What are the specific conditions?

First you'll tell me everything you know. I'll listen to what you have to say until I'm satisfied, and then I'll give you what I've got.

　First show me the card Marida has first. I'll show you this card afterwards.
　That's what Aldis was talking about.

'Isn't that a little too much of a bug?

We listened to you and brought you what you wanted, when you wanted it. We've already conceded at this point. Now isn't it your turn to concede?

Well, well, well, Mr. Aldis. Are you trying to negotiate with a merchant in your line of work?

I'm sorry, but I'm not an honest person who trades on what they want.

　Marida's eyes, which had a smile on her face, lit up as if she was trying to gauge her opponent.

''Hmm.''

　Marida crossed her arms and leaned back against the sofa.

'What else?'

You said you needed to bring something I brought with you to "put down the sword" or something.

Yeah, you said that.

"Let me be there to see it in action. I can't give it to you if you don't intend to use it for all the wrong things. If you don't agree to these two, you're out of luck.

　The conditions Aldis puts forward also have no effect on the final outcome.
　Regardless of the order, Aldis will still get the information, and Nere's hair will be in Marida's hands.

　But passing only the information to Aldis first would increase the risk of the transaction for Marida.
　If Aldis reneged on his promise after obtaining the information, she would suffer a one-sided loss.
　Unlike tangible goods, information, an intangible thing, cannot be regained once it has been provided to the other party.

　Asking for information in advance was a sign that Ardis did not trust her, and the fact that she knew this and accepted the condition was a sign that she did not trust Ardis.

　Aldis cannot believe information obtained from someone who does not trust her.

　For Ardis, obtaining information from someone who is reluctant to accept this level of conditionalities would make her doubt the credibility of the information itself.
　The information was unreliable, and Ardis had no need for it. The cancellation of the transaction would not cause him any itching.

It's a good thing that you're not a fan of ....... It's just the way it is. You can't do business without trust.

　Breathing lightly, Marida shook her head lightly, mumbling in resignation. Her grey hair swayed slightly.

''Liukai. That's the condition. The first condition is our concession, so we'll accept it. The second condition is that I was originally going to ask you to be present at the event, so it's the same whether or not you're present or not.

　Marida raised her hands lightly in surrender.

'I hope you are sincere in your dealings, Ardis,' she said.

　His big eyes narrowed and his smile deepened, and he instantly changed his attitude.

"So, the business meeting is over?　Shall I give you the information first, as per your terms? If it's something I know about, I'll answer it without hiding it. What do you want to ask me?

　When Marida corrects her residence and asks a question, Aldis immediately asks the first question.

'I have to ask this first: ......

　After a moment's pause, he opens his mouth again.

'Who the hell are you?'

　In response to a simple Aldis question, Marida turns her big chestnut eyes to the ceiling.

''Hmm ....... That's a very vague question! That's what it is, nii?　I don't want to ask you my name, my age, my family structure, or my three sizes, you know?

Of course.

　It is not such a superficial matter that Ardis wants to ask.
　Marida must have understood that. She seemed to be pondering how to explain it.

I'm sure you're right, ...... Aldis, you do dream, don't you?

...... That's right, I look at it once in a while. What about it?

'I dream about it too ......, but I'm a bit different from other people.

Different?

Yes. It is said that most people's dreams recreate events that happened in the past, or show wild and crazy scenes, but my dreams don't show such things, they show what could happen in the future.

Is that ......, a premonition dream?

'Hmm ......, not quite right?　It's not like what you see in your dream becomes reality, it's more like 'reality shifts as you choose in your dream'.

...... What's the difference?

　Ardis wrinkled her eyebrows and looked doubtful, because she didn't understand what Marida was saying.
　It was difficult to understand what Marida was trying to say.

It would be easier to understand it as a repetition of a dream. In the dream I take some action in response to an event I saw in the future, and there is a response. Then there is a response to that. When I encounter the same situation in real life, if I do the same thing in my dream, I will get the same result.

...... wouldn't you call that a premonition after all?

I keep having the same dream over and over again. I have the same dream over and over again, and if my behavior is changed, the result will be different, too.　For example, what if you were walking down the street and you dreamed that you saw a pebble in front of you?　In my dream, I kick a pebble, and a stray dog hits it and it chases me around. And what if you have the same dream the next day?　This time I walked past a pebble and a child behind me kicked the pebble, which hit my leg and injured me. And after a while, I would come across a similar situation in real life...

　After a pause, Marida sips her tea.

My actions then have the same consequences in reality as in my dreams. If you kick a pebble, a dog will chase you around, if you walk by, you will injure your leg. Just like in my dream.

　It was hard to believe.

　But it's the same with Ardis.
　It's a good idea to have a good time with your friends.

　That's why Aldis neither affirmed nor denied Marida's story, but simply listened in silence.

''Does that mean that ......, you can do whatever you want with the future?''

It's not that good.

　A slight shadow falls on Marida's smile.

'I don't always dream about the scenes I want to see. It could be a familiar daily life, or a place you don't recognize. First of all, you don't know if it will happen tomorrow or a few years from now. Of course, there are many dreams in which I can make some guesses.

So you're able to run such a successful business at your age because of your ability to do so?

Yeah. I guess you could say it's because of this power. I guess you could say it's because of this power.

　The female merchant closed her chestnut-colored eyes as she spoke in what could be described as a weak voice.

'You spoke as if you knew me, because you had the power to do so.

That's what I mean.

I understand what you're capable of. I'm going to ask you then, what the hell are you up to?　The sword you sent Kirill out to find, that's not the only purpose of getting it, is it?

　What the woman's purpose was, Ardis still didn't know.
　But the way Kirill reacted when he handed her the sword, or the way he showed interest in Ardis, he couldn't very well take Marida's words seriously.

'The purpose?　Well, as far as this is concerned, there are three objectives. First, to get the sword. And then I meet Aldis-kun. And finally, to bring Kirill-kun and Aldis-kun together...

　Marida counts her fingers as she answers.

'Me and Kirill?'

　I could still understand the purpose of two of the three. But I couldn't see what the point of bringing Kirill and Ardis together was.

'What do you mean?　What does it mean for me and Kirill to meet?

I'm sorry. I really don't know what I'm talking about. But I'm sure it's the right choice. After all, in other dreams I see Ardis and Kirill together, and most importantly, this choice finally ended my dream.

What do you mean it's over?

'As I said before, there's more than one dream I have. If you make the same choice, you get the same result, but if you make another choice, you get a different result. It's like it keeps repeating itself. Meeting Aldis this time was a procedure that I had to go through many, many trials and errors before I found it.　This is the second time I've met Aldis-kun in real life, but in my dreams I've already met and talked to him hundreds of times! That's why I didn't feel like I'd met you for the first time last time either.

　Marida laughs aloud.

To get back to the point, there are two endings to my recurring dreams. The first is when time is up, and the second is when the best possible outcome for me is achieved. The other is when the best possible outcome for me has been achieved.

　Marida said to Ardis, holding up both index fingers of her hands in turn.

'This time I stopped having this dream about six months ago. That means I've come up with the best option for me.

"Does that 'best option' include sending a child like Kirill to the Caucasus Forest alone?

'It was the only way, so there's no way around it. The first time I sent someone else to get in touch with you, I tried to get in touch with you, but even if I sent someone from the Merchant's Association or hired mercenaries, they would end up rebelling against you or not being able to make contact with you, and in the end all of this would fail. If I went to them by myself, they would take over the Chamber of Commerce while I was away. I tried more than a dozen patterns, but Kirill was the only one who was able to contact Aldis.

Then you could have at least told Kirill what was going on, couldn't you have told him?

'Of course I tried, okay?　They didn't believe me, though. In the end, they got suspicious and wouldn't listen to me. It's been my experience that most people don't succeed when I tell them about my dreams. Most people don't believe us, and even if they do, the results can be blindingly obvious.

Doesn't that mean you have a problem with me sitting here listening to you right now?

'Hmm ....... That doesn't seem to be the only time that talking to you about your dreams doesn't end badly.... I've been wondering that too .......

　Apparently, Marida seemed to be seriously wondering.
　The smile that had stuck like a mask loosened and her true face could be seen from underneath it.

''Anyway, I let Kirill-kun go alone because otherwise it wouldn't have led to a good outcome. If you leave Kirill-kun with an escort, he will be attacked by demons on the way, and they will be annihilated. If I added more guards, I would reach the Kingdom of Naglas without any problems, but they would all get wiped out when they stepped into the Caucasus Forest. Isn't it the same with rosin?　When I gave him a lot of gear, he was stripped of his stuff in Gran, and when I reduced it a bit, I could hire a good bodyguard, so we'd arrive at the ruins without meeting Ardis. And I failed to find the hidden stairs. If you let them leave without any roadside silver at all, of course, or rather, there's nothing you can do after arriving at Gran.

　Sighing heavily, Marida continues.

"Do you have any idea how many times I've had to do it over?　It may not be up to a hundred times, but the conclusion I finally reached after much trial and error was that I didn't inform Kirill of my original intentions, but instead let him travel alone with the minimum amount of roadside silver on the condition that he obtains a loan from the Lovell Trading Company. That's how Kirill-kun finally came back safely, and yet we managed to bring that sword and you to him.