Chapter 37
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Chapter 37
The woman presumed to be Adeline nodded her head.
'What extraordinary fortune!'
The fact that The Emperor himself had brought her was a guarantee in itself.
Jack maintained his composure on the surface while studying her.
"What price are you asking?"
"Thirty million crowns per ton. That's higher than previous years."
"That is..."
Jack rubbed his rough stubble thoughtfully. Even if he poured more money into transportation, it might be better to import from abroad where quality was guaranteed.
According to the information he'd obtained, Adeline was currently in a state of flight from her family.
It was practically difficult to trust the Lockhart Family name under such circumstances.
He couldn't discern whether she was attempting negotiations to seize this opportunity for profit or harbored some other intention. Of course, he knew The Emperor would be displeased if he refused this young lady, but investing such a substantial sum in a first-time transaction carried considerable risk.
Yet he found himself intrigued.
"If you've quoted that price with such confidence, you must have your reasons. Do tell."
"It's cheaper than elsewhere, isn't it?"
"However, the Kelofeldt Trading Company refrains from conducting business with individuals, and given that we have no prior transaction history..."
"You wouldn't be dealing with me. You'd be dealing with Grunvalt Territory."
"Grunvalt?"
It was a remote fiefdom he'd heard of before.
It was probably in the Southern Region. Yes, that was it—the south. He'd seen it listed among the trading partners when he'd reviewed the ledgers recently.
Though it was hardly worth calling a trading partner, given that only minimal transactions of small quantities had occurred there.
"You're referring to the mine that Grunvalt reclaimed, I presume."
It was certainly intriguing.
Yet Jack skillfully masked his expression and studied her more carefully.
"I've heard that the mining rights to that mine have reverted to The Lord of Grunvalt. However, isn't that mine one where gemstones like emeralds and diamonds are extracted, rather than luminous stones?"
"You're well-informed."
The young lady with particularly lovely eye-smile laughed. But Jack focused instead on the gleam in her eyes.
How should he describe that look?
"But there were luminous stones too. We simply chose not to sell them."
Swiftly.
A raw luminous stone appeared on the table.
Jack gasped and brought a magnifying glass to bear. While he'd need to examine it more closely to be certain, even at first glance the stone was brimming with moisture, its surface gleaming with luster, displaying a magnificent quality that shimmered with both jade and blue hues.
The faint white streaks that seemed to ripple across it suggested the luminescent power would be quite formidable.
"..."
It was a tempting proposition.
The quality far surpassed what he could import from abroad. But he needed to negotiate the price down further.
"How can you be certain that just this one stone happens to possess good quality?"
Thud, thud, thud.
Countless stones tumbled across the table.
"How can you claim these were mined from Grunvalt...?"
Whoosh.
Small letters were engraved into the refined gemstone.
[Grunvalt].
In that instant, Jack lifted a magnifying glass and examined the lettering closely.
"Why would you engrave this onto merchandise?"
It was a method he'd never seen before. Engraving a name onto goods meant to be sold—damaging the very product itself.
Who would purchase such a thing?
Yet Enya smiled with unwavering confidence.
"This will become a guarantee of quality."
"Damaged goods won't sell to anyone. Not even when supplying items for state functions."
"The reason Kelofeldt is renowned is because exceptionally high-quality goods circulate through it. We operate on an entirely different level from other trading companies."
Enya pressed her point, and his stern expression softened slightly.
This was her moment.
"I understand Kelofeldt's reputation is such that even if someone were holding a mere pebble, saying 'I bought this from Kelofeldt' would draw everyone's attention. Isn't that so?"
"...That's correct."
His nostrils flared.
"But there's no way to prove whether something is actually from Kelofeldt or not."
"That's precisely why I'm providing you with a certificate of authenticity."
"It's all handwritten work. Naturally, not every single item would receive a certificate, and when exporting goods to distant territories or overseas, substitution incidents do occur."
Jack couldn't refute her words.
Such incidents happened frequently in reality.
"This mark will prove invaluable."
Enya pointed to the edge of the stone.
"Kelofeldt's ambition is to establish an even greater trading enterprise. And by dividing branch operations among the guild master's children, you'd extend your influence across the entire continent, far beyond the Empire itself."
How does she know all of that?
Jack recalled the chatter Rosanna had been gossiping about before. She'd mentioned a woman in Grunvalt who'd sold a rare necklace...
'Could that have been Adeline?'
Jack's eyes widened.
"Even without writing out certificates individually, this quality assurance mark would allow anyone to instantly recognize Kelofeldt merchandise."
Jack listened intently to her words.
"Furthermore, Kelofeldt already engages in considerable charitable work for society. Yet it remains largely unknown. A trading company's assistance to people doesn't stem purely from goodwill, does it?"
Just as nobles sponsored commoners with calculated purpose, trading companies engaged in social service not out of mere benevolence, but to reshape their image—more precisely, to transcend simple commodity sales and capture people's hearts to forge new ventures.
This was evidence that Kelofeldt saw further into the future than its competitors.
Ultimately, it was all for tangible profit.
"The staff who would normally prepare certificates can be redirected elsewhere, and engraving names directly onto goods will encourage rapid consumption without requiring lengthy deliberation. After all, it bears the Kelofeldt name."
"..."
"Before long, Kelofeldt will become a symbol in itself."
"Ha...."
Jack covered his face with his broad hand.
It was something he had desired. A dream he'd harbored since childhood, watching his father, the Previous Guild Master.
How had the Lockhart Family's young lady seen through this so clearly?
'I heard she was confined to the house due to illness.'
He began to doubt whether his information was accurate. This was not the insight of a noblewoman raised delicately within the walls of a mansion.
'How on earth....'
How could she have known?
That was the expression on his face.
Enya gazed at the Guild Master while maintaining her silence, feigning ignorance.
'It was the deathbed wish the Previous Guild Master left behind when he collapsed from the shock of being completely overwhelmed by the Newkemia Merchant Guild, his rival at the time.'
In the original story, there was something The Emperor had said when he met him.
"I'll help you. So you can become the greatest merchant guild. I knew your father, the Previous Guild Master. If he were still alive, he would have seized this opportunity."
So I had conducted some investigation into Jack Kelofelt's father.
Jack was bouncing his leg rapidly. They were already past ninety percent. Now then.
"However, thirty million crovats is three times the ordinary price. I'll reduce it by five million crovats."
"...!"
Jack, startled, pressed his nose thoughtfully before looking at me. His eyes held the gleam of a keen observer.
"You want something more."
Indeed, he understood the true meaning behind my words well.
"If we engrave the Kelofeldt mark onto the luminous stones and distribute them to everyone later, they will remember the name Kelofeldt."
It would certainly have an enormous promotional effect. Jack understood that too.
Right now, there were hardly any who knew that the Kelofeldt Trading Company was the force supporting the Imperial Palace for the warmth of year's end.
"Agreed."
"But engraving a name onto stone requires skill."
That was certainly an important point. Jack had already leaned his body heavily toward Enya.
"Hire the Alchemist I recommend."
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