Chapter 67
Fezaris lies inland.
Although Das rode his horse hard for a full day and night, he did not reach the nearest port where his ship was moored until late the following night.
At Orse Port, not only was Das's ship moored there, but his trading company also maintained an office. Despite the hour, when everyone was asleep, Das pounded roughly on the door of his own office.
A faint light leaked from the windows. They had properly followed Das's orders and posted a night watch. He had originally given those instructions in case something happened at sea, but they had proved useful in an entirely unexpected situation.
"Who is it at this hour?!"
The person who came out without bothering to hide his displeasure was Ippo, one of the trading company's younger employees. Under normal circumstances, Das would have reprimanded him for that attitude as a merchant, but he had no time for that now.
When Ippo realized that the person illuminated by the light from the room was Das himself, he froze, eyes wide.
"Ippo, how many people are in the office right now?"
Ippo came to himself when Das spoke to him.
"Uh, y-yes! There are about ten of us here! ...Um, what happened?"
"Wake everyone up. We're preparing to leave."
"Leave? Where are we going at this hour...?"
"It's an emergency. Gather the sailors when morning comes. Hurry!"
It was extremely unusual for Das to raise his voice like this. At this point, Ippo seemed to realize that the situation was serious, and hurried off to wake those who were sleeping.
Das followed Ippo into the office, seized the bottle of wine Ippo had presumably been drinking, and drank straight from it. Come to think of it, he had hardly taken in any fluids. His excitement had masked it, but his hunger was quickly catching up with him.
He also shoved down the cheese and dried meat that had presumably been Ippo's snacks with the wine.
Only after he had drained the bottle completely did Das finally feel a little more like himself.
Just as Das let out a deep breath and dropped heavily into a chair, the trading company's employees came bustling in. Among them was Gru, the firm's head clerk.
"Das-sama, what in the world happened?"
Once everyone had assembled, Gru spoke for them and asked Das.
As he ate the bread and drank the water they had brought him, Das looked around at everyone once, then began in a grave tone.
"Keep this strictly confidential."
After confirming that everyone had nodded silently, he finally told them of Luluria's predicament. The unexpected news left them all speechless.
"We still can't predict how Rudek will act. In any case, I may need to leave for Rudek at once. That is precisely why I want everyone prepared to move at a moment's notice."
"Understood. I will make the necessary arrangements immediately. However, Das-sama, you should rest first. You look terrible. At this rate, you won't even be fit to go to sea."
Das considered Gru's suggestion for a moment and realized that there was no point in pushing himself through the night.
"...Very well. I will sleep until morning. Gru, I leave the rest to you."
"Yes. Everything will be ready by the time you wake."
Gru was one of the men who had supported the trading company for many years. With him in charge, Das had nothing to worry about.
"If a messenger arrives from Doran-dono, wake me no matter the circumstances."
After giving that instruction, he collapsed onto a nearby sofa and fell into a deep sleep like a log.
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Das woke shortly before noon. He had not realized it himself, but he must have been utterly exhausted.
"Are you awake? Good morning."
Gru called out to him from where he was working at the table.
"How are the preparations coming?"
"Everything is proceeding smoothly. We can depart at any time. Shall we leave?"
"No. Doran-dono told me to wait for word from him first. He is unlikely to keep us waiting long. We will wait."
"Understood. Then we should start with a meal."
"Yes. Have something prepared."
A merchant ought to have a hearty appetite. When a business opportunity presents itself, it is hardly unusual to go from one banquet to the next. Being able to eat heartily wherever one happens to be and show one's mettle is surprisingly important to making a name for oneself.
After polishing off a substantial meal serving as both breakfast and lunch, Das got himself presentable. Only then was he back to his usual self.
"For now, I'll think through the possible negotiations with Rudek. Let me know the moment a messenger arrives."
"Yes."
However, no word came at all, and the tense wait dragged on until the seventh day.
At last, unable to stand the waiting any longer, he was just about to tell Doran that he would head to Rudek for now when a messenger finally arrived from Doran himself.
"I have been waiting. What is the situation?"
"It's just that..."
"Don't keep me waiting. What is happening?"
When Das asked again, the messenger, looking troubled, tried to carry out his duty.
"We have received an official notice from Rudek. Luluria-sama will be sent to Greedle, and the whole matter will be considered closed."
"What?"
"In the first place, all they did was rescue the ship carrying Luluria-sama after it had been found adrift. It was done for humanitarian reasons, they said, and they had no ulterior motive."
This was far beyond anything Das had anticipated. Had King Zeulashia of Rudek chosen to show the breadth of his character? Or perhaps it was a decision made by one of the two generals known as the twin heads of the Kingdom of Rudek.
In any case, the outcome was far better than he had expected. Das said, "I see," and slowly leaned back against the chair.
"Doran-sama asked me to tell you to return home; he will provide the details. He says you may take your time on the way back."
"Understood. Tell him I'll be returning soon."
After sending the messenger on his way and explaining how matters had been resolved to his subordinates, Das returned slowly to Fezaris, just as Doran had instructed.
At this point, Das still did not realize that Luluria was on the verge of blossoming into her full potential.
Then, as soon as he returned home,
he received a letter from Luluria that read, "Rudek is going to buy a large quantity of tar, so please handle the negotiations, okay?"
and found himself utterly bewildered.