The Four Heroes of Meraldia at Kuwol’s Grand Conference

Parker changed into his formal uniform and cast an illusion over his face, transforming the horrifying white skull into the features of a handsome young man. As always, he was going with the looks he’d had when he was still alive.

“I have something important I need to discuss with you before we attend the meeting,” he said to Ryuunie and Myurei, who both straightened their backs and looked earnestly at him. I like your attitudes, he thought before continuing, “Veight is on good terms with the leaders of all of Meraldia’s neighboring nations. Not only has he shown them all just how powerful he is, but he’s done a lot to help them as well. I’m sure you’ve heard the stories.”

“Only a few, but yes,” Ryuunie said with a nod.

“In other words, it’s thanks to Veight that diplomacy with our neighbors is going so well. Without him, we don’t have any leverage.”

Now that Veight had returned home, there was no Meraldian left in Kuwol with any real influence over the kingdom’s ministers. But even so, someone had to handle negotiations.

“One of the topics of today’s meeting is the sugar trade between Meraldia and Kuwol. It’s something that will have a huge impact on the kingdom’s finances, as well as the circulation of goods within Meraldia. Veight isn’t here, but the ministers will still be expecting us to represent Meraldia. We have to secure the conditions we want or we’ll be letting everyone down.”

“I-I’m starting to feel nervous...” Myurei muttered with a gulp. He knew a fair bit about goods trading so he understood just how difficult a task awaited them.

Parker smiled reassuringly and said, “Worry not. I’m sure if the four of us work together, we can accomplish just as much as Veight would have.”

“Do you really think so?” Mao, who was organizing a sheaf of documents, asked.

Parker looked over at him and said with a straight face, “If we can’t handle a problem as simple as this, then our nation has no future. The Meraldian Federation is too big for Veight to solve all of its problems on his own. As it is, he’ll have his hands full taking care of Ryunheit.”

There was a reason the old Senate had appointed viceroys to each city rather than trying to govern the region themselves. They’d even gone so far as to restrict trade despite knowing it was going against the times to narrow the scope of their jurisdiction.

“From here on out, we can’t just rely on Veight for everything. Besides, we need to prove to Kuwol that Meraldia has plenty of other young talent at its disposal.”

Ryuunie nodded resolutely and replied, “I-I’ll do my best.”

“Likewise,” Myurei added.

Parker and Mao both smiled at the two innocent yet determined young boys.

“Don’t worry, Mao and I will be here to assist you.”

“You can leave anything involving math to me. Also, I’ll take care of any ‘shady dealings’ as well. Veight’s already branded me as an evil merchant, I may as well live up to the reputation.” Mao tucked his documents under his arm and bowed gracefully to the two boys. “Now then, shall we be off?”

And so, the first “Grand Kuwol Conference” began. The members present on the Kuwol side were all big names who had immense influence over national affairs. There were a number of nobles who’d traveled quite a ways to be here as well. Birakoya Bahza, Powani Karfal, Amani Wajar, and Valkel, Lord Peshmet’s representative, were the main ones. Naturally, the palace ministers such as the master of ceremonies, the grand chamberlain, and the chief shaman were all present as well. The elder of the mountain tribes was present too, as was Queen Fasleen.

Meanwhile, situated in one small section of the room’s large circular table were Meraldia’s four diplomats.

“T-This isn’t good, Mister Mao. I’m scared we might not get a chance to say anything at all,” Myurei mumbled with a stiff expression.

Mao, who was sitting in the chair behind him, shook his head and replied, “You need to project confidence. People will judge you based on your attitude.”

“I-I see...”

Myurei turned back to the table, but now Ryuunie glanced back and asked, “I’m from Rolmund. Is it really okay for me to speak on Meraldia’s behalf?”

Parker smiled reassuringly and replied, “I’m not sure if you noticed, but your entourage consists of a demon and a man from Wa. The only true-blooded Meraldian here is Myurei.”

Meraldia’s mixed population was one of its drawbacks, but it was also one of its strengths.

“The people here only know what Kuwol is like. This is your chance to show them how Meraldia does things. Don’t worry, I’ll back you up if anything happens,” Parker added.

“I-If you say so.”

Ryuunie looked forward again.

The meeting began with a recap of Kuwol’s current situation. Powani Karfal, who was serving as this meeting’s chair, started off by saying, “The passing of His Majesty Pajam the Second brought much turmoil to every region of Kuwol.”

Strictly speaking, that wasn’t the truth since Pajam the Second had basically been completely isolated from politics. It was Zagar’s rebellion that had caused all this turmoil. However, the nobles had all unilaterally decided to wipe Zagar’s involvement from the public record, so they were all pretending like he had nothing to do with this.

“We must act swiftly if we are to restore order. Both the royal family’s coffers and the various nobles’ finances are in dire straits. We need to resume trade with Meraldia immediately if we are to avert a financial crisis.”

Even if there hadn’t been much actual fighting, the coastal and river nobles had ostensibly been at war. Meraldia had supported the coastal nobles, which technically had put them in opposition with the river nobles. However, Lord Karfal owed Veight a large debt, so he was willing to side with Meraldia despite being one of the river nobles.

Parker whispered all of this background information to Ryuunie and Myurei, who nodded emphatically.

“...Our teacher really is amazing.”

“So this is what he meant about turning enemies into allies through diplomacy. Maybe this won’t be so hard after all,” Myurei said with a grin.

Mao shook his head and replied, “Sorry, but I’m afraid things aren’t that simple. Soon enough, this is going to devolve into an unsightly slugfest with everyone prioritizing their own interests. Stay sharp—the true battle is yet to come.”

It only took a few minutes for Mao’s words to come true.

“Without our ports, you wouldn’t be able to send your sugar anywhere! Not to Meraldia, and certainly not to Wa!” one of the coastal nobles shouted, red-faced.

One of the river nobles countered, “That may be, but your port fees are still too high!”

“We’re the ones actually growing sugarcane!”

“The more you charge us, the higher we’ll have to price our sugar to make a profit! You know Meraldia won’t like that!”

Another coastal noble jumped into the fray and shouted, “You already surrendered to our armies! If you had any pride as warriors, you would accept the victor’s conditions!”

“This is a discussion about trade—a warrior’s pride has no place here!”

A few of the nobles were so heated that they looked ready to draw their weapons at any second. Naturally, their aides were keeping them in check, but there was no telling what would happen if the argument got any more heated.

Myurei sighed and said, “This is no way for grownups to act. Where’s their dignity?”

“It’s because they’re adults that they’re so desperate,” Parker said with a grin. “I wouldn’t look down on them if I were you.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Parker’s expression grew serious and he replied, “They all have a responsibility to the people they govern to put their priorities first and foremost. Which, of course, means they’re less concerned about what the best solution is, and more interested in the solution that will bring them the most profit.”

“But then...” Myurei trailed off.

Mao chimed in with, “This isn’t a classroom, Master Myurei. Finding a compromise everyone can accept is more important than chasing vague ideals like justice or truth.” Sighing, he added, “That being said, principles are still important. Your grandfather may be harsh, but he’s known far and wide for being a fair ruler and someone you can trust...though, he’s definitely a stingy old coot.”

“I see.”

Myurei nodded, absorbing that knowledge. Meanwhile, the debate between the nobles had taken an interesting turn.

“Here, look! These are the prices we’ll have to charge for our sugar if we pay your usurious port fees! There’s no way anyone will buy it!”

“Oh, shut your trap! Why don’t you go ask Meraldia’s representatives over there whether or not people will buy sugar at that price, huh?!”

Everyone’s eyes darted over to Ryuunie and Myurei, who were indeed Meraldia’s representatives for this meeting. Lord Karfal gave the two boys a pitying look, but then asked, “...What is Meraldia’s opinion on the matter?”

Myurei and Ryuunie exchanged a quick glance, then Myurei got to his feet. He was a bit older than Ryuunie, and he was also a Meraldian native, which was why he thought he needed to take the lead here.

“M-Meraldia is hoping to profit from the sugar trade as well. If the prices are too high we won’t be able to import it.”

Immediately one of the river nobles shouted, “See! We won’t be able to sell anything! If Meraldia won’t buy our sugar, we may as well go bankrupt!”

“But if we don’t recoup our war expenditures somehow, our cities will go bankrupt!”

“We weren’t able to trade at all during the civil war, so we’re already deep in the red!”

“We should just ask Lord Veight what he thinks directly!”

The moment they had their answer, Kuwol’s nobles started ignoring Myurei again. He looked around for a few seconds, then awkwardly sat back down and hung his head.

“If Professor Veight were here, he would have done a way better job than me.”

“Veight certainly did a lot to help everyone here. They feel indebted to him, so of course they wouldn’t be able to yell at him like this. You did well, though. You held your ground and you told them where Meraldia stands on the issue.”

Parker smiled softly at Myurei, but he then folded his arms and lapsed into thought. It was clear reaching a compromise here wouldn’t be easy.

“This is quite the pickle. Everyone’s so focused on profits they’re losing sight of the big picture,” he mused.

Ryuunie looked up resolutely and said, “In that case, let me handle this.”

“H-Huh? Ryuunie?!”

Myurei looked concerned, but Ryuunie ignored him and got to his feet.

“Excuse me! May I have permission to speak? I am Rolmund’s former prince, Ryuunie Bolshevik Doneiks Rolmund!”

The meeting room fell silent almost immediately, then was soon followed by many of the nobles whispering frantically to each other.

“...Meraldia is harboring members of the Rolmund imperial family?”

“This must be part of Lord Veight’s plan.”

“Agreed...”

Hearing this, Ryuunie raised his voice. “You’re forgetting what’s important! Right now we should be focusing on how to protect Prince Schmal and the royal family! I lost my father to a civil war and was exiled from my home! But it is thanks to Lord Veight that I now have protection!”

Everyone’s attention was focused on Ryuunie, but they didn’t look happy at all.

“Here in Kuwol, the only people who can protect Prince Schmal are you nobles! I’m begging you, please put your discussion about profits and interests aside for now and put the royal family first!” After saying his piece, Ryuunie sat back down.

Myurei patted him on the back and muttered, “You’re amazing, you know that?”

“Th-Thanks... But I don’t think they’re too happy about what I said.”

Indeed, most of the nobles were sighing and shaking their heads.

“Hmm, I’m not quite sure what to say.”

“After all, everyone knows that ‘protecting the royal family’ is just an excuse to hold this meeting...”

Ryuunie slumped as he listened to the nobles’ condescending voices. Parker shook his head and said, “It’s just how things are. Everyone’s more worried about the immediate problems they face. Ideals can’t fill your belly. Well, not that actual food can fill my belly either.”

Parker’s sorry attempt at a joke didn’t lighten Ryuunie’s spirits at all.

“You’re right... If we could just talk through everything, civil wars wouldn’t happen in the first place.”

“Huh?! Err, well, yes...”

Parker slumped as well, and this time Mao stepped in with a rueful smile.

“Why don’t you let me handle this? I’m not much of an idealist, but I do know how to handle mundane problems.”

Mao got to his feet and swept his gaze across the room, gathering everyone’s attention on him.

“My name is Mao, and I am one of Meraldia’s diplomats. I would like to offer a realistic proposal as an addendum to Prince Ryuunie’s words. Naturally, this proposal brings with it the potential for profit.”

“Profit...you say?”

The nobles stared at Mao with mild suspicion, but he didn’t seem to mind. Amani Wajar stood up and asked, “You are one of Meraldia’s foremost merchants, are you not, Sir Mao?”

Well, this will certainly make convincing everyone easier, Mao thought with a faint smile.

As Mao collected his thoughts Amani waved cheerfully to Parker, and he gave a small wave back. Amani’s complexion was much better than the last time Parker had seen her, and the niacin deficiency rashes were gone. She’s quite cute now that she isn’t sickly... he thought absently.

“I heard you were born in Wa, but that you have connections everywhere, including in Rolmund. Please, tell us what this proposal might be.”

Wajar was one of the most important inland cities, and Amani had quite a bit of influence with the river nobles. Now that she’d stood up for Mao, none of them could speak out against him.

“Thank you.” Mao bowed deeply to Amani. “I realize that this meeting was called to discuss practical affairs, and that it was improper to call attention to the pretense when we all understand it is a facade, but I implore you all to consider Prince Ryuunie’s words more carefully.”

Mao spoke smoothly, drawing on his years of experience as a traveling merchant.

“His Majesty Pajam the Second passed away under dubious circumstances, and his heir Prince Schmal has only just been born. Were the neighboring nations to learn that the nobles who support Kuwol are more concerned with lining their pockets than securing the stability of the new regime—what would they think?”

The palace’s official statement was that Pajam the Second had died by falling off his horse, but everyone in this room knew that he’d been assassinated by Zagar. Kuwol had also just come out of a civil war, and it was obvious to everyone that the nation was greatly weakened. The nobles glared at Mao with unbridled hostility, but he continued, unfazed.

“Meraldia is, of course, Kuwol’s ally and will do everything in its power to assist you, but we need to gain from this alliance as well.” Grinning, Mao ended his speech there.

The nobles looked awkwardly at each other. Mao did have a point about how they couldn’t afford to be infighting right now.

“If the larger nomad tribes struck now, we’d be in trouble...”

“All they have to do is capture one city next to the Mejire, and our supply routes will be completely cut off.”

“Considering how unstable the kingdom is currently, they may really try and attack.”

After making sure the nobles had been sufficiently shaken, Mao said, “I have no doubt the nomad tribes that roam this land are dangerous, but there’s a far more dangerous adversary you must worry about.”

“And who would that be?” Amani asked in a tone that made it clear she knew the answer.

“Your own people,” Mao replied simply.

“Our...people?”

“Yes. I hope you have not forgotten that Zagar and all of his mercenaries were the kingdom’s subjects. What do you think drove those common people to commit such barbaric acts?”

Mao purposely avoided explicitly mentioning Pajam’s murder. In order to properly bury the truth, it was important that no one said it out loud. Nevertheless, the nobles fully understood what Mao was getting at.

“...I do not mean to disparage our own people, but something like that will never happen again.”

“Something that has happened once before can easily occur a second or third time. In fact, most of the mercenary company Zagar led is still intact. Not only that, but they’re still here in Encaraga.”

Zagar himself was dead, but it was easily possible for another ambitious man like Zagar to attempt something similar. Mao spoke quickly, not giving the nobles a chance to argue back.

“Don’t you understand? The reason this tragedy occurred is not because a scoundrel like Zagar existed. The current state of Kuwol’s society is the root cause. The ills of the common people serve as fertile soil to breed revolution. So long as you don’t address the core issue, this tragedy will repeat over and over again.”

One of the nobles opened their mouths to argue, but Birakoya Bahza cut them off.

“Please wait, everyone. Let Sir Mao finish what he has to say. I think it will prove very valuable advice.”

Birakoya smiled at Parker as she extended a helping hand to Mao. I guess this is her way of paying us back? Parker thought, smiling back at her. Things were going better than expected, thanks to all the groundwork Veight had laid by helping everyone out.

Mao bowed to Birakoya, then continued his speech, “Now that you’ve experienced a civil war for yourselves, surely you understand just how terrifying the common people can be when they’re hungry, penniless, and fed up with being trampled on? I was once in their position, so I can understand their anger quite well. The reason I live in Meraldia now is because my former employer framed me for his crimes, forcing me to flee my home.”

The room went quiet. After a few seconds, Lord Karfal nodded solemnly. He, too, had been chased out of his city by Zagar and forced to wander the wilderness for a short while with his family. He looked over at Parker, who nodded silently. It seemed Karfal wanted to repay his debts here as well.

Upon receiving confirmation, Lord Karfal raised his hand and said, “My apologies for speaking so frequently when I’m supposed to be this meeting’s mediator, but I understand Sir Mao’s words quite well myself. If we focus solely on our own profits...we will be inviting another calamity.”

Mao nodded in agreement.

“Lord Powani is absolutely correct. Were all of Kuwol’s people law-abiding, tax-paying citizens who respected the royal family and the nobles who support it, the kingdom would be at peace. I believe the best way to make that possible is to vastly expand sugarcane cultivation and increase the amount of sugar in circulation. That will make the common people wealthier as well, and if they have a stable lifestyle, they won’t feel compelled to revolt.”

One of the nobles folded his arms and harrumphed loudly. “You just want to be able to buy cheap sugar in bulk, don’t you?”

Mao grinned wickedly, his nature as a merchant coming to the forefront. “Perhaps. But it’s not a bad deal for you either, now, is it? Meraldians aren’t particularly fond of meji, but they love sugar. Even if prices decrease, you’ll more than make up the difference with the increased sell-through quantity.”

“Will we really stand to profit from this?” the noble asked suspiciously.

Mao pulled out the documents he’d been organizing earlier and said, “According to Lord Veight’s calculations, Meraldia’s sugar consumption is projected to hit an explosive new high. He’s confident enough that he’s willing to buy ten times the sugar next year as he did this year.”

“...D-Did you just say ten times?!”

Mao scratched his head awkwardly and said, “To be honest, I can hardly believe it myself... However, Veight seems certain that the demand for sweets and confectionaries will rise exponentially.”

Sugar was used as a medicine and for regular cooking as well, but Veight’s insistence was that sweets production would drive demand up. Of course, baked goods and confectionaries used far more sugar than medicine or regular dishes, so if his predictions were true, consumption would indeed go up by as much as 10 times.

Mao cocked his head and questioned, “Can people really eat that much sugar?”

“Err, I’m not sure we’re the ones you should be asking.” The nobles exchanged glances with each other. “But if Lord Veight says Meraldia will want that much sugar, then demand most likely will rise.”

“Besides, it’s only Meraldia that stands to lose out if they can’t actually use all the sugar they buy.”

“If they actually take all the sugar we grow, we may as well expand our plantations.”

In the end, one of the nobles turned to Mao.

“Will you really buy ten times as much sugar next year?”

“Lord Veight has said he wants to import that much, and the council has already set aside the budget for it. However, we would like to negotiate the price down a little, considering the large quantity we’ll be buying.”

The nobles exchanged glances again so Mao added, “Even if you sell at a discounted price, you’ll still get to inject a large amount of foreign currency into your economy. Plus, this will be a good chance for Kuwol to start importing Meraldia’s luxury goods.”

That seemed to convince the nobles.

“You have a point. If we start importing Meraldian goods and sell them domestically, we will be able to increase our profits that way as well.”

“Indeed. A small price drop on sugar will still net us more rewards in the long run.”

In a passionate voice, Mao stated, “Precisely! I’m sure the people of Kuwol will find great value in our exports. We can sell you dragonscale gems from Rolmund, magical tools designed by the demon army, intricate glass and silverwork pieces, and even high-quality iron from Wa!”

“Oho...”

Goods that were commonplace on Meraldia’s continent were quite valuable in Kuwol. Buying cheaply and selling at a markup was the basis of business, but the profit margins of imported goods like these would be astronomical.

While everyone was slowly being won over by Mao’s arguments, Valkel rose to his feet and said, “Well then, this is quite an intriguing proposition you have for us! My master, Lord Peshmet, was already considering adding a new large sugarcane plantation to his territory and giving it to me, so this works out quite well for us. I would love nothing more than for Meraldia to buy all of my sugar! As Lord Peshmet’s representative, I give you my word that our city will take part in this deal!”

It appeared that Valkel had become quite the celebrity after receiving a letter from Veight’s name.

“It’s fine if the other cities aren’t interested, that will just mean more profits for us. I’m sure my master will be quite pleased to learn that we have a monopoly on this deal, ahahahah!”

Valkel grinned at Parker as he said that. It feels like half the people at this meeting are indebted to us. Even when you’re not here, you’re still helping us out, Veight, Parker thought with a wry smile as he bowed to Valkel. That convinced the other nobles to throw away any remaining hesitation, and everyone started clamoring to join in on the deal.

“Now, now, hold on a moment. We need to do this fairly so that everyone, including the citizens, prospers from our agreement.”

“O-Of course, we can’t leave them out either...”

After a great deal of debating minutiae, the first Grand Kuwol Conference came to an end. Meraldia’s four representatives were currently resting in their room.

“Your way of doing things is insane too, but completely in the opposite way of Veight’s,” Parker said sullenly.

Mao coolly replied, “What’s the problem? If there’s already a contract in place, Kuwol will be able to expand their sugar production without having to worry about anything.”

“Signing an advance contract for the purchase of sugar is fine, but you went and inserted that clause about Meraldia getting preference when buying on the international market. At a ridiculously discounted rate, at that!”

Mao looked unmoved by Parker’s complaints.

“We aren’t running a charity here, you know. Meraldia’s pledging to buy an inordinate amount of sugar. Considering the risk we’re taking on, it’s only fair that we get a few perks out of the deal, too.”

“We got way more than just a few perks here!”

Ryuunie and Myurei sighed, ignoring Parker and Mao’s debate.

“We were completely useless, weren’t we?”

“I wasn’t able to do even a fraction of what my dad or grandpa do when they negotiate with the Kuwolese...”

Upon hearing that Parker and Mao cut their argument short and exchanged smiles.

“What are you saying? You two did great.”

“Indeed. This was your first time at the negotiating table, but you were both able to state your position clearly and concisely. Well done.”

Myurei looked up, unconvinced. “Did we actually help at all?”

“Absolutely. I have faith that you will make for a great councilman in the future. I’m confident you’ll keep Meraldia’s trade going strong even decades from now.”

Myurei looked back at Ryuunie, his expression still glum.

“If you say so...”

“But in the end, it feels like Professor Veight’s popularity carried the entire negotiation.”

Even the inexperienced boys were able to tell that the majority of Kuwol’s leadership felt an affinity towards Meraldia thanks to Veight. That was indeed the biggest reason why the debate got resolved so quickly.

Parker smiled sadly at the two of them and said, “I suppose that’s true. Everyone’s trust in Veight was what ultimately decided things.”

Of course, knowing him, I bet my little brother doesn’t think he accomplished anything at all here.

With his smile growing bigger, Parker followed up himself, saying, “You know, even if Veight created this opportunity for us, we’re the ones who seized it. I’m sure he’d say the same thing if he was here.”

“Oh, absolutely,” Mao added.

Eventually, the report Parker wrote on how things went made its way across the sea and over to Ryunheit.

“Hah, I knew they could do it,” Veight said with a smile as he read the letter, Friede resting on his lap.

“It looks like negotiations with Kuwol went well. I guess everyone really didn’t need me there. I’m going to have to get used to relying on other people more often from now on.”

Airia smiled and replied, “You really should. Normally a large-scale conference like this would take much longer to resolve. I’m sure the reason things went so smoothly is because of all the trust you built up while you were there.”

Veight watched Friede play with his finger and said, “You think so? But even if I created the opportunity for them, they’re the ones who seized it.”

“Yes, yes, of course.”