Chapter 12: A Modicum of Payback —Groundwork—

“By the way, Your Highness,” said Ludwig, “I have no problems declining this offer from Shalloak, but how would you like to go about doing it?”

“Hm? What do you mean by ‘go about doing it?’” Mia gave Ludwig a puzzled look.

“Would you like to send a messenger? Or tell him in person?”

“Ah, that’s what you mean.” She considered her options. “Oho ho... Since he’s the one who brought it up, let’s make him come to us.”

There was plenty she wanted to say to him. The thought of doing so to his face put a devious smile on hers. Having gone to the trouble of visiting him in the previous timeline only to be turned away at the door, she was going to take what he’d said to her then and throw it right back at him. It was going to be her way of getting a modicum of payback!

“I believe that would be the best option as well, especially considering he might very well be connected to the Serpents.”

“The Serpents? Huh...” She nodded. It hadn’t occurred to her, but it was certainly possible. This whole affair could be another one of their nefarious schemes. However... “True. I suppose we do need to investigate that possibility a little more carefully.” ...In truth, she wasn’t too worried about Shalloak being a Serpent. She wasn’t sure why, but the man just didn’t seem like the order-destroying type.

He’s more like...a money addict. Or maybe a crazy cultist. The way he worships money is sort of fanatical, after all. Her instincts told her that he probably wasn’t a Serpent.

“I’ll send for him then. While preparations are underway, I’ll remain here in Belluga.”

“That’s wonderful. You’ll be a great help.” She nodded and folded her arms. “Hm... With that said, I should do a proper background check on the man.”

And so she did.

Though Shalloak’s business was based in the exclave port city of St. Baleine, he hadn’t been born in Belluga. His homeland was west of St. Baleine in the Kingdom of Miranada. A small kingdom dwarfed by even Remno, never mind Tearmoon, Miranada was nevertheless rich for its size. The source of its wealth was none other than the commercial activity that flowed out of bustling St. Baleine. As a result, merchants enjoyed a relatively high degree of social esteem in Miranada.

“I was planning to say some pretty mean things to his face, but I need to look into what connections he has. Just to be safe.”

If it turned out that Shalloak was cozy with powerful nobles from Miranada or other nations, it’d surely become a problem down the road. Fortunately, there were Miranada natives in Saint-Noel. She should just ask one of them.

“Hm, Miranada natives, Miranada natives... I vaguely remember Ludwig mentioning someone before...”

Before starting school in Saint-Noel Academy, Mia had done some groundwork networking. Specifically, she’d been looking for potential targets to suck up to so when she had to skedaddle, she’d have a place to go. Among the nations she’d researched, the Kingdom of Miranada had been a prospective place of asylum. The fact that it had a port was appealing. If she could use that to escape abroad, she’d be spared the flames of Tearmoon’s revolution.

As an aside, after being told to see if anyone had connections with Miranada, Ludwig had murmured “So at last, Her Highness seeks a port...” to himself in a voice of awe—the usual Ludwig conjecturing.

“If I remember correctly, there should be a few young nobles around here who fit the bill...”

Her musing led her to an upper-years’ classroom, where she asked for the whereabouts of those who’d been born in Miranada.

“Those three? I think they went to one of the lower-years’ classrooms,” answered one of the students.

Following the lead, she went to the lower years, where she found some vaguely familiar faces.

“My, aren’t you...”

“Eeep!” Three boys turned to look at her and jumped at their first glance. Between them was a girl, who looked like she didn’t want to be there. Mia couldn’t quite remember where she’d seen the boys, so she examined the girl. Her hair was matte gray, and her deep-green eyes darted about nervously. All in all, she gave off the kind of aww-so-cute aura that small animals often exuded. It made Mia want to pat her head. The boys surrounding her, meanwhile, now looked even jumpier than her.

Mia eyed each of them in turn. “You boys... Don’t tell me you were bullying her?”

“N-No, definitely not! There was no bullying here whatsoever!”

They were, in fact, the exact same boys who’d just gotten a good scolding from her a few days ago in the hallway. Their victim was the same girl too.

“Really. Then what were you doing?”

“W-We were following your order, President Mia, and protecting her!”

That reminded her—she had indeed mentioned something to that effect. She looked at the girl. “And you? Were you really not being bullied? Uh, your name is...”

“It’s Tatiana, um...President Mia. I really appreciate your help earlier. Thanks to you, they’ve been protecting me like this ever since.”

“Ah. That’s good then.” Mia nodded, though she slightly pitied the girl. Being encircled by a trio of older boys all day like this didn’t seem comfortable.

“B-By the way, President Mia, what brings you here today?” asked one of the boys.

She clapped her hands together, remembering her original mission. “Oh, right, I almost forgot! There’s something I want to ask you. You were all born in Miranada, right? Do you know of a merchant from your kingdom? He’s called Shalloak Cornrogue.”

“Shalloak Cornrogue? Oh, you mean Money-Grubber Shalloak...” said one of the boys, who scowled in disgust.

Mia arched an eyebrow. That was a rather unflattering title. “I heard that he’s done a lot of things and gotten quite rich off them. I assume he has plenty of connections with nobles as well?”

After some questioning, she learned that though Shalloak was not entirely disconnected from nobility, none of his contacts were worthy of her concern. For better or worse, most of his relationships seemed entirely transactional, rooted only in monetary gain. None of his acquaintances seemed likely to take his side if it came at the cost of incurring the empire’s disfavor.

It’d be a problem if he were cozy with bigwigs in Sunkland or Belluga, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. I think I’m clear to snark about him to my heart’s content. And to his face, at that!

She was too busy putting on her best evil grin to notice a change in Tatiana’s expression.

“...Master Shalloak Cornrogue?”

Nor did she hear the small whisper that escaped the girl’s lips.

After concluding her extensive intelligence-gathering operation (it took an hour, tops), snarfing down some snacks, rolling around in bed (for a good week or so), and engaging in various other forms of idle pastimes, a message from Ludwig arrived, informing her that Shalloak was on his way. She immediately began making her way to the town where Ludwig was currently staying.

As planned, she got there a day before Shalloak’s arrival, allowing her and Ludwig plenty of time for advance preparations. In order to welcome him appropriately—that is, exact revenge for what he did that day—she booked a room in an inn to stay the night. The small town had nothing close to luxury lodging, and it took some work to persuade the poor innkeeper to give her the room, who kept apologizing profusely for how he “can’t possibly accommodate someone like Your Highness here.” In the end, she got the job done by assuring him that as long as he was running a clean, normal business, then there would be nothing to worry about. What Mia cared the most about was whether the inn had a bathing facility. Fortunately, it did, and she enjoyed a restorative dip before turning in for the night.

Rested and ready, the next day she greeted Shalloak upon his arrival and showed him to her room at the inn. It wasn’t very spacious, and a number of people were already inside. Ludwig stood beside Mia. At her other flank was Anne. Bel, who’d asked to be brought along so she could witness Mia’s heroic feats, tucked herself into a corner of the room for spectating purposes.

“First, allow me to thank you for making the long journey here.” With a smile that exuded composure, Mia stood up and curtsied gracefully. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Mia Luna Tearmoon, princess of the Tearmoon Empire.”

She greeted him with a self-introduction that was courteous beyond reproach. The last time she’d visited him, he hadn’t even bothered to get up. With all the haughtiness of a king greeting a serf, he’d greeted her while lounging on his throne. Mia, however, was different. True majesty need not flaunt itself; bluff and bluster would only demean its inherent dignity. Au contraire, it was the diligent adherence to protocol and decorum that accentuated one’s exalted nature. So Mia conducted herself with the utmost stateliness, as if juxtaposing the crassness of his past performance.

Oho ho, I can hardly wait. This is going to be so much fun!

On the inside, she was anything but composed. She could barely contain her excitement. There were so many choice words she wanted to spew at him. So eager was she to get the conversation rolling that despite the plan to take the laid-back wait-and-see approach, she ended up introducing herself first!

“Ah, what an honor it is to be greeted so warmly. My name is Shalloak Cornrogue, and the pleasure is all mine, Your Highness.”

He took a knee, which she acknowledged with a nod. “Please, take a seat. There’s no rush, so let us begin by enjoying some tea.”

She gestured for a tea set, along with an assortment of tea cakes. Specifically, it was a collection of the finest Perujin cookies she’d asked Rania to prepare for her. In the previous timeline, Shalloak hadn’t offered her so much as a crumb, but Mia was different. She was going to show him how utterly superior she was by crushing him through the sheer weight of her generosity. In no way was she motivated by petty considerations such as avoiding Anne’s admonishments of overeating by framing her snacking as a gesture of courtesy for their guest. That would be slander.

“I must say, though,” said Shalloak, “I’m surprised that the princess of Tearmoon is staying in such a...” He glanced around the room, only to trail off when he noticed something in Mia’s hair. “Excuse my curiosity, but you seem to be wearing a fascinating hairpin.”

“Oh, this?” She smiled and pulled it from her hair. “It’s made from a beautiful species of tree called the ‘Unicorn’s Horn’ that grows in one of the empire’s forests.”

“Ah. A tree. I see.” His interest visibly dropped a notch.

Mia smiled sweetly at him. “Does it seem strange to you?” she asked with a soft chuckle. “That the princess of a mighty empire like me is wearing a wooden hairpin? Also, you didn’t finish your earlier sentence, but let me venture a guess—you find it bizarre that I’d choose to stay in an inn like this. Am I correct?”

Shalloak’s eyes widened a little. “You’re right on the money. Indeed, a dinky little inn like this hardly befits someone of your caliber. I worry about the rumors it might spread. It would be a stain on your good name. Wouldn’t your carriage be preferable compared to a place like this? Forgive me if I’m being presumptuous, but I noticed the vehicle Your Highness has parked out front, and the craftsmanship is superb. Now that is a coach lavish enough for a princess.”

His comment elicited a smile of satisfaction from Mia. “The carriage is nice, yes, but it doesn’t have a bath.”

“...I’m sorry?”

Shalloak frowned in confusion.

“This inn, meanwhile, has a very good bath. One of the best, even. Enjoying a good soak in its warmth followed by a refreshing gulp of spring water is an experience few pleasures can best.” Belluga was known for its abundant sources of water, boasting springs so pristine that it was rumored people could become beautiful just by drinking from them. “If you seek the best that a place has to offer, then naturally, you must stay in its inns and speak to its people. That’s how it works, isn’t it? Only true locals can guide you to true treasures.”

Indeed, Mia knew the golden rule of pleasure-seeking: keep an open mind. In Tearmoon grew Tearmoon’s mushrooms. In Belluga, Belluga’s mushrooms. In Remno, Remno’s. It was pure folly to travel to foreign lands and still blindly assume that the best cuisine consisted of only the mushrooms one knew from back home. Local dishes were best made with local mushrooms. Therefore, peak pleasure came from the constant pursuit of the best mushrooms that grew in the present location.

The principle of fungal fulfillment applied more broadly as well. Her carriage was certainly luxurious, but dismissing a local inn for its familiar comfort would be ignorance of the highest degree, a sign of extreme narrow-mindedness. Likewise, evaluating the value of all things through the measure most familiar to oneself—money—was equally foolish. And that latter point was what she was really trying to get across.

“Also, regarding this hairpin... It was given to me by a certain child who made it himself. It’s one of my favorites, because it was crafted with affection and care,” said Mia. She quietly closed her eyes. “I have no need for hair ornaments whose only worth is in how much they cost. After all, I am in a position that allows me to decide the value of things for myself.”

Faced with this proud declaration, Shalloak shrank a little.

“I...see,” he said, slightly overawed. “Th-That’s a splendid way of looking at things. I expected nothing less from Your Highness. So, does this mean you’re willing to accept my offer?”

“Offer? Oh... That thing.”

“Yes. I tried my best to make it as generous as possible.”

“I’d imagine so. You’re offering about a third of Forkroad’s price, I believe?”

“I heard that Marco of Forkroad & Co. has a daughter, and she is a good friend of Your Highness. Consider the discount a payment for the friendship.”

“A payment for the friendship, you say...” Mia narrowed her eyes at Shalloak as he put on an obsequious smile.

“The deal will end up severing a valuable relationship, after all. In order to make the deal satisfactory for you, I assumed a sizable sum of compensation would be necessary, which is what I currently offer.”

She returned his smile. “So I see. This is indeed a very good deal for us, Mr. Shalloak Cornrogue. The thing is...” She paused to fix him with a glare. “There’s something I’ve been dying to say to you, and I’d like to do that now.”

“Oh? I’m all ears, Your Highness.”

She looked at him and his clueless expression, then inhaled deeply. “If you think you can solve everything through money, then you’d better think again!” She smirked in satisfaction. “Like I said earlier, money is not important to me. I value friendship far more. Trust, loyalty, gratitude... These are all things that are much more important to me. Only a fool would throw them away for money.”

“What—” Shalloak drew back, quivering. Whether from astonishment or anger, she did not know. Nor did she care.

“It is pure folly to believe that every problem in this world can be solved through money. That kind of thinking is exactly what causes one to lose sight of the true value of things.”

Having hit him with the words she’d yearned to say in the previous timeline, she huffed out a breath of contented relief.

“Folly? The only folly here is... Hmph, I came here hoping to see what wisdom the Great Sage of the Empire had, and this is what I get?”

Mia paid him no mind. Payback was so satisfying that even Shalloak’s sour grapes tasted sweet.

“At the risk of giving offense, Your Highness, I must object. Friendship and trust... These are traps. To be caught up by such sentimental wish-wash and misjudge how one stands to gain and lose is a sign of weakness. By denying the rationality of money, you are succumbing to the pitfall of emotions. What a sorry sight.”

“Watch your tongue. You are speaking to the princess of Tearmoon,” snapped Ludwig.

Mia waved him back.

Then...

“Mr. Shalloak Cornrogue, no matter what you say, my decision will not change. I will do everything in my power to assist Forkroad & Co. Sir Marco trusted me and firmly kept to the terms of our contract. I must therefore repay his trust. To make an enemy of him is to make an enemy of me. I urge you to keep that in mind.”

She delivered her finishing blow and grinned with pure triumph.