Chapter 303

Preparations for Civil Engineering
A large sum of money flowed into Young lady Conniette's hands.
With this, it became possible to proceed with the road maintenance leading from the Connie Village.
However, even though road maintenance sounds simple, the tasks involved are extensive: removing stones, filling ruts, leveling the ground, and more.

Doing all of this manually would be extremely challenging.
In such cases, it's worth investigating if there are magic tools capable of handling such tasks.

To search for such tools, Young lady Conniette made a visit to the Trade Guild before heading back.
Between the Galette County’s and Vardmoi’s guilds, the Vardmoi Guild seemed far more convenient.
Besides, with me present, we could also rely on Alizée's assistance.

In fact, whenever I’m involved, Alizée is automatically summoned.
Essentially, we would be leveraging her help this time as well.

When I consulted Alizée for her expertise on road maintenance, she mentioned a suitable magic tool—or rather, a magic vehicle.
I’ve only seen it before, but it resembles the road rollers from my previous life—a ground-leveling vehicle.

"The mechanism is simple. This large and ultra-heavy magic vehicle flattens the ground by crushing it. Large stones and ruts need to be removed in advance, but smaller debris can be crushed by its weight. The road is also firmly compacted, which allows for more time before paving is required. What do you think?"

Hmm, paving, huh?
The streets of Vardmoi are paved with cobblestones.
But this seems quite costly.
It might be difficult to implement in Galette County.
Road leveling comes first, anyway.

"I'm not sure if paving is feasible. Even with the funds received from Marquis Vardmoi and Lady Lily, I don’t know how much will remain after road maintenance. For now, I’d like to focus on leveling the roads."

"Then, shall we consider purchasing this magic vehicle?"

"That sounds reasonable. However, brand-new vehicles seem expensive. Are there any well-maintained used vehicles available?"

As expected, Young lady Conniette is very prudent.
She's trying to save wherever possible.
Would I have thought this far ahead?

"Used vehicles, you say. That would require checking locally. If you want one transported from Vardmoi, we can assist in finding one."

"But that would also incur high transportation costs. I’d like to minimize expenses as much as possible."

"Ah, I see. In that case, let’s proceed like this: Young lady Conniette, you’ll pay a deposit to the Trade Guild in Galette County. The Guild will make it their mission to locate a suitable vehicle. It might take some time, though. What do you think?"

"Understood. Let’s go with that plan."

"Thank you for accepting the proposal. I will prepare a referral letter for Galette’s Trade Guild, so please wait a moment."

After bowing, Alizée left the room, and Young lady Conniette visibly relaxed.
She seemed quite tense.
Her face was stiff—will she be okay?

"Young lady Conniette, are you feeling tired?"

"I’d like to say I’m fine, but I am a little exhausted. Thinking that the future of the territory hinges on my decisions makes me anxious."

"This should originally be your father’s responsibility as the head of the family, right?"

"… I cannot entrust this to my foolish father."

Wow.
To be called "foolish" even by his daughter—just how incompetent is he?
At least, for now, her burden has eased a little.

As Young lady Conniette and I sipped tea, a knock came at the door.
Is Alizée back?

"Excuse me. The referral letter is ready."

"Please, come in."

When permission to enter was granted, it was not just Alizée who entered but also Priscilla, the Guildmaster of the Trade Guild.
If Priscilla herself is involved, she must have prepared the letter.
But why her?

"Nice to meet you, Young lady Conniette. I am Priscilla, the Guildmaster of this guild."

"The Guildmaster!?"

Priscilla greeted her with a gentle smile, while Young lady Conniette seemed flustered.
The balance of power was clear to see.

"Please don’t be so alarmed. Regarding this matter, the Vardmoi Trade Guild would like to play a role as well."

"The Vardmoi Trade Guild?"

"Recently, we held a tasting event for Connie products, which was a great success. I also sampled them and was deeply impressed by their refreshing taste. If you are willing to accept my proposal, we would be delighted to assist further."

With a radiant smile, Priscilla seemed like a predator eyeing its prey, prompting Young lady Conniette to straighten her posture.
How will she navigate this negotiation?

"What is the Vardmoi Trade Guild’s proposal?"

"Please allocate some of the increased Connie tree production for us. If you do, we will cover the cost of the used magic vehicle."

Ah, they’re aiming to secure a stake in the Connie trees.
The Connie trees bought by myself and the Marquis Vardmoi are limited to what currently exists, so the increased production falls outside the contract.
They’re looking to purchase that portion.

"How many trees, exactly?"

"Let’s say about ten trees?"

"Seven. Anything beyond that, and I will have to decline."

"… Impressive negotiation skills. Very well, we have a deal."

The contract seemed to be finalized.
Young lady Conniette was visibly sweating from the effort.

As it was getting late, everyone shared a meal before parting ways, leaving the contract signing for the next day.
Priscilla’s sudden involvement made it clear—like Marquis Vardmoi, she had been watching for an opportunity to gain a foothold in these rights.

What do you think about this chapter?