Chapter 612

After the Party
In the end, my party came to a close—though it did finish with the small “incident” of a goddess showing up at the end.
Just as Lady Yggdoria had said, aside from Plum and Fanny, no one else knew she’d even appeared.
So… this whole thing is a secret.
If word got out that I’d summoned a goddess, it’d be a massive headache.
The guards have also been told to keep quiet, so yes—this is top-secret.
Whew… I really messed up there.

As for the stage that had served as the setting for Yggdoria’s descent, it was decided that it would be disassembled and stored away.
To everyone else, it’s just ordinary wood—but to those who know, it’s the stage where a god descended.
We’ll have it moved and reassembled in a different room for safekeeping.
Good thing the mansion’s so big.

Anyway, the celebration for my promotion to Platinum Merchant was officially over.
All that’s left now is to formally become one.
I’d been told I could complete the procedures anytime, so I decided to head straight to the Trade Guild.

“Good morning, Alizée.”

“Good morning, Lady Lily. You’re here to complete your promotion paperwork already?”

“Yes. No point in sitting around waiting.”

“There’s no need to rush, you know. Still, since you’re here, we’ll take care of it right away. Please wait in the reception room while we prepare.”

“Understood.”

The process of becoming a Platinum Merchant was mostly already done.
I’d been briefed on everything required, and I’d already paid the hefty fee owed to the guild.
Technically speaking, I was already a Platinum Merchant in every sense except on paper.
My ID still listed me as a Gold Merchant, so I was here to have it updated.
I’d been told that even after submitting the paperwork, the official approval would take some time—and that holding the presentation beforehand was actually more efficient.
No sense in wasting time, after all.

After being shown into the reception room, I sipped tea for a while until Alizée and Priscilla arrived.
Looks like preparations were done.
They’d brought some kind of elaborate-looking magic device along too—guess that’s what they’ll use for the update.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. I’ll need to borrow your identification card to update your title to Platinum Merchant.”

“Here you go. You’ll be using that magic tool, right?”

“Yes. There’s only one of these in the entire world, which is why even after you’ve completed all the procedures, it takes some time before your ID actually reflects the change.”

Wow, only one in the world, huh.
That’s… incredibly rare.
Then again, there are so few Platinum Merchants to begin with that one is probably enough.

While Alizée set my ID into the device and began operating it, Priscilla went over the final reminders with me.
To put it simply: check every deal carefully and make sure to carry it out properly.
In other words, the highest rank of merchant must never bend or break the rules of trade.

“… And that’s about it. Basically, be a model merchant. Though in your case, you’ve already started engaging in charity work, so you’re a fine example already.”

“The Saltas Company has gotten pretty big. I figured it was time to give something back.”

“Just having that mindset is enough. Anyway, now that your presentation’s done, focus your efforts on establishing your headquarters in Vardmoy… Even if the presentation did end up a bit of a disaster.”

“Yeah, that really was a mess.”

“There were nobles, business magnates, and even high-ranking members of the Adventurers’ Guild in attendance. The royal household’s going to have a rough time managing the aftermath.”

“… I’m not going to get dragged into that, am I?”

“They’d have to be insane to try. If trouble spread to you again, the country itself would split in two—and everyone knows it. Your company’s economy is already on par with, or greater than, the McFarlane Dukedom.”

… To think a simple cloth merchant had grown this much.
Still, I’m me—and I’m going to keep doing what I want to do!

What do you think about this chapter?