Chapter 135

Alicetia’s Influence (1)
First, I need to confirm to what extent the Merchants’ Guild might oppose me. Since I’ve acquired the Ponpoko Company, they may take some kind of action.

Well, it’s unlikely they could harm me. Nowadays, I’m quite unforgiving toward my enemies. Perhaps my fusion with Iris has advanced considerably. I think "I" am undergoing a transformation. Slowly, "I" and Iris are merging. And Iris will become "me." This is her plan—the essence of the secret art she used, which doesn’t involve her being reincarnated as is. I, Alicetia, will become Iris in this way.

And Iris shows no mercy to adversaries. Personally, I feel a bit conflicted, but her intensity is undeniable. I’m being influenced by her in that regard, but I don’t mind. Now I understand that both are part of "me." Given what I’ve done in the past, I have no intention of ever revealing my history to anyone.

On a different note…

Regarding the Guildmaster of the Merchants’ Guild, it was easy to find out about him since he was on Alicia’s watch list.

"It seems he was originally a reasonably competent merchant. However, once he got a taste of bribery, he went astray."

"A person who can’t resist greed... Princess, please be careful. Acting on instinct alone can lead to similar paths."

"I make up for any inconvenience I cause with better things in return, so it’s fine. Besides, money is just a tool."

"Then what would you do if I asked for a share of the rights in exchange for a year’s worth of cakes?"

"First, I’d need to taste the cake!"

"... You’re already a lost cause. Please, I beg you, don’t resort to anything unscrupulous."

"Even if I gave you the rights, Alicia, it’d still ultimately be my rights."

Since she’s my subordinate, the profits would still come to me. In fact, if I granted the rights, she might mass-produce cakes... Hmm, I might need to reconsider her treatment.

"That won’t work. As it is, the beastfolk—who are half my kin due to the magic comb—are already glaring at me."

The magic comb—an invention of mine that surpasses the magic furnace in perfection. It cannot be mass-produced, and I can confidently say no one but me can make it. Even Eibon waved a white flag, declaring, "This is impossible!"

"Anyway, he’s also a money-grubber. I was investigating him since, as a princess, you exude the scent of wealth.

His reputation isn’t great. There’s even a possibility the previous Guildmaster was framed. Some branch Guildmasters are under his control, so nothing was done, but..."

Money-grubbers—I despise them. In my past life, they exploited me. As revenge, I released Momoniku II online, which likely still haunts them. The program can’t be deleted without disconnecting all the world’s computers from the internet and resetting them.

For my first contact, I’ll start by creating a Merchants’ Guild card. It’s not strictly necessary.

There are two ways to obtain trading rights. The simplest is registering with the Merchants’ Guild. This can be achieved through a merchant’s recommendation or by earning recognition through contributions such as peddling. With Mr. Ponpoko’s recommendation, I’m guaranteed to pass.

The other way is to get direct permission from the local lord. This is difficult. Lords are busy and rarely grant such permissions. However, if I asked my father, I could get permission throughout the Kingdom. It’s not that it’s impossible, but...

"I’m so sorry, so sorry, so sorry. I don’t know why, but the higher-ups said something ridiculous about age restrictions. It’s beyond my authority; please forgive me."

The receptionist at the Merchants’ Guild was in tears. I had gone to register, only to be blocked by an age restriction. Behind me, Alicia and Mr. Ponpoko were visibly enraged.

"So the Merchants’ Guild is an organization that picks a fight with the princess."

"I deeply apologize. It’s entirely the Guildmaster’s decision. We have no objections to your registration, Princess. On the contrary, we welcome it. Someone, please fire that idiot!"

Other staff nodded fervently, their faces pale. Who in their right mind picks a fight with royalty?

"They must be underestimating the princess, thinking she won’t exercise her authority."

"I could just have him arrested for lèse-majesté."

It seems I’ll have to try Alicia’s method.

Indeed, I’ve never exercised authority before. I allow commoners to speak to me casually because it’s easier to interact that way. But it appears that those in power view my lack of action as a sign of weakness. Particularly, the nobility meddles, thinking I’m easy to manipulate.

Naturally, I don’t meet with them. Listening to them repeat the same things endlessly is exhausting, and I might nod along just to get it over with.

"But the princess wouldn’t do such a thing, would she?"

"What counts as lèse-majesté is up to my discretion."

The national law allows royalty to decide independently what constitutes lèse-majesté. Punishment depends on the royal in question.

Anyway, I decided to move to the square to try Alicia’s plan.

"I hate the Locas Company and the Merchants’ Guild (monotone)."

The square fell silent. The residents wore shocked expressions, and after a moment, some ran off somewhere. Alicia also disappeared somewhere, leaving me to return to the castle.

Somewhere in the royal capital...

"This is bad, really bad."

"Absolutely. Who would’ve thought someone would pick a fight with our princess?"

In the basement of an ordinary inn in the royal capital of Arland, a round table meeting was held. Gathered were well-known merchants, craftsmen, and a mysterious group dressed like demon worshippers.

The topic was the fate of the company and Guildmaster who had offended the beloved royal, Alicetia.

"What do we do? Should we ‘relocate’ them?"

One man suggested drastic measures. Alicetia is essentially an idol. She casts healing magic without regard for status, an unprecedented act. Royals are typically seen as distant beings, unconcerned with the lives of commoners.

But Alicetia interacts with commoners naturally. Moreover, despite being a child, she works tirelessly for the kingdom’s benefit. The airships are a prime example. Thanks to them, food prices in the capital have dropped due to lower transportation costs.

The hard-working little girl evokes a protective instinct in gentlemen. They are not perverts; they simply watch over her from the shadows.

Meanwhile, a figure behind the leader of the cloaked group whispered something to him.

"The leader says if we resort to force, it will play into their hands.

This is a political issue. If we act, it could become a problem for the princess.

And that’s exactly what the fools behind them are aiming for."

"””What!?””"

The words of the society's leader caused the men seated at the round table to rise. Someone was using their sentiments for ulterior motives. This left them unable to act. They did not wish for Alicetia to become a tool for "pathetic" adults due to their actions.

"It’s probably those aristocrats in the Council! They should all just die!"

"The leader has stated that this reflects the consensus of the Kingdom's aristocracy. However, dissolving the Council could create friction with the nobility."

"A noble's child is not necessarily capable. The leader has declared that they will take responsibility for this matter."

"Responsibility, you say?"

"Indeed. Our leader has planned a resolution leveraging the princess's influence without directly involving her. While we will act, it will not be under the princess's will, ensuring no blame falls upon her."

The leader remained silent, their identity—whether male or female—shrouded in mystery. Yet, they were a figure capable of uniting the unruly individuals of the royal capital.

When people gather, troublemakers often stand out. The leader had organized these individuals to prevent them from causing harm or inconvenience to the capital’s residents. No one knew their true identity.

Behind this enigmatic leader, a man proposed a devilish strategy.

Ordinarily, it wouldn’t succeed. Normally, such actions would lead to accountability issues. However, the plan proposed a method to mobilize powers beyond the Council's authority.

The Noble Council had a nemesis: the lords. These lords, known for their competence, risked losing their territories if they failed. As such, they held the Noble Council in contempt.

"They’re only sent to the Council because they’re incompetent," a lord might say casually.

The Noble Council was established to provide unsuitable nobles with advisory roles to the Kingdom, deflecting criticism for harboring unemployed nobles. It was a system born of compromise.

The idea that a hero's child wouldn’t necessarily become a hero mirrored the Council's purpose: even if a noble was incompetent, their child might not be. Lords, facing similar concerns for their heirs, agreed with this reasoning.

The Council also served as a warning to lords: "You wouldn’t want this to happen, would you? Then make sure to groom your successor properly." It was both a stick and a carrot, offering hope for recovery while emphasizing the disgrace of being sent to the council.

The men at the round table decided to mobilize the lords.

"Recently, those beastfolk nobles have been revering the princess."

"Yeah, I heard them calling her ‘the Emissary of the Goddess.’ Something about a magic comb."

"Think they’d back us if we pitched the idea to them?"

"Definitely. Even I find their devotion over the top."

The beastfolk nobles, enchanted by the magic comb, wouldn’t forgive anyone who antagonized its creator. To them, Alicetia had become an object of reverence, not mere loyalty. Among beastfolk, poor fur quality was a severe detriment—even high-ranking nobles struggled to marry. Alicetia had unknowingly given them hope.

"Let’s start with the beastfolk."

"The dwarves admire the princess too, don't they?"

"Yeah, I heard them calling her craftsmanship divine in the taverns."

"Alright, add the dwarves to the list."

Two of the Kingdom's five principal races—the beastfolk and dwarves—would readily act for Alicetia.

The beastfolk owed her for their fur. The dwarves revered skilled artisans as gods, regardless of age or gender. Even the Kingdom’s finest dwarf craftsman, Grantz, couldn’t match the precision of Alicetia’s work, which had drawn dwarves to the royal capital in droves.

After their meeting, the round table attendees dispersed, leaving only two individuals behind: an operative of the Kingdom's shadows and a member of the society managing the inn.

"Things went well."

"Yes. This will prevent reckless actions. However, the situation could grow too large. I’ll inform His Highness."

The society’s leader, Alicia, was deeply devoted to Alicetia. She had united the unruly elements to protect Alicetia’s authority from being tarnished by extremists or rough individuals.

Incidentally, the leader’s cult-like attire had a practical reason. The members needed a purpose to focus their energy. Being mostly muscle-brained, the robes helped curb impulsive behavior.

Their primary activities included cleaning the capital and maintaining flowerbeds—a peaceful existence. However, the rough men found planting flowers embarrassing, leading them to disguise themselves. They wore robes to conceal their identities and avoid recognition even by their own. Despite appearances, they were neither devil worshippers nor under Alicia’s cunning manipulation to keep Alicetia safe. Probably.

Five days later, a nightmare for merchants unfolded.

Most of the Kingdom’s nobles began pressuring the Merchants’ Guild. Furthermore, prominent merchants, who were key guild members, also applied pressure.

Their demands were simple: "Immediately reconcile with the princess, dismiss the Guildmaster, and sever ties with the Locas Company."

Additionally, many nobles declared, "The Locas Company is banned from conducting business in our territories indefinitely."