Chapter 13

Chapter 13

“Prepare the steps!”

As the Dyurak Guild’s carriage came to a halt, Viese rushed forward to shout orders at the servants.

Clerivan, who was following close behind Lulac, watched with disapproval. He had looked into the guild master while waiting for the textile samples to arrive.

As expected, Croyton Angenas was working for the empress. More specifically, the guild master was a cousin of the current head of the Angenas family.

The guild master occupied a somewhat distant position in terms of the family hierarchy, but he had grown up close to the empress and benefited greatly from their relationship. Even so, Viese’s fawning behavior was a bit over the top.

The guild master may have been associated with the empress, but Viese was the Lombardi family’s eldest son. There was no need for excessive deference.

The Angenas family may have produced the current empress, but they were nothing compared to the Lombardi family. Clerivan’s disappointment was evident, even to Lulac who was walking beside him.

However, Lulac showed no sign of irritation. He simply walked with his hands behind his back and observed his son with a neutral gaze.

In the end, Viese opened the carriage door himself rather than leaving it to a servant. The guild master stepped out of the carriage and bowed deeply to Lulac.

At least he is aware of proper protocol, Clerivan thought with a smirk.

“Welcome back,” Lulac greeted the guild master. “We’d like to take a look at the goods prior to heading back in. Would that be agreeable with you?”

“That will be fine.”

The guild master frowned slightly. Though he had brought the textiles as requested, he had not anticipated an inspection as a genuine precondition for the business deal.

Viese, who had repeatedly assured the guild master that the request was a mere formality, stepped in front of Lulac.

“Father, is this really necessary? The guild master has shown his sincerity by bringing the goods all the way here...”

“Step aside,” the duke commanded, turning his stern gaze to Viese. The duke neither frowned nor glared, but the intensity of his eyes froze Viese in place.

“Who taught you to stand in the way of the patriarch?”

“I...”

Realizing his mistake, Viese quickly stepped aside.

“Pull up the cover.”

At Lulac’s command, the servants uncovered the wagon.

“Hmm,” Lulac murmured as he examined the goods. The surface was uneven and rough.

“Clerivan.”

The man stepped forward as if he had been waiting. As expected, Clerivan’s expression soured upon feeling the texture of the fabric.

“What is the raw material?” Clerivan asked the guild master.

“Umm, well...”

He hesitated as if struggling to recall the information.

Croyton was trying to borrow money to sell an item, and yet he was having difficulty even remembering what the raw materials were. This revealed the sheer ignorance and negative attitude that the Angenas family held towards commerce.

“It’s... it’s woven from the long fibers of the coroy plant.”

“Coroy…?” Clarivan repeated.

It was a plant that grew like a weed throughout the empire.

Noticing Clerivan’s apparent unfamiliarity with fabrics made from coroy, Viese interjected.

“It’s a traditional method from the eastern regions of the empire. The guild master personally sourced it. For someone who pretends to know everything, it seems you actually know nothing,” he explained arrogantly.

Clerivan felt a surge of anger at hearing such words from someone who actually knew nothing, but he had no comeback prepared. Fabrics were not his area of expertise.

Despite overseeing many commercial transactions for the Lombardi family, this was the first time Clerivan had ever heard of cloth being made from coroy.

“It’s a fabric widely used in the east, but it hasn’t been introduced to the other regions. This is a lucrative opportunity,” the guild master told Lulac.

“Is that so?”

Lulac’s response seemed positive at first, but his gaze remained fixed on the rough fabric piled high in the wagon.

The duke had already received a written report on the amount of money and labor that the Dyurak Guild would need. It was a significant amount, one that would be overwhelming for most guilds to handle.

For the Lombardis, it was significant but not unbearable. Even if the textile venture failed, the family would be able to recoup their losses within a few months.

Lulac’s concerns went beyond the cost. His wrinkled eyes shifted to his eldest son, who was chattering incessantly beside the guild master, as he pondered the wider context.

The current empress, Lavini Angenas, was a narrow-minded but highly ambitious person. She would stop at nothing to make her son the crown prince.

The Dyurak Merchant Guild had been established because she needed the extra funds to bribe the noble council. The textile venture would secure those funds.

However, if the business failed and the empress found herself financially dissatisfied, it was clear who she would blame. Viese, eager to finalize the deal, believed that success would solidify a bond with the empress.

Lulac made a decision. The textile venture would be a testing ground, not only for the empress but also for himself.

“Viese.”

“Yes, Father!”

“This textile venture...”

Just before Lulac could utter the words “I’ll leave it to you,” a small, copper-haired girl popped out from behind the wagon wheel.

“Wow, fabric for clothes!”

All four men standing in the tense atmosphere turned simultaneously towards her voice.

“Firentia?” said Lulac, sounding surprised.

With a cheerful smile directed at her grandfather, Firentia spoke louder.

“My daddy knows a whole lot about these things!”

***

After seeing the surprise on their faces, I made sure my smile looked even more innocent and childlike.

“Where did you come from so suddenly?” my grandfather asked as he bent down to address me.

“Daddy and I were on a walk! I saw you and I ran over!”

What grandfather would be upset about their grandchild rushing to see them? Especially if it was a granddaughter showing off her top speed.

Sure enough, I saw the corners of my grandfather’s mouth curl upwards.

“Why thank you, Firentia. But be careful not to run too much; it’s dangerous.”

“Yes, Grandfather.”

My grandfather patted my head while Viese, who was clearly annoyed by the interruption, waved his hand as if he were shooing away a fly.

“Adults are at work, go play o-over there!”

I ignored Viese and continued asking Grandfather questions.

“What is all this? There’s so much of the same fabric!” I observed.

“This is fabric made from the coroy plant. The other adults here and I are discussing whether we will be able to sell this fabric and make money.”

“Oh, I see.”

Make money? No way.

The venture was doomed to fail.

Where do I even start with the problems…?

The countless issues would eventually result in a failing business and a significant financial loss for the Lombardis. I could have listed all the reasons why it wouldn’t work right there on the spot, but that wasn’t my place as a child.

That was for my father to do.

“Tia! You shouldn’t run off like that!” he said, arriving out of breath.

I turned to face my father with the most innocent face imaginable, as if I had no idea what was going on.

“Daddy! Grandpa is going to sell fabric!”

“Whew! I’m sorry, Father. Tia, don’t interrupt when the adults are having a conversation. Let’s go for our walk over there.”

My father, oblivious to my intentions, was trying to guide me away from a golden opportunity.

“Look here, Daddy! This is made from coroy. It’s so interesting!”

“What? Coroy?”

I knew that would grab his attention. The idea of making fabric from a weed-like plant would pique his curiosity.

He turned to look at the wagons.

“Oh, so these are made from coroy? This is the first time I’ve seen it in person. This rough texture is quite unique...”

He couldn’t hide his excitement, and when he realized it, he began to blush.

“Let’s go, Tia.”

No! Not like this!

Just then, I heard the voice I needed to hear to resolve my stress.

“Come take a look, Gallahan,” Grandfather said.

Viese seemed agitated by his younger brother’s sudden appearance as well as his familiarity with the topic, but he couldn’t muster the courage to interrupt.

“I’m afraid I’m not too knowledgeable. I only know that people in the eastern regions have been using coroy to make clothes for at least a hundred years. It’s easy to weave, and the materials are easily sourced from any mountain, making it popular among the commoners.”

“Commoners?”

When my father mentioned that the fabric was primarily used by commoners, the guild master’s face twitched.

“This fabric is used by commoners?”

“Yes, it is... As you can see, because of its rough, coarse texture, it is not fit for the garments of nobility.”

“Ugh, what?”

Seeing the guild master at a loss for words, my grandfather inquired further.

“What’s wrong, guild master?”

“The person who introduced this fabric to me said it was popular among both the nobility and commoners... I intended to target noble families with this business.”

“I thought you had sourced the materials yourself?”

“S...someone I am very close to...”

“It seems that person has scammed you,” Grandfather said.

The guild master’s face turned red with embarrassment.

“There’s one significant drawback to this type of fabric,” my father continued. “Once harvested, it has a very short shelf life... look.”

He lifted the lower layers of the fabric stack. Black mold had formed on the textiles in the middle.

“Finished coroy fabrics are weak and susceptible to humidity. This likely happened during the recent rainy season,” my father explained.

The guild master could not hide his disappointment.

Of course he was disheartened. His ambitious plan had just been rendered useless.

Then my father, who had been deep in thought, spoke to the guild master.

“You have no reason to source materials from afar. There’s plenty of coroy near the imperial grounds. You’d be able to source it locally with no trouble.”

“Oh, is that so?!”

“And if you still intend to market this to the nobility, try mixing flannel into the weaving process.”

“Flannel?”

“Yes. Coroy is not a bad material. You can save a lot on the cost of making clothes. Use the savings from the cheaper material to invest in flannel, and you will end up with a smoother fabric that is also cooling.”

“Oh, I see!”

The guild master’s eyes sparkled as if he had found a lifeline.

“However, blending flannel with another material will require advanced skills. You will need to hire capable weavers.”

“Weavers, right...”

The guild master blinked. It was evident that he did not know the specifics of the industry.

“The weavers guild affiliated with the Lombardis could easily do this work. Of course, this would mean the Lombardi house’s share of the profits would need to increase,” Clerivan interjected at the perfect moment.

“How much are we talking?” Croyton asked.

“Well, we’ll need to consider the wages for our artisans...”

As Clerivan began negotiating, my father grabbed my hand. He had been attempting to leave until Grandfather’s decisive command halted his steps.

“Gallahan, you should be in charge of this venture.”

“F-father!”

Viese almost screamed. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing a hard-fought business opportunity to his youngest brother.

However, my grandfather’s tone was resolute.

“I don’t know much about this industry. This task is beyond my abilities, Father,” my father protested, clearly shocked and hesitant.

But my grandfather calmly addressed the guild master. “It seems you could use a knowledgeable advisor in this field.”

“I will admit, I have been struggling with my lack of textile knowledge,” Croyton agreed. “Having your help would be most reassuring!”

Even though Croyton treated Viese like a servant, he now showed some deference to my father.

“If it’s a matter of business, I will also lend my assistance,” Clerivan added. “You have nothing to worry about, Sir Gallahan.”

My hesitant father, still clutching my hand, looked down at me.

You can do it!

I looked up at him with the most encouraging expression I could give.

“Wow! You get to help that man! You’re amazing, Daddy!”

My words sealed the deal.

With resolve in his eyes, my father tightened his grip on my hand and nodded to my grandfather.

“I’ll give it a try.”

I could barely contain my excitement, but I resisted the urge to jump for joy. My father could definitely make this venture successful. With the fundamental issues resolved, both the Lombardi and the Angenas families would profit greatly.

With two of the most powerful families working in partnership, no one in their right mind would obstruct the business.

Well, no one but the foolish Viese, who was grinding his teeth in anger. However, as long as Grandfather was alive, there was little he could do. If Viese tried to sabotage a family venture, Grandfather would not stand for it.

“Daddy, you’re amazing!” I whispered loudly enough for him to hear.

Having lived through the future, I knew one thing for certain. As interested as the Lombardi family was in the imperial succession, the empress was equally focused on who would become the next head of the Lombardi family.

Until now, the eldest son had been the most obvious candidate, but every noble in the empire knew that Viese lacked the intelligence necessary.

Viese and his family, on behalf of my grandfather, currently attended monthly banquets hosted by the empress and emperor. However, once this business succeeded, well... I knew the attendance list would eventually include Gallahan Lombardi and his family.

There was someone within the palace that I needed to meet as soon as possible. For a half-noble daughter and woman like me to become the head of the Lombardi family, there was someone I needed to have on my side.

That person was the second-born prince, Perez Brivachau Durelli.