The apprentice that Keldric brought along rarely spoke.
Despite Sir Hermann’s intense questioning, which seemed almost excessive, they didn’t get much useful information.
It wasn’t until a full day after Keldric had brought the apprentice that they let slip that the guildmaster had taken steps to prevent Keldric from making any sales.
Sir Hermann, who was greatly agitated, ordered that the guildmaster be summoned immediately, but Keldric felt uneasy for some reason.
The feeling that he was missing something kept lingering in his mind.
‘Why does this feel so unsettling?’
The guildmaster had not yet been branded as a traitor to the city.
However, judging by Sir Hermann’s reaction, it seemed halfway confirmed.
It was strange that the guildmaster could be called upon so easily.
How could they have been exposed so carelessly?
Keldric, deep in thought, let go of his concern for the moment, as there wasn’t any immediate solution even if he racked his brain.
Eventually, Keldric left the castle early in the morning, riding Boreas.
He decided to take care of his remaining tasks in Belam first.
Alisa, who had barely woken up, also mounted her horse and followed him.
They had just sold the horses they acquired as spoils after subjugating a gang of bandits to Sir Hermann, who happened to need them, at a fair price.
The five horses were sold for fifty Grasen silver coins.
This made Keldric’s purse a little heavier.
Alisa had also offered to buy one of the horses, so Keldric sold her one without hesitation.
Though it might be easier to walk if one isn’t skilled at riding, Alisa, being a fallen noble, was proficient in horseback riding.
“Sorry to bother you so early.”
“Oh, no, it’s fine… I didn’t really get to look around yesterday.”
Alisa looked quite tired, having woken up so early.
Keldric, unfamiliar with the streets of Belam, had no other choice.
Ordinarily, Sir Hermann would have assigned a suitable servant to guide him, but Alisa had volunteered to accompany Keldric.
“This time… is it the Mormon Trading Company?”
“I have some family business to attend to.”
Keldric fiddled with a letter he had carefully hidden in his coat.
It was a letter he had received early from Hilmer before leaving the village of Carlton, with instructions to deliver it to the head of the Mormon Trading Company upon reaching Belam.
“Have you ever met the head of the Mormon Trading Company?”
“I’ve met him a couple of times. He’s been fined a few times on charges of tax evasion…”
The head of the Mormon Trading Company, according to Alisa, seemed to have a few issues.
He had previously been convicted of attempting large-scale tax evasion and had even been imprisoned until he paid a substantial fine.
She also mentioned some of his other bad habits, like frequently drinking, with details spilling from Alisa’s mouth.
Keldric frowned slightly.
Meeting someone with such a reputation didn’t sit well with him.
“Is he really that reckless?”
“No. When I met him, he didn’t seem to have any particular issues. If you’re wealthy and a prominent figure in the city, rumors like that are bound to circulate.”
“But charges like tax evasion don’t seem like something that could simply be distorted rumors, do they?”
“Yes, I think the tax evasion charges were real. Only the person involved knows the full story.”
If that were the case, Sir Hermann would probably know more details.
However, Keldric had no intention of going to Sir Hermann to dig up someone else’s faults.
“Are you planning to do anything with that information?”
“No. There’s no need.”
Keldric’s only task was to deliver the letter.
Once the head of the Mormon Trading Company received the letter, he would likely send a merchant back to Carlton, and that would end his connection with Keldric.
He might receive a modest fee for delivering the letter, or perhaps some compensation for Joseph’s misdeeds, but he would gladly accept any payment he was given.
Keldric set aside his interest in the head of the Mormon Trading Company.
Regardless of the rumors, he preferred to form his own opinion after meeting someone in person.
“Was it around the time Belam fell?”
“That’s what Jorgen said. Belam was conquered twice, apparently.”
“I’m not sure, but… it might have been when the Kakar people crossed over.”
As they made their way to the Mormon Trading Company’s building, Keldric and Alisa discussed various topics.
They spoke of the time when Belam had fallen and the rumors circulating in nearby territories.
Alisa shared a variety of information, and Keldric stored the useful bits in his mind.
Knowledge, after all, was power.
The building where the head of the Mormon Trading Company stayed was a two-story structure made of limestone and stone.
Keldric realized just how much wealth a merchant could amass if they were successful.
Near Belam, there were not only iron mines but also a quarry.
Thanks to this, there were occasional stone-built houses in Belam and the surrounding area.
However, not all of Belam’s buildings were stone; otherwise, Baron Volpen’s finances would be ruined, leaving him with nothing.
To own such a large building in the city, made entirely of stone and spanning two stories, was no small expense.
Admiring the building where the Mormon Trading Company’s head resided, Keldric noticed Alisa looking at it with a nonchalant expression and felt slightly embarrassed.
He felt as though he’d made a fuss over nothing, feeling like a country knight who’d never seen anything so grand.
“Let’s go in.”
“Yes.”
Inside the trading company’s building, the place was bustling.
Countless merchants exchanged goods or entrusted items to the company and gathered to discuss upcoming trade ventures.
Standing near the entrance, Keldric and Alisa observed the scene like strangers.
Some merchants frowned at the sight of Keldric, but as soon as they noticed his towering stature and the mace hanging at his side, they quickly backed off, intimidated.
Keldric had brought his mace with him this time, too.
It wasn’t unusual for a knight to carry a weapon.
Moreover, Keldric had just realized the benefit of carrying a weapon while speaking with others the previous day.
Although he was only delivering a letter this time, no one could predict the future.
Just as Keldric and Alisa were about to step forward, a quick-footed trading company employee rushed over and bowed to him.
“Honorable Sir Knight, thank you for visiting the Mormon Trading Company. Is there someone you’re looking for?”
Keldric was dressed in casual clothing borrowed from Sir Hermann.
However, the trading company employee’s respectful demeanor suggested he had immediately recognized Keldric’s status.
It wasn’t just because of sharp intuition; a significant gap existed between knights and commoners.
Generally, non-mercenary commoners weren’t allowed to carry weapons.
That privilege was reserved only for knights and other nobles.
Furthermore, Keldric’s well-built frame and fine attire clearly signified that he was more than just an ordinary knight.
With merchants quick to spread gossip, it wasn’t hard to guess that Keldric was a knight, especially since no other noble had recently visited the area.
As soon as the trading company employee referred to him as “Sir Knight,” the busy merchants quieted down as if on cue.
Their faces showed a hint of unease as they looked at Keldric.
In Belam, the only knight they knew was Sir Hermann of the Cassel family.
Sir Hermann was at least known to be a decent knight, but any unknown knight who visited was usually from outside.
And those unnamed knights from outside often turned out to be brutal.
It wasn’t uncommon for knights indebted to the merchants to show up and cause trouble.
What they truly feared wasn’t necessarily the families of these minor knights but their status, which allowed them to wreak havoc without repercussions.
As the merchants discreetly observed Keldric, who was feeling slightly awkward, he spoke up.
“I’m here to meet the head of the Mormon Trading Company. Is he in?”
“Is that so! If I may ask, could I know your name and family, Sir Knight?”
“By the grace of God, I am Keldric of the Bellaf family.”
While he hadn’t needed to introduce himself back in the village of Carlton, he found himself doing it frequently now that he was away.
Hearing Keldric’s introduction, the trading company employee apologized profusely and asked him to wait for a moment, then quickly headed up to the second floor.
Only then did Keldric move toward the interior of the building.
Some merchants, perceptive enough, offered him the best seats.
For a merchant, lacking tact was almost akin to biting their tongue and wishing for death.
Meanwhile, unaware of why the merchants were so wary, Keldric leaned over to Alisa and whispered.
“The atmosphere seems a bit odd.”
“It’s a rare occurrence, but some knights do occasionally come by due to financial issues.”
Understanding Alisa’s point instantly, Keldric nodded.
Indeed, for knights, borrowing money from merchants they typically looked down upon would be quite humiliating.
Naturally, they would lash out, and it would be violence that the merchants couldn’t resist.
Yet, Keldric didn’t particularly like this atmosphere.
He found their hushed and cautious demeanor uncomfortable.
“You there,” he called.
“Yes? Ah, yes?!”
“Are you busy?”
“Not busy at all! Not at all!”
“Since waiting is a bit dull, why don’t we have a little chat?”
Keldric caught a merchant who had been discreetly trying to slip away and sat him down across from him.
The merchant, sweating profusely, forced a smile despite himself.
Busy? Hardly—not being busy for a merchant was practically the same as not wanting to make money.
Unintentionally putting the merchant on the spot, Keldric asked in as gentle a tone as possible.
“Do you usually travel for trade?”
“Yes. I typically bring goods from beyond Bolhenian.”
Bolhenian was located at the far eastern edge of the northern region.
Keldric was familiar with the wealthy trade route that passed through the territory of the Kakar people and led to the East.
“What goods do you deal in?”
“Mostly spices. I sell Eastern spices at reasonable prices.”
Keldric’s eyes lit up as he asked various questions.
The topics ranged from profit margins from selling spices to information about the distant East and the Kakar people.
“The Kakar people are nomads, aren’t they? How do they manage to establish and maintain a country?”
“Well, they say that the Kakar people are also facing some trouble lately. Aren’t the heretics growing in influence these days? I hear they’re gradually encroaching on the Kakar lands.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Thanks to that, I’m in the process of setting up new trade routes with the heretics.”
“Are they really as wealthy as they say?”
“Since they trade across the seas, they do handle a lot of money…”
“Alisa, have you ever met any of these heretics?”
“I’ve met them a couple of times.”
At this point, the merchant also became enthusiastic and shared more information with Keldric.
While the information wasn’t particularly significant, Keldric listened with bright eyes.
Having a superior take an interest in his stories caused the merchant’s shoulders to lift unconsciously.
Knights with a bad attitude generally disliked merchants, making Keldric an unusual case.
As Keldric conversed freely with the merchant, the other merchants gradually relaxed and returned to their tasks.
“Thank you, Sir.”
A few trading company employees expressed their gratitude to Keldric, feeling he had lightened the atmosphere.
Unaware of why, Keldric received their thanks somewhat awkwardly.
Just as Keldric was deep in conversation, the employee who had first greeted him came back down from the second floor and whispered to him.
“Sir Keldric, you may head upstairs now.”
Keldric nodded and stood up.
“I hope we can chat again sometime.”
“Oh, it would be an honor, Sir Knight.”
The merchant he had been speaking to showed a hint of regret but didn’t forget why Keldric had come to the trading company.
As he climbed to the second floor with Alisa, Keldric fiddled with the letter in his coat.
‘How will he respond?’
How the head of the trading company would react upon hearing about Joseph’s actions was what mattered.