Even after drinking heavily, the sober ones continued their conversation with Odelia.
"I didn't believe it when I only heard about it from Gideon, but now that I see you, I understand. You are indeed a magnificent woman worthy of the title of hero."
"I know, besides Gideon, that neat-looking guy was absolutely right. I thought he was just bragging for no reason."
"A neat-looking man?"
"Are you talking about Allan?" Odelia asked, rolling her glass.
"There was a man who came with Gideon. Good heavens, I’ve never seen such a handsome man before. He told me that I would know what kind of person the Baroness is once I saw her for myself, and he’s right, absolutely right!"
"That man drank by the crate, just like the Baroness. I had heard he was a nobleman, but I actually quite liked that he didn't act all high and mighty even after kicking someone in the ear."
It was impossible to know who the person they were describing was. Odelia brushed it off lightly, but a strange stir lingered in a corner of her heart.
"What else did you talk about that day?'
Odelia asked cautiously. The merchants exchanged glances and answered.
"Well, we talked about all sorts of things. We exchanged everything from taxes to various other topics. Since the Duke managing this place is such a nuisance, it was more like a grievance than a conversation."
"If it's a management operation..."
"Ah. Who else but the Duke of Devon, who is having a blast."
As soon as Devon's name was mentioned, some of them let out a loud "Cough, spit!" and started spitting as if they had put something filthy in their mouths.
There was no need to even ask why such a reaction was occurring, but Odelia also frowned slightly at the mention of that name and got to the point.
"The reason the nobility are strong is not only because of their hereditary wealth, but also because their power is tightly united."
She slowly looked around and made eye contact with each person one by one.
"To avoid being swayed by the Duke of Devon, we too must unite rather than scatter. Therefore, I suggest establishing Talamand as a hub for trade."
"What do you intend to do by banding together like that?"
Before saying she didn't like sticking together, the point was what the point was.
The bourgeoisie were, after all, those who had seized wealth and power solely through their own personal strength, rather than inheriting wealth or receiving titles like the powerful merchant aristocrats. The suggestion to pool that power now would not have been very appealing to them.
Odelia closed her eyes for a moment to gauge the order of her words. With vivid eyes, she answered firmly.
"I will re-examine Gideon's death. I also plan to salvage the shipwreck that sank with him. Above all, I will protect the things Gideon risked his life to safeguard."
"What are you talking about? You mean digging into Gideon's death again?"
"His death was not a mere accident. And behind it all..."
She paused for a moment. The air, heavy with tension, enveloped the table, and the merchants' gazes turned to her all at once.
"There is the Duke of Devon."
The surroundings became deathly quiet to the point where one couldn't even imagine the boisterous atmosphere from earlier.
Amidst the tense atmosphere, the merchants gradually exchanged glances. It was a current where long-held animosity was converging in one place.
"...Are you sure?"
A seasoned merchant representative asked in a low voice. His tone was mixed with fear rather than distrust.
"Do you want the evidence? Then we can just pull it up. That shipwreck. Inside, the reason why the Duke of Devon tried to kill Gideon must be contained in its entirety. After all, he was killed while trying to find that out."
Odelia's voice did not tremble. On the contrary, it seemed to have become even firmer.
"Devon... did such a thing..."
"I knew this would happen. I told you, there's no way there would suddenly be a reef there!"
"If it were a scheme, he’s more than capable of doing that. Everything we’ve endured so far is reason enough to unite."
Suppressed anger filled the room. Some leaned forward in their chairs and murmured in low voices.
There was a truth that everyone knew, though they could not bring themselves to speak it aloud. It was the atrocities he had relentlessly committed since placing his daughter on the throne as Empress, and the stories of those who had vanished while trying to oppose him.
Odelia tapped the table with her finger to draw attention again.
"So I ask you again. Everyone, will we remain scattered? Or will you fight together?"
"You intend to use Talamand as a base to investigate Gideon's death... I understand that. But what about after that? Do you plan to bring down Devon? Or are you targeting Fabiana as well?"
They were people who had personally experienced how strong the solidarity of the aristocracy's forces was and how that power acted like an insurmountable wall.
Odelia smiled briefly. It was neither provocation nor bravado, but the kind of smile one would find only after calmly completing one's calculations.
"We won't draw our swords first; instead, we will induce him to draw his own."
By establishing Talamand as a base to strengthen trade routes and having merchant caravans unite, it would be a significant pressure on Devon.
"Because greed can never endure silence."
A small murmur arose among the merchants. Some nodded deeply, while others uncrossed their arms and bowed their heads.
Only then did they realize that this woman was not merely a widow mourning the dead, but someone preparing to overturn the system.
"Alright! Let's give it a try!"
Now, instead of silence, a weighty atmosphere of agreement filled the table. The meeting continued with a much hotter temperature than at the beginning, and their solidarity finally took its first step here.
***
Talamand was no longer a backwater.
Merchants flocked in, expanding the port day by day, and trade routes with other nations bustled with new goods and people daily. They did not stop at merely sharing profits. The merchants formed massive associations among themselves, operating just like a single aristocratic coalition.
As expected, the nobles were the ones most uncomfortable with that change.
"Your Majesty, this is not merely a trade expansion."
"If people like merchants gather like this and grow in power... they will threaten the authority of aristocratic society..."
"If left unchecked, someday even the Imperial Family will be unable to ignore their influence. Your Majesty must personally intervene."
The widow of Talamand has forgotten her place. It is truly disgusting that Odelia only benefited from the deaths of the two. Just a few months ago, everyone was praising Odelia as a truly loyal woman, but in the face of this gain, everyone immediately changed their minds.
Calix listened silently to their clamor.
The solution was simple. All that was to do was issue an imperial decree through an aide. Alternatively, summoning Odelia to the imperial palace for a perfunctory meeting would suffice. However.
"Then I’ll go to Talamand myself."
The meeting hall stirred at the Emperor's words after a long period of silence.
"Are you saying that, Your Majesty, will make the procession in person?"
"There is no need for the Emperor to go in person for such a matter..."
"To think Your Majesty is going in person... that is a very dangerous decision. It would be wiser to send advisors or summon them to the Imperial Palace."
The nobles protested in unison, but Calix waited silently for their protests to subside.
As it finally became quiet, he sat deeply in his chair, slowly tapped the table with his fingers, and opened his mouth.
"Talamand is no longer a mere frontier. Merchant guilds have formed associations to reopen trade with other nations, and it is already becoming the new trading heart of the Empire. However, speaking only from this spot without knowing the actual state of the place or who is at the center makes it nothing more than empty talk."
The nobles flinched and averted their gaze.
"Therefore, I will go myself. To show that the Imperial Family acknowledges them, and at the same time, stands at the center of that flow."
He leaned forward slightly and cast a gaze that seemed to dominate the meeting room.
"That way, you can judge how high they can climb and how much needs to be cut off."
Several people rubbed their lips together, but no one could refute it. Calix's logic was undeniable.
The meeting room fell silent without any further opposition.
Eventually, the Emperor's trip to Talamand was established, and under that banner, some nobles had no choice but to follow.
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