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“Hurry up, Cedric!”

“I’m trying!” the son of a small-time merchant yelled back at his insistent father. The young man was dragging heavy luggage down a road. “Ugh, damn it. Why does this city have so many uphill paths?!”

“Quit your whining. I walked these routes all the time when I was your age. Both ways, too.”

“When I’m a big-time merchant, I’m going to buy up all these hills and flatten ’em…!”

“That’s the spirit. Careful, your trunk is dragging. Don’t drop it for even a second,” his father chided.

Cedric quickly adjusted his grip, but he could feel the fatigue in his arms and legs.

“Man, it never ends…!”

As Cedric said, he’d been busier than ever lately. Unlike his days spent killing time in the shop, he now hauled luggage around Muldu and the rest of Ulbeth. The young man would have complained if he were the only one pressed for time, but his father was just as busy and carrying his own pack like Cedric’s.

“Quit your griping. This is for your own good, son.”

“I know!”

“It’s for your own good.”

Cedric had heard the phrase often enough, but even he had to admit it was true this time around.

“My wedding is worth the hassle!”

He had a marriage interview. When Cedric heard about it the other day, he thought it was a joke. Even his father had said,“I don’t know what’s going on. The news just suddenly came from the higher-ups.”It sounded suspicious.

Further examination confirmed the interview was genuine, leaving Cedric all the more flabbergasted.

The momentous day arrived swiftly. A girl around Cedric’s age greeted the trembling, nervous man.

Although the pair were awkward at first, the air began to ring with laughter as the discussion wore on. Cedric met the young woman many more times after that and eventually decided she was the one.

“Now we just have to convince our relatives…!”

When someone in Ulbeth planned to wed, it was customary first to visit the chief members of their family. It was challenging to know what problems might arise later if this step was neglected, and Cedric’s round of greetings was the primary reason for his hectic schedule.

“Oh, it’s that house over there.”

“…You mean the one on that high hill?”

“Exactly. Buck up. If you drop those souvenirs we brought, you’ll have to run back home and get more.”

“Ghk-ghk-ghk-ghk-ghk…!” Cedric’s teeth chattered, and he started to scramble. “Ugh. Damn it, Dad…! Let’s get a slave or a porter…!” he complained.

“Don’t be pathetic. This is for your marriage, so bear with it.”

“That’s not what I mean. Like you said, Dad, this is for my own good. I’ll do what’s necessary. But my new wife’s family will probably want to talk business, right? We won’t be able to handle everything on our own.”

“Ah, I see. I considered that, too, but…”

“Is there a problem?”

A strange look crossed his father’s face.

“They’ve been bought up.”

“There are no more slaves to purchase?” Oleom asked upon hearing his subordinate’s report.

“Yes. Muldu’s acquired them all, apparently,” the man confirmed.

Oleom grimaced. Typically, he masked his emotions before his inferiors, but he presently lacked the concentration necessary for that. The reason was, of course, the eastern city. And more specifically, Wein.

That slew of weddings was annoying enough…!

Wein’s marriage campaign was a massive thorn in Roynock’s side.

In most cases, superiors naturally came to the aid of subordinates looking for a partner. However, Ulbeth’s upper crust was lacking candidates. There was no question the fringes of society were being treated as an afterthought.

Wein had targeted this point. Oleom realized the marriage campaign was merely a pretext, and the prince was slowly splitting the opposition from the edges. The West Representative’s best option of stopping him was to create weddings of his own.

Regrettably, Oleom could not act upon this. Ulbeth’s shackles were too tight. If he tried to force unions together, he’d only create problems elsewhere.

Yet somehow, Wein had sailed past each obstacle like a feat of magic that could never be replicated. In addition to bolstering Muldu, Natra’s prince formed marriages between the southern and the western cities. Oleom’s position was more stable than Lejoutte’s, and this development had created a frustrating crack in their relationship.

By this point, Oleom’s sole other option was to demand eachunion require approval regardless of faction. However, this would enrage citizens elated by the long-awaited wedding rush. Instead, Oleom zealously visited each allied family to ask for their cooperation and understanding. He had just finished his rounds and was utterly exhausted.

And now, all the slaves had been bought up.

“What was the purpose?”

“No one knows… Muldu snatched them regardless of race, age, or gender.”

Oleom had initially assumed Wein would use the slaves for manual labor. He heard Muldu was assembling as many people as possible for their marriage campaign and wondered if the slaves played a role. He quickly discounted this idea, though. Simple manual labor was one thing, but Oleom doubted Wein would entrust a job that required a certain degree of quick thinking and finesse to his new slaves.

Is he planning a large-scale operation? But why this timing…?

These questions tormented the representative, but the answer came soon enough.

“Master Oleom!” a subordinate exclaimed as he flew into the room. “Strange rumors are spreading through town! There’s talk of Roynock and Facrita planning simultaneous revolts!”

“What?!” Oleom jolted at this bolt from the blue. “That’s ridiculous! Where did you hear that?!”

“I apologize. We’re investigating now, but there are still no leads on its origin…! However, the rumors spread across a wide area around the Masquerade!”

“…!” Oleom immediately gritted his teeth.

The Masquerade was a peculiar aspect of Ulbeth culture. It was a gathering where townspeople could wear masks and voice their daily woes under the condition of anonymity.

Oleom felt a cold premonition wash over him as he furiously ruminated on this sudden scenario—there was no mistaking it.

This is also the east’s doing!

The Masquerade was always a breeding ground for dissent, but they had targeted this weakness spectacularly.

This barrage of weddings wasn’t Agata’s style; Wein had to be the mastermind. And even if these new rumors were false, they had spread too far and fast to extinguish.

Still, simultaneous revolts? Is he planning to incite the citizens and take control through military force while I’m focused on his marriage campaign? I admit the people are frustrated, but there’s no way they’d be incited by such rumors that swiftly. Wait, wasn’t there an incident in central Mealtars where thirty thousand locals rose in protest? I don’t remember hearing about Wein’s involvement in that, though…

It was not Wein who’d motivated the populace of Mealtars but instead his younger sister, Falanya. Oleom didn’t know this detail, but he felt confident that Wein may have played a part in it.

In that case…I see now! He’s going to use the slaves to spark chaos!

A man like Wein could move thirty thousand people. Touching the mistreated slaves’ hearts and getting them to storm the city would be a simple task. Once they grew violent and the city was in turmoil, the prince would rile the citizens into attacking the upper class.

I must stop this…!

Oleom’s mind frantically raced.

“…Are there any slaves left at the market?” he asked.

“Yes, a few, I believe.”

“Buy them all up. Don’t let Muldu take any more. And send someone to Altie immediately.”

“Altie?”

Oleom nodded. “We need weapons. Buy the north city’s entire stock and any farming equipment that can be used as armaments.”

Wein couldn’t start a revolt without equipment. He’d need it if he hoped to gather the slaves and citizens under his banner, and Altie had the greatest supply in all of the Alliance.

It’ll be reassuring to have a stockpile of weapons in the unlikely event I need to raise my own force! I can get ahead of the curve and control the arms race!Oleom girded his resolve.

Don’t underestimate me, Wein Salema Arbalest. Ulbeth won’t be your plaything!

“—C’mon, try harder than that. It’s like you guyswantme to eat you up.”

Wein frowned, a sheet of paper in one hand. It was a contract with a merchant from Altie. The terms stated the current surplus of weapons, plus all made in the next six months, would be sold to Muldu. In addition, the arms included in this deal would soon make their way to Roynock and Facrita. Wein sold them for triple the price.

“After buying up all the weapons in secret, you purchased all the slaves, spread rumors of a revolt, and sowed panic in the western and the southern cities. Then, when they wanted armaments, you sold them to each side for triple the price… You really are crooked.”

Ninym stared at the prince with exasperation. Still, there was no other way to get money from Roynock and Facrita. Wein had earned the funds by producing nonexistent fear. “Incidentally, were you really planning to start a revolt?”

“Nope,” Wein replied plainly. “Couldn’t do it if I tried. Falanya moved the people of Mealtars, and they had turned to her out of desperation. That’s not easy to replicate.”

In short, it was a bluff. The ruling classes of Roynock and Facrita didn’t know that, however, and played right into the palm of his hand.

“Anyway, our wallet is nice and fat again. Now the marriage campaign can move full steam ahead.”

Wein nodded to himself with satisfaction. His attitude suggested the matter was settled, but Ninym hesitantly called out from beside him.

“…Hey, Wein.” He looked over at her. She felt his gaze and continued. “Did you really need to buy the slaves?”

“We’ve got the money now, right? Besides, they can help us gather info in Ulbeth, then come to Natra. Or stay with Agata. Whatever they want, really.”

“That’s not what I mean…”

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Wein had purchased almost one hundred people. A dozen or so were Flahm, including the man Ninym had met.

“Um…I was just wondering…if maybe…”

“‘It’s fine.’”Wein grinned. “Isn’t that what you said?”

“…”

Wein had noticed her strange behavior that day and the reason for it. He must have figured everything out and…

“…Thank you.”

“Why, whatever for?” Wein asked with an innocent shrug.

Ninym smiled softly.

“Let’s prepare our next move. Oleom and Lejoutte won’t sit still for long,” Wein stated, changing the topic.

The Flahm girl nodded.