Chapter 189 - Meeting the New Company Employees
"Marcella, are you all right?"
"I'm fine, Chairwoman. Though I feel like the polish will eventually wear off and reveal what's underneath."
Marcella replied with a crisp smile, but there was already something rather ominous about what he was saying.
Dahlia, meanwhile, was finding it increasingly difficult to keep a straight face.
"...This still feels rather awkward, doesn't it, Marcella-san?"
"Can't be helped, Dahlia-chan! We need to get used to this. It'd be a problem if we slipped back into our usual way of speaking when dealing with clients."
"That's right, Chairwoman. Marcella, you can't do that!"
In a room at the Merchant Guild, everyone from the Rossetti Company was holding a formal introductory meeting, following proper etiquette.
The four participants were Dahlia and Ivano on one side of the table, facing Marcella and Mezzena on the other.
Ivano was the only one who had everything down perfectly, so he was helping the others with their choice of words, the proper angle for bowing, and other details. The meeting also served as practice for introducing themselves formally. However, it was proving surprisingly difficult.
Just now, Dahlia and Marcella had both slipped back into their usual speech patterns in a sort of chain reaction.
"Chairwoman, please try a little harder. When we're working, ‘Sir Knight’ is your subordinate and a knight of the Scalfarotto family."
"Would you please stop calling me a 'Sir Knight,' Vice Chairman? It makes my skin crawl."
"Marcella, to be honest, being called 'Vice Chairman' makes my skin crawl, too."
The two continued exchanging remarks while deliberately emphasizing each other's titles, but their shoulders were trembling ever so slightly.
Dahlia felt a sense of nostalgia at the sight.
"Both of you, I hope you thoroughly enjoy the same awkward days I went through when everyone started calling me 'Chairwoman.'"
She couldn't help saying it with a smile, and Mezzena, sitting diagonally across from her, burst out laughing.
"I'm really glad I'm just an ordinary employee, 'Sir Knight,' 'Vice Chairman.'"
"Mena, you'll pay for that..."
"Marcella, please mind your language."
After a few more squabbles, they finally completed the formal introductions according to protocol, and everyone took a breather.
"All right, let's move on to the administrative procedures. Since the two of you are no longer serving as guarantors, we'll be returning your shares of the profits earned during your time as guarantors. I've deposited the respective amounts into your Merchant Guild accounts. These are your deposit certificates."
Marcella and Mezzena had served as guarantors for the Rossetti Company.
When the company was first established, each of them had entrusted it with four gold coins. Now that they were becoming full-fledged members of the company, they would be released from their roles as guarantors. Accordingly, their original deposits would be returned along with the profits earned during their period as guarantors.
The two accepted their deposit certificates from Ivano, then froze on the spot.
"...Vice Chairman, is there a mistake in the amount?"
"There's no mistake, Marcella. I've already checked it."
Ivano replied with an unruffled expression.
The document listed twenty-four gold coins in total: the original four, plus twenty more in profits.
"Six times the original amount in just four months... What is this, gambling...?"
Mezzena stared at the document with his pale blue eyes, his expression making it impossible to tell whether he was dumbfounded or impressed.
From Dahlia's perspective, it was like depositing 400,000 and getting back 2.4 million after just four months.
It was no wonder the two were astonished. To be honest, she was surprised herself.
"This money comes from legitimate business profits, so please accept it."
"Understood. I'll gratefully accept it. And—actually, not Chairwoman, Dahlia-chan. I'd like you to put this money directly toward paying for the bracelet. I'll make sure to pay the remaining amount in installments, too."
Marcella slid the document across the table toward Dahlia.
"Marcella-san, you're about to have children, and twins at that. I don't think Irma will be able to return to work for quite some time, either."
"The salaries I receive from Lord Scalfarotto and the company are more than enough. We won't have any trouble making ends meet."
Dahlia wanted him to keep the money so that he and his family would have some financial breathing room in the future.
However, from her experience with him, she knew that Marcella wouldn't back down after making such a firm declaration.
"...Then I'll return your original deposit and accept only the profits as payment for the bracelet. I'll use that money to cover the materials and pay back the various companies and Lord Guido for their help. And there won't be any additional charges."
"Wait, that bracelet must have cost a fortune. You used all sorts of rare materials, not to mention the craftsmanship fees."
"Professor Ozwald only wants reimbursement for the materials, and I've promised to help him with his work later. Tobias has also said he won't accept any payment, so it really didn’t cost that much. Though I do intend to repay the companies and Lord Guido in some other way eventually."
"Alright. I'll give every job I'm entrusted with my best effort, and I'll do what I can to return the favor whenever an opportunity presents itself."
Marcella brought the discussion to a close, then turned his tawny gaze toward Mezzena.
"Mena, now you can move without worrying about the expense."
"Yes. I'm definitely moving into a room with a water heater."
"Um, Mezzena-san, have people been showing up uninvited at your home?"
"Yes... Though it hasn't happened all that often."
Seeing Mezzena avert his eyes made Dahlia feel guilty.
He said it hadn't happened often, but dealing with nobles meant having to be extremely careful about how he responded.
If even his own home, where he should have been able to relax, had become like that, he must have been unable to get any proper rest over the past two weeks.
"This is our fault, so we'll arrange a new place for you. Please tell me what you're looking for in a room later. Also, stay at an inn tonight."
"Thank you. I appreciate the trouble you're going through. Also, Chairwoman, Vice Chairman, would it be possible for you to call me 'Mena'? 'Mezzena' is a bit difficult to say, and I'm not really used to hearing it... The Courier Guild members called me 'Mena' as well."
"All right. Then we'll call you 'Mena' from now on."
With the change to his nickname, Dahlia felt that Mena had become a little closer to them.
Even so, she suspected it would take some time before she got used to addressing him without an honorific.
"Then, starting today, let the four of us work together to make the Rossetti Company thrive!"
At Ivano's cheerful declaration, the four exchanged smiles.
It felt as though the trading company's office had grown just a little smaller once again.
・・・・・・・
Once they had finished their scheduled work, they called it a day a little early since it was their first day.
From now on, Marcella would ride with Dahlia in the carriage and escort her back to the tower.
"Mena, we need to discuss your new room and accommodation arrangements, so please stay a little longer."
"Yes, understood."
"I’ll—no, I mean, I will be at the Scalfarotto estate for knight training tomorrow morning as well, so I will come in during the afternoon."
"Good luck, Marcella."
"...I think all this is going to give me a fever..."
The sandy-haired man let out a sigh and finally voiced his true feelings.
Since yesterday, Marcella had begun studying knightly etiquette and the principles a knight was expected to uphold at the Scalfarotto estate.
Although he had occasionally delivered packages to noble residences on behalf of the Courier Guild, he knew absolutely nothing about the duties and etiquette of a knight.
His lessons were conducted one-on-one with an elderly knight in a practical, hands-on format that left him no opportunity to take notes. Ivano had shuddered when he heard that the training covered everything from morning greetings and how to walk down hallways to proper dining etiquette, running from the morning until the end of lunch.
"Do your best, Marcella-san. I'm sure you'll be fine once you get used to it."
"Dahlia-chan, just pray that the day I get used to it will actually come..."
As his friend, Dahlia cheered him on with an innocent smile.
Marcella gave a wry smile, opened the door, and left the room together with her.
"Mena, please have a seat over there. Would somewhere around this area of the Central District suit you? I've narrowed it down to these three options. The company will act as your guarantor for the room. Also, I'd like you to stay at this inn."
"Thank you. I'd prefer the cheapest of the three. And as for the inn, somewhere less expensive would be fine..."
Ivano spread the documents across the table and showed them to him, but Mena looked rather apologetic.
He was young, but apparently he had a good head on his shoulders when it came to money.
"The company will cover the expenses. Besides, it'd be troublesome if someone came looking for you, wouldn't it? This inn takes measures to protect its guests. Please stay here until you've finished moving."
"Thank you. That's a tremendous help."
"If you run into any problems or need advice, don't hesitate to come to me."
"Um, about my salary... It's higher than what I was earning at the Courier Guild. Are you really sure someone like me deserves that much?"
"Well, we did cause you some trouble, and it looks like we'll be asking you to handle quite a few things. Besides, if your workload increases, we'll raise your salary again."
Including compensation for the inconvenience of effectively taking him away from his previous workplace, Ivano had set his salary at thirty percent above what he had earned at the Courier Guild.
Even so, considering how much work he would be doing for the company from now on, it was by no means an excessive amount.
"There's something I've been meaning to ask. How strong is your physical enhancement, Mena? And what about your magic?"
"With physical enhancement, I can comfortably carry loads weighing up to three times my own body weight. My magic level is four, and I can use wind magic. Though all I can really do is cool people down a little in summer or help clothes dry faster."
"You also have experience as a coachman from your time at the Courier Guild, correct?"
"Yes. I like horses, so I helped look after the Courier Guild's horses a little, too. I'm reasonably good at riding. I can handle urgent deliveries on horseback."
"Marcella mentioned that you occasionally got involved in rough situations. Do you have any experience handling trouble?"
"I worked alongside Marcella-san at the Courier Guild, so I've had a little experience."
Ivano's estimation of him rose as he answered without the slightest hesitation.
He was quite capable. If Ivano wanted to recruit someone of comparable ability away from the Courier Guild, he would probably have to offer an even higher salary.
Narrowing his deep indigo eyes, Ivano finally asked the question he had been most eager to bring up.
"Mena, how long have you been working as a 'Gossipbird'?"
"...About three years, I suppose."
There was a brief pause before he answered, but Mena made no attempt to hide it.
Gossipbirds were people who were paid to spread rumors and promotional messages around town.
Apparently, Mena mainly spread such stories among drunk patrons at restaurants and taverns.
"Do you intend to continue working as a Gossipbird?"
"I assumed I'd have to quit once I joined the Rossetti Company, but..."
"As long as you let us know what you're being asked to spread, just to be safe, I don't mind you continuing. It must be a fairly decent source of income for you, after all. We might even hire you for some jobs ourselves."
Ivano deliberately curled the corners of his mouth into a slight smile and fixed his gaze on Mena's pale blue eyes.
"Marcella doesn't know you're a 'Gossipbird,' does he?"
"No, I've never told him. It's more like a little side job I keep to myself. Marcella-san tends to worry too much, so I'd rather he didn't pry."
"May I ask what you spend the money on?"
"Dating expenses. I'm a 'free love' kind of person, so I do spend a fair bit on women."
Mena answered quite casually, meeting Ivano's gaze without the slightest sign of embarrassment.
The 'free love' lifestyle was even considered a symbol of the freedom enjoyed in the Kingdom of Ordine.
It involved being romantically involved as a couple without placing restrictions on one another. Neither partner objected to the other dating additional people, allowing relationships with multiple, specifically chosen partners. As long as everyone shared the same outlook, there would be no messy confrontations.
The fact that Ivano felt a little uncomfortable about it was probably because he belonged to the opposite camp: those who devoted themselves exclusively to one wife.
"Understood. You're free to pursue your romantic interests, but please refrain from bringing any relationship troubles into the company."
"Yes, I'll be careful."
Looking at Mena as he nodded obediently, Ivano found himself satisfied with his assessment.
He had soft chestnut-brown hair, handsome features, and cool, pale blue eyes. His physique was toned from his work in transportation, and he wore a light indigo jacket.
Having grown accustomed to seeing Volf, Ivano's sense of what constituted good looks had become somewhat distorted, but there was no doubt that Mena was handsome as well.
Well, with looks like those, it was easy to imagine him as a young man with a great many romantic entanglements.
"Well then, thank you for your hard work today. I've already contacted the inn. I don't think anyone will be able to follow you if you leave through the guild's back entrance."
"Thank you, Vice Chairman. I'll take my leave, then."
Mena properly put the etiquette Ivano had taught him that day into practice right in front of him before leaving the room.
Once he was alone, Ivano tidied up the documents.
Then he spread out the parchment Guido had sent him on the desk and read it over again.
Mezzena Grieve.
His parents were unknown. He had grown up in an orphanage and joined the Courier Guild through Marcella's introduction. He was well regarded for his diligent work.
His abilities exceeded expectations, Marcella was his guarantor, and he had no ties to any particular faction.
He was quite a rare find.
However, Ivano hadn't expected him to lie about how he spent his money.
It was true that Mena seemed to have quite a few female friends.
But the place he regularly visited and financially supported was the children's orphanage where he himself had grown up.
It certainly counted as money spent on personal relationships, but he could have just been honest about it.
The fact that he had deliberately brought up 'women,' seemingly to give Ivano a bad impression, made it difficult to tell whether he was simply embarrassed or putting on a brave front out of youthful pride.
He recalled the 'puppy' Ozwald had once mentioned to him.
'For the sake of the future, I recommend getting yourself a puppy sooner rather than later.'
What Oswald had really meant was that Ivano should take on a young member of the company and nurture his talents.
Mena was personable and fearless. He also possessed physical enhancement and was skilled enough to look after himself without needing a bodyguard.
On top of that, he was willing to dabble in the somewhat shady business of being a Gossipbird.
He didn't seem particularly straightforward, but if Ivano could develop him into a proper merchant, he had a feeling Mena could go very far.
Ivano himself could hardly consider himself a fully accomplished merchant yet, but the more trusted people he had at his side, the better.
"Looks like I've got even more work to do. Good grief, things are going to get busy..."
Despite his words, Ivano smiled cheerfully.
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