Chapter 193 - The Company Chairman and the Golden Liquor
"Excuse us."
Marcella and Mena were the ones who knocked on the door of the room where the three were gathered.
Both were dressed in slightly more formal outfits, with matching colors for their tops and bottoms. Marcella wore a suit in a shade of tawny brown, while Mena wore pale blue. It seemed they had each chosen a color close to that of their eyes.
The gold engagement bracelet set with garnets gleamed at Marcella's wrist.
"Marcella-san, how's Irma doing?"
"She's doing great! She eats a full three servings at every meal. And she's been making sand every day."
"Sand made with earth magic?"
"It's a lovely tea-brown color. I got to see it myself."
"Since she's going through all that trouble, I was thinking I'd turn the sand into bricks once I get the hang of hardening it with earth magic. Dahlia-chan, would you like some? You could use them for flower beds or patching up walls. Though it'll have to wait until I get a little better at making bricks."
"Could I really? That would make a lovely keepsake."
"Having a tangible keepsake even before the baby's born might be rather nice."
As they chatted and laughed, another knock sounded at the door.
"Thank you very much for inviting me."
Escorted by a member of the staff, Lucia entered the room.
At the sight of her, it felt as though a flower had suddenly blossomed in the room.
She wore a dress with a gradient that shifted from white to aqua blue. Its skirt flared softly to below her knees, while delicate white lace adorned the neckline and extended to her upper arms.
Her green hair was swept up, and aquamarine earrings dangled from her ears.
Lucia was always stylish, but today she looked even more adorable and beautiful than usual.
"Lucia, you look gorgeous! It suits you so well!"
"Whoa! I almost mistook you for some noble young lady!"
"Right? Isn't it lovely? Lord Fort and I brought it to life from a design I'd drawn some time ago!"
Despite her sweet and polished appearance, Lucia spoke in her usual manner.
Apparently, she'd managed to bring another one of the adorable outfits she'd always wanted to make into reality.
"You look beautiful too, Dahlia! And that dress suits you wonderfully!"
"Thank you. I have a good designer, after all."
"Ufufu... It really does make me happy to hear that."
Dahlia was wearing the navy-blue dress she'd worn on the day of her presentation at the Royal Castle.
The rich, lustrous fabric took on a bluish sheen depending on the angle. This dress, too, was Lucia's creation.
"Chairwoman, please introduce us."
Mena smoothly slipped up beside her. Come to think of it, everyone else in the room was already acquainted with one another.
Just as Dahlia was about to make the introduction, Lucia turned to Mena with a smile first.
"My name is Lucia Fano, and I serve as the head of the Magical Clothing Workshop. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"My name is Mezzena Grieve of the Rossetti Company. It is a pleasure to have the opportunity to meet you today, Workshop Head Fano."
Dahlia was impressed by how effortlessly Mena delivered his greeting.
What incredible people skills!
Dahlia genuinely envied how Mena could meet someone for the first time without showing even the slightest hint of nervousness.
After exchanging greetings with Mena, Lucia turned toward Fermo.
"Mr. Gandolfi! That pot worked wonderfully as a slime solution container, so I'd like to order some more. I'll make sure to purchase them properly through the Tailors Guild!"
"Ah, that thing. I'll be mass-producing them before long. I'd be happy if you bought some."
As the two talked, Ivano raised one hand slightly and interjected.
"Fermo, Miss Lucia, what's a 'slime solution container'?"
"When I met Workshop Head Farno at the Merchant Guild, she asked if I had a container that green slimes wouldn't stick to easily, so I gave her one of those shallow pots."
"The liquid containing green slime that we use for the Auratello tends to stick to its container. But it doesn't stick to that pot. It's just that it's a shallow pot, so I'd prefer something a little bigger."
"Lucia, why not have him make one in the same shape as the container you're using now?"
The smooth-surfaced pot, developed from the cookware for the expedition stove, apparently worked well as a container for dyes in garment production, too.
If they were going to make one anyway, having it shaped like the container she already used should allow her to switch over without any inconvenience.
At Dahlia's suggestion, Lucia's dayflower-blue eyes lit up.
"That would be perfect! Mr. Gandolfi, could you make the same thing as a deep, cylindrical bucket?"
"Sure, I can. But it'll cost more than the shallow pots."
"Will it be much more expensive?"
"Depends on the size, but without a lid, I'd say about three times as much. I can give you a discount if you order in bulk."
"Then I'd definitely like some! Those should work for mixing dyes, too. I'll bring the bucket I'm currently using next time. Oh, Lord Fort said he'd like to meet you sometime, Mr. Gandolfi. He might want to discuss other kinds of containers, too. He mentioned that even cleaning the palettes used for mixing colors was a real hassle."
"Mr. Fermo, couldn't you make a palette by modifying one of those iron plates used for food stalls?"
"I've never actually seen a palette, so I can't say for sure. But if it's a flat plate, just give me the dimensions and I'll pass the specifications along to the magical toolmakers and blacksmiths. Still, do I really have to go and pay my respects in person before doing business with the Guildmaster of the Tailors Guild? That's a bit intimidating for someone like me..."
Fermo trailed off, furrowing his brow.
Dahlia could well understand how Fermo felt.
Whenever she'd attended meetings alongside guildmasters who held the rank of Viscount, her own stomach had twisted into knots.
"Fermo!"
Suddenly, Ivano grabbed the man's shoulder firmly.
"Before you go to the Tailors Guild, let's go over everything thoroughly together. We can't afford to make a bad impression on the Guildmaster of the Tailors Guild. There are quite a few things I want to teach you, too. We'll be drinking today, so let's have a proper session tomorrow."
"Right... Of course. Even if it's just a greeting, the Guildmaster is a viscount. I can't afford to be disrespectful."
"Exactly! You couldn't be more right!"
Seeing a reflection of her former self in Fermo, Dahlia felt sympathy for him.
Once you're the head of a trading company, dealing with nobility means there's a mountain of things to learn.
Etiquette and the peculiar rules of aristocratic society were endlessly complicated.
Even after several months, Dahlia still had plenty of gaps in her knowledge.
Without Ivano, Gabriella, and Ozwald, she would undoubtedly have made some serious blunders by now.
Ivano's quick response was impressive, as always.
He must be planning to teach Fermo proper etiquette with his future in mind. That was how Dahlia interpreted it.
"Miss Lucia, could you hold off on giving him an answer for a little while? If Lord Fort asks, just tell him, 'Ivano had Chairman Gandolfi tied up, so it didn't work out.'"
"That's fine with me, Mr. Ivano, but... 'Chairman Gandolfi'?"
"That's right. Fermo is going to establish his own trading company."
They had only just decided to establish a trading company. Fermo hadn't made any preparations at all.
Even so, Ivano seemed intent on celebrating the occasion right here and now, just as he'd said earlier.
"Is that so? Congratulations, Chairman Gandolfi!"
"Congratulations! Then I suppose we'll be doing business with your trading company next!"
"Th-Thanks."
With everyone around him congratulating him on the rather sudden announcement, Fermo wore a stiff smile.
Still, he had years of experience as the head of a workshop and even had apprentices of his own. He would soon get used to being a company chairman and go on to achieve remarkable things.
If anything, Dahlia felt that she was the one who needed to work harder, both as a company chairwoman and as a craftswoman.
As Dahlia renewed her resolve, Ivano, seated across from her, whispered to Fermo.
"Fermo, you were going to end up establishing a trading company one way or another. It's fate, you know."
・・・・・・・
・・・・・・・
"Sorry I'm late."
"It's alright, Volf. We haven't toasted yet."
About five minutes after the scheduled time, Volf entered the room, carrying his jacket.
He must have hurried over from the Royal Castle. Sweat glistened on his forehead and along the back of his neck.
He was wearing the same outfit as when they'd reunited in the Royal Capital: a white silk taffeta shirt and black trousers.
Although she'd seen him wearing it several times before, there was something nostalgic about the sight.
"Let's see... Mena is the only person here whom you haven't met, Volf."
Ivano called Mena over. He had been talking with Lucia near the window at the back of the room.
When he approached, he opened his pale blue eyes wide.
"This is Volfred Scalfarotto, the guarantor of our trading company."
"...Sir Scalfarotto?"
Mena murmured the name and fixed him with a piercing stare.
His gaze could almost be taken as hostile, prompting Volf to tense slightly.
"...This is utterly unfair..."
The words came out in a strained voice, almost like a bitter lament. There even seemed to be a hint of sorrow in them.
Volf remained on guard, looking puzzled, while Dahlia was simply bewildered.
"Dahlia-chan, Volf, is something wrong?"
Marcella approached from behind them.
Unable to see Mena's expression, he had presumably noticed Dahlia and Volf standing frozen and wondered what was going on.
The others were also looking their way curiously.
"Um, Mena, is something wrong?"
At Dahlia's question, Mena took a deep breath.
"...I sincerely apologize. Seeing Sir Scalfarotto in person made me lose my composure for a moment. My name is Mezzena Grieve, and I've recently joined the trading company. Please call me Mena."
"You can call me Volf, too. I believe this is our first time meeting, isn't it?"
When Volf asked, Mena nodded without hesitation.
"Yes, this is our first meeting. I've heard women all over the place say that Sir Scalfarotto is the most handsome man in the Royal Capital, or that he's so beautiful even other men turn to look at him. I'd always wondered just how handsome you could possibly be, but you really are exceptionally good-looking. It's an honor to meet you."
"...Thank you for that rather unwelcome information."
Volf merely arranged his facial muscles into something resembling a smile and replied with an unusually sharp edge to his words.
Even so, the tension in his posture had disappeared.
"Sorry about that, Volf. Mena, don't go throwing around so many jokes. Besides, you're pretty handsome yourself, aren't you?"
"Marcella-san, don't lump someone who's just a little good-looking together with a man who's drop-dead gorgeous. I only get approached once in a while when I'm walking around town, but Sir Scalfarotto would probably have so many women hitting on him that he'd have trouble getting anywhere, wouldn't he?"
Volf said nothing, but the atmosphere around him grew a little colder.
Perhaps Mena thought he was paying Volf a compliment.
But how could he say something like that to Volf, who had only recently begun enjoying the simple pleasures of walking around the Royal Capital alone in peace, visiting restaurants and eating at food stalls?
"Mena, please stop making those kinds of remarks. You're being disrespectful to Volf."
"...I apologize. I'll be more careful from now on."
Dahlia found herself speaking more sternly than she'd intended.
As the room fell silent following Mena's apology, Ivano was quick to raise his voice.
"Now that everyone's here, please take your seats so we can make a toast!"
Everyone in the room was an adult. No one was going to bring the matter up again.
Still, Dahlia couldn't help worrying about it. After moving to the table, she spoke to Volf.
"I'm sorry, Volf. One of our company employees was..."
"It wasn't your fault, Dahlia, and I'm not bothered by it. It reminded me of when I first met Dorino."
"Was Dorino-san like that, too?"
"Not exactly, but he had a similar sort of energy. He was like that at our first drinking party, and when he tried using me as bait to pick up women."
Volf gave a wry smile, but he didn't seem angry.
His golden eyes narrowed as he looked at her, his expression gradually shifting into an amused smile.
"I'm alright now. Because you made this for me."
He reached into his breast pocket, where the fairy crystal glasses rested inside their leather case.
Once he put them on, he could walk freely around the Royal Capital as a man with green eyes.
Volf gave her a smile that made her proud to have created them, and Dahlia smiled back.
"Then, let's celebrate the Rossetti Company's fresh start, as well as Fermo's upcoming establishment of the Gandolfi Company!"
"Fermo, you're starting your own trading company? Congratulations."
"Thank you, Sir Volf. I only just made the decision, though."
Fermo replied with a look of resignation, as though he'd finally made peace with the situation.
His new company was being celebrated barely thirty minutes after he'd decided to establish it. Perhaps that was a sign of good things to come.
While they were talking, sparkling wine that shimmered with golden highlights was poured into their glasses.
Its brilliant color was perfect for the occasion, and a sweet aroma wafted from it.
Everyone picked up their glasses and stood.
"Sir Volf, would you do us the honor of giving the toast?"
"Huh? Me?"
"Yes. Normally, the toast would be given by one of the company's original members, but I'm acting as the host tonight. And Sir Volf has been with us from the very beginning. If you'll forgive me for saying so, I no longer think of you as merely our guarantor. I see you more as a talented salesman standing right beside our chairwoman. So, would you do us the honor?"
It was an oddly apt description, and Dahlia found herself agreeing wholeheartedly.
Perhaps Ivano's choice of words had amused him, because Volf nodded with a hearty laugh.
"Then—to celebrate the beginning of the new Rossetti Company and the soon-to-be birth of the Gandolfi Company, and to wish everyone prosperity in the days ahead. Cheers!"
"To prosperity!"
"To new beginnings!"
"Cheers!"
Quiet voices mingled with boisterous ones as the glasses clinked together again and again.
The golden wine tasted especially wonderful as Dahlia drank, surrounded by everyone's smiling faces.
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