Virgin Knight Who Is the Frontier Lord in the Gender Switched World - Chapter 240
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- Chapter 240 - The Merchants' Frenzy
I entrusted my two beloved donkeys to the Ingrid Trading Company.
Humming a little tune, I made my way to the tavern next door.
The tavern was fully rented out by the Ingrid Trading Company, with strict security, making it a safe place to enjoy a drink.
“It was the right decision! Following Her Highness, Princess Valiere, was the right choice! Our golden age has come at last!”
“Glory to Her Highness! Glory to us, the gleaners! No matter how much we shout, it’s still not enough!!”
The moment I entered, my fellow packhorse drivers were shouting.
Some even stood on the tables, dancing.
Indeed, it was the right decision.
Princess Valiere’s march to the Windbona Imperial City—every fruit of that journey had quenched our thirst.
We earned from the small trades along the way, from transporting goods to the Imperial City.
We had already been paid, and our pockets were warm just from that alone.
We could drink all the ale and wine we wanted.
And there was still one more big deal to come.
The Imperial City’s Merchant Guild and Her Highness Valiere were negotiating the price of the large-scale trade goods we had transported.
Once that deal was done, we’d be paid even more.
Enough to set up a small shop in the Imperial City.
Not that I was worried.
I had no doubt Princess Valiere would win.
There were also future prospects to consider.
“Even if we become citizens of the Imperial City, I want to continue helping Her Highness Valiere. It’s a matter of gratitude and duty. We must repay her kindness.”
“Joining the development of the Polydoro territory would be the best way! It’s going to be a huge project!!”
Indeed, a massive project.
Once Her Highness Valiere is married into the Polydoro family, the large-scale development of the Polydoro territory will begin.
Being part of the colonization project, involving thousands of people, is a great opportunity.
Ingrid Trading Company had already approached the more serious packhorse drivers, asking if they’d like to collaborate.
Of course, they had asked me as well.
As citizens of the Imperial City and merchants, we would engage in trade.
If I made a fortune, perhaps I could even retire in the Polydoro territory.
My future looked bright.
But that wasn’t all.
“Which knights should we go greet?”
“All of them, of course. If we prove we participated in the march to the Imperial City, they won’t treat us poorly. They, too, need to equip themselves properly as nobles.”
Many knights had risen from those who took part in the march.
Black Knights, daughters of third or fourth sons of nobles, even former mercenary captains.
These women had to establish themselves as nobles of Anhalt, and they’d been instructed by Lady Sabine to procure their needs from the merchants who joined the march.
It was good business.
It wasn’t unusual for merchants to visit the knights, hoping to curry favor.
The shrewdest ones had already done so during the march.
Like me.
During the march, I’d energetically sold apples and flattered them by addressing them as “noble knights,” boosting their pride while securing connections.
My future was secure.
Now, what business should I focus on?
I wasn’t the sharpest, so I couldn’t come up with clever ideas.
Perhaps, using my experience as a packhorse driver, I could buy supplies in the Imperial City and transport them to the Polydoro territory.
But then again, since I’d be setting up shop in the city, maybe I should cater to the knights and regular soldiers with small trades…
No, maybe I should hire people and do both.
Yes, that’s the way to go.
Once, I was just a girl whose only possessions were two cute donkeys and a cart.
A girl who’d been kicked out of her home and workplace for being too dim-witted.
But now, I was lost in a rosy future.
It felt like I was dreaming.
A sensation so sweet it was almost dizzying.
I’d only had one pint of ale, yet I felt like I was already drunk on the atmosphere.
I thought to myself, maybe I should just get drunk and lose myself in this air today.
But just as that thought crossed my mind—a loud sound, like something bursting, echoed.
“Eek!”
Instinctively, I ducked down, clutching my head.
The door had been blown apart.
A Zweihander—an enormous two-handed sword—smashed through the door, splitting it as if it were nothing.
It was the favored weapon of the double-pay mercenaries of the Landsknecht.
The customers near the door were sent flying along with the door, rolling across the floor.
“Is Ingrid here!?”
A woman’s loud voice boomed.
She was a large woman.
It looked like she stood over 2 meters and 20 centimeters tall.
She kicked aside the shattered door pieces and entered the tavern.
“I’ll ask again! Is Ingrid here!?”
Her voice was rough and booming.
From the back of the tavern, a merchant stepped forward.
It was Ingrid.
“Oh my, what happened to the guards outside?”
“I took care of them.”
Looking outside, I saw the guards lying on the ground.
It didn’t seem like they’d been killed, but that only highlighted the overwhelming difference in strength.
There was no one else in sight.
The citizens of the Imperial City, who had been walking the streets, had scattered in fear.
“What’s your business?”
Ingrid asked with a smile plastered on her face as she slowly approached.
She must have realized resistance was futile, as she placed the pistol she was holding on a nearby table mid-stride.
Perhaps she thought that would be the safer approach.
“I heard you’re Lord Polydoro’s merchant.”
“Yes, indeed. I serve as a merchant for the Polydoro family.”
Ingrid spread her palms open, as if to say, “See? I’m unarmed.”
It was a gesture that felt somewhat suspicious.
“I wish to challenge Lord Polydoro to a duel.”
The large woman extended a parchment from her hand.
“Allow me to take a look.”
Ingrid took it and began reading carefully.
Two or three minutes passed.
After finishing, she tucked it into her coat.
“I will deliver this. If it’s a duel, Lord Polydoro will surely accept.”
“I appreciate it.”
“However, before I deliver it—”
Ingrid adjusted her glasses and continued.
“Is it really a duel? Without any tricks?”
“What are you implying? That I’m lying?”
“That’s exactly what I’m implying.”
Baumann raised the tip of her Zweihander.
In an instant, the blade was at Ingrid’s neck.
It was a precise movement, the blade cutting just 2 or 3 mm into her neck, drawing a trickle of blood.
“The Landsknecht aren’t exactly known for their trustworthiness.”
Ingrid was smiling.
She didn’t seem to care that the blade was pressed against her neck.
“I figured.”
The large woman pressed the blade further.
Ingrid’s neck began to bleed more profusely.
“Did you read the letter yourself?”
“I can’t read. I was just told to deliver it.”
“I see, I see.”
Ingrid laughed, as if she had understood everything, mocking her.
“If ‘Baumann of the Gospel’ is planning to ambush Lord Polydoro under the pretense of a duel, I’m sure Lord Reckenber of Valhalla would be very disappointed.”
“Do you have a death wish?”
“I’m just stating the facts.”
What kind of nerve does she have!?
Despite the blood flowing from her neck, Ingrid was laughing gleefully.
It was as if she had accepted that she might lose her head.
“I’m asking for a promise, ‘Baumann of the Gospel.’ Our duel must be a one-on-one. Otherwise, I won’t deliver this letter.”
“Do you want to die?”
“Whether I die here or later at the hands of the Anhalt royals, it’s all the same to me. I stand here carrying the lives and positions of my entire company. Do you understand?”
Even while bleeding from her neck, she glared at Baumann like a warrior unafraid of death.
Baumann seemed a bit bewildered.
“If I promise, what should I swear on?”
She spoke with a confused expression, like a lost child.
“Swear it to Lord Reckenber of Valhalla. If you swear that, I will deliver this letter to Lord Polydoro.”
“…Fine.”
Baumann withdrew her sword and lowered it to the ground.
“I swear to Lord Reckenber of Valhalla. I will fight Lord Polydoro in a one-on-one duel. That’s my promise.”
“I pray that you keep your word.”
Ingrid lifted her glasses with a finger, smiling in a way that felt almost mocking.
After watching Baumann turn her back and leave the tavern, she finally spoke.
“Ingrid-sama! You’re bleeding!”
“Quick! Get some bandages!”
The members of the Ingrid Trading Company rushed over in a panic.
As for me, I had fallen to the floor, my legs unable to move, utterly overwhelmed by the situation.
“Prioritize rescuing the guards. I’m fine. More importantly, send a messenger to Lord Polydoro immediately. I’ve done what I could, but we must remain vigilant.”
The head of the Ingrid Trading Company was calm and collected, smiling all the while.
As for me, still sitting on the floor, I could only marvel at what it meant to be a seasoned merchant of the world.