Chapter 97. It Is the World and It Is Reality… (1)

Matthew was genuinely surprised.

He was well aware that his friend was absurdly strong, had an unreasonably eccentric personality, and was unbelievably dirty, petty, and cheap.

But he never thought he had the skill to confidently establish a business transaction with his own father.

That was Aron.

The Guild Master of the Elbador Merchant Guild.

The man who had turned a mediocre, mid-sized merchant guild into the kingdom's best.

That was Matthew's father.

And that father was talking business with Patrick, who was younger than himself, at the same eye level.

“So, we can't set a unit price at a stage where we don't know the exact production volume, can we? We have to gauge the extent of supply and demand to set a price.”

“In that case, let's decide the price later and first confirm the profit split. I absolutely cannot concede anything less than 9 to 1.”

“Hahaha. Do you think I'm doing business for free? Even if I concede a lot, 6 to 4 is appropriate.”

“Wow, you're trying to take 4 for free? Really? Is your profession a merchant or a thief, by any chance?”

“And you, what kind of noble young master is so obsessed with money? You should know some dignity, shouldn't you?”

“Does dignity put food on the table?”

Listening to the conversation, their exchange was almost on equal footing.

No, if anything, Patrick held a slightly superior position.

In fact, while the production of silk was a capability Patrick monopolized, distribution was possible even if it wasn't the Elbador Merchant Guild.

It was just that he was entrusting it to them because they were the best in the country, not that it absolutely had to be the Elbador Merchant Guild.

Actually, this was fortunate for Patrick.

Originally, he thought silk didn't exist in this world, so he was looking for a merchant guild that could handle distribution, promotion, and sales.

In the Kingdom of Atronia, only the Elbador Merchant Guild was capable of that.

But now that he knew silk already existed and was valued very highly, the situation was different.

It was still true that the Elbador Merchant Guild was the best trading partner.

But the desperation of it having to be the Elbador Merchant Guild was gone.

As a result….

“Well, it can't be helped. I was going to trust you and leave it to you since you're my friend's father. If you don't want to, it's fine for me to contact a foreign merchant guild….”

“Ahem, ahem, what kind of nonsense is that? A noble of the great Kingdom of Atronia talking about a foreign merchant guild? Should you be doing that?”

“I'm a noble from a backwater village who doesn't care about such things.”

“Still, that's not right.”

“No, what can I do when you don't recognize the value of the product? I can't take a loss, can I?”

“……”

He was really detestable.

It made one want to hit him.

Even with Patrick in front of him, who naturally evoked such thoughts, Aron spoke skillfully.

“Alright. I understand. The profit distribution will be as you wish. Instead, give us all the exclusive rights to the product.”

“Keung…. One shouldn't put all their eggs in one basket….”

As Patrick seemed to hesitate, Aron said with a temper.

“It's 9 to 1. 9 to 1. If word gets out that I accepted such a deal, I'd be scared of the rumors.”

“Ummm…. I guess I have no choice. I'll accept it, taking a special loss.”

As Patrick gave his permission as if he were making a concession, a smile appeared on Aron's face as well.

“Hahaha. You're certainly magnanimous.”

“Umhahaha. I tend to be that way.”

“Hahahaha.”

“Umhahahaha.”

Finally, the two men shook hands.

The two people, laughing heartily and looking at each other, were….

‘You thieving bastard? What's with 9 to 1? Huh?’

‘Who are you trying to rip off? Do you think I've only dealt with one or two people like you?’

Very heartwarming.

At least on the surface.

* * *

The business was over.

Then, Aron shed his persona as the Guild Master and welcomed Patrick as his son's friend.

He treated him to a meal, and a rather grand banquet was prepared for his son, who had returned home after a long time, and his friend.

“Ooh, this is delicious. Where did you get it?”

“It's seafood caught in the Harbor Kingdom. It's dried first and then rehydrated for use.”

“Kheu…. That makes it delicious. It's been a long time since I've had this.”

“Have you had it before?”

“Well, a long time ago.”

Drying seafood for preservation and then rehydrating it for use was a method often used in the Central Plains.

Patrick was satisfied with the taste of his past life that he felt after a long time.

Besides that, a lot of rare ingredients from all over the continent were served, and Patrick enjoyed the meal with great satisfaction.

After the meal.

“Ace Orabeoni, would you like to take a walk in the garden with me? The tulips I personally grew in our garden are blooming beautifully.”

“I must stay by the Young Master's side.”

It was April, who rejected Jeila's proposal at once, but….

“It's fine, go ahead.”

At Patrick's single remark, Jeila beamed with a bright smile, and April had a look that said, ‘How could the Young Master do this to me….’

After April was dragged away by Jeila.

Only Patrick and the father-son duo, Matthew, sat in the drawing-room.

Aron brought out some decent liquor and poured it for his son and guest himself.

“It's a 30-year-old Sabrona.”

“Ooooh….”

“Do you know what kind of liquor it is?”

“No. It just sounds like an expensive liquor from the name alone.”

At that, Aron laughed loudly and said.

“Hahaha. It's one of the fine liquors that's worth the money.”

It was the highest compliment a merchant could give.

Patrick willingly accepted the liquor and drank it. Then….

“It's amazing.”

“Hahaha. Isn't your impression a bit too cheap? Don't nobles usually say things like they can feel the fragrance of fallen leaves or the grace of the earth?”

“The fragrance of fallen leaves? The grace of the earth? If you want to feel that, you should chew on dirt. Why drink liquor?”

“Hahahahaha.”

Aron laughed heartily at Patrick's words.

He felt that he had more to laugh about today than usual.

After a few more drinks, Aron said with a slightly bitter smile.

“I heard that it was thanks to you that my son showed good results in the mid-term assessment this time.”

“Well, it just turned out that way.”

“I suppose it's right for me to say thank you first?”

Though he said thank you, his face was full of worry.

Patrick spoke to such an Aron.

“You don't seem very pleased.”

“How could I be pleased?”

Aron fiddled with his glass, then looked at his son beside him, and said with a smirk.

“There are no parents anywhere who like to see their child overexerting themselves.”

At that, Matthew flared up and stepped forward.

“Father, I am not overexerting myself.”

Aron said with a bitter smile.

“You're not overexerting yourself?”

“Yes. Deciding to become a knight is the long-cherished wish of our family and at the same time, my choice.”

“The long-cherished wish of the family….”

Originally, Matthew's family, going back a few generations, was a knightly family holding the title of Count.

However, they lost their title in the process of political factions being sorted out after being swept up in the political tide.

After that, Matthew's ancestor spent the rest of his life in despair, and it was only in Matthew's grandfather's time that they entered commerce for the reconstruction of the family.

And now.

Though he could not return as a knight, Matthew's father had become a great success as a merchant.

His status was a commoner, but he was a great merchant whom even decent nobles could not treat lightly.

But Matthew grew up hearing the family's wish from his grandfather since he was young.

He grew up listening to the achievements his ancestors had made as knights on the battlefield while sitting on his grandfather's lap.

That was why Matthew, unlike his father, chose to walk the path of a knight rather than a merchant.

However, that was Matthew's choice.

His father, Aron, was by no means pleased with his son's choice.

Aron spoke to his son in a calm tone.

“Son. This father of yours is confident in one thing, and that is his eye for people.”

“I know.”

How could the insight of the man who created the kingdom's top merchant guild be poor?

Aron was a man whose insight in appraising the value of people and goods was second to none.

And such an Aron spoke to his son in a cold voice.

“I allowed you to enter the Academy because you wanted to, but I did not see the qualities of a knight in you.”

“Then why did you allow it?”

“It was partly because you wanted it so strongly, but on the other hand, I thought that experiencing failure at a young age is also a great asset.”

“……”

It meant that he never thought his son would succeed as a knight in the first place.

At his father's words, Matthew bit his lower lip hard and remained silent.

And Aron's words continued.

“I made a large donation to the Academy to get you into the Knight Faculty. In fact, as you know, I am not a person who uses money that way.”

“…I know.”

Matthew answered in a gloomy voice.

How could he not know?

Aron had touched on the part that his son felt most sorry about.

Using the power of money to enroll a son who lacked skill.

As far as Matthew knew, his father Aron was by no means a person who used money that way.

It was probably the first time.

For him to have done an act that went beyond the rules with the power of money.

“You can try once and fail, and still start over. Because you are young.”

“……”

“But I never thought you would pass the mid-term assessment. To be honest, it was unexpected.”

“Father, I….”

“But how long do you think that will last?”

At the sharp word from his father that cut him off mid-sentence, Matthew's mouth, which had been forced open, closed again.

And Aron spoke.

“Gilding eventually wears off. As time passes, the talented will distinguish themselves. Conversely, you, who lack talent, will hit a wall.”

“……”

“Worse than failure is mediocre success. You have the qualities to succeed as a merchant or a bureaucrat. So why do you try to waste your life in a place that doesn't match your talents?”

“Isn't it the family's wish? It was my late grandfather's last wish to reclaim our family's name and return to being a knightly family.”

At the words 'family's wish,' Aron also paused for a moment. But he said with a bitter smile.

“That is something that can be done even if it's not you.”

“…Yes?”

“Erase your impatience and look at the big picture. You and I do not have the talent for knighthood. But what about in your son's, or your grandson's generation?”

“……”

“There is also the method of you and I building a solid foundation and then entrusting the future to a child who has talent. It doesn't have to be you.”

“That is….”

“It is right for people to do what they can do. That is the most natural and happy way.”

“……”

“I have no intention of pushing my son's life into hardship and adversity for the sake of the family's wish. I can never do that.”

“……”

Matthew couldn't say a single word.

Theoretically, everything his father said was right.

And he couldn't argue because he knew the reason he was saying this was because he loved him.

As his son fell silent, Aron spoke.

“If you want, it's possible to change your major even now. This time, with your own abilities, with dignity….”

“I've been listening and listening, but.”

At that moment, the one who cut off Aron's words was Patrick, who had been filling and emptying his own glass by himself on the side.

Patrick slammed his glass on the table with a displeased expression.

Then he looked at Aron and said.

“I tried not to meddle in other people's family affairs. But listening to you, aren't you going a bit too far with the bullshit?”

“As you said, this is another person's family affair.”

“So what? Let me be a busybody.”

“……”

Aron was rather flustered by him who so brazenly declared he would be a busybody.

Patrick spoke to Aron.

“So. The gist of your words, Guild Master, is that Matthew has no talent, so he should quit being a knight and live holding a pen, whether as a merchant or a bureaucrat. Isn't that it?”

“That's right.”

“There is a crucial error in that statement itself.”

“What error do you mean?”

“Matthew has the talent to succeed as a knight.”

“He has talent? My son?”

“Yes. So why should he quit his knight training, which he is good at, and hold a pen?”

Aron made a dumbfounded expression.

As far as he knew, Patrick was a swordsman who had reached a high state, even surpassing the Academy's professors.

When the words that Matthew had talent came from such a Patrick's mouth, he was momentarily dumbfounded, but at the same time, a hope arose in a corner of his heart.

Could it be that his son had a talent that could not be seen with a merchant's eye?

“When he was young, he said he wanted to learn swordsmanship, so I hired a teacher and had him taught. But that person, though a master who had reached the 5-star state, did not say that my son had talent.”

“Tsk tsk, how can you judge your son with the insight of some 5-star crumb?”

A 5-star was a skill that would never be ignored anywhere, but to Patrick, it was treated as a ‘crumb.’

And Patrick filled his glass with liquor again, downed it, and then said.

“Even among talents, there are various kinds. Well, having a good affinity for aura or being born with a strong body? Those are not the only talents.”

“If so, what is my son's talent?”

At Aron's words, Matthew, who was listening from the side, also waited for Patrick's following words with a pounding heart.

And what Patrick said was….

“Matthew's talent is the ‘talent for effort’.”

“Right. Is that so?”

Aron let out a hollow laugh upon hearing Patrick's words.

And Matthew, who was listening from the side, also had a face that said, ‘I knew it.’

At their reaction, Patrick was the one who got angry.

“No, you people…. I just said something nice, so why are you making such faces?”

“The talent for effort. It sounds nice. But can that really be called a talent?”

“Why can't it?”

“It's the same in any field, but putting in effort is a given. A guy who doesn't do his best at his job has a rotten mindset to begin with.”

“Well, that's true.”

It was a hundred times a justified statement.

Patrick also meekly agreed.

And Aron's words continued.

“The world is not so easy that everyone succeeds just by trying. Those who are much more talented than Matthew will also put in the same effort. In the end, as time passes, it's only the real ones, born with talent, who will stand out. That is the world, and that is reality.”

Aron's words were right.

He had stated the reality plainly.

But Patrick smirked and said.

“The world and reality, you say….”

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