Chapter 350: The Circumstances of the Mary Chamber of Commerce

Rosalie, having appeared suddenly, greeted me first. She then paid her respects to Esparda, Arte, and the others in turn before dragging over a chair from a nearby table.

“If you don’t mind, may I join you for a moment?”

Rosalie said this with her hand already resting on the back of the chair. Her assertiveness is exactly what I’d expect.

“I can hardly refuse when you’ve already brought the chair.”

When I said that with a laugh, Rosalie smiled happily.

“Thank you very much!”

Saying that, she placed her cup on the table and took a seat. Seeing Rosalie’s smile, Till’s expression brightened in response, and she asked, “Did something good happen, Ms. Rosalie?”

Rosalie nodded vigorously at Till’s question.

“It certainly did! Ah, is it alright for me to talk about myself already? Were you perhaps discussing something important?”

She’s dying to talk, but feels she can’t just start rambling in front of the lord… Rosalie seemed fidgety as she broached the subject. I almost laughed at the gap between this and her usual demeanor.

“It’s fine. What happened? I’m curious, too.”

When I asked, Rosalie broke into a smile like a flower blooming in an instant.

“Actually…… as a result of my contributions being recognized by the guild, I have been promoted to a Senior Member! This is all thanks to you, Lord Van! Thanks to you allowing me to open a store in Seatoh Village……”

Rosalie continued speaking as if overcome with emotion, but feeling overwhelmed by her momentum, I fired back a question.

“W-Wait a moment, Senior Member? First of all, what is a Senior Member?”

When I asked that, Rosalie covered her mouth with her hand and let out an “Ah.” Today is a parade of rare sides of Rosalie. It is a very precious day indeed.

“M-My apologies. I got ahead of myself and skipped the explanation……”

After apologizing, Rosalie cleared her throat once and spoke again.

“I believe other guilds have similar ranks, but at the Mary Chamber of Commerce, one starts as an apprentice, then rises to Junior Member, Intermediate Member, and then Senior Member. Anything above that involves managing the entire guild at headquarters, so usually, becoming a Senior Member is the ultimate goal.”

Rosalie explained clearly and smiled.

“I see…… Wait, so you’ve already been promoted to the very top, Ms. Rosalie!? That’s amazing!”

Surprised, I asked again, and Rosalie waved one hand dismissively with a shy smile.

“No, no, I was simply lucky to be able to open a store in Seatoh Village. However, not to brag, but there are very few people who have become Senior Members at my age, so I will have to brace myself and work even harder from now on.”

Saying that, Rosalie gave a wry smile. Bracing herself after a promotion—does she have a quota or something? Perhaps there is a system like paying tribute money. How terrifying.

While I was imagining the dark side of the guild based on Rosalie’s words, I heard a soft laugh. I looked up to see Rosalie smiling as if she found me amusing yet troubling.

“I understand what you are worried about, Lord Van. But I have no intention of losing to the other Senior Members, let alone the Intermediate ones. Well, they might come all the way to Seatoh Village to say something, but I intend to generate enough sales to silence any complaints and show them the difference in our class.”

Rosalie declared with enthusiasm. Ooh, I see. Indeed, since Rosalie has leapfrogged over much older veteran merchants, there will likely be plenty of jealousy. In some cases, she might even face harassment from senior Senior Members who are aiming even higher.

Realizing that, I honestly felt that Rosalie’s bold attitude was impressive.

“Heh, that’s amazing…… But I’m sure you will be fine, Ms. Rosalie. If anything happens, let me know, and I’ll help you out.”

I said that with the intention of cheering on the hardworking Rosalie, but she blinked and froze. Then, she laughed aloud and shook her head.

“As expected of you, Lord Van. I believe your situation is far more difficult than mine, yet you have such composure…… I will do my best to become like that someday! Ah, I apologize for taking up your time! This meal is on the house, so please enjoy it at your leisure!”

Rosalie said such incomprehensible things and left. As I waved goodbye to Rosalie, who was bowing repeatedly as she walked away, Esparda gave a small nod and spoke.

“……Miss Rosalie is stout-hearted. Rising through the ranks in a guild as large as the Mary Chamber of Commerce is surely more difficult than words can express. However, she possesses a strength that does not let that show. Of course, as Miss Rosalie mentioned, you, Lord Van—having become independent at eight and a Viscount at ten—are surely the object of even more envy and jealousy from various nobles. You do not seem to mind it much, but from now on, we must be on guard against assassination even within Seatoh Village.”

“……A-Assassination?”

Hearing Esparda’s words, I lost my appetite in an instant. Trembling, I looked around to see that Arte had turned pale as well. Till was the same. Khamsin alone was gripping his knife while radiating bloodlust.

No, wait, Khamsin should have a katana at his waist.

“……I never even wanted to get promoted.”

I muttered that with a sigh and savored the rest of the meal feeling like it was my Last Supper.