The doors opened, and an alluring figure walked into the glamorous room.
Wearing a dress of natural origin or… wearing a nightgown, the lady with bright blond hair walked into the room.
The nightgown was luxurious and the white color and the thick material of the cloth made it better than any dress worn by the people present in this room.
As if all the circling air were her servant, she filled the surrounding air with authority.
Despite the tired face that we couldn’t compare to, she walked with dignity.
She was as gorgeous as ever.
Her clear eyes that looked normal contained charm-filled tiredness that was alluring in itself.
She walked in and the servant of the house, the head butler, and one of her guardians walked behind her.
She just walked in and set down with no care in the world and after her, all the people standing in the place sat down after her command.
-Thum.
Many bowed before sitting down and she just gave them an indifferent look.
This was different from her usual self and those that knew this person could feel that she was not in the mood for ideal chit-chat.
“So, we should finish all the things at hand. I’m… in no mood for doing the useless things so elder Glory would answer questions,” she said, and the viscount nodded.
There was no point in something pointless right now and if someone foolishly-
“How could you do that, madam?! We came all the-” this was the same person who had spoken earlier and… he was a fool.
She eyed the person who had just spoken mid-sentence and looked at the butler behind her with annoyed eyes.
He just nodded, and in the next moment, the fool was not in the room.
He just vanished before their eyes, as if he had never existed in this place in the first place, and different reactions filled the room.
The countess in the red dress just sighed while shaking her head, and the same was true for the viscount.
Some other new members that were not as foolish as him just gasped with cold sweat filling their backs.
“Ok then, what was the first agenda?” she indifferently asked as if the things that had just happened… had never happened.
The fear in the air was clear, but some didn’t care about this, as they already knew what they were dealing with here.
This was someone that had received the nickname of demoness from the public.
She was no normal person in the first place and, according to their knowledge, she was the strongest person present in this room.
Strong enough to make every mage and knight submit to her will.
Her special power, [Authority], something that very few possessed, was more than enough to defeat a (tier-6) mage.
She was strong and her attendant and family member behind her was also mysterious person who somehow was present with all the members of the family at the same time.
No one knew his origin or what type of power he used, but all knew that this one grandpa before them was no less than the demoness sitting on the throne-like chair at the far end of the table.
This was her palace and everything here belong to her and… there was no need to deeply introduce someone we already knew about.
“For the first thing, this morning we will be hearing from the countess, who has been rising in the clothing business in the empire.”
The butler behind said and a small light flashed in her beautiful eyes.
“Oh? Countess Morgan? I wanted to meet you for a long time now. Hope you have the brief version of what you want and what can I have.”
She said in her alluring voice, her words were filled with seriousness when she asked this question.
She asked to make it short, meaning she didn’t want this whole thing to be more than what it should.
Her question itself contained meaning as great as a willow.
Magnificent, but at the same time cruel.
She just asked someone that was here to ask for help about what she can offer to her.
This lady was a merchant and… something worried her at the moment.
She asked what she wanted at the same time, so the answer had to be clear.
This person, this noble lady in a luxurious nightgown, was someone that can do whatever she wanted in this place.
She wasn’t bound by anything and all her strength was her own and no one else’s.
She was a scary woman that had achieved things that were recorded in books and her knowledge and wisdom for money spoke for themselves.
If she wanted, she can say the word and everyone in this room would lose everything they had the very next moment.
There was no need to even ask for a second chance if they did something foolish like the person a moment ago.
That person would be safely reaching his home but, he should forget if he was thinking of coming to this place again.
Now, that same demoness was looking at the woman that was a rising star with minor curiosity.
And, her answer would decide many things for her today.
“Greeting, countess. As you said, I will make it short. All I can offer is 30% of my [Evergreen]. And all I ask is your protection.”
She said with a vast, respect-filled voice and then looked at the countess, who had an intrigued expression.
“30%? You think that’s something I wouldn’t be able to get if I said the word?” she frowned.
Her voice was still filled with curiosity but, there was no smile on her face.
Her beautiful face.
The smile of someone like her was something only fortunate ones received and here, not many were worthy of such blessing.
She was looking at the rising star that was the talk of the town because of her latest business and brand, as well as her talent.
Her clothing shops were something that sold premade clothes and her targeted customers was from the common folks to all the nobles that could be humble and enter the place.
This thing, this business, was a potential star, according to her, and if looked at from the merchant’s point of view, this was the same thing she had done.
Or, her son has theorized, would happen if done this way.
Her son…
This was the reason she wanted these shops owned by this lady.
And, if looking for profits, this was the best offer a merchant could offer.
Joining a merchant alliance was something different from joining a normal guild.
But, at this very moment, she wasn’t asking for the merchant alliance’s protection, but for her, the one known as demoness’s protection.
This was something like directly asking to become a subordinate of hers and… she liked this direct, straightforward attitude of this woman.
It was already decided that she was going to accept her, but she had to see her profits.
She would try to get as much as she can as a merchant but, this was just a play.
“That is all I can offer, my lady. I have nothing else.
This is my dream just like the one you had.
I might be being insolent here but I want to keep this dream and, if I go any more than this, I won’t be able to forgive myself.”
She was bowing, and this was a straight, brief answer instead of something like begging.
She said many things in those sentences and that much was enough to make this golden demoness…
“Do you mean what you just said? Do you think you have what it takes to further what you have? Do you think that someone like you… can be more than what you are?”
-Oooooooooong.
A great pressure engulfed the entire room.
The weak ones that were sitting at the far end of this long table fall unconscious in an instant.
Some sitting closer to her were holding up quite well and the viscount, as well as some others that were calm all this time, were still calm as if there was nothing different.
This pressure was enough to destroy the glass windows and some important things, like statues and paintings, got covered in a transparent shield.
She, the person that was asked this question, was holding herself with great difficulty.
She dug her nails into her skin to resist this mental pressure and started bleeding in this attempt.
She had created her shop and her entire business with effort and advanced it like her own child.
Now, there were hyenas after her baby-like shops and she was not going to submit to anyone.
Be it them… or this demoness before her.
She wanted her protection, and she understood this was her trial.
The master of one of the most powerful merchant alliances had something greater in mind.
She was adamant, and there was nothing that was going to break her down.
Her great mentality that had resisted this pressure had already passed her small test.
She looked deep into her eyes and opened her pretty mouth to answer this demon-like person she had expected.
“I-” she started but, everyone in the room flinched as they heard the loud footsteps coming towards this quiet room.
-Thump! Thump! Thump!
A confused expression clouded everyone’s expression and, in no time, the door was blasted away.
-Boom!
“Nolen!!!” a horrified male voice echoed in the room, raising the heartbeats of everyone present in the room.