Volu 2, Chapter 17: Chamber of Comrce
The chamber of comrce in this world was sowhat like the Adventurers' Guilds Leticia had seen in otherworld novels in her previous life. Unfortunately, there did not seem to be any dazzling, colorful magic here to show off with. Mm, it was quite plain and unadorned.
As a semi-official, semi-private organization, the 【Solon Chamber of Comrce】 held absolute influence in the Intis Kingdom. It possessed extrely deep strength and had close dealings with the royal family as well. It was precisely because they were such a powerful outsider that they could take root in every corner of Intis. Even this not particularly famous town had one of their branches.
Arranging caravans, receiving traveling rchants, providing rentals, organizing auctions, safeguarding property...
It could be said to be an economic organization with quite a comprehensive scope of services.
However, with knowledge from another world, Leticia knew that although this kind of organizational form had its advantages, there was no way it could be so absolutely stable form that could last for a thousand autumns and ten thousand years.
Nothing else needed to be ntioned. One could see it just from the relationship between the chamber of comrce and the kingdom. The chamber of comrce could manage far too many things.
And not just anything else, either. It happened to be finance. It happened to be the economy.
Although people's concepts of property were not yet clear or strong, and their thoughts were still of the simple sort, so conflict had not occurred and remained hidden beneath the dark surface with only a faint sign of it.
But as ti passed, it would always be exposed.
The above was what Leticia had been idly thinking about while leading Ilo toward the 【Solon Chamber of Comrce】.
Priest Marshall deserved much of the credit for why she knew about this chamber of comrce.
During the process of teaching her to read, he had told Leticia many interesting things, most of them about the Intis Kingdom. Under Leticia's deliberate or accidental guidance, the elderly priest would often talk about what he had seen and heard in various places, and that included the 【Solon Chamber of Comrce】.
"A chamber of comrce founded by Mikhail Solon, which developed into the current colossus after three generations of effort..."
In Leticia's words, it ant that through the efforts of grandfather and grandson across several generations, they had built their own comrcial empire. It really was quite an impressive thing.
However, the chamber of comrce before her eyes clearly could not display the rumored power of a chamber of comrce whose wealth could rival the royal family's. The outer layer of the entirely wooden building had only been decorated simply, with a few patterns carved onto it and so ornants placed around.
But that did not affect the heated atmosphere of the chamber of comrce at all.
Outside this chamber of comrce were countless pedestrians, carts, and horses. They were dressed differently and seed to belong to different forces, yet they had the sa goal.
Unlike the lively atmosphere near the tavern, where most of the atmosphere was related to eating and drinking, the emotions people revealed here were more closely tied to their own lives.
The people here were more like a great dye vat of emotions. Here, one could see all kinds of expressions and all kinds of people.
Among them were adults full of confidence and satisfaction, young people who still looked slightly immature yet carried expectations for the future, and old people seasoned by age and hardship. Standing here and listening to their voices was like watching a drama nad humanity.
It made one feel sowhat dazzled.
"This should be the chamber of comrce you wanted."
Leticia said this to Ilo beside her while quietly rubbing her nose. "At any rate, this is the only one I've seen here. If it doesn't et your requirents, then there's nothing I can do."
"It's fine."
Ilo laughed softly. "This is enough. Mm... Stano, how do you read those words?"
"Uh?"
Was this person actually illiterate?
That made Leticia freeze slightly, but after thinking about it, she was relieved. After all, this was not so place with compulsory education. She had not even seen a single school so far.
Ilo did not co from a good background, so of course she could not possibly receive that kind of education.
Leticia herself was the sa. If not for that ti when she had said sothing shocking during the Path of Sanctity selection, Priest Marshall probably would not have even spared her a glance, let alone think about pulling so backdoor trick and claiming soone else's wisdom for himself.
The path that had originally not existed in 【Leticia】's fate had appeared, allowing her to understand this world better. Everything was thanks to—or perhaps the fault of—this person who had crossed over.
Well, that could not be helped either.
"I actually don't know that many words either, but at least I know this says chamber of comrce."
For caution's sake, she hid her ability. "The part in front should be a person's na."
The genuine Stano did not pop out to mock her at this mont, which rather surprised Leticia. However, after trying two or three tis, she knew that Stano's consciousness was not here at all right now.
A rare bit of freedom and leisure.
"I see..."
Ilo nodded thoughtfully. "That's a little surprising."
"Surprising? Why?"
"Because Stano looks very... Mm, I suppose, down and out? No, I should say, like the kind of outsider who doesn't seem very important."
Ilo looked at her. "Right? Your clothes are tattered, you don't look good either, so I originally thought you couldn't read."
"Is there really nothing wrong with saying sothing that cuts so deep... And saying it right to my face too. Aren't you afraid I'll hit you?"
Leticia looked at Ilo with half-lidded eyes. "Who talks like that?"
"You don't like it? Then I apologize."
Ilo raised her brows. "But what I said was the truth, and I wouldn't say it to anyone else."
"Are you saying I'm special to you?"
"Yes."
Ilo always wore that grinning look, making it impossible to grasp what she was thinking. "I can't really say why, but I think you're interesting, Stano, so I want to be a little nicer to you!"
"Then I really have to thank you..."
Completely inexplicable.
"So, when you said you wanted to take a look, you really only ant taking a look?"
Seeing that Ilo had no intention of going in at all, Leticia could not help asking.
"Aha~"
Ilo blinked. "I only said I wanted you to bring here to look, didn't I?"
"Then do you still want to go to that tavern from earlier?"
"Mm, I didn't get a clear look. Let's go there after all!"
These requests really ca one after another, making one feel... sowhat helpless.
Leticia nodded. When she turned her head, however, her body stiffened for an instant.
Because she saw a group utterly different from the traveling rchants. They all uniformly wore white cloth hoods. They varied in height, and from the look of them, there were adults and children alike.
What drew the eye the most was none other than the ornant on the clothes at their chests.
A pointed-shield badge. On the silver shield badge was a blooming flower of brilliant gold, dazzling with radiance.
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