Chapter 158
T.n guys please previous chapters (130-156) before reading chapters 157 and 158 . Thank you.
"A spirit?! And not just some lowly spirit of the woods or springs, but a high-ranking spirit straight out of fairy tales?! Do you have any idea how difficult it is to invite something like that into the royal capital?!"
"Ah, I think there’s a bit of a misunderstanding here. So, no, I don’t."
"Of course you don’t! Normally, this would require summoning high-ranking clergy, issuing a nationwide proclamation, and meticulous preparation! This isn’t something to discuss so casually!!"
From my perspective, I just see them as enthusiastic fans at a live show. But to His Grace the Duke, it must be closer to the image of a divine manifestation.
It’s like asking your mom if you can invite a friend over, and when she asks who, you say the Prime Minister.
Facing the Duke, who’s breathing heavily, I feel a little guilty—but I have no intention of backing down. I’ll stand my ground here.
"……Just what are you planning to do in this royal capital?"
"I need it to secure Amina and Nel’s jobs."
"With the power of spirits?"
I don’t mind explaining the situation. Since things have already been partially exposed, I might as well lay it all out now.
After raising his voice to vent some frustration, calming his breathing, and taking a sip of his now-cold tea to steady himself, the Duke asks about my true objective.
"No, the spirits are just there to fill the numbers. I can’t possibly gather ten thousand people from the capital on such short notice."
"From the way you’re talking, it sounds like quantity matters more than quality—just gathering people is the important part?"
"Exactly. And ideally, they should genuinely enjoy Amina’s singing."
He stares into my eyes, trying to detect any lies, but unfortunately for him, I’m not lying at all.
I *am* hiding some things, but that’s just because I’m choosing not to mention them.
"So, you’re gathering spirits?"
"I won’t cause any damage to the city."
"Do you really think having a massive number of spirits show up won’t cause a commotion?"
"Won’t it?"
"Of course it will! Ten thousand spirits covering the sky? The entire capital would panic. At that scale, it could easily surpass the last stampede in chaos."
In the game, NPC numbers were limited due to processing constraints. But in reality, there are far more people in the capital than in the game.
As the Duke says, if spirits suddenly appeared en masse from the sky, it would be absolute pandemonium.
"Then, allow me to demonstrate a little trick to gather the spirits in one place without causing a fuss."
I’ve already accounted for this.
It’s obvious that if spirits—who normally aren’t seen—suddenly flooded the capital, it would cause an uproar.
"A trick?"
This is a system-related matter, but in *FBO*, there was no mechanic for civilian panic.
The verification team concluded that it was due to high randomness making implementation impossible.
While there were scripted scenes of citizens fleeing for narrative purposes, there were no NPCs that randomly ran around during gameplay.
Even in the infamous "Royal Capital Stampede Suppression" strategy some players attempted, NPCs never panicked or fled.
"Yes. Essentially, if the spirits aren’t visible to the residents, there’s no problem, right?"
"Well, yes, but…"
However, that doesn’t necessarily mean everything will be fine.
Monsters could still rampage, and NPCs could still be wiped out.
But if you were to ask whether any players devised a method to quickly evacuate people during such a stampede, the answer is yes.
"Is that even possible?"
"Your Grace might be imagining the spirits passing through the city gates and entering the capital, but they have their own dedicated pathways."
"Ah! The Spirit Corridors!"
"Exactly. Using those, they can appear directly at the venue."
A technique used by spirit mages—evacuation via Spirit Corridors.
The corridors of high-ranking spirits are vast enough to accommodate massive numbers of people without issue.
Though they’re meant for spirits, humans *can* traverse them. After all, people enter them to mine spirit stones, so the bare minimum conditions for human survival are met.
As long as you can guide them properly, you can use the Spirit Corridors to evacuate NPCs outside the capital.
The reverse is also true—spirits can use the corridors to appear in specific locations.
This is the secret behind spirits appearing and disappearing mysteriously.
Of course, some might try to exploit this for nefarious purposes, but spirits are inherently aligned with benevolence and are highly sensitive to malice.
If they’re ever forced to assist in wrongdoing, the affinity system kicks in, and they’ll simply refuse to cooperate.
The very nature of spirits—their unique ecosystem—makes them difficult to misuse.
"Additionally, the venue will be the branch temple of Topfa, the God of Entertainment, so space won’t be an issue."
"Indeed. That place often hosts various events, so the grounds are spacious. And given the noise concerns, it’s located on the outskirts of the capital. That should minimize disruption."
With this, the issue of the spirits’ arrival is resolved.
Moreover, Topfa’s branch temple is situated far from the city center specifically to avoid noise complaints.
The locals are already used to lively events, so they’ll likely dismiss any commotion as just another gathering.
Seeing that the potential damage is far less severe than he initially imagined, the Duke’s expression softens slightly.
"Now, there’s one more thing—"
"There’s *more*?"
"Yes. My biggest concern is ensuring no one interferes with the event."
"If word gets out that spirits are involved, those with ill intentions will undoubtedly try to infiltrate."
"The royal family won’t stay out of it either, will they?"
"They’ll certainly try to establish connections."
However, when I bring up the issue I’m most worried about, his brow furrows again.
"Since it’s technically a religious event, outright sabotage is unlikely, but…"
"The real problem is before and after the event."
"Exactly."
The live performance itself is an offering—a song dedicated to the gods—so there’s little risk of disruption.
But I’d prefer to avoid any trouble before or after the show.
"……On that front, I might have a solution."
"You do?"
I currently lack the influence to deal with powerful figures, so I have no choice but to rely on the Duke.
"Earlier, I mentioned there was both a bad and a good side to this. The good side is that my wife has taken quite a liking to that… toilet paper, was it?"
"Huh?"
*The right person for the right job.*
I’d planned to leave handling the nobility to the Duke, but the situation seems to be taking an unexpected turn.
"She mentioned it to the ladies’ association, and well…"
"Wait, what?"
"Thanks to that, the wives have been pressuring their husbands, and we’re seeing more financial support for the factory and personnel than anticipated."
"Whoa."
The toilet paper seems to have been a bigger hit with the nobility than I expected—especially among the noblewomen.
"So, you’ll use those funds to…?"
"No, that would only breed resentment. Instead, we’ll leverage the influence of the ladies’ association."
I’d assumed he’d use the money for behind-the-scenes maneuvering, but apparently not.
"The noblewomen’s social circles have far more sway than you’d think. Once something becomes a topic in the ladies’ association, it spreads throughout the entire nobility."
"Uh-huh."
I get that he’s trying to impress upon me how powerful they are, but I have no idea how this connects to our current problem.
"Suppose, hypothetically, some noble interferes with your event and causes it to fail."
"Okay."
"What do you think would happen if word got out to the ladies’ association that this sabotage prevented the production of more toilet paper?"
"Uh… not much?"
"If it’s a minor noble house, they might be gone by the next day."
"WHAT?!"
*Over toilet paper?!*
I’d given the Duke a substantial amount—enough to last a year, maybe—along with instructions, thinking it’d just be a negotiation for factory funding.
I never imagined it would escalate to the point of toppling noble houses.
"It’s gotten that serious?"
"Indeed. Frankly… well, I’ve tried it myself, and it *is* quite impressive."
The Duke stumbles over his words, clearly embarrassed, leaving me unsure how to react.
*Ahem.*
"Anyway, the point is, if we secure your cooperation in teaching them how to make it and ensuring stable production, we can gain allies."
I never expected the negotiation to flip like this, but it’s not a bad deal.
"I see."
Having influential people on our side would be a huge advantage.
I cross my arms and consider the possibilities.
Preventing interference.
"Could we even stop the royal family from meddling?"
"The queen is a member of the ladies’ association."
"So… you mean…?"
"Indeed. I’ve heard Her Majesty has also taken a liking to toilet paper."
"……Are you sure this is safe? I feel like they might just demand the rights to it."
"Our house isn’t *that* weak."
The Edelgard family’s extensive connections even extend to the royal family.
*This* is what it means to be a noble.
"Then, I’d like to discuss some business related to the event."
"What now? There’s more?"
"Yes. I’m thinking of setting up some commerce during the event."
"Commerce? The audience will be spirits, won’t they? Spirits don’t carry money, nor do they care for such things."
"We’ll use spirit stones as currency."
What I’m planning is an unconventional three-party business model.
"……Go on."
Spirit stones are an incredibly valuable resource in the capital.
Even the ones we received after defeating the Ancient Treant wouldn’t be enough to meet demand.
I don’t know what happened to the portion sold to the Duke’s family, but no doubt some of it went into their coffers.
I can see the Duke’s eyes glint at the scent of profit.
"Spirits are very enthusiastic about entertainment. At first, they might be wary, but since they’re already coming for Amina’s concert, they’ll definitely participate in the event itself."
Now it’s up to my presentation skills.
As he silently urges me to continue, I lay out my vision.
"We’ll set up stalls. Spirits are drawn to novel and delicious things, so we’ll facilitate bartering—spirit stones in exchange for goods."
"You’re involving the Merchant Guild?"
"No. This time, I’ll have my acquaintances from the shopping district handle food stalls and vendors selling toys and accessories. Involving the guild would complicate things with profit disputes, so it’s best to keep it among trusted people for now."
"What about complaints afterward?"
"That’s where our powerful backer comes in. Officially, this will be under the Duke’s leadership."
My plan is to trade with the spirits and then sell the spirit stones to the Edelgard family.
The spirits get to enjoy food, shopping, and Amina’s concert.
The vendors and Nel get paid by the Edelgard family.
And the Edelgard family secures precious spirit stones.
A win-win-win scenario.
"……Hmm."
Even with this proposal, the Duke hesitates.
He’s weighing the pros and cons.
I understand his caution.
So, I pull out something I just acquired from my Magic Bag.
"Actually, Your Grace."
"……What now?"
"I happened to obtain these today."
Two scrolls.
I place them on the table, and the Duke signals Lotus to inspect them.
"An Anti-Poison and a Haste scroll."
"I thought these might be useful for nobility, but…"
Lotus’s eyes widen as he reads the contents, and the Duke quickly catches on.
"Tch. Indebting myself to you was a mistake. You just keep bringing more trouble."
"The feeling’s mutual. I haven’t forgotten about that duel in front of the king."
He seems to have made up his mind to cooperate.
Seeing the Duke’s eager expression, I grin back.
"Fine. You have my full support. Lotus, summon the treasurer."
"At once."
"Let’s make this big."
This is a rare opportunity to obtain spirit stones—something even other ducal families can’t easily acquire.
There’s no way he’d let this slip by.
We dive into planning, refining my rough ideas with the Duke’s expertise.
Some might call it reckless enthusiasm, but we get so absorbed that by the time Esmeralda’s maid comes to fetch us, it’s already dinnertime.
Though I missed the tea party, I spend dinner smoothing things over with the ladies alongside the Duke.
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