Elf Tensei Kara no Cheat Kenkoku-ki - Book 4: Chapter 12-3: Negotiations Concluded

Thank you for hearing my request, I learned a lot.

We gathered once again in the meeting room at the village chief’s house. This will probably be the last meeting.

From Erucy’s side, in addition to myself, Kurao, Lucy, and Kuu were present. From Erin’s side, as usual, there are only two people, Azul and Jii.

「In regard to the offer we received yesterday. If you are willing to provide the iron-making technology and workshop blueprints, we will not stop the trade, and we will also allow the establishment of a shop-cum-embassy. We will also prepare a suitable location for it. However, we cannot allow the exemption of tariffs. The only compromise we can make is to limit the change in tariffs to once every few years and inform you in advance. As a service, we will not charge any tariffs for one year.」

It was the expected reaction. Just limiting the change of tariffs to once every few years was already quite helpful. It would provide a considerable buffer against interference in business by tariffs. It would still be possible to make a profit until then. Without this, it would be easy to heavily tax Erucy’s maple syrup, reducing our profits considerably. After all, is a luxury item that sells for one gold, so it’s strange that it’s taxed the same as cheap alcohol.

「In that case, let’s pretend this conversation never happened.」

But I rejected their proposal confidently. This is the reason I showed them the possibilities of our iron technology.

「I don’t intend to end it with just these conditions. I request one of Erucy’s carriages and three crossbows, in addition to the iron-making technology and workshop blueprints.」

It was within my expectations. If there’s a model, it’s easier to imitate. I can understand they want them. But…

「Are you serious? You’re asking for more even when we’ve already refused the current conditions.」

「I am serious. As we’re making additional requests, we’ll also increase what we offer. It’s what you, Erucy people, want the most.」

Azure smiled confidently.

「If you can accept these conditions, I, Azul Fer Choline, a member of the Choline royal family, promise that the Choline Kingdom will officially recognize the Erucy village as a country and establish friendly relations, we will also make this known to neighboring countries.」

「Azul!」

Jii stood up and shouted angrily. For the first time, she didn’t call her “Ojou-sama” but used her name, Azul.

「Jii, I still have that much power.」

「You probably can!! But if you do such a thing…」

「I know. But it’s an investment necessary for Erin.」

「…Alright, if you’re determined, I won’t stop you.」

「Thank you. It might inconvenience you too.」

The two on Erin’s side communicated silently. Meanwhile, I pondered the meaning of Azul’s words. Being officially recognized by the Choline Kingdom as a real country.

This was of significant importance. Erucy was still claiming to be a country, but in reality, we were seen as a village under the empire’s control, against which we had rebelled.

A country is only treated as such when recognized by other countries. The Choline Kingdom was a highly-ranked country, second only to the empire. Moreover, unlike the human-centric empire, it had good relations with many races and was widely trusted.

To obtain such approval from the Choline Kingdom. This was an opportunity that might not come again in a lifetime.

But there was a problem…

「Is that really possible? It’s like picking a fight with the empire, you know?」

「I’ll make it happen. If you don’t believe me, you can pay me after it’s done.」

Azul’s confident voice and expression made me want to believe her.

「Alright, if we can get such conditions, there’s no reason for Erucy to refuse. Let’s go with these conditions. However, we can’t hand over the crossbows until there’s official recognition from the Choline Kingdom. We can give you the carriage today, though. You can hitch the horses and ride back home from here.」

「Thank you. With this, I can return a day earlier than planned. …So, the contract is settled?」

「Yes, it’s a deal.」

Azul stood up and extended her hand for a handshake, and I shook it in return.

「For the prosperity of both countries, let’s cooperate from now on.」

And so, the provisional contract was completed. Today, Erin’s side would prepare the contract document, and once it was signed and sealed, it would become a formal contract.

The conversation ended here after deciding on the details of tariffs. Regarding the iron-making technology, once the budget and land acquisition were secured, construction would begin soon. I would visit once, give instructions for about three days, and then check and provide training once a month.

「Oh, and Jii, bring that thing.」

「Yes, right away.」

Jii left the room in a hurry.

「Do you have more negotiations to discuss?」

「Not exactly. If I had to say, it’s a symbol of friendship.」

After about five minutes, Jii returned. She brought her subordinates with her, each holding a large pot with green plants growing inside.

「No way, is this…?」

「That’s right. It seems you were quite interested in them in Erin, so I had these prepared. Consider them a symbol of our friendship.」

I was trembling with joy. Inside the pots were seedlings of sage, thyme, and basil. All of them were high-quality herbs that could be used for cooking and medicine. For example, with sage, you could improve the taste of almost any meat dish by just throwing it in.

「Are you really giving these to me?」

「Yes, please take them.」

「I’m really happy. Whenever I went to Erin’s market, I couldn’t find any seedlings or even seeds.」

I had been desperately searching for seeds and seedlings on every visit to Erin, but I couldn’t find any and always returned disappointed. But now that I had seedlings, I could increase their numbers and, more importantly, use fresh herbs in cooking.

「I made a mistake. If I had known you’d be so happy, I should have used them as negotiation material.」

「If you had, I might have compromised sooner.」

Azul and I smiled at each other.

「That was a missed opportunity. By the way, Cyril-san, are you planning to celebrate your wedding soon?」

「In the near future.」

「In that case, I’d like to be invited. As a representative of Erin, I want to attend the wedding of Erucy’s chief.」

「I’d be delighted.」

And so, after a long negotiation, we established a friendly relationship with Erin. We had obtained quite attractive conditions for Erucy which was a relief.