Chapter 16: The Summit Conference

The shady-looking gentleman who had introduced himself as Zex glanced down at the parchment in his hand and gave a single nod.

"Maor and Ains, correct? Please, have a seat over here."

With that, Zex gestured toward the sofa, inviting us to sit.

The Demon King, who had been standing beside me, nodded once and sank into the cushions without hesitation. He moved with such natural composure, as if he were returning to his own home, that I couldn’t help but be impressed.

This guy really never gets nervous, huh. I thought to myself again.

By the way, the pressure he’d been radiating earlier had completely vanished. What even was that about?

Since the Demon King was already seated, it felt awkward to just stand there alone, so I nervously slid onto the sofa next to him. Honestly, I wanted nothing more than to turn and bolt out of the room.

Zex remained standing as he poured tea from a pot into several cups, setting one in front of each of us.

"Please, help yourselves."

Once he’d said that, he finally took a seat and sipped from his cup.

"Ah, thank you very much."

I said the same before taking a sip myself. I imagined the tea must be exquisite, but I was too tense to taste a thing.

"Hmm. Quite a fine brew indeed," the Demon King remarked.

"Fufu, thank you. It’s from the Riner Kingdom—the finest tea leaves available on this side. …Now then, if I recall correctly, the purpose of your visit today was the appraisal and exchange of gold coins, yes?"

As he spoke, Zex pulled two gold coins from his pocket, idly toying with them between his fingers. Narrowing his eyes, he peered at us as if weighing our worth.

"…Gold coins from the Ancient Magical Empire era, and in such perfect condition. These are exceedingly rare, you know."

Ancient Magical Empire? Never heard of it.

Wait, maybe I have. When I read history books in the royal library, I might have come across that term once or twice… but it definitely wasn’t something that came up in the game.

"Fufu. For you to casually bring something so valuable here… well, I must say, it’s quite the surprise for us as well."

Zex smiled wryly.

"And so, I thought it best to have you brought here directly."

He paused and fixed his gaze on us. His features were refined, his expression gentle—yet my instincts screamed that something was hidden behind that smile.

"Haha… ha…"

That kind of unnerving smile makes it impossible not to tense up. I forced a laugh, but no words came out.

Uh… did I say something wrong?

"Now then. Enough with the preamble. You must be Lord Maor, correct? Maor… Mao… Ma-oh… ru."

For some reason, Zex kept nodding as if he’d just made an amusing discovery.

"I see, I see! So it’s you. That makes everything fit. But in that case… the lady with you must be…"

His eyes narrowed slightly as he turned to me—an unsettling gaze that seemed to pierce straight through me.

Ugh. This is uncomfortable.

"A-Ains, sir. I serve as Princess Sonia’s attendant."

I stood and bowed deeply. Somehow, it felt best not to make direct eye contact. Honestly, it was like he could see straight into my mind.

Now that I think about it… Zex, was it? If my memory serves, the Commerce Guild is an international organization on par with the Church across the western nations. Structurally, each country has its own branch, but above that sits the central headquarters at the supranational level.

In the game, that upper echelon was said to be run by a council of elites known as the Elder Council or Wise Assembly. I remember one particular event where a group of sleazy old men sent “gifts” of beautiful women to the Demon King, pretending it was a tribute.

That would mean the old gentleman, Basten, we met earlier was about the level of a branch manager for a single nation. And since Zex called himself the Guild’s representative, he must operate at the regional or continental level—probably an officer of the main headquarters overseeing all the western territories.

In other words… he’s likely one of the Elders himself.

That was the conclusion I came to.

"Fufufu. So it’s our first time meeting, Miss Ains. Hmm… Ah! I see now—it’s a letter-substitution anagram, isn’t it?"

Zex muttered to himself as if he’d just figured something out.

Wait—he hasn’t realized my name’s fake, has he? We literally just met!

Even so, greeting this smiling man gave me a primal sense of fear. But since he had addressed me, I had no choice but to respond.

"H-hello, Mr. Zex. It’s a pleasure to meet you."

I managed a safe, neutral greeting—while instinctively averting my gaze.

Because seriously, this guy’s scary!

"G-Guild representative, huh? You must be quite an important figure."

The words slipped out before I could stop them. Damn my cowardly self for always trying to flatter people.

"Fufu. Not at all. I’m merely a junior member entrusted with handling negotiations, nothing more."

"Oh, come now. You’re being modest. You must at least be one of the Elders, right?"

I poured all my game knowledge into my flattery. After all, buttering up powerful people is basic survival strategy.

"What did you just say?"

Zex’s smile didn’t fade, but his eyes sharpened. A chill ran down my spine, and the room seemed to grow colder.

Eh? Did I just say something I shouldn’t have?

"…Ah, no, nothing at all! Please, pay it no mind!"

Zex stayed silent for a few seconds before his pleasant expression returned, as if nothing had happened. The fact that his smile had never actually changed only made it that much more terrifying.

"Still, to meet the two of you—Lord Maor and Miss Ains… Ah, what a fortunate day this is. This encounter, this miracle of meeting you both—if the gods truly exist, I would offer them my deepest gratitude for bringing us together."

Hey, hey, hold on.

Even as a joke, saying something like “if the gods truly exist” is dangerous in this country. You never know when an inquisitor from the Church might burst in and start an interrogation right on the spot—complete with a side of torture.

Personally, I’d rather not end up stripped naked and tied to a wooden horse, getting whipped all over with an iron-spiked lash. Thanks, but no thanks.

"Hmm. Zex, you’re quite an amusing man."

Whether he caught my inner thoughts or not, the Demon King gave a rare compliment.

What’s gotten into him today? He’s acting kind of strange.

"Speaking with you face-to-face like this isn’t just a personal risk for me—it’s also a considerable one for the Guild as an organization. However, I felt that earning your trust was worth the risk."

"Hmph. I see."

The Demon King nodded slowly, deliberately, with the air of someone granting an audience.

"…Now then, allow me to confirm just one thing, Lord Maor."

"Speak."

"From our understanding, the current status quo remains—‘situation unchanged.’ Is that correct? Since we have the rare opportunity to meet in person today, I’d like to make sure of this one point."

What the hell are they talking about?
Are they speaking in code? Some kind of secret agreement between the two of them?

"Heh. Merchants truly are greedy creatures."

"Indeed. It is, after all, our very raison d’être."

"I don’t dislike that attitude. Very well—out of respect for you, I’ll allow it to remain so for the time being."

The Demon King replied with a faint, knowing grin.

"Fufu. Understood. Then our answer to you, Lord Maor, is this: the Guild shall declare itself neutral, providing necessary goods and services to all, without exception."

"A perfect answer, Zex."

The Demon King nodded in satisfaction.

Whatever just passed between them seemed to carry meaning only they understood.
To me, it sounded like an abstract riddle—something that clearly involved negotiation, though I couldn’t guess the details.

Please, I beg you—use words I can actually follow.

"Fufufu. I feel as though a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Now then, regarding your request to exchange the gold coins—if you wish, Lord Maor, we can pay you whatever price you name."

Zex said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Wait—whatever price he names?! That’s ridiculously generous!

Come on, Maor—now’s the time to drive the price sky-high!
If he could squeeze a massive sum out of the Guild, I could probably get a nice little “success fee” out of it too.

Honestly, ever since the Sugarcreek Kingdom went into wartime austerity, Princess Sonia’s allowance has been depressingly low. This could be my big chance for a windfall!

"The market rate will suffice. A fair price is all I require."

…Ah. Oh.

Wha—what?! So unambitious!

I couldn’t help feeling deeply disappointed by that response.

But whether he noticed my frustration or not, the Demon King and Zex calmly concluded their negotiation without another word of conflict.

"Very well then. We’ll exchange just the two gold coins for now. As for the rest, we could hold onto them in safekeeping if you’d like?"

"No need. They’re safest in my possession."

Well… he’s got a point there. If anyone can keep them safe, it’s the Demon King.
I found myself agreeing wholeheartedly.

"Now, since you’ve come all this way, it would be rude of me not to offer some hospitality. How about an evening at the opera? There’s a wonderful performance on tonight."

"Ah, I—"

I was just about to politely decline—since we already had plans—when a certain someone interrupted.

"Indeed. Ains, you will accompany me."

"…Yes, my lord."

So much for free will.
Not that I expected to have any in the first place.