Kleio Asel, registered at age 17 (5)

The next afternoon, an uninvited guest awoke Kleio, who was taking a nap after his Classics class. It was a hotel courier with a sealed envelope in hand. The message was sent by Katarina, Cel’s mother and the hotel businesswoman. The envelope had lovely decorations painted onto the thick paper, and the courier himself was a tall man wearing a De Neju hotel uniform.

‘She’s a person obsessed with formality.’

After receiving the envelope that interrupted his nap, Kleio couldn’t stop yawning as he wrote a receipt for the courier. As soon as he disappeared around the corner, Kleio opened the envelope. Despite the grand form surrounding it all, there was only a simple card. Within it had a time and place written on it.

-Saturday, 3 AM, Camellia Pavilion-

-Katarina Tanpet de Neju

‘Today’s Monday, so it’s in five days?’

Kleio rubbed his eyes to banish his sleepiness before going down to the supervisor’s room to contact Dione. He first heard a friendly operator, then Levy, the Grayer family’s secretary, carried the phone back to their parlor.

[It must be good news to see you called me?]

“Isn’t Lady Dione’s ability to predict more than mine?”

[Ahahaha. Well, let’s get to the point first.]

“I have a job for you as an agent, not as a guardian. It is what we’ve been waiting for.”

[How did they contact you?]

“They sent a card with only the time and the place.”

He heard the sound of something breaking before Dione quickly responded.

[I know. Please send the card to me. The conditions are the same as before?]

“Yes, no intention to sell. We focus on a lease.”

[I will prepare the documents, so come to my house Saturday morning. I will send a carriage.]

She was reliable, as always.

***

Five days passed quickly. The Grayer merchant building was located near the Royal Circus, in the heart of the city, overlooking the square. The second floor was the Grayer family’s reception room. The building looked small from the outside, but it was rather spacious inside. Dione, lying between some cushions with exotic patterns, greeted Kleio.

“You came. Sit anywhere comfortable.”

The sight of Dione, dressed in a housecoat without her hair made up, was unfamiliar. Though, she was still surprisingly pretty, with or without makeup.

“It must’ve taken a great effort to prepare the documents in five days.”

“It’ll be worth the effort, but it was tiring.”

She picked up Katarina’s card and waved it at him.

“Generally, such a major contract is hard to conclude… This time, it may be possible to solve it unexpectedly.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Because Katarina has to attend the Dernier Continental Hospitality Industry Congress starting next week. The venue is in the Kingdom of Pedro. It takes a day and a half to reach there, including a change from train to ferry.”

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but what is that?”

“It’s a meeting for people in the lodging industry. People from all over the continent and even across the sea exchange information and size up their competition. Why, dozens of years ago, train tracks across the entire continent were unified. Since then, the number of passengers has soared, and the lodging industry became a huge business.”

Dione was well informed.

‘If the lodging business has such money, isn’t it fine to get a bit from Katarina?’

“Anyway, even today, the price of land in Orails is soaring. If she’s off on a business trip for a week, the price will only go up. Katarina knows that.”

Dione sipped at her iced tea as she continued.

“By my prediction, she’s trying to set conditions with you before she goes. So, she sent this card. Since she’s trying to throw us off guard with a rude invitation, we’ll have to defend ourselves.”

“Oh, is this rude?”

“She gave a one-sided notification without adjusting the date. She’s looking down at you. Ugh! Read some of the social etiquette books.”

Kleio hadn’t even known such a book existed.

‘You can’t understand something like this just by knowing the language. Unbelievable how Diona got all that information from just this card.’

“Here’s the latest etiquette book, so make sure to read it.”

He didn’t want to bother with it, and Dione quickly noticed, but she pushed on.

“Now, let’s check it one more time. The annual rent is at least 2.5 million dinars, up to 5 years, and you asked me to meet the renewal conditions after that?”

“Yes.”

“Katarina will try to buy it if possible, but… I will try. You’re the only one who has secured land like this in Orails so that we can go out a bit strong.”

“That sounds nice. Besides, have you decided on a fee for your etiquette teacher yet?”

Dione’s drowsy eyes opened up, becoming clear and bright like a jewel. Kleio produced the ether imprint contract he had brought along. After establishing a land lease contract with Katarina, an 8% fee would be paid from the total annual rent.

‘I have to stay strong with Grayer. Especially with the procurement of magic-related items… This is already generous.’

In the first year after signing the contract, it was decided that a full fee and a 2% completion fee would be added in a lump sum. Then, Dione’s eyes began to shine.

“If you pay this amount, I must do the same amount of work, right? Then I should make sure the fee isn’t wasted.”

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Finally, Dione, who had received the paperwork and got dressed, returned to the parlor. Instead of her usual sky-blue dress, she wore an angular, dark blue jacket and a narrow skirt. Dione grabbed Kleio, who was about to stand up, and sat down.

“Sit down, please. We’ll leave after a little more.”

“It’s already half-past two. Isn’t the time to go right now?”

“No. How were you able to get through this rough world without me? We’re trying to be late. If we take that card and pop in at the right time, they’ll underestimate us. Here, have some chocolate and forget about it.”

Then she took out chocolate wrapped in golden paper and placed it in Kleio’s mouth. Because the movement was so natural, he had no time to stop her. Chocolate with brandy melted in his mouth, and Kleio focused on the snacks.

At Dione’s order, he left twenty minutes late and arrived at Camellia around 3:20. The Camellia Pavilion, the capital residence of the Tanpet de Neju family, wasn’t located far from the Asel mansion. Of course, they were incomparably different in size, not only in terms of the elegant front gates and the main building but also the two connected annexes. The attendants who came out to meet the carriage also looked extraordinary. They seem like experts from the large-scale banquets that were held there throughout the year.

Dione Grayer, however, traversed the corridors as boldly as her own. Rather than letting the attendants guide her, she pushed ahead as Kleio quietly followed behind. Dione entered the parlor with her fast gait, a wide smile on her face.

“It’s been a while since the last Flower Banquet, Lady Katarina.”

Katarina, standing in front of the centerpiece with an arrogant attitude, raised her eyebrows sharply.

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Dione was a genius warrior. She led the battle against the Camellia Pavilion without being pushed back.

‘She’s earned her money.’

The final rent was 3 million dinars a year, for a five-year contract. After that, they would be able to update the conditions. The bid price of the land, purchased for 5.5 million dinars, had already soared more than tenfold. It was also evident that Dione’s documents and data on the land had played a major role.

‘It’s amazing. In the last manuscript, the minister of commerce who owned the land rented it for only 2.5 million dinars a year.’

Kleio stared at Dione drinking hot chocolate in wonder. She seemed relaxed, but she had been speaking for nearly two hours, and her gloves were smudged with ink. Kleio, who was fed up just pretending to be a young businessman, would’ve never pushed Katarina into such a good contract.

‘Mr. Kleio wants to make this the location of a prestigious de Neju hotel. However, as his business advisor, I don’t think it needs to be a de Neju hotel.’

Even Kleio, who was on the same side as her, wanted to laugh as she said that. It seemed that Dione might’ve come off as more annoying in Katarina’s case, but it had worked. Many coveted the land in Orails, and one of them was Katarina’s business rival, Viscount Raton. The moment that was revealed, the game was decided. There was no need to prove it; Katarina had been informed. She summoned a notary and a lawyer and signed the contract that afternoon. Katarina had been exiled from the Carolinger kingdom, where a revolution had taken place twenty-two years ago, so she was bolder than others.

“Is there something on my face? Why are you staring?”

“I was staring in admiration. How could you do that well?”

“What else can I say?”

“What else? I can only admire your abilities. You didn’t just adjust the rent, but you also obtained long-term lodging vouchers.”

“I’m going to use those too, you know.”

“That’s only natural.”

Dione put her drink on the table and smiled a little.

“You’re a person who receives hundreds of thousands of dinars as pocket money, so you can’t feel it. However, there have been years when the net profit of Grayer has been less than 1 million dinars. Sometimes it reaches ten times that, but the ups and downs are great.”

Kleio knew why the costs were so high when dealing with items like magic tools. It was because of Vasco’s moody personality.

“I see…”

“We cannot compare to the stability and scale of Baronet Asel’s business. Look at this; if you become an apprentice member of the Royal Capital Defense Force knights, you receive 1,000 dinars per month. Even that amount is considered to be a very good salary by junior aristocrats and commoners. In the meantime, 300,000 dinars fell in my lap, so I have to do my best.”

“Even so. I really admired that you had arranged a demolition company in advance and received half the first year’s rent as a down payment. For me, it was unthinkable.”

“Ahaha. The young master can’t imagine it, so I have a job to do. If there are any good cases in the future, please inform me. I, Dione Grayer, sincerely promise to maximize your profits.”

“I’ll hold you to that promise, Dione.”