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Episode 63 - Negotiations with Lorea
“Hu~ah.
School's getting boring.”
Theo said, with a yawn, as they left the classroom.
“What
are you talking about? It's nice to relax.”
For the first time in a long time Lynn and Theo
were in class together.
Theo and Lynn hadn't been to class together for a
long time, and today was a day off from work, which meant that they were free
from the dizzying workload they had been experiencing lately.
They were walking home, chatting and enjoying the
sunny afternoon air, when they were suddenly confronted by a tall man outside
the school.
“Excuse
me. You must be Theo. And you must be Lynn.”
The man stood in front of them with a strange look
on his face.
(This
man is a ...... slave.)
Lynn noticed the man's appearance.
He was not wearing a mage's robe.
Because apprentice mages are not allowed in
Alfredo, mages always wear robes of some colour.
He didn't look like an out-of-work mage who had
just changed into loose loungewear, nor did he look like he was going to a
party.
The man in front of me was not shabbily dressed,
but he was dressed for work.
The only people who don't wear mage robes on the
job here in Alfredo are noblemen, merchant owners, or slaves who have been
brought in for special permission to enter.
He did not look like a nobleman or a merchant.
Lynn found himself feeling a bit nervous about his
status.
A long time ago, Lynn had been in the same position
and status as him.
“I
belong to the servants of the Lorea tax collection agency.”
“Tax
collection? You mean the ...... lift?”
Theo braced himself.
“I've
come to collect you both by order of my master. We would like you to come with
us.”
“What
if I refuse?”
Theo glared at the big man as if to check him.
“We
want to make things as peaceful as possible. Could you please come with us?”
The man did not threaten, but pleaded.
Lynn sensed from his attitude that he was in a
difficult situation.
Theo was still refusing to accept it, but the man
showed him the emblem on the back of his hand.
Lynn looked at it and was surprised.
(This is the ...... guild's emblem ......)
The emblem on the back of his hand was in the same
format as the Magrillheim emblem that Lynn had seen before, indicating that he
was a member of a guild.
The emblem of the guild he wore was a mark that
looked like a man's distorted face.
The face on the emblem looked both frightened and
drawn.
Theo,
as expected, became serious.
(The guild is for dungeon conquering of over 100
levels. So mages over 100 levels are also involved in their activities)
“This
is the emblem of the guild “Marché Ancier”. If you are looking for the best way
to get the most out of your business, you need to know how to choose the right
one. In case you're not sure what you're looking for, you'll be able to find a
lot more information on the web.”
The man hides the guild's emblem with his sleeve.
As if it were something he did not want to be seen.
“The
Marché Ancier is a guild whose main activity is on the 200th level. The matter
is more serious than you think. Will you follow me?”
This time, the man's tone of voice was insistent.
Lynn
and Theo were led to Lorea's office on level 80.
They
are sent to a parlor inside the office.
The
interior of the parlor was furnished with a fine collection of furniture.
They
looked expensive, but Lynn felt that they were also a little bit out of
fashion.
A
woman was sitting in the upper part of the parlor. She was sitting on the sofa
and glared at them as they came in.
Lynn
knew from a glance that she was Lorea, the boss of the firm.
You
can see at a glance that she has a wrinkled brow and a twitchy personality.
She,
like the men under her command, has the emblem of the “Marché Ancier” engraved
on the back of her hand.
But
of all her outfits, it was the colour of the robe she wore that surprised Lynn
the most. She was wearing the same red robe as Lynn and Theo.
(Are
you an academy mage? ......)
She
looked to be around 30 years old. In spite of this, she wears the school mage's
robe, which means that she has been absent or flunking out of school for a
number of years.
Maybe
she's already given up on graduating.
Lorea
was also surprised to see Lynn and Theo.
(I
was told, it was your first year at the academy....... You really are kids
aren't you?)
She
had expected them to be much older, given that they were both working in a
business.
Lynn and Theo sat across the desk from Lorea.
As they sit down, a group of well-built men
surround them, intimidating them.
“I
believe I've written to you about the business you two are running together. I
asked you to stop it.”
That was the first thing Lorea said to us.
“Huh.
Why is that?”
Theo asked in a carefree tone.
“Why?
you ask? Isn’t it obvious? It's a nuisance for the mage tower. Mages have a
duty to contribute to the development of this tower. It is because of you that
the tax revenue of the Mage Association is decreasing. It's not good for the
development of the tower. So, you have to stop. It's in the public interest.”
“Ms.
Lorea. We are officially licensed by the Mage Association. We
are running our business with the official permission from the Mage
Association.”
Lorea's eyebrows twitched. She was not happy with
Theo's words.
Theo continues without any hesitation.
“And
how dare you accuse us of being against the public interest simply because tax
revenues decreasing? It may be true that we are responsible for the decline in
tax revenues. But from the point of view of the economy as a whole, it is a
positive thing. Our low-cost goods are highly valued by the market. Our
services are particularly popular with small, medium and large businesses.
......”
“It's
not against the public interest? The tax revenue is actually decreasing. Do you know
how much trouble you've caused the tower and the association? The people who
gave you the go-ahead are the same people who don't know what they're doing.
It's not valid, it doesn't work. Now get out of here.”
(Who
the hell are you to decide whether our business is valid or not?)
Theo fought to keep himself from saying this and
continued to play down the situation.
“How
can it be invalid? That's arrogance. We are not running our business in any
unfair way. We are operating under the law of the association, with due process
and official authorization.
And it seems a bit premature to talk about tax
revenues. We are not evading taxes either. We are paying our fair share of
taxes according to our association's tax laws. Yes, there will be a temporary
drop in tax revenues. But that's only in the short term. If the overall economy
improves, the wealth of society as a whole will increase, and the amount of tax
revenue will increase in the future, even without high tax rates. ......”
“The
problem is that it's only temporary. Everything you say is just a theory. There
is no guarantee that the tax revenue will be restored once it has been
declined. What if the profits from the towers that were lost because of you
never come back? Can you take responsibility for that?”
“But
in fact, our business is gaining acceptance in the market. The turnover and
profits of the trade association are growing steadily, and even if the tax
revenue falls ...... temporarily, in the long run there will eventually be
enough tax revenue from our lifts .......”
“If
it goes down, even temporarily, it's a problem.”
Lorea banged the desk with her cane. The sound of
banging echoed through the room.
Theo
frowned at her attitude.
(You're
such a pain in the ass.)
Theo
was not very good at this kind of illogical situation.
He
disliked inconclusive discussions.
In
the first place, from his point of view, there was no need to respond to
Lorea's accusations.
Theo
was beginning to see through Lorea's trickery.
(In
short, these guys are the association's errand boys. And they are taking
advantage of the sloppy management of the association to line their pockets
with a little extra money.)
Theo looks at Lorea with a cold stare.
“What's
that look in your eyes?”
“No,
nothing.”
Theo smiles hastily.
(You've
been making excuses for the tower and the association's profits for a while
now, but ...... the fact is that you've lost your portion of the profits.)
Theo wanted to end the conversation quickly and go
home, but behind him was a guild that had its roots in the 200 levels. It is
not wise to be openly hostile to such a guild when you are aiming for the upper
floors of the tower.
(What's
going on ...... )
Theo couldn't decide how to deal with the situation
and had to continue his discussion with Lorea with no way out.
He
had a solution in mind, but it was something she had to offer, not Theo.
Next
time: Episode 64, “Market Principles”
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