Published: January 17, 2026
Rosalie, who suddenly appeared, was the first to greet me. She then greeted Espada, Arte, and the others one by one before bringing a chair from a nearby seat.
“If it’s alright, may I join you for a little while?”
Rosalie said this, resting her hand on the back of the chair. Her assertiveness was impressive, as expected.
“You even brought a chair, so I can’t say no.”
I said with a laugh, and Rosalie smiled happily.
“Thank you very much!”
She said that, placed her cup on the table, and sat down. Seeing Rosalie’s smiling face, Til also caught the mood and asked happily,
“Rosalie, did something good happen?”
Rosalie nodded enthusiastically at Til’s question.
“Yes, that’s right! Ah, would it be alright if I talked about it? Weren’t you discussing something important just now?”
Rosalie was clearly eager to talk but hesitant to speak out of turn in front of the lord… With that restless feeling, she turned the conversation toward me. The contrast to her usual self almost made me laugh.
“It’s alright. What happened? I’m curious too.”
When I asked, Rosalie’s smile blossomed like a flower.
“Actually... as a result of my achievements being recognized at the trading company, I was able to become a senior member! This is all thanks to Lord Van! Because I was allowed to open a shop in Seato Village...”
Rosalie continued speaking with deep emotion, but I couldn’t help but interrupt with a question amid her enthusiasm.
“Wait, wait a minute. Senior member? First, what exactly is a senior member?”
When I asked, Rosalie put her hand to her mouth and said, “Ah.” Today seemed to be a parade of rare expressions from her. It was turning out to be quite a special day.
“I-I’m sorry. I skipped explaining something important…”
She apologized and then cleared her throat before starting again.
“I think other trading companies have similar positions, but at mary trading company, members progress from apprentice to junior member, intermediate member, and then senior member. Above that level, you get involved in managing the entire company at headquarters, so usually, senior member is the highest goal.”
Rosalie explained clearly and smiled.
“I see... Wait, Rosalie, have you already risen to the very top!? That’s amazing!”
Surprised, I asked again. Rosalie gave a shy smile and shook her hand from side to side.
“No, no. It’s just that I was lucky enough to open a shop in Seato Village. But honestly, not many people become senior members at my age, so from now on, I have to tighten up and work harder.”
She said this with a wry smile. Rising through the ranks and then having to buckle down—perhaps there were quotas she had to meet. Maybe there was even some kind of tribute system. Terrifying.
As I imagined the darker side of the trading company upon hearing Rosalie’s words, a soft, breathy laugh reached my ears. Looking up, I saw Rosalie laughing with a troubled smile.
“I understand what kind of worries Lord Van might have. But I don’t intend to lose to just intermediate members or other senior members either. Well, maybe some will come to Seato Village and say something, but I’ll generate sales they can’t complain about and show them the difference in class.”
Rosalie spoke with determination. Oh, I see. Rosalie must have surpassed many veteran merchants who were much older, so certainly there would be a lot of jealousy. It was possible that higher-ranking senior members aiming even further up might harass her.
Realizing this, I sincerely admired Rosalie’s confident attitude.
“Wow, that’s amazing... But I’m sure you’ll be okay, Rosalie. If anything happens, let me know and I’ll help.”
I said this intending to support her hard work, but Rosalie blinked and froze. Then she laughed out loud and shook her head.
“As expected of Lord Van. Compared to me, you’re probably in a much tougher situation, but you carry yourself so confidently... I’ll do my best to reach that level someday! Ah, I’m sorry for disturbing everyone’s time! All the food here is free, so please enjoy at your leisure!”