Easygoing Territory Defense by the Optimistic Lord

When establishing a trading company, receiving a recommendation from a noble with extensive lands grants various privileges.

You can open stores in prime locations across multiple cities, have priority in purchasing materials from demonic beasts defeated by the knight order, and even have the lords of each city as regular clients.

Moreover, shops recommended by high-ranking nobles carry a brand image and enjoy the backing of those nobles.

In other words, the higher the noble rank endorsing you, the stronger and larger your trading company becomes.

“But having the royal family as a client is just unfair,”

I said aloud, and Bell and Rango sighed. Well, “client” carries a different meaning, but somehow they understood what I meant.

“In practice, Mary Trading Company can open stores in any city within the kingdom and choose really good locations. On top of that, they have priority in buying and selling large demonic beast materials hunted by the Capital City Knight Order, prisoners of war captured after battles, and even criminal slaves,”

I explained.

“By the way, there’s a rumor that Mary Triomphe, the founding head of Mary Trading Company, was once a consort of the penultimate king.”

Consort—that was a euphemism for a mistress, right?

“That just makes it worse,”

I frowned. If a trading company that can exert influence over every city sets its sights on a newly established company like ours, where could we even open shops?

No, more importantly, if it’s found out that a company was established with ties to the royal family’s favored trading company, no one would dare recommend them.

But then, I suddenly realized something important.

“Oh, but the merchant guild headquarters is in another country, and it’s a huge organization rooted in many nations, including ours. So, as long as the conditions are acceptable, I think the guild will approve the establishment of a trading company.”

“That’s right. Thanks to that, we even got a physical store, and money isn’t a problem. But as for the recommendation from a noble...”

They glanced at me nervously.

No, Dad is a no-go. Absolutely no way. I love my brother, but he has no noble title.

Ideally, I’d have a noble title myself, but you usually don’t get one unless you’re exceptional.

I sighed and spoke.

“My family connections are no good. So, I’ll try to get a recommendation from Viscount Panamera. He’s my only allied noble. I’ll do my best to persuade him.”

When I said that, the two looked at each other, spread their arms wide, and hugged joyfully.

“Hey, we’re still just at the ‘trying to ask’ stage, okay? Wait—hey!”

No matter what I said, they stayed overjoyed. I thought it was quite a difficult favor to ask...

“Hmm. A recommendation for establishing a trading company? I don’t mind,”

Panamera said, surprisingly agreeing immediately after hearing about the plan.

“Really? That’s okay?”

I asked in disbelief, and Panamera burst out laughing, hands on his hips.

“Think about it. I’m a rising noble who could be blown away by a gust of wind, so what harm is there in approving a weak trading company with only two merchants? If I pressured them, it would shake the royal family’s prestige.”

“I see.”

The royal family has its pride. Still, I’d expect some covert harassment, but maybe that’s just my commoner perspective.

“Also, since I have no territories or knight order, flashy actions that become common gossip among commoners are important for me to climb higher. So this proposal is good for me as well.”

Panamera laughed happily.

“After all, a social climber bringing along a hundred private soldiers, slaying a dragon, and entering the capital—that’s bound to cause a stir.”

Panamera shook his shoulders, laughing. Indeed, no one would think a frontier village had the means to defeat a dragon.

“That’s good. If everything is attributed to Viscount Panamera, then my family won’t suspect anything.”

With that, I was happy thinking even selling something as conspicuous as a dragon wouldn’t get me caught by my family.