The Map

Thud.

A thick stack of ledgers landed on the table, making the surface vibrate.

Sophie felt a slight jolt as well.

A cultist opened a black wooden box.

Three locks were unlocked in succession.

Inside the box, several stacks of bank vouchers, copies of land deeds, warehouse receipts, debt contracts, a list of undercover contacts, and a slender cylinder wrapped in oilcloth were neatly arranged.

Sophie had been staring at the stacks of bank vouchers that looked so reassuringly secure.

But once she saw that cylinder, her attention shifted entirely toward it.

Modi didn't keep her in suspense.

He personally untied the string, slowly spreading the contents across the table and weighing down the four corners with two silver ingots.

It was a map.

A clean, beautiful, hand-painted map designed for display, complete with several simple markings.

This map... was a far cry from the map of the Red Moon Empire that Sophie remembered.

How had the Imperial Capital become a sea? Why had the various cities of the Royal Capital at the foot of the World Tree become an archipelago? Had the world been shattered?

“There has always been merchant traffic between Solitude and Discord. The royalty, banks, workshops, patrols, companion stations, and caravan guards all tacitly agree that this route is open for trade. If you give the word, we can begin contacting the middlemen, factory owner agents, and permit brokers in Discord today.”

After all, it was close; Discord was right next door to Solitude.

Sophie nodded and asked, “What about the others?”

“There are no others,” Modi said, momentarily stunned.

“No others? But aren't there other trade routes here?” Sophie stuffed a piece of bread into her mouth and pointed to the center of the Boundless Sea, tracing a circle around the outer rim. “Can't we trade with the World Tree Archipelago? And further out, aren't there Veratus, Estica, Avericia, Destinos, and Laisenia? The Chaos Wasteland is also drawn on the outskirts; is anyone living there?”

There were so many place names.

Modi looked at Sophie with a strange expression, as if he were looking at a child who had just emerged from the deep mountains, seeing a map for the first time, yet already seriously planning a grand expedition across the entire continent.

Sophie felt a bit uneasy under his gaze.

“Lady Saintess,” Modi began slowly, “just because it's drawn on a map doesn't mean a caravan can actually travel there.”

Sophie blinked.

Modi moved his finger toward the center of the Boundless Sea.

“Let's start here. The World Tree Archipelago is not a place ordinary humans can just approach at will. That is the territory of non-human beings like elves, dwarves, and beastkin who do not welcome outsiders. Those who can enter don't need a startup merchant group like yours; those who aren't welcome couldn't get in even if they brought ten wagons.”

“Furthermore, the Boundless Sea is impassable for ordinary ships. It is filled with mana turbulence everywhere. An Archmage must accompany the vessel to navigate it, and currently, the only Archmage in the New Moon Sect is me.”

Sophie nodded; she understood.

Though she didn't understand why that bunch of long-ears and carriers of the Book of Grudges had moved out to sea. Was living on land not comfortable enough for them?

As for being an 'outsider,' if not too many of the long-ears had died, Sophie should still have a few acquaintances among the elves.

Perhaps she could open up a path there.

Sophie didn't interrupt, listening quietly.

Modi continued, “Those places aren't just far from us; they operate under an entirely different order. If you just want to gather intelligence, there might be opportunities in the future. But if you want to use it as a starting trade route, there's little difference between that and throwing Gold Sun coins directly into the sea.”

Having said that, his finger slid outward, landing on the next route after Discord.

“Further ahead, one can reach Veratus.”

“But being able to reach it doesn't mean you can do business there. That is the domain of the Puppet Witch.”

“In the country of Veratus, the stage is reorganized every single day.”

“Identities, families, professions, and property rights all change accordingly. You might sell goods to a merchant you've agreed with today, but tomorrow, that person might no longer be a merchant. A warehouse receipt signed today might become a stage prop tomorrow. If you don't have an identity in Veratus, it's a question of whether you can even reclaim your own goods once they're inside. And if you do obtain an identity, you'll never be able to leave Veratus for the rest of your life.”

“What if the transaction is completed within a single day?” Sophie asked. “If we go in and out quickly...”

“One day is possible, but today's marketplace will become a theater tomorrow and a circus the day after. We cannot establish long-term trade; we can only pass through.”

Sophie nodded. Hearing him describe it, Veratus did indeed seem quite troublesome.

She'd have to ask her bratty little sister later if she could grant her some special favors.

Wait, Shironaka Fueno didn't have a Trauma.

“Won't an identity be assigned just by passing through?” Sophie asked. “According to the curse...”

Like the curse of Solitude, it didn't care where you were from; if you were alone, it just ate you.

“No,” Modi shook his head. “Unless one explicitly settles in Veratus, travelers aren't assigned identities. Moreover, the people there can leave whenever they wish.”

“Although the daily play-acting in Veratus is a bit exhausting, there's no danger to one's life. Therefore, the people there generally don't think about leaving. In fact, many refugees from other countries flee to Veratus.”

Great.

The situation in Veratus probably wasn't Shironaka Fueno's curse. It was more likely that the girl felt it was too 'low' for everyone else to have a curse while she didn't, so she manually created a never-ending theater.

As long as it wasn't a Trauma, things were much better. She'd see if Little Dino could give her a hand when the time came...

It was about time for that bratty little sister to cough up some gold. Her first kiss had to be worth at least 150 Gold Sun coins... no, 1,500 Gold Sun coins.