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“I’m really sorry, but we’re all sold out…”
“My apologies, we’re completely out of stock.”
“It’s all gone, you should’ve come sooner.”
“If it’s not there, then we don’t have it.”

✦✧✦✧✦

“Damn it, every place is sold out!”
“That’s why I warned you.”
“Agh shut up, Saint! What the hell is going on…!”

We had spent nearly an hour running around the town, checking every store we could find, but the results were minimal.

The herbs that were supposed to be in abundant supply were sold out everywhere. In every single shop throughout the town, simultaneously. It was far too coincidental to be just bad luck.

“…Could it be the work of that exceedingly plump lady? What a brute force tactic.”
“That’s quite a gentle way to put it.”

Considering the financial power of the Umravolf family, it wasn’t impossible for them to buy out all the herbs needed for the medicine in advance.

But even if most of the herbs were relatively cheap, the sheer quantity involved would be a significant expense. It was hard to imagine that they would resort to such a forceful method as it would be a painful expense for them.

“This is my mistake; I underestimated them. But could they really want the position of the next head of the family that badly…?”
“Hmm, the Umravolf family is a house that once rose to fame through military achievements. I’ve heard they were once even called upon as advisors to the king, but that’s all ancient history now.”
“It’s doubtful whether the cost would be worth the payoff. Could their objective be something else…?”

If money was their only goal, it would be easier to deal with, but if they were acting out of stubbornness or some kind of obsession, it would be troublesome.

The situation could turn into a futile war, dragging on until one side was completely exhausted. If things went poorly, both sides might suffer grievous losses.

“This is quite the predicament. Is there no substitute for the materials?”
“Impossible. Most of the necessary ingredients are missing, so there’s no talk of substitutions. I’ll ask anyway, but do you have any stock at your workplace?”
“My apologies, but we don’t rely on medicine. Our creed is to treat with magic.”
“Well, I didn’t expect much. But that makes the situation even more troublesome.”
“Just a thought, but if it’s inexpensive herbs, can’t we gather them outside the town?”
“I considered that, but… it’s risky. The area outside the town is lawless.”

The kind of people we were dealing with were those who would send assassins after someone as young as Stell. Outside would be the perfect opportunity for them to assassinate their target.

But leaving Stell behind in the city and splitting our forces was equally unsettling.

“…Frustrating as it is, let’s endure for a day. Herbs are a necessity for common folk, so if merchants come and go, they might restock.”
“I see, so we move before they can buy everything up again.”
“Exactly. So, I want you to gather information in the meantime. You’ll help, won’t you?”
“Of course, but do you really think it’ll go that smoothly…?”

✦✧✦✧✦

“Ah, those goods? I just stocked up on it earlier. It’ll cost you three times the usual price, though.”
“Sorry, but we’re running a business here too. It’s a rare item, so selling it at the regular price is a bit much…”
“Hey there, missy, you want this herb? If you’re buying by the dozen, I’ll sell it to you for three gold coins.”
“If it’s not there, then we don’t have it.”
“Let go, Saint. I’ll make sure those b̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲s̲ never sell anything again.”
“Killing is not the answer. We must avoid it.”

The next day, starting early in the morning, we made the rounds of the shops again, but all of them had absurd price tags.

They were clearly taking advantage of the situation, and some merchants had even bought up the stock in advance to resell it at an even higher price. If my hatred alone could kill, there would be a mountain of corpses by now.

“Gah! Even if I spend all my savings from Elnato, it’s nowhere near enough to buy everything. I’m going to go bankrupt!”
“I apologize, but Astera strictly warned me against borrowing or lending money…”
“No, I never intended to put you in debt. Besides, even if we gather all the materials ourselves, it would be pointless.”
“What do you mean?”
“If this is the price for cheap materials, there’s even less hope for the ones I asked her to get.”

✦✧✦✧✦

“I’m sorry… Even though you asked me to help…”
“Don’t worry about it. I also bear some responsibility for not anticipating this interference.”

When I arrived at the Umravolf estate, the situation was just as expected.

The materials she managed to gather were at most about 10% of what was needed—far from enough to complete the medicine. The list she was given, like ours, had also been affected by the merchants’ hoarding. Worse, the items were rare, and those available were of lower quality than what was on the market.

“Master, in that case, I’ll go and gather them myself! Please tell me which herbs are needed!”
“It’s impossible. It’s too difficult to convey everything to you verbally. Besides, there are some things that can’t be gathered by hand.”
“Uggh… Then we’re completely stuck!”

Momo, who had come in place of the Saint, was frustrated, but there was nothing to say in response.

The reality was that the supply from merchants had been cut off, and even if we tried to gather the materials ourselves, there were limits to what we could do. The situation seemed hopeless for creating the medicine.

“Just my opinion… but I don’t think this is Cozmiki’s doing. It seems more like Syntu’s work.”
“One of the two great ladies. Which one is with the child named Konis?”
“That’s Lady Cozmiki. She… prefers more direct methods and is not fond of subtlety.”
“So, Cozmiki sent the assassins, and Syntu is the one blocking the supply lines.”

The one we wanted to avoid dealing with was the latter. Cozmiki, who preferred straightforward tactics, was easier to handle—we could counter her with force. Syntu, on the other hand, was extremely troublesome, not only for poisoning Stell but also for her relentless indirect harassment. The biggest issue was that she seemed to anticipate our every move.

“…Just to confirm, can we trust the servants and others close to you?”
“Without a doubt. Not to mention, important conversations are always held in this room, where there’s no risk of others overhearing.”
“That’s reassuring to hear. And of course, you haven’t shared anything with outsiders, right?”
“Absolutely not!”

The lady answered immediately, without hesitation, and didn’t seem to be lying.

Stell’s condition was easy enough for the one who poisoned her to be informed about, given that rumors of the ‘Sleeping Princess’ had spread throughout the town. However, the timing of the market being monopolized just as we were about to start treatment seemed too convenient. It was hard not to suspect that there was an informant or that our actions were being monitored somehow.

“…Master, Master, may I have a word?”
“What is it, Momo? You’re tickling my ear.”
“Shh, keep your voice down! What if this room is being bugged?”
“Bugged…?”

That possibility had crossed my mind. It was true that with wind magecraft, there were techniques to listen in from afar. However, I detected no suspicious magic power or air currents around the mansion, so I ruled that out…

“I saw it in a drama once, where bugs were secretly hidden in things like outlets…”
“Outlets…? I don’t really understand, but that’s just something from your world—”

—No, wait. Could it be that I’ve been the one stuck in old ways of thinking?

I’ve been clinging to dusty knowledge from a thousand years ago, forgetting to consider new perspectives. Indeed, this was a world different from the era I lived in.

Things that were neither magecraft nor magic—didn’t I have one pointed to my head just yesterday?

“…I see. Well done, Momo.”
“Huh?”
“This is your victory, and—more importantly, we’ve found a lead to fight back.”