(I just realized that "Cantona Empire" appeared several times earlier... It's difficult to fix the earlier instances, but I'll be more careful from now on. Please bear with me.)
Although Cantona had become the president of a reasonably large merchant guild, he had been born an ordinary farmer outside Bunta City. His knowledge was limited, as was the information available to him, so he could not understand what the Rulson Kingdom's victory over the Candel Empire had to do with Marquis Southgate's sudden change in attitude toward him.
Marquis Southgate himself, however, knew perfectly well.
When President Cantona went to see Riley, Marquis Southgate happened to be discussing the war between the Rulson Kingdom and the Candel Empire with two other men.
"Intelligence from various sources indicates that the key reason the Candel Empire suffered repeated crushing defeats on the battlefield was that the Rulson Kingdom had equipped its forces with large quantities of military magic machinery, giving its army far superior combat strength. According to that intelligence, the military magic machinery that played this decisive role came from a previously obscure little merchant guild in the Stantin Duchy."
The speaker was a middle-aged man with a square face and a stern expression who carried an imposing air of authority.
He paused after speaking and gave Marquis Southgate a meaningful look.
"Marquis Southgate, although this little merchant guild isn't well known in our Malo Empire, I believe you must know it very well."
"Duke Roosevelt, you must mean the Xinfei Merchant Guild." Marquis Southgate smiled faintly, not particularly surprised that Duke Roosevelt, who wielded considerable power in the Malo Empire's Military Department, had suddenly turned the conversation toward him. "That's right, I do know of the Xinfei Merchant Guild. But as for knowing it very well... I can only