A moment later, footsteps sounded inside the room. A young clerk in a dark coat opened the door, his gaze lingering briefly on Charlotte before he bowed his head and said:
"Miss Sauron? Mr. Durand is waiting for you."
Charlotte nodded, lifted her skirts, and entered the room. Lila followed quietly behind her and stopped near the door.
This was Raoul's condition for allowing his daughter to go out on her own: unless she was in a genuinely public setting or had several people present, Charlotte had to be accompanied by her personal maid.
Baron Sauron clearly wanted to prevent a repeat of her time alone with Roselle at the hunting grounds. Charlotte also felt that she ought to restore a little of her credibility with her father, so she readily accepted the requirement.
The more obedient I appear, the easier it is for Father to feel reassured. Then, when something urgent really does need handling in private, it'll be easier to win his trust... she muttered inwardly, maintaining the composure expected of a young noblewoman.
The lawyer's office was small but tastefully furnished. The long desk by the window held pens and ink, a paper knife, sealing wax, and several bound contracts. A large oil painting depicting a battle fought by knights hung on one wall, while wooden bookshelves occupied another, packed with heavy books, handwritten manuscripts, and documents.
Charlotte scanned the shelves and quickly noticed that the books had not been piled up at random. They were neatly arranged by category and title, and their spines and corners showed clear signs of use. They were obviously not the usual decorative props meant to advertise their owner's refinement.
Turning her attention away from the room, she looked at Morvan Durand, who was rising from his chair behind the desk.
The lawyer looked much as he had when Charlotte met him at the hunting camp the previous week, except that he had changed into the knee-length charcoal-black formal coat commonly worn by lawyers and donned a white curled wig. He wore little elaborate adornment: only a brass-cased pocket watch hung from the waistcoat beneath his coat, and a ring with slightly darkened edges rested on his left ring finger. He looked solemn and professional.
"Good morning, Miss Sauron." Morvan inclined his head. "The baron has spoken of you to me many times. It is an honor to make your formal acquaintance today."
"Good morning, Mr. Durand." Charlotte returned the courtesy. "Father also mentioned the help you provided with Etienne's case. I have been meaning to thank you."
Once the pleasantries were over, Charlotte sat in a chair with a backrest set aside for guests in the corner of the room. Lila took the tea brought by the young clerk and personally served her mistress. At Morvan's signal, the clerk quietly closed the door and left the office, leaving the three of them to wait in silence for the other visitors.
Charlotte had naturally come here today to sign the cooperation agreement for the newspaper.
Over the past week, Charlotte, Roselle, and Green had met twice and agreed on their intended collaboration for the Sushit Weekly. Charlotte would secure the publishing permit and handle risks involving City Hall, the Church, and the nobility's reputation. Roselle, who had initiated the project, would oversee the newspaper's content and improve the printing, paper production, and typesetting processes to keep those costs as low as possible. Green Randall's family would supply the funding, printing house, workers, and a public-facing business identity. Their longstanding connections in the silk trade would also help distribute the newspaper.
Such arrangements were common in every country. Nobles were not opposed to making money through commerce, but rather than running businesses directly, they preferred to act as silent investors and enjoy a share of the profits without appearing in public.
Yet the more discreet such a partnership was meant to be, the more it needed a contract defining contributions, obligations, profit shares, and terms of withdrawal, so investors need not fear for their interests and their partners need not worry about having the fruits of their labor taken away.
This world doesn't even have joint-stock companies or shares. Partnerships still rely on old-fashioned profit-sharing agreements, even in Intis, where people worship the Commercial Guardian... Once again, Charlotte lamented the inconvenience caused by outdated institutions. Her thoughts soon wandered to things that affected her quality of life even more, such as lavatories without toilets.
Just then, Morvan, who had returned to his desk to read through some documents, looked up at Charlotte and asked calmly:
"Forgive my impertinence, Miss Sauron, but why are you so enthusiastic about a local gazette of this kind?
"Most young noblewomen I have met enjoy discussing clothes, perfume, balls, and the latest fashions in Trier and Backlund. In private, they are more interested in romance, gossip, and outdoing one another."
I'm hardly an ordinary young noblewoman. Strictly speaking, I'm not even a young woman... Charlotte muttered inwardly before weighing her words and replying:
"The Sauron family cannot rely solely on its estates and rents for income, and Father has no interest in these matters. I can only help ease his burden and make some preparations for my own future."
Morvan smiled at her answer, though she could not tell whether he believed her half-truth. Charlotte offered no further explanation, lest she reveal her family's true financial situation to an outsider. She lifted her cup and took a sip, using the opportunity to examine the bookshelves. She discovered that most of the neatly categorized books were not works a lawyer would need, but histories of various kinds. Among them were quite a few handwritten manuscripts and restored ancient books concerning the Southern Continent and the ancient Balam Empire.
The dangerous Berserk Sea separated the Southern Continent from the Northern Continent, where Intis, Loen, and the other countries lay. Shrouded in storms all year round and riddled with turbulent currents, it swallowed any ship that dared cross it. As a result, most countries' maritime exploration remained confined to areas close to the Northern Continent, such as the Fog Sea Islands, the Dixie Islands, and Sonia Island.
It was said that more than a thousand years ago, a powerful nation called the Balam Empire had existed there, rivaling the Northern Continent's Solomon Empire, Tudor Dynasty, and Trunsoest Empire. Yet ever since the storms cut off the north from the south, no one knew what had become of that ancient empire. Only scattered communities of Southern Continent descent living in various countries, along with excavated relics of the Fourth Epoch, proved that those records were not wholly invented.
Her gaze passing over the many ancient books that might well be the only surviving copies, Charlotte could not help asking:
"Are you interested in the history of the Southern Continent, Mr. Durand?"
Morvan followed her gaze to the shelves and said:
"I am interested in all history. It is simply that a consensus has long since been reached on the Northern Continent's historical records of the Black Iron Age, leaving little room for imagination. The Southern Continent is different. It has enough gaps for me to investigate.
"And for someone who loves history, gaps are often more appealing than settled conclusions."
The Black Iron Age refers to the current epoch, the Fifth Epoch, which has lasted 1,143 years... Having read through modern history, Charlotte nodded thoughtfully, feeling that his words left plenty of room for speculation.
Of course, that did not mean she had developed an interest in history. As the child of a noble family, she only needed some knowledge of her own country's history over the past few centuries. Anything more distant, especially knowledge of the Fourth Epoch, when even precise dates and national borders were unclear, was not something she intended to consider.
She was busy finding suitable excuses for her aversion to studying when she suddenly noticed that Morvan was watching her.
The lawyer's gaze was not intrusive, but it held a measure of scrutiny and interest, as though he were studying one of the "gaps in history" he had mentioned.
Does he have something to say, or does he have bad intentions? But Morvan isn't like those young nobles at the hunting grounds. He's older than my father... Charlotte kept her expression unchanged, though thoughts continued to race through her mind. Recalling the remaining Cultists hidden among the familiar people around her, she felt tempted to activate the Spirit Vision she had only recently learned and examine him.
If there was anything unusual about Morvan, her spirituality would alert her, leaving him nowhere to hide.
But before she could act, a steady knock sounded at the door, followed by Roselle's voice:
"Mr. Durand, may we come in?"
Both withdrew their covert glances at one another, and Morvan called out:
"Please come in."
The door opened, and Roselle and Green entered one after the other.
Now that everyone was present, the lawyer with an interest in history promptly turned to business. He had the clerk bring in two chairs, then spread out a blank sheet of contract paper and picked up his quill.
"Please explain what you would like me to draw up."
Roselle glanced to either side and spoke for the three of them:
"We would like to draw up a three-party cooperation agreement to jointly publish a regular local gazette, provisionally named the Sushit Weekly. At first, it will only be sold locally. We will then expand its circulation according to the profits. The contract needs to specify the relevant contributions, responsibilities, and profit shares."
Contracts of this kind were already well established and followed a standard format. Clients only needed to provide the key details; the lawyer could fill in the rest.
Soon, Roselle came to the division of profits:
"Of all profits from the Sushit Weekly, I will take forty percent, Miss Charlotte Sauron twenty-five percent, and Green Randall thirty-five percent."
Hearing those figures, Charlotte gave Roselle a surprised look.
She had thought that, since she was only handling regulatory risks such as the publishing permit and noble backing, she would receive ten to fifteen percent at most. She had not expected Roselle to offer her twice as much. By comparison, Roselle would have to handle a great many technical and content-related issues, while Green was providing most of the money and putting the Randall family forward as the public-facing operator. Both their risks and their contributions were greater than hers.
That's far too generous. Or does he think the Sauron name behind me is worth that much...? Charlotte's thoughts flickered, but she did not rashly question him in front of Morvan.
Green seemed to have no objections, evidently having been told the proposed shares beforehand.
Morvan, however, did not rush to write this crucial provision into the contract. Instead, he first asked what proportion of the investment each party would contribute, then continued with questions about the initial funding, the printing house's scale, inventory, distribution channels, and other matters related to costs.
At first, Charlotte had thought the funds supplied by the Randall family would be enough to get them started. But as Morvan listed the expenses one by one, she realized that buying or using printing equipment was only the first step. Improving the process, cutting costs, and selling the newspaper throughout the city would all require additional investment.
She looked at the other two and saw that Roselle had also recognized the problem, his expression changing. Green, as the investor, showed his difficulty even more plainly.
Watching their reactions, Morvan finally set down his quill and said:
"According to my estimates, this arrangement carries a substantial risk of default."
Charlotte frowned and asked:
"What would you suggest, Mr. Durand?"
Morvan did not answer immediately. Instead, he set aside the contract he had already mostly drafted and picked up a fresh sheet of paper. Raising his head, he swept his gaze over the three young people's faces before settling on Charlotte again, his tone as steady as ever:
"I have some interest in your Sushit Weekly. If you have no objections, I could become one of the partners as well."