Episode 63 - Negotiations with Lorea
“Hu~ah. School's getting boring.”
Theo said, with a yawn, as they left the classroom.
“What are you talking about? It's nice to relax.”
For the first time in a long time Lynn and Theo were in class together.
Theo and Lynn hadn't been to class together for a long time, and today was a day off from work, which meant that they were free from the dizzying workload they had been experiencing lately.
They were walking home, chatting and enjoying the sunny afternoon air, when they were suddenly confronted by a tall man outside the school.
“Excuse me. You must be Theo. And you must be Lynn.”
The man stood in front of them with a strange look on his face.
(This man is a ...... slave.)
Lynn noticed the man's appearance.
He was not wearing a mage's robe.
Because apprentice mages are not allowed in Alfredo, mages always wear robes of some colour.
He didn't look like an out-of-work mage who had just changed into loose loungewear, nor did he look like he was going to a party.
The man in front of me was not shabbily dressed, but he was dressed for work.
The only people who don't wear mage robes on the job here in Alfredo are noblemen, merchant owners, or slaves who have been brought in for special permission to enter.
He did not look like a nobleman or a merchant.
Lynn found himself feeling a bit nervous about his status.
A long time ago, Lynn had been in the same position and status as him.
“I belong to the servants of the Lorea tax collection agency.”
“Tax collection? You mean the ...... lift?”
Theo braced himself.
“I've come to collect you both by order of my master. We would like you to come with us.”
“What if I refuse?”
Theo glared at the big man as if to check him.
“We want to make things as peaceful as possible. Could you please come with us?”
The man did not threaten, but pleaded.
Lynn sensed from his attitude that he was in a difficult situation.
Theo was still refusing to accept it, but the man showed him the emblem on the back of his hand.
Lynn looked at it and was surprised.
(This is the ...... guild's emblem ......)
The emblem on the back of his hand was in the same format as the Magrillheim emblem that Lynn had seen before, indicating that he was a member of a guild.
The emblem of the guild he wore was a mark that looked like a man's distorted face.
The face on the emblem looked both frightened and drawn.
Theo, as expected, became serious.
(The guild is for dungeon conquering of over 100 levels. So mages over 100 levels are also involved in their activities)
“This is the emblem of the guild “Marché Ancier”. If you are looking for the best way to get the most out of your business, you need to know how to choose the right one. In case you're not sure what you're looking for, you'll be able to find a lot more information on the web.”
The man hides the guild's emblem with his sleeve. As if it were something he did not want to be seen.
“The Marché Ancier is a guild whose main activity is on the 200th level. The matter is more serious than you think. Will you follow me?”
This time, the man's tone of voice was insistent.
Lynn and Theo were led to Lorea's office on level 80.
They are sent to a parlor inside the office.
The interior of the parlor was furnished with a fine collection of furniture.
They looked expensive, but Lynn felt that they were also a little bit out of fashion.
A woman was sitting in the upper part of the parlor. She was sitting on the sofa and glared at them as they came in.
Lynn knew from a glance that she was Lorea, the boss of the firm.
You can see at a glance that she has a wrinkled brow and a twitchy personality.
She, like the men under her command, has the emblem of the “Marché Ancier” engraved on the back of her hand.
But of all her outfits, it was the colour of the robe she wore that surprised Lynn the most. She was wearing the same red robe as Lynn and Theo.
(Are you an academy mage? ......)
She looked to be around 30 years old. In spite of this, she wears the school mage's robe, which means that she has been absent or flunking out of school for a number of years.
Maybe she's already given up on graduating.
Lorea was also surprised to see Lynn and Theo.
(I was told, it was your first year at the academy....... You really are kids aren't you?)
She had expected them to be much older, given that they were both working in a business.
Lynn and Theo sat across the desk from Lorea.
As they sit down, a group of well-built men surround them, intimidating them.
“I believe I've written to you about the business you two are running together. I asked you to stop it.”
That was the first thing Lorea said to us.
“Huh. Why is that?”
Theo asked in a carefree tone.
“Why? you ask? Isn’t it obvious? It's a nuisance for the mage tower. Mages have a duty to contribute to the development of this tower. It is because of you that the tax revenue of the Mage Association is decreasing. It's not good for the development of the tower. So, you have to stop. It's in the public interest.”
“Ms. Lorea. We are officially licensed by the Mage Association. We are running our business with the official permission from the Mage Association.”
Lorea's eyebrows twitched. She was not happy with Theo's words.
Theo continues without any hesitation.
“And how dare you accuse us of being against the public interest simply because tax revenues decreasing? It may be true that we are responsible for the decline in tax revenues. But from the point of view of the economy as a whole, it is a positive thing. Our low-cost goods are highly valued by the market. Our services are particularly popular with small, medium and large businesses. ......”
“It's not against the public interest? The tax revenue is actually decreasing. Do you know how much trouble you've caused the tower and the association? The people who gave you the go-ahead are the same people who don't know what they're doing. It's not valid, it doesn't work. Now get out of here.”
(Who the hell are you to decide whether our business is valid or not?)
Theo fought to keep himself from saying this and continued to play down the situation.
“How can it be invalid? That's arrogance. We are not running our business in any unfair way. We are operating under the law of the association, with due process and official authorization.
And it seems a bit premature to talk about tax revenues. We are not evading taxes either. We are paying our fair share of taxes according to our association's tax laws. Yes, there will be a temporary drop in tax revenues. But that's only in the short term. If the overall economy improves, the wealth of society as a whole will increase, and the amount of tax revenue will increase in the future, even without high tax rates. ......”
“The problem is that it's only temporary. Everything you say is just a theory. There is no guarantee that the tax revenue will be restored once it has been declined. What if the profits from the towers that were lost because of you never come back? Can you take responsibility for that?”
“But in fact, our business is gaining acceptance in the market. The turnover and profits of the trade association are growing steadily, and even if the tax revenue falls ...... temporarily, in the long run there will eventually be enough tax revenue from our lifts .......”
“If it goes down, even temporarily, it's a problem.”
Lorea banged the desk with her cane. The sound of banging echoed through the room.
Theo frowned at her attitude.
(You're such a pain in the ass.)
Theo was not very good at this kind of illogical situation.
He disliked inconclusive discussions.
In the first place, from his point of view, there was no need to respond to Lorea's accusations.
Theo was beginning to see through Lorea's trickery.
(In short, these guys are the association's errand boys. And they are taking advantage of the sloppy management of the association to line their pockets with a little extra money.)
Theo looks at Lorea with a cold stare.
“What's that look in your eyes?”
“No, nothing.”
Theo smiles hastily.
(You've been making excuses for the tower and the association's profits for a while now, but ...... the fact is that you've lost your portion of the profits.)
Theo wanted to end the conversation quickly and go home, but behind him was a guild that had its roots in the 200 levels. It is not wise to be openly hostile to such a guild when you are aiming for the upper floors of the tower.
(What's going on ...... )
Theo couldn't decide how to deal with the situation and had to continue his discussion with Lorea with no way out.
He had a solution in mind, but it was something she had to offer, not Theo.
Episode 63 - Negotiations with Lorea
“Hu~ah. School's getting boring.”
Theo said, with a yawn, as they left the classroom.
“What are you talking about? It's nice to relax.”
For the first time in a long time Lynn and Theo were in class together.
Theo and Lynn hadn't been to class together for a long time, and today was a day off from work, which meant that they were free from the dizzying workload they had been experiencing lately.
They were walking home, chatting and enjoying the sunny afternoon air, when they were suddenly confronted by a tall man outside the school.
“Excuse me. You must be Theo. And you must be Lynn.”
The man stood in front of them with a strange look on his face.
(This man is a ...... slave.)
Lynn noticed the man's appearance.
He was not wearing a mage's robe.
Because apprentice mages are not allowed in Alfredo, mages always wear robes of some colour.
He didn't look like an out-of-work mage who had just changed into loose loungewear, nor did he look like he was going to a party.
The man in front of me was not shabbily dressed, but he was dressed for work.
The only people who don't wear mage robes on the job here in Alfredo are noblemen, merchant owners, or slaves who have been brought in for special permission to enter.
He did not look like a nobleman or a merchant.
Lynn found himself feeling a bit nervous about his status.
A long time ago, Lynn had been in the same position and status as him.
“I belong to the servants of the Lorea tax collection agency.”
“Tax collection? You mean the ...... lift?”
Theo braced himself.
“I've come to collect you both by order of my master. We would like you to come with us.”
“What if I refuse?”
Theo glared at the big man as if to check him.
“We want to make things as peaceful as possible. Could you please come with us?”
The man did not threaten, but pleaded.
Lynn sensed from his attitude that he was in a difficult situation.
Theo was still refusing to accept it, but the man showed him the emblem on the back of his hand.
Lynn looked at it and was surprised.
(This is the ...... guild's emblem ......)
The emblem on the back of his hand was in the same format as the Magrillheim emblem that Lynn had seen before, indicating that he was a member of a guild.
The emblem of the guild he wore was a mark that looked like a man's distorted face.
The face on the emblem looked both frightened and drawn.
Theo, as expected, became serious.
(The guild is for dungeon conquering of over 100 levels. So mages over 100 levels are also involved in their activities)
“This is the emblem of the guild “Marché Ancier”. If you are looking for the best way to get the most out of your business, you need to know how to choose the right one. In case you're not sure what you're looking for, you'll be able to find a lot more information on the web.”
The man hides the guild's emblem with his sleeve. As if it were something he did not want to be seen.
“The Marché Ancier is a guild whose main activity is on the 200th level. The matter is more serious than you think. Will you follow me?”
This time, the man's tone of voice was insistent.
Lynn and Theo were led to Lorea's office on level 80.
They are sent to a parlor inside the office.
The interior of the parlor was furnished with a fine collection of furniture.
They looked expensive, but Lynn felt that they were also a little bit out of fashion.
A woman was sitting in the upper part of the parlor. She was sitting on the sofa and glared at them as they came in.
Lynn knew from a glance that she was Lorea, the boss of the firm.
You can see at a glance that she has a wrinkled brow and a twitchy personality.
She, like the men under her command, has the emblem of the “Marché Ancier” engraved on the back of her hand.
But of all her outfits, it was the colour of the robe she wore that surprised Lynn the most. She was wearing the same red robe as Lynn and Theo.
(Are you an academy mage? ......)
She looked to be around 30 years old. In spite of this, she wears the school mage's robe, which means that she has been absent or flunking out of school for a number of years.
Maybe she's already given up on graduating.
Lorea was also surprised to see Lynn and Theo.
(I was told, it was your first year at the academy....... You really are kids aren't you?)
She had expected them to be much older, given that they were both working in a business.
Lynn and Theo sat across the desk from Lorea.
As they sit down, a group of well-built men surround them, intimidating them.
“I believe I've written to you about the business you two are running together. I asked you to stop it.”
That was the first thing Lorea said to us.
“Huh. Why is that?”
Theo asked in a carefree tone.
“Why? you ask? Isn’t it obvious? It's a nuisance for the mage tower. Mages have a duty to contribute to the development of this tower. It is because of you that the tax revenue of the Mage Association is decreasing. It's not good for the development of the tower. So, you have to stop. It's in the public interest.”
“Ms. Lorea. We are officially licensed by the Mage Association. We are running our business with the official permission from the Mage Association.”
Lorea's eyebrows twitched. She was not happy with Theo's words.
Theo continues without any hesitation.
“And how dare you accuse us of being against the public interest simply because tax revenues decreasing? It may be true that we are responsible for the decline in tax revenues. But from the point of view of the economy as a whole, it is a positive thing. Our low-cost goods are highly valued by the market. Our services are particularly popular with small, medium and large businesses. ......”
“It's not against the public interest? The tax revenue is actually decreasing. Do you know how much trouble you've caused the tower and the association? The people who gave you the go-ahead are the same people who don't know what they're doing. It's not valid, it doesn't work. Now get out of here.”
(Who the hell are you to decide whether our business is valid or not?)
Theo fought to keep himself from saying this and continued to play down the situation.
“How can it be invalid? That's arrogance. We are not running our business in any unfair way. We are operating under the law of the association, with due process and official authorization.
And it seems a bit premature to talk about tax revenues. We are not evading taxes either. We are paying our fair share of taxes according to our association's tax laws. Yes, there will be a temporary drop in tax revenues. But that's only in the short term. If the overall economy improves, the wealth of society as a whole will increase, and the amount of tax revenue will increase in the future, even without high tax rates. ......”
“The problem is that it's only temporary. Everything you say is just a theory. There is no guarantee that the tax revenue will be restored once it has been declined. What if the profits from the towers that were lost because of you never come back? Can you take responsibility for that?”
“But in fact, our business is gaining acceptance in the market. The turnover and profits of the trade association are growing steadily, and even if the tax revenue falls ...... temporarily, in the long run there will eventually be enough tax revenue from our lifts .......”
“If it goes down, even temporarily, it's a problem.”
Lorea banged the desk with her cane. The sound of banging echoed through the room.
Theo frowned at her attitude.
(You're such a pain in the ass.)
Theo was not very good at this kind of illogical situation.
He disliked inconclusive discussions.
In the first place, from his point of view, there was no need to respond to Lorea's accusations.
Theo was beginning to see through Lorea's trickery.
(In short, these guys are the association's errand boys. And they are taking advantage of the sloppy management of the association to line their pockets with a little extra money.)
Theo looks at Lorea with a cold stare.
“What's that look in your eyes?”
“No, nothing.”
Theo smiles hastily.
(You've been making excuses for the tower and the association's profits for a while now, but ...... the fact is that you've lost your portion of the profits.)
Theo wanted to end the conversation quickly and go home, but behind him was a guild that had its roots in the 200 levels. It is not wise to be openly hostile to such a guild when you are aiming for the upper floors of the tower.
(What's going on ...... )
Theo couldn't decide how to deal with the situation and had to continue his discussion with Lorea with no way out.
He had a solution in mind, but it was something she had to offer, not Theo.
