But then, as though to slice through the air in the room, one of the guildmasters spoke in a low, resonant voice.
"Certainly, if we are speaking of goods that do not spoil easily, that may well be an effective measure.
However..."
Celine turned her gaze toward the speaker.
He was a man of commanding presence, the leading figure of the butchers' guild. The glow of the beeswax candles gleamed off his shaven scalp, while the old scar carved across one eye lent him an even harsher air. His powerfully honed frame called to mind a man who had once been an adventurer. His presence was so formidable that it seemed to wrap the entire hall in tension.
Guildmaster Volf of the butchers' guild... so you have decided to speak now.
Even as Celine thought that to herself, Volf continued in a calm yet forceful tone.
"Is it truly wise to treat fish and meat in the same manner?
When it comes to meat, the animal must be slaughtered the moment an order is received, then butchered at once.
We must also make certain it shows no sign of disease.
In this trade, time matters above all else."
A stir ran through the hall at those words.
Celine did not miss it. She coolly observed the effect Volf's argument had upon everyone present.
"To separate the place of butchering from the place of sale...
Surely no one could be blamed for questioning whether such a notion is sane?"
Volf's final remark froze the air in the room.
The village heads and the other guildmasters had already begun murmuring among themselves, and now their eyes turned as one toward Celine and Volf.
To men who have controlled the market for so long, this reform is intolerable.
But I am the ruler of this land. For the sake of my people, I cannot yield here.
Meeting the man's sharp stare head-on, Celine lowered her eyes for the briefest moment and steadied her breathing. Then, with an elegant smile, she spoke at last.
"This reform is meant to stabilize the market.
Naturally, I value the opinions of the butchers' guild as well.
Even so, I cannot simply overlook the many petitions my people have submitted."
One of Volf's brows twitched, just slightly.
Celine did not miss even that small shift, and she pressed on.
"For example, I have heard complaints that people were refused the sale of meat, or that prices were raised unfairly.
Would you be so kind as to explain why?"
Volf recrossed his arms and answered in a voice that remained calm, though no less sharp.
"It would seem Your Ladyship is quite skilled at changing the subject.
Are those not entirely separate matters?"
The hall stirred again.
The village heads traded glances with one another, all attention fixed on Volf's words.
Without the slightest sign of agitation, Celine waited for him to continue.
"No one likes being suspected where there is no wrongdoing.
The reason we refuse sales is simple: to avoid wasting meat.
A slaughter yields a large quantity of meat at once. If we were to answer every small order as it came, the amount discarded would only increase.
That is why we ask people to wait until orders reach the required number.
Was it not simply unfortunate timing on their part?"
Even under the edge of his sarcasm, Celine kept her gaze steady and listened in silence.
"The same holds true of prices.
Raising livestock takes both time and money.
The same is true of magical beasts—the rare ones are costly, while those hunted in large numbers are cheap.
Cattle and pigs are limited in number as well.
Surely Your Ladyship does not imagine they simply appear without end?
Those who filed such petitions must merely have come to buy when our stock happened to be low."
There was a certain logic to Volf's case as he laid it out, point by point.
As she listened, Celine calmly searched for the intent beneath his words.
It is true that some adjustment is necessary to prevent waste.
But he is using that as a pretext to keep hold of the market.
Even as that thought crossed her mind, nothing of it showed on her face. She wore the same graceful smile as before.
While the village heads and guildmasters in the hall began to murmur more loudly among themselves, Volf lowered his voice again and drove his point home.
"But I believe there is another issue here."
The chill in his voice tightened the tension in the hall.
"I have heard that Your Ladyship has been handing out meat free of charge.
If that is true, would it not be the very thing that leaves the people who make their living as butchers to starve?
If such practices continue, it is plain as day that we will be the ones left destitute."
With the room gone still, Volf continued.
"I am sure Your Ladyship is exceedingly occupied with the power struggles of the inner palace, and with the duties expected of you there.
Yet it does seem to me that, distracted by such concerns, you have lost sight of the lives of ordinary folk... what would you say to that?"
The words rang through the hall, sharp enough to be taken as open provocation.