Chapter 107

After finishing the public negotiations, I returned to find a drinking party in full swing.

The soldiers were enjoying the drunkenness brought on by the beer, wine, and meat provided by the camp merchants, and tents had been set up to offer a night of pleasures.

Inside the tents, women were exposing their calves and thighs to entice the men, and in several tents, sounds of moaning could already be heard.

Not wanting to disturb the soldiers reveling in their victory, I wore the so-called military uniform I donned for disguise as I returned. Perhaps because of that, the soldiers casually chatted as they saw me.

“Honestly, when Colonel Beerman told us to throw firebombs using spears, I thought he had lost his mind, didn’t you?”

“Right? What good would throwing firebombs do from horseback while wearing armor…?”

“Exactly! So I thought, ‘Whatever,’ and threw it…”

“Man, I never thought there would be thunder and black smoke rising from that!”

“And we nearly won one-sidedly, didn’t we?”

“Yeah, this old man managed to capture two enemy knights! Hahaha! If things go well, I might get a promotion.”

“Even if you don’t get promoted, you can make 30 to 40 gold coins by selling your armor with the reward. But to us, they’re barely giving us a drink…”

“Hey, I can’t let people say I’m stingy after getting promoted to captain! Everyone, follow me! I’ll get you all a tent each so you can enjoy the night!”

Though he said that, I knew giving each of them a tent would cost me around ten gold coins…

With a captain’s salary of two gold coins a month, if the rewards come, I’d end up spending five months’ worth of salary on these guys.

Truly, whether in my territory or someone else’s, nobles live and die by honor and vanity.

In the past, I would enjoy these victories with Ela, but now that she had become the mistress of not just a baron, but a count, I couldn’t bring her here…

I figured I should at least drink with Baron Frost and Count Walt.

With those thoughts in mind, I stepped into my barracks, where untouched roast beef, various breads, and soup lay on the table.

Upon seeing me, Walt and Frost greeted me happily.

“Your Excellency! You have arrived! We’ve been waiting for your arrival!”

“Count, you must be hungry, so please take a seat. We can’t eat until you do, can we?”

“I understand. But don’t you two think of joining the other soldiers for a good time?”

At that, Frost replied seriously while Walt joked.

“If it were back in my knight days, that would be different, but now that I’m a noble, I can’t mingle with the women that camp merchants bring along. Plus, being over 50, I no longer have the strength for such things.”

“Back when I was a knight, it was fine not getting married, but now I’m a single baron! I need to care about my reputation to some extent.”

Baron Frost at over 50, only enduring like this because as a baron, he wasn’t sent to the front lines… I guess it’s about time he considered retirement…

However, reports state that Baron Frost’s heir is solid and capable, so somehow, the Frost family will continue to employ.

I felt a bit embarrassed that I hadn’t helped Walt with his marriage yet, considering he is a count and hasn’t even arranged marriage for his vassals.

Noticing my thoughts, Frost lightly poked Walt, saying,

“Walt, you’re in your mid-30s now. You should just find an appropriate maiden to marry… What have you been doing all this time?”

“I was going to, but winning a tournament and becoming a baron, I got too caught up managing my territory…”

“Doesn’t everyone know you’ve mostly had Baron Hermann do the management for you…?”

“Baron Frost, but soldiers are busy training! Even if it looks like this, I’ve been in charge of training in Nante, you know?”

“Fine, I won’t poke you more. If it comes down to it, I have a nice girl in my family… Though she’s my mistress’s child, she’s 20 years younger than you; wouldn’t that be alright?”

As a political marriage, it wouldn’t be a bad choice, but for someone like Walt who has lived as a peasant, a woman who is burly like Baron Frost would be… difficult in many ways.

Nobles can marry well even without love, but Walt wouldn’t adapt to that.

And since I haven’t helped yet, considering past accomplishments, I should set him up with a pretty girl who’s graduated from the academy but is of a slightly lower status…

So I began to make excuses to not hurt Frost’s feelings while finding a good match for Walt.

“Frost, I believe Walt would make a good couple with your mistress’s child. However, thinking of the future of the territory, we need to make connections with the academy. Hence, I will push for a marriage between Walt and a graduate from the academy. And you…”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

“What about Captain Frost? You’ve made sufficient achievements, so I believe it’s appropriate to elevate him to a formal knightly family. Has he considered marriage? He’s already 28.”

At those words, Frost’s face became tense.

“I will look for a good match…”

A heavy atmosphere flowed among the three of us due to the topic of marriage, and to lighten the mood, I clapped my hands and said,

“When we return, there will be more than one or two people to marry. This is indeed a day of joy.”

“That is right, and I understand Your Excellency will soon be marrying as well…”

That’s correct; I am about to marry the imperial princess sent by His Imperial Majesty of the Northern Alliance.

I don’t even know who she is, but I hope she’s not some much older woman than me…

I am already a loyal subject who has given the emperor a baron’s territory and a strong economic alliance, but politics typically require such conditions…

At the very least, I hope she won’t have any major flaws…

Saying that, I spoke in a playful tone.

“Indeed. I’ve heard that there are many beauties in the North. And the King is quite handsome, so… I expect a truly beautiful person will come. Now, let’s set aside these complicated discussions and drink!”

And so, we drank for about three hours until we were nearly hammered.

Having drunk so much that my head throbbed, I knew I couldn’t let those two sleep here, so I gathered my strength and got up.

When I stood up, I saw Baron Frost slumped over the table sleeping, and Walt sprawled out, clutching a large bottle of alcohol.

No matter how much this era’s nobles emphasize machismo, I wish they’d refrain from drinking to the point of passing out…

I opened my tent’s door and spoke to the soldier on duty.

“Please send Baron Frost and Count Walt back to their tents.”

“Yes, understood. And…”

“And what?”

“The noble Vladimir from the Northern Alliance asks to convey that His Majesty the King is looking for Count Walt. What shall we do?”

“Surely, you didn’t wait until I came out for that?”

“He just arrived and asked for this message to be conveyed, and I was just about to report to you when you came out.”

“Understood, I’ll go immediately.”

I quickly changed into formal attire and proceeded to meet my father-in-law, who is His Majesty the King of the North.

Damn it, feeling like I’d choke on alcohol, to summon someone at this hour… I feel like I’m getting some serious preferential treatment.

**

Unlike our banquet filled with drinks and women, the emperor’s army and barracks were in a strict state of alert.

And as I entered, he greeted me with a smile.

“Have you come, son-in-law?”

“I rushed here since His Majesty summoned me, and I apologize for keeping you waiting.”

“No, I thought you would come tomorrow morning. Thank you for coming quickly. Well, I brought some fine vodka from the North for you to try.”

He said this and served me vodka, crystal clear as water, in a cup made of pure gold.

Even if the alcohol content is low, it’s still over 70%, and true to its reputation, it had no taste in the mouth but burned down my throat like fire.

If I exhaled in front of a torch, wouldn’t it ignite?

“It’s hot!”

“Vodka is meant to be consumed like that. Well, that aside… I called you because I was curious.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“What sort of plans are you formulating? From what I’ve observed and gathered, it’s impossible you would forgive Maxburg this easily.”

The emperor is quite a ruthless man; having already devoured one territory, it’s hard to believe he wouldn’t have deeper intentions…

Yet, he directly asks about it. But then again…

Given the joint attack from Franche and Romania, my territory needs my father-in-law’s assistance to survive, so I have to answer everything.

I sighed and said, “I can’t hide anything from you, my father-in-law, so I will tell you straight.”

“Indeed, you had a plan all along.”

“However, whatever is said here must not be documented or disclosed to anyone, my father-in-law. No, future Emperor of the North.”

As soon as I finished speaking, the emperor shouted out near his guards.

“Every security personnel maintain vigilance at least 200 meters from here! Must not approach until I call them! Anyone who does will be executed per military law!”

At those words, all the soldiers pulled away from the tent.

“Are you ready to speak now?”

“Alright. First of all, I am not waging this war to earn money.”

“To claim such an exorbitant compensation and yet say it’s not for money? Then why are you here?”

“To possess the economic power of the Maxburg Ducal House, or rather, to secure the future entirely in my hands.”

Upon hearing this, the emperor tilted his head, confused.

“However, just 500,000 gold coins. Frankly, you could simply raise taxes from the defeated nobles, merchants, and serfs after this war, and in about ten years, they’d pay it all back…”

He’s right, after World War I, imposing a debt of 134 billion marks on the German Empire led to a war because they couldn’t repay it; that was World War II.

However, in the meantime, the German Empire’s economy collapsed due to the massive taxes, leading to unprecedented inflation in history.

This caused the quality of life for many to plummet into hell, giving rise to demagogues like Hitler who could seize political power.

What I have to do is spread the forces that will act as that catalyst throughout not just Maxburg, but our wretched Duke’s territory based on similar foundations.

But for now, I ought to tell the emperor about my plans to devour Maxburg.

That alone is sufficiently malignant and cunning.

“Yes, as you mentioned… Unless I take some special measures, Maxburg will likely pay only 100,000 to 150,000 gold coins and claim this is invalid and wage war again. But, Your Majesty…”

“Don’t answer a question with a question.”

“Do you know how the serfs live? With the implementation of the four-crop rotation system that I established, serfs no longer starve as they once did. However, outside of our territory, they still can’t eat three meals a day. What will happen if you increase taxes on such impoverished serfs?”

“They’re just serfs. It would likely end with only a civil riot. Well, a few thousand would die, but so what?”

That may be the case in typical scenarios, however, incorporating a prevailing force that acts as a catalyst and combining it with the nobles struggling under taxes to pay Maxburg could create numerous insurgents.

Most would be suppressed quickly, but amidst such chaos, how could they fight off external enemies?

They’d be completely taken down by the external foes while resolving internal issues first.

“This compensation isn’t a level that can simply be covered with just additional taxes on the serfs. You’ll have to extort an immense amount from various merchants, skilled workers, guilds, and nobles too. Not to mention, you can’t ignore the obligation to pay me. If not, you’ll be guilty of treason for breaking the oath made in front of the representative of the emperor of Romania… and in the end…”

At my words, the emperor clapped his hands enthusiastically, laughing joyfully.

“So, you’re creating a situation where nobles can’t help but revolt! Serfs will hope to die in the front line for just a slight decrease in tax burden, merchants will provide them with food and money to survive while investing in the future, and nobles will cause a ruckus to secure larger territories and power!”

“In such a case, Your Majesty can then graciously acknowledge the land ownership of lords wishing for independence, or take them for yourself while they’re busy fighting amongst themselves. Of course, I’ll be securing my own profits in the meantime.”

“How much?”

Regions like Eastern Lothringen possess significant potential and vast lands, but rebuilding them adequately requires at least a minimum of three years.

During that rebuilding phase, Franche and other electors will likely unite to target my territory.

Hence, I currently can’t expand into Romania, only toward my potential enemy, Franche.

That would only be possible if I have at least 25,000 regular troops available for expedition.

“Stability in the direction of Romania; once that is confirmed, I will target the Architel Ducal territory of Franche.”

“Franche? I thought you would target the many free cities in Romania?”

I then calmly asked, “Since I provided my father-in-law with vast territories in Romania and a reason to become emperor… can I at least take Hamburg as change?”

“… Hamburg, you can take without having to move troops. Proceed with that.”

“Thank you.”

The emperor then filled my cup with vodka overflowing and asked, “Son-in-law, aren’t you curious about my daughter?”

“Isn’t a political marriage merely about mutual interests aligning? All I hope for is that she isn’t too old…”

Hearing this, the emperor laughed heartily and replied, “You needn’t worry about that! She just turned 20 years old! And trust me, she is flawless in looks and form. I speak as a father, not just in jest. However, her personality can be a bit… playful.”

A pretty girl with a playful attitude? Damn, I have an uneasy feeling about this…

“But even if she’s playful, she only shows that demeanor towards those she doesn’t acknowledge. Conversely, to those she recognizes, she’s incredibly endearing. And she has acknowledged you, so you needn’t worry.”

He then continued discussing his daughter.

Once I heard him out, my feelings were as follows.

Isn’t she just the typical rich girl character appearing in anime?

Regardless, I should get going now…

“So, her smile reminds me of my most beloved Michaela…”

“Your Majesty, it’s about time I return… dawn is approaching.”

At that, the emperor cleared his throat and said, “Ahem, understood. In that case, what should I do on the stage you’ve created?”

“Introduce the four-crop rotation system everywhere it can be implemented, starting from the Mainz Baron territory. Also, come to an agreement with the lords to invest 10% of the taxes into the income growth of the serfs, and if there’s money left over, distribute it back to them. If not, the fire spreading in Romania will also reach your lands, Your Majesty. At the same time, please treat any priests I send well. In return, I will offer you 100,000 gold coins immediately upon my return.”

It has been said throughout history that money left to pile up rots.

So I must spend the available funds as efficiently as possible, even indulging in some arson in enemy territories while developing my own lands.

That way, I can become a true wealthy man.

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