Chapter 49

Episode 49

#49. The Talents of Arad Company (1)

“Arad, thanks to you, the knot in my heart that I’ve had for a long time with Lenslet has been somewhat untangled.”

“I merely did what needed to be done, Your Majesty.”

“Truly… You are the blessing and salvation of me and the Northern Region. Really, really… thank you so much.”

While I was thinking about expanding the business and the academy, Ariana got up and expressed her gratitude to me with genuine sincerity.

‘?!’

Ariana’s overly grateful expression.

‘What is this? Why does Ariana feel so familiar?’

But strangely, it didn’t feel difficult or strange.

‘Anyway, is this okay?’

The problem is that there are bureaucrats, witches, and High Knights here right now.

“Hmm…”

Especially, a guy named Sun, whom I haven’t seen his face for long, looked at Ariana and me with a peculiar expression.

‘This is dangerous!’

My instinctive danger sensor went off.

There are always some who cross the line wherever you go.

I’m worried that some overly loyal people might cause trouble by seeing this.

So I quickly bowed deeply and switched to ultra-humble mode.

“Your Majesty, a ruler should not casually express gratitude to a mere subject. Please take back your words…”

“However, looking at it, it seems we’ll need intermediate-level Magic Stones to make those arms and legs?”

“Yes… It cost quite a bit of money. And it’s hard for me alone to make multiple ones.”

In the end, I had to awkwardly continue the conversation with her.

“If intermediate Magic Stones can heal disabled soldiers and knights, it’s worth bearing the cost. The problem is that Lord Arad alone can’t make them all, right?”

“That’s correct. But if we hire witches and skilled citizens, we can produce arms and legs with similar performance to mine within a month.”

“Ah, I heard from Lord Theo that you’re recruiting people and looking for a site to build a factory.”

“That is correct, Your Majesty.”

Now that security issues have been resolved, it’s smooth sailing from here on out. There’s just one concern though.

“Your Majesty, as mentioned earlier, besides intermediate Magic Stones, these prosthetics also require fairly expensive medicinal herbs and Monster byproducts. We’ll also need to hire staff, so there will be labor costs.”

It’s money.

The budget of High City must not be in great shape after the banquet we held this time.

Not to mention, there was a Mana Force Fluctuation just before that.

And I don’t have any money either.

The 70 gold coins received along with the title of baron have already run out due to countless researches, experiments, and productions.

‘Really, this time I can’t do it for free! The salaries for employees are tight too! Besides, the businesses I’ve been postponing until now need to start soon!’

Rather than paying heavy taxes!

Even though it’s the early stages, having no advantages as an imperial-affiliated merchant is too much. Instead, it’s full of disadvantages.

Moreover, this poor High City can’t lend money recklessly, right? The concept of national debt is unfamiliar in this era.

“Your Majesty, may I receive next year’s 70 gold coins in advance?”

With the resolve not to compromise under any circumstances, I spoke to the duke.

Although I said it quite indirectly, they should get the gist, right?

“Don’t worry.”

To this, Ariana surprisingly wore a confident expression.

“…?”

All I could do was tilt my head while looking at the duke in front of me.

‘Did a money-making opportunity suddenly appear?’

I don’t know why the woman, who has always been extremely cautious about financial matters, is acting like this.

* * *

The Goite Empire.

‘So, they finally came.’

‘How long has it been since they were here last?’

‘Why aren’t they coming?’

The thoughts of the ministers standing in the grand hall of the Imperial Palace were mostly the same.

“…”

This silence also applied to the crown prince, who was staring silently at the northern delegation.

Crown Prince Khanbraman was sitting below the empty throne today, in the regent’s seat.

“Here we meet again, delegation of the North.”

He spoke in a tone that wasn’t at all welcoming to the visitors from the north.

Factually estranged now, worse than enemies.

A vassal state only on paper, from which neither tribute nor taxes come anymore—just an independent territory.

Yet, it’s land that must absolutely be reclaimed—the North.

“We bring yet another troubling message. We apologize for disturbing you, Crown Prince Your Highness.”

The delegation from the north replied.

“Is that so? What a pity. So, what’s the matter this time?”

The crown prince asked with feigned ignorance.

“There have been significant issues related to Mana Force recently in the north, as you may know.”

“Ahh… Yes, I’ve heard. It almost caused a big disaster, didn’t it?”

Despite the crown prince’s denial, the delegation continued without flaring up.

“We have obtained testimony and evidence implicating Astral, the head of the Empire’s Sigma.”

Representative Gard presented a black stone tablet he was carrying.

Though it was now just a lump of rock after being drained of power, anyone moderately versed in magic would recognize it.

The intricate magical arrays and sigils inside were undoubtedly from the Empire’s Golden Mage Tower.

“… Well, I have nothing to say. My sincere regrets. However, this is merely the transgression of a few individuals.”

“Again, is it?”

“What can I do? My ruling abilities are still immature.”

The crown prince subtly gestured towards the vacant throne.

“But don’t worry. The former head of Sigma, Astral, committed grave sins, and upon learning of them, I immediately punished accordingly.”

“…”

Crown Prince Khanbraman was flexible.

Unlike typical royalty who would never admit faults due to pride and authority, he coolly acknowledged facts and even unhesitatingly expressed regret.

He even disposed of the responsible person before the delegation arrived.

“No matter how unrelated to the royal family’s intentions, how ill His Majesty the Emperor is, or how inexperienced the Crown Prince’s governance is, this time, we cannot overlook it.”

As things weren’t going as planned, the representative of the delegation frowned and spoke.

‘…!’

‘Those barbarians from the North!’

At the delegation’s words, the faces of the ministers in the grand hall twisted in anger.

Already stiff-faced, their expressions suggested they were ready to denounce the delegation and call for a northern campaign at any moment.

“Can’t let it slide? Are you planning war? Or perhaps raiding into the central-north region of the empire?”

Only the crown prince maintained his composure while dealing with the delegation.

‘Hmm…’

Reading the atmosphere, Delegate Gard swallowed his sigh and opened his mouth.

“Would we dare? His Grace the Duke loves peace more than anything. However, considerable gold coins were spent resolving this incident.”

“But with the blessings of Mary, recovery will exceed expectations by next year, won’t it?”

“The issue is this year’s fiscal survival. Moreover, the Great Northern Expeditionary Force has recently returned. Hosting a grand banquet to honor their efforts depleted our already insufficient funds…”

Gard trailed off meaningfully.

This much, they should understand.

‘Alright! Just cough up the money!’

And the empire would gladly accept such vibes from the north.

Indeed, the atmosphere in the grand hall relaxed slightly compared to before.

Though contempt, irritation, and aversion remained, there were no signs of fear, caution, or hatred.

“Is that all you want? No requests for trade or anything?”

“Yes.”

“Fair enough, considering our partial responsibility regardless.”

The crown prince’s tone softened noticeably, pleased that the annoying and burdensome situation could be resolved with gold coins.

‘Tch.’

Seeing this, Delegate Gard clicked his tongue internally.

‘That’s unfortunate.’

Had the royal family acted shamelessly and had Astral been present,

he might have tried to negotiate a deal using that.

Unfortunately, the crown prince had prevented everything beforehand.

Thus, he could only aim for the minimum objective.

“Understood. Let’s proceed accordingly. We’ll discuss the exact amount later with the ministers.”

“Your grace is boundless, Your Highness.”

“Ah, speaking of which, isn’t the North still not using Eastern Porcelain?”

“Do you mean the white tableware from the East? I’ve heard of it.”

“Then? I thought I’d give it as a gift alongside the gold coins. Would you accept it?”

Just when the audience and negotiations seemed to be winding down smoothly, the crown prince made an unexpected suggestion.

“…?”

Gard tilted his head in confusion.

“These days, porcelain from the East is the latest trend across the empire and all the kingdoms of the continent.”

Turning towards Gard, the crown prince pointed upwards.

“Not only here in the palace but even in the capital of the Union, Badenheim, a banquet without porcelain isn’t considered fit for nobility.”

Continuing, Khanbraman subtly stimulated the northern nobles’ pride.

“As you know, the eastern sea route is extremely rough and perilous—celestial phenomena, marine monsters, pirates, and all. After a single voyage, hardly anything remains intact.”

Gard and the delegation, busy with the audience, hadn’t noticed the grand hall’s ceiling until now.

“For this reason, fragile porcelain from the East rarely makes it here. Out of 100 pieces, 90 break during transit, and they take up a lot of space.”

As the delegation’s gaze was drawn to the ceiling, the crown prince’s voice continued.

“However, recently—precisely two years ago—the Golden Mage Tower created a magical storage box. It safely preserves any item. Thanks to this, many pieces of Eastern porcelain now arrive undamaged in Arcadia.”

Attached densely to the high ceilings of the palace were beautiful white ceramics adorned with intricate patterns from the East.

Their beauty was clearly on a different level compared to the earthenware from Arcadia.

“How about it? Don’t you think the Duchess would like it?”

“No, Your Highness. Just give us the gold coins instead.”

But Gard, upon seeing this, rejected it without hesitation.

“Why? Do you suspect we’ve tampered with the porcelain?”

“How could that be?”

Firstly, it felt suspicious, just as the crown prince had mentioned earlier.

“Our North isn’t yet at leisure to enjoy porcelain.”

Secondly, once porcelain starts flowing into the North on a large scale, problems akin to the second spice or silk craze might arise.

Both spices and silk initially seemed exotic but became voracious money drains once trends caught on.

If that happens, the North would become dependent on the empire again.

‘Maybe that’s the intention.’

Gard confirmed the crown prince’s plan and spoke.

“If I accepted porcelain instead of gold coins, the Duchess would surely punish us.”

Especially since living conditions in the North were slowly improving, luxury had to be avoided even more.

Even the secret use of porcelain by some northern nobles couldn’t be completely controlled, but porcelain use in High City had to be strictly prohibited.

Just look at the bag slung over the Duchess’s waist—it swept through the North in no time, didn’t it?

“Understood. I’ll generously provide plenty of gold and silver coins.”

Seeing Gard’s reaction, the crown prince nodded as if satisfied.

It seemed he had just grasped through their dialogue that porcelain wouldn’t benefit the North’s economy.

‘I should report about porcelain to Her Majesty when I return.’

Looking at the crown prince, Gard thought internally.

If his understanding of the empire was correct, they’d soon quietly sell porcelain to the North through imperial merchants.

Preparations had to be made against this.

“Then, humbled by the grace of His Majesty the Emperor and Your Highness the Crown Prince, we shall now take our leave.”

Feeling suddenly uneasy, Gard prepared to leave while addressing the crown prince.

“Go ahead. I’ll host a banquet tonight, so enjoy yourselves before leaving. Don’t just go like last time.”

Khanbraman also dismissed the delegation with a smirk.

“Of course, we look forward to the empire’s banquet…”

“Hold on, Your Highness.”

Just as the audience with the delegation was about to wrap up, someone suddenly interjected.

“Hmm…? Archbishop Theresa, do you have something to say?”

The crown prince looked at the interrupter with an unusually burdened expression.

“May I ask the northerners a few questions?”

Archbishop Theresa, the head of the imperial church, appeared to be a woman in her forties wearing a priestly robe embroidered with gold thread on white silk. However, considering her aura and status as a high-ranking cleric, she was likely much older.

“…Very well.”

The crown prince closed his eyes tightly in resignation and nodded.

“Thank you. May God bless Your Highness.”

The Archbishop of the Imperial Church was an entity beyond reproach even by the still-prince crown prince.