Episode 50 I Don’t Have Any Money? (1)
“Hmm? What’s the matter, Commander?”
Jiselle asked with a pretended expression.
I had already confirmed that Randolph’s gift was on the list of gifts I had received that morning.
It seemed like he was quite anxious and impatient, as he couldn’t wait for the thank you to arrive.
Randolph swallowed hard as he watched Giselle playfully.
‘I saw you yesterday and you’re such a heartless guy. How could you possibly think of eating all that by yourself? You’re so greedy.’
Although he cursed Giselle in his heart, he couldn’t show it on his face and had a bright smile on his face.
“Yesterday, seeing the dignified appearance of the Grand Duke, I thought that our territory indeed had a bright future. However, Grand Duke, can the territory develop solely by satisfying your own personal glory?”
Giselle tilted her head in response to Randolph’s words.
“Personal glory? I clearly told you that I would support the estate in place of Leipold.”
Randolph shook his head.
“No. There are things that cannot be solved with grants. It is the reporters.”
In fact, the position of Knight Commander of Ferdium was a position that was worse than not having one at all.
You always have to fight in the North and your pay is miserable.
So, there is always a shortage of articles. In the meantime, even traitors have emerged recently.
In fact, Randolph was the one who was most angry when Jamal and Philip betrayed them, but he was also the one who understood them the most.
‘Honestly, who would want to live a knight’s life here!’
A knight is a high-level force. If you don’t have talent, you can’t become a knight, and even if you have talent, you have to spend a long time developing it.
Other fiefdoms may offer high salaries, and lords with a lot of land may grant small manors, allowing them to collect taxes.
The knights who refuse such treatment and remain in Ferdium are usually divided into two types.
Those who still have loyalty, and those who are slightly off-kilter and just want to fight the barbarians in the north.
However, it is human nature for loyalty to disappear when starved.
Randolph said with a pretended sad expression.
“In order to maintain the Knights Templar… … . Ahem, we need a little bit of your goodwill, Your Highness. Uh, um. So, something like a donation. Or a development fund?”
In short, he was asking for some money for the Knights Templar, aside from taxes and support and such.
But Jiselle made a face as if to ask what that meant.
The term development fund is one that Giselle likes to say the most, but doesn’t like hearing.
That was the kind of thing he would use when asking Amelia for money.
“I don’t have any money?”
The way he spoke without even blinking an eye seemed particularly annoying.
Randolph barely managed to stop himself from swinging his fist and pretended to scratch his head.
‘Let’s not get excited. We have to get the money separately somehow.’
“Hahaha, telling the richest man in the land that he has no money is like saying that a bandit won’t steal your money. Hahahaha.”
The metaphor was quite aggressive.
Giselle laughed just like Randolph, although she felt inwardly dumbfounded.
“I already have a use for it. So it’s like I’ve used it all up. Hahahaha.”
Randolph rested his fist on his forehead and caught his breath.
‘I have to endure it. There is no way to get money out of it.’
Every time I went to see Albert, he just said he had no money and I couldn’t convince him at all.
Even if they had money, they would always spend it somewhere else first, so the Knights Templar’s situation could not improve. No matter what they tried, they could not do it.
Even if Giselle supports Leipold instead, the reality is the same.
Since it will just be filling the money they were originally receiving anyway, there is no way more budget will be allocated to this beggarly knighthood.
It was obvious that it would continue to be a mess like before.
So Randolph had no intention of missing this opportunity.
“No, where on earth are you going to spend all that money on yourself? You should spend it on your estate! For your estate!”
Jiselle nodded with an expression of admiration.
He repeated Randolph’s words like a parrot.
“Of course, I should use it for the spirit world. Of course, I intend to use it all for the spirit world.”
“For the land… … how?”
“I have everything planned out.”
Randolph asked cautiously.
“Does that plan include support from the Knights?”
Jiselle’s eyes widened.
“You’re not going to do that? No.”
Randolph lowered his head to hide his tearful expression and regained control of his breathing.
‘Wow, it looks like you’re really planning to use it alone. Should I threaten you or something?’
Just as the Knight Commander was considering extreme measures, someone came to see Giselle. It was none other than Albert, the financier of the estate.
“Oh, someone came first. Your Highness, are you feeling okay?”
It was obvious why Albert had appeared. Randolph stood guard and stopped him.
“Brother? No, why did the Treasurer come here? You should be working, working. I was talking to the Archduke first. Come back later.”
Randolph tried to push him away, but Albert stood firm and resisted.
He clicked his tongue and spoke to Randolph as if he was admonishing him.
“A knight commander like that, would you rather just sit here and die without training? Go ahead and focus on your training. Every drop of sweat you shed during training saves you from losing a drop of blood in battle.”
“No, what’s a gentleman who’s never held a sword doing, pretending to know anything… I’ll take care of it. Mr. Finance, you can go and count the money.”
“You have to have money to count money.”
The two faced each other tensely, smiling but glaring at each other.
Looking at that sight, Jiselle shook her head.
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It seemed like those two had no intention of leaving their room easily.
Finally, Giselle asked Albert.
“Mr. Finance, are you here because you need a small donation or something for a development fund?”
Albert coughed, embarrassed by the blunt remark.
“Ahem, Your Highness is truly intelligent. It is with such clarity that he was able to accomplish the great task of retrieving the Rune Stone. He is truly destined for greatness.”
Albert tried his best to flatter her, but his level was similar to Randolph’s.
Albert looked at Giselle with a proud look, whether he knew or not that Giselle was laughing inwardly.
“Ahem, I appreciate your support in place of Leipold… … I need some money to take care of an urgent matter right now.”
Jiselle nodded.
“If there is something urgent that the finance minister would say… … it would probably be a debt issue.”
“That’s right. I think paying off the debt is the most urgent task. In the end, the debt of the estate will have to be borne by the Archduke who will inherit Ferdium. The debt of the family is the Archduke’s debt, and isn’t the Archduke’s money the family’s money?”
Albert said with a gentle smile.
Jiselle declared with a look of bewilderment on her face, as if asking what was going on.
“No.”
“yes?”
“My money is my money.”
Where did this guy get his scam from?
Albert’s expression distorted for a moment at Giselle’s attitude that cut like a knife.
‘Wow, I’ve never seen this kid like this before. He’s really a money ghost. He’s a money ghost.’
Albert also grumbled inwardly, but couldn’t show it and just smiled awkwardly again.
“Ahem, regardless of whose money it is, doesn’t it make sense for the Grand Duke to pretend not to know when the territory is in trouble? Honestly, if you just pay off the debt, the territory’s finances will improve in no time. This is all for the sake of the territory.”
It was the first time that Giselle realized that Albert was such a man with such a variety of facial expressions.
He’s a person who usually always has a cold expression on his face.
It was amazing to see his face change from smiling to contorting from moment to moment.
Giselle, who had been watching Albert’s face without really listening to what he was saying and thinking about something else, belatedly tilted her head.
“But, I don’t have any money?”
When he heard that, Albert’s face crumpled, just like Randolph had.
He spoke each word slowly, as if trying to control his surging anger.
“Why don’t you have money…?”
“I told the Knight Commander, but I’ve already decided where to use it. So I don’t have it.”
Albert clung to the incomprehensible words as if pleading.
“Where on earth are you going to spend that much money? If you’re going to spend that much money, shouldn’t you at least consult with us?”
“No, I’m spending my own money, so why do you need to discuss it? I’ll take care of it, so you don’t have to worry about it.”
“How can you not care about that!”
Albert screamed, but Giselle blurted it out, as she was starting to get tired of dealing with the two of them.
“You don’t have to worry, since I’m using it for the spirit world.”
Of course, the two of them did not believe that at all.
Thinking about Jiselle’s record, it was obvious that she would just talk big and squander the money on her own entertainment expenses.
I couldn’t afford to waste that much money on something useless.
The two protested urgently.
“No, what on earth is more urgent than paying off a debt to the estate? Don’t you feel bad about the money going to interest?”
“What are you talking about? Taking care of the Knights is more important than debt. Look at the other territories. Even if they go into debt, they keep the Knights in top condition. Aren’t the Knights the strength of the territory? Strength!”
“Oh, that’s ignorant talk! If only the interest wasn’t paid, that money could be used for countless other things. What kind of knightly order is that!”
“No, this guy just keeps fiddling with money in the corner of his room every day, so he’s lost his sense of reality. Izany, whatever, if you don’t have the strength to fight, everything will just get wasted, right? If you have the strength, no one can say anything if you don’t pay back the money.”
“Tsk tsk, is that a robbery or a knight? There is an order to everything in the world.”
“The order is Knights and Troops first!”
At some point, the two of them started fighting with each other, raising their voices instead of talking to Jiselle.
Since it seemed like they wouldn’t be able to get the money from Giselle, they ended up taking their anger out on each other.
“What are you going to do? Let’s just pay off the debt first! Our territory has no credit!”
“If you do the Knights first, I’ll stop the debt collectors. There’s no business before the sword!”
“… … .”
I don’t understand why we use other people’s money to decide who gets what.
As Giselle sighed and tried to force it away, a knight came.
“Your Highness, the Lord is looking for you urgently.”
“Oh, really? Then I should go right away.”
As I was about to leave after hearing the good news, Albert and Randolph tried to follow me.
Then the knight said with a stern expression.
“The Archduke was told to come alone.”
At the stern lord’s command, the two people could not follow and only shouted from behind.
“I need to pay off my debt quickly, what will I do if you take me away?”
“Give me the Knights! If you don’t, I’ll interrupt you every time you spend money! I’ll destroy everything!”
Leaving the two people running around, Jiselle headed straight to her father’s office.
Honestly, I thought if we stayed any longer, all three of us would turn around and leave.
The knights guarding the front of the office slowly opened the door when Giselle arrived.
Squeak.
It’s cold. A gloomy feeling flies and stabs my chest.
The room was filled with tension, as if on the eve of a storm.
Zwalter was looking out the window with his luggage on his back.
In the ominous atmosphere, Jiselle cautiously opened her mouth.
“Did you call?”
“Yeah, are you feeling okay?”
“Yes, it doesn’t seem to have been a serious injury. He recovered faster than I thought.”
“That’s good. You’re doing a great job, so take care of yourself in the future.”
“Yes. I will keep that in mind.”
As she answered, Giselle tilted her head.
There were many times when I was injured more seriously than I am now due to accidents, but my father never spoke to me with this much concern.
Zwalter said, still looking out the window with his luggage on his back.
“The weather is nice. By the way, have you thought about how to sell the runestones and use them?”
“Yes, as I said before, I will support you with the amount that is missing from Leipold and I plan to use the rest for my own plans.”
Zwalter remained silent for a moment at Giselle’s answer, then opened his mouth again.
“Yes, I’m sure you’ll do well. I believe in your words that you’ll use it for the good of the land, no matter how you use it.”
“yes.”
“You’ve been causing a lot of trouble since you were young. You’ve also caused a lot of damage to the estate.”
“……yes.”
“No matter how many times the gods tried to imprison you, I forgave you every time. But you are my son. That is the heart of a father.”
“Yes, well… … .”
Jiselle tilted her head again. The conversation was not continuing at all.
I couldn’t tell if he called me because he was worried about my injury or because he suddenly wanted to blame me for something that happened in the past.
At that moment, he repeated what Zwalter had said.
“I believe what you said, that you will use it for the good of the spirit world, no matter what.”
“… … .”
The feeling was starting to set in. Jiselle narrowed her eyes and looked at her father.
