Episode 51 I Don’t Have Any Money? (2)
Zwalter continued to stare out the window with a solemn and serious expression, seemingly unwilling to make eye contact with his son.
Zwalter coughed and opened his mouth again.
“The weather is nice.”
“yes.”
“The weather is really nice.”
“Yes, that’s really good.”
Jiselle now shook off her serious mood and answered calmly.
An awkward silence began to flow in the room.
Zwalter, who had been staring out the window, suddenly started talking to himself.
“One side of the northern fortress has been broken for quite some time now, and it is said that it will cost about 5,000 gold to repair it. … … No, that’s enough. I’m talking nonsense… … .”
“… … .”
When Giselle didn’t say anything, Zwalter sighed and closed his eyes.
“Oh, where am I going to get 5,000 gold in this situation? I have to go out to fight the barbarians soon. Tsk tsk, it’s all my fault. It’s my fault. I didn’t know there would be this little money in the territory.”
Jiselle looked at her father with a bewildered expression.
Although they aren’t asking for money as openly as Albert and Randolph, it’s obvious to anyone that they’re protesting for money.
Suddenly, I remembered what my mother said to me when I was little.
― Your father worries a lot, so he just suffers alone every day. He can’t talk honestly about money in particular. It’s a man’s pride or something. He keeps beating around the bush, so when your mother pretends not to know, your father gets upset and sulks alone. Isn’t that funny?
‘Wow, I couldn’t believe it. It was true?’
While Giselle was speechless in shock, Zwalter bit his lips and grumbled to himself.
‘No, since I told you this much, can’t you just nudge me a little? That’s exactly like your mom. How come you only resemble that?’
Still, the countess would mysteriously find money and put it in without anyone knowing.
Zwalter continued to mutter to himself as he recalled old memories.
“Uh… … It would be nice if someone would donate something to the spirit world… … . Something like a development fund, you know.”
“… … .”
It seems that liking development funds runs in the family.
Jiselle pondered for a moment over what to do.
I thought he would just keep sighing and holding on until he got the money.
‘Well, I guess it’s okay to use a little bit of the northern fortress. I was planning to expand it anyway.’
I plan to conquer the North in the future, but until then, my father must continue to take charge.
I was thinking of providing some support, but I thought it would be okay to just hand over the maintenance costs.
“If you sell the runestone this time, I will send you 5,000 gold first.”
As I blurted it out, Zwalter flinched for a moment and then shook his head.
“No. Didn’t you say you had plans? There’s no need to postpone your plans just because of ‘important matters for the spirit world.’”
“No. It’s okay, I just wanted to support you first.”
“I’m fine too. The Northern Fortress has held up well so far… … .”
“I don’t think it’s okay.”
“Ahem, I said it’s okay.”
“Oh, I’ll just give it to you. Some.”
“… … Is that so?”
Zwalter nodded and looked out the window again.
If you make a fuss about it and say it’s good, you’ll lose face, so you just pretend it’s not true and keep quiet.
“Yes, if you really want to give that much, I won’t stop you. Thanks to you, I’ll be able to renovate the northern fortress after a long time. Thank you. Hehehe.”
“Well then, I’m busy so I’ll go out.”
“Oh, right. You can’t keep a busy person around. Go and do your work. You won’t go far.”
Zwalter felt very happy. He was also secretly proud that he had raised his son well.
‘From now on, I’ll just ask for it confidently. You’re surprisingly good at giving it to me. Oh my, you look like your mom.’
Leaving her father behind and looking pleased, Jiselle left the office and let out a deep sigh.
“Phew, this is even more tiring.”
Dealing with people is more tiring than fighting in the Demon Forest.
Even if I just sit still, I feel like all my mana is being sucked out.
“I have to start the next task right away.”
If you stay in the territory, you will be tormented endlessly, so it is better to move quickly.
* * *
Homer, the governor of the territory, was behaving a little differently from the other vassals.
‘Haha, do you think I’ve only seen the Archduke for a day or two? I’m definitely not the kind of guy who’d give you money just because you asked.’
Although Jiselle said she would use it for the spirit world, no one knows how she will use it.
Homer, who had experienced all sorts of hardships in the difficult realm, had no intention of believing such empty words.
I was thinking of somehow getting the money and running it myself.
‘No matter how much I think about it, there aren’t many places where the Archduke can spend money.’
Even if you raise your troops, runestones are not something that costs a few pennies. If you gather and train soldiers to the size of a territory, you will have a lot of money left over.
Moreover, since they haven’t even recruited troops yet, they’re only paying the hiring costs of the mercenaries and laborers who participated in the development.
If you happen to indulge in pleasure and blow a lot of money, there is no greater loss than that.
In fact, it wasn’t just Jiselle who didn’t believe it.
“I have to get as many hits as I can before Albert and Randolph get to me.”
The two people will obviously try to write first in the places they consider important.
It’s not that their opinions are wrong, they’re just important.
But unlike them, who only thought about their own tasks, Homer, who was in charge of the territory, had so many important things to do.
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In addition to stockpiling food, repairing the walls, recruiting soldiers, paying overdue wages, providing relief to the people of the fief, paying off debts owed to merchants, securing horses and equipment, repairing the fortress, and repairing and establishing additional public facilities within the fief… … .
There were just too many places in this estate where money could go.
Since I couldn’t tackle them all at once, I had to tackle them one by one, starting with the most urgent part.
In that case, it would be best for you to roll the money yourself, as you can see the entire territory.
“Haha, if it’s hard to destroy the target, start by destroying the area around the target. That’s the basics of military strategy.”
Instead of asking Giselle directly, Homer went straight to Belinda.
She has been taking care of Giselle and acting as his tutor since he was young.
Even the most self-willed of archducers would not be able to refuse her request outright.
Homer inwardly praised himself, saying that this was the essence of politics.
“Oh, Belinda. How are you feeling?”
“Oh my, what brings you here, Baron?”
Belinda was surprised to receive an unexpected guest.
Ever since Giselle became a troublemaker, Homer has been treating her like she doesn’t exist.
Who would have thought that someone like that would come to her first?
“Hmm, I heard you weren’t feeling well so I came to see how you were doing.”
“Oh, it’s a lot better now.”
“That’s fortunate. You must serve the Grand Duke well, so always take care of yourself.”
Although he treated her like she didn’t exist, Belinda didn’t particularly resent or hate Homer.
Because I thought it was worth it.
At the height of his troubles, Jiselle was such a mess that no one in the realm liked him.
Since she also served as a tutor, everyone thought that Giselle’s misbehavior was her fault for teaching her poorly.
As the atmosphere became more relaxed with exchanges of greetings, Homer quietly took something out and put it in Belinda’s hand.
“Ahem, this… … It’s nothing special, but take it.”
“What the… … Oh my!”
What Homer offered was a rose-shaped brooch made of gold and jewels.
She briefly examined the brooch and exclaimed in surprise when she saw the small engraved logo.
“Is this by any chance ‘Charnel’?”
“Oh, Belinda has quite the eye. Charnel is right. Hehehe.”
Belinda looked at the brooch with suspicious eyes.
‘Charnel’ is one of the most famous craftsmen in the entire continent.
In poor Perdium, it is an expensive item that is difficult to even see.
“Is this real?”
“Well then, it’s true. I have some dignity, of course I should carry around a fake.”
“But why are you doing this to me… … .”
Belinda spoke with a look of bewilderment, her eyes sparkling.
Homer said with a meaningful smile.
“I have a favor to ask… … .”
Belinda hesitated at the word “please,” but nodded anyway.
“Haven’t you earned a lot of money this time? You said you were using it for the territory… … I thought it would be better for you to give the money to me rather than spending it yourself.”
Homer continued, waving his hand in disapproval.
“It’s not that I don’t trust you, Your Highness! Even if we spend the same amount of money, shouldn’t we spend it more efficiently? After all, I’m in charge of most of the household affairs. What do you think?”
Although he spoke at length, in a nutshell, it was a request for money.
Belinda thought about it for a while and then shook her head.
She held out the brooch to Homer with a sad expression.
“I’m sorry. Please take this back. I can’t ask you to do something like that. You should use your own money as you see fit.”
“Ahem, how could it not work? It’s for the sake of the territory anyway. All you have to do is help me out a little.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t do that.”
No matter how many times Homer tried to persuade her, Belinda just kept saying that she couldn’t do it.
Homer tried to take the brooch back, thinking that he had no choice but to ask Elena.
But the brooch never fell out of Belinda’s hand.
Homer was embarrassed and pulled on the brooch again.
‘Huh? Why isn’t this coming off?’
Belinda looked regretful.
“I can’t grant your request, so I guess it would be best for you to take it back… … .”
I was holding it out for him to take, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get it out.
‘Eeeeek! Isn’t this crazy?’
Homer looked closely and saw a faint blue light surrounding the brooch.
Belinda was holding on, even emitting mana.
‘Wow, I’m going crazy. I have to give this to Miss Elena and ask her for a favor. Look at her clenching her teeth and sweating.’
Homer thought about shouting at him, but soon changed his mind.
Other wounded people lay beside Belinda, and maids were moving around busily.
It would be a waste of face to fight over taking a brooch from a sick person.
‘Now I know why the Archduke grew up like that!’
If the tutor was like this, there was no way the student would be okay.
Homer gave up and turned away. He decided to try to steal it back later when he had the chance, and left for the time being.
Belinda asked him curiously, leaning against his back.
“Sir, aren’t you going to take this?”
Who stopped me from taking it? Homer just turned his head and glared at Belinda.
“You and the Archduke are exactly alike!”
Homer, whose anger had burst, finally blurted out a word and stomped away.
As Homer left, Belinda smiled happily, turned the brooch around, and then disappeared into the blanket.
Homer went outside and rolled his head, grumbling.
“I can’t go see the young lady right now.”
The only valuable possession he had was a brooch, but Belinda forcibly took it from him.
He also had the shame to go there empty-handed and ask for help.
Homer, who had been thinking for a long time, soon came up with a good idea and his face brightened.
“That’s right! There was a knight named Fergus!”
Fergus, like Belinda, is someone who has followed Giselle since she was a child.
Besides, he’s older than Belinda, so if he asks, Giselle will be even more resentful.
Homer decided to attack that side instead, and had his vassals harass him to get him a mandrake root.
Although it was twisted and unsightly, it was still a medicinal herb that was quite expensive.
He walked towards Fergus’s quarters, his memory groping.
“Sir Fergus! Are you here?”
As we entered the room, Fergus was sitting on the bed, reading a book.
“No, aren’t you the general? What brings you here?”
Fergus greeted him with surprise, but also welcomed him warmly.
“It’s nothing much, I just wanted to give you something that will help your health… … .”
Just as he was about to take out the mandragora root that he had been holding with great care in case even the smallest of roots fell, something caught Homer’s eye.
Next to Fergus were piles of mandragora roots and numerous nutritious foods.
Homer, who had been blinking for a while, pointed to them with trembling hands.
“What is that? Why are there so many of those precious things?”
Then Fergus smiled proudly.
“Hehehe, the young master gave me a lot before he entered the forest of demons. Would you like to give me a few too, General?”
As soon as she had money, Giselle bought a bunch of health herbs for Fergus to eat.
Homer looked back and forth between the pitiful mandragora root in his hand and the sturdy mandragora root piled next to Fergus, then his expression became gloomy.
“No, it’s fine as long as you’re okay.”
The sight of him leaving after putting the mandragora roots back in his bosom looked particularly shabby today.
