Chapter 163
Chapter 163
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 163
Chapter Title: Even a Treacherous Subject Has Their Uses
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And at the same moment, Beonald was still at the mansion, wrestling with mountains of paperwork, frantically busy deciding on the location for his future territory and even the design of his mansion.
On top of that, there were piles of work: basic territory management, the issue of resupplying the food he had given half of to lift the forbidden zone, mass production and improvement of the Magical Armor wine, and more. Those who saw it or brought him work were pale with shock, but Beonald paid no mind, handling tasks with terrifying speed and precision.
"Truly... you are amazing, Lord Beonald. I, I am also an academy graduate, but... this level is impossible for me..."
"I am indeed quite capable. By the way, can't we redirect those nutrition-less meeting requests from merchants to the Valderian territory? How many times must I say that every part of a hunted monster—the materials, magic stones, even the fecal waste inside—all have their uses?"
"But still, a meeting request is... a request. Ah, right! Speaking of which, a man named Deren has arrived."
"Ah, that fellow is different. Let him in."
Merchant connections were still necessary, and Deren was the only one with whom Beonald had built mutual trust. So, not long ago, Beonald had sent him a letter asking him to come here.
Since a populous capital and economic connectivity were important anyway, Beonald needed Deren.
"Long time no see, Lord Beonald. By the way, that position suits you incredibly well, doesn't it?"
"Forget the flattery. Anyway, the reason I called you is because I want you to establish a branch of your merchant company in the Valderian territory."
"A company branch, you say?"
"Yes. I plan to expand the roads between the capital and the Valderian territory, closely linking the two cities. Ultimately, we can't ignore the economic scale generated by the capital's population."
The Valderian territory was a large territory with a considerable population, but still, nowhere matched the capital.
Therefore, to grow the economic scale, they needed to connect the roads to the capital to facilitate buying and selling goods.
So, the first step was to link a merchant company branch operating in the capital to create a pretext for connecting the roads through trade.
"Of course, I'll give you the carrot too. I'll grant you exclusive trade rights for leftover magic stones, hides, and some of the potions I produce. For starters... well, three ogres were hunted today, so I'll make Strength Enhancement Potions and Stamina Potions from them for delivery. The quantity will likely be around 500. Production will begin as soon as the glass bottles arrive, with delivery by next spring. The delivery price... how about one-third of the current market price circulating in the capital?"
"That's too cheap. Strength Enhancement Potions made from ogre blood usually go for about 15 gold coins, but if it's made by Lord Beonald, it would be high quality, worth at least 20 gold coins... Even at half price, if I handle bulk transportation, the shipping costs become cheaper... Two-thirds would be sufficient."
"It's bait anyway. And isn't it better to earn more? The important thing is to show the capital's merchants that you've made a huge profit from trade in the Valderian territory. Then, naturally, more merchants will stop by here."
"Well, that's good for me."
"Anyway, I'll ensure you make enough profit to maintain the branch. Keep trading between the capital and the Valderian territory. That's all."
Since it was a profitable deal with no reason to refuse, Deren withdrew, and Beonald immersed himself in work again.
Although it was tough now because he had to handle all tasks himself, once the economic scale grew and people were gradually placed in necessary administrative positions—like borrowing residents from neighboring territories—he would have much more breathing room, so he resolved to push a little harder.
'Anyway, the two primary tasks are: creating my territory and... opening a path to the sea!'
The sea. A treasure trove of life, enabling food production through fishing, coastal transportation, obtaining salt, brine, and guano, among other combined benefits. He absolutely had to obtain the 'sea'.
That's why Beonald was urging Young Master Haidi and Kedron even more fervently to exterminate the monsters in the western forest.
"Mmm~ Finally finished. Now, I should eat and go make the Magical Armor wine."
Thump thump!
Having finished his paperwork, Beonald stretched and headed to the dining room for dinner.
It was the time when all members of his household, who had been working separately all day, gathered. No matter how busy, Beonald had decided they should meet to see each other's faces.
In the dining room, everyone was already seated: Sain, Haidi, Selina, Besia, and even Young Master Kedron, who had arrived before him.
"Thank you for your hard work hunting ogres, Young Master."
"It's all thanks to your creation, the Magical Armor wine. As I get used to it, it's becoming more comfortable to use. Plus, the improved explosive spear for hunting large monsters you gave me is great too! Piercing the neck and detonating it makes them drop in one hit! Hahaha!"
"Now that defense and the ability to use large weapons are secured, it's time to increase firepower. Anyway, what are your plans for tomorrow?"
"Return to my territory to meet Uncle Oswald and have talks with other families. I need to check if there are any groups jealous or displeased with you."
"Hmm, at this point, they likely aren't too displeased. We're paying the usage fees for the residents, after all. Hahaha."
Since it was a small village lacking population, he was gathering people from neighboring territories under the pretext of 'borrowing' residents for construction and various projects, paying them compensation. To quell any noble discontent, he was also paying usage fees for the residents.
Moreover, in undeveloped territories with limited options besides agriculture, sending people to work in Beonald's territory allowed nobles to earn more tax revenue from the money made there, so they eagerly sent all but minimal manpower to Haidi's territory.
As for how Beonald's finances were holding up: there was the payment from the Valderian Earldom for Magical Armor wine production, money received from Prime Minister Neumel, war rewards, and he also sold some items to the Valderian Earldom to raise funds.
Additionally, since Beonald had invested in many of the buildings currently constituting the city, the rent collected from them was quite decent, so operations weren't a major issue.
"Well, nobles from other territories have no reason to dislike getting richer while having their cake and eating it too. And since that money ultimately has to be spent in the city or capital, it can be recovered anyway. Haha."
"I didn't think you'd consider it that far."
"So, the current situation is fine. The problem will arise when people start wanting to settle down. For example~ What if a male resident from Noble A's territory and a female resident from Noble B's territory fall in love, marry, and want to settle? If a child is born then, which noble's would it be?"
"Huh... Umm... Then..."
"No need to think too hard, Young Master. The answer is: it belongs to the strongest one."
Sometimes, there's a simple and fast method called the supremacy of violence, over difficult and complex legal governance logic.
Ultimately, Beonald was essentially planning to absorb the territories and residents of the nobles under this Valderian territory and unify them.
However, this was a rather dangerous theory, as it could be seen as a provocation against the Valderian family and territory.
"...That sounds truly dangerous."
"It is dangerous. But isn't that what nobility is all about? Guarding against each other, sometimes joining hands, sometimes betraying. That's the normal daily life, Young Master. As the family heir, keep that even more in mind."
"Phew~ How shameless yet unavoidably convincing. Forming blood ties... should I actually consider it? Hahaha."
"Thinking about anything is good."
After finishing the meal with such laughable and serious conversations, interacting with everyone, Beonald began his evening routine inside the mansion.
This research lab in the mansion's basement, separate from the office, was a place he had specially designed with extra care when building the new mansion. It featured triple-locking mechanisms to prevent exposure of various technologies and know-how.
"By the way... Aren't you tired, Lord Beonald? You're not some iron man; you've worked all day and now you're working again in the evening... Haven't you gone months without proper rest?"
"And you, Besia, haven't you been at the construction site for months? Plus, doing design work like this in the evenings. Hmm... How about adding a stable here? The space looks very suitable..."
"Isn't that close to where Alterio sleeps?"
"Ah, right. Mmm... Then I should move another warehouse here."
By now, Besia was someone Beonald could talk to comfortably, to the point of forgetting she was once a princess, and simultaneously an indispensable presence.
Of course, Haidi handling hunting, Sain assisting with administrative work and supporting him, and Selina helping with ritual work were all essential, but Besia was completely irreplaceable.
'Martial prowess with Aura, level of knowledge, construction skills, architecture, and even learning design steadily... I never thought I'd become this reluctant to let her go. Troublesome.'
"Is something wrong?"
"No, nothing. Continue with the design. The work... I think I can trust you with this much. I'll go check the alchemy facility."
Beonald's main businesses were located in additional facilities built to the east, west, and north of the mansion (excluding the south) for easy control and security.
A monster dismantling facility to the east, a meat processing facility to the north, and a factory based on alchemy equipment to the west. These three separate facilities allowed him to move between them, immediately responding to and managing any issues that arose.
'Busy. Let's see... After the alchemy facility is done, I need to make a new Magical Armor wine frame in the personal workshop...'
"...Hup!"
'An ambush?'
While deep in thought about work progress, a black silhouette suddenly leaped out from the corridor and lunged at Beonald.
He had prepared sufficiently for intruders entering the mansion, but startled by the sudden appearance, Beonald panicked momentarily. Fortunately, his body moved before his mind, deflecting the assailant's hand and quickly stepping back.
"Whoa! Who are you?"
"...Tch!"
"Daring to intrude into my mansion, you've got some nerve."
Checking the intruder's appearance, it was clearly suspicious: completely wrapped in pitch-black clothing, face tightly covered with black cloth.
Being suspicious, the intruder remained silent even after Beonald's words, only their eyes wavering and shaking.
"Seeing you clearly don't want to reveal who you are, talking seems useless."
"......"
"But I can't just let you go, so be prepared. I'll capture you alive and interrogate you thoroughly."
He drew the sword he always carried at his waist, just in case of the worst situations, and aimed it.
Seeing this, the suspicious intruder seemed troubled, but as if resigned, they also drew their sword and aimed at Beonald.
'...It's been a while since I moved my body.'
Having had no chance to use his sword lately, Beonald saw this as a good opportunity. He glared at the suspicious intruder, deliberately taking a slightly clumsy stance to create an opening, enticing them to come in.
As always, the Neumel family's way was not to win solely through martial arts but to plan victory before fighting. He intended to set an obvious trap, then draw up his Aura and subdue them instantly.
'Come on, give it a try.'
"Playing tricks..."
'What?'
Bang!
The moment he heard the muttered whisper, the air suddenly exploded with a sound, and Beonald felt his body being flung back, floating through the air.
And the suspicious intruder had drawn up their Aura and closed the distance to right in front of him in an instant.
Startled, Beonald also drew up his Aura and swung his sword to counter, but unable to properly set his stance, he was sent flying again, tumbling through the mansion interior.
"Kuh! Damn it! What the...! Huh?"
He quickly got up, reset his stance, and aimed his sword, but the intruder's figure had long since vanished.
"No way, was I... this powerless? Ha, well... they say it takes ten days to regain one day of lost skill..."
Greatly shocked at having his obvious trap seen through and getting hit by a mere intruder, Beonald reflected on how he had neglected 'sword training' while busy with administration and internal affairs. Resolving to reinstate 'sword training' into his daily routine starting tomorrow, and thinking the intruder might still be around, he started running to declare an emergency within the mansion.
"Intruder! A suspicious person has appeared!"
"Call all defensive troops within the territory, blockade the city entrance, and apprehend all suspicious individuals!"
"Search!"
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Bells signaling the emergency rang, lights brightly lit up throughout the mansion, and the sounds of soldiers busily running around searching for the intruder could be heard.
However, the one who had intruded into the mansion had long since escaped. Moving with speed enough to blur even shadows, leaping over building roofs, they fled, entering an inn window where Emperor Geraldo Calem was waiting.
"Oh... You've returned? Sir Legion."
"My apologies, Your Majesty. I have failed."
The one who had intruded into the mansion removed the black cloth covering his face and bowed respectfully. Surprisingly, it was Sir Legion, Captain of the Calem Imperial Royal Knight Order.
Acting on the Emperor's orders to gather information on Beonald and uncover the identity of the woman who looked exactly like his daughter, he had infiltrated the mansion. Unfortunately, his timing was terrible, running right into Beonald immediately upon entry.
"Huh, I didn't think... you would fail."
One might wonder why the Royal Knight Captain would do such a thing, but the Royal Knight Order formally had a department called 'Intelligence,' and to become Captain, one must be proficient in all departments' duties and skills. Thus, he had also worked in 'Intelligence,' possessing both technique and ability.
Especially since they hadn't thought such espionage would be needed during this Emperor's secret journey, they hadn't brought Intelligence personnel, forcing Sir Legion to act personally.
"Entering the mansion interior was easily successful. But the moment I entered, Beonald of all people appeared..."
"Is that so... Was it just bad luck?"
"I am truly ashamed, Your Majesty."
"Not at all, Sir Legion. I know your loyalty and skill better than anyone. It's fine. We'll just have to think of another plan."
Geraldo Calem comforted the ashamed Sir Legion while contemplating what to do next.
The other side would now be on maximum alert due to this incident, making it nearly impossible to infiltrate Sir Legion again for a while. So, they either had to think of another plan or give up here and return to the capital.