Gerard Millers' Tribulations (4)
025 Gerard Millers' Tribulations (4)
2022.05.27.
A few days later, as Russell was handling territory affairs in the grand hall, one of the knights approached and whispered in his ear.
‘Viscount! A merchant named Gerard Millers has come. He says he has something to relay regarding the loan.’
“Just as the young master predicted. Krout, you escort him.”
“Aren’t you coming along?”
Russell shook his head.
“The young master’s abilities are already more than sufficient to lead the territory. There’s no need for this old man to step forward foolishly and undermine his authority. Guarding his back steadfastly is enough for me.”
“……Understood, Master.”
Shortly after, Krout entered the reception room with Calix under Russell’s orders, but he couldn’t hide his incredulous expression.
Gerard was lounging arrogantly on the reception room sofa.
Even worse, he stared openly as Calix entered the room but didn’t bother standing.
“A pleasure to see you again, Young Master.”
“You’ve grown quite bold in the time since we last met.”
Calix’s sharp rebuke drew only a casual shrug from Gerard, who showed no fear whatsoever.
“I heard you’d been away from the territory for a while.”
“Well, I wandered the mountains and rivers, honing my skills.”
“I see. You look much healthier now.”
“Enough with the empty pleasantries. You didn’t come here just to chat, did you? My patience is wearing thin with your insolence. You’d better get to the point.”
“Very well. I won’t beat around the bush. The formal seizure proceedings will begin shortly.”
“Ho…. Isn’t there still some time until the repayment date you notified us of before?”
“We assess that Szczecin County has zero chance of repaying 60,000 gold. Thus, we intend to start sealing all assets of collateral value.”
“Hmm. And if we refuse?”
“We’ll appoint a mediator and request surveillance to prevent any flight.”
“How dare you!”
Krout’s hand flew to his weapon, but Gerard swiftly raised both hands with a mocking sneer.
“Tsk tsk! Violence isn’t the answer. My ‘judgment’ carries significant weight in fund recovery decisions…… threats like this will only make things worse for you.”
Calix let out a scoffing chuckle.
He had a pretty good idea of Gerard’s intentions.
“Hmm. If your ‘judgment’ is so crucial, then perhaps delaying repayment for appropriate reasons could be arranged?”
“Hahaha! Sharp as ever. Show a bit of ‘sincerity,’ and the ‘situation’ might shift in your favor.”
He was brazenly demanding a bribe.
Of course, contrary to Gerard’s expectations, Calix had more than enough to repay the debt.
Yet something held his hand back from simply paying it off.
Even in this straightforward scenario where he could pull the bonds from his inventory and hurl them at Gerard’s face to end it.
If I just repay it like this, it feels like I’d be the one losing out……
No concrete evidence, but the gamer’s honed intuition couldn’t be ignored.
What is it? What’s nagging at me like this?
As Calix suddenly played it cool, Gerard’s eyes darted wildly.
It hardly looked like the demeanor of someone cornered by debt.
Come to think of it, this guy’s a loan shark.
Only then did the source of his unease click.
Vicious usurers rarely pressed until delinquency.
Some even ghosted if you tried to pay early.
They waited for interest to balloon, then bled you dry.
Illegal on Earth, but this was the law-of-the-jungle Eren Continent.
Weak opponents got devoured routinely.
But this one’s hounding repayment before the due date…. Desperate for cash? Cash? Cash!
Calix realized it.
Why Gerard had no choice but to act this way.
Heh, so he knows his slush fund got raided. Faster than I figured.
Still, it stayed within expected bounds.
Plan A: Claim ancestral vault yielded the funds with great difficulty, hand over bonds, dust hands clean.
But if I play it right, maybe I can stiff him entirely. Heh heh.
Truth be told, coughing up cash he hadn’t even borrowed himself stung.
With default practically waving in his face, the temptation was irresistible.
“Ahem! We scraped the money together somehow. No need for ‘sincerity.’ Sorry to disappoint.”
“You……? You’ve got the money?”
“Why the shock? Good news, no?”
“You’ve truly prepared 60,000 gold?”
Gerard repeated himself incredulously.
Calix, as if waiting, slammed a thick sheaf of golden paper onto the table with a thud!
“Bearer bonds issued by the Royal Merchant Guild. Verify them.”
He finished with a haughty downward glance, mirroring Gerard’s earlier posture.
Biting his lip, Gerard drew a magic scroll from his bosom.
To authenticate the bonds.
Ripping it triggered a burst of blue light that etched intricate runes in the air.
Undeniable proof of authenticity.
60,000 gold for real……! Where the hell did he get that kind of sum? Wait……
A thought flashed through Gerard’s mind.
If I snatch these and bolt……? No heavy coins—royal bonds. Easy to dodge enforcers, and enough to live large abroad!
Gerard fought to keep his surging greed from his face.
Then Calix spoke in a sly undertone.
“By the way. I came across something interesting. Care to see?”
Too thrilled to register the words, Gerard barely acknowledged him.
In the midst of that indifference, Calix produced another item.
Clang!
“Gasp!”
The sudden metallic chime drew Gerard’s involuntary gaze downward, where he sucked in a sharp breath.
A silver ingot, refined into a perfect rectangular prism—what folks called a silver bar—gleamed on the table.
An ordinary one wouldn’t faze him.
The issue: the engraved pattern.
Identical to those in his slush fund stash.
“Want to inspect? Thirty-two per crate, across 420 crates.”
Gerard’s face contorted.
Those numbers—32 and 420—screamed that Calix knew he was the secret vault thief.
The real problem: why reveal it now?
It was tantamount to asking, “Mind if I tip off the viscount?”
Gerard was flabbergasted.
Being strong-armed by the very thief he’d robbed himself.
More galling still: it was devilishly effective.
His vision swam; his head reeled.
Did he sniff out my plan to pocket the repayment and flee? No way! Impossible! But this insight…… Is this even human?
The county had borrowed a fortune from Millers Merchant Guild.
Public secret it was Servio Viscount’s front, but the legal lender was Gerard.
Meaning a receipt from him cleared the debt.
Calix scooped up the bonds and tucked them away, saying,
“My demand’s simple. As of today, I’ve repaid you 60,000 gold. Clear?”
“Why…… why would I swallow such nonsense?”
“You know why…… Or to spell it out: I’ll spread word you fled with Servio Viscount’s slush fund.”
“Who’d believe……!”
Gerard trailed off, silenced by Calix casually tapping the ingot.
“I’ve got the slush fund already. You can’t prove otherwise. Two paths: Admit the theft quietly and face disposal, or backstab the viscount and run.”
Gerard gnashed his teeth.
Calix wasn’t wrong—options were slim.
But a cornered rat bites even a cat.
He had one final card.
“Truly impressive. Insight like that, plus the precision to corner me flawlessly. Rumors really are just hot air.”
“Accepting?”
“Heh, no can do. I’ll hit the black market, dump the promissory note dirt cheap. Shame, but I’ll recoup a tenth.”
Ha, slippery bastard!
Calix admired inwardly.
To conjure that counter on the fly, even pinned down—prime talent, almost a shame to waste.
But keeping a backstabber close? No thanks.
Talents aplenty if I look—good, hardworking sorts.
Crucially, it was pure bluff.
“Hahahahaha!”
Calix’s mad laughter cut off abruptly as he fixed Gerard with a razor glare.
“Black market my ass. What do you think’s stopping me from lopping your head off, snatching that promissory note from your bosom, and torching it?”
Gerard barely restrained a hand to his chest, grinding his teeth.
“Kill me, you get nothing. Assets pass straight to Servio Viscount. Burning the note’s pointless—he’s got the notarized copy.”
“Kekeke. Know what that means? You’re just the viscount’s slave. Nothing to brag about.”
Calix’s taunt flushed Gerard crimson.
“And hawking it on the black market? Go ahead. Whether you hand the cash to the viscount or bolt with it…… you burn that bridge either way.”
Gerard fell silent.
Every word rang true.
Still, fury made him shake his head stubbornly.
“Won’t do it. Die either way? I’ll take you down too.”
Fully cornered. Time to crack the door open?
“No need. I’m magnanimous—let’s make a deal that helps us both. Interested?”
Like spotting distant light in an endless tunnel.
Gerard’s head jerked up.
“H-how? Help me survive and escape?”
“Exactly. Rare opportunity. Your call?”