Chapter 91: Unfilial Son (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 91: Unfilial Son (1)
Prince Ellen, deceived by the lie that his comrades had betrayed him, gave up all resistance and returned meekly to the kingdom.
He looked utterly dejected, as if he had lost all hope in life, but—
“Welcome back.”
“M-Mother?”
The moment we arrived, the sight of the Queen waiting for him forced him to bolt upright.
“Adam?!”
He then turned a gaze filled with even more resentment toward me than he had back at the Academy, but—
“Be quiet.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
He was instantly suppressed by the Queen.
“You all did a wonderful job.”
After commending me and the other agents, she dragged Prince Ellen off to the 'Room of Truth.'
Then, as if he had been waiting for the right moment, the Captain appeared.
“You’re on vacation.”
He granted us post-mission leave.
“Except for you.”
Except for me.
“What about my vacation?”
“Go after you finish your work.”
I protested, but the Captain simply let out a deep sigh and spoke.
“Is there work to do even back in the kingdom?”
“Yeah. We’ve handled most of the fallout from what happened over there, but given the nature of the incident, we need your testimony. Plus, you brought some stuff back from the Empire, didn't you?”
“The booze?”
“That was a gift. Not that. The potions and things.”
“The booze wasn't free either…”
“Why, you little—!”
When I cracked a light joke after our long time apart, the Captain responded with a 'light' swat to my back.
“……”
The problem was that a Sword Master’s idea of a 'light' swat was a bit much to handle.
“So, what did you buy?”
“Pirdone wine.”
“The Pirdone from the Empire?”
“Yes.”
“Even the Royal Family has trouble getting their hands on that. How did you manage…?”
“I just asked Daisy, and she made it happen.”
To be precise, I got it through Hedrick Ilias—one of the RoFan male lead candidates who is still suffering from the aftermath of the Founding Day Festival.
“…Is this the power of the Saintess’s lover?”
“I told you, it’s a fake relationship.”
“I heard you extended it by a year.”
“I had no choice because of the Magic Sword.”
“I saw the report… Is it really that good?”
“With that sword, if I fought Prince Ellen ten times, I’d win all ten.”
“That’s insane…”
“Can’t the Royal Family develop something like that?”
“Even if we could, why would we give it to an instructor? We’d hand it to the military and go conquer the world.”
“Fair point.”
It was the personal blade of the Demon King, the presumed final boss of this world. If one could be fully armed with such gear, world conquest wouldn't just be a dream.
“You can have the gift later. So, where should I go? The Ministry of Finance?”
“No. Higher than that.”
I followed the Captain’s directions.
I looked at the nameplate in front of me and thought:
—Finance Minister Isaac Clinsman.
“…Did I fleece them too hard?”
I felt like I’d worked hard enough to earn it, though. I felt a bit wronged.
Finance Minister Isaac Clinsman.
Despite being over sixty, his roaring shouts that echoed through the Ministry of Finance were considered a local attraction of the Leon Royal Family.
He was so foul-mouthed and hot-tempered that he’d even butt heads with the King if necessary. Yet, no one could stop him.
Because without him, the kingdom would stumble.
As expected of the Leon Kingdom, which was traditionally a martial faction, children here tended to pick up swords rather than pens.
Not only that, but while not as much as mages, civil servants often felt a subtle sense of being looked down upon. Among the commoners, it was naturally accepted that if you wanted to succeed, you picked up a sword.
However, since ancient times, the military has been a money-eating hippo.
And knights were super-sized hippos that consumed dozens of times more resources than a regular soldier.
In short, a Kingdom of Knights meant a kingdom that spent a hell of a lot of money.
Their rival, Dale, was the same in this regard, but at least they had research results to show for it. In Leon, the only thing left was labor.
Of course, they used that labor to subjugate monsters in dangerous areas like the Demonic Realm and sell the materials, or they received payment by sending expeditions to other nations upon request.
Ultimately, what mattered was how that earned income was spent.
In that sense, Isaac Clinsman was one of the most talented Finance Ministers in Leon’s history. At the very least, since he took charge of the Ministry, Leon had never seen a deficit.
“And you are threatening that record.”
That very Finance Minister was currently sighing deeply.
Seeing him press his fingers against his eyes in exhaustion, I spoke up cautiously.
“I believe I’m working as much as I’m being paid, though.”
“I’m staying quiet because I know that.”
I was actually a little touched. Even the cold-blooded Finance Minister acknowledged my hard work!
“So, let’s shave the price down a bit.”
My touched sentiment vanished in an instant.
Dammit, I thought it was a compliment, but it was a negotiation tactic.
I quickly snapped out of it and shook my head with a cold expression.
“That is the lowest possible price.”
I wasn't lying. It would take some time, but if I put these up for auction in the Empire, I could get at least 140% of the price I quoted the Royal Family, even after auction fees.
“……”
Isaac Clinsman seemed to know this as well, as he stared at me in silence.
And then.
“Since you’re at it, shave off just a little more.”
“……Pardon?”
He moved past negotiation and straight into throwing a tantrum.
“To be honest, the budget is on the brink.”
“Why don't you take some from other departments?”
“I’ve already taken everything I can. No matter who I am, if I touch any more, the ministers from the other departments will storm in here.”
Was this the weight of responsibility?
If the Captain had said it, it would have felt like a joke, but coming from the Finance Minister, it felt like he was carrying all the world’s burdens on his shoulders.
“Those damn bastards think money grows on trees if you just dig into the ground…”
The weight of the sincerity mixed into his occasional grumbles was an added bonus.
“Still, I can’t do it.”
“Dammit.”
Even so, business was business.
“Think about it. First, I set the price of the potions based on top-tier ones. These are potions made by the Saintess. In terms of performance alone, they’re above top-tier! And if you factor in the 'Saintess Premium,' there’s no telling how much they’d go for!”
“Who doesn’t know that? The problem is we can’t exactly sell potions made by the Saintess on the black market!”
“That’s why I’m selling them to you for cheap to be used as royal reserves.”
“It’s still too expensive. We’re buying thirteen bottles. Can’t you throw in one or two as a bonus?”
“…Then will you pay full price for the elixirs?”
“Didn’t you grow up eating elixirs provided by the Royal Family? So, in the spirit of a donation…”
“……”
“I’ll give you the maximum possible tax break.”
“……”
I take it back.
Iron-blooded Finance Minister my foot. This man was just another member of Leon’s upper management, exactly like the Captain.
“So, I reached a rough agreement and finished up.”
After finishing my business at the Ministry of Finance, I went to find the Captain to report and get my vacation.
“Seems you’ve lived a good life.”
“Pardon?”
A sudden compliment flew my way.
“…I’m not donating the elixirs.”
“Who said anything about that?”
“The Finance Minister did.”
“That man’s been singing about the budget being tight all year. It must really be in danger.”
The Captain explained the reason for his compliment.
“That Finance Minister doesn’t treat people like that if they have skeletons in their closet.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. But it’s surprisingly hard to stay completely clean…”
“Did you get caught too, Captain?”
“I’ve got nothing. But apparently, my younger brother’s wife’s family used my name for something.”
It wasn't like they committed some major crime; they just borrowed his name for their business. But the fact that the Finance Minister used that to exert subtle pressure was why nobles hated dealing with him.
“In other words, since you and your family are clean, there’s nothing he can do except throw a tantrum.”
“Well, the people in my family do hate bothersome things.”
When taxes came, they paid exactly what was asked without trying to lower them. When an official document came from the Royal Family, they just processed it as instructed.
From the outside, it looked like an honorable family that strictly followed principles. From the inside, it was more like a family that just did exactly what they were told because they couldn't be bothered to do anything else.
But surprisingly—
“That alone puts your family in the top 1% of the kingdom.”
In the dirty and petty world of high society, that alone made them an exemplary noble house.
“That’s why there’s no progress.”
“But there’s no regression either, is there?”
“It’s a good thing my ancestors did well and we’re a Count’s family. If we were some rural Baron’s house, we would’ve gone bankrupt by now.”
It was only because they were a family with history and tradition; if they were mediocre, their behavior would have seen them picked clean by other nobles long ago.
“Even if you were from the countryside, they’d still have you.”
“I appreciate the cold assessment, but if that were the case, it would’ve been hard for me to be scouted by the Royal Family.”
“This kid, bragging about his own face… Well, true, if you weren't from House Smith, it would’ve been hard to find you. In that sense.”
The Captain tossed two envelopes onto the desk. One was my vacation paperwork, and the other was…
“A wedding invitation?”
I tilted my head and opened the envelope. The name inside was Adyl Smith.
“Is my brother getting married?”
It was the name of the eldest son, the one who would inherit our house.
To be honest.
I was something of a son the family had half-given up on.
But that wasn't in a negative sense. It was more that they trusted me to do well on my own, so they allowed me to live freely.
In fact, before I became a Royal Instructor.
When I first learned the sword, my brothers didn't show any jealousy or envy toward my talent. Instead, they showered me with endless praise and encouragement!
They were the kind of people who even shed tears of joy and hugged me when I said I’d learn the sword diligently to help them.
That was why, upon meeting my brother after so long, I spoke with a voice full of hurt.
“To suddenly announce you’re getting married… I’m disappointed.”
“……”
“I hear you met my sister-in-law five years ago and promised to marry her three years ago… and you’re only introducing her now…”
“Brother…”
“I know I’m a son who half-left the family, but this is too much—”
“You little piece of—!”
“Brother! Hold back!”
“Don’t stop me!”
“He’s a knight of the Royal Family! You’ll lose if you fight him! You can’t have your face ruined before the wedding!”
“You—!”
As my eldest brother tried to lung at me while my second brother held him back, I bowed my head to my parents, who looked much older than I remembered.
“It has been a long time.”
“Yes, it certainly has. You unfilial brat.”
“It’s been exactly seven years and four months.”
…Wait. The atmosphere is completely different from the family in my memories.
“But why is my eldest brother acting like that?”
“He’s been sending you letters for years, but it seems you never looked at them.”
My father replied with an expression that said, If I could speak in swear words through my face, this is what it would look like.
“That can’t be… The Royal Family handles all my mail.”
That was impossible. Even this time, the Captain had personally handed it to me.
“What kind of madman sends personal mail to the Royal Palace? We sent them to your mansion.”
My mother replied with a smile that mirrored my father’s expression.
“No letters arrived at my mansion, though…”
“I thought that was strange too. So I checked.”
“It turns out they were sent to your previous mansion. I wonder how much money our unfilial son has made to own a grand estate in the capital that even our family doesn't have.”
“Still, hearing that our son had made it big, we sent letters to your current mansion.”
“But since you still didn't check them, we thought you wouldn't even show up for the eldest son’s wedding. So we went out of our minds and sent a letter through the Royal direct line.”
Hahaha.
Hohoho.
Seeing my parents laughing with their mouths but not their eyes, and my second brother still struggling to hold back the eldest, I finally realized.
I wasn't a son they had half-given up on. I had just ghosted them and run away on my own.