Chapter 79
Chapter 79
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: Blueport Trade Hub Plan Launch (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The people of Europa define the Northern Alliance like this.
A land of extremes where the sea itself freezes over due to the bitter cold winds blowing from the north all year round—a barren place inhabited by plunderers who worship savage traditions and crude serfs, devoid of any culture.
However, from my investigations back when I was in Kroitel, it wasn't as if the entire Northern Alliance was dominated by harsh, freezing cold.
On the contrary, some areas were so bountiful and expansive with their plains that even serfs could enjoy meat once a month, and there were places where your breath didn't turn white even in winter.
Instead, because they were far removed from advanced nations like our Elrain, Franch, Romania, and Italica, which boast splendid cultures, their ways seemed barbaric from a noble's perspective.
That was why I was convinced that introducing 'Elrain' culture and new things to them would be a massive hit, and I headed to the Northern Alliance's imperial capital, Nartsel.
And the moment I arrived and stepped off the ship, a noble's voice filled with joyful anticipation rang out—he had clearly been waiting for me.
"Are you Lord Siel von Kroitel? I am Court Baron Nikolai Sheryevnosky. His Excellency the Foreign Minister has instructed me to attend to you well."
Back when I was just a baron, even if I'd come here, forget the Foreign Minister—no knight under some court viscount's orders would have shown up...
Now that my status has risen, even abroad, a court baron comes to serve me... What a novel feeling.
"I am Siel von Kroitel, the legitimate lord of the County of Kroitel. I look forward to working with you, Baron."
"The honor is mine. This way, please. His Excellency the Foreign Minister has prepared accommodations for you. If there's anything you'd like..."
Though he says "anything you'd like," he's no doubt thinking we'll have to pay back more than we receive if we accept.
Falling for that would make me a fool, but refusing outright would insult their honor...
"I'm actually here with a girl named Ella. Please bring some delicious food that she and I would enjoy."
Hearing that, the baron's face briefly twisted—not looking too pleased, as if he feared he couldn't fulfill the Foreign Minister's orders exactly.
"We'll serve borscht and shashlik. Since you'll be dining with a lady, we'll grill the shashlik extra mildly."
"Thank you, Baron."
And then, I handed the baron something and whispered,
"Baron, please read this letter carefully and pass it on to a high-ranking member of your faction. I'm sure they'll find its contents quite satisfactory."
The baron let out a heavy sigh that made his deliberately long mustache quiver before replying.
"The honor is mine, Your Excellency."
"Good. Please hurry—I'm quite fatigued."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
After the journey ended, Ella and I woke around noon—no, closer to afternoon.
We freshened up our hair and clothes, then entered the dining hall prepared for us.
Inside, the floor, ceiling, and walls were clad in marble as white as snow, and the pillars supporting the ceiling bore delicate engravings of the Northern Alliance's symbol: a black eagle clutching its prey in gold.
The table where Ella and I sat was a luxurious slab of jet-black marble, and the various dishes bore intricate gold patterns.
Atop it sat precious Northern Alliance delicacies like borscht and shashlik.
Ella, uncomfortable just being in such a lavish place—let alone eating—glanced around in mild panic.
To calm her, I called out softly.
"Ella, relax."
Hearing me, she stopped trembling and focused.
"You've always said you wanted to be helpful to me since you were little, right?"
"Yes, Master... I really want to be helpful to you."
She looked so cute saying that, I absentmindedly stroked her hair and whispered in her ear.
"You're always helpful to me, Ella. I'm always grateful. But today, I need your help. Can you do that?"
"Yes, Master."
"Good. Then, Ella, ignore the people around us and just eat with the same grace and dignity as when you dined with your father. If you do that, it'll be a huge help to me."
At my words, Ella beamed, nodded, and said,
"But tonight, I can look forward to something, right?"
Her sly smile was a bit intimidating, but to achieve my goal, I nodded and replied.
"Of course."
Then I clapped my hands, summoning the conductor, musicians, and painters I'd brought.
The painters set up their canvases and art supplies nearby, while the conductor directed the placement of the instruments.
At his command, Northern Alliance laborers carried the instruments in as if they were sacred relics.
About thirty minutes later, the grand performance began with the slender strains of a violin.
Ella and I dined with uncharacteristic grace amid the music.
We ladled the borscht into our bowls with tiny spoons and sliced the oversized portions before us into bite-sized pieces with our knives, eating with mouths slightly parted.
Cute as she was, Ella nibbling borscht with her tiny mouth open looked just like a squirrel stuffed with acorns.
Even for the shashlik, she used a small knife to scrape the meat from the bone, diced it finely, and popped it in.
As our meal was nearly finished, I said to the steward standing beside me,
"Bring ice cream, meringue cookies, and marshmallows."
"Yes, sir."
I nudged Ella's foot, signaling she no longer needed to maintain the poise.
Soon, the steward arrived with opulent dishes of ice cream, meringue cookies, and marshmallows.
The pristine white ice cream, pink, yellow, and white meringue cookies, and fluffy white marshmallows arranged neatly were truly beautiful.
Ella and I started with the marshmallows, then the colorful meringue cookies.
Unlike usual, they'd been loaded with extra sugar, and it worked wonders—Ella munched away with a face of pure bliss.
We shared the ice cream next, and its flavor was astonishing.
Made with the freshest milk, eggs, and heaps of sugar, it melted completely in the mouth with a texture so divine it felt like sweetness flooding straight to the brain.
Especially for Ella, who had loved sweets since childhood...
Her lips quivered up and down as she grinned like the sun itself.
The painters scribbled furiously with their pencils, desperate to capture every moment.
Finishing our meal, I stroked Ella's cheek and said,
"You did great, Ella. You're the best."
Her cheeks flushed red as apples at my words.
And with that, to await my evening guest, I retired separately for the night.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Lounging on the lavish bed, staring blankly at the ceiling to pass the time.
A voice called from beyond the door.
"Your Excellency, His Excellency the Foreign Minister has arrived."
I'd expected some mid-level Foreign Ministry official for business first, not the Foreign Minister himself so soon...
"Tell him to enter."
No sooner had I spoken than the Foreign Minister opened the door and stepped in.
A sixties man with a Santa-like long beard, clad in a black fur-trimmed robe with long sleeves—I was momentarily stunned.
But suppressing my reaction, I bowed and said,
"Siel von Kroitel, Count with legitimate claim to Kroitel, greets His Excellency the Foreign Minister, eagle clutching its prey."
The Santa-esque Foreign Minister smiled like a kindly uncle and replied,
"I am the Foreign Minister of the Northern Alliance and legitimate lord of the County of Rollsroy, Alekseyev Rollsroy. Though I'm an imperial minister, our ranks are equal, so speak freely."
"While our titles match, Your Excellency serves as a minister of state. How could I be so presumptuous? Besides, I've come not merely as Count of Kroitel, but to sell my territory's goods and culture to the Empire."
The Foreign Minister stroked his chin beard thoughtfully and spoke leisurely.
"Very well, then. But selling not just goods, but culture? What do you mean by that?"
"As I said, Your Excellency. We will bring the refined cultures of Spania, Italica, Romania, Elrain, and Franch to the Alliance's imperial court. Use that culture to bolster the court's dignity."
The Foreign Minister's eyes widened as he asked,
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly as I said. A court's dignity can be shown through military might, economy, and diplomacy, but true dignity inspires voluntary loyalty from the heart. The best way to achieve that is culture."
In truth, culture wields power beyond imagination at times.
A prime example—though not widely known—is the Philippines.
They endured centuries as a Spanish colony, brutally exploited.
Yet unlike Korea, they harbor no national grudge against Spain; they even erect monuments to their independence hero Lapu-Lapu and vanguard invader Magellan side by side, viewing them favorably.
What made that possible wasn't gentle rule or economic development—it was purely Catholicism, a culture that won their hearts.
Such cultural power would be irresistible to the Allied Kingdom, a loose confederation with weak imperial authority.
The Foreign Minister, looking somewhat convinced, asked me,
"Not entirely wrong, but it's lacking."
I never expected him to be sold with just this—"Whoa! Advanced culture! That's awesome!!"
Piquing his curiosity even slightly was already a huge win.
So, to persuade him further, I opened with a proposal.
"We'll cover the costs, so just provide the venue, servants, and chefs. I'll personally demonstrate results that will convince you—or even His Imperial Majesty."