Chapter 82
Chapter 82
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: Blueport Trade Hub Plan Launch (4)
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I pointed to the map depicting the Northern Alliance and spoke.
"His late Majesty's predecessor unified the Northern Alliance, but His Majesty's royal authority is still weaker than that of the Emperor of Romania, who rules through consultations and compromises with his seven electors. From the intelligence we've gathered through trade, the dukes under His Majesty act as if they are kings of their own domains. And a few years ago, the Duke of Helsinki even raised a rebellion against His Majesty."
Upon hearing this, the king wore a grave expression as if he wanted to strike me down right then and there, but soon sighed as he looked at me and said,
"Indeed. By rights, the Duke of Helsinki's territory should have all become my direct domain... but with my royal authority still weak, I had to distribute it among the nobles who had done nothing noteworthy."
"I find that regrettable. However, if Your Majesty accepts my proposal for balls and cultural events, such concessions will become far less necessary."
To draw the king's full attention, I paused for a moment and continued.
"Nobles live by dignity and grace, yet they already struggle with military expenses and domain management costs, leaving no room for refined culture. We, on the other hand, will supply Italica, Romania, Franch, and Elrain cultures exclusively to Your Majesty through Blueport. In doing so, Your Majesty could become the creditor to nobles who import culture excessively."
In truth, many think nobles have little to do with debt, but that's only possible for someone like me who directly sells resources like sugar and salt, along with various specialties.
Nobles generally can't cover their expenses with grain taxes from their domains alone, so they end up indebted to merchants.
Lords pretend to be dignified and put on airs, but most suffer under debts two to three times their income, plagued by exorbitant interest.
To exaggerate slightly, the interest alone can equal several months or half a year's worth from their domain.
Layer on the massive expenditures needed to maintain noble dignity—and the resulting debts—and even a grand ducal house would struggle to endure.
That's why there's that famous saying in the scriptures.
"The borrower is slave to the lender."
"Your Majesty, bind the nobles with debt now. And at the same time, impose the minimum luxury and culture they must uphold through the Northern Alliance's most splendid banquets and balls... Imagine the outcome."
Hearing this, the king—no, the emperor-in-waiting aspiring to emperorship—grinned wickedly and said,
"Yes, nobles drowning in debt tremble at the mere sight of a large merchant guild's agent come to collect interest. But if I, the king of this allied nation, saddle them with debt..."
"Indeed. In exchange for debt forgiveness, Your Majesty would hold an overwhelming advantage in seizing places like the Duchy of Helsinki. No, becoming their absolute monarch isn't impossible. Just look at me—Siel von Kroitel, barely 24, wielding absolute power as Count of Nant and Helsman."
"The thought of wielding that power sends a thrill through me. But from your expression, this seems like just the beginning. You didn't pull out the map just to explain Northern politics, did you?"
I replied with feigned exasperation, playing the fool.
"Yes, Your Majesty. This is merely the start. First, host the ball to chain the nobles with debt, then drive them to war. Victory alone will elevate you to the unified throne of emperor your predecessor so desired. And the stage for that war will be..."
The king said in a playful tone,
"I think you and I are on the same page. Shall we say it together?"
And so, we both opened our mouths in unison.
"Holy Roman Empire"
"Holy Roman Empire"
"As expected, great minds think alike. Indeed, you must have proposed to the Duke of Brussels that, in exchange for Elrain's protection, he check Romania and Franch. So, between the two, we strike the easier target... Romania seems softer than Franch, doesn't it?"
"Yes. And Romania's emperor, thanks to me, wants to humble Maxburg, which monopolizes sugar supply to Romania and Franch via Hamburg. If we target only the Duke of Maxburg, he'll turn a blind eye to some extent."
"Then what do you aim to gain?"
I'd love Hamburg if possible, but seizing it would invite pressure from Romania on the right, the Duke of Brussels on the left, and Franch below.
The current County of Kroitel lacks the capacity to handle all three at once.
So now's the time to shelve Hamburg temporarily.
"Hamburg would be ideal, but it risks a pincer attack from Romania and Franch. Thus, in this war, we claim nothing."
"You forgo Hamburg? Then I have no reason to trust you."
As the king finished speaking, he placed a white knight piece on the northernmost barony of Mainz in Maxburg and said,
"Elrain is in civil war after their emperor's death, and Romania and Franch eye our County of Kroitel covetously. To deter them, we must first rout Maxburg's main force. Once they taste defeat, they won't attack unless we strike first—they'll stay defensive. Then we only need to check Franch going forward, right?"
"I see. So next, you plan to hit Franch?"
Honestly, pushing into Franch isn't bad, but it's not optimal.
Because the moment we advance into Franch, Romania's other electors and Franch's counts will eye my prosperous domain...
Forcing another grueling battle.
Thus, the best course is, as I've discussed with the man before me, to solidify our bases and immediately strike Maxburg again once ready.
"Once Your Majesty establishes a base in Mainz and marches with a great army, we'll respond from the opposite direction. That way, we'll secure at least one county."
"Even when I test you, you don't bite. True, I worried you might abandon the somewhat barren Romania for Franch's fertile lands."
"Honoring my oath to Your Majesty outweighs gaining a fertile county. How could I, as an Elrain count, betray that?"
"Slippery as an eel. Very well, when do you envision the war?"
Since I've publicly sworn to stay in Blueport, there'll be no suspicion during that period...
And even after leaving, I can buy time under the pretext of army reorganization—roughly one to one and a half years.
Plus, Northern Alliance forces can't cross in winter when the sea freezes.
"One year from now, Your Majesty and I strike Maxburg together. You take the Barony of Mainz; I'll draw the attention of Maxburg's forces in Romania."
"And we discuss the rest later... A solid plan. So, what pledge do you offer to earn my trust?"
Typically, such alliances involve the younger taking the elder's daughter as wife or concubine.
But this alliance must stay secret for at least a year, so no public marriage or betrothal...
Thus, land or gold it is.
Ceding Northern land signals I can't protect my territory as a count—fatal for me, newly titled.
Offering gold, meanwhile, puts me at their mercy; they'll demand exorbitant sums.
So I pondered a way to give nothing while pretending to help—and a brilliant idea struck.
"With no wife yet, I'd love one of Your Majesty's princesses... but as this alliance must remain hidden for a year minimum, marriage is impossible."
The king nodded.
"Ceding land risks my vassals seeing it as abandoning their protection—lords must defend their own soil. So in the end, it seems gold is the only option."
The king smiled, clearly pleased with my words.
"Haha, no need to strain yourself just after claiming your county. Your sincerity matters more than marriage alliances or land cessions. Yes, speak."
Now, I reeled in the bait I'd laid out.
"Truth be told, the figures I showed Your Majesty cover only production costs plus transport. Naturally, adding labor, profits, and such drives the price higher. Roughly 3,000—no, 3,200 gold coins."
The king, grasping my intent, smiled faintly and replied,
"3,200 coins... A fortune. Yet as emperor of the empire, I must host on an even grander scale... And my dukes, marquises, and counts, as members of a major Europan power like the Allied Kingdom, must match your level—considerable expense."
"Precisely. To ease Your Majesty's future expenditures, I offer to supply at cost, forfeiting all profit."
"At cost? Then for other nobles..."
"Of course, far pricier than tonight's banquet. Ice cream used five silver coins per batch here. From them, at least eight silver or one gold. Actually, since distant ones source most ingredients locally, just the cream costs... six silver."
"My, my... Quite the lavish treat we received."
Wearing a smile more fiendish than Shylock's, I said,
"Naturally, from Your Majesty, just one or two silver for cream—that's cost. And when merchants sell soda, orchestras, attire, etc., to the nobles, Your Majesty stands to profit threefold on each purchase..."
"Triple the profit, pile on debt, collect interest... Not bad at all."
"Shall I pay in gold instead?"
"This is better. Is that all?"
I handed the king a contract summarizing our discussion and said,
"That's it. Just affix your seal."
"Done. Is the banquet over now?"
"It should be wrapping up. And Your Majesty, the finest liquor from the North..."
"I'll send some when you leave."
Thus, I sealed an alliance to destroy Maxburg while pretending to curry favor with the Northern Alliance—supplying soda and culture at triple margins indefinitely.
He seems to grasp the margins on soda and culture to some degree, but since he profits even more than my inflated price, he'll feign ignorance.
As expected of a king ruling a nation—worlds apart from Schwein.
Schwein would've gouged twentyfold.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ On the way back, hoping to glimpse the banquet's finale after seeing off Count Kroitel, my steward Magdrof—loyal for decades—approached and asked,
"Your Majesty, did you conclude matters well with Count Kroitel?"
"Ah, Magdrof. I didn't extract as much profit as hoped. I thought he'd panic with fire at his feet, but he devised a way to satisfy me without losing a thing."
"Is that so?"
"I never imagined he'd exploit the nobles' inferiority to central powers by spreading lavish culture they can't access, then share supply rights and profits with me. Giving it away 'graciously' to airs-putting nobles, only to hook them later... A true Shylock."
Magdrof chuckled and said,
"Your Highness always favored Italica's Shylock merchant most. The epitome of a true sovereign, wagering life for not an inch lost. Pleased that much?"
"Indeed. With him... sending that child wouldn't be amiss."
"The daughter of Lady Michaela, whom Your Majesty truly loved."
"Both tomboys—they'd suit well."
And finally, I observed the nobles at the banquet.
Do they know the poison in this pleasure? Some probably do already.
Yet all indulged in Kroitel's delights and splendor, living only for the moment.
Oblivious to the price.