This Money is Now Mine (2)
'I've never tried to do anything special up until now.'
I'd never taken the initiative on anything, but I'd always faithfully fulfilled my role from my position.
'When I was young, I was just an ordinary young master.'
Before turning twenty, before the kingdom fell—as the heir to a count's family.
'Even after becoming an adult, all I did was manage the count's household as a count.'
After turning twenty, after the empire conquered the kingdom—as a count.
'I just did everything Father told me to.'
Whether as a child or an adult, I'd always followed my father's orders.
'I did try all sorts of things as a count, but I never truly committed to any of it.'
I'd gained various experiences in that position and even managed the territory in my own way as a count.
'All I know is management, so what can I do for her?'
How could I make use of that experience? How should I apply it? How could I repay Naria for everything?
'What should I do?'
And so, what was it I wanted to achieve?
'For Princess Naria, what is my role?'
As a starting point to answer that question, I laid down one firm premise.
'This country is hopeless.'
The Nostrum Kingdom had to fall.
'The rot has spread throughout the entire kingdom.'
This nation was riddled with corruption. The nobles, the merchants, even the common peasants.
'Just look at the king. He's a madman who touches the margrave's wife because of some past love.'
Even at the pinnacle, Saint Geo Nostrum was nothing but an incompetent king.
The kingdom could only stabilize after carving out all of that. Or perhaps overturning the whole thing entirely.
'But I can't just hand the kingdom over to the empire.'
The emperor of the empire was insane.
'Hand the kingdom to the empire? Princess Naria would surely be murdered.'
The moment they occupied the kingdom, they'd enslave the people and toy with them cruelly. They'd kill the royals, reduce the nobles to slaves after ruining them, and leave the commoners to live in fear as colonial subjects for life.
'They'd use them like rags until they were worn out, then discard them without mercy once new ones appeared.'
Just like how they'd discarded the Gibraltar count's family after they contributed greatly to the empire's domination of the kingdom.
'Then, should I just sit idly by?'
Let things continue as they were? The future would repeat itself.
'Live righteously? Drive out Father and uphold the honor of the Gibraltar count?'
Become the shield protecting the empire as the Gibraltar count?
'It's possible, but what would be the point?'
History would repeat. The kingdom and nobles would take Gibraltar's sacrifices for granted, with no glory or reward.
'I'd earn her recognition, but that's it. Even any compensation would be blocked by those around her.'
Ah. She might be fine, but those around her would interfere.
If I thought about what I could do for a bright future.
'Filth requires disinfection.'
How to make the country shine wasn't my role.
'I don't know proper politics.'
I didn't know much about that anyway, and I'd never even pondered it. I'd lived nearly thirty years—rounded up—without a thought, so agonizing over it now would be pointless.
Instead.
'I can clear away the unclean things.'
I could wipe away the dirt anytime.
So, at this moment, the most unclean things that came to mind were—the incompetent king. The nobles. The emperor of the empire.
It would be ideal to eliminate all three at once, but that was impossible for now. So, I just needed to proceed step by step, building stairs upward.
Someday, when Princess Naria held her coronation, at least ensure no sycophants stood by her side. If I became the focal point for the flatterers and we were all purged together?
'It's not a perfect plan.'
There was no such thing as perfect.
'But at least I could wipe out as many as possible.'
If I left only what Naria could handle, I could take the rest with me.
'Trash knows trash best.'
Like maggots drawn to filthy water, those blocking Naria's path would gather at her antithesis—me.
So.
'Gather the traitors in one place and throw a party.'
Based on what I did best, consolidate all the trash under me.
'If we all drank poisoned wine there and died together, that wouldn't be bad either.'
For that, I needed to become a thorough traitor. A scum who sold out his country.
Anything else, I didn't know. But that? That was what I was best at.
"Has Father ever wasted the budget up until now?"
"......."
"Of course not. Yes, naturally. Father has always been more 'Gibraltar' than anyone."
Father quietly listened to my voice.
"Consider Father's public image. Incorruptible. That one word defines the Gibraltar margrave."
"Ahem."
Father embarrassedly fiddled with his chin. Who would believe that face was late thirties? Unfortunately, the incompetent king and Mother were the same.
"If such an incorruptible man suddenly committed corruption and crimes, the kingdom would surely find it suspicious."
"......."
"That's why your son steps forward. Just as Father asked of me."
"No, I didn't mean to that extent—"
"We must do it thoroughly."
Father denied it, but I knew his true feelings.
"I'll take on all the filth. As I said, Father can just be the margrave with a wastrel son, fretting over his child's upbringing."
"......."
"No one will suspect Father. I'll draw all the attention, so Father just needs to clean up after my messes and play the good father. To my siblings."
".......It feels like I'm burdening you with too much. I'm sorry."
"You mustn't apologize."
There was no reason for it.
"In the end, I'm doing this for my own comfort."
"......."
"It seems I'm not Gibraltar enough to live as a good, honest pushover."
"Hahaha!"
Father burst into hearty laughter.
"Right, so Gibraltar are pushovers, you say?"
"Am I wrong?"
"No, you're right. Crude expression, but historically—yes, generation after generation, utter fools. Loyal patriots to a fault."
Harsh words for a study with ancestors watching, but Father didn't retract them.
"...The ancestors will understand. How could I stay still when my wife was toyed with by the king?"
Was it my imagination? The stern portraits of the ancestors facing forward seemed to nod heavily.
'Maybe even I empathize.'
His beloved woman toyed with by another man. Regardless of the truth, based on 'the facts as Father perceived them,' his rage was justified.
"So, how should Gibraltar stop being pushovers? Now, let's get to the main point."
Father opened one of the locked drawers and pulled out stacks of parchment onto the desk.
"Documents on the Gibraltar Gates."
"......."
In truth, I already knew them all. Data from ten years ahead, even the ones I'd written myself.
"Where to start? The origins of the gates?"
"It's fine. I'll review the details myself. For now... just the 'cloud bridge' should suffice."
"Hmm, really?"
Father seemed slightly disappointed. As a Gibraltar, he'd probably hoped to regale me with history.
'Save that for Noir or Letar, the younger siblings.'
The gates' origins? One. Gibraltar's founder was a mage. Two. He was close friends with the first king and vowed his descendants would be the kingdom's shield. Three. In exchange, the kingdom pledged unwavering support for Gibraltar.
Father wanted to expound on the founders of both houses, but what interested me was the third.
"The kingdom has a duty to provide sufficient support for the gates' maintenance and repair."
"That is...."
"Yes. Customary law from an ancient pact. It effectively vanished by my great-grandfather's generation."
The current ladders and cloud bridge were built long after the gorge.
"Before great-grandfather, the margrave inspected personally, opening the gates for maintenance each time."
"Yes. At least two of the three gates had to be opened and checked every time."
"Great-grandfather built a 50-meter ladder, allowing workers to climb up and down."
"Yes. Essentially semi-permanent...."
"Meaning, reinforcing the facilities back then posed no issue."
"......."
Father stroked his chin again, tilting his head.
"Remove the ladders and install new ones? Or add another beside them?"
"Rather than ladders... yes, that would work. The kingdom needs an understandable purpose."
If we were building anyway, something convenient for 'her' would be best. So that when Princess Naria came here someday, she could easily view the 50-meter walls.
"Let's make an elevator."
A device to go up and down automatically was the answer.
"An elevator.... I know of them, but building one would require...."
"Yes. More budget than simple maintenance. It won't pass easily. So, I ask one permission."
At least in this moment, I had to stake my neck.
"Use Mother."
"......What did you say?"
The study's temperature dropped coldly. Blood son or not, he didn't withdraw the killing intent that flashed.
"What did you just say?"
"You must use Mother now. I'm only ten years old, and that's the only way to extract massive funds from the king."
"......You."
"I'll convince Mother."
"......."
Father furrowed his brows. I could see the loving husband and the resolved traitor clashing within.
"Use Charlotte to wring budget from that bastard? Hiss...."
But the loving husband's nature still dominated, so Father couldn't suppress his displeasure and killing intent.
"And this is also for Father's sake."
"For me?"
"Yes."
Use anything usable.
"If woven well, you could reunite with Mother."
"!!"
After returning from the palace. To now, the Gibraltar count and his wife lived in separate rooms.
"......."
"A child can comfort Mother temporarily, but only one can soothe her every night—"
"Me, alone."
Permission granted.
On the 'how,' Father kept raising doubts, but I didn't reveal the method in detail.
Why?
"Are you threatening me right now...?"
"Yes."
I hadn't come to soothe and persuade Mother—I'd come to blackmail her with her weakness.
"Father's rebellion is confirmed. As the eldest son, I must do my utmost behind the scenes to ensure its success."
"You...."
"Mother. Even if we rebel, we're not killing His Majesty the King."
"!!"
I struck at Mother's greatest worry.
"This is a kind of coup. Depose King Saint Geo Nostrum and enthrone another—a change of regime."
"Change of... regime?"
"Yes. Father isn't rebelling against Nostrum—he's rebelling against Saint Geo Nostrum."
"......."
"It leads to the extreme conclusion of allying with the empire, but I understand. Even Mother is against rebellion now—how many of the count's soldiers would truly follow?"
A rebellion without justification lacked a greater cause. And currently, we had only half-baked emotional justification.
"Soon, a proposal centered on Father for gorge reorganization and new civil engineering will be drafted. Mother, just write one letter to the king under that proposal."
"A letter...."
"'It hasn't been discovered. But we don't know, so don't provoke Father for a while.'"
"!!"
Mother's hands trembled faintly, but I placed my hand on my chest and replied.
"I'll deliver Mother's letter myself. That should do it, right?"
"......."
"Ah. Of course, seal it. I'll just be the naive eldest son innocently delivering Mother's letter to His Majesty on her orders."
Even if there was a secret letter, I would never have opened it.
"I can't cheer you on, but I can help that much. Heh heh heh."
"...Are you really my son...?"
"Of course."
That's why I'm going easy.
"If I were a bastard son, I'd have reported Mother long ago to claim the legitimate heir's seat."