130 – This tithe is ours now (6)
“Ah, are you the rumored administrator of Luvern Alroy? From what I’ve heard, you’re pretty handsome.”
“As rumor has it, the deputy lord of Farneri Karahan is also tall.”
It’s just a joke that’s just a greeting. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t even a greeting. There are thorns growing in your voice, how can you say hello?
However, there was no reason for the former Imperial Knights administrator to be frightened by the intimidation of a guy who was not even a formal marquis.
I rather straightened my shoulders and spoke with a confident attitude.
“Now that the situation has come to this, I will just be straightforward. The condition remains unchanged: the immediate payment of all current debts to the Marquis of Karahan. In return, please support the establishment of a single parish.”
“…… I can’t accept it!”
The acting lord was still struggling.
I don’t know if he’s holding his head up when things have come this far.
“Are you saying you want to go all the way? It looks like you poured a lot of money into the Empire’s highest court…….”
As I spoke in a low tone, Farneri Karahan swallowed dryly. He looked like he didn’t know how he figured it out.
If I couldn’t see that much, would I be here?
“There is no reason why we cannot appease the Imperial Court.”
“Ha…… , What an arrogant figure. Okay! Anyone can pull a rope, but common sense tells you whose side you’ll be on in court? Is it a fledgling county just starting a lobby? Or is it our marquis territory that we have maintained a close relationship with?”
Now I openly admit it with no intention of hiding it.
Lilia Hebron made a shocked expression at the sight of him casually covering up something that could be considered shameful.
But since things turned out like this, it wasn’t something that could be hidden by hiding the private parts.
On the contrary, it was only natural that it would come out in the manner of slicing.
Princess, there are few people in the world who are more true to chivalry and to keep noblesse oblige than you think. The count and the princess’s father were special.
In the first place, I didn’t even expect to bow properly. If it was such a territory, I would have known that I would not be able to accept it long ago, and I would have found it and let it go.
If I had been the owner of a more broad-minded perspective, I would have strengthened my connection with the county as a condition of forgiving the debt.
But unfortunately, the acting lord in front of me was neither.
“It seems that you are misunderstanding something, Lord Farneri Karahan.”
“What? Such a reckless…… !”
Respect for the other person was that he resents the chewed-up tone, but I snorted at him and started beating him up.
“First, you are not the Marquess of the Lordship. I am definitely a provincial baron who received that title from the count. Right now, rather than me, the deputy lord is in a position to be polite to me.”
The guy who was about to shout stopped for a moment. Only then did I confirm the ‘Baron’ badge on my clothes.
Farneri Karahan’s clothes, far from being the mark of a marquis, were nothing but flashy formal wear.
Of course, as much as the lord’s agent, he deserved to be called a ‘semi-marquis’ who could use all the authority of his father, the Marquis Karahan.
That doesn’t mean he became a marquis.
If he had been given the title of baron by his father, it meant that he was still below me in terms of status.
“Second, it is often said that wealth is above justice…… There is one on the riches. Do you know what?”
The assistant lord glared at me instead of answering. He continued his speech, ignoring the hostile gaze.
“Authority.”
“What is that! Money is authority! It’s the same thing anyway!”
I tut and clicked my tongue.
So that means you can’t. Authority and wealth are intersecting, not equal.
Rather, it can be said that wealth is under authority. It’s easier than anyone else to accumulate wealth if you have authority.
Sometimes, there are things that nerds misunderstand. I mean you can do anything with money. But that is incorrect.
Unless the reality is a cyberpunk worldview in which the country is controlled by giant corporations, wealth has no choice but to kneel in front of giant power.
If you could do everything with your money, would leading chaebols like Jae-Dragon cringe after being dragged out to the office of the Director General?
They know that too.
Rather than pretending to be a huge power, it’s right to make a profit by courting them.
And what is the true meaning of great power in this world?
“Wait!? This, this…… ?”
“I didn’t want to take it out if I could, but yes, that’s right. It’s even weirder that you don’t recognize me.”
The pattern of a lion shining in gold. The figure with its mouth wide open was enough to overwhelm people even though it was just a simple sculpture.
“The emblem of the imperial family, which is the empire itself and a living statute.”
“This, this, how do you have this!”
Farneri Karajan could not hide his bewilderment. I could feel the hostility in his eyes dissipating and filling with subtle fear.
Princess Lilia Hebron’s gaze was no different. Of course. It was because the person who had this certificate was proof that the imperial family would prove their identity.
The state of victory has completely passed on to me. I put on a relaxed smile and wedged in.
“Because I have been somewhat acquainted with the Crown Prince since the great expedition.”
“I can’t… ….”
Farneri Karajan has an expression of disbelief. No, it’s not that I don’t believe it, it’s that I refuse to believe it.
In the end, it was only after I took out the crown prince’s certificate that the lord’s assistant lowered his tail.
Would you like to do that sooner?
“I don’t accept the terms… ….”
“Yes? What are you talking about? It’s a condition.”
“As long as the principal and interest are repaid immediately, I will permit the establishment of the parish in charge!”
“That is the condition from before.”
The game has already turned upside down, but where are you trying to wipe your mouth and break even?
Honestly, since I’m serving as the lord’s deputy, I’m sure I haven’t seen any malicious complaints here. After all, in my hometown, you have to lift a scythe to be called a civil petitioner.
You must have thought that you had become something and thought that power abuse would work against other territories, but now I will properly show you what power abuse really is.
No, is it Euljil because it is definitely a fight between the marquis family and the count family?
Anyway.
I unpacked the bag I had been carrying and threw the bundle of papers in front of Farneri’s eyes.
“What is this?”
“He ate quite a lot during the year he took office as acting lord. You also evaded the taxes that should have gone to the imperial family.”
Actually, there are almost no territories that don’t do tax evasion, and the center also showed an attitude that they wouldn’t touch it if it was moderate.
The problem is that usually when you evade taxes, you do other things as well.
The Marquis of Karahan was also making more profits than the existing contract in relation to the export of rock salt supplied to the center.
I don’t know exactly what the profits were made of, but if this was an honorable thing, the record would have remained.
The center wouldn’t want to lose a penny to the local lords unless it was worth it.
“When I asked an acquaintance of mine, he said that the imperial family has recently been obsessed with beating local lords. What would happen if I directly stabbed this data into such an imperial inspection department?”
Farneri Karahan’s face was now a mixture of surprise and fear.
“Uh, how…… How did you get this information!?!”
“This is a trade secret.”
I grinned at him as he lost his composure. Since ancient times, the virtue of a true administrator lies not only in the family but also in the foreign family.
The reason I was able to confidently survive even in the Imperial Black Lion Knights, where all sorts of trickery and slander were rampant, was not just because I was good at work.
I tapped the desk with my finger. The deputy lord has completely lost his will.
“Originally, I was just going to write a memorandum to cancel all debts here, but… ….”
“That, isn’t that too much…… !! At least I have to pay back the principal!!”
“Yes, well, it is true that I lent it for now. The intentions may have been impure, but it is true that they helped.”
I took out another piece of paper from my bag and held it up. It was the standard transaction document of the Snow Leopard Knights.
“Let’s just pay off the remaining principal, the three platinum coins. Right now.”
Now is not the time to hang the opponent’s lord’s head on a guillotine. If you have to retaliate severely, it will be a headache in many ways because it is a neighboring territory.
You never know.
Because with this true education as an opportunity, you might end up being disrespectful to Rupel’s manor.
“… ….”
The deputy lord of Karahan bit his lip. It’s frustrating, but you must have realized that there’s nothing you can do.
“Sure, it’s a neighboring estate, so why don’t you take good care of it? If that was the case, I would have done consulting as well.”
I said with sincere regret. Right now, our Snow Leopard Knights were diligently carrying out the dungeon management of the Hebron Territory next door.
The reason why Harald Duke of Hebron’s impression of Rupel Manor was so good could be the Luchihyeop or the Blue Cross case that was neatly resolved.
It’s probably also because we successfully completed the dungeon management we promised at the time.
It is said that the two dungeons, which had been making terrible losses for the past few months, are now in the black.
From noble mtl dot com.
“…… sh*t.”
Farneri Karahan spat out a word nervously, then stamped his seal on the transaction.
“Are you done now? Please, don’t get involved in the affairs of our territory.”
This baby, a real sh*t ride, seems to have rode the sh*t.
“Of course.”
I replied with a grin and a handshake.
“According to the will of Lord Farneri Karajan, we and the San Mariano Treasury will return immediately.”
“Wait a minute…… If only the financial institutions…… B-no, Catherine Sisela and the escort are not going together?”
“Yes? I don’t know. Please ask the saint directly. Didn’t I tell you earlier? It is purely coincidental that the saintess accompanied us.”
“This promise is different!!”
“We really don’t know? Besides, wouldn’t it be possible for an administrator of a county’s territory to urge the saintess’ intention to serve the people of the county’s territory both physically and mentally?”
I used to put my palms together facing each other.
“I sincerely hope that the protection of the light will be with the Marquis and the lord of Farneri Karahan.”
“This…… Profit…… !!”
I left Princess Lilia and the Marquess House behind, leaving the raging bastard behind.
Ah, we really don’t know.
