Chapter 5 : Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Despite Ian's sudden demand for money, the heavy atmosphere lightened considerably.
‘Of all the nerve, he’s just as I thought.’
‘I guess we can just give him a few coins and send him on his way.’
There was no cure for a mad dog, so the best course of action was to soothe him and send him away.
“I will prepare 1,000 gold right away.”
When the treasurer said with a smile, Ian looked at him as if he were absurd and asked.
“Is that all?”
At those words, the regent quickly interjected.
“This year is particularly difficult due to low tax revenue, but I will try to arrange for about 10,000 gold. Would that be acceptable?”
Even with the amount increasing tenfold in an instant, Ian, still frowning, asked the regent.
“What is the domain’s annual tax revenue?”
“It’s a little less than 200 million gold, but why do you ask……”
“And what is the biggest expense out of that?”
“Since crops don’t grow in the domain, we spend the most on purchasing food. About 100 million goes to food purchases.”
As it was always a poor domain, even 10,000 gold was not an amount that could be easily withdrawn, but Markberg intended to use the young duke’s sudden tantrum as an opportunity.
‘I should use this chance to raise taxes and make the young duke the scapegoat.’
The military, the unshakable support base of the young duke, had been an eyesore for a while.
‘Knights may bet their lives on their noble loyalty, but how many soldiers will endure when they have nothing to eat and drink?’
If he were to reduce the military funds allocated to the border soldiers by about ten million gold and feed them rice mixed with dirt, then express his deep sympathy for the soldiers' hardships and spend a little of his own money, their support would naturally turn to him.
It didn't matter if 10,000 gold wasn't enough; he would even give him 100,000 gold.
If it was an opportunity to gain loyalty that couldn't be bought with money, he had to seize it, even if it meant spitting out all the money he had earned so far.
‘Both the knights and the soldiers will curse you, thinking they are eating dirt because of you.’
However, Ian's answer far exceeded his expectations.
“100 million for food… that should be enough. Just give me 100 million gold.”
“What?!”
The treasurer shouted with a horrified face, but Ian calmly climbed back onto the desk, lay down, and said.
“Well then, I’ll take a nap until the money is ready.”
“100 million gold, absolutely not!”
Markberg shouted at Ian, who was lying down and picking his ear as if he couldn't believe it.
“100 million gold! The domain doesn't have that much money!”
Even if he were to draw his sword again and press it against his neck, he couldn't give him 100 million gold.
He had to have it to give it.
This vast domain was like a bottomless pit; the tax revenue was spent as quickly as it was collected.
Not only did they not have 100 million gold at the moment, but the money that was left was already slated to be used as a down payment for food purchases.
“Young Duke!”
Markberg wanted to beat the scoundrel lying before him, pretending not to hear, to death, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.
He could only call out to the young duke while trying to suppress his anger.
“100 million gold is a realistically impossible amount!”
“Then 50 million?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Ah, why! You can give me around 50 million.”
At the sight of the young duke throwing a ridiculous tantrum, the regent beat his chest in frustration and replied.
“Without that money, we cannot survive the winter.”
“Why?”
“Why do you ask? Of course, the food……!”
“I’ll get the food.”
Ian's confident words left him dumbfounded.
‘What on earth is this fool saying now……!’
At the words of the foolish scoundrel who didn't even know the situation of the domain, his irritation turned into fury.
Even without the -100 trustworthiness debuff, who would believe the words of a young duke who had never once stepped outside the lord's castle?
“Don't worry, I’ll take care of everything.”
At the boastful promise from Ian, who had maxed out at -100 Charm, Trustworthiness, and Likability, the regent's face crumpled, but Ian shouted with an unprecedentedly confident face.
“Right! I’ll take responsibility for everything! Don’t worry about the food and just give me 50 million gold!”
The words ‘stop talking nonsense’ rose to his throat.
Had his madness suddenly relapsed?
Markberg exercised superhuman patience and glared at the young duke, who was half-lying on the desk.
‘There’s a limit to how ignorant one can be!’
He had heard that the young duke had beaten a servant to near death, or that he had crippled a soldier for disrespecting him, but he had never imagined that he would demand the domain’s finances.
“No matter what you say, I cannot give you 50 million gold.”
The regent said with a determined expression.
If he had lain down and demanded 100,000, no, 1 million gold, he might have readily given it to him, thinking he should suffer the consequences properly.
But 50 million gold, which was 25% of the domain's annual revenue!
‘I've worked all this time for this domain to be whole, not for a ruin where all the domain's people have starved to death!’
He might have pocketed a lot of money on the side, but this was a domain he had nurtured with affection and pride, racking his brains.
He couldn't give up on it because of a scoundrel soaked in drugs and alcohol, even if it meant death.
“Young Duke, is there something you wish to do? I will help you as much as I can.”
As he saw him now lying down completely and scratching his rear, he forced down the anger that was about to erupt and asked, and Ian showed his teeth and said.
“Yeah. Money.”
A sharp, decisive answer.
‘T-t-this damn scoundrel!’
Although he had never once raised his voice while working as the lord's deputy to maintain his image, his face turned beet red at the sight of Ian, with whom reasoning was impossible.
‘This dog-like scoundrel! A wretch so worthless it would be a waste to even throw him in a cesspool to be used as fertilizer after he gets struck by lightning and dies!’
No matter how much he cursed internally, his pent-up anger wouldn't be resolved.
Receiving the gaze filled with clear hatred and disgust with a calm expression, Ian spoke.
“You know. I looked into it, and according to the kingdom's law, a regent's term is five years……”
In that instant, the regent's eyes narrowed.
“It seems it can be extended by sending a request to the royal family to extend the term. Isn’t it strange? I don’t remember sending a request for an extension.”
Slowly sitting up, Ian shrugged as if he really couldn't understand, looked around, and continued.
“Would I remember if I killed someone? I’m sure there must be a traitor among us who has used the double of the lord’s seal without permission. Or did I send it and just don’t remember?”
Ian, who raised his scabbard as if he would draw his sword at any moment, looked at Markberg and smiled.
“What does the regent think? Will I remember if I cut off the treasurer’s arm, or will my memory suddenly return if I display the administrator’s family’s heads?”
“Hic!”
“What! I would never do such a thing!”
As the terrified administrator and treasurer prostrated themselves and shouted at Ian's chilly voice, the regent muttered as if chewing on his words.
“Gold, I will prepare the gold.”
Whether the bastard had taken too much of the drug or too little, he was dangerous right now.
There was no guarantee that the young duke, who had beaten one of them like a dog in front of all the vassals, wouldn't swing his sword at someone while feigning madness.
‘I can’t touch him right now.’
He would give him the money, even if it meant spitting out his own savings, and then control him with the drug later.
Then the bastard would be cooped up in his room without even spending the money he received.
‘I’ll turn you into a half-cripple before you can even spend the money!’
Whether he knew his inner thoughts or not, Ian smiled with satisfaction.
“Good. I'll do my best to get the food. In return, if I get the food, give me the remaining 50 million gold.”
“Do not worry. If you can just get the food, the domain’s situation will be much better than it is now.”
What couldn't he say with words?
No crops grew in this land.
The cursed demonic beasts couldn't be eaten due to their toxicity, so in the end, the only way was to purchase from the three domains to the south.
‘I wonder how happy those bastards, who raised the price every year for all sorts of reasons, will be when they see the young duke.’
It was a windfall for them, so the price of food would double, no, triple, and food mixed half with wheat and half with sand would enter the domain.
Of course, if the young duke really headed to another domain to get food, he was prepared to risk his life to stop him.
“Well then, keep up the good work!”
At his figure waving his hand as if to tease them, Markberg and the vassals trembled with rage.
***
Having walked confidently out of the conference hall, I barely managed to calm my trembling hands.
‘Hoo…….’
The scabbard, which I had swung for the first time, was much heavier than I had thought, and watching a person scream in pain was no different from mental torture.
‘It was something I had to do.’
I had to get the money somehow, and in the end, I got it, so I had achieved my goal.
Since I was prepared to cut off an arm or two if necessary, it could be called a great success that I didn't see more blood.
‘Anyway, now I have to go outside the castle…….’
I looked around and saw servants hurrying past with their heads bowed, not even making a sound as if their mouths were sealed.
A sigh naturally escaped me at the sight of them clearly trying their best to avoid me.
“Hoo…….”
“Heek!”
At the small sigh, one of the maids covered her mouth and collapsed, which gave me a headache.
‘It’s okay. I can do this.’
Even if I couldn't, I had no choice.
I couldn't give up.
First, I approached the collapsed maid to ask for directions and spoke to her.
“Excuse me……”
“Hic! I’m sorry! I was wrong!”
Even though I hadn't said anything yet, the maid trembled as if she had committed a deadly sin, prostrated herself, and begged for forgiveness.
‘Ha…….’
What fault could the maid have, who had only been startled and collapsed while walking?
‘Let’s just think of it as a debuff that comes with the ‘Scoundrel’ title.’
When likability went beyond 0 and hit around -100, even a person could look like a demon.
“It’s alright. Raise your head.”
“Please, please forgive me just this once. I was wrong.”
After trying to calm myself, I called out to the maid, but she was busy begging for forgiveness with tears welling in her eyes.
“Sob, if I get kicked out of here, sob, there’s nothing I can do. Please, please forgive me just this once, Young Duke.”
I looked with a frustrated face at the maid who was now clinging to my leg and begging, wondering what on earth she was thinking.
‘I’ll just think of it as the price for the freedom to swing my scabbard as I please.’
I could see other servants scurrying away, probably thinking the young duke was throwing another fit.
“Haa… you were just startled by me, what fault is there in that? Just guide me to the castle gate.”
“What? Yes! Yes! I will guide you.”
As if surprised by Ian's unexpectedly gentle voice, the maid quickly got up and began to guide me.
When I asked for her name in the middle, she burst into tears and prostrated herself to beg for forgiveness again, but I forced her up, and after many twists and turns, we finally arrived at the castle gate.
“Thank you, Lina.”
When I expressed my gratitude with the name I had struggled to find out, the girl, her face pale as a sheet, shook her head in horror.
“Oh no, not at all. You can forget my humble name.”
At her appearance, as if she were begging with all her heart, a bitter laugh escaped me, and I nodded my head as if to say I understood.
“If you go this way, you can exit the lord’s castle.”
“Alright, you’ve worked hard.”
* * *
On the way back after guiding the Young Duke.
Lina, a new maid at the lord’s castle, was so unsettled by Ian's chilling eyes and voice from just a moment ago that she had to stop and rest several times on a path that took less than 10 minutes to walk.