Arc-6 Ch-24

“Hoo?”

Father’s shoulders shook with an amused curiosity. Yet that attitude was nothing more than the mild rebuke one gives a stubborn child. Decades have passed since Father inherited the Redgrave house. To a noble lord who wields intrigue with no equal in the entire Holfort Kingdom, Leon, a mere upstart, and I, who have only been involved in administration for a few years, are nothing more than ignorant youngsters unaware of how the world works. The wrinkles around his eyes speak to me like tree rings: “Have you prepared something worth the Duke’s time?”

The pressure radiating from Father—no, from Duke Redgrave—inevitably puts me on edge.

“Who would have thought the day would come when you would present an opinion to me? Time truly flies.”

“It is only thanks to Father’s guidance.”

“That is precisely why I lament. I wanted to give you a position where you could wield your power to the fullest.”

Father’s face, as he said those words, looked somehow sorrowful. My engagement to His Highness Julius had been nothing more than a convergence of interests between the Holfort royal family and the Redgrave ducal house, or rather, between Lady Mylene and Father. Lady Mylene, having married in from the Lepart United Kingdom, held a weak position within the kingdom and needed the backing of powerful nobles to place her own child on the throne. Father, on the other hand, offered me, his daughter, as fiancee to the born prince, aiming to strengthen the ducal house’s influence in national politics as royal in-laws.

Though political calculations existed on both sides, it cannot be said that our engagement lacked parental affection. It is common sense for a prince’s parent to choose the fiancée’s family as a patron, and for a noble with a marriageable daughter running around to find her the best house is perfectly normal behavior. Yet no matter how much time and money is spent, human relationships simply do not always work out. Emotions cannot be governed by common sense or political calculation alone; perhaps that is the imperfection of beings who are not gods.

“I caused Father and brother endless trouble back then, and for that I apologize once more. Still, I am surprisingly content with how things turned out.”

When I look at Leon sitting beside me, my face naturally softens. Our engagement had been brought about by Father’s schemes, yet once we fell in love and had children, I came to feel that this life, too, is a good one. A life involved in guiding the nation as queen, or a life developing and nurturing a frontier territory as a lord’s wife. Wealth and rank do not necessarily lead to happiness. This life may indeed be a product of compromise, yet it is filled with a peace and joy I never knew when I gnashed my teeth at Olivia’s rise. If that makes me a fool, then so be it.

“It seems this is not a request for money. But if you intend to speak your mind during this long-awaited meeting with your father, wasting time would be a poor move.”

“Father, such words are—”

“Silence, Gilbert. I have become interested in what sort of proposal Viscountess Bartfort has brought me.”

“......”

Brother tried to intervene but was silenced by Father’s words. Father called me not “Angie” but “Viscountess Bartfort.”

In other words, he declared he would entertain no sentiment of parent and child; I must convince him purely on merit. Then there is no retreating here. Rather, I should press forward boldly.

“This year’s honors and rewards are approaching, but I hear many nobles swallowed bitter tears last year when, right after the war ended, ennoblements and rewards were postponed.”

“Yes. The Redgrave house was little affected, but most lower nobles are struggling. Many planned to use the rewards to cover war expenses, only to have their hopes dashed. Petitions flood the ducal mansion; I handle miscellaneous duties while Father receives the nobles.”

“In such a state.”

In the war against the Fanoss Principality several years ago, many corrupt nobles suffered reduction of fiefs, confiscation, or loss of noble status. To fill the resulting vacancies in territories and positions, the kingdom ennobled knights and commoners who distinguished themselves, or promoted lower nobles who had been unfairly treated. Leon is a representative example. Yet someone suddenly raised to nobility cannot manage a territory overnight. They could rehire former stewards and retainers if possible, but many had been complicit in the corrupt nobles’ misdeeds, making rehiring difficult.

Even so, after a few years of earnest lordship, one gains some understanding, but then came Fanoss’s second invasion. Two successive wars have undeniably weakened the Holfort Kingdom’s national strength.

“If we compare last year’s and this year’s revenue, what is the growth rate?”

“About ten percent. Though with noble pensions, reconstruction aid across regions, and military repairs, the treasury remains strained as ever.”

“That growth rate includes enormous reparations from the Fanoss Principality. Actual tax revenue has not risen; on the contrary, hardship in each region has worsened. Even compared to before I entered the academy, when conflict with Fanoss intensified, the kingdom’s economic scale has clearly shrunk. The slight revenue increase over last year is not recovery of national strength; it is merely what was squeezed from the people.”

The defeated Fanoss Principality, now the Fanoss ducal territory, had numerous obligations imposed upon annexation. Decades-long astronomical reparations, restrictions on military strength, mandatory inspections of territorial management by the kingdom, marriage with the Holfort royal family, ideological control, strengthened crackdowns on dangerous elements, and so forth. By the time reparations are paid, enough years will have passed that people forget the territory was once a principality and its duke an archduke. And those reparations squeezed from the former principality are directly incorporated into the budget. I obtained this information from Lady Mylene, Minister Count Atley, and Chancellor Lucas.

“The kingdom’s reconstruction is progressing at a snail’s pace. The longer it drags on, the more irreparable it becomes. No, we can already say it has collapsed.”

“Many nobles have noticed. Distrust toward the royal family swells. Everyone seeks a stronger leader.”

“For example, the commoner-born saintess?”

“...It seems you misunderstand. We make donations to the temple for the people’s peace. Lady Olivia is an excellent saintess, but she is practically an amateur in statecraft. She requires supporters at her side.”

If Father merely intended to use Olivia’s popularity to gain trust from lower nobles and commoners, that would be one thing. But her being a descendant of the first saintess Anne complicates matters. In the Holfort Kingdom, the founders are revered. The first king is the great adventurer and ruler; the first saintess is treated as the agent of God. That great adventurer became a double-edged sword for the royal family. Because the Holfort Kingdom was founded by adventurers, protecting adventurers’ rights is national policy. And what is the most despicable act to an adventurer?

Unjustly stealing a comrade’s achievements. Even now, items and treasures gained through adventuring are recognized as the adventurer’s property after paying a set tax; seizing them unreasonably invites persecution even for nobles. Yet the founders themselves committed that very evil. They stole Leah Bartfort’s achievements and, conspiring with the temple, exiled Saintess Anne.

The royal family, already losing cohesion, saw its prestige fall further; temple priests are treated as traitors. Then the Redgrave house, having brought Olivia and Leon under its banner, condemns them. Thus the ducal house becomes the new royal house; that is roughly Father’s script. Indeed, now that the royal family has lost its Lost Items and noble support, it would be effective.

“I do not care who wears the crown. Whether it be a winged horse with broken wings, a divided bloodline, or even a clan that was supposed to have been lost.”

In an instant, the air in the room froze solid. Father narrowed his eyes, and the corners of Brother’s mouth twitched. The only one who remained unchanged was Leon, who had not yet grasped the meaning. As expected. Father already knows that the Bartfort house is the true royal descendant.

If the descendant of Leah Bartfort is the one worthy of the throne, then at present the Redgrave house cannot guarantee legitimacy if they take the crown. No matter how much they favor Leon, the Redgraves would be treated as cowards who used the Bartfort house’s prestige to seize the throne. That would be no different from the current Holfort royal family.

If the descendants born between Leon and me were to marry the legitimate descendants of the Redgrave house, namely Brother’s children, they could claim to be the rightful inheritors of the royal blood. But that is a plan that takes far too long and is nothing more than the bad habit of nobles who value bloodlines above all. Or perhaps, having learned the dark secrets of the royal family, they were forced to take such a roundabout path. Either way, the only thing gained from going that far is the justification that they are right. To commoners struggling to obtain today’s bread or newly risen nobles suffering from unfamiliar territory management, it is nothing more than a bloodline dispute they have no interest in.

“The top priority must be the kingdom’s reconstruction. Not only military strength, but increased food production, industrial development, and securing financial resources. All of these are necessary for reconstruction and must be solved urgently.”

“Of course we understand that, but the domestic situation remains harsh. We are doing everything we can, yet there are limits.”

“Even your own territories are largely sustained by loans from the ducal house. Speaking too loudly will only invite ridicule.”

I know. That has been a problem ever since I became engaged to Leon. To begin with, the Bartfort territory consists of a newly discovered floating island that had been directly under royal control until Leon received it. Though some development had been done, massive loans from the ducal house were taken out for large-scale farmland reclamation, airport expansion, hot-spring excavation, and the construction of sanatoriums. Because of those loans, the Bartfort house became a dependent of the Redgraves and still struggles with repayment.

Territory management requires astronomical costs; lord nobles govern with the cooperation of their designated merchants and commerce guilds. With the exception of the Redgrave house, which separated from the Holfort royal family to rule vast lands as dukes, and the long-established prestigious Roseblade house, almost all lord nobles are unable to improve their dire financial situations. On top of that, nobles who lost both economy and manpower in the war with the Fanoss Principality have virtually no chance of recovery. Many nobles wish to return their territories and revert to quasi-nobility.

“To restore national strength, the cultivation and securing of talent is essential.”

“How much money and time do you think it takes to raise the people needed for that reconstruction? Especially after last year’s war took away the young nobles who were supposed to carry the next generation.”

“We have no choice but to widen the gates. For now, the first thing that comes to mind is lifting the academy’s closure.”

“You want to reopen that garbage heap again? It might only produce useless results.”

“That only applied to the advanced class. Commoner students in the regular class often attended lectures more earnestly than noble sons and daughters. The academy is by no means useless when it comes to discovering talent.”

“Wait, you plan to appoint commoners in place of the lost nobles?”

“Is there a problem? Actively appointing people based on merit and ability is now the trend throughout the entire kingdom.”

I myself cannot say I have no reservations about the academy. But the problem lies with the quality of those enrolled, not the institution itself. The royal family used the academy to weaken the lord nobles and incurred unnecessary resentment. From the lord nobles’ perspective that was indeed evil, but from the royal family’s side there was the reason of preventing rebellion before it happened. It is only natural for rulers to work on discovering and suppressing dangerous elements. The issues were the excessive arrogance of court nobles and high-ranking nobles, the persecution of lord nobles through matriarchal policies, and the outdated education system.

“Above all, Saintess Olivia was accepted as a scholarship student and achieved excellent grades. Isn’t her very existence proof of the academy system’s excellence?”

It felt strange even to me. Praising Olivia, whom I had despised so much, was something I would have bitten my tongue rather than do. Six years have passed since the broken engagement; perhaps I have finally been able to move forward from that turmoil. Father and Brother looked at my face suspiciously several times, as if they were seeing something unbelievable. At the same time, having Olivia brought up by me inevitably weakened their argument.

After all, the ducal house plans to use Olivia as a figurehead to impeach the Holfort royal family. That is possible only because she is both a descendant of the first Saintess Anne and an outstanding individual herself. If it were merely the “descendant of Anne” part, there should be a fair number of such descendants in this country. Could they condemn the royal family by raising up one of those others?

No. Bloodline alone does not move people’s hearts from the bottom. Olivia being an exceptional person is what gives meaning to the fact that she is a descendant of the first Saintess Anne as supporting evidence. Even if another person carrying Anne’s blood appeared, they would simply be laughed off. In that sense, the Chancellor’s move to accept Olivia as a scholarship student was masterful. If one affirms Olivia, one must be the first to wish for the academy’s reopening.

Olivia would never accept being the only exception; surrounded by people like Marie and Carla who were unable to attend due to circumstances, she would surely agree. The one who was supposed to use Olivia ends up losing their attack instead. Because she is a woman who will never move exactly as rulers desire.

“For now, let us put the academy reopening on hold. You have another proposal, I assume?”

“Yes. In fact, this is the main one. As I mentioned earlier, securing the human resources needed for food production increase, industrial development, and financial stability is as I have stated. Then, what is needed to secure the material resources?”

Father and Brother fell silent for a moment. They know the answer; it is the most basic of basics in territory management. The problem is always where to obtain what is needed for securing it.

“...Funds. That is what you want to say.”

“Yes. Exactly.”

The answer is extremely simple: funds.

People must eat to live. It began with hunting and farming, progressed to barter with other settlements, and finally gave birth to the concept of currency. Even after the passage of time it does not rot, it is portable, and it holds stable value; it instantly became indispensable to society. Now currency circulates not only in the kingdom but in every nation; one could say without exaggeration that currency, not people, rules society.

“I understand that much. Many nobles come to me begging for money. No matter how much the Redgrave house is the foremost lord noble house, our reserves are not inexhaustible. Those who at least propose investments are still the better sort. There are even fools who act like children pestering their parents for money to adorn themselves. Deal only with such people and it is no wonder my heart grows harsh.”

“I can imagine Father’s hardships.”

Father’s face twisted bitterly, yet my heart as I answered felt somehow cold. It was Father himself who lent money to nobles and fanned distrust toward the Holfort royal family. Though it was part of dragging the royal family down, the situation of being relied upon by far more than expected is nothing but the consequence of his own actions. Even if the Redgrave house’s assets rival those of a small country, they are not enough to lend to every lord noble.

There is no guarantee the loaned money will be safely repaid. Above all, even if debts are settled with the rewards given in this year’s honors, how will they secure operating funds afterward?

An inescapable antlion pit.

If mishandled, not only the Holfort Kingdom, which tends to delay rewards, but the Redgrave house that lent the money could become targets of noble resentment as ruthless moneylenders.

“I have thought of a plan regarding this current situation. I would be grateful if you would hear me out.”

“There is no such thing as inexhaustible funds anywhere. Unless we excavate a Lost Item, that is.”

“Of course. What I am thinking of centers on increasing the amount of money circulating within the kingdom.”

“Wait, Angie. Thinking that simply printing more paper money will revitalize the kingdom’s economy is premature.”

“Yes. If we hastily mint coins because rewards are insufficient, the currency’s value will fall and prices will skyrocket. The result would only worsen domestic hardship; the opposite effect.”

In the kingdom the total amount of currency produced is decided by the royal family together with influential nobles. If too much currency circulates, its value drops and prices rise. If too little, the currency’s value rises and domestic circulation decreases. With that in mind the minting amount is strictly determined, and counterfeiting is a grave crime punishable unconditionally by confiscation of the house or execution of the entire family.

“The problems in the kingdom at present are twofold: currency circulation has stagnated, and there is insufficient funding for reconstruction. The annexation of the Fanoss Principality in particular has caused significant disruption to the Holfort Kingdom’s economy.”

“The currency values between the kingdom and the former principality differ; absorbing them carelessly could deal a heavy blow to the economy. We had to break the principality’s will to fight quickly.”

“I believe that was correct. Harmonizing the economies of both nations will take some time. At the same time, the value of currency differs even among the territories of individual lord nobles; that must be resolved.”

“Stop drawing it out. State your conclusion.”

“We will newly establish financial institutions. Under the kingdom’s leadership, one will be placed in every territory to standardize the economy.”

“What?”

“Their services will include deposits, currency exchange, loans, foreign exchange, and so forth. I have several other services in mind, but for now these are the main ones. We will call for cooperation from money-changers, investors, and designated merchants. The key is long-term, low-interest loans; reconstruction of the country will be built around that.”

“Wait wait wait, I cannot follow this at all.”

It is only natural. I may be the first person in this country to have thought of such a thing. It was an idea that suddenly came to me during talks with Lady Mylene, and I have since refined it countless times through letters and meetings.Asking them to understand everything here and now is unreasonable.

“I will explain step by step. At present the Holfort Kingdom’s national strength is in decline. To fill the human and material assets lost in two wars, cultivating talent is urgent. Yet we lack the assets necessary to do so.”

“Indeed. With conventional methods it would take several generations to recover from these losses.”

“To reconstruct the kingdom even a little faster, funds are necessary; that is also correct, yes?”

“Yes. But the only ones possessing large amounts of funds are great nobles and the designated merchants closely tied to them.”

“The newly risen nobles are diligent. Compared to hereditary nobles who have relied solely on bloodline for many years, they have the spirit to develop their own territories. However, because their history is shallow they lack funds and connections to other nobles. As a result, they end up merely securing daily bread and neglect territorial development.”

If Leon had not become engaged to me, what would have become of Bartfort territory?

The hot springs would have remained undeveloped, farmland reclamation would have proceeded only in small increments, and the current level of growth would have been impossible. Clinging to a land with low tax revenue relative to its status, piling up debt, eventually forced into an unreasonable marriage by a high noble using loans as bait or preyed upon by ruthless merchants. It is a common tale among lord nobles. There are countless nobles who are noble in name only, with nothing but swelling debt, who eventually fall into ruin.

“What is needed is an advisor with a discerning eye for territorial development and capital for facilities. If those are provided, there are still many lands within the Holfort Kingdom that can be developed. Far more productive than seeking Lost Items whose existence is uncertain.”

“...An absurdly large undertaking.”

“Yet a nation cannot stand if we abandon struggling lord nobles and their people. Angie’s words hold a certain reason.”

“Hmm.”

Father stroked his beard in thought. Listening to the petitions of lord nobles visiting the ducal mansion, he cannot help but consider their plight and the kingdom’s current state. Father’s support base consists of lord nobles dissatisfied with the present kingdom; if he disregards them, the Redgrave house risks being seen as no different from the Holfort royal family and becoming a target for exclusion. Will he entrust the handling of an unwieldy support base to newly established financial institutions, or will he charge forward into rebellion against the royal house without being able to control them?

Either choice is difficult.

For me, it is enough if this opportunity makes Father suppress his resentment toward the royal family until the kingdom’s reconstruction.

Rebelling against the royal house in the current situation carries a high chance of mutual destruction. No matter how meticulously planned, uncertain elements always arise; if one insists on certain victory, waiting for the right moment is also important.

“However, establishing such financial institutions across the land would take far too much time, would it not? Even if it passes council, building new facilities requires time and money.”

“I have considered that as well. Fortunately, the kingdom already possesses perfectly suitable institutions.”

Father and Brother tilted their heads. Naturally, they cannot guess this one. Institutions that exist throughout the Holfort Kingdom. They accept deposits, handle foreign exchange and asset management, and are operated by the Holfort Kingdom. Every person in this country, from the elderly to children, knows them.

“The Adventurers’ Guild.”

I stated the name of that institution.

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Authors Note

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The model for the financial institution Ange is thinking of is the former Long-Term Credit Bank of Japan or the Bank of France during Napoleon’s Consulate era.

The detailed explanation will be carried over to the next chapter.

Luxion and Liam from “I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire!” having resource-production abilities is just too much of a cheat, isn’t it? (sweat)

After all, most of the problems the characters in this story struggle with could be solved instantly if they had abilities like that.

In this work, the plot progresses from the perspectives of steadily improving the social standing of commoners and developing finance.

It’s a rather serious topic, but there will be battles too, so please wait a little.

Postscript: At the request of the client, Re:Aesir-sama, Tama-sama, and Meitei Roppa-sama drew illustrations for me. Thank you very much.

Re:Aesir-sama: Pixiv

Tama-sama: Pixiv (Slight nsfw content warning)

Meitei Roppa-sama: Pixiv

I would be grateful for your thoughts and impressions, as they will encourage me moving forward .