Episode 69

After the banquet ended—or more precisely, after the atmosphere of the banquet had ripened—the Crown Prince Hapsburg immediately left the banquet hall and headed to the harbor.

“Have you arrived?”

“Yes.”

The Crown Prince jumped onto the ship anchored at the harbor and loosened his tie.

“Sigh…”

He then walked across the deck and entered the captain’s room, firmly closing the door behind him.

Thud.

Seemingly exhausted, the Crown Prince collapsed into a rocking chair.

“Bathory.”

Suddenly, he spoke.

As if reciting a magical spell or calling someone’s name.

“Bathory.”

Upon calling the name a second time, something began to squirm out of the prince’s shadow—a red mist started to wriggle.

“Yawn. Why did you call?”

The voice that flowed from the mist belonged to a young woman.

“I was sleeping so well.”

Soon, the mist formed a human shape, and it became a person with white hair and red pupils.

The peculiar thing was that the woman’s ears were long and pointed.

“Do you understand?”

“What?”

“That the kingdom accepted the proposal.”

“No.”

Bathory, chuckling, sat down on the captain’s room desk.

“The fools of the kingdom, don’t they know anything about the value of money? So primitive.”

“Even if it’s primitive, there should be a limit. Even if the entire kingdom is primitive, its leaders shouldn’t be.”

The Crown Prince, as if venting his frustration, pounded his chest with a flushed face.

“Do they really know nothing? What it means for the empire’s currency to be in circulation.”

“Are you, who plans to swallow the kingdom whole using this as an excuse, really the one to talk?”

“It’s just so, utterly ridiculous.”

The Crown Prince leaned his head back and looked up at the ceiling.

“That a kingdom that hasn’t fallen in 500 years would spread its legs so easily, just by opening its ports and smelling the money of the empire.”

“Such a vulgar way to put it, Your Highness. Isn’t this easy conquest what you wanted?”

“I hadn’t thought it would be this easy.”

The Crown Prince covered his face with his hands, clawing at his own skin.

“Has the empire really been unable to surpass such a country for 500 years?”

“Hmm…”

“Bathory. What do you think?”

“Well, it’s always the same pattern, so it’s not very thrilling.”

Bathory yawned loudly while crossing her legs.

“No matter what foolish thing the kingdom does, there’s always a hero who covers for all their mistakes.”

“This is different. It’s an economic conquest.”

“So, it’s always been like this, hasn’t it?”

Bathory extended her hand forward.

The red energy flowing from her hand spread out like a map.

“Do you think the kingdom survived because it was a great country? Not at all. It wasn’t because the kingdom was great, but because the talents of the kingdom were.”

“Heroes…”

“Currency erosion? Ah, surely a merchant hero will emerge. A hero who, like a dragon, opens its mouth wide and devours all the thalers the empire throws in.”

Bathory suddenly stood up, standing on the desk with both feet, and stretched her arms forward.

“Ah, the great merchant who saved our country from the empire’s economic conquest! Nostrum, you shall be eternal!”

“Ha.”

“How many times have I heard such talk?”

“I don’t even want to hear it.”

The Crown Prince bit his lower lip and kept fiddling with the door handle.

“The only consolation is that Morgania is trying to side with us…”

“They always do that. They try to take a bit from the empire and spit it out as soon as it seems they might choke on it.”

“What if it’s sweet?”

“What could be sweet enough to give up a 500-year dynasty for? Those power-crazed fools.”

“……Well. This?”

The Crown Prince took out a glass bottle from beside the rocking chair.

“I think this should be enough.”

“Are you really going to do that?”

“It’s already being spread, there’s no turning back now.”

The glass bottle was filled with a white powder.

Something that felt too coarse to be flour.

“With White Silver, I believe it’s possible.”

“Really? Hmm. So, then a hero who can neutralize White Silver will just pop up, right?”

“Ha…”

“Don’t get annoyed. It’s the truth, isn’t it?”

Bathory spread her arms and started spinning around on the desk.

“When the plague broke out, the kingdom developed a drug that could neutralize the plague.”

“There were rumors that they had been developing a drug against the plague even before it became widespread.”

“When monsters began emerging en masse from the contaminated lands, the then-king, Charlemagne Gio Nostrum, found 12 Sword Masters to sweep the plague lands clean.”

“From reckless nobles to orphans, and even slaves from the empire, all those selected turned out to be Masters.”

“Damn it.”

The Crown Prince clawed at his face again.

“Can the empire do nothing to bring down the kingdom? Are we afraid another hero will emerge?”

“Oh my. Is that all the perseverance our Crown Prince has?”

“…No. Not at all.”

Below the hands covering his eyes, the corners of the Crown Prince’s mouth twisted bitterly.

“I am always doing my best. Even if this ‘present’ seems meaningless, maybe the ‘next’ me will struggle just as hard as I do now.”

“Huhuhu…”

“In that sense, do you know who I fear the most?”

“Of course, I do. Isn’t that why you’ve been avoiding contact as much as possible?”

Bathory then grabbed her own throat with her hands.

“Saint Gio Nostrum. The incompetent king.”

“Yes. I fear him the most.”

Though others might scoff at such a statement, the Crown Prince was serious.

“Maybe this too is Saint Gio’s doing. How I would ruin the kingdom, experiencing that method.”

“The kingdom will be ruined?”

“That way, the current kingdom will be ruined. But…”

“In the end, the kingdom will not fall.”

“…Just like that, a hero who thwarts the plots written by the empire’s Crown Prince will appear, as has been the case for 500 years.”

A hero will not emerge.

Perhaps hoping for that was just like praying to God.

“Still.”

The Crown Prince rose from the rocking chair.

“Even if it means nothing this time, I will stake my life on the present.”

“Yes, that’s exactly what you should do. It’s what makes you the Crown Prince.”

“Bathory. I’ve made a decision.”

The Crown Prince placed his hand on the map hanging on the wall.

“We will minimize the amount of thalers entering through Serene Harbor.”

“How do you plan to manage the circulation of thalers?”

“Once the peace treaty is fully signed, we’ll open our ports as well.”

The Crown Prince pointed to the land facing the southern part of the empire, opposite the Serene Estate.

“We’ll open Casablanca Harbor to welcome guests from the kingdom.”

“The monkeys of the kingdom will be so surprised they’ll freak out.”

“Then all the better. When they return to the kingdom, they’ll realize how trapped they’ve been in their own well.”

“Understood. So, we just need to make them feel the need to use thalers in Casablanca?”

“Yes. Set up exchange offices. Provide guides and ensure they have a good experience.”

“Will you be inflating the prices?”

“No. Treat those who become messengers to the West as ‘full course’ guests, and start inflating the prices when they come in large numbers later.”

In an instant, the empire’s policy was decided.

“Set up gambling tables, and opening a new casino would be good too. And most importantly…”

The Crown Prince lightly rubbed his thumb and forefinger together.

“Make sure they can enjoy themselves with drugs, treat them properly.”

“Hehe. As much as you want. So, shall we proceed as planned with sending it to Serene Estate?”

“Instruct the merchants to pay the kingdom with jewels instead of thalers.”

“Oh my. Jewels?”

Instead of thalers or gold, jewels would be given in exchange for goods purchased from the kingdom.

“Will they even get their money’s worth? How about we clear out our bad inventory this time?”

“Gold still has value. Melt it down and make commemorative coins to sell. And just cut cheap magic stones to look like jewels; that’s enough.”

The Crown Prince pointed to his cufflinks under his suit and smirked.

“After all, the kingdom doesn’t yet have the ability to distinguish cubic zirconia, at least not in Serene.”

“If a hero who can distinguish even cubic zirconia appears— hehe, sorry, I’ll stop there.”

At the Crown Prince’s glance, Bathory chuckled and bowed.

“If it works out, good. If such a hero appears, we’ll just have to persuade them to switch sides to the empire.”

“Yes. Use the shadows as much as you like. Leave the trade operation to your people.”

“Oh, not Erwin’s company? My kids are a bit rough, you know?”

Bathory lifted her upper lip and smiled.

Her fangs gleamed sharply downward in the moonlight.

“As long as you don’t get caught, anything goes.”

“Did you say anything, for sure?”

“Yes. Anything.”

The Crown Prince, mulling over the word ‘anything’, looked up at the ceiling.

“For the empire’s wish, my wish, I will do anything.”

The Crown Prince left.

He’d probably be pleased, thinking how easily things are going, yet he’s the type to concoct all sorts of plans for his own benefit in such situations.

‘For now, he’ll focus on Serene County.’

Starting with the county, if thalers began to circulate in earnest, it would take at least 3 years, maybe as soon as 2 years.

“Grey. You’ve worked hard. The person we expected didn’t come, but thanks to your translation, it seems we’ve managed well.”

Carmen praised me while in casual attire.

As much as Carmen had been on edge to welcome the Crown Prince, this moment of complete relaxation seemed extremely comfortable to her.

“What’s left is to somehow block or prevent the empire’s capital from coming in recklessly…”

“After all, they won’t use thalers right away if we just leave them be. They’ll probably use it to play tricks.”

“Tricks?”

“Here, isn’t the face of the empire’s emperor drawn on the back of this thaler bill?”

I unfolded the bill.

“People will use it for playing around.”

Then, with my middle finger, I tore through the emperor’s face on the bill.

“…Do you realize how much that’s worth?”

“The common people won’t know. They won’t understand the value of the numbers written here. It says 10, so they’ll think it’s worth 10 gold.”

“Ha…”

“Let’s not dwell on the common people since they’re not our concern. How about we discuss making money in a positive and healthy manner?”

“The empire will bring thalers.”

I didn’t know.

“If thalers are ambiguous? Then they’ll bring anything that can be converted into money. Whether it’s their gold coins, jewels, or perhaps even silk produced by the empire.”

“Instead of cash?”

“Yes. That’s going into the Serene Estate….”

But if it’s about making money in a nefarious way.

“I don’t like it. Even if the market in Serene opens first, I hope the most capital from the empire flows into Gibraltar instead.”

“You plan to absorb the empire’s goods in Gibraltar?”

“Yes.”

“…And the consequences?”

“We’ll prepare something very valuable that we can sell.”

“Preparing for Jade Dragon gambling will take time.”

Carmen shook her head seriously.

“No matter how plausible the gambling appears, the empire’s merchants won’t squander their money foolishly. Only those who gamble will do so, and those who don’t, won’t ever.”

“Is that so? Then, you won’t invest?”

“I will invest, but creating something like a Jade Dragon hall will take time. Can you have it ready within the next 3 months?”

No.

A Jade Dragon hall was a concept that needed to be observed over at least 2~3 years, not something that could be hastily created.

“Mother. Merchants don’t create a cash flow in just one direction.”

“What else is there to sell? Wait. You’re not planning to sell your father again, are you? Calling another woman to the Margrave, telling her, ‘You are my new mother,’ that sort of weird thing?”

“If necessary, I might…ugh.”

Carmen grabbed my cheek.

“Presumptuous child. How dare you say such a thing openly in front of me?”

“Then, you should compensate me accordingly.”

“Ha. Are you suggesting I make an investment that yields economic benefits equal to not bringing in a new mother? So, what are you planning to sell?”

“First, I’ll sell my father’s photo album.”

“…….”

Photos or photo albums.

“I will send you separate cuts of father alone, personal photos taken without him knowing.”

This was already somewhat prepared through Chairman Erwin.

“Do you think that will sway me?”

“Yes.”

“I might be swayed, but you can’t make a huge amount of money with that!”

“That’s why I’m planning to sell Gibraltar.”

I took a stance as if holding a sword, then stretched it downwards.

“I’ll sell a title.”

“…What significance does a title have? Do you think people from the empire will buy a title from the kingdom? They would be beheaded for treason against the empire.”

“It’s not a title from the kingdom. It’s a special title bestowed by Gibraltar.”

Although it had no material value.

“Supply follows demand. If there are buyers, we can set the price however we want.”

If there were willing buyers, we could sell it for any price.

“A title of honorary knight received from Margrave Crimson Gibraltar.”

“…….”

“Beyond the kingdom and empire, standing proudly before the Margrave and being recognized. Experiencing a kingdom-style title conferment ceremony. Even receiving a ‘Sword Baptism’ from Crimson Gibraltar.”

I extended the sword once to one shoulder of the kneeling person, then to the opposite side, and finally to the head.

“There’s plenty to sell besides gambling, Mother.”

For sale.

The recognition of a Sword Master.

Along with a specially made banner.