Chapter 124: Financial Affairs

Chapter 124 - Financial Affairs

Updated: Jan 28

I got off the carriage when I saw Nambonan City.

It was a small hill where I could get a bird's eye view of the city.

It was probably a popular spot because of the great view, and there were several travelers sitting on the ground nearby, taking a rest.

Looking around the city from a distance, I saw a line of horse-like creatures with a body shape similar to a dachshund carrying sugar cubes.

When I looked closely to see what they were, I realized that they were made of stone, processed into squares and rectangles. The size of each stone was probably about the size of a one-door refrigerator.

It was only a few days ago that the government had given permission to rebuild the city walls, but it seemed that construction had already started.

A polygon of brown lines was drawn on the ground surrounding the entire city of Nambonan. They were probably the remains of the ground that had been turned over during the land clearing.

Surprisingly, Nambonan City had enough financial resources to rebuild the city walls.

The payment of reparations to the Quardenze family was also proceeding without any problems. It was hard to believe that the city had surrendered after losing the war.

The merchants were not discouraged; rather, they saw the fact that they had become part of the Quardenze territory as an opportunity and were moving about actively.

The dream city of freedom from the aristocracy is gone, but its economic growth shows no sign of slowing down.

"It's ...... raining."

At first I thought it was the sound of grass and trees swaying in the wind, but it was the sound of raindrops hitting the leaves.

As a drop of rain fell on my cheek, the rainfall became stronger and stronger.

Not wanting to get wet in the cold winter air, I climbed into the carriage and headed back to Nambonan City.

The papers were piled up in the mayor's office.

For the time being, I called the civil servants to check and process them.

There weren't too many, as I had only been away for a few days, and the desk was soon cleaned.

"The mayor will be returning to New Nellie City. ......"

As I was checking the schedule with the civilian, Rumon muttered to me.

""Hmm?　Is there any entertainment left?"

"No, it's not like that. ......"

I plan to return to New Nellie City to spend the New Year's holiday with my family.

At the beginning of the year, the knightly families in the territory come to greet each other, and I have to deal with them.

I'm not going to take him to New Nellie's because Kohli has requested that he continue to live in Nambonan.

I think he'll be more refreshed without me since he can spend time with his cute sister. I don't know why she's so sad that I'm leaving.

Does he really want me to do the paperwork for him?

I urged Rumon, who had fallen silent, to continue speaking.

"...... General Galfis is now concentrating on building the castle. I was worried that the old Voistra's forces might take advantage of the mayor's absence to attack Nambonan City."

At the frontline base in the westernmost part of the Quadrant, the construction of the castle is progressing smoothly.

My grandfather told me that because of the threat it posed to the old Voistra, reconnaissance troops were frequenting the area.

If my grandfather is away for a long time, there is a possibility that the old Voistra will attack the front base with their main force in order to sabotage the construction. Therefore, my grandfather would have to put more weight on the front base.

The last time I was in New Nellie, my grandfather visited Nambonan several times while I was temporarily back home, but I'm sure this will decrease in the future.

In such a situation, Rumon seems to be worried about me returning to New Nellie City.

No, he's probably speaking for the citizens of Nambonan, so it's better to think of this as their opinion.

"The city of Nambonan is packed with troops, don't worry."

It was the civil officer, not me, who responded to Rumon's concerns.

The military is still stationed in Nambonan. Their activities range from defending the city, maintaining security, replacing front-line bases, and hunting down remnants.

They rotate their troops so that they can keep a certain number of followers, so there was always a certain amount of strength in Nambonan City.

"You seem to have something to say. Tell me."

He didn't seem to be satisfied with the officer's answer, so I asked for more input.

Rumon thanked me and then opened his mouth.

"I'm worried that the nobles of the old Voistra will attack us."

"Nobles?　...... Ah, the main force."

In general, nobles don't come out to the battlefield very often.

The troops led by knights and commoners open up the battle lines and go out to fight after they have been set up to attack.

In a sense, this is similar to the way of fighting a mature magical beast.

"Rumon, I thought you were smart, but you don't seem to know anything about the military. There's no way the main force will come."

A literary officer from a knightly family says to Rumon as if to admonish him.

They had been familiar with war and the military from an early age, and had some knowledge that Rumon did not have.

"The old Voistra has its hands full defending itself. It's a good thing that I'm not the only one who knows about the military.　And it is not General Galfis who will miss the opportunity."

"That's right. And if they had wanted to attack it, they would have done so before it became part of the Quardenze territory, wouldn't they?"

The other civil servants from the knightly families also developed their own arguments.

But Rumon refuted them without hesitation.

"But the walls are gone."

The walls, made of a special stone material that repels magic, were literally the biggest barrier to the capture of Nambonan City.

The Quardenze army was fortunate to have been able to capture it, but it would have been a bit of a hassle if they had been able to use it as a shield.

However, the walls were dismantled and converted into a frontline base where my grandfather is now. Today, Nambonan City is completely bare.

"The old Voistra has no generals who can take on such an army."

The duke of the old Voistra is treated as a weakling, but there is nothing that can be done about that.

Basically, in wars between territories, knights and commoners mainly fight, and nobles only appear in decisive situations.

Once the knights and commoners have won a certain amount of victories, a discussion is held, and it is often settled by giving them reparations or making them accept some demands.

Only a few noblemen, like my grandfather, go out to the front to rampage and disrupt the war.

The civil servants also continued to explain to Rumon that the possibility of invading Nambonan City was low from a military standpoint, including the number of nobles and knights in the former Voistra, the number of commoners, and the benefits of an invasion.

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"So ......, attacking Nambonan City would be a pretty bad bet. I don't think the cautious old Voistra would choose it."

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The explanation was well reasoned, and I didn't see anything I should point out.

I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure that if you're a child of a knightly family, you're familiar with military matters, even if you're a civil servant.

Rumon seemed to understand the explanation, but he didn't seem to be convinced.

I turned to Rumon, who was trying to figure out how to respond.

"What you've just heard is the conclusion of someone who knows military standards. Rumon, the reason you're not convinced is because you've come to a conclusion based on a different standard.　Based on what?"

That seemed to be just the right helping hand for Rumon, and he smiled for a moment.

"The merchant's standard, sir."

"Hmm. Tell me ....... I'll allow it."

Rumon took a deep breath, then looked at me.

"Old Voistra is in financial trouble due to the prolonged war. The major cities are exhausted, the lords are suffering from heavy taxes, and the city of Ocellaria is losing its momentum. According to merchants familiar with ...... the Old Voistra, most of the territories are close to financial ruin."

Rumon, probably preparing to explain this case, took out a document from a nearby shelf and laid it on the desk.

There was a detailed description of the financial situation of several noble families, formerly known as the Voistra.

The information was gathered from the city's logistics, the increase and decrease in trade volume, and connections with local influential people who were close to them.

Apparently, Rumon had commissioned a merchant in Nambonan City to act as a spy.

According to the data, the finances of all the noble families of the former Voistra have deteriorated rapidly since the annexation of Nambonan City to the territory of Quardenze.

"Why has it gotten so bad?"

''Because of the loss of aid from ...... Nambonan City, and merchants avoiding the old Voistra for fear of war.

The city of Nambonan, when it was at odds with the territory of Quardenze, was using its ample assets to wage a dark war.

The old Voistra, being a sworn enemy of the Quardenze family, seemed to have received a great deal of assistance.

However, Nambonan City was annexed to the Quardenze territory. Naturally, Nambonan City's aid to the former Voistra was reduced to zero.

On the contrary, the Nambonan merchants refrained from doing business with the former Voistra, fearing that they might be suspected by the Quardenze family if they were not careful.

And peddlers from other parts of the world, concerned about the escalation of the war, began to avoid the territory of the former Voistra.

It is no wonder that the financial situation deteriorated so rapidly.

The longer these financial problems continue, the more painful they will become. At this rate, the territory may collapse before General Galfis can attack.

"Hmm."

"The sooner you start, the better. If you find yourself in a situation like that, and you see Nambonan City with no walls in front of you, ......"

There is a possibility that they might attack Nambonan City at the drop of a hat before it becomes completely untenable.

Even if they can't take it over, if they can get some temporary money by looting it, they can still breathe.

The nobles of the former Voistra, who had received aid from the city, would be well aware of the fact that Nambonan was a wealthy city.

"I'll keep Rumon's comments in mind."

In the unlikely event that the troops led by the nobles attacked Nambonan City, the current troops could only buy time.

I made a note in my brain to check the communication system with New Nellie City again.

Either way, not returning to New Nellie City is not an option.

After finishing the paperwork and letting the civil servants out, I was drinking tea by myself when Rumon came back to the mayor's office.

There's a man here who wants to see the mayor.

"By the look on your face, I'd say you're not a very nice person. ......:

The Rumon then smiled bitterly.

"He's the merchant who was Kohli's fiancée."

I remember Kohli and Rumon saying that there was such a man.

Kohli, who was a pawn in a political marriage, was going to become the property of a perverted old man who was more than a year older than her.

The "pervert" part is just my imagination. I've never seen him before.

"Mmm?　Didn't you say you'd tell him to stay away from Kohli?"

The perverted merchant had been lingering around Kohli even after his father's downfall, but Rumon had protested recently and made him stop.

"Yes.. There is no longer any sign of the man around Kohli."

It seemed that the man was not foolish enough to mess with Kohli, who had become a 'noble's concubine'.

Rumon's relieved expression showed that this was the truth.

"Even though you didn't know about it, you still tried to touch Kohli. I wanted to apologize to the mayor for that at all costs. ......"

"So what's the truth?"

"I've come for an apology, and to bring a gift."

"I see."

When the perverted merchant found out that Kohli was my mistress, he probably didn't feel like living.

The end result of a commoner who messes with a nobleman's mistress is nothing short of horrific.

However, I feel that it is typical of a merchant who will not just get up and try to make an impression by using the meeting to apologize.

"What can I do for you, sir?　The man's business association is quite vicious and has a very bad reputation in the city."

Rumon's father had a bad reputation, but it seems that the perverted merchant is also a very disliked person.

It seems that similarity calls for friendship, both on Earth and on the Eruo continent.

"There are also suspicions of tax evasion by the merchant association, and there are plans to have the military take them down within the year. They might even bring bribes to get them to forgive their tax evasion."

In the past, the military has raided several business associations and organizations at the request of civilian officials.

There were several times when I remembered signing documents regarding permission for the military to go into action.

As I aim to become the next head of the family, I'm not foolish enough to allow tax evasion with a short-term bribe.

Well, even if I were to take a bribe, I would have no problem lying low and arresting him since I'm a noble.

"I don't care. Let him through."

Since he had come all this way to curry favor, he should be able to expect some kind of tribute.

What would a vile merchant bring?

It's either money, rare objects, or women.

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