by Ryota Hori
Dispatching any miners that deep into the peninsula would accomplish nothing, save for providing additional food to the monsters roosting there. And the longer the distance they’d have to go, the greater the chance they’d be detected by unwanted eyes.
But the vein was a stone’s throw away from Epirus. It was still in that cursed no man’s land creeping with monsters, but it was only the very entrance of it. The risk of being attacked was much lower.
But Thomas’s father, the former Count Salzberg, ignored his proposal. No, he didn’t just ignore him — he regarded him with outright disdain. From his father’s perspective, this was obvious. He was proud to have defended the border with Xarooda for many years. His loyalty to the royal family was unwavering.
The vein may have been as close as it was, but the Wortenia peninsula was without a doubt the territory of the royal family. Adventurers and mercenaries came and went freely, but that was something the royal family ignored as a minor inconvenience.
But if a respectable noble family were to enter the territory uninvited, they wouldn’t tolerate it tacitly. Thomas’s desire to use the halite vein to reorganize their finances was effectively the same as stealing resources from the royal family.
Thomas’s father knew perfectly well how bad House Salzberg’s financial standing was, and realized Thomas’s plan was meant to turn their position around. But his loyalty and pride toward the royal house drove him to firmly and cruelly reject his son’s proposal. He told his son of the pride and devotion House Salzberg harbored for generations. He believed his son would walk down the same way.
But those words did nothing to move Thomas’s heart. In his eyes, the Rhoadserian royal house was the reason behind his frugal, destitute childhood and life. He saw no value to be had in harboring pride or loyalty to them.
House Salzberg’s territory was a border zone distant from the capital, and the royal family knew little of what went on there. They were indifferent to the point of neglect. They would send reinforcements if Xarooda were to attempt a full blown invasion, of course, but handling small skirmishes fell entirely to House Salzberg and the surrounding nobles.
His father regarded this as a source of pride — proof that the capital trusted him, but Thomas saw it differently. In his eyes it was an absurd demand that was not worth the price in any way. It was a situation that brought them nothing but losses.
Thomas cared little for intangible things like trust and pride — the only thing he abided by was tangible profit. Namely, money, resources and privileges. And so, his discussions with his father took place on entirely parallel lines. As it were, neither of them were willing to compromise on their respective principles.
Profit versus pride. The two could coexist for as long as they didn’t clash, but at that time one had to be chosen over the other.
And the end result of that was Thomas Salzberg’s act of patricide. That was his only method of seeing his aspirations come to fruition.
The crime of killing one’s parents was as severe on this Earth as it was in Ryoma’s world. No, given that this Earth still operated on a system of patriarchal inheritance, it was perhaps even graver of a sin than it was in Rearth.
I won’t let anyone get in my way... Count Salzberg whispered in his heart.
He couldn’t let go of the life he led now. Not when he had to slay his own father to obtain it...
“You... What are you after?” Count Salzberg said slowly after a long, glaring silence.
He had no intention of keeping up the facade of noble dignity. Count Salzberg’s tone was one that talked down to Ryoma as if he was some kind of lesser human being. He’d completely discarded the mask of friendliness and all notion of suspicion and caution.
He could imagine who leaked the information about the vein to Ryoma, but he had no idea why Simone Christof did that instead of acting on it herself. The information was more than enough to set up Count Salzberg on its own, but she instead handed it over to someone else. And that someone came not to the royal house — but to him.
With all that in mind, Count Salzberg came up with a possibility.
Is he trying to blackmail me?
Lowly commoners often resorted to that when they came upon information that might be worth good money. And the man sitting before him now was presently a noble, but was originally a commoner. It wouldn’t come as a surprise if he came here to extort money out of him.
Idiot... You really think I’d pay for this? No, even if I do pay, what do you think will come after that?
If he wanted to blackmail Count Salzberg, Ryoma shouldn’t have come to meet him directly. The one making the threat earns nothing by exposing themselves. Helena Steiner was a good example. When her beloved daughter was abducted, she only accepted their demands because she didn’t know who the kidnapper was. Had she been more convinced that General Albrecht was the one behind it, she may have taken other measures.
But Ryoma went on to say something that defied Count Salzberg’s expectations.
“Well... I actually wanted you to buy something, sir.”
A long, lengthy silence settled over the room. Ryoma didn’t flinch at being exposed to Count Salzberg’s glare. He met his gaze directly.
“Buy something? What would you have us buy? I was under the impression you came here to blackmail us.” Lady Yulia regarded Ryoma with a suspicious glare.
The way he said the word ‘buy’ could have been taken to hold the implication of blackmail, but Count Salzberg could only perceive Ryoma’s words at face value. The same held true for Lady Yulia. The suspicious looks they directed at Ryoma were proof they understood his words properly.
“Blackmail you...? I’ll admit I considered it, but that isn’t my intent here. After all, if I do that, you wouldn’t hesitate to dispose of me and my entourage.”
Count Salzberg’s lips contorted into a smile at Ryoma’s shameless words. He was absolutely right. A person who’s being extorted would never leave the ones blackmailing them to their own devices. Who was to say the culprit wouldn’t try to extort them again in the future? Even if they were to swear to God they wouldn’t try again, who would believe them?
Danger past and God forgotten, as the saying goes. The culprit may easily try to extort them a second or third time. And Ryoma could try to blackmail Count Salzberg time and again before driving him to ruin. Count Salzberg knew this and would never let anyone who would try to blackmail him walk away alive. He might pay the money once, but it would only buy the time needed to have them killed.
“I see... So you realize where blackmailing me would land you. Considering you’re a commoner, you’re clever enough.”
In the few years since Count Salzberg began embezzling the halite vein, there were a few people that learned of its existence despite his attempts to hide it. And yet the royal house hadn’t learned of it so far. That was because Count Salzberg ruthlessly and thoroughly had those people eliminated. The Count knew full well just how thin the ice he was treading on was, and knew to be both cautious and merciless.
“Beloved... I’m interested in hearing what the Baron is trying to sell us.” Lady Yulia said, her eyes flashing with a dangerous, bewitching glint.
“Yes, of course...” Count Salzberg met her gaze with a slight nod. “Very well. What are you hoping to sell us?”
His tone was still condescending, but it wasn’t as oppressive and full of scorn for Ryoma’s humble origins. Right now, Count Salzberg was curious. What did Ryoma, who apparently had such a strong grasp on his personality, want to sell him?
“Look at this, if you will.” Ryoma slid a document toward the couple.
“This is...”
“A contract, yes?” Lady Yulia asked.
She was indeed a merchant’s daughter — she keenly recognized the document.
“A contract for transferring ownership of the halite vein.” Ryoma explained.
The couple quickly checked the contents.
“Yes, it really is...”
/> “But, this doesn’t make sense. The contract doesn’t specify a price.”
Their confusion was understandable. How could he sell something without mentioning how much it would cost?
“I came to sell the vein, but I don’t want to give it away for money.”
The couple regarded Ryoma’s statement with puzzled gazes.
“Then what are you selling it for?”
“I want you to function as my sponsor, sir.”
“What? What do you mean, ‘sponsor’?” Count Salzberg asked. “I already told you I would be of assistance to you last time we met.”
Ryoma shook his head. That gesture alone made the two guess at his intent. True, Count Salzberg and Lady Yulia welcomed Ryoma warmly during that dinner party and promised to help him. But those promises weren’t honest ones. Queen Lupis ordered the Count to keep an eye on Ryoma, and he himself was wary of the young Baron because of the halite vein.
His promise of help was very much an empty one. He had no real intention of helping Ryoma. At least, until now...
I see... He wants a real promise of assistance.
Count Salzberg accurately grasped Ryoma’s intention.
Hmm, helping him isn’t such a bad idea... If nothing else, he knows more about honor than that stupid woman sitting back in the capital and barking orders at me... And for a commoner, he’s got wits... He’s no fool. And the fact he didn’t demand any money is especially interesting...
Ryoma smiled softly, watching the tension drain from Count Salzberg’s expression.
It was a good thing I chose to ask for cooperation and not money... I mean, he is occupied enough with earning money that he’d embezzle resources from the royal family... He wouldn’t pay me a dime. And the Count already has effective control of the vein. I might be the rightful owner of that land, but he wouldn’t pay me for something he already controls.
Count Salzberg embezzled the halite vein out of a need for money. No matter how justified Ryoma’s claim to the vein might be, the Count wouldn’t be inclined to pay for it. Ryoma concluded the Count was a man who was obstinate when it came to money. And he was right to think so — Count Salzberg’s face made that clear.
“Baron Mikoshiba?” Lady Yulia asked. “I don’t understand the value of this document. Could you kindly explain?”
Having been raised in a house of merchants, Lady Yulia was quite the skilled politician. She married Thomas Salzberg so as to help rebuild House Salzberg, and she certainly contributed to its resurgence. From her discerning eye, the contract was worth a thousand gold pieces. But she feigned ignorance as she asked Ryoma for an explanation.
There were two reasons for that. The first was to ensure he wouldn’t size up the cost, and the second was that she suspected there might have been some kind of wire puller behind this entire affair.
“Do I really need to explain that much?” Ryoma answered her question with a smile and an unwavering gaze. “You’re famous for being an expert on the topic. I truly and honestly wish for the Count’s assistance and cooperation. After all, I made you two displeased just the other day because I didn’t know much about this town... You can think of this as my apology for that.”
A silence settled over Ryoma and the couple.
So that’s his angle... It does make sense. And those unwavering eyes of his... He’s not just making this up on the spot. He really believes that.
The intuition she’d fostered over many years told Lady Yulia the man smiling before her eyes had planned this out ahead of time.
“Very well... I admit there is value to your proposal, Baron,” Lady Yulia concluded. “But we will need some time. I wish to talk this over with my husband.”
“Understood,” Ryoma nodded and rose from his seat. “Then I will be off for today... I’ll come again once you send your response.”
His expression didn’t have a trace of disappointment. He likely didn’t assume the discussion would be decided right there and then to begin with.
Makes sense. I imagine Count Salzberg would want to add some conditions of his own, too. I’d actually be a bit scared if he signed it on the spot today... Wouldn’t want him to change his attitude towards me later.
Ryoma scattered his bait, and caught Count Salzberg’s interest. All that remained was to wait for him to bite. And Ryoma preferred to be patient and wait quietly.
Take your time and mull this over... Yes... Take all the time you need...
“Yes... We apologize for the bother, Baron. Some other day, then.”
Ryoma bowed at Lady Yulia’s parting words and left the estate, escorted by a maid waiting near the door.
“So he’s gone... Are you sure we should have let him go, though?” Count Salzberg asked Lady Yulia, as he rose from the sofa and watched Ryoma walk away through the window.
“Yes, he probably planned everything that happened today...” Lady Yulia shrugged. “Though he could have been acting. In which case, he’s a very talented liar.”
She had absolute confidence in her ability to discern other people’s nature. Both when she helped manage the Mystel Company in her youth and after she married into House Salzberg, she was always surrounded by sly, devious people. She had to acquire that insight if she was to contend with those types of people.
“Hmm... I think we should take Mikoshiba up on his offer... Yulia, what do you think?” Count Salzberg sat back down next to Yulia and shared his opinion.
But while the Count was the one to give the final say, he spoke to Lady Yulia with a hint of reservation in his voice. That was perhaps to be expected, since Count Salzberg was more akin to a warrior. He had an assertive, ruthless personality, but he knew he wasn’t flawless and infallible. There were some matters where he was average at best, namely diplomacy and strategy.
For that reason, he placed a great deal of trust on Lady Yulia’s opinion. She was his tool for ensuring his prosperity. Having spent years facing off against men enslaved to money made her into the ideal, most dependable partner in Count Salzberg’s eyes.
“There are still a few points I’m apprehensive about, but I agree, we should accept his offer. If nothing else, having that contract would only do us good...”
Rhoadseria’s laws weren’t as meticulously regulated as Japan’s. In a way, contracts were prioritized over everything and anything else. If that contract were to be signed and handed over, the halite vein would officially belong to House Salzberg. It wouldn’t undo the embezzling they committed in the past, but any evidence of that could be made to appear hazy and unreliable.
If they would end up going to trial over this matter, they could get away with a small fine. They could bribe the judge and have him rule them innocent over insufficient basis for reasonable suspicion. After all, they’d be able to claim the vein was presently theirs.
Even the royal family would find it hard to judge them over the question of when they began harvesting resources from land that was rightfully theirs. Not when their reign was still unfounded. And the more time that passed, the colder the trail of evidence and testimonies would grow, and the less suspicious Count Salzberg would seem.
Of course, Count Salzberg could only achieve this thanks to the finances and authority he already possessed, but that one sheet of paper would still be a powerful ace in his hands. As such, Lady Yulia believed they ought to accept Ryoma’s offer. But there were still a few issues that prevented her from giving her immediate consent.
“Apprehensive...? You mean Christof’s girl?” Count Salzberg asked.
To her, she was the most concerning point. The Christof Company had its position as the head of the trade union stolen away. With it, it lost its claim to having command over all of Epirus’s economy. Normally, the Company would have completely collapsed by now, but they were somehow able to cling to life, albeit on a very diminished scale. However...
“Not quite...” Lady Yulia shook her head. “What bothers me is that man’s true intentions.”
“Mikoshiba’s? I
agree, it’s hard to get a grasp on him... He’s sharp. I have to admit I probably underestimated him, but did you see something else in him?”
Lady Yulia heaved a small sigh.
“No, I’m in the same boat as you. I don’t think there’s a catch to this offer, but...”
Lady Yulia’s words trailed off. Count Salzberg eyed her with surprise in his eyes.
“But what? What’s on your mind?”
“I can’t shake the feeling that man might come to crush us sooner or later...” She uttered.
It was only a bit of vague, nondescript anxiety. She couldn’t attribute it to any clear reason. But her intuition as a merchant was ringing like an alarm bell, alerting her to danger. And she couldn’t bring herself to ignore it.
Count Salzberg, however, seemed to feel differently about this.
“Pfft! Ahahaha! Yulia, I owe your wisdom a great deal, and that’s why I’ve always trusted what you have to say. But don’t you think this is a bit much?” Count Salzberg burst out into laughter at Yulia’s confession. “You do realize how major of a gap exists between Mikoshiba and me, yes? Maybe given a century he’d be able to cover that gap, but even a decade or two wouldn’t be enough.”
He didn’t believe it was possible, and Lady Yulia couldn’t very well argue against his opinion. The difference in power between Ryoma and Count Salzberg was clear. In all fields that were relevant to ruling over territory — economics, political influence, diplomatic power and military might — Count Salzberg had the upper hand.
And the biggest difference was the territories they possessed. True, House Salzberg’s land was along a border zone, but it had plentiful trade, coupled with the halite vein. By contrast, House Mikoshiba had the Wortenia Peninsula, which not only lacked any citizens to populate it, but was also crawling with monsters and demi-humans.
