Episode 162. War Clouds and Conflicts
The outbuildings built while I was away still had a cluttered atmosphere.
However, the inside of the room was well-organized, so there was no disrespect.
“How have you been?”
Greta treated me without hesitation.
Having experienced such an active personality in the game, there is nothing surprising about it, but there was one thing that was unexpected.
“yes. I was busy, but I had a good time.”
“I have heard the news often. I heard that something big happened recently?”
Apart from being lively, Greta Morhaime didn’t show a serious side unless it was someone she recognized.
As we saw in the last meeting, unlike Minus, who had full power, he had only shown a playful side.
‘Is it because he came as an agent this time?’
Without making a big fuss, the conversation continued.
“If it’s a big deal, it could be a big deal, but our academy is famous for being very difficult to evaluate. In particular, the 4th grade evaluation is usually difficult.”
“I heard there were quite a few casualties for something like that?”
“Casualities have come every year. It seems to be better than average this year, but it’s just a pity.”
While me and Greta were talking, Amy made tea herself.
Amy, who had experience working at a cafe, brewed tea better than most people.
“thank you. Are you His Excellency Cromwell’s younger sister?”
“My name is Amy Cromwell.”
“It’s late to say hello. nice to meet you This is Greta Morhaime. He is the younger brother of Her Majesty Morhaime.”
As Amy sat next to me, Greta looked back and forth between us and smirked.
“It’s just like us brother and sister.”
“Thank you for a good look.”
“No. No. I don’t mean that, but we also focused only on my looks. Isn’t my brother honestly handsome?”
“hmm! hmm!”
Danard, who was next to him, cleared his throat.
Amy is pretty, but why am I criticizing her for looking like this?
“Amy is pretty.”
“brother!”
“Haha, I envy you two. My duke would get out of hand if I said something like this.”
Just saying trivial things made me feel impatient.
Since Salem is here now, it wasn’t very nice for the Duke of Morheim’s guests to stay for a long time.
‘Since the emperor is always watching, the news of the visit from the Duke of Morhaime will be known right away.’
It was difficult because I still had to hold my breath.
“So what did you visit today?”
“Sorry for the sudden visit. I should have sent a letter saying I would visit you a few days in advance, but something urgent came up and I came right away.”
“Is it urgent?”
“yes. The emperor has issued an official notice to call up troops.”
Greta said it with no weight at all, but the moment the words reached me, I realized that what was to come had come. Amy’s eyes were already round, but she grabbed my collar tightly next to me.
“Is it war?”
“I guess so, right? It is said to be called up for the Northern Expedition. So far, the news has only reached the duchy, and it will spread throughout the country within a few days.”
Greta, who rested her chin on the table and spoke with a grin, was watching my reaction.
I’m sorry for Greta, but I had already guessed, so I had no choice but to remain calm.
“Aren’t you surprised?”
“no. I am surprised enough.”
“Huh? I don’t think so?”
“Miss Greta.”
Dannard, who had been flinching at every word Greta said, eventually couldn’t stand it and stopped him by calling her name quietly.
“okay okay. I’ll stop kidding.”
Greta waved her hand and said lightly.
If you look at it like that, it’s the same as Minus, who is a blood relative.
“Anyway, not my brother, but His Highness Morhaime was a bit worried. Count Cromwell is also a high-ranking aristocrat, right? But since we don’t have any troops to send, we’ll end up paying for it with taxes and in kind, but I wonder if we can afford it.”
Of course, the higher the title, the greater the amount of troops and responsibility devoted to the war.
In the case of ordinary taxes, they are collected in proportion to the income earned, but the case of war was different.
I am a count who is called a high-ranking aristocrat.
I hadn’t really enjoyed anything as a count in the meantime, so I didn’t think much of it.
‘Even so… ….’
I thought I could afford it with the money I’m earning now, but that’s not it?
It was a realistic problem that I didn’t feel in the game.
“I’m sorry, but it doesn’t count. If you are a count, how much should you pay?”
“I knew it. It’s been so peaceful these days, so few people think about war tax. Perhaps the Countess will have to support 5 knights and 500 troops. If it is not replenished with troops, we will pay a war tax of about 1 billion won per month.”
10 billion?
did i hear it wrong
That’s a whopping 1 billion per month.
‘How much did I earn from patents… ….’
So far, a total of five patents have been issued, and the monthly income is about 530 million.
Of course, the Everlast Potion, which is famous as an aphrodisiac, had the majority of the stake, but I thought I was earning a lot even with this… ….
As expected, the world of medieval aristocrats was on a different scale.
Isn’t that kind of money no big deal for nobles with lands?
“Your Excellency will have the funds saved, so it will be fine for a few months, but the longer the war goes on, the harder it will be.”
“Um….”
I couldn’t say that I couldn’t even last two months.
A large part of my money was flowing into the liquidity fund of the top that Amy made, and I also tried strengthening.
“That’s fine.”
Amy, who had been listening at the time, responded casually.
I involuntarily turned my head and looked at Amy, and she was talking with a really unconcerned expression.
“The progress of the project will be delayed a little, but we can add about 1 billion won a month.”
Was the business like that? Have you ever been that big?
I didn’t know anything, so I just kept quiet.
If you have to show off what you don’t know here, it’s like leaking information to Morheim, so you should keep quiet.
“I’m glad then. Our Morhaime family thought about lending money just in case. Of course, apart from other customers, with a special discount of 33% per year.”
Isn’t 33% a year a bully?
Of course, he knew that the Duke of Morheim was a usury family, so he might be able to give them a cheaper price.
“Thank you for the offer. If you need any help in the future, I will send you a letter.”
“Send me any time. In the meantime, thanks to Sir Cromwell, I have received something, so I have to give you this much.”
Come to think of it, how much have I benefited from because of me?
Of course, I only thought about it on the inside and didn’t show it on the outside, but it’s a bit annoying.
“There will be an expedition to the north soon, but it won’t have much of an impact on His Excellency who will be at the academy.”
“It could be.”
Her head tilted at my ambiguous answer.
If the future experienced in the game is still the same, this northern expedition will be more troublesome than expected.
People here tend to look down on the northern barbarians, so they take expeditions lightly… ….
‘It doesn’t go as planned.’
Eventually, the aftermath spreads to the academy.
It’s a story after a little more time has passed, so there’s no need to say it now.
“Miss Greta.”
Danard quietly called Greta’s name.
It seemed like she was urging something, but Greta also said as if she had remembered something.
“Oh right. In fact, we came here to deliver this.”
Greta straightened her posture and took something out of her arms.
It was a letter sealed in wax with Morheim’s seal.
“This is a letter from Your Highness.”
I received a letter from her.
And, as if enchanted, I immediately felt something dispelled.
‘I’ve installed a simple magic so only I can see it.’
Since it was a simple magic, it was a magic that could be canceled even at the level of Lucia, but the fact that the magic was cast was important.
If it’s not important, there’s no need to do this.
“Should I open it now?”
“You can check it slowly. Now that I’m done with my work, I’d like to talk about business while I’m here. Amy is in charge of managing the upper management group, right?”
“yes. I am managing it.”
“Then, shall we talk among the ladies? Didn’t Danard say he wanted to see Sir Cromwell separately?”
When Greta quietly noticed, Dannard stood up with a wry smile.
I looked at Amy just in case, and she smiled as if she was okay.
“We’ll talk about the upper ranks among ourselves.”
“okay.”
I didn’t know anything about the corps anyway, so I left it to her and went out with Danard.
The front of the outbuilding was desolate.
Several building materials also stood out, as if to prove that the building had not yet been completed.
“My lady excused herself.”
“no. You came here with good intentions, but it’s rude.”
As the awkward air drifted, Dannard was the first to speak.
It was a big gangster who appeared, but his words were gentle.
Or did he inevitably become that kind of personality while supporting Minus and Greta?
“His Highness Morhaiim always wants to say thank you. I don’t know what happened, but I heard that it helped a lot.”
“I’m glad I was helpful.”
After that, the awkward atmosphere settled down again.
Eventually, as he decided to escort Danard to the drawing room in the main building, someone waved from far away.
“Sir Cromwell!”
It was none other than Salem who approached with a big smile and waving arms.
I wondered where he was, and he was coming out of a building that looked like a warehouse.
“Hey, when did you arrive?”
“…A guest is here right now, so can we talk a little later?”
“Yeah. I’m a very caught fish, is this? Are you sad about this?”
How could you pretend to know when Danard, the vice-captain of the Knights of Morheim, is by your side?
He seemed to be enjoying the way I was in trouble with his boisterous smile, which made me angry, but I managed to contain it and told Danyd.
“You showed me your ugly side. I will take you to the main building.”
Dannard suddenly began to take a closer look at Salem, as if there was something strange about this situation.
Of course, I’m a count, and you would think it was strange to see Salem saying everything he had to say to the count, only using honorifics.
“Sir Slay?”
I deliberately called Danard.
I can’t create unnecessary problems by getting entangled with Salem.
“Oh sorry. I feel like I’ve met you somewhere… ….”
Danard followed me, still keeping his eyes on Salem.
I quickened my pace to cut further interest.
But that was just my wish.
“Hmm?”
Stopping again, Danard creaked and quickly closed the distance to Salem.
Hoo-wook.
After that, the air suddenly shook… ….
Pew—!
The atmosphere rang with a tremendous explosion.
“ha ha ha! It’s all about punching!”
Salem, who casually avoided Daenerd’s sudden attack, burst into laughter.
“It was you too.”
Danard’s complexion hardened.
“Salem Yedidiah, a demon seeking the truth.”
