chapter_0004

4 – Heir of the Upper Realm ‘Noah’

4 – Heir of the Upper Realm ‘Noah’

Investment in the knights has increased the revenue of the territory.

Confused by the news, I asked Hart for an explanation, and he provided a clear one.

In the medieval era, there were many bandits between territories.

People fleeing from wicked lords,

Criminals who had committed crimes,

Nobles or knights from fallen families,

And various others with nowhere to go would band together in the mountains, giving birth to bandit groups.

Of course, those who formed such groups would sometimes create small villages and live quietly.

However, there was a very high probability that they would become bandits who ambushed travelers or merchants passing between territories.

Naturally, there were such bandits near our territory, and we had suffered various damages because of them.

Until recently, that is.

“Let’s wipe out all the bandits invading our territory!!!!”

“For the Crones Family!!!”

“Whoaahhh!!!”

Normally, we would have chased away or ignored the bandit attacks, but Captain Ricain led the knights and completely wiped them out.

Not only did they drive them away, but they also found their main base and utterly destroyed it, scattering the bandits in all directions.

As a result, the security of our territory improved significantly, and surrounding merchants began to use the roads of our territory, leading to a substantial increase in toll revenue.

“So, to summarize, our knights’ efforts have reduced the bandits, allowing merchants to pass through our territory and increasing our revenue?”

“Yes! That’s exactly right, my lord!!”

“……………”

I received the report from Hart and unfolded it.

Five major bandit groups operating on the southern trade route were eliminated,

A total of 165 bandit casualties,

Due to the stabilization of the trade route in the Crones territory, the passage rate for merchants through the Crones Family increased by 60% in the southern region,

While it is certainly commendable to protect the lives of the common folk by dealing with the bandits, I never expected our territory’s revenue to increase so much…

“Merchants will flock here even more.”

“Yes. The number of merchants passing through the Crones Family has increased by 60% compared to last month. Additionally, thanks to the safe trade route, merchants are transporting more than three times the goods they used to.”

“Make sure to convey my gratitude to the knights, along with sufficient rewards.”

“Yes! Understood, my lord.”

Hart nodded in response to my words.

Watching Hart leave with a joyful expression, I sighed.

Money was starting to increase again.

Three months had passed since the bandit suppression incident.

During that time, many things had changed in the territory.

First of all, the salaries of all the common folk had increased overall.

Farmers, clerks, miners, and everyone working in the territory wanted their salaries raised.

So, to consume the increased revenue of the territory, I raised everyone’s salaries.

After discussing with Hart, we raised the salaries sufficiently for everyone to be satisfied, and I thought this would lead to a deficit in the territory’s revenue.

But that didn’t happen.

First of all, labor efficiency skyrocketed like a salt field.

The production from farms and mines increased to the point where we no longer needed to import food and minerals from other territories.

Thanks to the clerks’ efforts, all the previously uncollected tax evasion amounts were recovered.

As the common folk’s income began to rise, consumption of luxuries like taverns, clothing, and books started to increase.

This, combined with the improved safety of the trade routes, led to a rapid increase in the number of shops, and branch offices of merchants were established to operate those shops.

With the various taxes they paid, the territory’s revenue ultimately increased by 102% compared to when I first possessed this body.

“This month, the net profit of the Crones Family has reached 937 gold, my lord.”

“That’s quite a lot.”

“Yes, it’s all thanks to your policies for the common folk, my lord.”

I looked at the box full of gold coins that Hart had brought.

The steel box, the size of an adult man, was so heavy that it took four soldiers to carry it.

Roughly calculating, it was about 20 billion in value in my previous life.

In my past life, I would have screamed in joy at the sight of this gold, but to me now, it felt like a one-way ticket to death.

Was this what the famous saying about treating gold like dirt meant?

“I can’t just fill my own pockets. Let’s distribute additional bonuses to everyone.”

“They have already been distributed, my lord.”

“…………”

To think that this much was left after distributing… my head was starting to ache.

At this rate, the Crones Family would become a plump pig filled with gold, and if a civil war broke out, we would be devoured.

‘I need a different approach…’

As I pondered a groundbreaking method to be loved by the common folk while reducing the family’s revenue, I looked down from the castle.

More people were bustling about than when I first possessed this body, and the streets were lively.

Not only the usual workers and housewives but all sorts of merchants were displaying various goods and conducting business.

I saw various luxury items like household goods, fruits, and books.

Thinking about it, it seemed that the number of merchants had tripled compared to usual.

Wait… merchants?… This is it!!

“Hart!!!”

“Yes! My lord.”

Having come up with a good idea, I immediately spoke to Hart.

At my words, Hart knelt and replied.

“Call the representative of the merchant guild that has settled in our territory.”

“Understood, my lord!”

Currently, the largest factor contributing to the increased revenue was the taxes paid by the merchant guild.

What is the cause of the revenue increase? Taxes!

Let’s destroy it.

『White Guild』

One of the four major guilds appearing in the World Archive, it is the largest guild with the most influence in the southern empire.

It is so significant that in missions in the southern region, whether or not to receive their assistance can be a decisive factor in mission success.

The representative of the Crones branch of that guild was none other than the direct heir of the White Guild, 『Noah White』.

With beautiful white hair flowing down to her waist and amethyst-like purple eyes.

With an appearance that anyone would recognize as that of a noble lady, she possessed beauty that captivated men, but her true weapon was something else.

It was the Blessing she was born with, .

Thanks to this blessing, which allowed her to know whether someone was lying or telling the truth, Noah established herself as an absolute presence in guild contracts.

It was impossible to deceive her, and that applied to lords as well.

Was that why?

To her, the world was a dull black-and-white place.

Even the most renowned lords and esteemed clergy were all deceitful snakes.

In a world driven by greed where everyone deceived one another, she eventually stopped expecting anything from people.

This time was no different.

“The lord wishes to meet with the representative of the White Guild.”

“Yes, I will see him right away.”

Upon receiving the summons from the lord, she thought that what had come was what was meant to come.

‘Here we go again…’

She easily predicted the reason the lord of the Crones Family had summoned her.

‘He’s probably going to demand additional taxes from the guild or expect a bribe.’

It was always the same.

When business began to thrive in the region, lords would summon them to make various demands.

Gold, treasures, food, magical tools, and so on; they would extort various things from the merchants.

The Crones Family had recently rapidly developed the territory by providing benevolent governance to the common folk.

So she had hoped that he might be a bit different from the other lords, but seeing him summon her like this, she was disappointed, thinking he was ultimately the same as the others.

‘Nobles are all the same in the end. They covet money and power, only caring about their own interests… well, isn’t that the same for us too?’

As usual, she had her subordinates prepare a treasure chest filled with gold to give as a bribe.

The subsequent events were the same.

Hand over the gold as a bribe, read the lord’s mind to find a satisfactory compromise, and ensure that business could continue smoothly here.

Thinking this, she visited the castle of the Crones Family.

Guided by the servants, she arrived at the reception room where the lord was waiting.

The young lord, 『Calix Crone』, who had become the lord after the sudden death of the previous lord.

He had a youthful face that looked similar to hers, silver hair characteristic of the Crones Family, and intense eyes befitting his title as a lord.

Other than that, there didn’t seem to be much difference from the other lords.

At least, not until now.

She bowed her head in greeting.

“Nice to meet you. I am ‘Noah White,’ the representative of the White Guild managing the Crones territory.”

“Is that so? You are the representative of the guild in our region?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

She raised her head to look at Calix.

Then, gesturing to the servant behind her, she said,

“To bless this meeting with the great lord of the Crones Family, I have prepared a small gift. Please accept it.”

“A gift?”

The servant approached and presented a heavy golden pouch before the lord.

When the pouch was opened, a mound of gold was revealed inside.

When receiving a gift that exceeded expectations during their first meeting, most lords could not hide their smiles.

Noah thought Calix would surely be the same.

And her expectations were shattered from the very first meeting.

Calix frowned and said,

“Did you say your name was ‘Noah White’?”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Take the gold you prepared and take it back.”

“……What?”

Calix rejected the gold she had brought.

Experiencing for the first time that things were not going as planned, she was engulfed in fear for the first time in her life.

A word from the author (Author’s Note)

Today’s quote: Treat gold like dirt

Thank you for reading today!!!