episode_0074

Pretty big conference room.

Here, under the chairmanship of the Pieta Chamber of Commerce, investment companies and investors who were unable to fulfill the Grand Duchy bond call option contract were gathered.

The reason was that if they went bankrupt, the empire’s economy would suffer a huge blow, so an information session was held to present an alternative to them.

The reason why I participated in the information session of Pieta Company, which officially has nothing to do with me…

It is said that I proposed a technology investment fund management business to Pieta Company, and Pieta Company accepted the proposal and invited me.

-Why did the Grand Duke come here?

-I heard that the Pieta Company invited the Archduke.

– Isn’t it possible that the Pieta Company made a secret pact with the Archduke?

-Shhh… there you are. If you say something like that carelessly, you’ll be in big trouble. Personally, I doubt that Pieta Company made such huge profits… but isn’t the person involved next to them?

I can hear everything. You guys.

When I think like that.

Karl, the current owner of Pieta Company, goes up to the podium.

[Hmm… Thank you all for your hard work coming from far away. We are gathered here today to mediate our call option contract. First of all, we would like to thank His Highness Archduke Debian for providing us with this investment opportunity.]

I read the speech I wrote that begins like this.

[Everyone probably knows that many of the call options our company purchased at a high premium have defaulted, resulting in huge losses.]

What a loss… On the contrary, it was a huge gain.

The madness of capitalism felt really scary.

Clearly, there are more bond contracts floating around than the bonds I have issued…

How crazy is this situation?

Thanks to you, I made a lot of money.

I am in trouble because I earn too much.

This is to the extent that not just a few large investment companies but the majority of investment companies are at risk of going bankrupt.

[However, I think it would be wrong to say that I am not aware of your difficult situation, so I prepared this event.]

And then he takes a large piece of paper and sticks it on the wall and says:

[Currently, the Empire is said to be creating a technology investment fund. So, we have decided to sell your bonds resulting from your failure to fulfill the contract to Empire and put the money into an investment fund.]

-What…what’s going on?

-The Empire is buying our bonds?

The place becomes noisy.

-How on earth is this going?

– Instead of talking in circles in a frustrating way, try to talk about it honestly.

[It is literally. The Empire sold the debts you incurred to the Pieta Company to the Empire, but the benevolent Grand Duke presented you with a generous offer.]

-A generous offer…?

[You guys have decided to forgive 1/15th of the debt. However, this is on the condition that you must invest in a technology investment fund.]

-Well… does that make sense?

I think if we reduce their debt by 1/15th, they will survive quite a bit.

Well… if it goes bankrupt, I plan to take over and run it under a different name.

It makes no sense to just throw away the infrastructure and talent they have built.

In addition, in order to prevent the financial vacuum created by the collapse of investment companies, we must first prevent them from going bankrupt.

-What is that investment fund?

-Please explain in detail!

I don’t know how many nights I stayed up trying to come up with a fantasy fund.

There is no concept of fund here yet.

The atmosphere in the hall becomes noisy with joy.

[Hmm… I’ll explain that from now on.]

And then Carol explains the paper stuck on the wall.

[In this way, you put 3% of your net profit into an investment fund every year, and this money is managed by the empire to invest in technology development. And we receive 6% interest from companies that have been invested for 10 years and share the profits with you.]

At those words, the hall becomes quiet.

It seems like each person is calculating in their head what the benefit is.

Well, even if the company they invested in goes bankrupt, it will be difficult for them to reject it right away.

It looks like his company is going bankrupt now. Are you even considering companies you invested in in the distant future?

I would rather think about accounting fraud to reduce 3% of net profit.

Because accounting fraud is common here.

[Of course, I will give you an investment certificate and allow you to buy and sell the investment certificate. Also, the empire promised to put your debt into an investment fund, so it will be quite large.]

-Clap! Clap!

Suddenly, applause erupts and people stand up one by one.

-Glory to the Empire! Glory to the Empire!

-Oh~ Merciful Grand Duke…

-May there be long peace for the Empire!

Seeing them starting to praise me, I try to hide my hurt feelings and smile and wave my hands.

Seeing them so moved makes my conscience prick.

I am the main culprit of market manipulation.

Since the victims are praising the perpetrators, I myself feel deep disgust.

Well… my conscience hurts, but the reaction on the scene isn’t bad.

***

A few days passed like that.

An old friend awaits at a port on the Tiber River.

A ship passing through a magnificent underwater wall and approaching the port.

As the colorful mast with a lion drawn on it began to come into view, the guard next to me spoke.

“Grand Duke. Commander Agrippa’s ship has arrived.”

I nod my head at those words.

As the ship docked at the port, a handsome man with blonde hair got off the ship and said hello to me.

“Your Majesty the Grand Duke, how have you been?”

“Thanks to you, I had a good time.”

So we look at each other and smile.

“Now, let’s quickly go to the imperial palace. I have prepared a dinner for you.”

I cannot sit still in the success of myself and my dear friend Agrippa.

As soon as the war was over, they decided to invite Agrippa to the imperial palace and have a banquet.

Well… I was going to call Mary too, but Mary decided to stay in the Grand Duchy in case there were any unsavory moves.

“Haha… Don’t you think I know that you’re trying to pass on the affairs of the empire to me?”

I nod my head brightly at those words.

“Of course.”

As we board the carriage, we talk about recent events.

“Yes. How do you feel about going to war for the first time?”

Agrippa closes his eyes for a moment at my words.

“It was more miserable than I thought.”

Feeling like I’m reminiscing about something, I wait for him in silence.

Soon he opens his eyes slightly and says.

“Whether an ally or an enemy… I don’t think the sight of someone dying is very good.”

“Okay…”

I have never been to a battlefield myself, but I somehow think so.

A moment of silence passes between us.

“They will blame me, right?”

Agrippa, who thought about my words for a moment, spoke.

“Maybe so.”

Yeah… I guess so.

“How can it be that the Grand Duke is not a pilbu? Are you heartbroken over something like that?”

Agrippa, seeing my listless appearance, begins to groan.

“It is wrong for the person who leads the Grand Duchy of France on a small scale and the empire on behalf of the Emperor to be so sad because only a few thousand people have died. War is not a good thing, but if you don’t slit the rotten and festering parts, your whole body will get sick. Don’t you know that you must boldly fight war when necessary?”

I know.

“I know… but…”

He firmly turns his head left and right in response to my words.

“Of course, there were sacrifices. This is for the sake of everyone who survived, so don’t take it too seriously. Rather, I am worried that the path you are currently aiming for may be shaken due to fear of war.”

“Phew… Right. Because it’s something that can’t be undone now. don’t worry. It hurts, but there’s no other way, right?”

I am already on top of the game of power.

Defeat here means death.

Not only does it end in my death, but everyone I love falls into humiliation and despair.

Agrippa nods at my words and smiles slightly.

“That’s right. We’ve come too far to give up now.”

Afterwards, a banquet for Agrippa is held at the imperial palace.

Agrippa is astonished when he sees Theodora, Lucius, and Joey.

“Woe… The princess is also… No… No, are you in the Grand Study Department?”

Joey just smiles sheepishly at Agrippa’s words.

“Hehe… I just happened to…”

Ah… I didn’t tell you that I got caught for writing a BL novel.

I couldn’t bear to tell Joy that I was using Agrippa as a subject matter and that I was using BL water, so I didn’t say anything.

“I can’t believe Her Majesty the Princess thinks so much about the country. It is the blessing of the empire.”

Indeed… was it the empire’s blessing that the princess was captured for writing a BL novel?

I don’t want to receive blessings like this.

Agrippa, who is unaware of the situation, is puzzled as he sees the more the expressions on his and Theodora’s faces change to despair as he smiles brightly.

But we decide to hide this from Agrippa for the sake of Joey’s image.

The act of writing a BL novel here…

A serious crime for which there is nothing to say even if one is locked up in the Vatican’s dungeon and tortured.

No matter how much she is a princess, if she is known to be writing such homosexual novels, will she be able to get married?

Unlike today, homosexuality is no different from a crime here.

Well… that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist at all.

In fact, there are several nobles suspected of being homosexual, but they were not arrested due to the power of the family.

If you were an ordinary imperial citizen, you would be tortured and then burned at the stake.

“Hehe… Sister! They say I am the blessing of the empire.”

But the thoughtless sister-in-law laughs brightly at Agrippa’s words.

She’s pretty because she’s my mother-in-law’s daughter.

Joy has a delicate and lovely face that makes those who see her face feel the desire to protect and protect them.

Looking at her and Theodora, I keenly realize that the face is not everything when looking at a woman.

I can’t believe you like BL with a face like that.

“Yes… It is truly a blessing from the empire.”

Theodora, looking at Joey with cold eyes, responds coldly, but Joey pays him no mind and speaks with a bright smile.

“Your Majesty~ Is it good to have a younger brother like you?”

At those words, Theodora frowned and grabbed Joey’s cheeks…

“Ugh! Ah… it hurts!”

Theodora says, pressing her brother’s cheeks as hard as she can.

“Yes, such a lovely thing to Jim! Little brother! It’s really nice to have it!”

“Ugh! Bo… don’t pinch me!”