---

Chapter

51: “But I don’t have money!”

Zvalter seemed absolutely uninterested in making eye contact with his son, staring out the window with a stern and serious expression.

Clearing his throat, Zvalter opened his mouth again.

“The weather is nice.”

“Yes.”

“The weather is really nice.”

“Yes, it is quite nice.”

Ghislaine shrugged off the serious atmosphere and responded apathetically.

An awkward silence began to fill the room.

While Zvalter gazed out the window, he suddenly started talking to himself.

“It’s been quite a while since one side of the Northern Fortress fell. They say it will cost about 5,000 gold to repair it… No, never mind, I shouldn’t say such unnecessary things…”

“……”

As Ghislaine remained silent, Zvalter closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

“Hah, where am I supposed to find 5,000 gold in this state? I’m supposed to head out soon to fend off the barbarians! Tsk, tsk, it’s all my incompetence. I never thought our territory would be so broke.”

Ghislaine looked at her father with a dumbfounded expression.

It’s not like she wanted to outright ask for money like Albert and Randolf, but wasn’t her father clearly implying he wanted donations?

Suddenly, she recalled something her mother used to say when she was little.

—Your father worries a lot and just suffers alone every day. Especially when it comes to talking about money, he can’t be honest. Something about a man’s pride or whatever? He keeps going in circles and when I pretend not to understand, he ends up sulking alone. Isn’t that funny?

‘Wow, I thought it was exaggerated, but it’s really true?’

While Ghislaine was speechless in disbelief, Zvalter bit his lip and grumbled to himself.

‘Can’t he just give me a little nudge after talking this much? She’s just like her mother! How can she have inherited only that trait?’

Still, the Countess used to miraculously find money and leave it without anyone knowing.

Recalling old memories, Zvalter sighed again.

“Hah… I wish someone would donate a bit for the territory… You know, something like a development fund.”

“……”

It seemed that liking development funds was a family trait.

Ghislaine pondered for a moment about what to do.

She felt like her father would keep sighing and dragging things on until he received money.

‘Well, the Northern Fortress could do with a little investment. I was planning to expand it anyway.’

She intended to subdue the North eventually, but until then, her father had to take care of things.

She was even considering providing some support, so it felt reasonable to hand over the repair costs.

“I’ll sell a Runestone and initially send over 5,000 gold.”

She said it boldly, but Zvalter flinched for a moment before shaking his head.

“No. Didn’t you say you have plans? There’s no need to hold back your projects for some ‘important work for the territory.'”

“No, it’s fine. I genuinely want to support you, so it’s okay.”

“I’m fine with it, too. The Northern Fortress has held up until now…”

“Doesn’t seem like that to me.”

“Ahem, I’m fine!”

“Oh, fine, I’ll just give it to you.”

“…Is that really okay?”

Zvalter nodded and looked back out the window.

If he showed excitement right away, it would hurt his dignity, so he pretended to be nonchalant.

“Okay, if you really want to give it to me that much, I won’t stop you. Thanks to you, I can finally repair the Northern Fortress after a long time. Hahaha.”

“Then, I’ll be busy and take my leave.”

“Oh, right. I can’t keep holding up a busy person. Go on and handle your work. You’re not going far.”

Zvalter’s mood improved significantly. He felt a sense of pride in having raised his son well.

‘Next time, I should just ask confidently. Surprisingly, she gives without much fuss! Sigh, she’s totally her mother’s daughter.’

Leaving behind her pleased father, Ghislaine let out a deep sigh as she exited the office.

“Ugh, this is even more tiring.”

Dealing with people was more exhausting than fighting in the Forest of Monsters.

It felt like her mana was being drained even while just standing still.

“I need to start the next task immediately.”

Staying in the territory would mean endless torment, so it was better to move quickly.

*

Chief Officer Homern was taking a slightly different approach compared to other retainers.

“Heh, does he think I’ve only seen the Grand Duke for a day or two? He’s definitely not the type to just give money because someone whines.”

Ghislaine claimed she would use the money for the territory, but no one knew how she would use it.

Having experienced countless hardships in a financial-strapped territory, Homern had no intention of falling for mere lip service.

Somehow, he was determined to secure the money for himself and manage it directly.

‘No matter how I think about it, the Grand Duke won’t have that many places to spend money.’

Even if he raised troops, Runestones weren’t exactly cheap items. Gathering and training soldiers in a reasonably sized territory would still leave plenty of money left over.

Moreover, since troops hadn’t been recruited yet, the only expenses were the wages for the mercenaries and laborers who participated in the development.

If he ended up splurging on entertainment, it would be a tremendous loss.

In fact, Ghislaine wasn’t the only one he couldn’t trust.

“I need to gather as much money as I can before Albert and Randolf make their moves.”

The two would undoubtedly prioritize spending on areas they deemed important.

It wasn’t that their opinions were wrong. They were indeed important.

However, unlike them who only thought about their specific tasks, for the Chief Officer overseeing the entire territory, there were far too many things that needed focus.

From securing food supplies to repairing castle walls, reinforcing troops, paying overdue wages, creating relief measures for the territory residents, repaying debts to merchant groups, and securing war horses and equipment, maintaining and upgrading facilities within the territory…

There were far too many places where money was needed within this territory.

Since he couldn’t address all issues at once, he had to solve them step by step, starting from the most urgent matters.

To do that, it was best for him, who could see the whole territory, to be in charge of the funds.

“Heh, if it’s hard to take down the target, start by shaking the surroundings. It’s the basics of military strategy.”

Instead of asking Ghislaine directly, Homern headed straight to Belinda.

She had been looking after Ghislaine since she was young, serving in a tutor’s role.

No matter how reckless the Grand Duke was, she wouldn’t be able to flatly refuse if he asked.

Homern praised himself inwardly for grasping the essence of politics.

“Oh, Belinda. How’s your health?”

“Oh my, Baron, what brings you here?”

Belinda was surprised to welcome an unexpected visitor.

Homern had been treating her as if she were a nonexistent person ever since Ghislaine became such a troublemaker.

That he would come looking for her was unexpected.

“Ahem, I heard you weren’t feeling well, so I thought I’d come check.”

“Oh, I’m feeling much better now.”

“That’s a relief. You must take care of yourself since you’re responsible for the Grand Duke.”

Though she treated him as a non-person, Belinda didn’t harbor any resentment or dislike toward Homern.

She thought it was reasonable, after all.

When Ghislaine was at her worst, nobody in the territory liked him.

Given she was also acting as a tutor, everyone thought Ghislaine’s mischief reflected her poor teaching.

After exchanging pleasantries and allowing the atmosphere to warm, Homern subtly pulled something out and handed it to Belinda.

“Ahem, take this… it’s nothing special, but please accept it.”

“What’s this all of a sudden… oh my!”

Homern presented her with a rose-shaped brooch made of gold and jewels.

As she examined the brooch for a moment, she was astonished when she saw the small engraved logo.

“Is this by any chance ‘Sharnel’?”

“Oh, Belinda, you have quite the eye. It is indeed Sharnel. Hahaha.”

Belinda scrutinized the brooch suspiciously, turning it over and over.

‘Sharnel’ is one of the most renowned artisans across the continent.

In impoverished Perdium, it was an expensive item that was hard to even catch a glimpse of.

“Is this real?”

“Of course, it’s real! I have my dignity; why would I carry a fake?”

“But why give this to me…?”

Even though she spoke with surprise, her eyes glimmered with intrigue.

Homern flashed a meaningful smile and said.

“I have a little favor to ask…”

Upon hearing the word ‘favor,’ Belinda hesitated but nodded her head nonetheless.

“Wasn’t the Grand Duke supposed to make quite a bit of money this time? He says he’s going to use it for the territory, but… wouldn’t it be better for him to give the money to me rather than spend it himself?”

Homern waved his hands in mock embarrassment and continued.

“It’s not that I’m saying I don’t trust the Grand Duke! But whether the money is spent or not, it should be used in the most efficient manner. After all, I’m mainly in charge of the territory’s affairs. What do you think?”

Although he spoke in a roundabout way, it was a request for money.

Belinda thought for a long moment but ultimately shook her head.

“I’m sorry. Please take this back. I can’t make such a request of the Grand Duke. He should use his own money at his discretion.”

“Cough, can’t we find a way around this? It’s for the territory anyway. You’re only being asked to help a little.”

“I’m sorry. I can’t do that.”

Although Homern tried to persuade her multiple times, all she repeated was that it wasn’t possible.

He reluctantly thought about asking Elena instead and tried to take back the brooch.

But the brooch wouldn’t budge from Belinda’s hand at all.

Homern, puzzled, tugged harder on the brooch.

‘Huh? Why isn’t this coming off?’

Belinda wore a disappointed expression.

“Since I can’t fulfill your request, it’s best to just take it back…”

Though she suggested he take it, Homern found it impossible to pull it free no matter how hard he tried.

‘This is insane!’

Upon closer inspection, he noticed a faint bluish light surrounding the brooch.

Belinda was clinging onto it with her mana.

‘Wow, this is ridiculous! I need to ask Lady Elena to take care of this. Look at her biting down and sweating!’

Homern thought about shouting at her but soon reconsidered.

Other injured soldiers were lying next to her, and maids were bustling about.

It would just embarrass him to pick a fight over the brooch with someone who was already sick.

‘Now I understand why the Grand Duke turned out the way he did!’

Given how the tutor handled things, it was no wonder the student was a disaster.

Homern gave up and turned to leave, thinking he’d find another opportunity to retrieve it later.

As he walked away, Belinda curiously asked, “Chief Officer, aren’t you going to take this?”

Who stopped him from taking it! Homern just turned his head and glared at Belinda.

“The Grand Duke is exactly like you!”

Frustration boiled over for Homern, and he muttered a final remark, stomping out of the room.

Once he was gone, Belinda smiled contentedly, turning the brooch over and snuggling under her blanket.

Outside, Homern fumed and racked his brain.

“I can’t just go find the lady right now.”

The only valuable possession he had was the brooch, and now Belinda had forcefully taken it.

It would be embarrassing to go and request help empty-handed.

After contemplating for a while, Homern soon brightened with a fantastic thought.

“Of course! There’s Guard Knight Fergus!”

Fergus had been with her since Ghislaine was little, just like Belinda.

Moreover, being older than Belinda, if he asked, Ghislaine would likely feel more tenderhearted.

Homern resolved to target Fergus and urged his retainers to fetch a Mandragora root.

Although it was shriveled and unkempt, it was still an expensive medicinal herb worth quite a bit.

He recalled and set off towards Fergus’s lodgings.

“Sir Fergus! Are you here?”

Upon entering the lodging, he found Fergus sitting on the bed reading a book.

“Isn’t that Chief Officer Homern? What brings you here?”

Fergus looked surprised but greeted him warmly.

“It’s nothing much; I was wondering if I could give you something beneficial for your health…”

Just as he was about to take out the precious Mandragora root he had brought with utmost care, something caught his eye.

A pile of Mandragora roots and various nutritional supplements stacked beside Fergus.

Homern blinked for a long moment before pointing to them with trembling hands.

“What are those? Why are there so many precious things like that?”

With a proud smile, Fergus replied,

“Haha, the Grand Duke brought a lot with him before entering the Forest of Monsters. Would you like a few as well, Chief Officer?”

As soon as Ghislaine had some money, she had immediately bought a whole bunch of healthy herbs for Fergus.

Homern’s expression turned gloomy as he switched his gaze between the meager Mandragora root he held and the impressive pile beside Fergus.

“No, it’s fine. Just being okay is enough.”

As he gathered up the pathetic Mandragora root and left, he seemed especially pitiful today.

 

---