Episode 50: “I Don’t Have Money!” (1)
“Huh? Knight Commander, what brings you here?”
Ghislaine feigned ignorance as he asked.
He had just confirmed that there was a gift from Randolf in the list he received that morning.
Seeing that Randolf couldn’t wait until the reply gift was sent and had come to visit, it appeared he was quite anxious.
Randolf swallowed hard as he watched Ghislaine act all innocent.
‘Yesterday, he seemed like a monster without blood or tears. How could he even think of consuming all of that himself? What a greedy little brat.’
While cursing inwardly, he greeted Ghislaine with a bright, cheerful smile.
“After seeing the Grand Duke’s dignified demeanor yesterday, I truly believe the future of our territory is bright. However, Grand Duke, can the territory develop if it only serves your personal ambitions?”
At Randolf’s words, Ghislaine tilted his head in confusion and replied.
“Personal ambitions? I clearly stated I would support the territory on behalf of Raybold.”
Randolf shook his head.
“No, there are matters that cannot be resolved with mere funding. It’s about the Knights.”
In truth, the position of Knight Commander in Perdium was as good as worthless.
They had to fight in the north constantly and the pay was pathetic.
Thus, the number of Knights was always lacking. To make matters worse, betrayers had appeared recently.
When Jamal and Philip betrayed them, the angriest person was Randolf, but strangely, he was also the one who understood them the most.
‘Honestly, who would want to live the knightly life here?!’
Knights are high-level assets. If one lacks talent, they can’t even become a Knight, and if one has talent, it takes time to nurture them.
Other territories often offer high pay, while land-rich lords may grant small estates and take taxes from them.
Among those who chose to stay in Perdium, there were usually two types.
Those who still had some loyalty left and those slightly unhinged who just wanted to fight Barbarians in the north.
But even loyalty disappears when one goes hungry; it’s human nature.
Feigning sadness, Randolf spoke.
“To maintain the Knights… ahem, a little generosity from the Grand Duke would be appreciated. Uh, um, I mean a donation or something. Or perhaps a development fund?”
In short, he was asking for some extra cash for the Knights instead of taxes or support.
However, Ghislaine looked puzzled by that.
“Development fund” was a phrase Ghislaine loved to throw around, but it was a term he didn’t enjoy hearing back.
That was a phrase he reserved for when he needed to ask Amelia for money.
It was a phrase that could be used anytime.
“I don’t have any money!”
His unwavering expression was exceptionally annoying.
Randolf barely restrained himself from swinging his fist and pretended to scratch his head.
‘Don’t get worked up. Somehow, I need to extract money from him.’
“Hahaha, saying the richest person in the territory has no money is like saying a bandit won’t rob you. Hahahaha.”
That comparison was quite aggressive.
Ghislaine internally found it absurd but laughed just like Randolf.
“I already have uses for it all. So, it’s practically all spent. Hahahaha.”
Randolf tapped his forehead with his fist to collect himself.
‘I need to hold it together. There’s no way money is coming out.’
Every time he approached Albert, it was always the same story about having no money, and there was no way to persuade him.
Even when money did come in, it was always spent somewhere else first, so the knight order’s situation wouldn’t improve. No matter what he attempted, he couldn’t do anything.
Even if Ghislaine were to provide support instead of Raybold, it would still end up being the same.
After all, it would just be to fill the money he originally received, so there wouldn’t be any budget allocated to the poor knight order.
It was obvious they would continue to be as broke as before.
Therefore, Randolf had no intention of letting this opportunity slip away.
“No, where on earth do you plan to spend that much money alone? It should be for the territory! For the territory!”
Ghislaine nodded with a look of admiration.
He parroted Randolf’s words like a parrot.
“Of course, it should be for the territory. Naturally, I plan to spend it all for the territory.”
“For the territory… how so?”
“I have everything planned out.”
Randolf cautiously asked, “Does the knight order’s support fit into that plan?”
Ghislaine widened his eyes.
“That’s not going to happen, you know? It’s not included.”
Randolf lowered his head to conceal his shocked expression and regulated his breathing again.
‘Wow, he really seems determined to spend it all himself. Should I resort to threats?’
Just as the knight commander was contemplating extreme measures, someone came to find Ghislaine. It was none other than Albert, the treasury administrator of the territory.
“Ahem, I see someone got here first. Grand Duke, are you well?”
It was clear without looking why Albert had shown up. Randolf blocked his path warily.
“Brother? No, why is the treasury administrator here? You should be working, right? I was talking with the Grand Duke first. Come back later.”
Randolf tried to subtly push him away, but Albert stood his ground firmly.
He clicked his tongue and admonished Randolf as if he were a child.
“Is the knight commander really going to just sit here without training? Hurry and focus on your training. A drop of sweat during training saves a drop of blood in war.”
“Who do you think you are talking about knowing about a sword and never having picked one up? I’ll handle it myself. You go calculate money or something.”
“You need money to calculate money.”
The two of them smiled while glaring at each other, holding their ground.
Seeing this, Ghislaine shook his head.
It seemed those two had no intention of leaving his room anytime soon.
Finally, Ghislaine asked Albert, “Did you come here because you need a small donation or some development fund… something like that?”
At the direct question, Albert cleared his throat, seemingly embarrassed.
“Ahem, indeed, Grand Duke, you are remarkably perceptive. With such sharp wit, it’s no wonder you’re bringing back the great task of acquiring the runestone. You are destined for greatness.”
“It’s a matter of concern.”
Albert tried his best to flatter, but he only reached Randolf’s level.
Whether he realized Ghislaine was inwardly chuckling or not, Albert looked at her with prideful eyes.
“Ahem, while I appreciate your willingness to support in Raybold’s stead… we actually need a chunk of money urgently to solve the pressing issue.”
Ghislaine nodded.
“If the Treasurer is in a hurry, it must be… the debt problem.”
“That’s right. I believe paying off the debt is the most urgent task. Ultimately, the territory’s debt will fall to the Grand Duke who inherits Perdium. The family’s debt is the Grand Duke’s debt, and the Grand Duke’s money is the family’s money, isn’t it?”
Albert spoke with a gentle smile.
Ghislaine, looking incredulous, plainly expressed, “That’s not true.”
“What?”
“My money is my money.”
Where does this guy think he’s pulling a fast one?
Seeing Ghislaine’s decisive attitude, Albert’s expression momentarily twisted.
‘Wow, I never saw this coming. She’s a real money ghost. A money ghost!’
Although Albert was grumbling inside, he couldn’t show it and instead put on an awkward smile again.
“Ahem, regardless of whose money it is, it’s unreasonable for the Grand Duke to turn a blind eye while the territory is in trouble, don’t you think? To be honest, just paying off the debt will improve the territory’s situation quickly. It’s all for the sake of the territory, you know?”
For the first time, Ghislaine realized how quickly Albert’s expressions changed.
Normally, he always had a cold look.
It was almost fascinating how his face twisted and laughed in every moment.
Not really listening to what Albert was saying, Ghislaine was caught up in observing his face and then tilted her head a bit late.
“But, I don’t have any money.”
Hearing that, like Randolf did before, Albert scrunched up his face.
He seemed to be trying to control the rising anger, slowly enunciating each word.
“Why… don’t you have any money?”
“I mentioned it to the Knight Commander as well, but it’s already all allocated to certain spending. So I don’t have any.”
Albert, unable to comprehend her words, pleaded with urgency.
“What on earth are you planning to spend it on? Shouldn’t you consult with us before using that large sum of money?”
“Why would I need to consult about my own money? I’ll manage it, so you don’t have to worry.”
“How could I not worry about that!”
Albert cried out, but Ghislaine was getting a bit tired of dealing with both of them and snapped back.
“Don’t worry, it’s for the territory.”
Naturally, neither of them believed that at all.
Considering Ghislaine’s past, it was clear she was just going to waste it on herself.
There was no way they could let her blow that much money on useless things.
The two of them protested urgently.
“No, just what could be more urgent than paying off the territory’s debt? Isn’t it a waste of the money that’s going out in interest?”
“What are you talking about? Prioritizing the Knights over the debt is the way to go. Look at other territories. Even if they are in debt, they keep their Knights in top condition. The Knights are the strength of the territory, right? Strength!”
“Oh, what foolish talk! Without the interest, that money could be used in countless ways. What about the Knights!”
“No, this guy has become so out of touch, just counting money in his room every day. At the end of the day, if we don’t have the strength to fight, it’ll all just be wasted anyway, right? If you have strength, no one can complain even if you don’t pay your debts!”
“I’m telling you, if you don’t pay back the money, nobody can say a word.”
“Tsk tsk, is that a knight? There’s always an order to everything in this world.”
“And that order starts with the knight order and the troops!”
For some reason, the two had started raising their voices at each other instead of talking to Ghislaine.
They became a spectacle, taking out their frustrations on each other since it seemed they wouldn’t be getting money from her.
“What are you going to do? Let’s just prioritize paying back the debt first! Our territory’s credit is in the gutter!”
“If we start with the knight order, I’ll hold back the creditors, okay? There’s no trade in front of a blade!”
“…….”
I just don’t get why they’re arguing over someone else’s money.
As Ghislaine sighed and tried to shove them both away, a knight arrived.
“Grand Duke, the Lord urgently seeks you.”
“Oh, really? Then I must go right away.”
Happy to hear the news, she attempted to leave, but Albert and Randolf tried to follow her.
The knight, however, spoke firmly.
“You were specifically asked to come alone, Grand Duke.”
Under the stern lord’s order, the two couldn’t follow and could only shout from behind.
“What if we’re supposed to pay back the debt quickly?!”
“Hand over the knight order! If you don’t, I’ll disrupt you every time you try to spend money! I’ll smash everything!”
Leaving the shouting duo behind, Ghislaine headed straight for her father’s office.
Honestly, it felt like they would all lose their minds if they stayed together any longer.
The knights guarding the office slowly opened the door upon her arrival.
Creeeak.
It’s chilly. An eerie feeling stabs at my heart.
The room was filled with a tension that felt like the calm before a storm.
Zvalter was standing with his arms crossed, gazing out the window.
Sensing something was off, Ghislaine cautiously broke the silence.
“Did you call for me?”
“Yes, are you alright?”
“Yes, it seems like it wasn’t a serious injury. I recovered faster than I expected.”
“That’s good to hear. You’re involved in big matters, so make sure to take care of yourself going forward.”
“Yes, I will keep that in mind.”
While replying, Ghislaine tilted her head.
Many times she had gotten hurt worse than this while causing trouble, yet her father had never expressed concern like this before.
Still with his arms crossed, Zvalter continued to gaze out the window.
“The weather is nice. So, have you thought about how to use the revenue from the Runestone?”
“Yes, as I mentioned before, I’ll provide support equivalent to the amount we lost from Raybold, and plan to use the rest for something I’m working on separately.”
After a moment of silence in response to Ghislaine’s answer, Zvalter spoke again.
“I trust you’ll handle it well. I believe you when you say you’ll use it for the territory.”
“Yes.”
“You’ve caused quite a lot of trouble since you were young. You’ve brought losses to the territory.”
“……Yes.”
“I have forgiven you every time the retainers suggested locking you up. Because you’re my child. That’s a father’s sentiment.”
“Uh, well….”
Ghislaine tilted her head again. The flow of conversation made no sense.
Was he worried about her injury, or did he suddenly want to blame her for past troubles? She couldn’t figure it out.
Then, Zvalter repeated his earlier words.
“I trust you’ll handle it well.”
“…….”
Slowly, things started to click. Ghislaine narrowed her eyes and gazed at her father.
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