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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 4: The Successor of the Merchant Guild『Nova』
Investing in the knights had increased the territory’s profits.
Confused by this unexpected news, I asked Hart for an explanation, and he explained it clearly.
In the medieval era, there were many bandits roaming between territories.
People fleeing from cruel lords, criminals on the run, fallen nobles or knights from ruined families, and various others with nowhere else to go, would gather in the mountains and form groups—voila, a bandit gang was born.
Of course, some of these groups settled quietly in small villages.
But very often, they became bandits who ambushed travelers and merchants passing between territories.
Naturally, there were such bandits near our territory as well, and they caused a lot of trouble.
Until recently, that is.
“Let’s wipe out all the bandits invading our territory!!”
“For the Cron family!!”
“Waaaaah!!!”
Normally, bandit attacks would be dealt with by simply driving them off or ignoring them. But Commander Rikain led the knights and wiped them out completely.
Not only did they drive the bandits away, but they also tracked down their bases and utterly destroyed them, scattering the bandits in all directions.
As a result, the security in our territory greatly improved, and nearby merchants started using our roads more frequently, greatly increasing the toll revenues.
“So, to sum it up, thanks to the efforts of our knights, the number of bandits decreased, merchants started passing through our territory more, and profits increased?”
“Yes! Exactly, my lord!”
I took the report Hart handed me and unfolded it.
⋮
• Five major bandit groups active on the southern trade route eradicated.
• Total bandit deaths: 165
• With the southern trade route stabilized, merchant traffic passing through the Cron territory increased by 60%.
⋮
While it was certainly praiseworthy to have protected the lives of our people by dealing with bandits, I hadn’t expected it to boost our territory’s profits so much...
“Merchants will flock here even more.”
“Yes. The number of merchants passing through the Cron territory increased by 60% compared to last month. Thanks to the safer trade routes, merchants are transporting over three times as much goods as before.”
“Make sure to tell the knights they’ve done well. Reward them generously and together.”
“Yes, my lord. Understood.”
Hart nodded in response to my words.
Watching him leave happily, I let out a sigh.
The money was starting to increase again.
＊ ＊ ＊
Three months had passed since the bandit purge.
During that time, many things in the territory had changed.
First of all, the wages of all the residents had increased.
Tenant farmers, clerks, miners—everyone working in the territory wanted higher pay.
So, to spend the increased revenue, I raised everyone’s wages.
After discussing with Hart, we raised wages across the board to a satisfactory level for all, and I thought this would put the territory’s finances in the red.
But that didn’t happen.
Overall labor efficiency skyrocketed, much like what happened with the salt fields.
Farm and mine production increased to the point that importing large amounts of food and minerals from other territories was no longer necessary.
Thanks to the clerks’ efforts, all the previously uncollected tax evasion was discovered and reclaimed.
As the residents’ income grew, consumption of luxury goods like tavern drinks, clothing, and books began to rise.
This, combined with the safer trade routes, led to a sudden boom in shops opening up, and branch offices of merchant guilds appeared to manage these stores.
The various taxes they paid ultimately caused the territory’s revenue to increase by 102% compared to when I first took over.
“This month, the Cron family’s net profit is 937 gold, my lord.”
“That’s quite a haul.”
“Yes, all thanks to your policies for the residents, my lord.”
I looked at the box Hart brought—filled to the brim with gold coins.
The steel chest was about the size of an adult man, and four soldiers struggled to carry it due to its weight.
A rough calculation put its value at about 20 billion in my past life’s currency.
If this were my past life, I would have screamed in joy at seeing this gold—but now, it looked like a one-way ticket to death.
Is this how a certain wise man felt when he said to treat gold like it was sacred?
“I can’t just keep all this for myself. Give everyone an additional allowance.”
“That has already been done, my lord.”
“......”
Even after giving out bonuses, this much gold remains…
My head began to ache.
At this rate, the Cron family would become a fat pig filled with gold, and if a civil war broke out, we would be devoured.
‘I need some other way...’
Thinking hard about a revolutionary way to reduce the family’s revenue while still being loved by the residents, I looked out beyond the castle walls.
More people were moving about than when I first arrived, and the streets were lively.
Not just workers and housewives as usual, but all kinds of merchants displayed a variety of goods and were doing business.
There were all kinds of daily necessities, fruits, books, and various luxury goods.
Now that I think about it, the number of merchants seems to have tripled.
Wait... merchants? That’s it!
“Hart!”
“Yes, my lord.”
I immediately told Hart my idea.
He knelt and answered.
“Summon the representatives of the merchant guilds settled in our territory.”
“Understood, my lord!”
The biggest factor in the increased revenue right now was the taxes collected from the merchant guilds.
What’s the cause of the revenue increase? Taxes!
Time to shake things up.
＊ ＊ ＊
『White Merchant Guild』
One of the Four Great Merchant Guilds featured in World Archive, the White Merchant Guild is the most influential guild in the southern region of the Empire.
Their importance is such that, in southern missions, the outcome could depend entirely on whether you secured their support for supplies.
The representative of the White Merchant Guild’s Cron branch was none other than the direct heir of the guild itself 『Nova White』.
She had stunning silver hair flowing down to her waist and eyes the color of amethyst.
With her graceful features, she looked every bit the noble lady and could easily captivate the hearts of men.
But her true weapon lay elsewhere.
She was born with a divine blessing〈The Eyes of Truth and Falsehood〉.
Thanks to this gift, which allowed her to instantly discern lies from truth, Nova held an unshakable position within the company’s contract dealings.
It was impossible to deceive her—even for the lords.
Maybe that’s why...
To her, the world had always appeared in black and white.
To her eyes, even the most respected lords and revered priests were nothing more than smooth-talking snakes cloaked in lies.
In a world where deception and greed reigned, she eventually gave up expecting anything from people.
And this time was no different.
“The lord wishes to meet with the representative of the White Merchant Guild.”
“Understood. I’ll see him immediately.”
Summoned by the local lord, Nova thought—
‘Here we go again…’
She could already guess why the Baron of House Cron had called for her.
'He probably wants to raise taxes on the company or is fishing for a bribe.'
It was always the same.
Once business picked up in a region, the lord would summon her to make demands—gold, treasure, food, magical tools—anything they could get their hands on.
Merchants were expected to pay up.
House Cron had recently flourished under a string of benevolent reforms, earning the goodwill of its people.
Nova had hoped, just maybe, this lord might be different.
But the summons dashed that hope.
'Nobles are all the same in the end. Obsessed with wealth and power, chasing only their own gain... Then again, aren't we merchants the same?'
She ordered her subordinates to prepare a chest of gold—the usual bribe.
Everything followed the script.
Offer the gold, read the lord’s mood, negotiate a deal that would let them keep doing business.
That was all there was to it.
With that in mind, she headed to House Cron’s manor.
Escorted by servants, she arrived at the reception chamber, where the lord awaited.
He was the young baron Calyx Cron, who had inherited the title after the sudden death of his predecessor.
He looked to be around her age, with the signature silver hair of House Cron and eyes sharp with authority—eyes befitting a ruler.
Other than that, he didn’t seem much different from the usual lords.
At least, not yet.
Nova gave a polite bow.
“It’s an honor to meet you, my lord. I am Nova White, in charge of the White Merchant Guild’s operations in Cron.”
“So you’re the one managing the merchant guild in my territory?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Lifting her gaze to meet his, she signaled one of her attendants.
“To celebrate this meeting with the great lord of House Cron, I’ve brought a small token of respect. I hope you’ll accept it.”
“A gift?”
The servant stepped forward and placed a heavy pouch of gold before the lord.
When the pouch was opened, it revealed a hefty amount of gleaming coins.
Normally, any lord presented with such a generous offering would find it hard to hide his delight.
Nova was sure Calyx would be the same.
But she was wrong.
Calyx frowned and spoke.
“You said your name was Nova White?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Take the gold and leave.”
“...Pardon?”
Calyx rejected the gift flatly, without hesitation.
It was the first time in her life that something hadn’t gone according to her expectations—and in that moment, Nova felt fear for the very first time.
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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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