I’m a Mother-in-Law, but I Dislike Conflict with My Daughter-in-Law - Chapter 62

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

I’m a Mother-in-Law, But I Don’t Want Family Conflicts Episode 62

“Yes, that’s correct.”

At that time, Nata hesitated to mention what he called uncertain rumors.

When I asked what kind of information it was, wanting to hear even that, he chose his words carefully for a moment.

“Um… Do you know how Goldrail came to obtain noble status?”

“I’ve never heard about it.”

“It was because of military rations.”

Originally, Goldrail was a small to medium-sized trading company.

Then they supplied military rations to the Western Army, and their achievements were recognized, earning them a baronial title.

They transported military rations all the way to the front lines of the Western Army, which was breaking through the mountain range and driving out enemy forces, greatly helping in the war.

“…Is that even possible?”

Are trading companies usually that dedicated?

I don’t know much about the military, but it seemed too dramatic to just dismiss as hearsay.

When I gave him a suspicious look, Nata nodded as if he understood.

“We also found that strange.”

He continued explaining that there were several points that differed from what was publicly known.

First, the Western Army’s food situation at that time wasn’t that difficult.

Local procurement was possible, and the forces that had infiltrated the front lines were small-scale, so there had never been problems due to food shortages.

It would be nice to have, but it wasn’t a situation where they would take risks for it.

Yet Goldrail deliberately took those risks.

They forcibly delivered vast amounts of food supplies to the Western Army, using the lives of dozens, even hundreds of mercenaries as collateral.

“Setting aside the effectiveness, I heard there were so many casualties that they had no choice but to acknowledge the achievement. It was too extreme a transport operation to be just for profit.”

“They became nobles through that achievement, right? Wasn’t that what they were aiming for?”

“The achievement was recognized because the Western Army won. And the Western Army’s confidence in victory came much later.”

“So Goldrail gambled in a situation where they didn’t even know if they would win?”

“Yes.”

They forced gifts upon them to show off, but the compensation was so excessive even from a third party’s perspective that they had no choice but to give an award… that’s what it meant.

“The problem is that the Western Army became responsible for the casualties that resulted.”

“…Ah.”

It was an ironic situation where Goldrail received a medal for delivering military rations, but the army bore responsibility for the casualties sacrificed in that endeavor.

From the outside, people would think the Western Army had ordered Goldrail’s reckless actions.

And if the Western Army tried to deny it by saying ‘We never ordered that’…

‘They’d become shameless nobles who only took the best parts. Since they won the war, they had no choice but to acknowledge Goldrail’s achievement.’

I roughly understood what kind of power dynamics were at play.

“So rumors spread in the Western Army that Goldrail was a money-grubber who prioritized profit over human lives. In fact, as soon as they obtained noble status, they broke their military rations contract.”

In the end, it was fair to say they were war profiteers who maliciously exploited wartime situations.

Contrary to what was publicly known, Goldrail’s growth story was quite shabby and despicable.

“Thank you for telling me.”

“Was that helpful?”

“Well, yeah….”

Actually, it was interesting to listen to, but unfortunately it wasn’t information that would help me.

‘What capital did Goldrail have to make such a gamble, how did they predict victory… There are many suspicious things, but it’s not material I can use.’

What I was curious about right now was Jane and Goldrail, not the relationship between Goldrail and the Western Army.

While I was wondering if there was other information, a question suddenly came to mind.

“But Sir Nata, how did Goldrail manage to secure a military rations contract from the beginning? You said they were a small to medium-sized company.”

There’s no way this world would have preferential conditions for small and medium enterprises, so trading companies that dealt with nobles were usually large-scale.

So the fact that Goldrail had contracted with the Western Army was surprising.

To my question, Nata gave a very simple answer.

“They used bribes.”

“…Huh?”

“From what I heard, they launched a tremendous bribery campaign. Just the flour they offered to the Western Army at that time was said to be over several hundred sacks.”

I couldn’t understand it well, so I just blinked.

Bribes were definitely a negative word, but Nata spoke as if it were a natural fact.

“Wait, Sir Nata. So Goldrail succeeded in the bidding through corrupt methods?”

“Bidding…? No, it wasn’t a corrupt method. It was legitimate bribery.”

Where in this world are there legitimate bribes?

Common sense was starting to turn upside down.

“No, that’s not what I meant….”

A long argument went back and forth between Nata and me.

Only then did I understand what Nata was saying.

In this world, merchants of the Empire had no concept of bidding.

Here, contracts were made only through bribes and solicitation with money and goods.

This meant they only considered trust built through solicitation, regardless of future value or estimated prices.

‘…This feeling of being a modern person after so long.’

Was the medieval period like this too?

Considering there were guilds back then, they probably used methods similar to bidding… At least I understood that it wasn’t a concept that worked in the Peon Empire.

Anyway, in the Empire, when merchants were needed, they would announce it in the market and then receive solicitations with money and goods to gauge the level of trust.

And the higher the value of the bribe, the more trustworthy they judged them to be.

Of course, since the nobles pocketed everything received as bribes, it was a method where nobles didn’t lose out.

‘They don’t look at things like the trading company’s internal strength. Is it the belief that whoever prepares better bribes will naturally do better work… Huh? Wait a minute.’

“Sir Nata, do you happen to know what method they use to give and receive those bribes?”

“I’m sorry. I only heard that such a method exists, but not the detailed procedures….”

“No, that’s fine.”

I could ask Jane about the details.

For now, what was important was that ‘contracts with nobles’ were made regardless of qualifications.

This meant Jane had an opportunity too.

‘This could work… quite well?’

Jane’s strengths and abilities, the problems that trading companies in the territory including Goldrail had, and the simple solicitation called bribes… I could roughly draft a scenario.

With such bare information, there were plenty of gaps to exploit.

‘It depends on Jane now.’

I could use the Grand Duchess’s status, but that would diminish the meaning of revenge.

Besides, even if I could solve the immediate problem, it would be difficult to plan for the future.

My influence wasn’t particularly strong, so it might even become an obstacle.

I would only provide the stage; this was a trial Jane had to overcome with her own strength alone.

‘Of course, I’ll give her some advice.’

For Jane, even that much would be sufficient. She had to be quite the genius after all.

Finally finished with my worries, I lay down comfortably on the bed.

Watching me, Nata smiled softly and said.

“…It seems you’ve made a plan?”

“Roughly.”

“As expected of Grand Madam.”

‘That’s why such expectations are burdensome.’

I turned my head sharply and glared at Nata.

He met my gaze and smiled.

I sometimes forget, but he really does have looks that suit the word fairy.

He’d been smiling frequently lately, to the point where no lamp would be needed when seeing him in the dark.

“What kind of plan is it?”

“Nothing special. …Do you know what a presentation is?”

“No, I don’t.”

“There’s such a thing. Something that irritable people in jeans and black clothes are good at.”

“…?”

Naturally, Nata seemed not to understand my words, but he didn’t bother asking again.

I couldn’t explain it in more detail either.

I couldn’t think of words to explain what an innovative presentation meant.

Anyway, from now on Jane would have to become an apple, not Goldrail’s youngest daughter.

I planned to provide the platform for that.

“You’ll be getting busy.”

“About three months? It should be finished by late spring. …Sigh, I wanted to rest a bit more.”

How long had it been since the New Year banquet ended, and now another matter had arisen.

When I sighed, Nata spoke as if it were natural.

“But you’ll help, won’t you?”

“With the situation like this, how could I pretend not to know.”

“You hate it when people who work hard don’t get rewarded, don’t you?”

“Well, that’s…”

I was about to say that was obvious, but felt a sense of déjà vu and closed my mouth.

Strange, I feel like I’ve heard this somewhere before.

I glared at Nata for no reason, but he was just smiling quietly.

* * *

It wasn’t until the next evening that Jane opened her eyes.

Having slept for a full day, she got up from the bed with a disheveled appearance.

“Oh my, you’re awake.”

A servant who happened to be tidying the room went outside to inform others that she had woken up.

Unable to even respond to her words asking to wait a moment, Jane blankly looked around her surroundings.

‘This is… the Annex Building.’

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————