In This Life, I Will Be The Lord - Chapter 100

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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This Life, I Will Become the Clan Head Episode 100

Emperor Yobanes decided to attend the Grand Meeting Hall where the Nobility Council was being held.

It was to put a final period on the fierce Eastern Region debate from last time.

“Today, the Lombardi Family Head’s face will be quite a sight to see.”

Perdic Angenas sneered loudly enough for all the surrounding nobles to hear.

“Haha! That’s certainly something to look forward to!”

Thinking this was their chance, the people around him were busy chiming in with a word or two.

“Hehe…”

The Angenas Patriarch bounced his leg, eager for the meeting to begin.

Over the past few days, Perdic Angenas had worn down the Imperial Palace threshold with his frequent visits.

Every day he met with the Emperor, persuading and re-persuading him to collect taxes from the Eastern Region.

Thanks to this, the Emperor, who initially seemed to have no particular opinion, now appeared to have completely come over to their side after painstaking efforts.

Whenever he spoke, the Emperor would listen attentively and even nod his head, showing positive signs.

Each time these things accumulated one by one, Perdic Angenas rejoiced.

Finally, he could defeat Rulak Lombardi!

Whatever happened to the Eastern Region’s affairs was none of his concern.

However, suppressing Lombardi’s pride in such a politically significant issue that had become the talk of the town carried great symbolic meaning.

It meant the Emperor had sided with Angenas, that Lombardi’s influence was not what it used to be, and that Angenas had finally become the Empire’s greatest family.

Perdic Angenas planned to look at Rulak Lombardi’s face and smile the moment the Emperor commanded ‘Collect taxes from the Eastern Region!’

Just when the Angenas Patriarch could no longer contain himself, the meeting room door opened.

“Hmm?”

But the Emperor was not alone.

He was with Rulak Lombardi.

“Tch.”

Perdic Angenas didn’t like this, but he tried to compose himself.

No matter how eloquent Rulak Lombardi was, he couldn’t possibly demolish in one stroke the foundation he had built up over several days.

The Emperor took his seat at the highest position, and the meeting began.

Following the Chairman’s brief opening remarks, it was immediately the Emperor’s turn.

Gulp.

Perdic Angenas clenched his fist tightly out of sight.

“I hear the lords’ opinions were split in half regarding the Eastern Region’s severe drought that continued this year.”

Yobanes’ low, thick voice resonated throughout the council chamber.

“I read both sides’ opinions through the meeting records and thought deeply about it. To be honest, each side had merit to the point where it was difficult to side with either one.”

The Emperor paused and stroked his beard as if making a final deliberation.

Even in that brief moment, Perdic Angenas felt so anxious he thought he might go mad.

He gripped the chair’s armrest tightly with his sweat-soaked hands.

“But I have made my decision.”

Finally!

Perdic Angenas looked at Rulak Lombardi with a smile forming on his lips.

Rulak happened to be looking this way too.

But something was strange.

One corner of Rulak’s mouth was slowly turning upward.

Why is he smiling?

I’m the one who won?

A strong ominous feeling flashed through him.

And then Yobanes declared.

“Taking pity on the Empire’s citizens in the Eastern Region who must be suffering from drought, I will not collect this year’s taxes.”

“No, that can’t be!”

Perdic Angenas suddenly shouted loudly.

He belatedly covered his mouth with one hand, but it was already too late.

The Emperor and nobles, with furrowed brows, were staring at the Angenas Patriarch.

“Do you have some complaint about my decision?”

Yobanes asked with a crooked expression.

“Th-that’s not it…”

Perdic Angenas quickly racked his brain and came up with an excuse.

“Last year too… Didn’t you already exempt the Eastern Region’s taxes last year? But if you do the same this year, I was worried the national treasury would be completely empty…”

“Ho, I didn’t know the Angenas Patriarch was so concerned about my purse.”

After all, the national treasury was the Emperor’s property.

When the Emperor said he wouldn’t collect Eastern Region taxes even at his own loss, nobles really had nothing to say.

They could only hope the repercussions wouldn’t splash onto them and increase their tax burden.

“Of-of course. Angenas always has Your Majesty’s interests at heart…”

“Yes, with that heart for my interests, Angenas can generously pay extra taxes this year.”

“…Pardon?”

Perdic Angenas belatedly bit his tongue, but the water had already been spilled.

“Thanks to you, my heart feels much lighter, so this is very appreciated.”

In front of the entire Nobility Council, it was as good as publicly declaring he would pay more taxes than required this year.

“Well then, I’ll be going now.”

Having finished his business, Yobanes immediately left the council chamber.

What have I just done?

Perdic Angenas slumped back against his chair and looked straight ahead.

And his eyes met with Rulak Lombardi’s again.

Rulak Lombardi was smiling.

It was the perfect victor’s smile.

The very smile Perdic Angenas had planned to show at the decisive moment.

* * *

Bang!

The office door of Pellet Trading Company opened roughly.

“Huff, huff…”

The one breathing heavily in the doorway was none other than Beit.

“How… did you know?”

Beit asked as he walked straight toward me.

“What’s that?”

Instead of answering, I pointed to the heavy red boxes in both of Beit’s hands.

“Desserts. I had to pretend to be a delivery person to come to Pellet Trading Company in broad daylight.”

That’s so thoroughly like Beit.

While I was nodding in admiration, Beit set down the two heavy boxes on the table and plopped down across from me.

“Please tell me. How did you know?”

“Ah, you must have heard about the Eastern Region matter?”

I asked back while watching Cleribane shake his head and bring plates to transfer the desserts for easy eating.

“That’s… Ah, I’ll have the one with strawberries on top, Cleribane.”

“Yes, Lady Pirenthia.”

“Ah, really!”

Beit couldn’t stand the suspense and looked at me with resentful eyes.

I should stop teasing him.

The kid’s about to cry.

“Beit, why did you think His Majesty the Emperor would collect taxes from the Eastern Region?”

“Well, that’s…”

Beit answered my question easily.

“For whatever reason, if taxes aren’t collected, wouldn’t the national treasury become empty? Moreover, this isn’t the first time, so the burden would be even greater.”

And Beit’s explanation went on a bit longer.

Since he knew so much information, it was inevitable.

By the time I had finished eating one piece of cake and gotten a bit greedy, eventually sharing another piece half and half with Violet, Beit’s words finally came to an end.

“Hmm. Everything you said is correct.”

“Exactly! But then why! Did the Emperor make a decision that goes against all these reasons, and how did Lady Pirenthia know about it!”

“Certainly, this time it would have been right to collect taxes from the Eastern Region as Beit said. But there’s one important fact that Beit didn’t know.”

At my words, Beit’s face became serious.

“What is it?”

“The fact that Emperor Yobanes is a very greedy person.”

“Greed…?”

“Yes, much more so than ordinary people think.”

For the Empire’s emperors, greed was practically a hereditary trait passed down through generations.

But Yobanes had this trait particularly pronounced.

“But if that’s the case, he should have collected the taxes even more…!”

“What if Emperor Yobanes had another way to gain profit while still showing off that he’s ‘caring for the Empire’s citizens by not collecting taxes from the Eastern Region this year too’?”

“Another… method?”

To Beit, who couldn’t grasp it, I showed him a piece of paper.

It was part of Violet’s report that came up today.

“It’s a status report on the amount of grain held by the Empire’s major trading companies.”

Beit read through the paper carefully.

“You’ll see some familiar names there. Our Pellet Trading Company is there too. And the Lombardi Guild is around fourth, right?”

“Yes, but how does this serve as a clue?”

Beit asked as if his pride was very hurt but he couldn’t stand being curious.

“Until recently, Lombardi was listed as second on that list.”

“But why did it drop so much? Unless there was suddenly a fire in the storehouse or they sold a large quantity to someone… But selling now would be a huge loss.”

“That’s right. The Lombardi Guild sold a considerable amount of their grain reserves to another trading company. Specifically to this one.”

I pointed to one trading company’s name with my fingertip.

It was listed sixth on the list.

“Red… Guild?”

Beit frowned.

“I’ve never heard that name before.”

“You probably wouldn’t have. It’s a newly established trading company.”

“But how can they possess such a large amount of food supplies?”

“Our Pellet Trading Company also sold a considerable amount of what we had to them.”

“Why…?”

“Think about it. Unless they got it for free, who would have the financial power to buy this much grain at once as a newly formed trading company?”

“Could it be…?”

“That’s right. This Red Guild belongs to Emperor Yobanes.”

Beit’s mouth fell open silently in shock.

“And the Red Guild is planning to go on a trading expedition all the way to the distant Eastern Region with help from the Lombardi Guild.”

“Oh! Oh my…”

“I understand how you feel, Beit. It must be frustrating that you couldn’t read the overall picture because you didn’t know that one piece of information.”

Beit, who had dropped his head, laughed helplessly and said.

“I admit it. I… completely lost.”

“I don’t mean to patronizingly comfort you after winning, but this isn’t because Beit’s abilities are lacking. It’s just that the level of information coming in isn’t high enough yet. In contrast, I knew more about internal affairs. And if I were to point out one more difference…”

Beit raised his head to look at me.

“If Beit is someone who simply collects information from the outside, I’m someone who directly intervenes in important matters that could become information.”

“Direct intervention…”

“Because I’m someone with the ability to create information.”

Beit’s brilliant amber eyes gleamed intelligently.

“Oh, and there’s also the fact that I’ve directly experienced both Emperor Yobanes and my grandfather.”

This was actually an area where I had an advantage not just over Beit, but over anyone.

“Who would have expected that the Lombardi Guild would sell their grain reserves at a loss and carry the Red Guild along on their trading expedition?”

“…What’s the reason for that?”

“My grandfather hates losing just as much as I do. To crush Angenas, that much is nothing.”

I shrugged my shoulders.

I would have done the same, wouldn’t I?

Beit, who had grown quiet, was lost in thought again.

And when he raised his head to look at me again, I asked with the feeling of casting my final fishing line.

“How about it, Beit? Would you like to work with me?”

If I could make Beit and Caramel Avenue my allies, it would be a truly tremendous achievement.

So I added one more bait.

“While you’re working with me, free rent.”

“Good, let’s do that.”

Beit eagerly took the bait.

“I look forward to working with you, Building Owner.”

Beit extended his hand to me.

“I look forward to working with you too, Beit.”

While internally shouting ‘It’s a big catch! I got him!’, I firmly grasped his hand.

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