Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 87

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 87. Awaiting Disposition
I found myself at the Haiman Bank, the financial heart of House Portro, alongside Romandro. It was near the administrative building where Mollin and his party had lodged, and the same neighborhood where I’d met Philia in the park.
The moment I stepped down from the carriage, the Bank Manager waiting at the entrance bowed deeply with utmost respect.
“Count Ian. Good to see you.”
“Good to see you as well. It’s been a while. I trust you’ve been well?”
“I heard there was a transaction between Marquis Merelrof and Gula, but… is all of this gold coins?”
The Bank Manager lifted his monocle slightly, his expression tinged with bewilderment. The large chests divided among several containers looked rather crude—hardly the refined way to transport valuables.
“Yes, precisely. One thousand gold coins.”
“You didn’t use a bank note instead?”
“That’s what I’m saying. For someone who deals with money regularly, the lack of manners is astounding. Tsk, tsk.”
Romandro clicked his tongue in disapproval on my behalf. Three gold certificates would have spared us all this tedious back-and-forth.
I entered the bank with my servants. The pristine “Haiman Bank” sign bore visible scratches—wounds inflicted by the villagers who had sought refuge here during the battle between the Central Army and Count Derga.
“You’ve managed well enough.”
“Indeed. Thanks to you, Count, there have been no issues.”
Click.
Guards clad in black armor approached from behind the Bank Manager. The black armor—symbol and security force of Haiman Bank—was itself a lethal weapon, forged from mana stones rather than relying on the guards’ individual prowess.
“Shall I move them?”
“Yes, please.”
“You’re too kind to ask.”
Four chests, each containing two hundred fifty gold coins, required two grown men working together just to lift. Yet the armored guard effortlessly hoisted two chests simultaneously, one in each hand.
“…!?”
Berik’s reaction was the most striking. He froze instantly, his eyes rolling about in disbelief. What manner of strength was this? Even the Cheonryeo Tribe likely couldn’t match such power.
“What… what is that?”
“Ah, is this your first time seeing it?”
Romandro offered the explanation in my stead.
“Armor forged from mana stones. The Central Bank has a main branch, and reinforcements arrive quickly there… but not in remote territories like this.”
Still, it wasn’t something anyone could simply obtain. Only those monopolizing Bariel’s financial sector could afford such a display of wealth. Even a single set like that…
“So that’s why.”
“Why what?”
“Portro has the best security in Bratz, but even thieves won’t dare approach the bank district.”
The strength to crush a human skull outright. Beyond that, the armor was fire-resistant, impervious to physical impact, and even resistant to lower-tier magic.
“Berik, had anyone ever threatened this bank, Count Derga would have killed them before these guards could even move. And had the Central Army and Count Derga’s battle ever endangered the bank through third-party interference, they would have ceased fighting momentarily and united to defend this place first.”
“What, is the Bank Manager the Emperor’s grandfather or something?”
“In Bariel, this place receives the same sacred treatment as a temple.”
A third neutral territory within Bariel itself. Should one make a mistake and have their transactions rejected, they’d be forced to personally handle the movement and management of vast wealth—effectively exiling them from economic circles.
Of course, this applied only to nobility and merchants.
“So if someone had actually robbed the bank during that chaos, the fighting would’ve been less intense.”
Berik spoke without hesitation, causing the guards to pause momentarily before realizing his intent held no malice, and they resumed moving the chests.
“Who would risk their life for such a thing?”
“Besides, it served as a refuge with crowds of people pressed against the entrance. Anyone foolish enough to attempt a robbery would have been robbed themselves first.”
The bank manager cheerfully waved them through and brought tea to their table. The sofa and table were worn, but clearly maintained with care. Since Bratz itself was a frontier region, compared to the central bank in the capital, it truly resembled a rustic tavern.
“So the total comes to one thousand gold coins, correct?”
“That’s right.”
“I’ll need some time to count it. Please have a seat and wait.”
Romandro sipped his tea while glancing around the bank.
“We’ve generated about three thousand five hundred gold coins in profit, so that covers part of the tribute. Taxes will be higher than usual, but the amount will still fall short. Overall, there’s no immediate problem, but next year is concerning.”
The real issue was that money would be flowing out endlessly from here on.
First, once I traveled to the capital for the New Year’s gathering, expenses began the moment I departed, and maintaining the proper dignity to mingle with the central nobility would require additional expenditures.
“You do know that before becoming a mage, a mana user is guaranteed only minimum living expenses, right?”
“Yes, I’m aware.”
“If you don’t mind, why not stay at our house?”
“Ha ha. I heard you were newly married.”
“We won’t be sharing the same room, so what do you say?”
“I’m grateful for the offer alone. But look—before we even leave, haven’t we already secured forty percent of the tribute? Everything will work out, so don’t worry.”
While Ian and Romandro spoke, Berik simply stuffed his face with refreshments. His attitude made it clear that financial concerns were none of his business.
“Raising taxes really is the easiest and most convenient method.”
“It may be easy and convenient for me, but for the villagers, nothing could be more difficult. I’ve already been gradually raising the tax rate for next year while distributing gula.”
“Why not gather a bit more while you’re at it? If you give them time, they’ll find ways to manage. It’s not like you’re demanding payment by tomorrow.”
Romandro, who had been offering advice, studied Ian’s expression and laughed helplessly.
“You’re not listening at all, are you?”
“What do you mean? I’ve been agreeing with you this whole time.”
“No, no—what I’m saying is, you have no intention of raising taxes.”
Ian simply smiled.
Certainly, raising taxes would be the easiest and most reliable method. But we had only just finished dealing with the aftermath of the war, and we’d only just completed winter preparations with gula.
And above all, once I went to the imperial palace, there was no telling what my plans might become…
‘There’s no need to burden them further.’
“You know well enough that I’ll be away from the estate for an extended period, don’t you?”
“That’s true, but…”
“With winter approaching, they’re preoccupied with survival, but come spring, they’ll begin harboring all sorts of negative thoughts.”
A lowborn household head receiving a title, never even visiting, and only raising taxes—that’s what they’d say.
These were people who committed sins even as God watched. How much more would a lord so far away trouble them? The household servants would surely suffer.
“I truly appreciate your concern, Romandro. I understand your words have merit, but this is my stubbornness, so please don’t worry about it.”
With Ian speaking so firmly, Romandro resigned himself and sipped his tea. While the bank manager continued verifying the gold coin count, Ian suddenly remembered something and turned to Berik.
“Berik. Marquis Merelrof has a younger brother, I hear, who’s secluded in some old mansion in the estate.”
“And?”
“Look into it for me in detail.”
“Ugh.”
More work. Berik scrunched his face and continued crunching on gula. No matter how I looked at it, it was strange. He seemed so passionate yet so lazy.
Rustle.
“Master Ian. The counting is complete, and I’m currently verifying for counterfeit coins. Shall I prepare the documents first?”
At that moment, the Bank Manager who had been counting gold coins inside emerged once more. Whether he’d finished verifying their authenticity with mana detection, he was drying his wet hands with a towel.
“Good. Any problems?”
“No, sir. None at all. One thousand gold coins—it’s been quite some time since I’ve handled such a transaction. The vault will be completely full by the time the collection team arrives.”
“The certificate?”
“I’ll need your signature here, please.”
The documents in the leather case lay before me. I settled onto the sofa and signed lightly with the pen, officially depositing the gold coins under my name.
‘…Have I done banking work before?’
Both Romandro and the Bank Manager harbored the same question simultaneously, but they resolved it the moment their eyes met. They figured one must have informed the other already.
“Yes. It’s complete. Thank you.”
“That’s my line. You’ve worked hard. Within four days, Marquis Merelrof will be transferring an additional 2,500 gold coins. I’d appreciate it if you could prepare the paperwork in advance.”
“Ah, I see. Understood. Oh! Here’s an informational notice. Since it’s winter, the transport routes are frequently blocked. In particular, the Carenna, Longin, and Zailkup branches are currently unavailable. Carenna especially has such poor security that bandits even rob each other there.”
“I’m not sure if I’ll have reason to go. In any case, thank you.”
“Thank you, sir.”
At my words, the branch manager bowed deeply. All business had been completed successfully. I returned to the manor with a light step. Clearly, one hundred sacks were no trivial matter—everyone was still hard at work when I arrived.
“Welcome back, Ian.”
“How far along are we?”
The servant wiped sweat from his brow and glanced toward Marquis Merelrof’s group in the back.
“We were grateful that thirty sacks were already packed, but then he insisted on opening every single one to inspect their condition before taking them.”
Examining each sack individually was tedious and inevitably time-consuming. I watched Marquis Merelrof’s back as he moved between my subordinates, scrutinizing each one, and shook my head.
“You’re all working hard.”
“Yes. Still, we should be finished before dinner.”
“Understood. I’ll come back down after I’ve settled in.”
As I stepped into the manor, I presented Romandro with a proposal. It concerned the roasted gula that Hena had mentioned.
“Even if Marquis Merelrof plants gula today, it will take a month before harvest.”
“That’s true, isn’t it?”
“We’re thinking of allowing gula trading in Merelrof. Initially, we’ll only sell roasted gula, but once the harvest season arrives in Merelrof, we should also sell fresh gula.”
Since gula doesn’t yet grow at Marquis Merelrof’s estate, the villagers who want to eat it have no choice but to buy it from us. The Marquis will likely distribute gula seeds as I did and raise next year’s tax rate accordingly, but…
“The Marquis will have a stroke over this.”
However, once I also begin selling fresh gula, the villagers will have no reason to accept higher taxes in exchange for distributed seeds.
“Lady Lien will handle it before that becomes an issue.”
At my response, Romandro laughed awkwardly. He couldn’t quite tell if this was something to laugh about.
“Once Marquis Merelrof leaves the estate, inform the villagers. Tell them that soon the trade restrictions on roasted gula will be lifted.”
“Understood. I’ll do that.”
“And another thing.”
I suddenly stopped as I was heading up to the office.
“Have there been any instructions yet regarding what to do with Mollin?”
It had been quite some time since receiving news of his peerage appointment. If Prince Marib had any intention behind it, a letter should have arrived via Jeonseogoo by now. Yet strangely, there had been no word about their disposition.
“I checked again recently too, and all that came down was to wait for now. It seems he’s been quite busy.”
Has something gone wrong? I frowned and merely tilted my head in confusion.

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