Queen of Revenge - Chapter 38

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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 38
Gold did not circulate as currency in common commerce.
Its price was determined by weight and converted into plangs for transactions, but fundamentally it transcended mere money—a high-tier asset.
It was hoarded in the royal treasury, deployed in diplomacy, or served as a guarantee of wealth and creditworthiness.
Such a precious commodity that nobles threw thousands upon thousands of plangs at mining rights, their eyes blazing with fervor.
‘The ownership of gold extracted from the mine… I believe it was mentioned in the contract?’
Lucian examined the mining rights transfer contract drafted by The Princess once more.
[Twenty percent of all output belongs to the contract holder possessing mining rights, and thirty percent is donated to the royal treasury. The remaining fifty percent must be sold with priority to merchant companies near the Northern Border.]
‘Fifty percent of all output sold to merchant companies near the Northern Border?’
When I first read the contract, I believed this clause had been added to stabilize the border region.
The Northern Border, which bordered the Unregistered Territory, had always suffered from unstable security, scarce resources, and weak currency circulation.
Yet the military expenditures incurred fighting the Demon Tribe and Kalande were staggering.
If the border’s economy flourished, the Royal Family would bear less military burden—something they would actually welcome.
Thus, the condition to supply gold to border merchant companies first was logically beyond reproach.
Iolet, who had picked up the file folder on the table, scribbled something.
“To establish a merchant company, we need goods first. Since it’s come to mind, I should write a letter to the Canzail Couple… Count, fetch me a sheet of letter paper from under that desk.”
Contract clauses concerning mining rights and output.
An unexpected merchant company opening, with Bara as proprietor, all under the pretext of supplying soldiers’ uniforms.
As several puzzle pieces fell into place, the outline of The Princess’s grand design became visible.
Lucian felt as though struck on the head, utterly dumbfounded.
‘Then all fifty percent of that gold is going to Bara’s merchant company…?’
Iolet, tapping the pen’s end against her lips, pondered something intently.
“But of course, your point is also valid. Fifty thousand plangs is no small sum. I’d like us to spend what we need before sending it to the Royal Family.”
Lucian gave up trying to grasp the blueprint unfolding within that small head. He lacked the confidence to outpace such audacious schemes.
“Since we’re writing correspondence anyway, should I ask them to sell us supplies the garrison needs?”
At least that was welcome news. There were far too many immediate necessities to enumerate one by one.
“Ah, then we should start by replacing the bedding—.”
“Bedding? Certainly, comfortable sleep for the soldiers is important. While we’re at it, if everyone got new clothes too, we’d need to survey their measurements.”
“Pardon?”
“Look into what other supplies the Command Tower needs. Even trivial items are fine. I noticed yesterday that the Border Guard’s flags were quite worn.”
“…”
“The more items we purchase, the better. List everything generously and send this letter along with it to the Canzail Trading Company in the Capital. Of course, anything urgently needed can be purchased from nearby merchant companies instead.”
Iolet, who had been issuing instructions in a languid tone, suddenly hardened her expression.
“Of course, I’m not telling you to go to the Capital yourself. You understand?”
“…Then you would need to find another trustworthy messenger.”
“The Commander will handle that. Don’t go to the Capital and get yourself into trouble. Stay right beside me where I can protect you. That’s the only way.”
The subject and object seemed reversed. Since obtaining him, The Princess had acted as though she were his protector.
“How are your eyes?”
“There is no need for concern.”
The scab running across my eyelid would fall away in a few more days. The Military Physician had assessed that while a scar would remain, there would be no significant impairment to vision.
Yet Iolet seemed deeply troubled. She began to press him on the matter.
“You need things too. Write them down. Bara, the same goes for you.”
“I don’t really need much….”
“Don’t say you don’t need anything. This is when you should take advantage of me—when else will you get such an opportunity? Fill out at least twenty items. Understood?”
When Lucian gave a vague assent, Iolet’s eyes grew suspicious.
Before the argument could drag on further, Lucian silently turned and left. He then began filling in the blank list The Princess had given him with necessary items.
“What a woman needs most….”
The Princess was certainly sharp-minded, but sometimes she acted foolishly despite her intelligence.
‘First, clothing. The finest furs in circulation, quilted dresses, bedding—several sets will be needed. Curtains, canopies, carpets—all brand new. Blankets too, in various sizes and colors. And then—.’
The list of items began to grow without end.
* * *
Iolet handled most of her duties from the Commander’s Office.
Once the mining rights were sold and excavation began in earnest, the already cramped Commander’s Office seemed ready to burst at the seams.
Goods ordered from the Capital and merchant companies arrived in steady streams, and for the past two weeks, gifts had been pouring in like a flood.
Every time Iolet met with the nobles, gift packages accumulated throughout the Commander’s Office.
“What is this?”
“It is nothing of great importance, Your Highness, merely a family heirloom sword passed down through generations. Given the recent ordeal you have endured, I thought you might benefit from something to protect yourself. Please, do accept it.”
“Surely not—such a dangerous weapon for the Princess? Instead, please look at this, Your Highness. This is a canopy my grandfather bequeathed to me. If you hang it on that bare wall over there, it will be quite cozy and warm.”
This happened day after day.
Iolet accepted the gifts without refusal. And as she saw them off, she always added a word or two.
“In a few days, a blizzard will sweep near the mining site. Prepare covers beforehand to keep snow from accumulating in the crevasses, and clear the passages.”
“Thank you, Your Highness!”
After the nobles departed with expressions of gratitude, Marcel organized the boxes in the Commander’s Office and reflected.
‘A form of bribery, in other words.’
Very little was known about the Unregistered Territory. Moreover, it could not be said that the threat from the Demon Tribe had been entirely eliminated.
In such circumstances, Iolet had even managed to ascertain the approximate location of the gold vein through Bara.
Only Iolet knew those details. It was only natural that the nobles scrambled to curry her favor.
“The nobles who purchased mining rights will surely find Your Highness indispensable.”
“Indeed. They are now bound to my fate.”
Iolet answered calmly while reading the mining plan.
“Until they extract 50,000 flans’ worth of gold, they can never turn their backs on me.”
Marquis Sorte and Count Malika, who had won the mining rights at auction, were regional lords who dominated the Northern Region.
By securing their allegiance, I had gained a foothold to catch my breath in the North.
Moreover, I had chosen land where crevasses already existed. If I targeted the gold vein precisely, the time needed to excavate the tunnels could be dramatically shortened. Of course, this remained secret for now.
‘One year. I’ll finish it in exactly one year.’
Iolet rubbed her chest where the medication’s effects were wearing off and a dull ache throbbed.
Regardless of the truth, to others’ eyes this would appear to be a long-term project with no fixed end date. Yet it was a gold mine, after all. Catherine would never simply overlook this.
She would certainly send an inspector under the guise of oversight. Having watchful eyes would be troublesome.
“Perhaps I should stir up some trouble in the Capital….”
Yet as it turned out, Iolet found no such need.
At that very moment, an event was unfolding in the King’s Office that would shake the Capital to its foundations.

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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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