CH 194

Upon hearing that Helmut will be Flora’s direct vassal, Heinrich III froze in surprise. From now on, he will have to support Christiane from a marquisate, but it’s nothing but anxiety to have just Flora support them, as she will marry out and leave her House someday. Hence, Heinrich III could only think of a dark future with his son serving this “Caan Knighthood.”

“Wait, hold a moment,” Heinrich III said. “Does becoming a direct retainer of the Caan Knighthood mean that his wages will come from just them as well? Do you think that House Caan, not Carruthers, can afford to feed Helmut… and Christiane alongside him?”

It would be rude to say something like this to his Master’s daughter Flora when Albert himself was also there in the room. But he can’t help but say it.

A mere sheltered lady like Flora or her Knighthood would probably only exist because of the backing of the Carruthers Margraviate, after all. Even so, if Helmut were cut off from House Carruthers and became a direct retainer of a Knighthood, it would only make things worse than it is now.

“Even now, House Caan is paying Helmut’s allowance,” Flora said. “Do you think it’s enough to live with Christa?”

“No…, um…, it’s not a matter of having enough money for two people to live on… rather… it’s enough money for the life of a marquis’s daughter…” Heinrich III said.

Heinrich III felt a little dizzy when Flora said so with such a straight face. He can’t help but think that she’s just a sheltered young lady you’d find anywhere.

Christiane was raised in the Reingen Marquisate. She must have lived in a fairly blessed environment. That’s a life on par with or better than Flora’s. Heinrich III doesn’t know know how much money and effort it would take to get such a young lady a life on the same level she was used to.

Now Flora is probably living a life where if she wants something, she can say “I want that.” or “I want this.” But they are of such a sum that ordinary people cannot hope to obtain in a lifetime. House Carruthers pays for those expenses, so they can live like that, and even counties, let alone ordinary commoners, can’t live the same life as House Carruthers.

This sheltered lady doesn’t understand the value of money or the difficulty of labor. Flora and Christiane, who would have lived a life where they would have anything done for them by others as soon as they asked, didn’t know how difficult it was to earn that kind of money.

“Understood,” Flora said. “Then let us prepare Helmut a house in Caanburg.”

Moreover, Flora clapped her hands as if she’d just come up with a great idea. A house is not something that can be prepared so easily. Even just building a house like a normal farmer’s cottage or buying a second-hand house is quite difficult. Judging from Helmut’s salary as a vassal, it would take many years to get even a second-hand farmer’s house.

Of course, if Helmut wants to marry Christiane and live together, a house is necessary. He can’t live forever in Manor Royce, his parent’s home. If she is the wife of the eldest son or the second son who remains in their viscounty, anyway, it would have been fine, but if she is the wife of the third son who has a strong possibility of being kicked out, she cannot live together with Helmut in Manor Royce forever.

During his service, a butler’s room, food, clothing, and shelter are guaranteed as a House Servant. Compared to that, if you have a family, you can’t let them live in the master’s mansion, and you definitely need a house. It’s true, but… this young lady doesn’t understand how difficult it is to own a house.

“Even if you give them a house…” Heinrich III said. “Let me ask you bluntly: how much is Helmut’s salary?”

And even if you were lucky enough to get a second-hand farmer’s house, Christiane wouldn’t be able to endure living in such a house. It would cost a lot of money to maintain Christiane’s standard of living. There is no way that it can be covered by the wages of a knighthood.

“200,000 ploe under the name of House Caan…”

Flora answers with a little confidence. She may have some idea of what money is worth. Thinking so, Heinrich III raised his evaluation of Flora a little. She probably understands that Christiane’s life cannot be covered with an “annual income” of about 200,000 ploe.

“200,000… as I thought…” Heinrich III said.

In this country, a monthly income of 10,000 ploe and an annual income of 120,000 ploe can be said to be a fairly high income. Farmers who are self-sufficient in food can easily live on half of this cash income. Farmers who secure food and housing on their own do not need so much cash.

If the “annual income” is 200,000 ploe, it can be said that it is very good treatment for the third son of a low-ranking aristocrat who has been kicked out of his home and is now serving as a vassal elsewhere. Butlers and maids who are working as vassals are guaranteed food, clothing, and shelter, so in many cases, their take-home pay is not that much.

In the first place, if it is a low-ranking aristocratic family like a knighthood, the income of even the Knight himself is very small. If you distribute the salary from there to the House Servants, there will be almost no money left. It is the same as a company with an annual turnover of 10 million yen that cannot hire and support 10 employees. Since knighthoods have little income, most of them are living with their House Servants.

Under such circumstances, giving Helmut an “annual income” of 200,000 ploe is rather a big deal for a knighthood, but it’s still not enough. If Helmut followed normal customs and married a farmer’s daughter or a merchant’s daughter, he would probably have more than enough with that salary. However, it is not enough to support the daughter of Marquis Reingen. After all, this young lady doesn’t understand the value of money and hardships.

“However, Helmut also works at the Trading Firm,” Flora said. “Or rather, the work of House Caan and the work of our firm, Caanza, are inseparable, so it also pays a separate salary for the amount of work he does for it, too.”

“Oh? How much?” Heinrich III said.

His eyebrows rose when Flora brought up the word “firm”. In recent years, there has been no end to the number of cases in which nobles with no talent for business dabble in entrepreneurship and inflate their debts. There is no way that a company can make a profit when run by an easy-going young lady who doesn’t know the harshness of society.

“200,000 ploe also from the firm…”

Heinrich III thinks while looking at Flora again with a lack of confidence.

“Hmm… 400,000 ploe… then somehow…”

An “Annual Income” of 400,000 ploe… that’s a good enough salary. It would be impossible to live exactly the same life as a marquisate without any troubles, but at least they wouldn’t have any trouble living. He could afford to hire House Servants to take care of Christiane.

“Next time… let us go see the house I will give to Helmut together, Viscount Heinrich,” Flora said, smiling.

“Haa…, I understand…” Heinrich III said, nodding vaguely.

A town called Caanburg was said to be built to the north of Carruzan. Heinrich III has heard rumors that it’s bustling with people considering it’s been developed recently, but he’s never been there in person.

The Caan Knighthood is a different territory even though its Lord is the daughter of Margrave Carruthers. That’s why there was a tacit understanding within the Carruthers Margraviate that they shouldn’t go to the Caan Knighthood without reason. There may be some people who are going out for business, but Heinrich III has never had business in Caan territory nor has he ever had reason to come himself.

Even though it’s close to Carruzan and has the support and backing of House Carruthers, a knighthood settlement that was just opened up a few years ago is probably a small town. No, it might be questionable whether it can be called a village, not even large enough to be a town. Christiane wouldn’t be able to live in such a place even if she was given a farmer’s house.

If the third son, Helmut, who everyone would have no choice but to leave his family home was able to enter the service of another noble and receive an “annual income” of 400,000 ploe, it would be a great success. Besides, it would be an honor to be given a house in the land where the Lord lives. Even if it’s a small farmer’s house…

However, Heinrich III was troubled by the fact that he would have to support Helmut in various ways from now on, as Helmut’s future wife and Heinrich III’s daughter-in-law is the daughter of a marquis.

“Haaaahhh…”

Even after returning home, Heinrich III lets out a grand sigh as he holds his head in his hands.

“Dear… what’s wrong with you?” his wife, Clementine, called out in worry.

So, Heinrich III told her what happened today.

Heinrich III went to consult with Lord Albert about what goal the Reingen Marquisate had, trying to propose a marriage with the Royce Viscounty. And if they were going to get married as they were, Heinrich III was thinking of asking the Carruthers Margraviate to support Christiane’s lifestyle.

Nevertheless, in the end, nothing of that kind of talk progressed, and on the contrary, it was decided that Helmut would be completely cut off from House Carruthers and become a direct retainer of a “Knighthood,” this House Caan. Since Viscount Royce has a tough time supporting Christiane, you wouldn’t be able to support Christiane with the salary of a knighthood. He holds his head in his hands, wondering where it all went so wrong.

“Christiane is a very good girl,” Heinrich III said. “I knew that the moment she arrived at our manor. But… Helmut can’t provide for her. House Carruthers has implicitly refused to help by dismissing Helmut from their service. There is no way that Helmut can support her, by being the vassal of this Caan Knighthood, much less feed her… in the end, the Royce Viscounty has to feed Christiane…”

If Christiane were to return to House Reingen without being able to lead a satisfactory life, House Royce would be in a difficult position. Viscount Royce’s position would be worsened if word got out that he had caused his daughter-in-law so much strife, or that they had returned a lady to her family with scars and other damages.

“At this rate… it might be better to reconsider marriage…” Heinrich III muttered.

The engagement has not yet been officially decided. Now, there is no reason for Viscount Royce to be publicly criticized even if he declines the marriage proposal. The relationship with the Reingen Marquisate will probably worsen, but it’s much better than getting married and then getting divorced.

“Is Helmut’s income that small?” Clementine asked, her face uneasy.

Her husband has been cradling his head too long. She can’t help but feel worried that her son is being forced to work for barely anything.

“He’s got an ‘annual income’ of 400,000 ploe,” Heinrich III replied.

“My! 400,000 ploe? Doesn’t that mean that he’s quite valued?” Clementine said. “We have to keep this a secret from our eldest and second sons.”

An annual income of 400,000 ploe is much higher than the income of the eldest son, Heinrich IV, and the second son, Heinrich V. The amount is close to the amount that Heinrich III can use personally as the Lord.

The overall income of the Viscount Royce household is more than that, but it is only the income of a Feudal Lord. Furthermore, not all income is free because fixed expenditures and public funds are required. And even the balance after calculating all that can’t be freely used.

Fixed expenses such as taxes paid to the Lord and the country are subtracted from income such as tax revenue, and the remaining income is used to create a budget for the Royce Viscounty and calculate the balance. From that, some money comes in as a personal income of Heinrich III, not as Viscount Royce, the Lord.

In the feudal system, the income around here is ambiguous, and there are many cases where there is no line between income and money for territory management and the Lord’s personal finances. It’s very ambiguous not only within House Royce but also within the Kingdom of Ploiss, but in order not to exceed the balance, Heinrich III’s salary is paid from the remainder of the budget rather than a fixed amount.

That personal income, in other words, is what you could call his salary as Feudal Lord, though it depends on the tax revenue of the year, and it’s not that much different from the amount Helmut receives. However…….

“Helmut is receiving 200,000 from the Caan Knighthood, and 200,000 from the firm run by them,” Heinrich III said. “A knight’s territory is granted by the kingdom, so it will be secure, but a trading firm is not as solid…”

That was Heinrich’s anxiety. Although this is just a knight, nobles are guaranteed territory and status by the kingdom. They won’t go bankrupt unless something extraordinary happens, and as long as there are people in the territory, income won’t stop. But a Trading Firm has no such assurances. Even if it’s going well now, if the company collapses due to some incident, that’s the end. On the contrary, if you were deeply involved in management, you might be forced to shoulder the debt that was created when the firm collapsed.

If you are receiving 400,000 from the Lord, or if you are given a territory equivalent to that, you can still be relieved. However, Heinrich III was worried about the income from a company that could go bankrupt at any time.

“For the time being, it seems that Sir Caan will prepare a new house in the new town of Caanburg,” Heinrich III said. “I’m going to see it next time.”

“Isn’t it wonderful that his Lord has given Helmut a house directly?” Clementine asked, honestly happy.

Heinrich III cannot feel the same. Had Helmut been single, he would have been happy to have a farmer’s house in the countryside. But as long as Christiane lives there with him, a house like a stable would be a problem.

“Can I join you on the house inspection you’re preparing for?” Clementine asked.

“Hmm… I’ll go ask…” Heinrich III said.

He might as well show it to his wife as well. Even if they got something like a small stable, she couldn’t let Christiane live there. Heinrich III thought that it would be easier to get Christiane’s consent to live in this mansion or her family’s mansion, depending on whether she understood what sort of home she was getting, so Heinrich thought to ask to let Clementine join.