Chapter 53: Economic War

Chapter 53: Economic War

In the academy, its forbidden to make calls without permission.

Even if you were only receiving a report from your territory, you were made to use a room specifically designed for the calls.

Therefore, right now I was talking to Amagi in the communication room but

the debt collectors are pushing us to pay up?

Yes. Because our financial situation has deteriorated, they want to quickly collect what they can.

Im struggling financially? Me of all people?

I didnt understand.

Did something happen back home?

Did a problem occur in the territory?

No, its developing at a steady pace. It might not be as fast as it used to be, but there havent been any complications. Even the pioneer planets development has stabilised.

Why then?

Amagi paused for a moment before answering, It still hasnt been confirmed but it seems like the Berkley family has been moving behind the scenes. Apparently, they have a lot of connections with companies in the financial industry.

Derricks family?

There was a man who picked a fight with me back during my time at the elementary school.

Derrick tried to kill me during the mobile knight tournament, but I ended up killing him instead.

However, that seems to have pissed off his family.

The Berkley family has many relatives and is very troublesome. The majority of them might only be Barons, but Serena says that we should still stay vigilant.

So youre telling me a family of Barons are picking a fight with a Count like myself? Even if theyre an annoyance, no matter how many small fish gather together, theyre still only small fish in the end.

It was impossible to know all the connections each noble house had.

After killing Derrick, it was only natural for the rest of his relatives in the Berkley family to become hostile towards me.

However, for things to have gotten this far was unexpected.

Lets just repay the entire debt in bulk. Can we sell the rare metals we have stored to Thomas?Updated from novelb(i)n.c(o)m

It was annoying having to convert everything into cash, but if they wanted me to pay it all off at once, then Ill comply.

However, I wouldnt forgive their insolence in treating me this way.

Ive talked to him about it, but theres too much for him. Therefore, we still havent prepared the funds. The debt collectors have expressed that theyd be willing to take the rare metals instead for less than half the market price, but Id like to know your opinion on this, Master.

The collectors said theyll buy my resources cheaply?

There are many things that I hate.

On that list, debt collectors were among the worst of them.

In my previous life, I was thoroughly tormented by them.

Although it wasnt even my own debt, I absolutely abhorred the debt collectors who tortured me so.

Even in this universe, it was my parents and grandparents who made the huge debts.

I was going to pay it all back in due time, but I wasnt going to forgive them if they tried to force it.

It feels like Id lose if I sold it to them. If theyre going to be bought cheaply anyway, then I want to sell rare metals to the Empire.

Even though the Empire would buy them at an even worse price? Are you sure about this?

Its better than helping the debt collectors make money.

Also, I could prepare as many rare metals as I wanted.

In the first place, all of my financial problems were technically artificial.

This is all because of the amazing device called the Alchemy Box that the guide provided for me, an amazing tool that could create rare metals even from garbage.

Theyre the ones who started this fight. Lets start pressuring the Berkley family.

You mean to start an economic war?

Its fine, my victory is assured.

It was impossible for them to compete with me while I had the alchemy box.

Poor them.

Well start applying pressure with a reasonable range. Now then, hows your life at the military academy? Have you been injured or gotten sick? Are you staying healthy?

Compared to Masters One-Flash training, the things the instructors put me through here are nothing though it cant be said that Im not troubled, or rather, my biggest problem being that theres nothing for me to learn here.

Theres nothing for you to learn?

Actually one of the upperclassmen picked a fight with me, but I beat him down in a simulation battle. I wish you were there to see it Amagi.

Despite telling her about my brilliant victory against Dolph, Amagi didnt seem very happy with me.

Whats wrong?

Master, didnt all of that happen because you were acting conceited?

Armaments If Im talking about those then

I guess Ill have to get in contact with the weapon factories soon.

I also need to call Amagi again.

Even if I change the policies now, it would take several years at the earliest for them to show any effect.

But considering how Ill have to change everything weve built up so far, theres no doubt itd take even longer.

Damn it! I messed up.

Looking back at all of our aggressive battles so far, Ive been careless.

Now that I think about it, I was losing against Dolph at the beginning of our battle because of assault tactics.

But luckily, I was a man who could respond to changes immediately.

Lets spin this in a positive light and say I was lucky to notice it this early, before anything had actually happened.

For the time being, Ill aim to double my forces to sixty thousand ships. No, shouldnt I triple them to a total of ninety thousand?

Listening to my mutterings, Wallace went, Eh? You really need that many? in surprise.

Of course I did.

My army should never be one to retreat.

Thats because ones military power was the symbol of what it meant to be an evil lord.

Anyone would grow silent as long as you had a powerful army.

No, Id force them into silence.

A strong military was the ultimate form of the power of violence.

Thats why Ill never retreat.

Wait, I totally forgot!

As Amagi was right, I shouldnt grow conceited with just this!

Right now I didnt have the military power to guarantee my safety, but I could still change this.

Im suddenly feeling really motivated.

Watching my serious expression, Wallace looked like he didnt know what to say,

I-is that so? Well I guess Im happy for you? D-do your best!

Yes, as my underling, Ill do my best for you as well!

After hearing the report in his office, Cashmiro dropped his cigar.

W-what did you say?

The son who gave the report through call didnt even try to hide how upset he was.

The Banfield house sold all of the rare metals they had stored. After auctioning them all off to the Empire, they paid off their debts in full with cash.

Their plan to cut the power of the Banfield house ended up with their front company just losing credibility.

In any case just keep pressuring them! If we leave that brat alone, the Berkley family will be looked down on!

U-understood.

When the call ended, Cashmiro held his head.

Youve got to be kidding me. Werent they just a poor noble house?

He didnt think they had that much room to move economically.

(To choose to stay in debt despite having the capital to pay it off did they change where they allocated their funds? I thought they were just some upstarts developing on the frontier, but theyre surprisingly troublesome.)

Now that things had gotten this far, there was no choice but to match them until they gave up.

If they backed off first, others would begin to question the Berkley familys power.

There was no point in any of this unless they won.

Yes there were quite a few troubles that came once you started a fight with a high-noble.

We have elixirs though. With those, we can earn a large sum of money in an instant. Even if they had a lot of rare metals, its the Banfield house thatll fall first.

Although there was the demerit of how they had to destroy planets in order to make them, there was still quite the demand for elixirs.

Cashmiro thought that Liam would definitely surrender given time.

Nevertheless, this economic war could still be considered a failure. Weve sustained quite a lot of damage on this side too.

Their front company lost credibility and trust.

Its connection to their Berkley family was exposed.

If he knew this was going to happen, he wouldve started the fight in a different way.

we cant afford to lose to that brat anymore.

Their fight would only grow in intensity from here on or it was supposed to.