NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 80
I and the King secretly left the banquet hall and entered a secluded room with an elderly butler.
This room, in contrast to the luxurious banquet hall adorned with various splendid paintings and golden patterns, contained only a sturdy black desk, a chair, and a few books neatly arranged on a bookshelf.
After confirming that I and the King had entered, the butler quietly left the room.
Then the King looked at me and smiled, saying, “As the King of the Union, my outward appearances must necessarily be majestic and grand. However, I wished that my working space would be a bit more modest. Don’t you feel the same?”
“Yes, I do. If the office were too extravagant, it would blind the eyes.”
“Thank you for understanding. Other ministers said that for Your Majesty’s dignity, the office should be gilded as well…”
Hearing that, I imagined a scenario where my office would be covered in gold or various extravagant murals.
One chandelier hanging from the ceiling and perhaps a portrait or a beautiful painting on the wall would be acceptable, but…
If the desk was also engraved with luxurious gold patterns and the walls were decorated with illustrations drawn from all sorts of Deus’s anecdotes, it would be overwhelming, and I wouldn’t be able to work.
“I don’t think that’s appropriate, Your Majesty.”
“I expected you to say that.”
“That would be as harsh as telling women to wear frilly dresses and corsets for their daily lives.”
With a hint of sexual humor in my words, the King before me burst into laughter.
“Haha, you’re right. What could be accomplished in such a lavish place?”
“Indeed, Your Majesty.”
Then we chatted for a while about why the office should have a modest interior.
Such small talk may seem trivial, but discussing these meaningless topics allowed us to subtly convey to each other that neither of us was in too much of a hurry.
By creating a sense of urgency in the other party, it aims to provoke them to bow their heads and come in.
Just like when trying to buy something in the second-hand market, the price often differs depending on whether I need the item or if I’m purchasing something that someone is desperate to sell.
If that fellow bowed his head first, I could impose less favorable conditions on him.
Thus, we talked for quite some time, and the King first spoke to me with an admiring voice.
“Today’s banquet was truly magnificent. The dishes did not just douse spices; they exuded elegance and mildness, and the sugary, delicious treats and ice cream were delightful, as was the moving play. I felt as if I had experienced luxuries I never could have imagined in my life.”
“It is an honor, Your Majesty. I never thought I would get to host such a banquet for Your Majesty, the King of the Northern Union. It is a glory for my family.”
Hearing that, the King responded with a hint of displeasure in his voice, seemingly dissatisfied that I had bowed so deeply without revealing my true intentions.
“I wish we could hold such banquets more often. If that were the case, the nobles gathered at my palace would certainly submit to my dignity.”
Although I had not explicitly asked him for ice cream, various desserts, or actors for a play, the fact that he had mentioned it so directly implied that the situation had already reached its conclusion.
So, while restoring the King’s pride, I sought to flatter him to set the mood, and I spoke up.
“Actually, I came to introduce our territory’s specialty and to forge good relations with the Northern Union. I have brought a small gift in hopes of forming an alliance with Your Majesty, the leader of the valiant knights and warriors of the North. I am thankful that you appreciate it so much.”
“If the most beautiful banquet in my life is thanks to your small gift… then I must ask, what is this gift you have brought me?”
Hearing that, I opened my mouth to share the story I had prepared for the King.
“To get straight to the point, what I wish to present to Your Majesty is the exclusive sales rights in the Northern Union for a type of culture that can lead them, as well as the cornerstone used to make ice cream.”
“Exclusive sales rights for culture and cornerstone… That certainly sounds good, but how valuable do you think it is?”
“It is a proposal worth more than a thousand gold coins, and it can’t be exchanged for anything else. Would you care to hear it?”
Upon hearing this, the King leaned in, intrigued.
“First, if Your Majesty hosts a more dazzling banquet than anyone else, all the nobles will be subdued by Your Majesty’s wealth and dignity. While they may be the highest-ranking nobles and lords in their own territories, standing before Your Majesty, they will inevitably feel like feeble moths.”
“That makes sense. I too felt awe towards SIEL von Croilet when attending the banquet, witnessing the feast and the performances. Hence, those lesser nobles cannot help but know their limitations when they see the luxurious banquets I host.”
“Moreover, Your Majesty. Nobles who recognize the limits of their abilities will strive not to be outdone by someone of at least equal rank or lower. In that process, Your Majesty will receive dances more splendid, music more beautiful, and stories that evoke deeper emotions. They must do so to maintain their dignity.”
And indeed, this was how it transpired in the absolute monarchy of France.
Though the Emperor did not hold the power to control all culture, he persistently led a lavish lifestyle, even if it meant going into debt, to demonstrate his majesty to the nobles under him.
He donned splendid clothing, enjoyed elegant music, and indulged in food so extravagant and delicious that it was hard to describe—thus overwhelming his followers.
As a result, while the nobles would exert great effort to obtain a portion of the power and wealth held by the Emperor, they would hardly oppose any considerable injustices.
At the same time…
The King widened his eyes and said, “This is an unimaginable method. To think of controlling nobles of our country in such a way. Even if they were to combine their forces through another means, their mutual agreement would be through their voluntary choices to surpass one another, so they wouldn’t even think of defiance.”
With a king of a nation, he could perceive the most fearful aspects of extravagant culture from the scant information I provided.
During the Renaissance, when culture rapidly advanced and opportunities for consumption increased, lords sought to extract taxes beyond necessity to outshine other lords.
As cities grew affluent, they began prepaying taxes for ten or twenty years, gradually moving towards becoming free cities.
In this case, the King and the cities would demand payment from the nobles for bringing culture to them, forcing those indebted nobles to gradually relinquish their power…
The cities would back the King, the greatest protector of commerce, for their own profit.
Should this transpire, steps would be taken toward the Expedition Emperor of the Union Kingdom.
Since my current interests align with the strengthening of the Royal Authority of the Union Kingdom, I could provide even greater assistance.
I then handed the King a scroll written with the costs incurred during the banquet and its details and said, “This document outlines the types and quantities of items used for the ball, as well as the corresponding costs. Please read it.”
“Is it really okay to disclose this to me? After all, isn’t this your capital?”
In response to his remark, I replied nonchalantly.
“When it comes to an opportunity to partner with someone destined to become the Emperor of this kingdom, how could I possibly hide my capital? No, by showing my sincerity, it’s beneficial for me to gain the trust of ‘Your Majesty of the Union Empire.’”
“Very well, then I shall read this. Please take a seat and enjoy some tea and treats while I do so.”
Following his instruction, while the Emperor read the scroll, I savored the snacks and tea in front of me.
The thin crepe-like pastries, filled with honey and fruits, paired wonderfully with the bitter tea.
Just as I was finishing off the sizable pile of treats, the Emperor cleared his throat and spoke.
“The ingredients used for the meals served to the nobles alone cost one gold coin and five silver coins per person. The expenses for directing the play and hiring the orchestra amounted to one hundred and twenty gold coins… totaling…”
I interrupted the Emperor’s words in a firm voice and answered, “Two thousand gold coins.”
“Two thousand gold coins… That’s about the budget for half a year of a small Count’s territory.”
“Yes, that’s correct. It was an enormous sum. Rest assured, I will cover all the costs for this banquet.”
“That is only natural. The name that has spread far and wide from this banquet is not mine, but yours, Count Croilet.”
Then, I continued to persuade the Emperor.
“The musicians and actors who come here only perform big events like this a few times a year to make ends meet. Therefore, they demand prices much higher than their actual worth, just like mercenaries.”
“Indeed, if they serve the same duration, a mercenary of the same rank can often cost much more than a knight paid from a fief of one mas.”
“That is why, if you intend to host banquets frequently, formally hiring them and providing the supplies and costumes will allow you to hold the event at far lower costs. If you hold a banquet once a month… around forty gold coins, or even thirty gold coins, should suffice.”
“Continue.”
And so, I began to lay out the strategies to suck profits from the Union Kingdom.
“First, I will leave the orchestra and actors I brought today here, so please use them as the finest performers in the Union Kingdom. Then, have those minstrels and musicians who wish to become other actors receive training from them… I would recommend selling them as if offering a favor to nobles of count rank or higher about a year later.”
“You intend to set a time limit of one year to make the top-tier nobles envious of me. If I can sell the orchestra and actors at a suitable price… I will amass a fortune.”
“Yes, that’s correct. While I will leave them here for free, Your Majesty can indeed earn around six thousand gold coins just by selling the orchestra and actors.”
Upon hearing that, the Emperor’s eyes sparkled.
“How delightful! Imagining those proud nobles begging me to give them that much money for the orchestra and actors is a joy in itself.”
“And this is just the beginning. While the orchestra and actors can be sold once, the various ingredients necessary for cooking will be used continually. Since we began selling sugar, haven’t you and other nobles been purchasing sugar in large amounts? I know Your Majesty has also profited significantly from the middleman trade…”
“Since you started selling sugar, the treasury minister reported that the trade volume in the royal capital has increased by 1.2 times, and taxes have risen by 1.3 times, grinning widely. Thanks to that, I was able to mobilize a lot of soldiers for the recent Western campaign.”
No matter how much sugar was as addicting as a drug in this era, I never imagined it would have such an impact as to raise taxes by 30% through indirect trade.
Ah, of course, believing that 20% of the trade volume and 30% of the taxes were processed through sugar intermediary trade would be foolish.
Because merchants coming to buy sugar would generally end up buying various other goods as well.
It was undoubtedly a market formed because various merchants from the Northern Union brought along various specialties to sell while coming here for ‘sugar’.
“Then, how about purchasing the luxurious ingredients needed to make ice cream, such as the cornerstone, carrageenan, and tofu, and herring suitable for selling to the serfs? I believe your revenues will surge, possibly tearing the treasury minister’s mouth open.”
“If you lower the customs duties when importing goods, I will do just that. However, isn’t tofu pretty much tasteless except for its nutty flavor, making it unnecessary for sale here?”
Certainly, tofu is indeed savory and mild, but its unique soybean taste tends to be polarizing…
I suppose I’ll have to sell it like it’s a food with medicinal benefits… But how?
After considering for a bit, I leaned toward the King and whispered softly, “I’ll share a secret with you, so please listen closely. Tofu has special effects… Please listen closely.”
“Please go ahead.”
And then, I added a lie and spoke to the King before me.
“When I was very young, I adopted Ela, and at that time, Ela had quite a small chest. However, after I cooked using tofu, she grew like that.”
Upon hearing this, the King asked with a serious expression.
“If that’s true, then nobles obsessed with marriage would feed it to their daughters every day like medicine for the sake of beauty… You know as a man that a larger chest is preferable…”
“I agree. I truly agree.”
“Certainly a cultured response befitting a Count… By the way, it seems like you still haven’t communicated something important…”
I couldn’t fathom what the King was implying was important, so I innocently asked.
“What do you mean?”
“If it were merely a transaction to earn money, I suspect that if I were you, I wouldn’t have taken the risk of leaving my fief to come to a potential enemy country. After all, I could kill you now and ally myself with Maxburg to topple Nante. Someone as clever as you wouldn’t risk coming this far for just a few thousand gold coins. Speak to me about the core issue.”
In response to that, I prepared to answer seriously by pulling out a map.