A Treacherous Courtier Manages the Empire Well

2 – Banished

Well, it goes without saying, but there was no death penalty.

Caria fiercely sided with me, ready to sacrifice everything, even the rebellion itself, and the emperor was also on my side.

However, even if I confessed my guilt in front of everyone, neither the emperor nor Caria could completely erase my crime, and ultimately, a detailed investigation was carried out on me.

I willingly handed over all the evidence, and I had to reveal all the money written in the evidence presented by Viscount Phellings.

But it ended right there.

“You could have all the embezzled money reimbursed to the state treasury. Besides, you should consider the fact that you admitted your own guilt. That’s enough for now.”

The emperor still trusted me and believed that everyone makes mistakes. He quickly concluded the investigation, disregarding the strong demand from Prince Adran, My Golden for a stricter punishment. The aging emperor had become more sentimental than rational.

Ignoring the prince’s rightful opinion, he promptly concluded my investigation.

Where to go. After all the investigations were over, the emperor secretly called me and we had a conversation. He comforted me until I felt better.

“Why did you do that? Why? You didn’t need to make Pellings tear my reputation apart. Why did you do that? What am I going to do if loyal subjects like you disappear?”

The emperor even shed a tear.

Just by looking at him, I could tell how foolish the emperor and the selfishness of Landoor had ruined the empire.

But even though he lacked judgment, the foolish old emperor still upheld some basic principles.

“The nobles are in an uproar. It is widely believed that the punishment is too lenient when all they did was simply admit their wrongdoings and face some consequences.”

The emperor looked at me with an apologetic expression.

“It has been decided that you will be exiled. We have not yet determined where to send you.”

Then he subtly asked me that.

It was a sign that he was giving me a choice.

Since things turned out like this, it meant that I should rest in a quiet tourist spot until things calm down.

And those words were exactly what I had been waiting for.

“Please send me to the Earlond Barony.”

“E-Earlond Barony?!”

The emperor was surprised by my words.

Earlond Barony.

The farthest region of the empire, located near the long Lacor Mountain Range, which divides the giant continent into the western and eastern continents.

It goes without saying, but it was extremely cold and treacherous, to the point of competing with the northern Limnacal Plain, with nothing but snow, cold, and all sorts of monsters. Since the Lord of that territory, Earlond, had long abandoned his territory and left it unmanaged, it was an extremely desolate place where even now there was no one to take care of it.

“What if something happens to you when you go to a place like that?!”

The emperor shouted in frustration, but I was serious.

Although my tongue wouldn’t twist like the original Landoor, I was still an avid reader of this novel. I had planned out which parts to talk about.

“I have taken all the blame. Your Highness, I have returned all the substantial wealth I collected. Everything has gone back to the treasury. What I took from my vault was the amount unjustly taken by the greedy merchants of the capital from the commoners. Please return what belongs to the people back to them.”

At my words, the emperor tried to pour out tears. Seeing his teary eyes, I hadn’t finished speaking yet.

“And please wait for one more year, Your Highness. I will turn the Elond Territory into the richest land in the empire. With that money, I will fill the treasury and make the country prosperous, so I ask that the wise emperor make the country strong with that money.”

“Ahh! I-I didn’t even know you had such intentions!……..”

The emperor grabbed me and burst into tears.

He had become old, sick, and truly foolish. But fortunately, at this moment, he was useful to me.

“Do as Gyeong said. I will send you to the Earlond Barony. No, why stop there! The Earlond Barony has been without an owner for decades. Even the original owner, Earlond, had long abandoned the rule, so it is for me to decide who to give that territory to. I appoint you as the lord of that land.”

“Your Majesty’s kindness is truly overwhelming!”

I slammed my head on the ground.

Firstly.

Escaping from the dirty tricks, betrayal, and conspiracy in the capital was my top priority, and fortunately, my plan worked.

“What the hell were you thinking!!!!!!!!”

As soon as I entered the Merchant Guild conference room, there was a man who yelled at me angrily. With oily skin and a receding hairline progressing in real-time, he looked like the epitome of a greedy merchant who wouldn’t shed a drop of blood even if stabbed.

“Don’t get too excited. Carl Hanson.”

“Do I look like I’m not excited at all!! How much did the embezzled funds amount to!!!!!! And why on earth would you acknowledge it!!!!!!”

Carl Hanson shouted angrily, but I remained calm.

After obtaining power by the Emperor’s side, Rendor unified the various merchant guilds in the capital. This was mainly because it was easier to exploit them.

And the man in front of me was Carl Hanson, the one leading the unified merchant guild. The wicked traitor, Rendor, had enchanted Carl Hanson’s mind to commit suicide if he ever betrayed him. He was a faithful minion of Rendor without the slightest possibility of betrayal.

“The Duke of Pellings did a good job sharpening the knife. He managed to uncover nearly 40% of the embezzled funds. It must have been painful.”

“Well, how much is the amount accumulated then!!!!”

“Did about 5 million gold get embezzled? Probably?”

Carl Hanson seemed to be foaming. Barely containing his vulgar language, he knew that if I disappeared, he would lose the protection of power from the Emperor and the support of the reliable force offered by Caria.

“Why are you doing this!!!!!!”

“Calm down, Carl. We still haven’t been exposed for about 60% of it.”

That’s right.

This damn traitor had accumulated an astronomical amount of nearly 7.5 million gold in embezzled funds, even after being extorted to such an extent. It was still an overwhelming amount, but as a merchant, Carl couldn’t forgive losing 5 million gold that he didn’t have to lose.

“Let’s hear your reason at least. Why are you doing this?”

If there was no proper reason, Carl would definitely glare at me as if he wanted to punch me. I laughed at him in response.

“The reason isn’t that important. What I have planned after this is more important. I, the Marquis Eldond, have been banished.”

Carl finally burst out in anger.

“Are you saying that now!! Marquis Eldond is one of the top figures in the kingdom! Forget about losing 5 million gold. You’re getting banished!! What nonsense are you talking about!!!!”

“I’m going there to start a business, Carl.”

Due to sudden high blood pressure, Carl grabbed the back of his head in pain and sat down on the chair, sulking.

“Aren’t your businesses in the capital sufficient?”

“No. I want something greater.”

“What do you mean by greater… Hey! Lord Rendor!! Why are you suddenly doing this? Did something go wrong?”

Although his tone was usually aggressive, I didn’t bother reprimanding him. The actions I was taking now were clearly irrational. I had to act irrationally to survive.

“I’m going to make the Empire stronger.”

“Yes?”

The sword stared at Karl with eyes that had seen a tiger declaring vegetarianism. The absurd idea that a scum-born brat would strengthen the empire. Such words were only used to deceive people, not something to be spoken among the rotten conspirators.

“I will strengthen the empire. What is the current reality of the empire? Due to the rampage of monsters in the north, a two-year war ensued. The invincible Karia did an excellent job of subduing the enemies, but many people died. The country is decaying under the control of a few powerful individuals, and the people are groaning in poverty due to their looting. Is this a normal country?”

“No, what does that have to do with us? As long as we live well!”

A sarcastic remark burst out. Though it was a vile line fitting for a member of the scum group of merchants, I earnestly shook my head.

“I have decided to strengthen the empire. This cannot be changed.”

“Ah, gods. Why are you like this, really.”

For the first time, Karl Hansen, who had solely believed in the power of gold, looked for a god in my words. However, it didn’t matter what reaction he showed. To stop my impending disaster, the rotten empire had to be reformed first.

Why?

Even now, at this moment, rebels were rising across the empire. Felings, the Duke planning a rebellion again despite the weakened Emperor and the wounds from the Northern Expedition still unhealed, the invincible Karia being used by him to control the empire, and the despicable Rendor gathering wealth from the entire capital to elevate Karia to the throne and control the empire himself. Resistance forces were growing steadily.

And in the final part of the novel, the rebel forces rise on a nationwide scale.

The Emperor orders Karia to suppress the rebels. While Karia ruthlessly suppresses the starving and resentful commoners, Adran, disgusted by the empire, joins the rebels, and Celené, favored by grace, assassinates the Emperor and attempts to kill Rendor but fails and is executed in the square.

From that point on, the already gloomy novel becomes so filthy and bleak that it induces nausea. To prevent this, first, the starving and resentful commoners must be fed.

It was foolish to go to the nobles in the capital, persuade them one by one, and shout for lower taxes and benevolence for the people. The existing privileges were already firmly held by many, and there was nothing I could do about it. Therefore, I had to create new privileges and markets.

“I will dig a tunnel in the Raco Mountains. I will open a trade route connecting the Western and Eastern continents. And through that, I will bestow immense wealth upon the empire. Wealth for the people!”

Does reaching the extreme of anger lead to disappointment? Karl Hansen, with an expression that said, “Do as you damn please,” laughed lightly and looked at me.

“Digging a tunnel in the Raco Mountains? Does that make sense? Do you know how treacherous those mountains are? If we establish a trade route between the Western and Eastern continents, we’ll earn… astronomical amounts of money. The Merchant Guild’s annual earnings in the capital will be earned in just one day. But why hasn’t anyone tried it until now, even though everyone knows that?”

The Raco Mountains were considered a place created by the gods filled with evil. The heights of the mountains were ridiculously high, and they were tightly wrapped in perpetual ice, making them extremely slippery. Snowstorms occurred annoyingly frequently, and that wasn’t the only problem.

Since humans didn’t approach the inhospitable land, all sorts of monsters, untouched by humans, were still lurking there. Digging a tunnel in such a place was treated as a statement as absurd as teaching ballet to orcs.

“Yes, Karl. You’re right. It’s a difficult task. But with the remaining 7.5 million gold in hidden funds and the well-equipped and skilled Iron Blood Legion, which has just returned from the Northern Expedition, if I mobilize them, what do you think?”

“You were planning to mobilize the Iron Blood Legion to capture the capital! Why suddenly change the goal to digging a tunnel in the far west of the empire! Why!”

Because if I execute the feasible plan, the ending will be a gruesome scene of being torn apart at the square.

Karl begged me to change my mind, but I never changed my thoughts.

No one could stop me, and a few days later.

I, along with Karia leading the Iron Blood Legion and my hidden funds of 7.5 million gold, not yet noticed by Duke Felings, headed straight for the Elond Marquisate.