"Are you okay?" Verion approached me immediately after he arrived. His cold hand touched my shoulder to see if I was okay.
The two of them didn't wear gloves. They seemed to be in a hurry.
"Is there anything going on?" I asked if there was a problem in the western palace.
"Akion, you haven't come home since morning." Verion tilted his head slightly when explaining something.
"Then, why? It's still early, right?"
At that time I saw that the sunlight had a slightly different color than I remembered. Its existence is also different.
"It's afternoon?"
"Yes!" replied Verion furiously.
For Heaven's Sake. I was lucky not to freeze in the accumulated snow. I noticed Tanka, maybe she has been busy giving warm-up magic on my body since now.
"I woke you up just now, but it didn't work." Tanka said that clearly in my ear.
I was stuck for so long in a weak sentiment, fortunately now I have returned to the way I was.
"Let's go home. I'm hungry," I complained to them.
**
I thought they'd just let me go.
But Verion came to my room worried. Behind him a waiter brought a bottle of wine and two special glasses for wine.
He asked me to have a drink together.
Are we currently having a piayama party?
I smiled at him. My clothes didn't cover properly because I was so lazy today to button them. But in his eyes differently, he looked at me with pity like looking at a kitten who lost his mother.
"Please drink, Master Verion and Master Akion."
After giving me a glass of wine, the waiter came out leaving us.
"Let's talk like a friend." He shook his glass as I drank a sip of wine he gave me, he said a funny thing before. Talk like a friend? But the look in his eyes seemed to interrogate me.
"Are we now talking like enemies?" I grinned at him.
"Or do you want to play chess again with me?"
I offered a gamble for him who never won against me.
"Well, let's play."
He picked up the chessboard quickly, and arranged the pawn with a ligat. He became more expert than before.
Come to think of it, at dinner last night we didn't have much noise.
He chose black chess. I looked at him in awe. Because all this time he chose a white chess to choose the safest path for him.
In fact, whatever he chooses I will always be the winner.
Every time he runs his pawn, I find two or three paths to make him lose.
After he completely loses, I will smile annoyingly just to see his annoyed face.
As soon as we finished our third game, we both stared at each other just to pay attention to the opponent's face.
He with his annoyed face, and I with a disdainful face.
"Tomorrow there are still many things that will be discussed in the meeting." He tapped his fingers.
After he was recognized as the heir of marquis Kingston he immediately faced a dizzying meeting.
"If you want to escape, I suggest you escape to the northern slums area of the capital."
I thoughtlessly said that. Verion looked at me intently because he knew what area it was.
It was an area of prostitution. Although Verion was not a true priest, he lived as a saint for many years.
"I'm more interested in the southeast slums area."
I tilted my head.
"Why?"
She gently rubbed the tip of her lips. "I think the land price over there will go up."
According to the scattered rumors, the southeast's percumenous areas are the worst.
The highest crime is there. I can't figure out why Verion said the area would be expensive.
I move my legs when I think.
Out of curiosity, I took the map that was on my desk.
I took a good look at it.
"Don't tell me that you are going to make a train line over there?"
"Yes, you are absolutely right." He smiled with satisfaction.
The Southeast is a poor area, but I heard the news that there was a mine found.
People will naturally be there, and they need a vehicle to be able to lift the mine.
Then, I think Verion also planned to build housing there, and set up a security agency using the thugs there.
He will educate them, if they do, they will be eliminated. If it is useful, it will be used.
Areas that become safe, and a rapid turnover of money will certainly increase the selling value of buildings there.
I'm sure that Marquis Kingstone's information center has checked the truth of the mine. It won't take long, it will be heard that they are buying land there.
When I looked Verion in the face, I was thinking about whether or not to come into his job. Then I decided not to go.
"Congratulations. You found a hidden treasure." I smiled sincerely at him.
***
If my father was Duke Rakkalan, I made sure that we would probably be involved in a staring battle often.
In the meeting this time, as usual, Duke Rakkalan's sharp eyes looked at me fixedly.
All I can do to repay that is with a small smile. But Duke Rakkalan did not relax his sharp gaze.
Finally, it was me who gave up in this meaningless face-to-face fight. And pay attention to Julius raving about the Empire's finances.
Well, why is he protesting as if we were using it? Isn't every coffer of money that comes out of his priority must be in the Imperial family?
I looked at him lazily.
At the end of the day, I know where this decision is.
Of course, raise taxes. It's the youngest thing for the government to get money. I looked sarcastically at Julius.
For the Imperial opposition, they obviously agreed to it. For those of us who are impartial, we are forced to accept it.
"Hoaam." I yawned after coming out of the boring meeting room.
Julius's face was bright. Obviously, because he had gotten what he wanted. Raising that 15% tax is a big count.
It was the noble family that was at the end of the horn that must have been very tormented by the decision.
The mushroom head looked at me sarcastically. I saw him licking at Duke Lexier. Well, I don't care.
But Duke Lexier came to me with her.
"Akion, where are you going?"
His voice was calm, but it seemed to urge me to answer immediately.
"Let's come with tea with us." Duke Lexier held my hand.
This is the coercion that I have been forced to participate in. I regret going out first, not with Verion and Altair. In the end I was stuck with the old Raccoon and the mushroom head.
We sat in a big room. There the waiter had prepared everything.
I, Duke Lexier, Marquis Hamlet, and the mushroom head sat together.
On this boring day, this is the worst combination.
Duke Hamlet didn't smile at me, the same with just a mushroom head that I didn't know who he was.
"Don't you know him, Akion?"
Duke Lexier who was holding his teacup stopped, and watched me.
"He is the young Baron of teranians."
"My name is Orlando Lan Teranians." He introduced himself with a small smile.
Orlando comes from a fairly wealthy Baron family. Now I understand why his eyes contained such high hostility to me. Because the title of the richest Baron belongs to his family has been shifted quickly. He must have thought I deserved to be under him.
All the attention I've received all this time, he doesn't like it, because we're both Baron's family.
The base of his head was round like a mushroom, he wanted people's submissions for him as well.
I grinned looking.
Caught you.
"Hello young Baron Teranians," I said in a stupid moment.
He smiled wryly.
"Well, all right. I will be honest, I want the sale of your Mana stone, Akion." He was very straightforward.
"I'm sorry, Duke Lexier. But all that business is through Marquis Kingston. I can't give you the privilege of getting it first than the others either. My principle, everyone is in line," I explained quickly. He didn't seem to like it.
"I'll pay you double,"
I shook my head. "I'm sorry, Duke Lexier."
He will definitely use it to strengthen his army and then attack us back.
As if nothing had happened, he would put on his friendly face.
He was a loyal follower of the Emperor.
I don't know what he's going to do next.
The conversation we continued was aloof and unpleasant. But I was able to survive against them. After that I said goodbye to rest.
Orlando followed. He is the one who wants his pride back. I never felt like I had stepped on his pride.
He only felt that way when my family naturally surpassed his family. Basically, everyone who is in a high position and then eliminated will feel that his pride is stepped on.
"Isn't your family begging like before again?" His words were full of provoking insults. "My advice, you better not be too arrogant towards higher people. Because insects are easy to step on."
After that with a raised face he walked away from me. His self-esteem must have been destroyed so much that he lied to himself with his arrogant attitude that was useful.