Herald of Steel

1 table- 1,000 wesa or 10,000 ropals

1 chair- 50 wesa, or 500 ropals

1 set of wine cups- 500 wesa or 5,000 ropals…

Salary for 1 guard- 125 wesa… the list goes on

"As you can see my lady everything here is at least ten times the normal prices. I wonder what advice you can offer me about this?"

A visibly angry and frustrated Alexander showed the city's account books to Lady Parthia, hoping that being an experienced queen, she could give him some idea on how to deal with such rampant corruption and mismanagement.

Surely she had come with something similar if not worse in her long career.

"Did you point these out to them? What did they say?"

While glancing languidly at the bound book made of sheepskin, the gorgeously dressed radiant lady slowly asked this, her voice flat and cool.

"They either said that the things were of high quality, that this was the standard price and I didn't know any better, that many taxes and hidden costs were involved, or that they simply paid their workers much better! Bullshit!"

Alexander was unable to keep the neutral by the end, his frown worsening. It was clear they were taking him for a ride.

"So it seems they have no respect for you. Heh!" The disdain in Lady Parthia's voice was clear, "This is all because of how you dress! Look at what you are wearing. Did you go meet them wearing these rags? I have always been telling you… dress like a beggar, get treated like a beggar! Hmmmp serves you right!"

"....." Alexander was suddenly struck mute by this sudden change in tone.

Sometimes Lady Parthia really acted more like a mother than a noble lady, chiding Alexander like she would her son over many of his bad practices.

It really created a glaring disconnect with his 'other experiences.'

Having his wardrobe pointed like so, Alexander also could not help but subconsciously glance down at the simple linen tunic he was wearing and he thought it was of good quality and comfortable- not too thick to make it hot but thick enough to resist the occupational chill.

Its only drawback was that it was neither gaudy nor flashy to dazzle others.

And this was the main problem- this type of 'stealth wealth' really did not work in this time period.

Here, the more wealth you flaunted and showed off, the more the people respected and admired you.

'No wonder that Baron Lamp looked at me like they were looking a pauper. He must think I am some small time mercenary who got there kissing Lady Miranda's ass.' Alexander gloomily realized, recalling a glaring contrast between his and the man's dress and the looks he had sent him upon first meeting him.

Hence the pasha did not dare argue about his clothes with the irritated lady, letting her chastise him until she was satisfied.

Fortunately, Lady Parthia managed to quickly get back to the point, thus leaning on her chair, she lightly tapped on the table to ruminate with a murmur,

"Hmmm, but this is indeed surprising. Usually, when any one shows up with such a huge army of 20,000 men everyone falls into place. They should at least appear courteous on the surface. Did they send men to meet you outside the city?"

"..*Shake*..." Alexander gravely shook his head.

"What about gifts? Maids or slaves to warm your bed?"

Once again the answer was negative.

Lady Parthia's eyes turned sharp and cold after hearing this, "So they are saying they did not bother to show even the basic courtesy? Who made them this bold? Who gave them the courage to do this?"

Alexander's heart lurched a bit hearing this.

Because if that was true, there was only one logical name that came to his mind, the only power on the island that had remained untouched in all this chaos - the Strauss family.

'I really don't want to deal with them now' Alexander quickly lampooned, wishfully mumbling to himself, "Perhaps we are overthinking Maybe it's just that the baron is an incompetent hack. He certainly looks like it. Or even maybe he is insane!"

"....." Lady Parthia did not bother to entertain such impossible low musing when it entered her ears and simply kept glaring at the boy.

"*Sigh*, okay! Okay!" Until Alexander finally decided to let go of his unrealistic thoughts, and straightened his back, seriously asked,

"So let's say it was the Struass or even the Kaiser ducal family? What do you suggest I do? Find out what they offered the baron? Why they are interfering here? Bargain with the man?"

"Depends. Do you want to rule this city like you do Zanzan?"

Alexander keenly noticed a sudden change in Lady Parthia's tone as she asked this.

It had gone from angry yet casual to deep and frosty, bone chillingly frosty.

It made him swallow a dry gulp, as he guessed an inkling of what this blue blooded queen might be about to suggest,

"No. Midshire is too far away from my capital. And I already have my hands full trying to develop Zanzan and Tibias. This is nothing but a port to make sure my goods reach the Margraves…. At least for the foreseeable future."

"Then there is no reason to come to any compromise. Simply arrest every one of them and have them executed!"

"......" The speed and decisiveness with which Lady Parthia made this comment caused Alexander's curved lips to visibly twitch like they had been electrocuted, making him produce a very ugly face.

'What did I expect?'

"Wouldn't… wouldn't that cause a lot of problems? Who is going to run the city without them?" He managed to at last squeeze out the question, barely keeping his incredulity in check.

"That's why I asked if you are willing to rule this city… properly rule it! If you are, then you need to find a way to deal with all these problems that do not involve paralyzing the whole place. But if you plan to hand it over to Lady Miranda at the end of the day… heh then that will become her problem," Lady Parthia cruelly smirked.

Then producing a didactic tone, patiently explained her whole idea,

"Here is what I think of the city.. the corruption here runs too deep. Unless you plan on staying here for the next six months, fixing and overseeing everything, I suggest you don't even bother. Sending a buffoon or two from Zanzan is worthless. With their backing, these men don't even put you in their eyes, why would they even glance at any other?"n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"So the best thing for you to do is suck the whole city dry and leave! Invite these scoundrels for dinner and then arrest them using corruption charges. Extract confessions from them and then hang them in the market square. Raid their treasuries and forcefully take all blacksmiths and sailors back to Zanzan as slaves."

"....." It was like a small bomb had gone off in Alexander's head and he slightly shivered.

'Yo… you can do that? That is possible? Should I be writing this down?'

Alexander found himself being surprised over and over again at just how heartless and utterly without mercy Lady Parthia could be.

There was not a trace of regret in her as she gave the idea, and Alexander subconsciously could not help but think what would happen if one day she turned her attention to him.

But at the same time, he could deny the potency of the idea.

This was indeed the easiest way to solve his problem and maximize his gains.

He had once thought about overhauling the tax code, developing roads, building a brand new sewage system and even setting up a small school here to develop the place using his steward but now that Lady Parthia had pointed it out he had a far better option.

He could make his money back far more quickly by simply taking everything he needed and leaving Lady Miranda to deal with the aftermath.

So that was exactly what he did!

After a week of gathering information, he invited all the relevant men to a party held at the military camp garrisoned outside the city and….

"I thank you could attend the party, my lords," Alexander began the party with a toast, and then once dinner was done, ended the most Stalin like way, announcing to his guests with a straight face,

"I have found significant corruption in the city's accounts books! All of you are under arrest!"

Most of them did not even get a chance to understand what was going on as a horde of soldiers burst from all sides of the garden, 'escorting' the man under swordpoint to the tents at the back.

And while the men there beat the living shit out of Baron Lamp and his goons for information, another group launched a city wide raid, busting doors and knocking down gates to capture literal heaps of gold and silver.

The total value of the seized goods, which included only not precious stones and metal, but also wood, clothes, incense, and ivory would amount to nearly 10 million ropals, an astronomical amount for a city such size.

Alexander would use them as an example to execute most of the captured men.

Let us say no to piracy! Don't take part in a crime! Don't patronize thieves!

Please come Here!

=>Link to the original site:

/book/herald-of-steel_24388579605084705