TMDWS 5

Chapter: 5

“So, you all need to pay off this debt immediately!”

The atmosphere in the reception room was chaotic.

“If you can’t hand over the land, then hand over your corpses!”

The person facing the guild master was Alphius’ aide, Lansy.

He sternly warned them to stop shouting.

“Even if I did that, you wouldn’t get your money from my corpse. My eardrums just got worse…”

In truth, Lansy’s tone was far too polite. He wasn’t suited for this kind of verbal confrontation.

When Alphius led the mercenary group, Lansy handled administration and finances. Naturally, that meant that all the administrative and household management of the Marquis’ residence fell to Lansy.

The problem was that he had only been assigned this task for three days.

And there was no butler to hand over instructions.

“The repayment date listed in the contract has long passed! If you can’t pay right now, we’ll take the land in the Erenta region listed as collateral!”

The guild master’s words were indisputable. The repayment date had indeed passed.

“Why are you doing this? It’s just a contract, after all. Usually, the payment was made in winter!”

The head maid shouted.

Lansy’s anger flared at the phrase “it’s just a contract.” He immediately scolded the maid fiercely.

“So, was the contract just for practicing signatures?”

Only after speaking did he realize the maid was actually on his side. For the past three days, he had assumed she was “the nonsense-talking opposition.”

Since she had just spoken nonsense again, he instinctively judged her as an opponent.

Fortunately, Lansy’s furious rebuke had no effect, as usual. It was immediately drowned out by the maid’s loud voice.

“Last year, two years ago, three years ago—it’s the same every time! We’ve used the same contract every year, so we should follow precedent!”

Lansy tried desperately to avoid pointing out the error.

But the other side wasn’t holding back.

“That’s because we were lenient before! The situation has changed! With the Western Monster Wave, we’re suffering too!”

Lansy winced in pain, realizing it wasn’t a good thing that his lord had a secret about his birth.

“If I had known, I should’ve kept it a secret.”

The Sears Marquis family had been a loyal noble house of the Empire, but their wealth had dwindled, leading to the current situation.

Three days ago, after the funeral of the late Marquis Sears, a creditor appeared even before the coffin was buried.

“From now on, Baron Veron owns our land. Here is the loan document where Marquis Sears pledged the Veron region as collateral.”

“W-what did you say?”

“Also, take this into account. In this contract, the Marquis pledged the Jezelle shopping district as a penalty for contract cancellation.”

Thus, the lands belonging to the Marquis of Sears were quickly handed over.

The contract stated: “If either party dies, the contract is void due to the fault of the deceased.”

Moreover, the late Marquis’ wife owed a large debt to the central bank.

The Marchioness had always been extravagant, and two years ago, when she sent Brisa to the capital academy, she took out another huge loan.

“This debt isn’t personal—it’s inherited by your children. The interest is massive, so it’s best to pay it off immediately.”

“Can’t I cover it with my personal funds?”

“You can, but it’ll use almost all of it.”

“So we’re going back to being penniless. That’s fine. I’m still young.”

Alphius had indeed accumulated a significant amount from his successful mercenary career.

However, as Lansy said, after paying off the debt, little cash remained.

“The immediate crisis is handled, but the financial trouble persists, right?”

“It’s more than usual. We need to feed the knights urgently. Best to go to the royal palace and get something quickly.”

Alphius had originally participated in the Northern Civil War as a mercenary.

He became comrades with the Second Prince, ended the war together, and even earned the title of “war hero.”

The Second Prince valued Alphius’ contributions so much that he offered to petition the Emperor for a barony for him. That was the journey they were making to the capital.

But then it was revealed that Alphius was the hidden son of Marquis Sears. He attended the funeral in a hurry and inherited the title.

“What? I had a twelve-year-old younger sister? Does that mean she’s an orphan now? I have to receive the marquisate quickly and protect her warmly, like a mother hen.”

This, too, reflected his commoner values.

All the previous staff at the Marquis’ residence viewed him as “the commoner’s son who stole Miss Brisa’s marquisate.”

Before he even fully felt their contempt, Alphius headed to the capital.

“Now I don’t need to accept the title personally. I can ask for compensation. The Second Prince never holds back for comrades who risked their lives with him.”

“Then let’s go quickly. Begging is best done fast.”

That night, Alphius led the elite group and set off for Warp.

Of course, he still worried about his newly discovered younger sister.

“Is there no other way? Brisa just lost her father. Is it right to leave her alone and go like this?”

“Our knights could turn into robbers and raid the central bank. Since the Marquis just handed over a large sum, the vault should be full tonight.”

“We’ll be back quickly.”

After sending Alphius off, Lansy remained at the Marquis’ residence, examining the documents.

“Only two pieces of land remain.”

The late Marquis Sears had left only two parcels of land.

The Olive Plain, planted with olive trees by the first Marquis himself… and the Erenta region by the river, where Maranger fishing could be done.

The olives were not very profitable; the quality of the fruit was mediocre.

Only the Maranger fishing generated significant income.

It seemed that from spring to winter, they obtained grain on credit from Western merchants, and in early winter, they repaid with Maranger fish.

“Then why was the contract written this way?”

Lansy felt like crying.

It should have stated that payment is due in early winter, not immediately.

The guild master, appearing lenient, said:

“Alright. If you feel it’s unfair… then here’s what we’ll do. Last winter’s grain payment, plus the next month’s grain cost… let’s count all that and pay with a five-year fishing right in Erenta.”

Lansy felt despair.

Now that the war had ended, their brave knights couldn’t earn money. The stored food was also insufficient. Sending Alphius to collect money urgently was no mistake.

But if we do this, there’ll be no meaningful income from the estate for five years…

At that moment, a platinum-haired girl strode confidently into the reception room.

“From now on, you’ll speak with me.”

It was Brisa, calm but cold in expression. By Lansy’s standards, the mental pillar of the nonsense-talking maids.

While Lansy was frozen in surprise, a maid beside Brisa kicked his foot.

“Argh!”

When he glared in protest, the maid gestured with her chin to move aside.

C-How dare… a maid… kick… the Marquis’ aide… like this…

Lansy protested violently, refusing to tolerate such a kick.

“Are you a sepak takraw player or what?”

The maid glared and began to rotate her ankle in preparation.

Eventually, Lansy staggered to his feet from across the merchant’s seat.

Brisa, meanwhile, sat elegantly in her chair.

“How graceful…”

The maid muttered:

“Even after visiting the garden, not a single wrinkle in your skirt… Amazing, Miss.”

Indeed.

Lansy realized once again that his judgment of the maids in this mansion was correct.

They’re equipped with a feature that produces nonsense any time they open their mouths… for free.

The leader of their repetitive praises was Brisa.

So it was only natural that her appearance in a crisis was unwelcome.

However, Brisa calmly looked at the guild master and asked:

“I’d like to know the current price of timber.”

…Timber, all of a sudden?

“With the Monster Wave, the Western forests must have suffered significant damage, right?”

But there were no forests in the Marquisate.