Half-step Purgatory

Durin stroked the black cat on the armrest of his chair, sitting on the black leather sofa. Through the glasses perched on his nose, his gaze passed over the long table in front of him and settled on the man kneeling on the carpet:
"I understand, you've made money in Naples, your business has been very successful, and you've led a happy life. You've had those secret police, friends in both the law and the underground, and even the Royal Family speaking on your behalf."
"You don't need a friend like me, I know that. You're afraid of owing me a favor, and you don't want to get involved in troubles."
"But now you come to me and say, 'I beg you, Mr. Durin of the Corleon family, please help me seek justice, so that my life and my family will not suffer and sink into despair.'
Yet, in your eyes, I was nothing more than a second-rate artist involved in movies and music. Even at the brink of death, you still show me such disrespect, not even willing to call me by my title... Keeper of Secrets."

Durin's Diary

The moniker "Money Adder the Wise" spread throughout the entire Genoa region in just one day.


According to Genoa's covert sources, the nobles cursed in unison upon hearing Durin's proposal to raise the price by 150%.


But nothing could be done about the rampant hunger within the town, with every mouth agape for food, and besides, before today, there had never been a precedent where a besieging force sold food to the unfortunate besieged—this 150% markup was even tacitly acknowledged by several churches.


In the words of the Church of the God of Love, for the Northern Doctrine to come this far was already extraordinary, so what's wrong with adding money? Don't you nobles know what's going on inside the town? Forget 150%, even a 300% would be merciful for the Northern Doctrine.


Among the nobles, some thought back to when they were powerful, and how they never considered selling food when they had the Northern Doctrine surrounded.


Chapter 65: The Money-Adding Layman