Chapter 8: I Have a Saying That’s Been Passed Down Through the Ages

Romon was in a great mood.

Today was the perfect time to be short-handed.

If he were to travel to another lord's territory, he would need a guard, but at the same time, someone would have to stay at the mine to keep watch.

This cat-eared girl had come at just the right time, like a pillow for someone who had fallen asleep.

"Lornis!"

Romon called out inside the castle and then added, "Take this one, clean her up, and get her into some decent clothes. We're leaving soon."

Nini, covered in a mix of sweat and dirt, with her hair in disarray, didn't look fit to sit in a carriage, let alone serve as a coachwoman.

Lornis knew exactly when a full wash was needed and when a quick scrub would do.

If they were in a hurry to leave, she treated her like livestock, giving her a quick clean-up.

After the wash...

Nini, the cat-eared girl, walked out of the castle in silence, wearing a maid outfit that Lornis had used years ago.

Her orange-furred cat ears drooped as she silently walked up to Romon.

"Master."

"Let's go. The three of us will head to Matthews Territory. Talia, you stay here and guard. The women at the mine will provide free meals at the stove."

"Leave it to me, my lord!"

After earning her first achievement, Talia was becoming more confident.

"Matthews Territory..." Slave Nini caught the keyword. She lowered her head and said, "The lord of Matthews Territory has also been recruiting people to explore for ore. Please prepare, master."

"Where did you hear that?"

"From my teacher… Spidevs's intelligence network. The lord of Matthews is currently in a financial crisis. He hasn't paid the commission owed to Spidevs."

For a normal lord like the one in Matthews Territory, something like a salary wouldn't mean much—if they were behind on such a small amount, it wasn't a big deal. But recruiting people to explore for ore likely meant they were in some serious trouble.

"We need to hurry then."

The speed of the carriage was limited, and the journey was long. The lord's manor in Matthews Territory was located in the northwestern part of the land, and it was expected to take two days to reach.

That's the state of transportation these days—any long trip takes a few days.

As for food and water, it wasn't much of a concern. Romon's appetite was poor during travels, so he typically ate two small meals a day—each meal was just half a portion.

He didn't plan on bringing much money either. In another lord's territory, when negotiating to reclaim his land, it was best to pay just a deposit and settle the remaining balance once he returned safely.

...

Two days later.

The carriage entered a grove of maple trees.

Surrounded by the vibrant maple forest, a magnificent estate stood, full of life. In comparison, Romon's dark, dilapidated castle looked like something out of the countryside.

"I'll need to fix the house once I reclaim the forest," Romon silently decided.

The carriage slowed as it approached the first town. Upon departure, Romon had already sent a letter to announce his visit, as it was considered proper etiquette among nobles to give prior notice.

At the entrance of the magnificent estate, two rows of knights in silver armor stood proudly.

Romon had never met the current lord of Matthews Territory. During the seasonal balls, very few people ever invited him personally.

"We apologize for the lack of a proper welcome, Lord Romon Thune."

The butler, with his head full of white hair, greeted them at the gate.

It wasn't the lord himself who came to greet them but the lord's butler. Romon wasn't surprised by this typical noble behavior. Nobles often found themselves in a strange, proud space, where they automatically felt that being of the same rank should come with similar pretensions.

"Where is the Lord of Matthews?" Romon asked directly after getting out of the carriage.

"His lordship is busy with official matters. Please allow me to meet with you in his stead, Lord Romon Thune..."

Romon slightly frowned. As expected, once inside the lord's estate, the old butler would come up with a hundred excuses to prevent a direct meeting.

Of course, this was all by the lord's design—another little move within the noble world, where people liked to keep others waiting to elevate their own sense of superiority.

In this regard, Romon appreciated his grandfather's methods more. While his grandfather's flaws were enough to be fatal, he at least had some merits. He never wasted another lord's time—if he wanted to meet, it happened immediately; if not, he told them to leave. He never played games with others.

Fortunately.

Romon had brought along a cat-eared slave, and this particular cat-eared girl happened to be a thief.

Her skills and racial talent made her quickly locate the Matthews lord's position.

"Master, if we go around the villa on the left, he's behind there," Nini whispered in his ear.

The old butler had intended to take them to the garden on the right, but Romon walked directly toward the left, ignoring the butler's attempts to guide him, completely unbothered.

Before long, under the pavilion behind the villa, they found Matthews, the lord, looking surprised as he sat there, his face slicked with oil and makeup.

He was a generation older than Romon.

But when the two looked at each other, they felt strangely familiar.

Romon had inherited his grandfather's looks, while the current lord of Matthews had inherited his father's corpulent figure.

More than a decade ago, the pudgy old man, who looked nearly identical to Romon, had taken the large forest that originally belonged to the Thune Territory.

"Greetings, my friend. Since I received your letter, I've been waiting for you here at the manor," the lord of Matthews said, offering his pleasantries. "Please, have a seat."

"The journey was long, and your elderly butler insisted we take a walk. I'm not fond of walking, so I ended up straying, and I didn't expect to run into you here," Romon replied, his tone pointed.

"..."

"I heard you owe money to a prostitute, my friend."

"That's not true. Where did you hear that?"

"Stone Town. Rose Alley in Stone Town. It's not far from my little corner of the world. Whenever I get a bit restless, I go there for a stroll."

Matthews averted his gaze and subtly scratched his oily golden hair.

"Actually, there's been a misunderstanding."

"Of course. I don't believe it either."

"Let's get back to business, shall we, Romon? You didn't come here just to inquire about trivial gossip, did you? That would be beneath the Thune family's dignity."

Romon smiled slightly, realizing that this generation of Matthews was very concerned about appearances.

"Speaking of my family, I can't help but think of that painful chapter of history, my friend."

"So, you are...?"

"I've come to reclaim the land that my grandfather lost."

Matthews quickly straightened up. "Reclaim land? My god, my friend, you're jesting. Every lord's fief is granted directly by His Majesty the King. There's no such thing as buying and selling it. Who would dare to do that? They'd be courting death!"

"There is a way, a method that's been passed down through the ages."

Romon replied, pulling out a gilded letter from his coat. It was a royal decree granted by the king—a privilege originally used as an excuse to seize the Thune family's lands. Now, this decree, carrying the king's authority, had been passed down to Romon.

He could sell off the last fragment of his land or fulfill his grandfather's ambitions by annexing more territory.

Matthews took the letter, flipping it open. His expression slowly shifted to one of uncertainty.

"My friend, I believe you are a clever lord, so you must understand His Majesty's true intentions."

"I only want that forest. My people are on the brink of starvation. There's no fertile land left, and all the game has been hunted out."

"But... the price of land has been rising for years. Your grandfather mortgaged that forest for 1,540 gold coins back then. While I can sympathize with the hardship of your people, I cannot afford to sell it cheaply and harm the revenue of my territory."

"Name your price."

"2,000 gold coins."

"..."

"You probably don't have that much, do you? So I suggest you think of another way. Perhaps I could sell you some food each month."

Romon didn't speak, not because it was too expensive, but because it was too cheap.

Over the course of more than a decade, the price had only gone up by a little over 400 gold coins. Matthews had seriously underestimated him, thinking that 2,000 gold coins would intimidate him.

2,000 gold coins were certainly a lot, but the ores were worth much more.

Romon forced himself to remain calm and even added a bit of melancholy to his tone. "I currently have 50 gold coins. Consider this my deposit. We'll sign a contract. If I can gather the rest within a year, the forest will be mine. If I can't, the deposit, along with the remaining lands, will be yours."

At this, Matthews's gaze sharpened. The rumors were indeed true—every member of the Thune family was a gambler! And not just any gambler, but one overly confident in their abilities.

This was probably the same line that old Thune had used when he lost the land all those years ago.

50 gold coins?

That was probably all the Thune family had left to offer.

Trying to earn 1,950 gold coins within a year? It seemed the poor didn't understand big money and thought earning it was easy.

"My friend, since you put it that way, I must honor the ancient Thune privilege… Let us sign the agreement now."