I Picked Up the Fallen Earth

Chapter 13 The Duke Langton (3)

The reason Jeron had come up with such a plan was none other than the characteristics of the nobility of this era. They believed that if they received something, they must provide something of equal worth in return.

This was a sort of compulsion stemming from the fact that feudal society itself was built on contracts. Since a contract was akin to a promise, breaking it was considered a forfeiture of one’s qualifications as a noble.

This held true even for verbal agreements. Duke Langton, the most powerful noble of his time and a true noble to the core, seldom made promises because he knew too well that any promise made, no matter how trivial, had to be kept.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The Duke rhythmically tapped his index finger on the table.

Jeron’s proposition was not something that could be outrightly dismissed, especially considering the mysterious power that might be hidden within the dragon’s relic.

Just like Count Hanes, who had taken the dragon ring before, the Duke was contemplating passing it on as a family heirloom. As Jeron predicted, the Duke was deeply immersed in thought.

‘To obtain the trade rights with minimal political damage, we absolutely need Baron Farrow’s appeal. The only way forward is to support the contents of the Baron’s petition. It’s too risky to initiate the conversation. The other factions will foam at the mouth immediately.’

Langton was worried about the political ramifications his actions could have. It didn’t matter whether it was the Crown Prince’s faction, the Second Prince’s faction, or the Fourth Prince’s faction; someone’s political manoeuvre was almost certain to cause trouble.

Taking a stand for Jeron involved considerable risk and required tedious negotiations with people from various factions. He would also need to consult with the King, making it no small matter.

Ultimately, this proposal was a test of whether Duke Langton was willing to take on such substantial risks. It was a daunting task.

The political arena was bound to get noisy, and if not managed properly, the Duke could be perceived as becoming Baron’s guardian. But there was something.

‘There’s something here.’

This dagger couldn’t have been crafted by human hands. Even for dwarves, a race of blacksmiths seldom seen in the human realm, producing an item of such caliber was questionable.

The dagger was not only embedded with numerous jewels, but its material was clearly not of human origin, indicating that only dragons could have crafted such an object.

Would a dragon really craft such an item and not enchant it with magic? If this was a magical artifact, its value could be astronomical, potentially enough to purchase a castle.

As difficult as securing trade rights might be, it couldn’t compare to acquiring such a relic. After much deliberation, Langton spoke.

“Baron, why do you think the kingdom restricts trade rights?”

“That is because…”

Jeron cleared his throat, having anticipated such a question and prepared a response accordingly.

“It’s due to the perspective of the lords living in these times. To the local lords, commerce is not a means of making money but enriching the domains of their competitors with their territories’ specialties. Hence, local lords impose numerous checkpoints and levy hefty taxes. Trade rights nullify the taxes at these checkpoints, allowing only the state-defined taxes to be paid, which will fiercely be opposed by the local lords. It’s only natural that the restriction of trade rights became a common practice.”

“Hmm, remarkable insight. Your point stands. This is why there are only a few officially operating trade guilds within the kingdom. To sell specialties, one must pay taxes to the lords holding trade rights, which is the reality. To attempt trade unilaterally results in exorbitant taxes, causing traders to collapse before they can sell their goods. What you seek is a right that can neutralize the taxes imposed by the myriad checkpoints established by the lords, a weapon that, if utilized correctly, could reap enormous benefits, as trade rights are passed down through generations. We, the nobles, despise such changes, meaning the risks are substantial.”

The analysis was both scathing and precise.From birth, Langton was nobility, and nothing had changed in that regard.

While the mindset of treating commoners as mere property did not sit well with him, he recognized it not as a problem of individual character but as the result of the world evolving in such a manner.

In terms of understanding the nature of nobility, Langton had insights deeper than Jeron could ever claim to have.

Impressed by such analysis, Jeron couldn’t help but admire, “Beyond imagination. It’s to the point where one can’t simply refer to trade rights as ‘something trivial.’

He now understand why Count Hanes is so adamantly protective over it.”

“Nevertheless, if you still think obtaining the trade rights is necessary, we need a justifiable reason,” Langton pointed out.

“A justifiable reason?” Jeron inquired.

“With barbarians causing unrest and the Great War approaching, it poses a significant threat to the kingdom. A petition stating the necessity of trade to pacify them should be drafted. If supplying goods can halt the barbarians’ southern advance, securing trade rights to import those goods becomes essential. Do you follow?”

“A brilliant strategy!”

“Once you submit the proposal, the political sphere will deliberate it. The nobles will weigh whether it’s more beneficial to conscript soldiers from each lord to subdue the barbarians or to grant you the trade rights to resolve the matter peacefully. My role is to argue that opening markets for trade with the barbarians is preferable to military action, highlighting the long-term benefits of importing surplus troll blood or various metal wares, which, in turn, would relieve the kingdom’s rear from concerns. This is only feasible with the full backing of the crown prince’s faction. Understood?”

Without realizing, Jeron nodded in agreement. Listening to Langton highlighted the magnitude of planning and strategy required to navigate the political arena.

Every endeavor demanded a cause, and having the aristocracy’s support was indispensable. It dawned on Jeron that significant bribes would be necessary to mobilize the entirety of the crown prince’s faction.

“I understand. Laying bare the ancestral treasures may not be ideal, but offering items of similar value to key figures could certainly facilitate matters,” Jeron acknowledged.

“Hahaha! Your efforts would indeed make my duties easier.”

“I also think an annual gift of high-quality wine and other small tokens of appreciation would be fit to acknowledge your hard work, Your Grace.”

“Ah.”

Jeron noticed Langton’s interest piqued at the suggestion. Considering the power wielded by trading rights, trivial offerings might seem inadequate.

But if Jeron could continuously supply the duke with rare spirits and treasures obtained from his travels, it wouldn’t be a loss for Langton, and Jeron would gain a political shield. Langton seemed to reminisce about the wine he had at dinner, wetting his lips at the thought.

“Now’s the time for the decisive move.”

“I plan to gift you the wine we had tonight.”

“Really?”

“For someone of your stature, Your Grace, a bottle of wine, even one as aged and valuable as this, is no issue if it ensures good relations between us.”

“Hahaha! If you keep your promise, rest assured, I’ll keep mine.”

Jeron smiled, having secured a powerful ally. Yet, this was only the beginning of their relationship. To maintain this partnership, Jeron would need to continue offering gifts, akin to building affinity in a game.

Eventually, there might come a day when Duke Langton could save Jeron from a dire situation.

***

Last night, Jeron and Duke Langton had sealed their agreement. Given that the deal involved the exchange of a dragon’s relic (?), both deemed a mere verbal agreement insufficient. Indeed, would one call them the nobility of this era?

Langton, who placed great importance on contracts, had delineated the scope of what he could do. Today, while seeing Langton off, Jeron had gifted him two bottles of wine, twice the amount agreed upon yesterday.

Although it amounted to giving all the wine he had collected to the duke, he did not regret it. As he lived as a noble, many incidents would occur, among which there would inevitably be things Jeron couldn’t handle.

If he could utilize Langton’s connections, he could flexibly manage those situations to some extent. Launching and operating a commercial guild in his territory, he concluded that there would be countless moments when the power of authority was desperately needed.

By now, Jeron had gotten a sense of how much he needed to invest to receive a certain level of help. Nothing was free in this world, and the noble society of this harsh era was strictly bound by mutual benefit.

If there was no profit in it, there would be no assistance. This was something even the modern people of Earth couldn’t even begin to match; in noble society, there were professions dedicated to analyzing such contracts.

Meeting Langton made Jeron resolve to pay more attention to farming on Earth. Jeron took a tour of one of his future plans, a flower farm.

“The lord has arrived!”

The voice of Sir Garcia thundered through the area. Knights fiercely guarded Jeron, while serfs lay prostrate on the ground, covered in dirt. Jeron walked over the soil.

Crunch, crunch.

The field was neatly plowed. Because Jeron had given strict orders, the serfs had devoted themselves to the farming as if their lives depended on it.

A pile of stones was stacked up like a mountain on one side. The well-tended field was free of any weeds. Perhaps as a result of such efforts, sprouts were emerging across the expansive cultivated land.

Only then did Jeron smile in satisfaction. Regarding trade, he was just getting started, and for a full-fledged start in commerce, he couldn’t neglect the development of the territory’s specialty products.

The first specialty product would be colorful flowers. In addition, monster leather and herbs that were already being sold in the territory would be added, but it was a fact that the options were still meager.

He would definitely need to add special crops.

“Village chief.”

“Yes, yes!”

“You’re doing a great job. Take control and manage all the serfs.”

Thump! Thump!

“I will surely repay the lord’s grace!”

Jerson bestowed the village chief with a responsibilty. The knights couldn’t understand why Jeron was undertaking such pointless actions, but even Sir Garcia had given up asking.

Paying attention to farming could be understood as a minor quirk of the lord. Having left the farm, Jeron surveyed his domain in its entirety, formulating in his mind what he should do on Earth.

‘When I go to Earth, I should move to a different farming location.’