Chapter 20 — Investment Value
Blade of Dawn · Page 1 of 3
Gao Yang was beginning to find Viscount Andrew an interesting fellow.
He was more of a merchant than a noble.
Yet he was not a very clever merchant—at least, that was how Gao Yang saw it.
A clever merchant would not lay his deals, his chips, and his debts out in the open at a time like this, and a noble would not even deign to speak of such matters. The best course for Viscount Andrew right now would be to keep quietly offering the Cecil family his aid while quietly threading his influence through those knights and soldiers under his protection, and meanwhile, using his noble standing, to establish in law his "claim" upon the Cecil family—better still, to drag that claim before the king. And then… whether Rebecca was willing to repay the debt would no longer matter.
The laws of this kingdom and the customs of its nobility would do the rest of the deal for him.
Of course, Gao Yang thought he could understand the viscount's frame of mind. The decline of the Cecil family was common knowledge, and now, especially, with the family's core domain utterly destroyed, just how great Rebecca's "ability to repay" might be was genuinely an open question.
"The Cecil family does not owe people things," Rebecca said, though her words rang somewhat unconvincing. "Rest assured, we can repay. We may have lost our most prosperous lands, but some of the forests and hills on the outer edges of the Cecil domain remain, and so long as I, the heir, still live, there is always a loan waiting in the Mithril Vault that belongs to the Cecil family. If worst comes to worst…"
Gao Yang cleared his throat twice, cutting her off.
He felt he had seen enough of the show, had grasped the situation well enough, and his memories were more or less sorted out by now, so he rose to his feet. "Rebecca, don't be rash. Viscount Andrew, take the long view."
Andrew glanced at Gao Yang. In the end, this man—this "suspected ancient hero"—did exert a certain deterrent force upon him. Whether the man was genuine or not, the viscount reined himself in. "My apologies. I confess I am a little… greedy."
He had openly admitted to the word "greedy," which surprised Gao Yang somewhat. He raised an eyebrow. "You're an honest man, at least. That's just as well—there is no shame in pursuing profit. But we need to get our facts straight. A viscount's domain has been destroyed, a dragon has appeared within the kingdom's borders, and monsters from the age of the demon tide walk the world once more. In the face of these things, talk of business is out of place."
Without waiting for Andrew to speak, Gao Yang went on: "Of course, now that the righteous speeches are done, we still have to consider practical matters. You are worried that aid to the Cecil family will pile up without limit and leave you with nothing to show for it. Then let me be plain: the Cecil family not only has the means to clear any debt, but if you can seize the opportunity, we can bring you boundless profit."
Viscount Andrew looked Gao Yang in the eye. "Please, go on."
"I myself," Gao Yang said, pointing at himself, "I am your greatest investment."
Andrew's expression froze for a few seconds, then he pulled at the corner of his mouth with some difficulty. "Duke… Your Grace, I will first believe that you truly are that Duke, but I must remind you—you have been gone from this world for seven hundred years. Ansell is already in its second dynasty. Your titles and your estates have long since been enfeoffed, inherited, consumed, or… reclaimed by the crown. Of course I revere you personally; every son of Ansell reveres you. But I am not merely a man—I am a lord, and I must consider my domain and my people…"
Gao Yang shrugged. "Broaden your thinking, Viscount. Must investment value come only in the form of gold and silver and solid land?"
Andrew: "You mean…"