Just as the cheers were about to erupt, Rockefeller continued his speech.
"Please refrain from further criticism of the lord, and we have tentatively agreed with the lord to collect the taxes for the territory from now on. This is a duty that comes with securing the rights, so those who have not paid taxes in the meantime should pay them again on time. This is an essential aspect of the territory's operation, so we hope there will be no objections."
As he finished speaking, the gathered residents of the territory began to cheer in unison.
It must be the joy of the previously worthless Gold loan certificates coming back to life.
Watching the residents of the territory hugging each other and shouting in joy, Rockefeller smiled slightly.
'Is this what they mean when they say the masses are foolish?'
The path he was on was completely different from the desires of the people.
Only by deceiving the naive masses could his position be truly complete.
Now, they knew nothing.
From the beginning, he had planned all of this, and the damage to Carter Bank and himself from accepting the Gold loan certificates, which were virtually worthless, was much less than expected.
'I can just exchange the Gold loan certificates for IOU loan certificates. Then the gold coins I have to pay back right away will be less than I thought.'
Now that he had cooked the lord and gained the rights to the territory, he could become even wealthier with the taxes collected from here.
'On top of that, there's that thing in this land. The gold vein that everyone in the world envies.'
Moreover, the reason he chose the Rothsmedici family, rather than Carter Bank, to hold the rights to the territory was because of an agreement made with the lord.
'Having our family, rather than Carter Bank, become the owner of this land is to avoid unnecessary conflicts later on.'
Carter Bank was now on its last legs.
There was no need to rush to open a new bank.
'It's been a while since Uncle Carter let go of his work.'
As Rockefeller took the lead and brought in his younger brother as an assistant, there was nothing left for Carter to do.
Both Rockefeller and Joshua could mint gold coins, and since there was work at the church, Carter chose to rest comfortably rather than work under the watchful eyes of the two brothers.
Carter Goldsmith had entrusted his gold coins to the Rothsmedici brothers with a fairly high interest rate as a privilege.
Why would he work when he received a high interest every month without having to work?
'That's how it is.'
In front of the cheering residents of the territory, Rockefeller spoke to the lord, who was standing next to him with a nervous expression.
"How do you feel?"
"What kind of feeling!"
As the lord snapped back, Rockefeller laughed and continued.
"The feeling of escaping from being a debtor."
"Hmph, you ask about everything."
"You know, don't you? If it weren't for us, you would never have been able to escape from being a debtor."
"So what do you want?"
"It would be best for you to keep your promise here and now. I'm sure you don't want to make the family your daughter is marrying into look bad. She's your only child, and your love. I trust without a doubt."
"You..."
The lord's gaze remained cold.
"Ever since Hans' funeral, I've always disliked you. I still don't understand how you managed to rise to this position."
"But you trust me, don't you?"
"Trust? What?"
"That if we've come this far, we'll grow even bigger in the future?"
The lord chuckled softly.
"Heh, with what skill? You're too arrogant for fooling me in this backwater place."
"You shouldn't say that. If we stay like this, your daughter will spend her life with a commoner family. Is that what you want?"
"Isn't that why I didn't give up my rights to this territory? The fact that I'm not saying anything even though I've become a half-wit is all thanks to my daughter. If it weren't for her, I would have never done such a thing."
"Anyway, you had collateral, so it wouldn't have mattered if you were stubborn. It's just that it was too much of a hassle for me to manage this territory directly, so we both chose the best path for each other."
Rockefeller wrapped up the conversation.
"Just accept it as a good thing. Cheer for us from the side. If our family grows big later on, I can give you at least one suitable piece of land from the territories I've acquired. Isn't that better than having someone else take it?"
Will that day ever come?
The lord's attitude remained unchanged.
"I doubt it."
Rockefeller clapped and wrapped up the event in front of the cheering residents.
And he thought.
'I've achieved the primary goal of obtaining the rights to the territory.'
Although he didn't become the lord he aimed for, he had acquired all the rights to the territory, which was enough.
He could leave the management of the territory to the lord as before, so he didn't have to worry about it, and even if there were any issues, he had tight control over the finances to exert pressure on the lord.
'Who said that in Earth's history?'
Politics are conducted in his house.
Laws, wars, peace, only he decides.
We just don't call for it....
'He is the king.'
It was one of Rockefeller's favorite phrases.
'It's also my ideal.'
With the primary matters related to the Montefeltro territory settled, all that remained was to prepare for the Gold Vein War.
'After the Great Upheaval, there will be a huge tectonic shift across the continent. That's when the gold vein that the dwarves missed will burst forth.'
At that time, countless dwarves, crazed for gold, will flock to this territory.
The war that breaks out then is the Gold Vein War.
'It's a full-scale war between the dwarves and the empire.'
The previous Totem War didn't have much for the dwarves to gain, but the Gold Vein War was different.
Whoever claims the largest gold vein on the continent will cause a significant shift in the balance of power. It's an obvious fact.
The moment the dwarves claim their rights to this land, things will get complicated. I doubt there will be any concessions.'
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For now Rockefeller planning according future. However, in the future he might be directing how this world goes (• ▽ •;)
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