The Founding Monarch Became the Mastermind

Chapter 130

In the office he had returned to, the envoys swallowed dryly, cautiously watching Si-on’s expression.

Si-on personally poured each of them a cup of tea before leaning back in his chair at ease.

The lingering scent of blood and flesh on Si-on’s body only heightened the envoys’ fear.

Even though nearly all the knights of the territory had been massacred, they couldn’t utter a single word of protest.

After all, they had all witnessed firsthand how it had happened.

Wouldn’t it still be a big deal that the cherished knights of the territory had been killed?

This wasn’t South Korea, where public security was strong and human rights were protected.

Even in advanced nations, when gangsters or violent criminals were killed, the police and prosecutors often paid little attention or conducted investigations half-heartedly. And this world, which was somewhere between savagery and civilization?

Moreover, it had been a 14 versus 1 fight.

And the Crown Prince had watched the entire thing from start to finish.

There was no one to whom they could complain.

Thus, the envoys simply trembled, waiting for Si-on to finally speak.

“Have some tea, everyone. It’s best enjoyed while it’s still warm.”

“Y-Yes, sir.”

Unlike his frost-like tone from earlier, his voice now carried a somewhat softer touch, causing the envoys to flinch in surprise as they hurriedly reached for their teacups.

“Huh…?”

“Mmm.”

“How is it? Not bad, right?”

“Ah, y-yes.”

The envoys, after taking a sip of the tea, nodded in astonishment.

The tea’s aroma and flavor were genuinely exceptional.

For the ageless, undying Ancient Monster, having excessive time on his hands led to various hobbies, and tea had been one of his long-standing pursuits.

At first, he had desperately sought out coffee, especially iced Americano, exhausting every possible avenue. In the process, he gained extensive knowledge of tea.

And Si-on had long realized that good tea could relax people even more than alcohol—especially in situations like this.

“First of all, let me say this: if you wish to make an issue of today’s events later, I have no objections. The Crown Prince has personally stated that he would willingly testify, either as a witness or a reference. So if the lords you serve have any complaints, tell them they’re welcome to come see me at any time.”

“A-Absolutely not!”

“That will never happen! No way, sir!”

The startled envoys frantically shook their heads in unison.

They couldn’t even dream of opposing the Governor now—let alone the Crown Prince. Not even if their grandfather lords came back from the dead.

“And now, to the main topic.”

As Si-on’s indifferent gaze swept over them, the envoys unconsciously straightened their postures.

‘Here we go…’

After witnessing the unbelievable events from earlier, there was no excuse they could offer, even if they had ten mouths. Their fate was sealed—they had no choice but to obey.

Even if the 1 to 9 contract regarding monster byproducts was changed, or if the order of the subjugations was arbitrarily altered, they could do nothing.

Rather, they would have to cling to the Governor’s legs and beg for mercy.

‘Ah… I don’t want to hear this.’

Suppressing the sighs that threatened to escape, some even closed their eyes preemptively in despair.

Si-on glanced around at them before continuing.

“Now that I think about it, there’s something I never properly informed you about.”

‘Just take everything you want!’

Burdened by their guilt, the envoys couldn’t voice their true thoughts and simply swallowed nervously.

“No, that’s not quite right. Rather than not informing you, I simply assumed that you would already know. But it turns out, none of you actually did.”

“…Excuse me?”

“To start, I understand that some of you are dissatisfied with the 1 to 9 split on monster byproducts.”

“A-Ah, that’s not—”

“But tell me this.”

Si-on cut off their attempt at denial.

“Is it just about the byproducts?”

“……???”

“You’ve been staying in Burgos for a few days now, so you must have seen and heard things. I brought dwarven master artisans from the Si-on Duchy, and they’ve set up workshops in Burgos to produce weapons and armor.”

“Th-That’s true…”

The envoys nodded eagerly but still didn’t seem to grasp the point.

“Think for a moment. Is your territory the only one in the northeastern region? What about the other areas? Are the eastern and northern regions in some kind of paradise?”

“Uh… no, sir?”

“Unbelievable. The monsters must be causing chaos in those areas too, right? Then don’t they also need soldiers and weapons?”

“Aha!”

“Oh!?”

A few of the quicker-thinking envoys finally realized what Si-on was getting at and gasped. But the majority still wore bewildered expressions.

‘Well, it’s not like they’ve ever done business or engaged in trade before.’

They had spent every year just trying to survive by currying favor with their lords (or embezzling funds).

Si-on patiently continued, explaining once more in a kindly manner.

“As I already promised verbally, the dwarven-crafted weapons will be supplied to your territories first. But once your needs are met, then what? Should the Burgos workshops shut down?”

“Of course not. If the demand is there, production must continue. And if production continues, then those goods must be transported elsewhere. Now, should Burgos handle the transportation itself? Or should those other territories, already struggling just to defend themselves from monsters, somehow send their own forces to pick up the weapons? Someone needs to be in charge of distribution.”

“……!”

“Now, recall the order of the monster subjugations I arranged. Some of you may have been unhappy with it, but do you think I just set it randomly?”

“Ah!”

The envoys who had been upset about their subjugation priorities paled in realization.

That’s right. The order of the subjugations was expanding outward from Burgos in a radial pattern.

Following roads wide enough for wagons and carriages.

“I-If this works out well…?”

About half the envoys, who had initially been disappointed at being lower in the priority list, suddenly brightened.

The farther from Burgos, the greater the value as a transportation hub.

When thinking only about the northeastern region, it all seemed the same, but considering the borders of the north, east, and central regions, the idea of traveling from Burgos to that location in one go was simply absurd.

At a minimum, the journey spanned 400 to 500 kilometers, and at worst, it exceeded 700 to 800 kilometers. In the entire Kingdom of Obla, only a handful of merchant groups were capable of making such a direct trip in a single stretch.

Moreover, all such merchant groups were based near the capital, in the western or southern regions. There was no way they would travel all the way to the remote northeastern corner that was Burgos—not even in their wildest dreams.

Most importantly—

“Now, do you understand? That’s why we must form a trade association centered around the territories of the lords gathered here. Who has the authority to make this happen, you ask? I do. As the Governor of Burgos, I have the authority to do just that.”

For this kind of business, the approval of the local powerholders was absolutely necessary. And right now, the governor, officially certified by the royal court, and even the crown prince were present.

Even if a major merchant guild coveted this opportunity, they would have no choice but to submit in an instant.

“Ooooh…!”

The envoys all exclaimed in unison.

Just moments ago, when they had entered the governor’s office, their faces had been like that of prisoners being led to their execution. But now, every single one of them looked like they had just won the lottery.

“You say the rights to monster by-products are worth only a fraction? Then calculate how much we can earn from this transport business. More importantly, as a member of this trade association, both I and Burgos will share profits in the same proportion as your territories. Fairly. And every quarter, we will set aside five percent of the earnings to provide direct material support to the territory that suffered the greatest losses.”

Si-on looked around at the envoys, his expression now warm, no longer indifferent or as sharp as ice.

“Do I still seem like a greedy, exploitative governor who only cares about his own interests?”

“Your Excellency—aaahh!”

“Please forgive these foolish subjects!”

“Waaahhh!”

The foolish ones knelt before their leader—no, before their governor—and begged for forgiveness.

At this moment, in the eyes of the envoys, Si-on was nothing short of a god.

The next morning.

The envoys, now infused with a newfound sense of courtesy and excitement for their future profits, departed alongside some of the Peregrine Division troops.

Their expressions were bright as they left.

The unfortunate incident where the knights had died? Did that even happen?

Even if it had, those arrogant knights were the ones at fault for committing ‘discourtesy’ first.

And those rude bastards had paid the price by getting their heads smashed by the governor himself, completely settling the matter. Their vacant positions would soon be filled by the countless second and third sons of noble families desperately seeking employment.

Thus, even as they passed through the gates of Burgos, the envoys bent at a perfect ninety-degree angle, bowing with utmost respect to both Si-on and Philon.

“They're remarkable. This is unimaginable in the central region. A knight died right before their eyes, and yet… Do you understand this, young lord?”

Under normal circumstances, this would have been an uncomfortable topic. However, knowing that Jang Si-on was an ancient monster and sharing a common reason for coming to Burgos—‘to do what they wanted’—had closed the distance between Sirvan and Philon considerably.

“If it were in the past, I wouldn’t have understood either, Your Highness. But after following my grandfather for so long, I’ve grown accustomed to it.”

“Oh? Is the Si-on Duchy different as well?”

“Of course. If not knights, even soldiers or rangers are sacrificed, we don’t just sit by. In fact, in a place called Cheolsan, my grandfather…”

Sirvan proceeded to tell Philon about what Si-on had done in Cheolsan and in the southernmost part of the duchy.

Philon listened in admiration, then suddenly stiffened as if something had just come to mind.

“Now that I think about it, sending Botan was an utterly foolish move. On top of that, I didn’t expect that man to go as far as to do something like that to one of Si-on’s cherished subordinates.”

It didn’t quite match his image, but Philon had never once forcibly taken a woman.

He had applied some mild coercion and pressure, but ultimately, every woman he had embraced had come to him of her own volition—whether because they genuinely liked Philon or because of his title as crown prince.

Thus, Philon despised men like Baron Botan who resorted to force. Contrary to popular belief, he was something of a romantic at heart.

“Oh, you mean Jenna Olrot. From what I heard, someone from the Information Guild Headquarters actually nudged Baron Botan in that direction.”

“Hm. You must be talking about that man, Jens.”

“Oh? You know of him too, Your Highness?”

“Of course. My uncle… No, Earl Rundel took him in and connected him to me. That bastard needs to be dealt with somehow as well.”

Philon had now realized that all the information Jens had fed him had been ‘biased.’ Worse, he knew that Earl Rundel had passed it along despite knowing this.

Philon couldn’t forgive Jens for tampering with the truth for his own gain before delivering it to him.

“My grandfather gave him a severe warning and sent him back to the Information Guild Headquarters, so he’s probably facing due punishment by now. That aside, it’s strange that we haven’t received any contact from Jenna Olrot. Something should have come through by now.”

“Hm? Is something going on?”

Though Philon was old enough to be Sirvan’s father, their similar circumstances made him feel a certain fondness for the young man, so he asked casually.

Having already received permission from Si-on to share a certain level of information with Philon, Sirvan glanced around before lowering his voice.

“Have you ever heard of ‘Divine Message’?”

“Divine Message…?”

“Yes. My grandfather said it will change the world. And by now, quite a few people across the world should have witnessed it.”

Sirvan’s voice grew even quieter.

“In our Si-on Duchy alone… there are already a great number of people, myself included, who have seen the Divine Message.”