Titan Beneath the Heavens Chapter 149

The southerners always found it strange that His Imperial Highness Prince O'Neil Andrew Morisette, after settling down for more than half a month in Serevan Palace, didn't engage in anything else other than the daily wine receptions and banquets! The gentlemen who harbored intense envy sneered, "With Elizabeth Kate by his side, what else can he do?" On the other hand, the brooding intellects would shoot glares at those gentlemen with contempt, "Wait and see, if he doesn't turn the south upside down, then he isn't O'Neil Andrew Morisette!"

Honestly speaking, O'Neil Andrew Morisette indeed didn't do anything at all. He took two weeks before seizing the five southern provinces and straightening out the major and minor nobles, after which he expounded his political strategy briefly to a few most influential aristocrats among them. The outcome was almost as that predicted, with half opposing and another half supporting. However, those in favor have lost a lot of influence in the south compared to the opposition.

This was not what Prince O'Neil was most uneasy about. Both the letters he wrote to His Majesty III and the Commander of the Southern Army Group yielded no response. In short, everything has not started and there indeed wasn't anything that our Highness Prince could do. Thus, he was dead set on splurging the assortment of twenty-three thousand over bottles of fine wine in Serevan Palace. Therefore, the daily banquets and balls were necessary.

Aside from discussing High Highness Prince who appeared as if he was idling his time away, the people of Vielonna also discussed another matter. This matter undoubtedly more appealing.

"Elizabeth Kate has become the adopted daughter of Prince O'Neil!"

"Who did you hear that from?"

"I personally witnessed the people in the court addressing Elizabeth as Her Highness!"

"Then it's her gain!"

All the people were discussing it that way. However, there was another voice saying, "Don't the Manzonola brothers have anything to express?"

"Yes! It was said that the old man threw Lady Elizabeth's luggage at the huge entrance of Serevan Palace!"

"And then?"

"And then nothing!"

Oscar evaluated Elizabeth Kate, who was selecting her luggage, and suddenly broke into laughter. "Just thinking that all these things were acquired by that old man for you makes me..."

"Don't think about anything!" Elizabeth silenced the prince with a finger to his lips. "I really only have one luggage, which is that leather volume I handed over to you previously."

Oscar pretended to take a bite, causing his adopted daughter to squeal. He then covered her finger with his hand.

"What are you doing?"

"Punishing you!" the prince held the woman in a vice grip from behind, breathing in her scent greedily. "Why are you only coming to see me now? You should have met me earlier!"

Elizabeth whipped around and settled herself into the man's embrace. "The one who should be complaining is me! Why are you only coming to see me now?"

"Fine, it's my fault!" Oscar shrugged indifferently. "Do you hear the solo outside? We're about to set off! How do you plan on taking care of these things?" The prince asked while indicating the luggage piled up on the ground.

Elizabeth showed the prince the few clothing she clutched against her chest. "My mother sew these for me, I'll only keep these and the others... can be burned!"

"What about those pieces of jewelries?" Oscar pointed towards the mountain of jewelry on the dressing table. "Burning them will be such a waste! Moreover, they can't be burned!"

Elizabeth nodded. "So tomorrow I'll have to request my father to accompany me out. We will go to a few orphanages and monasteries; there are others who need these pieces of jewelry more than me! If there's still time... we will go shopping!"

Oscar kissed his adopted daughter's cheek. "Good idea, as you wish!"

The violin solo was melodious, suave. The music lingered in the listening room for quite a while before traveling out. This was Vielonna, every noble family owned an opulently decorated listening room that applied basic acoustic principles. Most of all, there has never been a depletion in musicians of Vielonna, and so all the huge and small listening rooms were always packed to the brim. When dinner ended, the sound of instruments would start traveling out from listening rooms everywhere. Needless to say, if you were capable of inviting Lady Elizabeth Kate to present a song, then the family recital would be perfect.

"She... she's indeed beautiful!" Lady Trinity sighed to the young lady sitting on her left and repeated herself to Princess Alanis seated on her right. Lastly, she muttered again to herself, emphasizing her tone for this definitive statement.

"Yes... she's indeed lovely!" Alanis sighed as well. She has all the while been assessing Elizabeth. To have a woman acknowledge another woman's beauty was an exceedingly challenging thing. However, if the woman you met was Elizabeth, then it was totally different, for her beauty was the kind that compelled you to acknowledge it!

"You should control your husband. He now listens to her every word!" Sasha's finger crossed Trinity and prodded Alanis' waist.

"Don't say that Sasha!" smiling, Alanis ducked away, "I should say that he is also your brother and you should also discipline him!"

Sasha knitted her eyebrows. "But... he's with his adopted daughter... oh gosh! I really can't bring myself to say it!" The young lady suddenly spun to face the princess impatiently. "You're his wife! In any case, you should teach him a lesson! Don't tell me you'll let him do as he pleases with that woman?"

Alanis covered his forehead. "But how can I control him? Just like you say, Lady Elizabeth is my husband's adopted daughter. There are witnesses, a bishop, and even a baptism ceremony! I fear that even my Emperor father may acknowledge her! Tell me, what can I do? Don't tell me you expect me to lecture him like a mother? I dare not!"

Lady Trinity suddenly took both of the women by the hand on her left and right. "Both of you stop arguing! Let us all think of a way!"

Alanis and Sasha's eyes widened and they practically bellowed simultaneously at the clueless Trinity, "It's none of your business!"

After a moment of silence, perhaps it was because of the nudge from Lady Trinity, Alanis conceded. She said to Sasha, "Spend the night at my place tonight! Your brother won't come looking for me!"

Without giving it any thought, the young lady responded with a "sure". It seemed that to unite both these women, it only required another woman to be slotted in between them.

Finally, the violin solo ended. The people stood up and gave the performing musician a round of applause. His Highness prince generously set the time for performer's upcoming recital and he withdrew, filled with heartfelt gratitude. At that moment, a commotion erupted from the crowd, and the one screaming loudest was a madam. She was Madam Monique, from the Imperial Household's confidential secretary, Count Philip Goolean's Family. She requested His Highness Prince to urge the girl of unparalleled beauty in all the five southern provinces beside him, onto the stage.

The people's wish was fulfilled, Elizabeth Kate, oh sorry! Oh heavens, what an outrageous mistake to make! Lady Elizabeth Andrew gave a slight bow to the seated nobles and the former patrons hurriedly returned it. She gave a satisfied grin. It was such a rarity! The great nobles actually returned a singer's bow? Elizabeth has never come across such a thing. Only then did she truly came to comprehend what kind of changes were brought on by the title that the prince bestowed upon her.

After shooting a grateful glance

at Prince O'Neil who was seated in the best listening position, Elizabeth cleared her throat. The applause immediately faded away and the people settled down. The organist struck on the keys and a bright and suave female voice that moved hearts reverberated.

Vielonna, my home, is surrounded by roses from the Alps, the monsoon is my lover, that leaves Vielonna when spring arrives. When the roses wither, my lover, the monsoon, leaves Vielonna. My Oscar felt a hand on his shoulder, he turned to find his Military Intelligence Division Head. Baron Messier gestured towards the door.

Oscar stood up and reported a crime to the crowd of guests, then nodded slightly towards his wife and sister and after that proceeded to follow the Baron out of the huge doors. Despite being mesmerized by the vocals, the people knew in their hearts that His Highness Prince was about to handle some official business.

Georgio Verones was tarrying respectfully outside the prince's study. When he saw the important man who was two years younger than him, he inclined his body sincerely. He was requested to visit Serevan Palace ten days ago by the operations officer of the Military Intelligence Bureau. Vielonna's great gambler of the trading hall thought he had committed some crime, but after receiving a warm welcome from His Highness Prince, it turned out that the people just needed his assistance.

"Geo! How is that? Any developments?" Oscar inquired while placing his hand on the other's shoulder. He knew that there wasn't a single noble youth who would treat him as how they waited upon an elder aside from brawny Mendez Blane.

"Your Highness, there's a breakthrough for a part of it!" Geo fished out a black leather bound book. The old chaps were extremely careful because it was written using a secret language and vanishing ink.

Oscar nodded, "let us talk inside!"

Baron Messier followed the Prince and the young, astute and opportunistic merchant into the study, leaving four guards to stand guard outside the door. In order to prevent anyone from eavesdropping through the copper pipes of the air conditioning, he even requested Mr. Rowel to cut off the air conditioning supply to the huge room and blocked up the air conditioning pipe of the study with asbestos.

After Division head of the Military Intelligence had everything prepared, Oscar finally spoke.

"Did you discover something?"

"Yes Your Highness! Absolutely shocking!" Geo exclaimed while flipping open the leather-bound book on the Prince's massive study table and then spread out the interpreted copy he had hurriedly scribbled out.

"Look, this thing can actually be considered to be a log. The old men of the seized trading hall used the ancient Lunar Calendar to calculate. At that time, there were 15 days a month, divided into the first quarter and the third quarter of the month. Every first day of the first quarter of the month is their business day while every first day of the third quarter is their financial statements day!"

Oscar nodded and turned towards Division Head of his Military Intelligence, beaming. "You see, I told you! Hiring an economist to settle this matter for us is indeed just too wise!"

Georgio Verones smiled humbly/ "Your Highness, I'm not some economist, merely an ordinary noble and so the Division Head of the Military Intelligence sought me out!"

"Ola! He found the right man! You're worth the trust and also portray upstanding integrity! Please continue on!"

"Yes, Your Highness!" Geo promptly pointed towards the hurriedly scribbled interpreted copy. "You see, the methods the old chaps used to record the dates are quite straightforward, but the method they used in recording the numbers has me baffled. I suppose your secret code-breaking agents are also unable to make sense of it and so have considered finding a solution through economics."

"Yes, that's right!" Oscar agreed.

"This is it!" Geo started pointing excitedly. "Even I couldn't make sense of the numbering symbols, but I know the other ones represent the goods. For example this mermaid symbol, an ancient classic. Its flesh can grant one immortality. And behind this symbol is its place of manufacture. This piano-shaped symbol is the trademark of the largest ranch in Bodega Province. The veal of this ranch is the best in the entire south!"

"And then?"

"Then nothing else!"

"What does that mean?" curiosity bubbled within Oscar.

"It means that in year 794, the 7th month, which is also consecutive of two first-quarter moons, this veal that is produced in the Swata Ranch of Bodega, vanished from the market!"

"What does this represent?" Oscar scratched his head, unable to make head or tails of it.

Master Geo expressed a look of implacable hatred as if he had shared in the misfortune of the veals.

"This means that although this veal was circulating in the black market of Vielonna's trading hall, the people only received empty cargos for their money! Look again here..." Georgio pointed towards the last symbol after the mermaid and piano-shaped symbol. "This is a wine barrel. If my presumptions are right, it represents the great wine dealer, Hawkins, the very best in the south. This batch of beef cattle fell into his hands in the end, or we could say that the batch of beef cattle was his, to begin with!"

Oscar shook his head repeatedly. "It doesn't make sense! It makes no sense at all! Since the cows vanished, then what kind of business is the Vielonna Trading Hall doing?"

Master Geo spat under his breath. He had a rough idea of how these old men accumulate their wealth.

"Let me explain to you once again even though the old peddlers of the Vielonna Trading Hall may be unclear, I have a rough idea! This is a business without any goods! The great wine dealer Hawkins placed the beef cattle he got for a low price into the market and used his accomplices to increase the value of the goods. Those who don't understand the situation would flock to purchase. During that time, there will be purchases from the group of Guards and news that the Swata Ranch was raided by bandits, which results in an even higher value for the beef cattle! Towards the end... a cattle plague will break out! There will be a delisting and winding up of the trade hall and this business will no longer exist!"

"Ola..." Oscar gave a shout and rubbed his nose, "I still don't understand!"

"Uhh... like this! Let me explain it to you in another way!" Georgio suddenly grabbed at a quill pen on the study table. "Now let's say that this thing is worth ten golden Tis."

"You're kidding me!" Oscar's eyes shot wide open, "A golden Ti can get me a dozen!"

"Your Highness, I'm not kidding! The old men who monopolize the trading hall wouldn't joke either. This quill pen is worth ten golden Tis!"

"Can't I just get it elsewhere?" Oscar was a little indignant; this was extortion.

"You're the one joking!" Georgio Verones laughed like an unscrupulous businessman. "Look on your table, you only have one quill pen and this is also the only one in the market! You need it to write and to settle official businesses! You can't do without it! Would you take it for ten golden Tis?"

"It's impossible for the market to only have this single quill pen!"

Georgio tossed over an account book as thick as Titan's dictionary. "Look for it yourself. All the business records for the Vielonna Trading Hall in the 7th month of year 794. If there were another quill pen, I wouldn't sell it to you for ten golden Tis!"

Realization washed over Oscar, "I understand! You control the entire market!"

"No!" Master Geo shook his head. "You haven't answered my question! There's only this one quill pen in the whole world. For ten golden Tis, would you get it?"

"I'll take it!" Oscar replied in dejection. "Give it to me and I'll give you ten golden Tis! I need it to write letters and as you say, I can't do without it!"

"Very well! I'll assume you've given me ten golden Tis! However, after I've sealed this deal….." Master Geo suddenly whirled around to face Baron Messier who was standing at a corner respectfully and said flatteringly, "Good sir of the black market, my old friend! Look what I have brought for you! The only quill pen on the market! Vielonna Trading Hall is selling it for ten golden Tis! I'm only selling it to you for eight and a half, what about it?"

"Cut off the nonsense! I've already paid; it's mine! Hand it to me!" Oscar appeared to be utterly exasperated.

Messier gave a slight smile, having already taken the quill pen, "I really have to thank you old friend. This is the only quill pen on the market! For eight and a half golden Tis, I'll take it!"

"So Your Highness!" Georgio turned his attention towards the young prince who was staring blankly. "Now... the whole market knows that your quill pen has broken. It has lost its usable value and the significance of its existence."

"But it's mine; I've spent ten golden Tis for it!" Oscar shouted loudly. "Moreover, it isn't broken! You sold it at a low price to Mes!"

"Believe me, Your Highness! The old guys of the Vielonna Trading Hall will definitely have a way to convince you that your quill pen is broken and your ten golden Tis will be gone just like that! However, as guarantors of the business, they will compensate you. However, the compensation will be the price of the quill pen when it first entered the market, which is also the cash deposit of this pen!" the young financier cried while tossing two Ti coins onto the Prince's study table, "take this money and leave! Wish you good luck next round!"

Oscar fixed his gaze on the two coins on the table. He suddenly banged the tabletop violently. He completely understood what this was about! Be it beef cattle or quill pens, the principles were the same!

"You see Your Highness, this is the truth." Georgio was sweating profusely after the demonstration a while ago, "the old businessmen of the trading hall aren't speculators, nor do they sell cheaply bought items at a higher price. More so, they aren't buying and selling on speculation. They are swindlers! Crazy swindlers who are without misgivings! They rob ten golden Tis from the ordinary merchants of the trading hall while profiting half a golden Ti from the black market and only compensate you with two Ti coins. You didn't complain because once you've come back to your senses, you already know that the quill pen is only worth that value. But this isn't just it!"

His Highness Prince was already so enraged that his whole body was trembling, but there was actually still more to it!

"As you've noticed, the capital of the black market is illegal and can never see the light of day. If the Empire's Taxation Department and the Investigative Division of the Justice Department were to discover it, one would lose their head! So... the financial bigshots of the Vielonna Trading Hall have to make the dirty money clean!"

"How do they do it?"

"It couldn't be any simpler!" Geo whipped around to face Baron Messier, "I would like to report to the Imperial Ministry of Justice! My customer has bought a broken quill pen, manufactured in a Faran workshop. We would like to look into the responsibility of this manufacturer."

Having said that, Geo again turned to face the clueless Prince. "Regardless of whether it is using money to bribe or relying on connections, in short, the court will quickly issue an adjudication that the Faran workshop was to compensate for all the losses sustained by the Vielonna Trading Hall. Of course... no one will know that the manufacturer and the Vielonna Trading Hall that sued them are in cahoots with each other! This group of people will sign the compensation agreement under the supervision of the judge. Uhhh... the compensation of eight and a half golden Tis only!"

"That's sick!" Oscar cursed under his breath, "the profit of eight and a half golden Tis made by the black market will become legal just like that!"

"That's right! Not a single cent less. Moreover, completely legal! Then this capital will again be added to the circulating domain and like a rolling snowball, become an even greater capital!" the noble youth exclaimed while closing the thick leather-bound volume.

"Not only the bribes provided to the Justice Department are recorded here, but also the names of specific managers. These names are written in plain language. It's evident that the old chaps of the trading hall intend to preserve criminal evidence against the Empire's officers to be prepared for any unforeseen circumstances!"

"So... Your Highness, do I still need to proceed? I've already cracked down more than ten transactions and not one of them isn't..."

"Enough!" Oscar waved his hand, "how can they do this? I'm saying... on what grounds?"

Georgio shrugged, "why can't they? Even the swans that produce feathers are theirs. So they can sell the quill pens anyhow they please!"

"If... we got rid of them?" Oscar gritted his teeth, cursing.

"Your Highness, you still don't understand" Master Geo shook his head. He once again took the quill pen from Baron Messier's hand. "You've paid ten golden Tis, but both the money and quill pen still exists. Well then, the infuriated you sent the ones who earned the money and the one who received the pen to the guillotine. However, that money and quill pen still indeed exists. Someone will inherit this money and once again acquire quill pens! The cycle will repeat itself!"

"You're saying that... there'd be newcomers to take the places of the old members!"

"Exactly!" Georgio finally nodded, "Titan not only has one huge merchant, you can't kill them all! They will assemble even more capital before the downfall of the financial leaders and annex everything before!"

"Enough, enough! I can't understand. Give me the key points! How will they annex the properties of those people?" Oscar waved his hand impatiently.

"Yes Your Highness!" after a moment of pondering, in the end, Georgio Verones could only say, "the circulating capital is attached to the goods while the goods are sure to have a destination. So the circulation of the capital will also have an endpoint. The new rise of great merchants or chamber of commerce can purchase the goods and resource locations from those who have fallen. These are the properties of those you have gotten rid of. When the newcomers throw these things into the circulation, they will naturally be the new kings!"

"No!" Oscar shook his head. "This is an abnormal circulation! These bizarre circulations were the things that led to the ruin of the five southern provinces!"

Georgio heaved a sigh, "Your Highness, this is something that cannot be helped! You're against merchants. They only value profits and wouldn't care about what the south becomes, but only how to turn over a larger capital during the circulation of the goods."

"There's nothing that can be done at all?"

Georgio deliberated but in the end, shook his head. He even suspected that if he himself possessed such a huge capital, he would work together with those old fellows because they were merchants by nature!

"Unless….. you control the Vielonna Trading Hall!" Geo finally answered. "The Vielonna Trading Hall is where the capital circulation starts and also its end point! Now it seems that... the black market trade's financial center is also a hell of a place! Only by controlling the capital in there, can the bizarre production and marketing domain be turned around from its roots."

"I can deploy Guards to occupy that place under the name of capturing swindlers, but... what comes after?" Oscar was again in a dilemma, having completely no idea what to do after taking hold of the trading hall.

"The Titan Codex protects the nobles' private properties. It's the same for the free citizens. So, you can only supervise the Vielonna Trading Hall, but can't take the massive savings in the treasury of the trading hall as your own..."

"Hold on! Aren't you just talking rubbish?" Oscar bellowed. "If I can't do anything about that capital, then why should I still occupy that wretched place? Moreover, if the Vielonna Trading Hall were to close down... won't the southern economy be doomed?"

"Uhh... uhh..." Georgio responded evasively. Oh gosh, he wasn't a great financier like the Manzonola brothers. Could it be that His Highness Prince still hoped for him to become the savior of the future market?

"Let... let me think again!" Master Geo wiped the beads of sweat on his forehead with his sleeve.

"Very well, how about this; we will all dwell on it," Oscar waved his hands at the young financier. He suddenly felt glad. It was fortunate that the southern strategy drawn up by Dulin wasn't made public. That absolutely wouldn't solve the problem because the state of society in the five southern provinces is completely deformed!

"Mes, what do you think?" Oscar only thought about consulting the Division Head of the Military Intelligence's opinion once he has seen him out.

"Your Highness, we are soldiers!" Messier spread his hands helplessly and could only return a bitter smile to the prince.

"Yes, we are soldiers!" Oscar slumped into the sofa, his sudden great ambition whittling away. He has been staying at Serevan Palace for half a month, but aside from adopting a girl, he didn't accomplish anything amazing. Although he didn't want it to be that way, the facts were evident. The societal order of the five southern provinces was like a beehive, riddled with holes, but from certain aspects, it was like a watertight iron bucket. Our prince simply has no way of dealing with it.

A timely knock on the door sounded and Oscar sat upright at once, "enter!"

"Your Highness, a reply from the Empire's Imperial Secretariat! His Majesty III even stamped it with his private seal!" the Confidential Secretary of the Military Intelligence, First Lieutenant Muktha Singh offered the document respectfully using both hands.

"Ola, just the right time!" Oscar took it excitedly. Using a side of his teeth, he tore open the wax and envelope, but his face instantly fell after scanning through it.

Messier edged closer in consternation, "Your Highness, could it be that His Majesty has rejected our..."

"Look for yourself!" the prince roared and cast the letter aside. He sprang up from his seat and ran aimlessly around the study like a fly.

Messier picked the letter up from the ground and read the beginning of it. Not bad, the Emperor agreed and moreover officially authorized it! But... the Division Head of the Military Intelligence's face changed as well!

"What is meant by personally resolve the land compensation?"

"It means that Alfa III, this miser is unwilling to fish out this money!" Oscar shouted in a stern voice, "for the nobles who lost a part of their profits in the new plans of the land, they have to be compensated with gold coins! This is what I've promised! But now? Our Majesty has approved but won't provide any funds!"

Messier tilted his head to the heavens and sighed. "What is Our Majesty doing? Where does he expect us to find this amount of money?"

"His Majesty III wouldn't play with me like this! Check it! Go check it out! Who is the one who suggested such a cruel idea to His Majesty III? I will kill him!" Oscar paced back and fro ceaselessly while letting out a string of curses. If the southern nobles were unable to receive compensation accordingly during the land inventory... Oscar couldn't think of anything else. He only wanted to pack up and get his ass back to Dulin. Otherwise, the nobles who lost their lands will maul him!

Messier nodded grudgingly at the prince's commands. His Majesty III has stamped it with the official Imperial seal. Even if he dug up anything, what could that change? He knew that the young prince was just saying it in the heat of the moment.

The Military Intelligence's Confidential Secretary, First Lieutenant Muktha Singh took the Emperor's authorized letter from Baron Messier. His eyes widened, "Your Highness, there isn't a need to check it right? Haven't you noticed? The document even has the Cabinet Minister's seal at the very end!"

Oscar snatched the document violently! Sure enough, he found Kachev Drakas Ferdinand's signature at the very end.

"Curse you!" Rounds of abuses escaped from the prince's lips without giving a thought about his status. He even flung the document onto the ground and then stomped on it forcefully.

"Send our best agents on their way to return to Dulin. Shove Kachev Drakas Ferdinand's head into the chamber pot and don't return if it isn't done!"

Messier's grimace intensified. He suspected that his master's fury has almost seared a hole through his skull.

"Your Highness, let us still think of a way!"

"What way?" Oscar shrieked. "The compensation for every acre of land is sixty-nine golden Tis. I've discussed this with the few large patriarchs of the south! This is also the bottom line that the southern nobles are able to accept! But now I don't even have a single copper coin. What can I use to do business with others?"

Mes' eyes flew wide open. "Yes, I know right! Sixty-nine golden Tis for every acre of land. We need to pay a compensation of more than ten million at the very least. Really, His Majesty! Is he asking for us to go rob it?"

"What did you say?" Oscar suddenly scuttled over, grabbing onto the collars of the Military Intelligence Division Head.

"I said... I said we have to pay a compensation of ten million!" Messier gazed at the young prince's eyes in alarm.

"No, after that!"

"I said... His Majesty III is asking for us to go rob it!"

"Robbing?" Oscar released the Baron's collars and started pacing like a fly as before, his lips muttering repeatedly. "Robbing... robbing... robbing..."

"Who is the most well-off in the south?" Oscar suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"It's, of course, those huge merchants!" Messier wiped his sweat.

"Where do they usually store their money?"

The Military Intelligence Division Head seemed to have been struck by a wave of apprehension. "The Vielonna Trading Hall!"

Oscar slumped back into his huge sofa awkwardly. His Highness looked as if he was about to make a huge decision.

"Have you heard about that enormous treasury built underneath the Vielonna Trading Hall?"

"Yes, I've heard!" Mes nodded.

"If one day the contents of the treasury went missing, what consequences do you think there'd be?"

"Those big merchants will be broke. Furthermore... the largest snowballs that monopolize the financial market will melt away and cease to exist!" The eyes of the Military Intelligence Division Head gleamed with excitement.

"That's right!" Oscar nodded. Oh God of light, he really thought that he was a genius. "Not only that, those bankrupt huge merchants won't have a single thing that the people can purchase from them! They will be utterly finished! So those who come after can only allocate resources from scratch and build another snowball! When that moment comes... I will use the initial snowball to swallow up their snowball. Thus... the Vielonna Trading Hall will be ours!"

"I understand! You want to rob the Vielonna Trading Hall's underground treasury! The gold in it is said to be able to compete with that of the national treasury. We can not only obtain the compensation for the southern nobles, but also the rob the most important resource in circulation!"

"You're not so dense! However, I never said that!" Oscar smiled sinisterly.

Messier nodded with intuitive understanding, "Oh that's right Your Highness, I have almost forgotten! I've long since received the secret report. It's the bandits in the mountains who did it."

"How about you Muktha! What are your thoughts?" Oscar suddenly spun towards his Confidential Secretary.

First Lieutenant Singh abruptly came back to reality as if just waking from a dream, "I apologize, Your Highness, I just dozed off and didn't catch anything. Please punish me."

"Hahahahahahahaha!" Oscar burst into laughter that was close to a screech. "It seems that you're pretty tactful. I won't go after this matter further!"

"Thank you for your kindness My Highness!"

A knock once again sounded and Oscar returned to sitting upright. The manager of Serevan Palace, Sir Rowel carried a tea set and strode into the room. He respectfully arranged the tea set onto the prince's study table.

"Both of you, leave us!" Oscar waved his hand towards his Military Intelligence Division Head and his Confidential Secretary and then smiling, turned his attention towards Rowel who had a flattered expression. "What's up my palace manager? Did you come to present a treasure?"

Oscar noticed that the tea set on the table was not of ordinary ceramic, rather... do you still remember the jade dragonfly on Sasha's head? It's a jade tea set! Oh gosh! The easterners were a little too profligate, weren't they?

"Hehe! Your Highness, you really know your goods!" Rowel praised while pouring the young prince a full cup of dark-orange black tea. "Have a taste; its flavor is excellent!"

Oscar took the teacup but suddenly froze as soon as the cup met his lips. "Is this part of Serevan Palace's collection of treasure?"

Rowel shook his head. "To prevent theft, the Imperial Household will not allocate any treasure to the temporary residence in the outer provinces. This is a gift from a huge, forthright merchant. I've taken the liberty to appreciate it for you."

Oscar nodded while taking a small sip.

"Ola! The flavor is indeed exquisite! May I know who wanted to send me this gift? I'd like to..." the prince's voice suddenly caught in his throat. His hand already flung the teacup aside. Both his legs were stepping aimlessly and his hands were clawed frantically around his throat as if trying to catch hold something.

"Arghh... arghh... poison... it's poison..."

"Your Highness! Your Highness!" Rowel was already by young Oscar's side as soon as his conditions developed. His eyes were red and his young master was already convulsing fiercely!

"How can this be? How can this be? I've already tested both tea set and tea!" Rowel screamed like mad while holding the prince. "Help! Anyone! Doctor! Doctor!"

The guards outside the huge doors practically burst in immediately.

"Find the doctor! Find the doctor! Hurry! His Highness has been poisoned! His Highness has been poisoned!"

Just when the guards had turned around and were about to speed away, Oscar's calm and composed voice rang out.

"Forget about it!"

"Your Highness..." The Palace Manager eyed the young prince in his arms in disbelief.

"It's just a joke. Hurry and let go of me; I don't like being in the arms of a man."

With a stoic face, Manager Rowel promptly released his hands, but he already came to a realization that the prince wasn't fooling around; this was a test. If he didn't scream away like a madman a while ago, perhaps the prince will kill him without hesitation; he couldn't say for sure.

"Is this very fun? You could have just asked me directly!"

Oscar dismissed the guards who have surrounded the room. He patted his clothes and then resumed his original seat.

"Don't be like that my Palace Manager, I'm merely testing to see if my sense of humor is still as wonderful as before! It seems that I did pretty well considering you were so frightened you almost wet your pants." Oscar made an excuse for his actions, bored. Anyhow, he has calmed down.

"Rowel, you know? I detest those who are used to acting on their own initiative. There are only two outcomes for this kind of people by my side. First is to vanish without a trace, like my previous manager and second, like you. I haven't decided how I will punish you!"

"Punish?" Rowel let slip a faint laugh in disbelief, "Your Highness, I can also say that this tea set is given by an outsider to the palace. I don't think I've done anything wrong. Why should you punish me?"

"Why? Why you say?" Oscar shot another question back at him. "Why did Lady Elizabeth appear in Serevan Palace. Can you explain that to me?"

Rowel's eyes leaped like a panicked bunny, not knowing what to do.

"Let me answer for you! Lady Elizabeth's ancestral property has all been placed under your name. So that's why you've so diligently arranged for me to have that meeting! Isn't it like this, Mr. Palace Manager?"

Rowel suddenly heaved a sigh, "Your Highness, I am only a servant of the Imperial Household. Once my term of service is over, I will be nothing! Is planning for myself once in a while considered a sin? Besides, I must help Lady Elizabeth with this; she's a pitiful girl."

"Don't describe yourself as a saint!" Oscar abruptly averted his head away in disgust. "What about RuPaul Roy? He is the Manzonola Family's number one loyal dog! What is the relationship between you and him? During the past two weeks, both of you have already met up in secret four times!"

"Your Highness, I've known RuPaul Roy for more than ten years. Our meetings are merely on the sentiments of old friends. Besides, I've rejected all his requests!"

"I know you've rejected them, and so you're still alive," Oscar's eyes were so icy that it made one shudder.

Rowel wiped the beads of sweat that rolled down from his forehead. He really believed that His Highness Prince wanted to have him punished.

"Rowel, although you're the kind who loves taking advantage of things even just a little, that's harmless, and there aren't any evil intentions towards me. However, I hope that this will be the last time!" Oscar pointed towards the tea set on the table. "Return it to whoever sent it here. One more thing, tell RuPaul Roy so that he and his master keep their distance from me. Otherwise, I will piss on them!"

The Palace Manager burst into laughter but immediately stifled it.

"Yes Your Highness, but you really should accept this tea set!"

"Why?" Oscar was suddenly skeptical.

"Because a financial crocodile that is like the Manzonola Family exists in the south. Besides that, tycoons like the Boustead Family believe in free trade and impartial honesty"

"The Boustead Family..." The prince muttered the name. In his heart, he couldn't help but laugh coldly. He hasn't even done anything yet and these top-ranking southern figures were already anxious!

Chapter end