"What if... there is no war?"
Meklen's voice was a bit hoarse. He forced himself to calm down and analyze this insane deal with a merchant's logic.
He had spent his entire life dancing with risk and profit, priding himself as Leithanien's most astute hunter, able to smell the sweet scent of gold from a hundred miles away.
But today, he felt like he was the one being hunted.
"If everything goes as I expect, and Terra maintains its fragile peace, then the massive funds I invest, the materials I stockpile, will rot in warehouses. The factories I convert will be a total loss."
"I will become the biggest joke in all of Leithanien!"
This was a rational assessment, a doubt any normal merchant would raise.
The smile on Lacey's face widened. He walked slowly back to the table and poured himself a cup of red tea as well.
"I once read a line in a book from Victoria," Lacey said in a leisurely tone.
"For a ten percent profit, a merchant will be tempted; for a fifty percent profit, he will take great risks; for a one hundred percent profit, he will trample all human laws; and for a three hundred percent profit, he will not fear even the gallows."
He raised his eyes, his gaze landing on Meklen's face.
"Your Excellency Meklen, what I'm offering you is far more than a threefold profit, isn't it?"
"It will be ten times, a hundred times! It is the chance to transform yourself from a wealthy Elector into a titan who controls the economic lifeblood of the empire!"
"I never doubt your wisdom, Your Excellency. I am merely curious..."
His voice drew out as he spoke playfully:
"Are you... a qualified merchant?"
This question struck Meklen to the core.
A qualified merchant?
Of course he was!
His entire life had been in pursuit of that goal.
He knew better than anyone that the essence of wealth was the information gap, cognitive advantage, and the courage to place a heavy bet when everyone else was afraid!
The reason he had achieved his current status was that his grandfather, his father, and he himself had made bolder judgments than others at every fork in the road of history.
That was how the Neum family achieved its splendor today.
Risk-taking was already etched into the blood of the Neum family.
And now, Lacey, this madman who had climbed up from the bottom, was using the very identity Meklen was most proud of to question him, to challenge him.
Meklen's chest heaved, his mind racing wildly.
On one side lay an abyss of eternal damnation.
On the other, a ladder to the pinnacle of wealth and power.
He looked at Lacey. The young man stood there calmly, his eyes as deep as the sea, as if he could already see the future three to five years from now.
He was so certain!
So confident!
It was nothing like the feigned bravado of a gambler.
After a long while, Meklen let out a long breath.
"Your Excellency Lacey, your story is very moving."
"However, to bet my entire fortune on a war that has not yet happened goes against my principles."
He picked up the cup of red tea and took a slow, deliberate sip.
"But, I am very interested in the first point you made."
Meklen sat back in his chair, his merchant's shrewdness returning.
"This railway—our two families will each provide half the funds to build it jointly, and we'll split the profits fifty-fifty."
"This will be the foundation of our cooperation, and also my platform for observing you."
"As for your second point..." He shook his head.
"It's still too early. I won't immediately carry out a large-scale conversion to military production. That would be too conspicuous."
"However, I will quietly make some preparations under the pretext of upgrading equipment and expanding production capacity."
"I will begin stockpiling some non-perishable strategic materials, like ores and metal ingots."
"Consider this investment an insurance policy I'm buying for the future you've painted."
In the end, he still couldn't fully commit.
After all, it was just the other party's side of the story.
As a qualified merchant, while chasing profits, one must not forget to mitigate risks.
Making such a promise was already the greatest possible endorsement.
He had managed to both avoid completely rejecting Lacey's proposal—and missing a potential opportunity—while also controlling the risk as much as possible.
Even if the war doesn't break out, those ores and metal ingots can be slowly absorbed by the market. It's just a matter of time, and the losses won't be too great.
Lacey smiled.
The fish had taken the bait.
"A wise choice, Your Excellency Meklen."
"I believe that your caution today will bring you returns far beyond your expectations in the future."
"I hope so."
Meklen picked up the now-cold cup of red tea and drained it in one gulp.
"However, Your Excellency Lacey, since this is a partnership, I must naturally show my sincerity."
He leaned in closer and lowered his voice: "At the next parliament, if anyone brings up your low birth again, or impeaches you for your handling of Count Austin, I will stand with you."
This was Meklen's real concession.
He was already well aware of Lacey's ambition. This declaration, made before the Twin Empresses and the old nobility, was tantamount to taking a small step into Lacey's camp.
This small step might be insignificant militarily, but politically, it was a clear signal.
"In that case, I will await the good news." A bit more genuineness entered Lacey's smile.
The two men stood up at the same time.
"Your Excellency Meklen, in the future, you will certainly be pleased with the wise choice you made today."
"A pleasure doing business with you."
Lacey extended his hand.
"A pleasure doing business with you."
Meklen shook it.
...
Inside the carriage, leaving Eisenwald.
The old butler handed Meklen a warm towel.
"My lord, that His Excellency Lacey..." the old butler began hesitantly.
"He's too young, and too... mad."
"Is the risk not too great, betting the family's future on a madman?"
Meklen wiped his face and tossed the towel aside.
He leaned back against the soft seat, closed his eyes, and Lacey's question echoed repeatedly in his mind.
After a long time, he said softly, "Risk? Fortune is sought through danger, old friend."
"When has our Neum family ever engaged in a business without risk?"
He paused, then added, "Besides, don't you think?"
"Partnering with a madman who can foresee the future is far more stimulating than aligning with a bunch of fools who can only see the profit right in front of them."
The old butler saw the excited expression on his master's face and tactfully held his tongue.
...
After seeing Meklen Neum off, Lacey returned to the throne room alone.
He walked over to the map, picked up a quill, dipped it in red ink, and drew a circle over the territory representing the Caplania Grand Region.
One down from eight, leaving seven.
Meklen's vote was an exchange of interests.
Interests are something he can offer, but perhaps others can offer them too.
To truly take that seat, he would need more steadfast allies.
________________________________________
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