At late dawn, within the round table of the council chamber, I—Libertas "Victor" von Vindia—sat with my direct subordinates, assembled by my order.
Nikos, my advisor. John, my troop commander. Daisy, my personal maid.
The three of them sat apart around the round table. All other seats remained empty—silent witnesses to the absence of my relatives, all of whom were dead.
The consequence was unavoidable. Every authority. Every responsibility. Both blessing and curse now rested squarely upon my shoulders.
I broke the silence first.
"Before we discuss anything else today, I want to know the financial condition of our household."
Both men exchanged uneasy looks, their expressions tangled with hesitation, as if each wished the other would speak first. Unexpectedly, it was Daisy who gathered her courage and spoke.
"Young master…" Her voice was soft, burdened. "I do not wish to distress you, but our situation is… dire."
She lowered her gaze before continuing.
"All your relatives—our former lords and ladies—managed to accumulate an enormous amount of debt. After their passing, it has all fallen upon you, as the last surviving member of House Libertas. I am truly sorry, young master."
I inhaled slowly.
"…How much?" I asked, already dreading the answer.
"Ten thousand gold coins, milord," Nikos replied, an abacus still clutched in his hands.
I asked the next question, with steadiness and calmness in my voice.
"If we took the entire harvest of this year and sold it all—without distributing a single portion to the peasants—how long would it take to clear this debt?" I ask because I really doesn't know how valuable gold coin are in this world.
Nikos did not answer immediately. His fingers moved across the abacus one last time before stopping.
"Ten years' worth of harvest, milord."
His face had gone pale.
I realized mine likely had as well.
Silence ruled the room for a full minute before I finally spoke.
The words I chose made every head snap toward me.
"If I sold most of my relative's possessions… would it be enough to pay off the debt?"
The shock was immediate. Nikos nearly fumbled his abacus.
"It… it would reduce the debt by about half, milord," he said carefully. "B-but would you truly go through with that?"
"Not even eighty percent huh?" I replied flatly. "Then it isn't worth it."
A collective sigh of relief passed through the room.
I did not allow it to linger.
"What if I personally negotiated with our lender?"
John's expression darkened immediately.
"I don't believe negotiating with "that woman" would go well, sire."
The words were heavy. Deliberate.
"That woman?" I leaned forward slightly. "Who is she? Explain it to me. I want the full picture."
John straightened in his chair and answer.
"Her name is Valeria Conti, ruler of the free city state of Venetia"
"Free city state?" I ask with curiosity. City state in this era setting are truly an anomaly.
"Yes. She achieved independence for her city just two years ago. His Majesty himself issued the decree."
That answer only sharpened my curiosity.
"How?" I asked.
John did not hesitate this time.
"Like you, she is the last surviving member of House Conti after the pox plague five years ago, so naturally gain the status of a countess. In just three years, she led Venetia to control vast trade networks, extended enormous loans, and applied enough financial pressure on the royal family that they were forced to relent. Independence was granted in exchange for forgiving the crown's debts." He paused, then added grimly, "It is also rumored she maintains connections with multiple crime syndicates across the kingdom."
I leaned back slightly.
"So she is a mercantile ruler," I said slowly, "and a financial prodigy."
"From everything we have heard," Nikos confirmed, "yes."
Silence fell over the table again—but this time, it was not heavy.
"Then," I said at last, "I may have a way to deal with our debt."
All three of them stiffened.
"And," I continued, "gain her as an ally."
They stared at me as if waiting for a punchline that never came.
I allowed myself a small smirk and pulled a fresh parchment toward me, dipping the quill into ink. The scratching sound filled the room as I wrote quickly, deliberately, listing items and plans with precise intent.
When I finished, I slid the parchment across the table toward Nikos.
"Find me everything on that list," I said. "Quietly. And send an invitation to Lady Valeria Conti. Tell her I wish to host her here next month to discuss business."
Nikos read the parchment once.
Then again.
His brows knit together, confusion plain on his face. For a moment, disbelief flickered in his eyes—but when he looked up and saw my expression, any thought of protest died where it stood.
"…Understood, milord," he said, folding the parchment carefully.
With the matter of finances set in motion, I allowed myself a brief moment of satisfaction. The debt had not vanished, but it was no longer an immovable wall. It was a problem with a direction—and for now, that was enough.
I shifted my attention to the other matters I had prepared the night before.
"Next matter" I said, straightening in my seat, "we may now move on to domestic reforms."
---
On the same afternoon, on the main street of the city of Vindia.
It was a straight dirt road that led directly to my mansion. Unfortunately, it was also crowded with beggars asking for alms, thugs loitering and glaring at passersby, and orphans whose families had likely perished in the pox plague.
At this very place, I the ruler of this land stood beneath the gentle snowfall, holding a basket full of bread alongside a line of maids who also carried baskets, ready for a PR stunt. Behind us stood John and his three hedge knights, serving as our bodyguards.
Without pridefulness or the stubbornness of a noble, I began handing out bread to everyone I saw, a friendly smile on my face. The line of maids following behind me did the same.
Townsfolk, orphans, and random beggars were all given the same amount of bread, while John and the hedge knights dealt with any thugs who dared to extort the bread from others, their fists clad in iron.
It did not take long for word to spread, and for a starving crowd to gather, looking for their share.
Once enough people had gathered, I stopped in my tracks and shouted in an authoritative voice.
"Everyone, stop what you are doing and listen to me! Those who do not will not receive their share!"
John and the knights formed a line in front of me for security. The crowd froze at my declaration, eyes and ears now fully focused on me.
"As the lord of this land and the representative of House Libertas, I am truly sorry for the state of our affairs. I am truly sorry for the lack of food. I am truly sorry for those whose families have perished from the plague."
I then bowed deeply toward the crowd, stunning nearly everyone present with such an un-noble-like display.
I straightened my back and stood proudly, ready for the next part of my speech.
"But the thing I am most sorry for is the lack of hope. I hereby declare—no, I promise you that within the next five years, I will solve every problem we face. In five years, everyone's stomach will be so full that you will beg for no more. In five years, everyone will be so safe and secure that you will no longer be afraid to walk the streets at night. In five years, everyone will have HOPE again."
I smiled, then continued.
"But for now, please form a line and receive this bread. May it temporarily sate your hunger."
I said it with a warm smile, like a father giving gifts to his children.