Reincarnation of a Hunter Chapter 24.2 - Each One’s Interest (2)

 

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A day before the trial began.

The Marquis of Catalonia arrived in Marseille aboard his lord’s ship.

 

“Oh! The Port of Marseille is quite sizable! Look at that. Isn’t that a pyramid? To think a relic from the southern continent is here—how fascinating.”

“Yes, my lord. It truly is a beautiful place.”

 

The Marquis of Catalonia and his steward marveled at the port. And in it, they glimpsed the potential for it to grow into a major trading hub.

 

“Could they become our competitors?”

“No, my lord. The inland territories backing them are entirely different from ours. Though, if Baron Marseille’s proposed free trade agreement goes through, we could develop together.”

“Hmm. Then should we form a marriage alliance now?”

“Are you considering adopting a daughter?”

“No. I’m thinking of fathering a few more first.”

“…Good luck, my lord.”

 

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The Marquis of Catalonia brought a whole crowd of guests on his ship, forcing me to host an unplanned banquet.

Martin, who had been eyeing the banquet hall, grumbled, “Our domain barely has any budget as it is, and now he drags in all these freeloaders. I suppose the Marquis of Catalonia is planning to overturn this trial after all?”

I chuckled at Martin, who was making no effort to hide his displeasure.

“No. I heard the Marquis of Catalonia has always enjoyed execution ceremonies. And if he wanted to influence the verdict, he would’ve already pressured me.”

Martin brightened up.

“So that means your proposal was accepted, my lord? The reciprocal free trade agreement?”

“Most likely.”

 

The proposal I made to the Marquis of Catalonia was to allow surplus wheat produced in the southern part of the France Kingdom to pass through to Catalonia duty-free.

The territories of Catalonia and its neighboring regions, which always struggled with food shortages and relied on imports, would now be able to import wheat cheaply—thanks to me.

Meanwhile, territories like the Rhône-Alpes region, the domain of Countess Karin’s husband, or the Ferrand region, her birthplace, which produced surplus wheat, would gain the opportunity to export their wheat at favorable prices—again, thanks to me.

 

In exchange for giving up the potential profits from the wheat trade, I expected to revitalize the port of Marseille, generate income from usage fees, and create large-scale employment opportunities.

Moreover, if the wheat trade flourished, it was obvious that the exchange of other tariff-bound goods would also increase.

As an added bonus, it would help maintain amicable relations with neighboring territories.

 

“We’ll also have the chance to buy wheat at a lower price.”

“Of course. The food situation in our domain will improve significantly.”

That was my answer, but in truth, another advantage was that I could redirect the population within my territory away from wheat farming to other areas.

This meant I would have enough manpower for several projects I had in mind.

 

At that moment, Martin whispered to me.

“My lord, the Marquis of Catalonia is approaching.”

“Martin, step back for a moment.”

 

Soon, the Marquis of Catalonia came forward and greeted me.

“It is an honor to meet you in person.”

“I am also delighted to meet the Marquis, who is widely praised as a wise ruler.”

 

Though lords are of equal rank, a marquis is a high-ranking noble with vast lands, and moreover, he is of my father’s generation. 

 

Even I, who usually speak bluntly, had no choice but to use honorifics now.

“You seem truly filial. A model noble, indeed.”

‘Huh? What’s this all of a sudden?’

 

Well, I decided to let this misunderstanding slide. Leaving a good impression on others isn’t easy, after all.

“I’ve heard that filial piety is the foundation of all conduct.”

“Oh-ho. Where does that saying come from?”

“A fairy tale… no, a wandering poet from the East once said it.”

 

After exchanging pleasantries, the Marquis hesitated for a moment before speaking up.

“About the defendant, Marco… I have a request. Would you be willing to meet him one last time to settle this amicably? I will order Marco to surrender all his wealth.”

 

The Marquis of Catalonia seemed like a man of some integrity. Though he had accepted bribes from Marco, they had a long-standing relationship. Watching Marco lose his head must have been too unsettling for him.

 

However, I had no intention of settling. I’m not generous enough to spare someone who dared to target my life.

I had no choice but to let Countess Laurian go, but there was no reason to spare a man like Marco.

 

“My apologies, but he tried to kill me. I must see blood.”

 

At my words, the Marquis muttered self-deprecatingly.

“Sigh— I suppose there’s no helping it. If a noble dares to target another’s life, he should know his own neck is at risk.”

 

It seems the Marquis of Catalonia has already conducted his own investigation. He is aware that Marco is guilty.

He must also sense that the outcome of this trial has already been decided by me.

After all, isn’t he standing here right now because of my proposal?

 

The Marquis, following my expectations, gets straight to the point. Now, someone like Marco is no longer even in his sights.

There are as many merchants as there are stars in the sky, but there’s only one cheap wheat trade route.

 

“Viscount Marcel, about the free trade agreement we discussed in the letter. I couldn’t understand why you made such a choice. Abandoning tariffs—I thought you were only doing others a favor.”

“So you no longer think that way, I take it.”

The Marquis of Catalonia stroked his mustache as he spoke.

“That’s right. I asked for opinions from a couple of close associates. They told me it was a good deal for both Catalonia and Marcel.”

“That’s exactly what I’m aiming for. I’ll show you a result that’s truly ‘mutually beneficial,’ just as the term suggests.”

 

The Marquis’s expression brightened.

“Then when will the wheat distribution begin?”

“An envoy from Rhône-Alpes should arrive soon. Since the time has come, why not stay and hear the reply?”

 

Traveling by land would take longer due to the horses’ stamina. I expected it would take another day or two to receive responses from both Rhône-Alpes and Ferrand territories.

But coincidentally, the envoys arrived right at that moment.

 

Administrator Ricardo came running in a frenzy to deliver the news.

“My lord! The envoy from Rhône-Alpes has arrived!”

 

The Marquis, having overheard, wanted to meet them together.

“May I join you in receiving them?”

“With pleasure.”