The temperature in the North started to warm up again. I was very grateful to Freya. To be honest, I never thought of blowing up the mountains to bring in the warm breeze from the ocean. I was surprised that such a strange method worked. The accumulated snow on the mountains melted, flowing down to the rivers, thereby forming a mother river.
The dyke Freya had constructed stopped the running water in the middle of the river, thereby preventing the Northern plain from being drowned. The plain of the North received moisture from the two rivers and countless other branches of the rivers, turning the frozen land into rich lands spanning thousands of miles. Of course, the two rivers needed to be modified over and over. Alas, we still wouldn’t have enough people to actually plant crops on the land where the river reached even if we didn’t completely modify the surrounding land. The population in the North was frankly too small. As such, we didn’t need to organise fields or people nearby at the moment.
What does the North need most right now? One was people and the other was money. Both were absolute necessities. Though Troy City could provide money and resources, it was impossible to satisfy an entire nation with what was available at a single city. I couldn’t keep making Troy City bleed out for us. I knew that elves and humanity could supply me with money. However, I didn’t want to let my moms do anything in the North. They certainly didn’t want to take away my North, but if their subordinates came and went, then that would put my moms in a tough spot. Yes, I was talking about humanity specifically there.
I needed to come up with a way to get some money from the businessmen. Regardless of what society you’re talking about, nobles aren’t necessarily rich, but businessmen will definitely have money. The money that businessmen possess and the nation were unrelated. I didn’t harm them in any capacity after entering the Imperial City. They, therefore, were bound to have money on hand.
I wouldn’t rob. I wasn’t trying to destroy the land. I wanted to rule the place. I couldn’t let the people down. I required money, but I didn’t necessarily need to rob it from them.
“That’s right, gentlemen, I am the new ruler of the North, Troy Galadriel Rosvenor.”
I looked at the anthropoids seated down below. I didn’t know what their evaluation of me was. All I saw in their gazes was confusion, curiosity, vigilance and resentment. I didn’t know what they thought of my invitation. Some didn’t come, but the majority showed up.
Businessmen wouldn’t pick a fight with money. Changing their ruler merely meant changing who they paid taxes to. They wanted a stable and safe environment to do business. What they were most concerned about was what sort of ruler I was. I called them over, and they came to see if they could get something out in business in the future. If that was their guess, then they were right.
“You should all be aware that change is coming to the North. That’s right. From the weather to the ruler, things are changing. I’m also a member of the elven imperial family. I know what the state of the North once was. The North was once the same as the South to you, but it became what it is now owing to the lack of the elven spring water. The North is now reverting back to how it originally was without the elven spring water. In the future, the North will flourish again under my rule.”
Some of the anthropoids below nodded, but the majority of them chose to keep silent. I, personally, was never eager to hear their opinions. If I was in their shoes, I would be very careful and vigilant around a new ruler of a different race; it was a must. Before you know what the personality of the new ruler is, it’s best to avoid showing any reaction. It was just as they said: risk and gains go hand in hand. A minor action may get yourself killed.
I cleared my throat gently, “However, you must also all be aware why I asked you to come. The reason is simple. The assets left behind for me by the North were very minimal. The previous elven Queen left me with just an empty national treasury. There was some money, but that would only be enough for a King to live a slightly luxurious life. I don’t know where the money in the North has gone off to. Perhaps the North doesn’t actually have much money. But if we want to develop the North, then money is an essential. Ah, you can all calm down. I didn’t call you here to rob you.”
Seeing them all sigh, I quickly smiled and added, “Gentlemen, I came to the North to rule it, not to destroy it. If I wanted money, would you still be sitting there? I could’ve plundered the city the first day I entered the city if I wanted. Why would I go out of my way to wait until now? Hence, you don’t need to worry. But you all understand what I mean. I’m not here to rob you of your money. I’m here to loan money. Also, I’m not loaning money from you as myself, because I don’t have a job; or rather, a Prince has no salary. Therefore, I’m not loaning money from you as myself.”
They were confused. Freya, who was sitting next to me, stood up. She chuckled and explained, “You must have all loaned money before, so I do not need to elaborate on that topic. This time, we are loaning money from you, not as ourselves or as members of the imperial family, as we may die or run away. We are loaning money from you as the nation. You give us your money, and we will invest it on construction in the North. After that, we will pay you back the loan plus interest annually based on annual income. As this is an investment with an entity, you will see the structures and factories we build as well as our annual income. We will pay you more interest correspondingly. This is considered a loan from the nation. You are supplying the nation. The monarch can run, but the nation cannot run.”
The people below exchanged eye contact. I stood up to join Freya. “You can discuss it among yourselves first. To avoid suspicion, we will leave for a while. We will return once you are done. We look forward to your response. Thank you.”
Freya and I left the guest room. We looked at each other. She shyly giggled then softly said, “I wonder if we will be able to loan money this time. If we fail, do we need to destroy the palace and sell it as Empress Elizabeth did?”
“We really would have to sleep in construction tents, then.”
“Will we share a room again, then? Onii-sama, the Princess is coming, you know? You must be careful!”
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