Chapter 41 - 41 The Older Sister's Raid
Steve's older sister, Freya, was visiting home.
She had already married and left the house, and her current name was Freya Parker. She had married a western noble, Baronet Parker.
Her hair color was black, just like Steve's. Her facial features closely resembled Abigail's, to the point where no explanation was needed to know they were mother and daughter.
Baronet Parker had been a Knight, but because a large amount of territory was left over after the previous war with the Kingdom of Forest, he was promoted to Baronet and granted additional lands.
Regarding the marriage to Baronet Parker, there were no particularly disadvantageous conditions; it was simply a case where the intentions of both families to increase their connections with other houses in the western region aligned, and the relationship between Freya and the Baronet was extremely good.
She hadn't come home because a child was born or because Sherry was getting married.
She had come to consult her parents' home about a loan because they had run out of money for domain management. Of course, her husband, Baronet Parker, accompanied her, and she had also brought Steve's nephew and niece.
Leaving the care of the nephew and niece to Sherry and Christina, Steve sat in on the loan discussion at Brian's request.
"Papa, I want you to lend us some money."
Freya made the request to Brian. Beside her, Baronet Parker was making himself small. It was clear at a glance who held the initiative. From Baronet Parker's perspective, this was his in-laws' house, and asking for money was naturally difficult to say.
"Well, I knew you visited for that purpose, but how much do you need?"
"50,000 gold coins."
Freya opened her hand and thrust it in front of Brian's eyes. Like Sherry, Freya had poor manners inside the house. While she passed for a graceful wife outside, she reverted to her true self upon returning to her childhood home after a long time.
Hearing the large sum of 50,000 gold coins, Brian put his hand to his forehead. If one were to request such a large amount, at least some degree of etiquette should be required.
Even if they were family, she was now married and bore a different surname. He regretted not teaching her that 'even among close friends, courtesy must be maintained.'
"That is quite a large sum of money."
Steve spoke up in Brian's stead.
"Look, the territory increased so everything costs money. Socializing is different from when we were Knights; behaving like a Baronet costs money too."
"Even so, unlike our house which is perpetually in the red, your place is in the black, isn't it, Ane-ue? The added territory should be fine as well."
This wasn't limited to Baronet Parker's domain; added territories were basically profitable places. After all, even though the nation's territory had increased, if a noble were forced to take on a deficit-ridden domain, their loyalty would be eroded.
Even in the Archibalt territory, the added lands were better places than before. Since they were adjacent lands, it wasn't as if they had developed to an eye-opening degree, though.
So, it wasn't that Steve had researched Baronet Parker's territory beforehand, but rather it was common sense that added territories were all in the black.
Furthermore, regarding deficit-ridden territories, the King and Margrave Sowell divided and managed them. Most of these were given as trials to those who had newly become Knights, and some territories that seemed hopeless were kept as crown lands.
Well, since the seemingly hopeless Archibalt territory had turned a profit last year, those who had newly become nobles and received land were eager, thinking they could do it too.
"I shall explain that part myself."
Baronet Parker, who had been making himself small until now, opened his mouth.
"Actually, I suffered a great loss in the recently started stock trading. It was fine at first, but I was approached with a big gamble and bought stocks with borrowed money, which then crashed, resulting in a massive loss. If I cannot repay the debt, it might lead to surrendering my wife and children, so I have come here, swallowing my pride."
"Stock trading, you say..."
"Are you familiar with it?"
Steve was at a loss for words when stock trading was mentioned. When asked by Baronet Parker if he was familiar with it, he couldn't very well say he was the one who devised it.
He had a premonition that if he said it, Freya would tell him to take responsibility.
"Well, to some extent. Since I am on close terms with His Excellency Margrave Sowell, I am able to receive such information."
"Speaking of which, Steve-chan. I heard that the Oclair Trading Company, the merchant who frequents this place, was selected as a broker through someone's recommendation. Do you have anything to say about that?"
Freya immediately poked Steve's sore spot.
Following futures trading, the Oclair Trading Company had also become a broker for stock trading. Regarding that, it was an open secret among merchants that House Archibalt was backing the Oclair Trading Company.
It was easy for Freya, a lord's wife, to obtain that information.
"Ane-ue, I don't think the recommendation for the broker has anything to do with Baronet Parker's losses."
"It has everything to do with it! Not just my husband, but all the other nobles saw your success and thought they could do it too. That's why they started cautiously at first, but once they made a certain amount of profit, they gained confidence and went for a big gamble."
"In that case, they should have used someone like Viscount Karsh as a negative example and invested only to the extent that it wouldn't interfere with domain management. Don't they say investment should be done with surplus funds?"
"That's the first I've heard of it."
Of course, the phrase 'investment should be done with surplus funds' was a term used in Japan and did not exist in the Kingdom of Cascade. Everyone was a speculator aiming for a get-rich-quick scheme.
"But really, Ane-ue. Why are you pursuing my responsibility to such an extent? I don't recall recommending that anyone buy these stocks."
"The broker who came to our house repeatedly brought up the names of Steve-chan and His Excellency Margrave Sowell."
"Mine and His Excellency's?"
"Yes. He said they would first start trading with His Excellency the Margrave, and from there, they would trade with the Dragon Wing Medal of House Archibalt."
From his sister's words, Steve sensed that there might be some suspicious background. He instinctively felt that if he left this alone, other nobles might say something to him in the future.
"If that is the case, the cause must be investigated. Furthermore, I must report this to His Excellency. For the time being, regarding the gold coins, I will lend them from my personal assets rather than House Archibalt's, but what shall we do about the loan conditions?"
"Interest-free, no collateral, and no reminders."
"Ane-ue, there is a limit to being brazen."
As Steve said, Freya's request was brazen, but from Freya's perspective, her current home was important, and since she had come to borrow because she was stuck on repayment in the first place, the more favorable the conditions, the better.
However, rather than just 'more favorable,' the conditions were as if she had no intention of paying it back at all.
"Steve-chan, I believe family is supposed to help each other in times of trouble. Right now, you have the leeway to lend us money, and we don't have the leeway to repay it. If I can't borrow money here, I'll be sold to a brothel. Can you really stand by and watch that happen?"
"I am not standing by and watching. Then, let's do this. Give me the information on the broker who used my name and His Excellency's. I will make a profit by selling that information to His Excellency, so we'll make it interest-free and no collateral. 'No reminders' is out of the question. Please discuss the repayment plan with Father."
"Fine, let's settle on that."
Thus, the negotiation was concluded. Up to this point, Baronet Parker's presence was almost non-existent, and it was clear at a glance who ran the house. Freya was naturally quick-witted, and on top of that, having struggled in House Archibalt, she excelled in the ability to face difficulties.
Moreover, this was her childhood home.
When it came to negotiating with family, it was no wonder Baronet Parker was no match for her.
"Now that the negotiation is settled, I want to eat that Soba that's been popular lately. I wonder why you couldn't make such a dish when I was still here."
When Freya demanded Soba, Abigail spoke up.
"I failed in raising a child who borrows money and then demands food. I'm going to re-educate you starting now, so you're going to cook with me."
"That's great. Once I learn how to make it, I'm thinking of making it a specialty in our territory too."
Abigail looked up to the heavens at her child, who had grown so tough that re-education was no longer possible. And the men in the room could only give wry smiles.
After Freya and Abigail left the room to cook, the remaining Steve and Brian had Baronet Parker tell them the information about the broker.
"The broker's name is Gerald Dronne. He is the head of the Dronne Trading Company. I didn't originally know him, but I started associating with him through an introduction from Baron Thompson. Baron Thompson apparently increased his assets through stock trading and used the Dronne Trading Company as his broker. So, it all started when I was encouraged to try stock trading by that Baron Thompson."
"Where is this Baron Thompson's territory?"
"He is a noble who has held territory in the western region since ancient times. Since it's close to the Royal Capital even within the western region, it wasn't exposed to the flames of war, and the territory is wealthy. I thought he was associating with me without discriminating against a newly established house like mine, unlike other nobles who value tradition, but..."
"But?"
Steve felt suspicious as Baronet Parker hesitated to continue.
"Regarding the brand that suffered the great loss, it was a new brand called the Oclair Trading Company. The management didn't have funds, so they went public and started their business with those funds. Then, the plan was to ask His Excellency Margrave Sowell to use that trading company, and if they could actually get in with His Excellency, the stock price would jump several times over. So, I purchased the stocks that Dronne had procured."
"That much is normal, isn't it?"
It was insider trading, but since it wasn't prohibited, Steve judged that it wasn't a problem. One couldn't say the opponent was bad based on just that.
"Yes. From there, the stock price rose further, and I requested Dronne to buy more stocks. So, I prepared funds by borrowing, and the moment I finally bought the stocks was the ceiling of the stock price. In the end, that Oclair Trading Company never ended up trading with His Excellency."
"Does that mean the transaction was rejected by His Excellency?"
"I was curious about that too and pressed Dronne, but then Baron Thompson came out and told me not to blame others for my own losses. It's true that the loss is my own fault, but I at least wanted to confirm whether or not there had been an application for a transaction with His Excellency as in the initial story."
Hearing Baronet Parker's story, Steve felt that the premise was quite fishy. He also thought that if it were him, he would have confirmed directly with the Oclair Trading Company.
And naturally, Baronet Parker had done so.
"So, I sent someone to confirm with the Oclair Trading Company, but they said there had never been such a story. It's natural, since a commoner would face severe punishment if they lied about a noble."
As Baronet Parker said, a commoner would face severe punishment for lying about matters concerning nobles. Death was certain if one falsified their status as a noble, and lying about a noble's work could also lead to the death penalty depending on the content.
Therefore, it would be quite something for the Oclair Trading Company to conspire with the Dronne Trading Company to tell a lie, and it was true that they hadn't said it this time.
"Did you tell that to the Dronne Trading Company?"
"Of course. However, they insisted they had heard it, and said that if so, they were also a victim. And then Baron Thompson came out again and asked if I had a complaint against the Dronne Trading Company that he had introduced."
"They are probably in cahoots, the Dronne Trading Company and Baron Thompson."
"I thought so too."
Baronet Parker was relieved that his thoughts weren't just due to a grudge. However, even if it wasn't a grudge, it didn't mean the loss would disappear.
Still, he was happy to have gained agreement from Steve's objective opinion.
"So, what did you do with the Oclair Trading Company stocks?"
"Selling them would only result in a loss, so I still hold them."
Hearing that, Steve pondered for a while.
Then, he looked at Baronet Parker and smiled brightly.
"Well then, shall we go for a revenge match?"