Chapter 140: Island
The next day, just before noon, I was negotiating with the lord of the island, who was essentially the owner of the fortress ruins I was buying through the Araway Family at the Merchant Guild in Naruadeid.
“I’ll take care of the entire island for you, but how about a tax of thirty thousand a year?”
“The island itself isn’t necessary. If you plan to add more windows, I might consider a hundred.”
The lord was trying to squeeze me for all he was worth, despite the fact that the island’s tax revenue from the fifteen islanders who made their living fishing and working odd jobs was practically negligible.
Typically, property taxes are determined by the width of the building’s facade and the number of windows it has.
“How about ten thousand?”
Realizing he might have overstepped, he suddenly slashed the price to less than half.
“Let’s reduce the windows, then—fifty.”
“What?!”
The lord froze in shock.
In the vicinity of Naruadeid, merchants held considerable power. Some merchant families had noble patrons backing them, which meant the authority of a lord who merely owned a few islands was exceedingly limited.
The main island of Naruadeid thrived on market taxes and port usage fees, so the lord was doing just fine without lifting a finger. However, many of the surrounding smaller islands were uninhabited, leaving them with little to no income.
“Well, I wouldn’t mind if it wasn’t this island… It’s a shame the Araway Family went through the trouble of mediating for us.”
I smiled brightly.
“…”
The lord fell silent, beads of sweat forming on his brow.
Do you even realize why I brought the Araway Family into this? I’ll say it again: merchants hold more power around here.
“Then let’s finalize the contract based on these terms.”
“Please.”
“Very well.”
The contract was completed for two hundred. I had them draft it as the most binding contract with the Spirit’s Curse, which had the strictest restrictions and no time limit.
By the way, the difference between a contract with the Spirit’s Curse and an Oath Document is that a contract activates the curse if broken, while an Oath activates the curse if one even attempts to break it.
In the end, I accepted the management of the entire island. The amount included the taxes from the islanders, and I was given the freedom to impose duties and taxes as I saw fit. I also had the authority to approve land sales, making me something akin to the lord’s proxy, even if there were only about fifteen islanders.
Well, it was definitely more cost-effective than hiring people to collect taxes and patrol the area when there was hardly any money to be made. Plus, with the two hundred I was paying, I could keep my hands off the island’s affairs. Extraterritorial rights, extraterritorial rights.
Since I requested the Merchant Guild to prepare and oversee the most expensive contract, it came with their guarantee as well.
They said I was surprisingly ruthless for someone with my face, but I wasn’t taking my frustrations out on the lord just because I had an event waiting for me that night.
After having a meal, I headed to the island to talk with the islanders. Most of them were out fishing during the day, but there were some elderly folks, women, and children left behind to repair fishing gear.
“You’re the lord’s proxy, huh?”
“That’s right. I’d like you to work for me. —Ah, and I will pay you.”
“Not through taxation?”
“Yeah. For now, I just want you to show me the vacant houses.”
Since the main workers were out at sea, formal negotiations would have to wait until tomorrow, but this was just a preliminary discussion. It seemed that any unoccupied houses would automatically revert to the lord, making them mine for the time being.
I had to be careful not to forget any payments to the lord. Since everything had to go through the Merchant Guild, I planned to deposit several years’ worth of taxes all at once once I had the funds.
With the children guiding me, I checked out several vacant houses—one for the Kingin and another that could serve as temporary housing for the craftsmen who would build my own house.
As I followed the children, I asked the elderly about what the villagers could do.
They mentioned they could handle simple house repairs, barn construction, and well digging. Naturally, they were also skilled at operating boats. I wanted them to help navigate the waters around this island, which were riddled with hidden reefs.
Unexpectedly, I found that I could utilize the entire island, but my plans remained as they were. I simply didn’t have the funds to expand the scale. The amount I had to pay the lord was already exceeding my expectations. Ah, but at least I wouldn’t have to pay for the vacant houses.
After touring the island, my visit for the day came to an end.
An elderly man, who had once been a skilled fisherman, offered to take me back to Naruadeid. The boatman I had asked to take me there earlier had been quite nervous, which made me anxious as well, but this old man was far more skilled. The boat glided smoothly, and he navigated with confidence.
“Impressive. Will you teach me how to operate the boat later?”
“Haha, I’ve got years of experience under my belt. If you’re interested, I can teach you, but be warned—the waters around the island are full of reefs, and it’s dangerous.”
The sea was a deep azure, while the shallower areas sparkled with clear aquamarine. Both shallow and deep waters were dotted with reefs, many hidden beneath the surface.
During the day, the water was clear, so submerged reefs became visible as you approached, but small boats were easily swept away by the currents, which could change whimsically due to the winds or the waves created by large sailing ships docking at Naruadeid.
“But when going from Naruadeid to the island, I was terrified with that other boatman.”
“Haha! Those guys usually just ferry people between the shore and the boats near safe land.”
For now, I had secured myself a boat handling teacher!