Chapter 572: Chapter 42: President Jintai’er

"General, you think this is absurd too, don’t you?

You have no idea how they came up with that number. If you did, you’d be as furious as I am.

They said that since arms smuggling concerns the kingdom’s military security, it can’t be handled carelessly. They’re going to hire a Mage from King’s College to deal with it.

A top student from King’s College would require a larger fee, and perhaps better treatment."

"General, I may not be a Mage, but I know the basics of Magic.

Oh! By the Lord of Dawn! We just need to hire a Mage who can see through illusionary Magic. Twenty thousand Gold Coins! Are they trying to hire a Great Mage for that?"

Robson, however, disagreed.

He’d made inquiries for Everton’s sake before. Hiring a Great Mage didn’t cost twenty thousand Gold Coins.

Of course, that was if you had the right connections.

But if you were willing to spend twenty thousand Gold Coins, connections became less important. Even Great Mages need money.

"Those bastards are such hypocrites.

Shouldn’t they be more concerned with how someone got their hands on official military equipment in the first place? And yet they dare to..."

"Hey, Jintai’er, I think you’re getting a little muddled tonight."

Seeing Jintai’er grow more agitated, President Mason quickly cut him off.

’How could someone get their hands on official military equipment? How can you say that in front of a commander-in-chief? For all you know, he’s done the same thing himself.’

Robson had indeed done such things, though he never sold the equipment. And when he did help himself, it was always with tacit approval or done so discreetly that it fell within unspoken rules. So he didn’t think much of it.

Jintai’er, who had been speaking, suddenly realized his mistake, his face turning pale.

"My apologies, General. That was a slip of the tongue."

"It’s nothing," Robson said, shaking his head.

"You must be Jintai’er, President of the Golden Commerce Association? I heard that because of this incident, all of your goods have been impounded at the port?" Robson asked.

"I’m surprised you know the details so well, General," Jintai’er said, clearly taken aback.

"One must be thorough to handle matters properly.

If I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t be in any better a mood," Robson said.

"It seems I now understand the crux of these matters," Robson said, putting on a serious expression.

Robson wasn’t surprised by these problems in the Frank Kingdom.

’In fact, when it came to graft and extortion, this world’s version was still rather primitive.’

"I’ll say it again: commerce is the lifeblood of the kingdom.

This kind of behavior severely impedes the circulation of the kingdom’s lifeblood, and it is something I must put a stop to in the future."

"Rest assured, everyone. What has been said here today stays between us.

In the past, I charged into battle to defend the peace of our kingdom. Though I have left the battlefield, my purpose has never wavered," Robson said.

The words were overly idealistic. If any of Robson’s acquaintances had heard them, they would have scoffed internally. At the very least, Valentino, who was holding his arm, seemed a little uncomfortable.

However, to the people present, Robson was a distant figure. That distance lent him a certain aura.

This was compounded by the recent uproar in the Royal Capital.

Robson’s fierce battle with Kemal.

Such a glorious deed further convinced the merchant class that General Robson was different from the usual politicians—a noble Knight who had risen above base temptations.

As a result, more people began to engage Robson in conversation.

Of course, most of them still kept the conversation superficial.

They were all shrewd people. A basic level of caution was a given.

’You, Robson, might talk a good game, but who’s to say you won’t use our words today as blackmail later? What if you’re carrying a Memory Stone right now?’

Robson sensed the merchants’ wariness, so he took the lead in the conversation for the most part.

This was, after all, his area of expertise.

’Besides, compared to the people from my past life, the merchants of this world were far more naive.’

Take the earlier incident, for example. Jintai’er had actually been willing to pay. He only refused because the amount they demanded was not just unreasonable, but outrageously so.

Under Robson’s skillful guidance, they gradually let down their guard. They began to cross their own lines, discussing topics that should have been off-limits.

Robson began to get a clearer picture of their various businesses. Through them, he even learned some secrets and gained a better understanding of the kingdom’s commercial landscape.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t organize this jumble of information on paper in front of them.

But that was fine. He could use a Memory Stone to sort through the information later.

After a period of idle chatter, night had fallen.

The curfew in Barishik was about to begin, yet Marquis William still hadn’t returned.

The butler of the Guterres Family came in and arranged lodging for everyone, after which the guests began to disperse.

Robson had gotten what he wanted today.

A host of new merchant friends.

These were connections Robson wasn’t prepared to use just yet.

Robson and Valentino had no plans to return to Fengman Manor either. While the curfew meant little to them, rushing back and forth was still a hassle.

Besides, it would be impolite to leave without saying goodbye to Marquis William.

Robson was surprised when someone blocked his and Valentino’s path.

It was none other than Jintai’er, the one who had been complaining to him earlier.

"President Jintai’er? It’s so late. Is there something else I can help you with?" Robson asked, puzzled.

Jintai’er hesitated for a moment but finally spoke.

"General, I... I’d like to ask you something," Jintai’er said.

"Please, feel free to speak," Robson said with a smile.

"General, once you have influence in the government and the business environment changes... will I be able to get my shipment back?" Jintai’er asked.

"Well now..." Robson raised an eyebrow.

"You know, certain things must be done at certain times.

Your shipment involves a complex web of connections..."

"I would like to help you get that shipment back, but your goods are in Hom Port. Hom Port is in Vega Province, and the Earl of Vega Province, Earl Lu Wen, was a sworn brother to Earl Wei Man’s father."

"And, well, you know which Wei Man I’m talking about," Robson added.

The Wei Man Clan was one of the most powerful noble families in the Frank Kingdom. Wei Man Province was originally called Vladimir Province, but the name was changed after the Wei Man Clan took control of the entire territory.

Upon hearing this, Jintai’er looked utterly lost.

He had only come to try his luck. Of course, he knew why his entire shipment had been seized.

The Wei Man Clan was simply too powerful for him to oppose.

"I hear you have some people in the Royal Capital. And that yesterday they were spreading tales of my deeds?" Robson said with a smile.

In truth, Robson was just guessing. He had read the public files on these merchants, which mentioned that Jintai’er had a gang working for him.

’In short, he’s a local boss of sorts. Since Jintai’er has approached me on his own, I might as well use him as the foundation for my own power base in the Royal Capital.’

’Truthfully, if I wanted to find a local boss, I could dig up a dozen of them whenever I pleased.’

’But Jintai’er had one unique quality: he held a grudge against Marquis George.’

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