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Chapter 105:

However, Isaac felt a pang of guilt over the sudden summons.

In fact, Isaac had recently sent Eidan to Norden Harbor in relation to the Salt Council.

“I was in the middle of trying to bring the Salt Council into our fold. Could it be that we’ve been found out?”

Norden Harbor was one of the base cities of the Salt Council. Like the Golden Idol, the Salt Council did not have a state that adopted them as the state religion, hence they had base cities all over the world.

Given that most of the Salt Council’s followers were seafarers, where there was a harbor, there were bound to be followers. However, there were certain places where the so-called ‘members’ would gather. Norden Harbor was one of those bases.

It was an ideal location for controlling the Salt Council, being close to the Issacrea estate. It was going to be an important base for dominating the Northern Sea trade routes. Therefore, if Isaac were to leave the Issacrea estate, Norden would be his immediate destination.

“Whatever happens, I’ll have to meet him. It would be nice if we can resolve it by talking and persuading…”

Whether through dialogue or confrontation, a meeting was inevitable.

Isaac spurred his horse onward.

***

“The Holy Knight has arrived, Bishop.”

Bishop Juan was staying in a mansion at the outskirts of Norden, borrowed from a local landowner. Although there was a cathedral of the Codex of Light here, the old and impoverished church seemed unsatisfactory.

The elderly bishop turned his head from the window.

“Oh, our Lord of Issacrea has arrived. How do you find the life of a lord?”

His tone was somewhat mocking.

Isaac had expected some dissatisfaction since he had not complied entirely with the order’s wishes before, but he did not anticipate the bishop to express his displeasure so directly.

After a moment of consideration, Isaac decided to start with the courtesies.

“It’s an honor to see you, Bishop.”

Isaac approached, knelt on one knee as per the ritual, crossed himself, and then kissed the back of Juan Bishop’s hand. However, Juan did not respond.

Isaac pondered what to say before speaking up.

“Due to my insufficient talents and lack of faith, I have not been able to repay your trust, Bishop. I have been earnestly and passionately serving the followers, so if there is any aspect in which I have disappointed you, I am open to any advice.”

In reality, Isaac had been doing exceptionally well as a lord. Compared to the previous mismanagement by the Hendrake family, the estate was thriving day by day, with new roads being built and law and order being maintained. Isaac felt confident about his management of the estate, but his counterpart was a bishop, who might expect more than just fulfilling the duties of a lord.

“Hmm.”

Pleased by Isaac’s humble demeanor, Bishop Juan’s expression softened.

“How long has it been since Lord Issacrea took over as lord?”

“About half a year.”

“It’s still time to focus on stabilizing the estate. Indeed, through the priests, I’ve heard of the efforts Lord Issacrea has been making for his estate. However, there are too many disappointing aspects that have caught my eye.”

Disappointed? Isaac quickly went through his actions, trying to figure out what he could have done wrong. Considering the estate was already in a poor state when he took over, it was bound to have shortcomings compared to more prosperous estates. But he didn’t think that was what the bishop was pointing out.

“Is it because I made a barbarian the captain of the guard? Or because I allowed heretics into the monastery? Did I subtly alter and amend the doctrines of faith to suit my tastes? Was it the theft of the angelic sculpture? Or creating an nameless sanctuary of chaos beneath the monastery?”

Upon reflection, there were too many potential issues. Any of them could have been the reason for criticism, and some might even justify an immediate invasion by the paladins.

Isaac carefully broached one of the potential issues.

“If it’s about appointing a barbarian as the captain of the guard…”

“Barbarian? Ah, that’s neither here nor there. Such changes are to be expected. Maintaining order is the prerogative of the lord. The part I want to seriously point out concerns faith.”

Isaac tensed up, realizing the critique was indeed about what he had feared. As he was gathering his thoughts for a defense, Bishop Juan continued.

“For half a year, not a single contribution to prove one’s faith has been made to the order. How can that be?”

Isaac, momentarily dazed, quickly composed himself and glanced around. There were acolytes serving and knights standing guard, but none seemed to find Juan’s statement odd.

He initially thought this symbolized the corruption of the order, but then he remembered the order operated solely on donations and support from the monarchy. Considering that donations were often forcibly extracted, such an attitude might be expected among the clergy.

“I apologize, Bishop. I was unaware of such matters… And given the poor state of the estate, there were many necessary expenses.”

“Tsk!”

Bishop Juan clicked his tongue in apparent displeasure. Isaac wondered if this was an insinuation to conjure up money from thin air. Of course, Isaac himself was not short on personal funds, having invested heavily in the Golden Idol Trading Guild. He considered dipping into his personal wealth to silence the bishop, but Juan’s expectations were far from what Isaac had anticipated.

“Of course, Lord Issacrea, being a naive Holy Knight, might not be aware of these matters. That’s why I decided to take this opportunity to educate our Holy Knight.”

“Excuse me?”

“It seems you’re smart but not when it comes to this. So, I’ll teach you directly.”

Isaac then realized he had grossly misunderstood the situation.

‘So, he didn’t summon me here to reprimand or interrogate me… but to teach me how to extract money?’

Although Isaac had already amassed a considerable fortune, the knowledge Juan was about to impart was from a completely different world.

***

Norden Harbor presented a dilapidated sight, unbecoming of a strategic port.

It had once flourished but began to decline when trade with the order was cut off due to worldly strife. The streets were empty and the port quiet, seemingly reflecting the current state of the Salt Council.

As they rode down a sloping path, Bishop Juan continued his sermon towards Isaac.

“Did you say the estate has many expenses, so there’s no surplus for donations? That means you know one thing but not another.”

“I would appreciate your guidance.”

“Between those who spend money and those who earn it, who do you think holds the power?”

As Isaac hesitated to answer, Juan didn’t seem to expect a reply but continued unilaterally.

“Obviously, the power lies with those who spend the money. Even the act of spending money attracts more money. If you spend a lot to improve the estate, naturally, that money must be flowing to someone, right?”

Juan spoke with a solemn tone to the naive paladin.

“For instance, if you repair a bridge, the money goes to stonemasons and stone merchants. Let’s say it costs about a thousand gold coins. If you announce you’re willing to spend such a sum, masons and merchants will line up.”

“…I suppose so.”

“Then you simply state the work is for the order’s cause, allowing only those who can sufficiently prove their faith to take on the job. Just like that, a considerable donation will flow into the order. I even heard you’ve not only repaired roads and bridges in your estate but also opened new paths, fortified walls, and even reorganized waterways!”

Juan shook his head as if in disbelief.

“And yet, not a single donation has come from your estate. That means the cost of repairing the bridge went entirely to labor and materials, right?”

‘…Isn’t that normal?’

Normally, this is called bribery. And even if Isaac did end up with surplus funds, he never intended to donate any of it to the order unless it was for his own gain.

“Even as a believer, if one received such an amount, it would only be right to donate half of it to the order! There’s much to be said about the lack of faith in your estate, but I’ll leave it at this much for now.”

Isaac suddenly remembered that his monastery had received quite a few ‘donations.’ He naturally considered these as taxes for the estate and spent all of it on repairing the estate, thinking it was only right to use it for the estate since it was still in disarray. However, he did not disclose this fact to Juan.

“And when you became the abbot of the Issacrea estate and its lord, did not the nearby nobility, merchants, and landowners send you gifts?”

“Ah, yes. I received a few but was too busy to attend to them, so I’ve stored them for now. If you need them, I can give them to you anytime, Bishop…”

Isaac spoke insincerely, but Juan shook his head.

“Keep those trifling gifts! What’s important is who sent the gifts and how. Were they sent to ‘the abbot of Issacrea’ or to ‘the lord of Issacrea’?”

Isaac found it odd to be reprimanded for such a distinction.

Isn’t it the same person?

Sensing Isaac’s confusion, Juan continued in a scolding tone.

“If it was sent to the abbot, it means they’re seeking the blessing of the Codex of Light by offering a gift. If it was sent to the lord, it means they’re trying to curry favor with the new landowner. But aren’t you both the abbot and the lord? So how should you receive it?”

Isaac felt he knew what to say in front of the bishop.

“As the abbot, I suppose.”

“What a fool. You should receive it once as the abbot and once as the lord. Isn’t it obvious?”

‘Is he insane?’

Isaac was speechless at this outrageous logic. Yet, Juan continued as if it were only natural.

“You’re performing the duties of both the abbot and the lord, even though they are distinctly different! Or are you neglecting one of these roles? Surely not. There’s no one as innocently diligent as you!”

Put that way, it almost made sense. If you’re doing twice the work, it only seems fair to receive twice the compensation.

Looking back, there were indeed those who had sent gifts twice. Isaac, thinking it was a mistake, had returned one of each, but those people were probably accustomed to thinking like Bishop Juan.

‘I knew they were greedy, but not to this extent.’

Though Isaac was suddenly confronted with a clash of values, Juan’s lessons continued.

“Send a letter to those who only sent once. If it was sent to the abbot, write in the name of the lord, and if it was to the lord, then in the name of the abbot. And if anyone didn’t send a gift, make a note and never forget. Those are the worst kind of scoundrels. The Codex of Light will surely not forget them and send them straight to hell.”

‘Is he really insane?’

A god that sends people to hell for not offering bribes sounds quite deranged, unless it’s some twisted deity.

Juan sternly advised,

“Remember this. Spending money is power, earning money is power, and having money is power. But the worst is just holding onto the money you’ve earned. Holding onto money only creates enemies and misses opportunities to earn more. Money must constantly circulate for everyone to be happy.”

“…I’ll keep that in mind.”

Isaac hadn’t expected to receive such advice from a bishop of the Codex of Light, not a mogul from the Golden Idol Trading Guild, but it seemed somewhat plausible. The idea that continuous capital circulation leads to overall economic growth is essentially the foundation of capitalism.

‘The problem, though, is that it’s about offering bribes upwards as well as consuming them.’