Chapter 53: Von (4)
“Sir Von!”
When Harz saw Von, he ran toward him with a tear-filled face like a lost dog who had found its owner. However, as soon as he saw Henry walking in, he took a step back.
“Oh my!”
“Have you been reflecting on yourself?”
“Sir Von, what do you mean?”
“I heard that you attacked my brother.”
“B-brother? W-What do you mean, brother?”
“From now on, Henry and I will get along like brothers. Treat Henry the way you treat me.”
“W-what are you saying?”
“What? Is it too difficult for you?”
“N-no… It's not that, but… What is going on…”
“Mayor Harz, please do not worry. I will also show you just as much respect.”
Von made it clear where everyone stood, leaving Harz dissatisfied. However, Henry was filled with satisfaction and went straight into discussing business.
“Let me explain our plan.”
The three men moved to Harz’s office to discuss, and Henry started to explain his plan to the two men.
After quietly listening for a while, Von interjected, “...So what you’re saying is that we should assemble a professional management team to run Enkelmann?”
“That's right. After all, the nobles are always waiting for an opportunity to take over the independent cities. It is obvious that when the performance of the independent cities worsens, the nobles will attack like hyenas and say that they will run the city themselves.”
Harz brought up a counterargument. “Let’s say that we put together a professional management team. That’s not enough to guarantee that the cities will always perform well.”
He analyzed Henry’s plan with a sharp eye, exactly like the bank clerk that he was.
“You make a good point. That is why I am thinking of making an agreement between Enkelmann and Vivaldi.”
“An agreement?”
“It would be a cooperation of some sort. We won’t be able to share a lot with each other at the start; however, if it’s structured so that the two cities have to rely on one another for more and more support, even the nobles won’t be able to take over easily.”
“So what you’re saying is…deliberately make them indebted to each other?”
“It may look like debt on the surface, but our goal is not financial debt. However, if we want to win the right to manage the city, the city operator will have to take on the debt. It needs to look burdensome.”
“Hmm… It does sound like a good idea, but do you think Mayor Vant will agree to this? No matter how you look at it, it will only mean losses for Vivaldi.”
“Ah, that part has been dealt with.”
“Huh? What part?”
“The town of Vivaldi has already agreed to the plan.”
Von chuckled when he heard Henry’s words.
However, Harz still did not understand what was going on, and his face reflected his belief that Henry was talking nonsense.
“To simplify things… Just think that my relationship with Mayor Vant is the same as my relationship with you, Mayor Harz.”
“What? That does not make any sense… We are talking about the same Mayor Vant, right?”
“Yes. That's right.”
Henry casually nodded, and Harz’s jaw dropped in disbelief. However, his expression soon turned into one of sympathy for Mayor Vant.
“From your expression, I think we can skip the detailed explanation.”
“Yes, it is not necessary…”
Harz had looked up to Mayor Vant as his role model deep in his heart, so his disappointment was immeasurable.
“As a matter of practicality, it is important to have a signed agreement so that when Enkelmann is in a difficult situation, Vivaldi will be there to lend a hand. It will act as a rationale.”
“You make a very important point there. Without justification, it will be easy for others to misunderstand the situation.”
Von agreed, feeling that the plan would go smoothly.
In fact, the agreement and professional management team would only be implemented in the distant future. However, it was necessary to start planning now in order to convince Von, who was Enkelmann’s secret weapon.
‘Things worked out easier than I expected. I won’t have to worry about running out of money now that I have the two cities known for paying a lot of taxes in the palm of my hand.’
Henry had already experienced the joy of collecting special taxes when he put up the announcement recruiting mercenaries.
However, with the independent cities under his control, Henry was confident that it would be easier to gather large sums of money without having to increase the Million Gold business.
“But, Henry, if there is an agreement in place already, then why do we need a professional management team?”
“Oh, that is for you, brother.”
“For me?”
“From now on, you will join the Million mercenaries that I have established and move with me.”
“The mercenary corps? Is there a reason why?”
“The easiest way to gain a reputation is to join the mercenary corps. Besides, you don’t need any excuse for wanting to increase your strength.”
“I see.”
“Anyway, once you join the corps, it will become more difficult for you to run the city, so I am trying to set up a professional management team before that happens.”
As Harz listened silently to Henry’s explanation, he frowned.
“Wait a minute! From what I’m hearing, it sounds like you don’t trust me enough; that’s why you need to put together a management team!”
He was right.
Under Von’s watch, Harz had been running the city properly for a long time, but without Von around, they would need a team in order for the city to continue running well.
“Just do as you’re told.”
“Sir Von!”
Since he understood Henry’s intentions, Von was about to dismiss Harz’s opinion, but Harz flared up with rage for the first time even though he’d never talked back to Von even once before.
“Please calm down, you two. We need to address this before we move on.”
“Yes! Please go ahead. After all that time we’ve spent together, you still don’t trust me?”
In fact, it wasn’t that trust didn’t exist, but the plan required utmost caution, and they had to eliminate even the slightest possibility of failure.
Since Henry had already given Harz the stick, he now had to give the man a carrot. He knew that if he neglected Harz’s feelings, it would only make Harz angrier in the future.
“Mayor, that is not true. I’ve heard that you’ve never had a single day off since becoming mayor.”
“What does that have anything to do with setting up a management team?”
“By sharing the work, you’ll have less of a burden on your shoulders.”
“Share?”
“Aren’t you fulfilling the duties of a mayor while taking care of external relations and city management issues on your own?”
“So?”
“I am saying that we can lessen that burden. The professional management team will handle the city itself, and as the mayor, you only have to worry about the external relations of the city.”
“That’s your intention after all! You’re telling me to be little more than a figurehead!”
“I guess you’re right.”
“W-what?”
“If I think about it, you’re right. But what’s wrong with being a figurehead, don’t you like it?”
“Of course not, isn't that obvious?”
Harz was worked up, and he got to his feet, his face red as he placed his hands on his waist.
Henry replied coldly, his expression shameless. “Why not? Can I ask you the reason?”
“That’s because…” Harz was at a loss for words for some reason even though he’d believed that he had a retort ready.
Henry smiled when he noticed.
‘Of course, you can’t give me an answer because Von has been taming you for a long time now.’
In fact, the fear of losing Von’s acknowledgment had brought Harz in line. It was Stockholm syndrome. When people were enslaved long enough, they forgot that they were slaves and even took pride in the shackles they wore. This was exactly what happened to Harz.
“Mayor, haven't you been diligently working as the mayor of Enkelmann for ten years or so? I'm trying to give you an opportunity to ease that burden.”
“Opportunity… You say so?”
“That's right. What’s wrong with being a figurehead? You can continue to live your life known as a responsible mayor while I work on your behalf to make Enkelmann the greatest city.”
Harz’s ear twitched as he listened to Henry’s sweet offer.
A great reputation for the rest of his life and the greatest city to rule over. Each single word excited him.
Henry revealed the trump card that would reinforce Harz’s decision.
“Mayor.”
“Y-yes?” Harz snapped awake from his fantasies about his future.
“From now on, I will pay you three times your current salary. This is a bonus for you. Also, if there are any vacation, sick, or annual leave days that you have not used in the past years, please use them as much as you’d like. I will also guarantee you that.”
“S-Sir Henry!”
Not only had he been relieved of his obligations, he had gained something delightful as well. It was this easy to win over the former bank clerk
Von was amazed. As he’d watched Henry convince Harz with ease, he could see his lord within Henry.
‘...As expected, he is a disciple of my lord.’
Harz was moved by Henry’s words, and he shed tears of joy as he held Henry’s hands.
“Thank you! Thank you so much! I didn’t even realize that this is what you meant and I overstepped…!”
The operation was complete. Harz would become an even greater figurehead.
‘Haha, how cute.’
Harz had not changed a single bit. It was proof of his trustworthiness because it was rare for people to stay true to themselves.“This will be all for now. We can discuss the details of the agreement after we have assembled the management team.”
“Sure, let's do that.”
“Then all that’s left is…”
After he explained the plan briefly, Henry began to think about all the other things that hadn’t been sorted out yet, such as the so-called actors whose physical and mental plight had helped him draw Von out.
“By the way, Mayor, are the people that I left tied up still in the living room?”
“Oh yes, them? They are still waiting.”
“Alright, let us go to the living room. We can’t keep them waiting forever.”
The actors who had finished their performance had to be dismissed.
***
The poor little lambs were waiting for Henry’s antidote with green faces in the living room.
As soon as Henry walked in, the hotel manager approached him first, trembling. “U-um, sir Henry? U-uh when will I be able to receive the thing you promised…”
“Are you talking about this?”
Henry took out a handful of pills that appeared to be the antidote. He handed over the pills and said,“Thank you. You may go now.”
“T-thank you! Thank you very much!”
The manager grabbed the pills and quickly stuffed them in his mouth. Rinda also approached Henry with an impatient expression. “H-Henry, sir, what about me?! I-I mean, what about us?”
“That was everything that I had.”
“H-huh? W-what do you mean?”
“The pills that the manager just swallowed were all that I had. I don’t have any more.”
“N-no, no…!”
Thud.
Rinda turned white as a ghost, and the other two grew pale as well.
Henry laughed discreetly at the sight.
“Go after him. Who knows, maybe the manager has some left over. You need only one pill for the antidote.”
Suddenly, Rinda remembered that the manager had received a handful of pills. As soon as Henry was done talking, the three ran off as if they were being chased by a swarm of hornets.
Thump thump thump!
Von asked, “What's wrong with them?”
“I fed them poison. If you don't take the antidote within three days, you will die in great pain.”
“What? Is that true?”
“No, of course it’s a lie.”
“What a nasty joke.”
“They were the ones who snuck into my room in the middle of the night. I think this punishment is quite reasonable.”
“Tsk tsk, poor guys.”
A day had passed since they had taken the poison, so they had around two days left. Henry thought that it was enough time for them to reflect on their lives and do penance.
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