"How could you give governing power to that wrenched woman?" Smashing his fist on the table, Gorgon growled like a beast. "She's been taking over those soulless criminals and turning them into her ghouls to command!"
As the diplomat responsible for controlling crime in the city, Gorgon was furious about his status being threatened.
"As if that wasn't enough you even brought a dead body back into the duchy," Clint the bishop chimed into the conversation. "Keeping that poor soul trapped in snow…You've certainly made us fall off of Lord Atlas's favor!"
Raising his hand to complain further, Arnold nervously glanced around the table before presenting his own worries.
"I hate to be so stingy my lord, but…" Talking about the topic alone was giving him yet another migraine. "The treasury has been squeezed dried after the renovations, and I doubt we can survive more than a few months without raising taxes."
After hearing everyone's complaints against him, Haruki shut his eyes closed to think clearly without any distractions. He knew that if he offered a short-term solution, they'd be back again to bark at him, and thus to solidify his superiority of position he knew exactly what had to be done.
'I need to get rid of them and gain monopoly over the duchy, but I can't do it just yet.' Opening his eyes, he glanced around the roundtable. His apathic gaze confused the men, but what it did better was make them uncertain.
Exchanging glances they wondered if they'd pushed the duke too far and garnered his rage, but the answer to that question was staring them right in their faces.
"Gorgon, in our last meeting you were complaining about rising crime, were you not?" Haruki asked, his face devoid of all emotion.
Gulping down his angst, he ran his hand over the scar on his chest as it had begun to bleed hurt from the stressed heart.
"Yes, it was on the rise, but now I'm not sure," He answered.
Figuring out a stream of plans, Haruki turned to Rose looming right by his shoulders. To discuss things further, he needed her to leave the hall. And so guiding her with his eyes, he asked her to leave him alone with the councilmen. Although a hint of reluctance was showering on her face, she curled up her fist and left the men alone inside the meeting hall.
"And Arnold, the treasury is struggling because we don't have proper routes for trading, am I correct?" As Haruki asked that question, a wide grin climbed up Rom's creepy face. Perhaps realizing beforehand where Haruki was going with his line of questioning.
"Y-yeah, I mean, yes my lord," picking his head off the table, Arnold staggered through the words.
"What does all this have to do with anything? Do you think repeating the question will make them disappear?"
"Bishop Clint, will you shut up for a moment?" Sitting leisurely with his legs crossed, Rom casually mocked the head of the church. "Have some faith in the young lord, is that not one of the commandments of Lord Atlas? To entrust the land in the hands of the chosen?"
Embarrassing the bishop by quoting their religious text, Rom leaned back into the chair and placed his legs crossed over the table. Ignoring the intense glare from the bishop, he turned to the duke to confirm his suspicions.
"Did you plan all this, my lord? To have Moriyana Malice, the slave peddler take hold of the crimes, so we can use her to stabilize both of these situations?" Rom's intuition was absolutely on the mark.
"Seems like you're the only perceptive one of the councilmen," replying with that, Haruki looked at the others deeply disappointed.
"Ahaha! No need for such flattery my lord," taking his legs off the table, he leaned forward with the same creepy smile on his face. "I do have to say, that I'm surprised by such a bold move from you at such a young age."
"This is debaucherous!" Screamed the bishop, jumping out of his chair. "You want to stabilize the economy through blood money?! How could you even suggest something so preposterous!"
"I agree with the bishop, we can't ourselves become criminals to solve the issues of the duchy," added Gorgon.
Expecting Arnold to say something as well, everyone's eyes turned towards him, however, to their surprise he didn't seem to share the same burning dissent as the other two.
"So long the treasury holds bread, the kingdom shall prosper," prosing his words poetically, he looked around before presenting his stance on the matter. "We've already legalized slave trade, and in all honesty, the money we've generated from it has been of great help."
"What are you insinuating?" Asked Clint, unsure whether Arnold was agreeing with the duke.
"I-I think the duke's plan to use crime to stabilize the economy is the only option we have, especially when things are as dire as they are," Noticing the fuming rage bubbling in the bishop as well as Gorgon's eyes, Arnold added further. "So unless you have another plan, I suggest we stick to it for the moment."
"You can't be seriou-"
"Bishop Clint!" Interrupting Clint, Haruki yelled out to him.
With everyone's attention on him, Haruki knew that he needs to fortify his position as the ruler of Laria.
"Since my stay at Daria, I've learned just how lenient we've been," pushing the chair back, Haruki moved out of it. "Gold flows like water in that duchy and yet it's as corrupt as a viper's tongue."
Remembering back to the abhorrent treatment of slaves, and the citizens being terrorized by Riley's brigade collecting taxes through compliance or force, Haruki knew he wasn't even close to being a tyrant. Especially when he considered Margarette's heinous plot to assassinate him and take over Laria.
"That doesn't mean we should sink to their level, young duke!" Clint yelled back.
"Oh really?" Making his way to the bishop's chair, Haruki stood right before him. "Do you know they are sanctioning a bypass through the tundra so we can trade easily with other nations?"
"What?" Gasped Gorgon.
"Wait wait wait…" His hand slipping off, Arnold almost hit his head on the table.
"Ah! Remarkable!" Rom commended with a joyous grin.
Baffled by the announcement, the bishop was left with no words. Looking down at Haruki with his eyes wide open, his brows frowned in distrust.
"So the next time I hear you badmouthing our generous neighbor, you may no longer have the privilege to sit amongst the councilmen," wearing a weak yet menacing smile, Haruki slowly backed away from the bishop.
"As you wish, young duke," reluctantly bowing his head, he replied.
"Gorgon, you'll oversee that Moriyana doesn't double-cross us. Arnold, keep a proper record of every piece of gold she earns so we know our proper cut, and Rom, you should start planning the best route for the bypass and make necessary arrangements." Adequately establishing his position as the decision maker, Haruki was off on his way to check up on Asuka and the others.
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