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TL: ALT
Chapter 36 – The Prosperity Brought by Kaleidoscopes
Joseph’s bad habit is that his greed as a collector is too intense.
He wants what he wants at all costs.
It is not an exaggeration to say that Joseph cultivated his high political ability as a good ruler to satisfy his collecting habit.
To satisfy his strong desires legally, he had to be willing to pay a sufficient price.
Even a king who can exercise his authority can be overthrown if he is too tyrannical.
Only by ruling with moderation will he be able to indulge his hobbies without being punished.
“Your Majesty, this is a very rare item, and the merchant who sold it to me said it was one of the first ever made. I don’t know why, but he said it would be impossible to reproduce even if it were taken apart. I would like to prepare it for you, but I think it will be difficult.”
“My goodness, it’s so precious! I’ve never seen anything like it before. I’ve also never seen paper made of this material. Who in the world is this merchant?”
“I didn’t know either. He said he came from a place far, far away… he might even be an angel sent by God.”
“Hmm… a secret treasure from a faraway land… an angel sent by God…”
Joseph mumbles to himself and looks into the kaleidoscope.
Even King Joseph would give up if he heard that much.
As a collector, he would never give up his precious collection unless something really important came along.
Both Joseph and Moye are collectors with similar interests.
As collectors, they often bring each other their prized possessions to trade, but at the same time, they know there are things they will never give up.
With that in mind, Moye tried to stop it by saying, “I have no intention of giving this up.”
But Joseph’s eyes were fixed on the kaleidoscope, and there was even a hint of madness in them.
I want it, I want it, I want it at all costs!
For a collector, nothing stimulates desire more than something that is said to be impossible to obtain.
The fact that Baron Moye had indirectly told him that he had no intention of selling it had only served to increase Joseph’s desire.
“Baron Moye, I have a favor to ask of you. I know it’s impossible, but I really want you to sell it to me.”
“Your Majesty, that’s――”
I said I don’t want it.
Moye was about to refuse, but Joseph announced the terms so quickly that he didn’t have time to finish his sentence.
“You wanted a post in the Ministry of Internal Affairs before, didn’t you? How about the position of deputy minister?”
Joseph’s words caused a stir.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs is Japan’s equivalent of the Ministry of Finance, and the minister is called “Lord Minister.”
The position of deputy minister is below that, and it is a great honor to be appointed to such a position at the heart of the government.
“What… am I to be appointed deputy minister?”
“Yes, I believe you are more than capable of the position.”
As expected, the words of refusal stuck in his throat.
He involuntarily swallowed his saliva.
He hesitated between his desire not to give up his precious collection and the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity he was being offered.
There was no precedent for a baron becoming a lord minister. [T/n: I’m not really sure about this. It’s either he was appointed as the next minister or deputy minister. For those who have read the raw, please let me know about this.]
He would probably be promoted and rewarded with additional territory.
“No, but…”
“Hmm… if you’re too greedy, you’ll end up offending people.”
At that moment, everyone around him thought that he shouldn’t say that, but of course, no one was going to speak their mind to the head of the country.
It was certainly an unimaginable possibility.
He also once had the ambition to reach the top of the heavenly stairs as a man.
At the same time, he also felt a sense of pride that made him wonder if he could really part with the precious and valuable items he had collected.
The greed of a collector and the reason of a politician fought within Moye.
But just as a collector’s greed was about to prevail, Moye was suddenly inspired.
“May I ask you a favor?”
“I will consider it.”
“When it comes to expanding the territory, could you please consider Minamifune Town?”
“Minamifune Town? I see. The baron’s territory is adjacent to it, so you’re considering not only the land routes but also the river trade routes leading to the royal capital, right?”
Minamifune Town has a good location and is an excellent base for defense and trade, but it has been unable to make the profits it would like due to a lack of good governors.
Joseph thinks this is one reason, but for Moye, it is just one of several that come to mind instantly.
Expanding the distribution network, increasing the amount of transportation using the river, and increasing profits by lowering tariffs.
“(That merchant must still be based in Minamifune Town.)”
The main reason was that if he could get his hands on Minamifune Town, he might be able to track Wataru’s movements.
He must still have some valuable items.
Even if he had to give up one of his collections, he would still want to see, touch, and obtain more valuable items in the future.
If he thinks like that, it would be better to use Joseph’s greed to further his own career.
“Very well then. I will take this. After making the necessary adjustments, the royal decree will be delivered.”
“Ha…”
As King Joseph gazed at the kaleidoscope in his hands with a look of ecstasy on his face, the people around him whispered to each other.
Some were frustrated that the item from Moye was being valued instead of their own precious collection, while others were greedy, thinking that if they could find something new, they too could make a name for themselves.
There were also many who wanted to know the whereabouts of the merchant who had sold the valuable items.
However, there were several factors behind this great selection.
Moye’s power had grown too much compared to his rank, and the balance had become unbalanced.
In addition, Joseph’s extremely good business sense was only one of the things that encouraged Joseph’s greed.
Even if the next person showed a precious gem, there was little chance of receiving the same response.
“(With my newfound success, the possibility of acquiring more valuable items in the future has greatly increased. Meeting this merchant was truly a blessing from heaven.)”
Behind his refreshing smile, the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Moye, is a man with great desires and many plans.
His only miscalculation was that because of the kaleidoscope that led to his success, he was later called “Lord Kaleidoscope” instead of Lord Collector.
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Thanks for the treat.
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Isn’t this reminiscent of the Indians who sold their land for beads?
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