At Ian’s bold demand, Viscount Steel quelled his bitter feelings and produced a small pouch from his pocket.
“Surely that isn’t all, is it?”
Seeing Ian’s disappointed expression, Steel quickly added,
“Your Highness, this is a spatial pocket.”
“A spatial pocket?”
Having never encountered such an item in the original novel, Ian couldn’t hide his surprise.
The thought of owning an essential item like a spatial pocket, typically reserved for protagonists, made Ian’s expression soften.
“Hmm, I didn’t realize Viscount Steel held me in such high regard. Could you tell me the capacity of this pocket?”
“I believe it can hold about half the gold coins within the imperial palace.”
Hearing Steel’s reply, Ian inwardly rejoiced.
“And what is your reason for giving me such a valuable item?”
“Consider it a gesture of my loyalty towards you, Your Highness.”
“So, I can take this as a gesture of goodwill rather than a transactional gift? Accepting such a gift with strings attached might disturb my sleep.”
Even though Ian knew the true reason behind the gift through their previous conversation, Steel couldn’t help but think the young prince was incredibly shrewd.
Despite his frustration, Steel had no choice but to speak directly.
“Your Highness, I would be grateful if you could release the individuals and the goods related to the Rose Inn.”
“So, it is transactional after all?”
“Not only the spatial pocket, but I have also filled it with my heartfelt gratitude.”
Steel opened the pouch to reveal its contents, showing Ian an amount of gold far surpassing what he had received from the tax office.
Knowing the fate that awaited him, Steel needed to extract as much as he could. Though he felt a pang of guilt, he quickly brushed it aside.
“Not bad.”
“If you can help cover this incident, I promise to provide a similar amount regularly.”
Though he said “regularly,” he intentionally omitted the specific timeframe. Surely a naive fifteen-year-old rogue wouldn’t grasp the intricacies of such a seasoned tactic?
However, Ian’s sudden change in expression made Steel realize he had miscalculated. Before he could add more to his explanation, Ian spoke first.
“It seems you have both the mental and physical resources to continue deceiving the empire’s third prince.”
“Your Highness… deceiving you? I would never…”
“I’d like you to clarify the frequency you had in mind. If it’s annually, I would feel greatly betrayed.”
Steel, realizing Ian saw through his cunning ploy, began to sweat.
For a moment, Earl Liam’s words flashed through Steel’s mind. Perhaps the person orchestrating everything was the Third Prince, whom he had underestimated all this time.
Sensing Steel’s hesitation, Ian laughed heartily.
“Are you embarrassed to be outsmarted by the so-called rogue prince?”
“No, Your Highness, of course not.”
Regardless of who he had to bow to, his fate remained unchanged. He had to humble himself even more.
“You still need to answer my question.”
Steel’s mind raced. He had given Ian his entire accumulated slush fund. To suggest giving it weekly was absurd.
“How about annually, Your Highness?”
“Annually seems too infrequent. How about every six months?”
“Very well, every six months it is.”
Relieved, Steel agreed, thinking he could solve the problem of securing funds later. For now, he needed to resolve this incident.
“So, will you release the people and goods from the Rose Inn?”
“I will consider it. I need to hear other patrons’ offers first.”
Steel paled at the mention of other patrons.
“Other patrons, Your Highness? I have given you everything.”
“It must have been worth it, considering the circumstances.”
Ian’s cold response left Steel at a loss.
“Or would you prefer I return this?”
As Ian genuinely seemed to offer back the gold and the pouch, Steel frantically waved his hands.
He knew too well what it meant to accept back a gift given to a royal.
“Your Highness, I misspoke. Please, calm your anger and consider my request favorably.”
“Viscount Steel, I do have a conscience, so I promise you one thing.”
“And what is that?”
“At the very least, I will ensure your name is not prominently mentioned in relation to this incident.”
A hopeful glimmer appeared in Steel’s eyes.
“Truly?”
“However, the laborers and guards already caught will not be spared.”
“That’s fine, Your Highness. Just ensuring my name stays out of it is a debt I can’t repay.”
‘The subordinates can always be replaced,’ he thought.
Feeling a glimmer of hope, Steel’s posture straightened slightly.
“No need to express it in words. I prefer actions.”
Ian shook the spatial pocket as he spoke to Steel.
“I also prefer actions over words. I will trust in you and take my leave.”
Steel walked away from Ian with much lighter steps than when he had arrived. He still had to report to his superior. Handling the matter first and reporting later was a trait of a competent subordinate.
‘I’ve landed a big fish.’
Throwing bait to Steel regarding the Rose Inn had worked. It confirmed the connection between Steel and the Frank faction. Moreover, securing a substantial slush fund from Steel, Ian headed to the Chancellor’s office with a satisfied heart.
Having reeled in two big fish, he still needed to get a fair price for the second one. Of course, if he could get a premium for the one he already sold, that would be even better.
***
A burst of laughter erupted from the Chancellor’s office.
“The Third Prince handed over the inner palace guards to a group of men?”
“Yes, and the group carrying the goods was taken as well.”
The Chancellor’s face lit up with a smile after hearing the report about the commotion at the inner palace entrance. Something interesting was brewing.
“And I’ve heard from the Third Prince’s squire that His Highness will visit soon.”
“Seems I’ll get a scolding for making him come to me again. Better prepare better refreshments and tea than last time, to avoid harsh words.”
No sooner had the squire left than Ian arrived.
“Your Excellency, the Third Prince is here.”
“Bring him in.”
Seeing Artaeus, Ian greeted him warmly.
“I couldn’t help but come to see you again, Chancellor.”
“Had you called, I would have come to you. It troubles me that you’ve made this trip.”
“It was urgent. I needed to discuss matters with you before anyone else could take action.”
“It seems you’ve been quite busy lately. Not just with your role as tax inspector but with other duties as well.”
“Inspecting taxes isn’t just about the tax office. It’s about all matters related to taxes.”
“Very true. With Your Highness working so diligently, the empire is bound to flourish.”
Ian laughed heartily at the Chancellor’s praise.
“Such open praise leaves me at a loss.”
“Your detector was quite impressive, after all.”
“Shall I show you the new things I’ve brought to steal your heart?”
The Chancellor sipped his tea quietly and replied.
“Would you show me first? If you show the Emperor, you might monopolize his favor.”
Ian pondered the Chancellor’s words as he took a bite of the refreshments.
Back when he was the youngest in the planning team, he had once had the chance to present his plan directly to the CEO. The outcome had been disastrous because his superiors, unfamiliar with the work, couldn’t back him up.
He learned that ‘reporting’ wasn’t just about sharing what you did but also about building allies.
While there were superiors who tried to take credit, the Chancellor wasn’t that kind of person. Especially not with royal family matters.
“With your support, Chancellor, persuading the Emperor will be much easier.”
The Chancellor, though maintaining his composure, was inwardly impressed. A fifteen-year-old displaying such political insight was unexpected.
Most would want to report directly to the final decision-maker.
“Not a bad approach. So, what is it you wish to discuss? Your hesitation makes me wonder if it’s something beyond my control.”
“The price of the fish I’ve brought needs to be high, Chancellor.”
The Chancellor smiled, impressed by Ian’s wit.
“Haha, well, I have an eye for valuing fish. Show me, and I’ll ensure you get a good price.”
Hearing this, Ian straightened his expression and spoke seriously.
“Incense and embezzlement.”
At these words, the Chancellor’s hand slammed down on the table.
Bang!
Realizing the identity of the ‘fish,’ the Chancellor’s demeanor changed. Gone was the friendly uncle; now, he was the Emperor’s right-hand man.
“Incense and embezzlement?”
“Yes, and I must add that smuggling is involved.”
“I assume you mean the ‘Sweet Heaven’ incense that’s become popular among the inner palace nobles. I was aware of some smuggling, but…”
The Chancellor couldn’t hide his anger.
“Embezzlement is news to me.”
Seeing the Chancellor’s furious expression, Ian inwardly rejoiced. The items he brought today might score higher points than the detector.
Cliche Novel 