My Lord Who Is Being Prudent! [EN]: Chapter 152

§ 152 – Giving a Fish to a Cat (2)

The Mobile Lord makes a grand entrance like a dog…

No, upon confirming that the Mobile Lord’s maintenance was complete, Xian immediately turned and headed to his room in the mansion.

A place filled with memories of Cecil, where he had lived since childhood.

He could have stayed in another room if he wanted.

But Xian didn’t change rooms.

The Elan Durr mansion, surrounded by enemies on all sides, was the only place where he could find some comfort.

This place, filled with memories of Cecil from long ago.

Anyway, Xian returned to his room.

As soon as he arrived, Xian immediately took out his smartphone.

Ding!

《Ta-da-da-da~♪ This body has arrived!!》

As if waiting, the Mobile Lord’s notification popped up on the screen.

And perhaps because it had been a while since they had connected.

《Mobile Lord! Grand, dog-like entrance!!!》

The Mobile Lord was still as eccentric as ever.

So, in a way, it felt a bit endearing.

As expected, the Mobile Lord is the Mobile Lord.

《The Mobile Lord, revived like a dog after a long maintenance!》

《Thus, the Mobile Lord has become even more powerful!》

Ding!

《The Mobile Lord, unshaken even when all the causality of dimensions is brought in!》

《The reborn Mobile Lord is truly invincible~☆》

《Haha! Go ahead and try to spend some money!》

“Somehow, it seems like it’s gotten worse.”

It seemed he had become stronger with the maintenance…

It seemed like the weird side had also become stronger.

〈Related systems are being normalized.〉

〈Territory system is being reactivated.〉

Soon, a notification popped up saying that the system was being normalized.

And perhaps because of that.

《Oh my! What is going on!》

The Mobile Lord was startled and sent a notification.

《What on earth happened while I was away? Something unbelievable happened!!》

《Dark Elves have joined as territory residents?》

《And what?! That’s the World Tree?!》

《You! Did you plant a World Tree in the territory?》

《And even Insteez, Elodie’s legacy?!》

《Oh my! Oh my!》

“Huh?”

Xian tilted his head at the Mobile Lord’s fuss.

Because the Dark Elves joining as territory residents and planting Insteez in the territory happened quite a while ago.

But when he thought about it carefully…

The Mobile Lord might not have known about it.

Because the Mobile Lord was offline.

In other words, the Mobile Lord didn’t know that Xian had planted Insteez because it was offline.

Also, he didn’t know that the Dark Elves had become territory residents.

《As soon as they joined as territory residents, their loyalty and satisfaction have exceeded the causal allowance?!》

To be exact, he didn’t know that loyalty and satisfaction had exceeded the Max value.

《And the World Tree! To think of planting that Insteez!》

《The World Tree is truly a tree that holds the source of life!》

《Even Sakyamuni [Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism] praised it like this as soon as he saw the World Tree!》

《’If I had practiced under this tree, I would have reached Nirvana [a state of perfect peace and happiness] in an instant…’》

《Even Sakyamuni couldn’t help but admire the World Tree!》

《The legendary World Tree that turned thousands of years of merit into nothing!》

《The World Tree that truly holds the source of life, the source of truth!》

《Your territory with such a World Tree planted is truly the king of territories!》

《The me who was called a good-for-nothing in the family is the king of lords in this other world?!》

“……”

Xian was momentarily speechless.

As expected of the king of fuss.

‘And who is Sakyamuni again?’

Anyway, he was a Mobile Lord that he couldn’t understand at all.

《But that’s no no! This is not another world but a real reality!》

《Your territory residents will absolutely obey your words!》

《At this rate, you can even exercise the right of the first night!》

“…… Didn’t he say he received psychiatric treatment?”

He vaguely remembered seeing it in the maintenance details.

He had seen the content ‘Causal stabilization and psychiatric treatment’ in the emergency maintenance details.

But the Mobile Lord’s appearance now.

《Humans, Elves, Dwarves! A whopping three races?!》

《Not just one race but all three?!》

《Aren’t you too envious?!》

Somehow, psychiatric treatment was inevitable for the Mobile Lord.

“Anyway…”

Xian shook his head.

And at that very moment.

《Your territory has grown in an unbelievably short amount of time!》

《The development level of the territory has reached its limit!》

Ding!

《Territory grade has been changed from ‘Village → City’!》

《Facilities that can be built in the city grade are now available!》

At the same time, new buildings were added to the 【Territory Facilities】 section.

To be exact, countless items were added.

“It was still at the village level?”

It could have been when it was treated as a hamlet last time.

But now Ruben was clearly not at the ‘village’ level.

But it seemed that it was still at the village level.

“Was it because of the population?”

Somehow, that seemed highly likely.

It seemed that various complex factors were involved in the grade increase.

“Then what is the next grade like?”

So how much money do I have to spend?

Xian shook his head at the dizzying thought.

Well, anyway, it was good that it had developed.

Xian immediately checked the added facilities.

【[New!] Magic Engineering Facility】

【[New!] Military Engineering Facility】

【[New!] Mechanical Engineering Facility】

【[New!] Educational Facility】

【[New!] Economic Facility】

【[New!] Printing Facility】

.

.

.

The items continued below.

Related facilities were listed again for each item.

“Wow…”

Xian exclaimed without realizing it.

Last time, Ruben had made great strides with the spending of 32 million gold.

With the World Tree, Insteez, and in fact, there was virtually no territory like Ruben on the continent.

So he thought that almost everything that could be developed had been developed.

Even if there was, he thought it would be about upgrading existing facilities.

Somehow, like the Mobile Lord’s spending, the development of the territory was endless.

“Is that what it means?”

Xian calmly scanned the added items.

And there was one facility that stood out.

“What has been added to the economic facility?”

As expected, it was an economic facility.

That is, it was an economic facility related to money.

Xian immediately touched the economic facility item.

Click.

『Bustling Market Lv.1』

『Multidimensional Bank Lv.1』

『Sweep Away Merchant Guild Lv.1』

『Gather Around! Trading Post Lv.1』

.

.

With the touch, newly added economic facilities were listed.

The facilities floating on the screen continued endlessly.

And as expected, they were all facilities related to the economy.

Xian calmly scanned the floating facilities.

And among them, one facility in particular stood out.

“Multidimensional Bank?”

It was none other than a bank.

A bank is generally an institution that borrows or deposits gold.

A facility that can be said to be the core of economy and finance.

Banks also existed in the Charlotte Empire.

And the imperial family managed it.

Because the bank was a facility that could be regarded as the mainstay of the economy.

If you did something wrong, the national economy could be ruined.

So the bank was managed under strict control by the imperial family.

Of course, there were banks in large territories.

Here in Elan Durr and Rothschild, and in some merchant families.

However, it was only a function of a vault to deposit and retrieve money.

And even this could only be installed with the permission of the imperial family.

A bank was not a facility to be operated in an individual territory.

Can you install such a bank?

Xian touched the Multidimensional Bank.

Click.

『Multidimensional Bank Lv.1 (2,000,000 G)

▶Are you perhaps short of money?

Are you struggling with livelihood right now?

For you, we have prepared something great, though not so great!

Right away, ‘Multidimensional Bank Lv.1’!!

We will lend you money by evaluating your credit in the dimension!

You who are in urgent need right now!

You whose entire territory is on the verge of bankruptcy!

Try using this Multidimensional Bank Lv.1 right now!

We will lend you money at an interest rate of 10% per month!

Oh my? Are you not that in a hurry for money?

Don’t worry!

Multidimensional Bank Lv.1 does not simply lend you money!

The fact that you can safely deposit your money!!

Also, the fact that we don’t just safely deposit money!

A whopping 1%!!

We will give you an interest of 1% of the money you deposit!

If you put in 1 million gold, you get 10,000 gold for free every month!

If you put in 10 million gold, you get 100,000 gold for free every month!!

Even the interest rate increases depending on the upgrade!

It’s truly a honey deal to put money in and eat money!

The best honey deal among honey deals!!

Install it right now and suck the honey!

……Yes?

Why is the borrowing interest rate 10%?

Why is the deposit interest rate 1%?

Haha! That’s how the world is!』

.

.

“……”

Xian was momentarily speechless.

What can you say when you see that?

Still, well…

“It doesn’t seem like it would be bad to install it.”

It wasn’t that it wasn’t bad, it was very good.

Not only could he borrow gold in an emergency.

He could also receive interest just by depositing gold.

Although it was an interest rate of 1%, it seemed that the interest rate would increase if he upgraded it.

“Even if it’s only 10%…”

The interest coming in every month when he put in 10 million gold was a whopping 1 million gold.

It was really like putting money in and eating money.

…… That’s what I thought for a moment.

[Research on ‘Banking’ is required to install Multidimensional Bank Lv.1.]

A new notification popped up on the smartphone screen.

“Research?”

Somehow, it seemed that he had to research banking to build Multidimensional Bank Lv.1.

And the place where research was conducted in Ruben was none other than Elodie’s laboratory.

Jerry had been taking care of it alone.

But this time, the Dark Elves joined and were accelerating the research.

Thanks to that, all the research that could be done now had been completed.

So he was going to give Jerry, who had worked hard, a vacation.

Xian immediately entered Elodie’s laboratory.

And checked the researchable list.

[New!] Magic Engineering Research

[New!] Military Engineering Research

[New!] Mechanical Engineering Research

[New!] Banking Research

[New!] Printing Technology Research

[New!] Education Research

.

.

.

He could see that countless related studies had been created.

“Wait, then maybe the other facilities too?”

Xian searched the newly added facility items again.

And touched the 【Magic Engineering Facility】 item.

Among them, he checked the ‘Magic Engineering Workshop Lv.1’ at the top.

Click.

『Magic Engineering Workshop Lv.1 (1,000,000G)』

▶Do you! Want to use magic?

Are you frustrated because you want to use magic but don’t have the talent?

For you, we have prepared something not so great, but amazing!

That is the Magic Engineering Workshop Lv.1

Magic engineering is a field that combines the study of magic and the technology of engineering.

And this was an idea devised by Elodie a thousand years ago!

Elodie, a genius magician called the Archmage!

She was a being who reached the pinnacle in the field of magic to the point where even dragons would shy away!

But she was sad.

That magic can only be used by the chosen ones.

Magic can only be used by those with great talent.

But magic is not anyone’s, it is a gift the world gives us.

She was very saddened that such magic was possessed by a specific someone.

So Elodie pondered and at the end!

Ta-da!

She devised something that anyone can use magic, something not so great, but amazing!

A technology that combines magic and engineering, magic engineering!

A new field that didn’t exist in any dimension!

Using Explosion magic to break through iron fences in an instant, as well as bombs!

Incorporating Invisible magic to hide the presence of stealth technology!

Even if you have no talent for magic at all!

A super-advanced technology that anyone can use magic!

The transcendental magicians couldn’t help but slap their knees at this amazing imagination!

So, aren’t you curious?

If you’re curious, install it right now!』

.

.

.

“Uh… um…”

Xian was at a loss for how to react to this.

Because the content was quite unusual.

Magic Engineering.

Looking at the explanation, it seemed to be a kind of magic? technology? devised by Elodie.

In short, it was Elodie’s knowledge.

But did no one understand that knowledge?

Or was it lost and disappeared in the middle?

The magic engineering devised by Elodie was not being passed down at present.

In the first place, there was no concept of magic engineering on the continent.

A magic and technology that was buried a thousand years ago.

However, it seemed that the knowledge remained in Elodie’s laboratory.

And whether he knew it or not, the power of magic engineering would not be ordinary.

No, it seemed like it would be extraordinary.

The Mobile Lord said that transcendental magicians slapped their knees.

It seemed like a joke at first glance, but from his experience.

He knew that it was not a simple joke.

So this ‘Magic Engineering Workshop Lv.1’ was a facility that must be built.

Because it would be of great help in the battle with Elandur later.

But.

To build this facility, Magic Engineering research is required.

To build this facility, Mechanical Engineering research is required.

To build this facility, Educational Studies research is required.

This also required related research to be installed.

And as the explanation said, the ‘Magic Engineering Workshop Lv.1’ required considerable research as it was a great facility.

Well, he could understand up to this point.

He could really understand up to this point.

But.

[Magic Engineering Research] – 10,000,000G

No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t understand this!

“No, what…”

Xian was momentarily speechless.

The cost of starting a simple research was a whopping 10 million gold!

Wasn’t this crazy to the point where he couldn’t see it as sane!

“Was this why the transcendental magicians slapped their knees?”

Because the price was insane?

Couldn’t even the transcendent beings understand that price?

Even if the research was not the end.

Even if the research was completed, the cost of building the facility was separate.

In addition, he had to do mechanical engineering and military engineering research.

He had to add the construction costs of various facilities.

What if he added the upgrade of the Lord’s Castle and the upgrade of existing facilities here?

Even if he roughly calculated it, it would be tens of millions of gold.

Tring!

When you’re stuck in progress, try spending money!

“Damn it.”

Xian felt like he was losing his mind for a moment.

#

The administrative office located in the Elandur mansion.

While numerous administrators were moving busily.

“Um… Deputy Administrator?”

Xian gently raised his head at someone’s call.

Looking at that place.

Elandur’s administrator was carefully calling Xian.

“What’s going on?”

“That’s not the reason…”

The administrator slowly opened his mouth with a strange expression.

“It seems that the budget in the payment request is measured high.”

“The budget in the payment request is measured high?”

“Yes. Here.”

The administrator handed Xian the payment request he was holding.

Xian received the payment request and checked its contents.

The contents of the payment request were relief supplies to be sent to 32 villages.

It was also relief supplies to be sent to the newly established first aid station.

To be more precise, it was the budget for purchasing relief supplies.

And the usual budget was set at around 100,000 gold.

But the payment request that the administrator handed over now.

A whopping 210,000 gold was set here.

The situation was that it was inflated more than twice.

“There doesn’t seem to be any particular reason, but it’s quite strange that the budget has been inflated.”

The administrator was accurately pointing out the problem.

And of course, Xian knew the problem.

But.

“Ah, this. It’s okay. Proceed as is.”

Xian casually brushed it off.

“Yes?”

The administrator seemed a little embarrassed by Xian’s answer.

Because the contents of the payment request were strange to anyone.

Soon, Xian waved his hand and said.

“The first aid station is the first place patients look for. That much spending is natural.”

“That’s true, but…”

The first aid station was a clinic set up in each village to treat those with mild symptoms.

It was also a clinic where patients could visit first and receive treatment quickly.

Of course, those with severe symptoms could not be treated at the first aid station.

However, even those with severe symptoms could receive emergency relief at the first aid station.

As a result, the number of deaths decreased dramatically.

Thanks to that, diseases caused by starvation and famine were quickly cured.

The patients in the Marquisate were rapidly disappearing.

Truly Xian’s perfect relief policy.

But.

“There are almost no patients left now.”

Thanks to that perfect relief policy, the budget was overflowing.

Xian momentarily flinched at the administrator’s point.

“Uh…”

A slightly shaking gaze.

To be honest, Xian knew it too.

He also knew the administrator’s point.

He knew that the budget in this payment request was set high.

He knew that everything was right.

He couldn’t not know.

However, Xian did not tell him to correct the budget.

‘I have to embezzle.’

He had to prepare to embezzle!

As part of that, Xian needed to manipulate the budget little by little.

In fact, there was no need to go this far.

In other words, there was no need to manipulate the budget for embezzlement.

The Mobile Lord’s spending was a strange phenomenon that could not be sourced or verified.

So, if he spent money little by little, no one would know.

If he manipulated the budget for no reason, only traces would remain.

Nevertheless, Xian manipulated the budget.

No, he had to manipulate it.

[Magic Engineering Research] – 10,000,000G

The amount of money to spend was bigger than he thought!

No, it wasn’t just big.

Magic engineering, as well as mechanical engineering and military engineering research.

Also, the construction costs of various facilities.

What if he added the upgrade of the Lord’s Castle and the upgrade of existing facilities here?

Even if he roughly estimated the cost of all those things…

‘70.5 million gold…’

Roughly this amount was calculated.

A crazy amount was calculated!

This was not it.

No matter how he thought about it, it didn’t make sense.

Even though Elandur’s budget was astronomical.

It was by no means enough to overlook that 70 million gold!

This was an amount that would make the awakened Mobile Lord faint again.

It was an amount that would go into emergency inspection as soon as the emergency inspection was over!

Not just emergency inspection?

Regular inspection, temporary inspection, extended inspection.

It was an amount that would not be enough to put in all the inspections!

Tring!

When you’re stuck in progress, try spending money~!

The Mobile Lord, who didn’t know anything, was still being cocky…

Well, anyway.

‘This is bullshit.’

Anyway, this was bullshit like no other.

This was not just embezzlement.

It was really like pulling out one of the pillars of Elandur!

No, it was like pulling out dozens of them!

This level of embezzlement is virtually impossible.

This level of embezzlement was bound to get caught.

What if he didn’t spend money?

‘That doesn’t make sense.’

That was nonsense.

He would rather get caught than give up embezzlement.

So Xian urgently revised the plan.

‘Make a big hit and run immediately.’

It was called embezzlement and run.

Spend 70 million gold and run immediately.

Of course, Xian was currently imprisoned in the Elandur mansion.

But soon there would be an opportunity to escape the mansion.

It was none other than the letter Xian had sent to Conrad in advance.

‘I don’t know why it’s so late…’

The reaction was about to come.

Anyway, now was the time to wait for the time of embezzlement.

Xian quickly changed his expression and said.

“That’s why. If there’s an epidemic, there will be a problem? We have to catch it for sure when we can.”

“Um…”

The administrator tilted his head once again.

But that was only for a moment.

“If that’s what Deputy Administrator says…”

Without any other suspicion, he took the payment request and returned to his seat.

He was just thinking that there must be a reason why Xian was saying that.

That’s because Xian had shown him so far.

A perfect relief policy that quickly restored the damage to the Marquisate after the famine struck,

In the process, he showed his cool-headed judgment and analytical skills.

And even the ability to cope with the situation.

Thanks to Xian, the damage from the famine was now negligible.

In addition, all funds were used transparently and fairly in the process.

With the results right in front of his eyes, there was no way he could be suspicious.

Immediately after sending the administrator back.

Xian let out a small sigh.

But that was only for a moment.

“Um, Deputy Administrator. That’s not the reason, but the budget set in the payment request…”

Another administrator came to find Xian.

It seemed to be the same content as the previous administrator.

When he turned his gaze, as expected.

Another administrator was holding a payment request and making a puzzling expression.

Moreover, that administrator was not the end.

After that, numerous administrators were lined up in a row.

And the payment requests in their hands.

“Um… that’s…”

Xian’s mind was spinning furiously, searching for numerous excuses.

But just then.

“Young Master Xian.”

A voice with a different atmosphere was heard.

Looking at that place.

There was a knight of the White Wolf Knights.

The knight ignored the line of administrators and went straight to Xian.

The knight quickly approached Xian.

Finally, the knight’s words were heard.

Apparently.

“The Lord is urgently looking for you now.”

It seemed like it was time to leave Elandur… no, to embezzle and run.