Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 647

Was it because I proposed it with such a swindler-like tone?

“A lot of money… you say?”

The Elder frowned, his voice laced with skepticism. If it weren’t me who said this, he would have kicked me out right away, judging by his glare.

“Tell me first. How do you plan to make a lot of money?”

Still, I got his permission to be heard, so I quickly continued with further explanation before the negative image grew.

“It’s about making an investment at this opportunity.”

“…Investment? Do you have a merchant guild in mind?”

“No, it’s not about investing in a merchant guild.”

“Then…?”

“Let’s invest in the land of District 7.”

“Land… you say?”

The Elder reacted as if I was spouting nonsense again, but it wasn’t that surprising. I had expected it to some extent.

In this world, buying land isn’t that attractive. Or rather, it’s not seen as an ‘investment product’. In the first place, only ‘nobles’ can buy land…

‘It’s actually closer to a financial product that can generate continuous ‘monthly rent’ income.’ Most nobles with spare land rent out their land and buildings and collect rent. And there’s no capital gain from the land value increasing in the process. That’s inevitable.

In this bizarre city where magic stones replace all resources and consumption and circulation occur simultaneously, the value of currency rarely fluctuates. So, the real estate in Lapdonia has always been maintained at a high point, neither rising nor falling.

However…

“As you know, the situation in District 7 is beyond terrible right now. If we buy now, we can buy it at a bargain price.”

“Isn’t that too simplistic a view? They must know that District 7 will be rebuilt within a few years. No one would want to sell at a loss.”

Well, that’s true. Most nobles would choose to hold on if it were a normal situation.

“Well, aren’t you being too simplistic?”

A huge event called the closure of the labyrinth has occurred. And in the midst of that, District 7 is an area adjacent to Bipron, which is occupied by the Noark forces…

“I’ve heard that many families are trying to save as much money as possible these days, instead of spending it.”

Uncertainty about the future and the anxiety that comes from it. I explained this well and spoke with a confident voice.

“If we look carefully, there will definitely be quite a few nobles who want to sell. If consumption decreases significantly, the noble families’ businesses will also take a big hit.”

“Indeed… there will be more people in need of money.”

The Elder seemed to agree with my words now. Well, that doesn’t mean the persuasion is over.

“But our situation is the same. Even if we can buy this land at a bargain price, this investment will only materialize after a long time.”

“That’s right.”

“As the Baron said, we don’t have the luxury to wait for such a long time in this situation where we can’t see an inch ahead. Not for me, nor for any of us.”

As expected of the experienced Elder, it was a sharp point. Just as other noble families are in a hurry to sell land because they need money, the families belonging to Melbes are also in the same situation. Therefore, they cannot make investments that look to the future.

But…

‘It seems like I’ve almost got him on board.’

I smiled and lowered my voice.

“What if we could fully preserve that money even after buying the land? What would you say then?”

For the Elder, who has lived in Lapdonia his whole life, it was a question that would sound like nothing more than a barbarian’s delusion, something that could never be understood. The reaction was as expected.

“That’s… a meaningless assumption.”

“Even so, just answer me. If that were the case, what would you do?”

At my persistent demand, the Elder eventually had no choice but to answer.

“Why do you need to ask me? If it were possible, no noble would have a reason not to do it.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

“But how is that realistically possible? To preserve the money even after buying the land. It’s not like there’s a way to buy land for free.”

Looking at the Elder muttering skeptically, I said firmly.

“There is.”

Strictly speaking, it’s not about getting land for free, but there is a method that is almost similar to it.

“Then, would you tell me? What is that method?”

“We’ll lease the land and not receive rent.”

No monthly or yearly rent.

“What? Not receiving rent, that’s absurd—”

Hey, don’t interrupt.

“Listen to the end.”

I interrupted the Elder’s words and continued the explanation.

“We won’t receive rent from the purchased land. But instead, we’ll give them the right to freely use the land in exchange for money equivalent to the land value.”

The Elder, who had been listening seriously to what I was trying to say, burst into a loud laugh.

“Ha! Are you suggesting a proxy land purchase? That’s a clear violation of the kingdom’s land law!”

Proxy land purchase. A method often used secretly by wealthy merchants or the rich who want to own land. It’s rare to get caught because they hardly crack down on it, but it can become a problem if someone deliberately raises an issue. However…

“Strictly speaking, it’s not illegal. In the case of proxy purchases, a permanent right to the land must be specified in the contract, but I have no intention of including such a clause.”

“…Then, there might be room for interpretation as you said. But then, who would want to come in that way? It would be much cheaper and better to just pay monthly rent, wouldn’t it?”

“They will come. Unlike proxy purchases where they have to pay almost three times the premium, I don’t plan to receive any premium at all, and…”

“…”

“I’ll return the money I received when the contract ends.”

“What?!”

Unfortunately, the Elder, who has lived in this city his whole life, had no idea about the new concept I was talking about.

“Return the money you received? Then they’re borrowing the land for free without paying monthly rent!”

‘Hmm… is it that hard to understand?’

The Elder only thought that this method was a loss for us, so I had to spend a lot more time explaining.

“Elder, I’ll tell you just once, so listen carefully.”

Even among Koreans who are interested in real estate, opinions are divided on whether this is a good or bad system.

Why is it beneficial for us to offer ‘Jeonse’ [a Korean housing lease system where a large sum of money is paid upfront instead of monthly rent]?

***

My plan is very simple. Buy land in District 7 from noble families who need money. After that, lease the land to merchant guilds or wealthy people for free in exchange for a large deposit. And…

‘Then, I can buy more land with that money.’

Repeat the same thing. There was the Elder’s question in the middle about whether it would work, but after continued persuasion, this old man finally acknowledged it.

“Indeed… if we build proper buildings on the ruined land, it won’t be difficult to find people who want to sign a contract. It will be much cheaper in the long run.”

Jeonse requires a large sum of money to be paid upfront. However, if you have enough money, Jeonse is much more economically advantageous.

‘Because you don’t have to pay monthly rent.’

After all, it’s not like the world gives you interest for putting money in the bank, right? If my prediction is correct, there will be people who will take out loans from the bank and move in with Jeonse, thinking they are paying monthly rent…

“I’m also thinking of coordinating this with Count Alminus, the bank manager. Whether ordinary people can get loans with the contract that I will return the money as collateral—”

“T, this is… unbelievable…”

When the explanation was somewhat complete, the Elder muttered those words. However, it was a completely different feeling from before. Before, it felt like he was criticizing a delusional story, but now it was closer to an exclamation of admiration.

“The royal family has also agreed to bear most of the cost of rebuilding the destroyed buildings this time!”

“They did, right?”

“If this plan goes well… we could buy the entire District 7 with the money that could buy a small street!”

He is a local, so he is a bit rigid in his thinking, but the Elder is also a person with a great business sense, so he seemed to have understood the ‘business’ I was talking about. Well, it’s not perfect in my opinion.

“It seems like you’ve misunderstood something, Elder. My goal is not to buy the entire District 7.”

“…?”

“The goal is to buy the entire District 7 and sell it later when the price goes up.”

“…!!!”

This was the core of this plan. After all, what benefit would I get if I just bought land and leased it all out with Jeonse? It’s only a loss if the land value doesn’t increase. Well, conversely, if the land value increases, we can make a huge profit.

“Elder, you know, right? The moment the situation stabilizes and District 7 returns to normal, it will return to its previous price.”

This is a sure win game. Unless the Noark guys come out of the walls during the reconstruction and wipe out our District 7 again.

‘Uh…’

That wouldn’t really happen, would it? I shook off the uneasy thought, saying that words have power.

“Anyway, think about it carefully, Baron. When that time comes, how much do you think we will have earned?”

“………What can I do to help?”

‘Okay, looking at those eyes, it seems like there’s no need for any more persuasion…’

I honestly said everything I needed. In the first place, this plan cannot be executed by myself without the active help of this Elder. From finding nobles who will sell their land, to the funds to purchase the land, to the capital to hold out until the buildings are built and tenants are received… I need the Elder’s help from start to finish. As someone who doesn’t have a wide network, I would be blocked from the start just trying to find nobles who will sell their land.

“I’ll say it again, don’t buy it if they’re not trying to sell it at a low price. After all, we’re probably the only crazy people who want to buy land at this time.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ve done countless negotiations of that kind in my life.”

Yes, that’s it. A family that has continued for thousands of years, the network that comes from it, and the negotiation skills that have developed to some extent while doing both politics and business for a long time. The Elder will surely show the level of work I expected—.

“However, it’s difficult to make such a big decision right now. Let me think about it a bit more and contact you.”

The Elder showed a slight retreat at the end, but I coolly nodded my head. That’s because I could already see that his eyes were wide open.

“Alright.”

He will surely contact me soon.

**

Creating a Jeonse system in Lapdonia. This will surely bring me definite benefits. However, the only concern is whether this capitalistic move will look too demonic…

‘It’s not like there’s any special technology involved, and anyone can think of the Jeonse system itself.’ Of course, Koreans who know about the ‘Jeonse’ system might be suspicious of my actions. But…

‘There are only three Koreans anyway.’ Baek Ho Lee, Hyun-byul, and me. But all three of them already know my identity anyway. Well, there might be other Koreans hiding somewhere in this world… That level of risk is worth taking.

I’m not the old me who trembled in fear of the secret police’s demon hunters. Now, I have the minimum means to protect myself. Above all, I’ve also laid some insurance.

“Could it be… that all of this came from Baron Yandel’s head?”

“No way! It’s a method devised by our Chief Administrative Officer! It seems like his head works well in that area since he’s been building houses in the holy land!”

“Are you talking about Administrative Officer Shavin Emuer?”

“That’s right. He got a promotion recently.”

“…I can’t understand it at all. I don’t know if such talented people are gathering around Baron Yandel by luck… or if they were able to shine because they were by the Baron’s side.”

There was a feeling similar to envy in the Elder’s eyes as he said that, which made me feel a little embarrassed. But a seasoned warrior never misses any opportunity.

“Well, why don’t you see for yourself which one it is?”

I smiled and added a finishing comment.

“Because you’re now someone by my side.”

Surprisingly, these emotional words work well with elders who have gone through all sorts of hardships.