14 CHAPTER 14

"Lady Kuesu, I think it would be on all's best interest if we could reach an agreement about the local taxes between your territory and Mylord's" said the voice of a man dressed elegantly inside (my) Kuesu's study.

He was a Knight at the service of a Viscount whose lands borded with Kuesu's; thanks to her and Kalifa's management capabilities they had discovered that there were a quite number of tax collectors who illegally increased the tax rate and were quickly disposed off, thanks to Soi Fon who could use her Shundo to reach long distances in few minutes, and returned said gainings to the citizens of her territory and adjusting the tax rate no more than 30% of the montly revenues of the paesants.

The problem was that apparently this was considered a very low tax, given that lots of farmers in other nobles's lands had usually to pay at least 40% of their monthly income, being in coins or part of the harvest, and this was pushing them to move inside Kuesu's lands, earning the envy and irritation of other nobles.

"If your Lord is so worried about his citizens's wealth, he should simply lower his own taxes, from what I heard he put a surprinsing 60% tax rate; I don't see why I should raise my taxes for the sake of his people, I can barely take care of mine" she said with a small smile, with Kalifa standing behind her while I was ogling from a small peephole placed in the wall of the adiacent room

The face of the man stiffened while trying to mantain a forced smile, he wasn't so stupid to throw a tantrum into her house…not yet.

"Mylord has his reason to take such decision and even he is not happy about, but it's a sacrifice that he and the cizitend has to take in order to mantain the peace of the Kingdom" tried to rebuke him

"Oh..and it's also for 'the peace of the Kingdom' that Viscount Bonnet and you, Knight LaCur, secretly stashed great quantity of grains to sell it during the coming winter at a far higher price? I remember that the Kingdom has several laws about this" she said while Kalifa put on the table some documents, at which sight the man lose all the colour on his face.

"H-How c-could you..?"

"I'm a popular, social and beautifull woman, Knight LaCur; is it so hard to think that I would socialize with some capable people? I wonder what the authorities or the Internal Affair Minister would say about these…and I suggest you to not think of unsheating your sword or waiting for your men to intervene" she said her foxy smile widening, when Kalifa delivered a swift lethal kick to the man, who was unsheating a knife around his waist to attack Kuesu.

The kick crushed the man's balls and he fell on the ground by the back, breathless for the pain and with a shocked expression on his face.

"You know, I could easily burn you on the spot for having tried to harm me but I'm a business woman and I have a propouse that would benefit even a small rat like you, if you collaborate to take over Bonnet's belongings" she said, a foot on LaCur's chest and a fireball on one hand.

"P-Please, s-spare me; I was just complying his orders…what do you want me to do?" whined with a soft voice.

A few minutes later LaCur left the house with the two men who had escorted him, his face hard as a rock and his expression illegible, while I entered in the study and gave to Kuesu an amused smile.

"'I am a popular, social and beautifull woman' ? you sure are an high-class lady to have such a self-esteem" I commented while Kuesu sip a cup of tea all smug about her antic with the nobleman.

"Fufu, the impact of a misterious and well informed lady leave always a deep image in simpletons like him; he is just a commoner become Knight due his grandfather serving for a long time the Viscount's family, but beside the better clothes he is no different from a simple grunt" she replied while Kalifa showed me some graphics

"The renevues from the farmers's taxes and the trades are gonna be enough satisfying, albeit it would be better to raise the adventurers under our grasp, if we wish to start some cultivation projects around the unused land" she said

It's been almost three weeks since the holiday at the lake and, thanks to Aki's position at the Guild, we were able to know in advance if there were some promising adventurers that were gonna receive a promotion or that would be good cannon fooders.

Until now we hired under private contracts Aisha, who still hold a C-rank and made party with Koneko, and other three C-rank and a dozen of D-rank adventurer; our best move would be hire a B-rank both due their renown powers and the image's boost it would give to Kuesu but they required quite the money and our treasury would quickly left us empty.

To become B-rank once didn't need only achievements , whose Aisha didn't lack, but had to also to take some 'etiquette test' given that the social position of such adventurers was considered on pair with a Knight or Baronett noble-title; Aisha was quite the vulgar woman, so she had utterly failed the test leaving her bitter about it.

I had also thought of using a bit of old but gold corruption to ensure that she would pass, but doing after not even a month after her first try would surelu be suspicious so for now we had to find other ways.

"Perhaps we could find some use of him" I said pointing at a document with a portrait of the face of a man on his late thirty, sligthly tanned and completely bald

"Are you sure it would be wise,Mr Kuro? That man it's just a C-rank whose remained like that for a long time, he don't have enough strenght to reach B-rank" commented Kalifa with a raised eyebrows.

"We don't need him to really have the strenght, Soi Fon is strong enough to fight at least A-ranks and she would do all the dirty jobs while this talentless man would find the occasion of his life" I said, giving to Kuesu a knowing look

"We will oil some gears at the Guild and prepare some fake achievements for him after we make sure that he doesn't go chitchat about it" confirmed Kuesu.

Eddie Petrov's POV

I couldn't believe my fortune, that hot chick of a noble lady wanted to hire me for a personal contract!

I wasted eight years being stuck at C-rank due my failings tries to learn higher level of wind magic and all my old mates had retired to a more private life but I couldn't; I was just a commoner lucky enough to be born with an average attitude to magic but couldn't allow to study at the expensives magic academy so I resorted to be an adventurer mage self-taught.

The first years were easy life; lots of lads wished for a mage in their parties and I could ask for bigger portions of the rewards and rose to C-rank, but when I reached Marthbar it was clear that I was just on the average side of the hierarchy and no more people were so eager to party with me.

If this would turn well, I could finally reach a better life!

"Welcome, Mr Eddie Petrov; Lady Kuesu is waiting for you in the guest room" said a sexy blonde glassed woman with a killing figure…damn her legs were so long and her bust was the biggest I had ever seen.

The said lady was also even more gorgeous and her posture and demanding look screamed her noble status.

"Have a sit, Mr Petrov; I had decided that you meet the criteria we are searching for a job I would like to be fulfilled" she said, a small smile on her face while she penetrated me with a look.

"I'm a well versed wind mage, Miss Kuesu; I also have various contacts between the adventurers if you require discretion for more 'private' matters" I tried to introduce me.boasting my main points

"Oh I already know what I need about you: a mediocre mage, too old to have a crumb of talent to reach B-rank yet glory-seeking and without anyone to return to cry about your utterly failures" she interrupted me, her words stabbing me like knifes.

"I don't understand what are you saying, Miss Kuesu; I have become a C-rank way faster than a normal person, and I-"

"You desire power, money and luxury as every men, but lack the skills to do it; I have a proposition that would clearly benefit you if you abide to my orders; please Aisha,come"

"You are too used to use that tone with me, little Lady" said a female voice

When I turned I immediately recognize the owner of the voice: Aisha Belka! That crazy woman had reached my same rank in less than six months and was heavily wanted by several parties…so she was now working for this lady!

"These man is gonna be the 'honey bait'; you know what to do" said the lady unconcerned of even remembering my name

"This weeble? If that's your choice; listen baldy, the lady's here is just gonna waste time with difficult words, so let me make it easier for you: work for us, bark when we tell you to bark, sit when we tell you to do it and we are gonna make you become a B-rank, otherwise get the fuck out of here and forget about all of this" she said leaning on me, and I couldn't help but stare at her clevage.

"Humph, as you usual your language fit you, brute woman, but made it was easier this way; Mr Petrov, as my subordinate said, you can obtain your long desired promotion if you abide to my orders; as a sign of my goodwill, take these" she told me ans her long legged blonde assistant took out from somewhere two pair of thick books and an incredible looking staff.

"The books are grimoires, suiting your wind magic and this magic staff was created using the materials from a Rank 7 Twin Headed Jade Eagle; we can concur that these tools are gonna be necessary if you want to play well this facade" she said but I could barely hear her words

That staff and the grimories were probably worthier than all the income I had ever made in the last years…and she would just offer them to me, making me reach B-rank…

"I accept…I don't know what you want me to do but I accept" I could barely hear my voice coming from my mouth, too focused on the expensive equipments and grimories put on the table in front of me

"Excellent, I think this is the start of a good relationship between us, Mr Petrov; feel free to take with you these gifts" said Miss…I mean Lady Kuesy, my new employer and I left her house heading back to my old and small apartment

End of Eddie Petrov's POV

Few days later after Eddie Petrov's visit to our house, and some sweet negotiation between some 'reasonable' members of the guild while also providing to him the neceessary extermination proofes and Magic Stones, he was promoted to B-rank and put under exclusive contract with Kuesu.

These caused lots of voice around Marthbar and then even around the neighbour cities about this young noblewoman that, despite being a 'lower' noble, had got her hand on a handful number of adventurers and that had gathered enough funds for a project of cultivation villages, appealing lots of merchants to sell supplies and willing to estabilish trade agreements with her; not ironically, she was starting to become the richest Baroness of probably half of Silva Kingdom and this meaned extra money for me and more chances to consolidate my position.

Futhermore, while these silent politics battle that I left to Kuesu and Kalifa were taking place with obviously the two girls winning them, I was out with Aisha, Koneko, Soi Fon and Lili gathering Points and level ups, and searching for new strong Summons and Soul Equipments.

"Boy, at twenty meters on our right; a pack of three Man Eater Worms!" shouted Aisha, her weapon covered of the blood of the last monster killed.

"I see them! Let's see if finally my training has proved successfull; Busoshoku Haki…Karakusagawara Seiken, Axe-version!" and I made a move like to make a vertical swing, stopping the strike in the middle of its momentum.

The worm monsters, which were easily thirty feet long and twenty large with the front part of their body being just a giant circular maw full of sharp teeth seemed to not feel anything for the first moment, but then it seemed like their 'heads' were being pushed by an invisible force before being splatted by an huge shockwave on the ground and all of them split and flattened dead.

I fucking did it!

I was finally able to combine the swing of my axe into the move of Fishermen-Karate, albeit this made me change five times for a new axe due my Busoshoku Haki not being strong enough at first.

*Host have killed Man Eater Worms x3 (Rank 7), host have gained 21000 Exp*

While I killed the giant worms, Aisha and Koneko took care of other monsters with me supporting them with Poison Magic and magic-fueled bullets from Thunderer, to try different kind of strategies without having me being the vanguard.

It took us almost two entire day to clean that now wasteland due the causalites created by the giant worms and other monsters that sprawled few later, before finally finishing this Quest.

*Quest Completed*

*Reward: 2000 Points, 10000 Exp*

*Optional reward: 3000 Points, 10000 Exp*

With this, I had finally reached over 100k Points and I would buy a new 4* Star Soul Equipments, or maybe even a 5*; something strong enough to let me have an ace against even a S-rank adventurer because all the Kingdom had received some shocking news, or at least the paesants: the war against the Elf Kingdom was officially declared and Her Majesty gave an epic speech to the Kingdome while her most trusted aids in the Royal Army started the invasion, but it would be sure a pyrric war…because Jenna Samson had officially sided with the Elf Kingdom, which surely had paid a real expensive price in terms of both money and pride given that it was common belief that Elf discriminated against Half-Elf.

Kuesu, as a lower noble and not part of the Royal Army's chosen members, wouldn't be involved directly in the war but a week later the announcement of the war, we received a surprising visit by a close member of Queen Wilhelmina's court : the Minister of Foreign Affairs and her brother-in-law, Augustus Edwin.

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