In A Fantasy World I Can Absorbs Abilities

Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire

After much difficulty, Philip and his entourage finally reached the new domain of the Crassus family. As they passed through the village at the base of the castle, he was struck with disbelief.

The merchant who had accompanied him on the journey to search for the Botana tribe in the mountains was equally astonished.

'Why on earth is the Botana tribe here?'

The tall, dark-skinned members of the tribe were walking openly through the village, chatting and laughing with the former residents as if they had already assimilated.

Philip was dumbfounded.

"Merchant, what is the meaning of this? Aren't those people the Botana tribe you spoke of?"

While the merchant was struggling to find an appropriate response, a familiar Botana tribesman approached Philip and initiated a conversation.

"No way, aren't you Ivan? I was feeling guilty for coming here without informing your trading company, but what a coincidence! We somehow ended up settling here. Haha. It's a great place to live."

Ivan felt doomed and clutched his head inwardly. He had planned to claim that he didn't know this Botana tribe, but now that excuse was no longer viable.

Philip's gaze narrowed as he looked at Ivan, expecting an explanation. However, Ivan was at a loss for words.

No, when I was here last time, there was no mention of anything like this.

The more one tried to explain in situations like this, the stranger it became. In the end, Ivan gave up on justifying himself. It seemed best to get away from this group and find a way to survive.

He had initially planned to invest in the new lord, having heard rumors that he was the illegitimate son of a duke, hoping to expand his trading company. But now, with things as they were, he reconsidered—perhaps it would be better to establish trade with the newly emerging Crassus territory.

The more he thought about it, the more reasonable the idea seemed. Ivan surveyed his surroundings. The well-maintained roads and the attire of the townspeople indicated that the territory's economy was in decent shape. His mind gradually leaned toward investing in Crassus.

Meanwhile, Philip continued to resent the merchant, unaware that Ivan had already lost the opportunity to invest his trading company's resources in the territory. Philip believed he had been deceived by Ivan's claims about an uncertain tribal migration. Even when he saw the trading company falling behind the group, he merely assumed it was because of their guilty conscience.

I should never have taken the words of a mere merchant so seriously.

As he entertained thoughts unbecoming of a lord, Philip entered the castle.

The moment he stepped inside, an enormous red dragon came into view. Its vertically slit golden eyes gleamed menacingly, sending a shiver down his spine.

They actually ride monsters like that?

Feeling intimidated, Philip awkwardly sidestepped to avoid the dragon. He didn't even consider that Damian had deliberately arranged such an intimidating welcome.

As he turned, he was met with the sight of a sphinx lying lazily on the ground, adorned with a golden collar. Instinctively avoiding the dragon, Philip had unknowingly walked into the territory of another magical beast.

The sphinx let out a low growl, startling Philip. Nearby, a large feline creature, Miaomiao, licked its sharp claws, fixing its piercing gaze on him. Surrounding them were a dozen gargoyles, adding to the oppressive atmosphere.

Philip, overwhelmed by the silent intimidation, froze in fear. Though he was the illegitimate son of a duke and had encountered magical beasts before, he had never witnessed such a scene.

Damian approached Philip, greeting him with a composed demeanor. His long black hair was tied tightly behind his head, adding to his imposing presence. The black armor he wore—its material unknown—made him appear even more formidable.

From his higher vantage point, Damian extended a hand for a handshake. As Philip took it, he felt a pang of self-doubt. He had never considered himself short or unattractive, yet he suddenly felt insignificant.

"Now, rather than standing around here, let's head inside. We have much to discuss, don't we?"

With that, Philip followed Damian into the castle's office. He wanted to conclude the business swiftly and establish himself as a dignified lord.

Inside, Dominic was already waiting.

"Welcome to our territory. I heard you earned great merits in the Northwestern campaign. I look forward to your future accomplishments on the battlefield."

There was no need to bring up the uncomfortable truth that Philip had only received those merits due to his noble lineage.

"Our family holds the rights to passage, hunting, and judicial authority in this land. Here is the official decree from His Majesty recognizing these rights."

"I understand, but since the territory has now passed into my hands, aren't these rights practically meaningless?"

"Well… Are you aware that our family has a non-aggression pact with neighboring territories? If you don't pay a sufficient price, we could always sell these rights to them."

"You wouldn't dare! Selling off rights attached to my territory to another land…"@@novelbin@@

In negotiations like these, the one who raised their voice first was at a disadvantage.

Damian interjected smoothly, playing the role of the intermediary.

"Of course, selling to another territory should be avoided. As long as you show the appropriate sincerity, that won't be necessary."

Philip frowned. What exactly does 'appropriate sincerity' mean?

"If it's just a reasonable gesture of sincerity, I can pay. But if you're exploiting the situation for an unfair profit—"

"Unfair profit?" Dominic scoffed. "We are simply selling our rightful claims. Our family cultivated this land from barren wilderness into what it is today. The forests are rich with game, and the judicial fines we collect annually are quite profitable. We also collect significant tolls from merchants passing through. Given all this, we are requesting ten years' worth of the current territory's revenue."

Philip's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Ten years' worth of revenue? Just how much is that?"

"Around 200,000 gold should suffice."

"200,000 gold?! That's absurd! Do you know how much money will be needed to develop the territory further?"

"Then we have no choice but to sell to a neighboring lord."

"That would be a shame, Father," Damian chimed in. "200,000 gold isn't an unreasonable sum, yet look how he reacts to our generosity. We might as well look elsewhere."

Philip fumed. What kind of scoundrels are these?