Jobless Reincarnation: Live Seriously Even Without Transfer Events

"Although we have won the battle, the military expenses will still be delayed. Every year is difficult, but we have to get through it. We need to make them understand the Silver Palace. If they don't understand, then the Silver Palace will help them understand."

Luke crossed his legs, tapping his knee lightly with his fingers. "The land prices in Fituia are still too high; we need to bring them down a bit more."

"Your Excellency, the current price is three gold coins per acre of land. At this price, purchasing 50,000 acres of fertile land in Fitoia would only cost 150,000 gold coins. Therefore, Fitoia..."

Grand said, "How much more pressure do you think would be appropriate?"

"What can 150,000 gold coins do? Not even enough for a day's military expenses."

Luke held up two fingers and said, "Let's delay a bit longer, wait for the land price to drop, one gold coin per acre, and buy a million acres. Then we'll see if Lord Fitoa is really envious."

"Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! This renders Rudius's three tricks useless. Let's see who will be able to command the winds and rains then."

[The Death of Luke] Asura's Leader (Part Two)

Jobless Reincarnation Fanfic: Live Seriously Even Without the Transfer Event [Re-upload] Asura's Boss (Part 2)

......

"The only thing left to get rid of Rudius is a fire, and we can only hope that the fire will burn quickly."

Luke handed the empty glass to Grand, ostensibly to signal Grand to pour another glass, but actually to say that the time wasn't right yet and that something more important needed to pave the way.

"This fire is already burning very fast, Your Excellency. I think we could add another bit of firewood."

Grand understood Luke's meaning, of course. He refilled the wine glass and handed it to Luke, while taking out two letters from his pocket. One letter bore the coat of arms of the Yerosnek family, and the other bore the coat of arms of the Zeferos family.

"This is the money embezzled by the Boreas family during the five years since the reopening of relations with the three great magical nations. With the Zeferos and Yerosnek families as guarantors, it should be enough to make Rudius suffer a great loss if presented to His Majesty."

"That's all the money?"

Luke glanced at the letters, shook his head, and said, "The total amount in the ledgers in the two letters is only about a million gold coins, not even counting the inflated figures. Compared to what you embezzled, it's just a drop in the ocean. If we present it to His Majesty now, we'll be shooting ourselves in the foot. We'll just do it for you right away."

"Then, Your Excellency, what do you think we should do?"

Listening to Luke's words, Grand also thought of a red line. The Asura and Notos families can indeed wield great power now, but there is also someone who can shelter them from the storm. When to shelter them and whose rain to shelter them from is decided by only one person, and that is Her Majesty the Queen.

"I'll keep the accounts for now, but it's time for His Majesty to choose and make a decision."

After saying that, Luke walked to the bookshelf, opened a secret box, and inside lay several confessions with handprints on them. Without exception, all the confessions stated the same thing: Aisha Grellatt, the commander of the Shinsengumi, had an affair with Her Majesty the Queen's male favorites. The signatures and handprints of the male favorites were all on the back.

"Her Majesty the Queen can tolerate many things, but when someone puts their hands on her bed, will she still tolerate it?"

A month later, amidst the chilly autumn rain, the memorial service for Sword King Kino was completed.

"Your Majesty, it's time to take your medicine."

Back in the royal chamber, Luke helped Ariel sit down on the cushions. Ariel opened her bloodless lips and sipped the medicine Luke fed her.

"Your Majesty, how can your current health withstand nightly revelry? The land may not be damaged by plowing, but if the soil is turned up too much, no crops can be grown."

"Luke, do you still want to farm with me? I do... cough cough..."

As she spoke, Ariel coughed up a pool of dark blood that stained her handkerchief. "I don't know why, but I'm getting irritable more and more easily now. The only time I feel happy is at night."

"Your Majesty's health is of utmost importance. Let's talk about it when you're feeling better. I do have something I'd like to give Your Majesty."

Luke reached into his robes, pulled out an envelope, and handed it to Ariel. "The Knights have just delivered a report of victory. The kingdom's army has utterly defeated the enemy and has now established a foothold outside the Red Dragon's Cheek. Shandur is pursuing the remaining enemy forces and is expected to advance to the homeland of the Kingdom of Bigenliru."

"That's great. If we can pacify the Kingdom of Bigenliru directly, there will be no more threats to the north of Asura. Thanks to you, Luke."

Ariel was overjoyed, and a long-lost smile appeared on her pale face.

"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty. Good news has already arrived from the front lines, and we should also send good news from the capital to Your Majesty."

As he spoke, Luke reached into his pocket to pull out two more envelopes.

In fact, this was the moment Luke had been waiting for. The situation at the front was stabilized, proving that his previous decision to urge the army to continue advancing was correct. This way, he could take action without any worries. Moreover, this time, the action only needed to be brief and didn't require any major moves.

"Your Majesty, Izoruti requests an audience."

Just then, Luke was about to take the envelope out of his pocket when he heard a message from the royal maidservant.

"Who is it? Izuru? Let her in."

Although Ariel was somewhat puzzled, she still raised her hand and instructed Isorti to enter the royal chamber.

Why is she back?

Luke was momentarily puzzled. According to his intelligence, Izuru should be fighting alongside the Red Dragon army. The incident happened so suddenly that, seeing Izuru's icy and sharp eyes as she walked in, he didn't have a chance to take out the two envelopes he was carrying.

"Weren't you on the front lines? Why did you suddenly come back? But with one less person to feed, every little bit helps with the supplies at the front."

Ariel gestured for Izalte to sit beside her, but inwardly she trembled slightly. Hearing Ariel's words, Izalte said coquettishly, "I haven't eaten much, but Your Majesty, you've gotten so much better in just a few days. You should eat more."

"Lord Chantelle summoned me back."

Izoruti said with a smile, "Lord Shandur said that we are about to enter the homeland of the Kingdom of Bigenliru, so the whole army will rest outside the pass for a while and sent me back to urge the army to provide supplies."

"It seems the army will stay outside the pass for a while longer."

He thought to himself that this was a good thing for him. The longer the army stayed outside, the greater the burden on the Fituia territory would be, and the more opportunities would be given to Luke. But Luke still felt uncomfortable listening to this, and for a moment he felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.

"By the way, Luke, what did you want to say?"

Ariel regained her senses and gestured for Isorti to leave.

"It's nothing major. The people of the capital have gathered at the Church of Milis to pray for His Majesty. Isn't it a great thing to have such people?"

As he spoke, Luke felt as if a pair of cold, piercing eyes were staring at him, and his voice grew softer and softer until it was gradually drowned out by the sound of the rain.

Outside the window, the autumn rain fell incessantly, the cold rain growing heavier and heavier, shrouding the entire capital in a hazy mist.

Rudeus sat in the Shinsengumi barracks, holding a document sent from Roa by Aisha's subordinates. It clearly described the life of the swordsman Kino while he lived in Roa, with one point specifically noted: Kino liked to brew Roa tea with wine from the Milports region, and that consuming Roa tea with wine would hinder the transmission of magical energy.

If it were a swordsman, that would be an obstacle to gathering battle qi.

Rudius sighed as he realized that the cause of Cino's death had been found, but it was of no use.

It's truly a pity that a figure like the Sword God could be ruined by red wine and tea, and the person behind this red tea and wine brewing is quite obvious.

"Brother, there's one more thing."

As Aisha spoke, she pulled out an envelope with a three-headed dragon stamp and three chicken feathers stuck in the cover.

"The military intelligence from the front, which Chantelle sent to the Silver Palace, has been intercepted by me. Not a single word of it has gotten in."

"You've seen it?"

Rudius glanced at Aisha, then tore open the wax seal, which showed signs of being resealed. Inside the letter was written: "The front is in dire straits. The army has been routed. The vanguard of 60,000 men has been wiped out and has now retreated to the Red Dragon's Cheek."

After reading it, Rudius ignited a flame in his palm and burned the letter to ashes.

"Ah! Brother, disclosing military intelligence is a crime punishable by the extermination of the entire family!"

Aisha was startled by Rudeus's actions and quickly crawled on the ground to carefully pick up the fallen dust.

"If you withhold military intelligence, isn't that the same as wiping out your entire family?"

Rudeus wore an indifferent expression and joked, "That Luke embezzled military supplies, bought fertile land, and harmed loyal officials. He even dared to harm someone like the Sword God. He should have died hundreds of times over, but he's still jumping around among the kings."

"Look at Luke's status, you can't possibly compare to him, brother."

Aisha complained, "His Majesty has turned a blind eye to Luke far too many times. He's been keeping the national treasury under his control for ten years and has amassed a fortune."

"Luke is making money so he can get back at your brother, me too."

Rudius looked out the window. The rain was falling steadily, and the raindrops kept tapping against the windowpane. "Ah, that's how His Majesty is. He wants Luke to keep me in check, and he also wants me to keep Luke in check. But in the last year or two, His Majesty has spoiled Luke a little too much. That won't do."

"By the way, how is His Majesty's health?"

Upon hearing this, Aisha shook her head and whispered, "It probably won't be long."

[The Death of Luke] Asura's Leader (Part 3)

Jobless Reincarnation Fanfic: Live Seriously Even Without Transfer Events [Re-upload] Asura's Boss (Part 3)

......

"Now that the autumn harvest is probably over, how much have land prices in Fitoia dropped?"

Luke placed the glass in his hand under the light and gently swirled it. The purplish-red wine in the glass glistened in the golden light.

"Reporting to the Grand Secretary, the current land price is one gold coin per mu."

Grande twisted his fat face, his greasy, chubby hands picking up the wine bottle and filling Luke's glass with wine. "We have enough money to buy ten million acres of land in Fituia now. Just give the Prime Minister a word, and I'll immediately order the wine merchants of Milbots to take over those fields."

"Um....."

Luke nodded slightly, agreeing with Grand's statement. Then, he changed the subject: "How much did the autumn tax come from? We took out three million gold coins for His Majesty's medical treatment, another one million to pay the officials in the capital for the next six months, and another three million to send to the front lines. Izoruti has come in person, so it's not appropriate to delay any longer. We have to give Chandur some face. The rest will be divided among the various palaces. How much is left?"

"Prime Minister, I've done the calculations. After deducting the three million for His Majesty's medical treatment, one million for the salaries of officials in the capital, and three million for the front lines, the Usl territory reported that it needs to rebuild the Crimson Dragon's lower jaw, which is estimated to cost one million five hundred thousand. The Donadi territory suffered from frost damage just as autumn began, and it will cost one million to appease the victims. There are also reports from the construction palace, the reinforcement of river embankments in various territories, and the repair of the city walls on the northern and eastern Crimson Dragon Mountains, which are estimated to cost eight million. The total is ten million five hundred thousand. The autumn tax collection is eight million nine hundred thousand, leaving a deficit of eight million six hundred thousand."

Grand said, “I think the Usl and Donadi territories should bear the cost of repairing the Red Dragon’s jaw and comforting the disaster victims, and they should be allowed to send grain to the Fituia territory as reinforcements. Of the three million in military supplies, the capital should only contribute one million, and the remaining two million should be distributed among the various territories, with the affected territories contributing less and the unaffected territories contributing more. This way, we will not be in dire straits, and we can also give Shandur an explanation.”

“That makes sense. The accounts reported by the Construction Palace should be handled in the same way. The king will only contribute one-tenth of the money for each territory to repair the river embankment, and the rest will be paid by each territory itself. The summer tax next year should not be reduced by a single penny.”

Luke continued to nod in agreement, adding, "Have the Inspectorate of the Personnel Hall submit a memorial impeaching the lord of Donadi, and include all the evidence."

......

Two days later, in the King's Chamber, Ariel lay weakly on the bed, her pale face devoid of any color, as if she had lost even the strength to sit up.

Rudeus sat opposite the bed, a teacup beside him still steaming, while Izuru served him by the bedside.

"This year's autumn tax... cough cough, Grand reported that he paid six million. This will solve the military expenses, but there are also famines in various territories, and the salaries of officials in the capital have been in arrears for more than half a year. Money is needed everywhere, so we can only allocate one million to the front first. Luke said that the territories should lend grain to the front first, and the rest should be borne by the territories. Do you think this is feasible?"

Ariel looked at Izalute with a faint gaze, her voice barely audible, as if it took a lot of effort to finish such a long speech.

"His Majesty......"

Izuru's eyes welled with tears. A thirty-year-old woman shouldn't be crying so easily like a young girl, but tears streamed down her cheeks, blurring her delicate makeup. "Your Majesty... as long as Your Majesty is healthy and lives a long life, the soldiers on the front lines can fight bravely even without food..."

"You're being coquettish again... Go to the Treasury Hall to collect your money first. Hurry back to the front lines and don't delay the war. I still have things to discuss with the Regent."

"Um......"

Izuru held Ariel's cold hand tightly, then reluctantly let go, slowly backing away before closing the door and leaving.

"Your Majesty, the New Selection Group has discovered that the tax ships split into two before entering the capital, changing their flags to those of wine merchants and transporting the goods to the territory of Milbots."

Rudius paused for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, "About two million nine hundred thousand."

"...cough cough cough...cough cough cough..."

With a violent cough, Ariel coughed up a pool of dark, foul-smelling blood. Rudeus rushed to the front to help her change her front dress, used water and fire magic to create hot water, and used a damp towel to wipe the blood from Ariel's mouth.

"Cough cough cough..."

"I will go and summon a healing sorcerer immediately!"

"No....."

Ariel tugged at Rudeus's sleeve. "Don't go. I... I don't have long to live anyway... Sit down, I have something to tell you."

"The minister obeys the order."

Rudius sat back down on Ariel's bedside and wrung out a wet towel soaked in hot water, placing it on Ariel's forehead.

"The Inspectorate impeached the lord of the Donadi territory...you know that, right?"

Ariel took a breath and said, "I know you've been in contact with them all along. Consider that little bit of money a reward from me. Don't worry about it. Aisha isn't married yet, is she? I have a few good girls here. I'll call her over later and ask her if she likes them."

Upon hearing this, Rudius immediately knelt down and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness."

"Promise me one thing..."

Ariel turned her head with difficulty and looked at Rudeus kneeling on the ground, saying, "Just one thing, and only you can do it."

"Your Majesty, please speak, and I will certainly agree."

Hearing Rudius's affirmative answer, Ariel struggled to open her bloodless lips and said, one sentence at a time:

"After I die... I hope you and Luke can assist Edward... just as you assisted me... Domestic affairs need Luke to manage... The territories of Asura need you to expand... After winter... you should set off for the front lines... Go north with Shandur... and completely pacify the northern borders of Asura..."

"Huff... Huff..."

However, Ariel hadn't finished speaking when she heard faint, intermittent breathing coming from the bed.

Seeing this, Rudeus stopped kneeling. His gaze suddenly turned icy cold. He stood up, summoned Ariel's maid, and left the royal chamber.

The autumn wind blew coldly, and the golden leaves on the roadside trees fell to the ground, turning the streets and the ground a fiery red in the afterglow of the setting sun. On the path leading to the Silver Palace, maids and servants swept the fallen leaves with brooms.

"His Majesty's favoritism is no longer a minor issue."

Rudius sat in the carriage and looked out, where the male and female servants all put down their work and bowed.

Ariel may have already foreseen that after her death, the Regent Rudeus and the Grand Chancellor Luke would inevitably clash. She could only place Rudeus on the front lines and have Shandur keep an eye on him, hoping that nothing would go wrong.