Investment Value

Gawain began to find Viscount Andrew an interesting fellow.

He was more like a merchant than a noble.

And yet he was not a particularly shrewd merchant—at least, that was how Gawain saw him.

A shrewd merchant would not lay matters like transactions, bargaining chips, and debts out in the open at a time like this, while a noble would disdain even mentioning such things. Viscount Andrew's best course at this moment should have been to continue aiding the Cecil Family without betraying anything, while quietly extending his influence among the sheltered knights and soldiers. At the same time, he could use his noble status to establish his "claim" upon the Cecil Family in legal terms, preferably bringing that claim before the king. Then... whether Rebecca was willing to repay that debt would no longer matter.

The laws of this country and the rules of its noble system would help him complete that transaction.

Of course, Gawain felt he could understand Viscount Andrew's concerns. The decline of the Cecil Family was common knowledge, especially now that the family's core territory had been completely destroyed. How much "repaying power" Rebecca had was truly an unknown.

"The Cecil Family will not owe anyone anything," Rebecca said, though her words lacked conviction. "Rest assured, we can repay it. We may have lost our most prosperous lands, but some of the mountains and forests along the edge of Cecil Territory remain. And as long as I, the heir, am still here, there will always be a loan belonging to the Cecil Family waiting in the Mithril Treasury. At worst..."

Gawain cleared his throat twice, cutting Rebecca off.

He felt he had watched enough of the show and had more or less grasped the situation. The memories in his mind had also been mostly sorted out, so he rose to his feet. "Rebecca, don't be hasty. Viscount Andrew, take a longer view."

Andrew glanced at Gawain. This man, the "suspected Ancient Hero," ultimately exerted a certain deterrent effect on him. Whether the man was genuine or not, the viscount became more restrained. "My apologies. I was indeed a little... greedy."

He had actually admitted to being "greedy" so frankly, which mildly surprised Gawain. Raising an eyebrow, he said, "You are quite honest. Still, that is fine—there is nothing shameful about pursuing profit. But we must understand the current situation. A Viscount Territory has been destroyed, a dragon has appeared within the kingdom, and monsters from the Magic Tide have returned to the world. In the face of such matters, talking business is ill-timed."

Without waiting for Andrew to speak, Gawain continued, "Of course, now that the lofty words are out of the way, we still need to consider practical matters. You are worried that your aid to the Cecil Family will accumulate without end and ultimately leave you with nothing. Then let me tell you plainly: not only can the Cecil Family repay any debt, but if you seize this opportunity, we can bring you limitless profits."

Viscount Andrew looked into Gawain's eyes. "Please continue."

"I myself," Gawain said, pointing at himself, "am your greatest investment."

Andrew's expression froze for several seconds. Then he tugged awkwardly at the corner of his mouth. "Duke... Your Grace, let us assume first that you truly are that duke. But I must remind you that you have been dead for seven hundred years. Ansu is even in its Second Dynasty now. Whether your title or your property, all of it has already been granted away, inherited, consumed, or... reclaimed by the royal family. Naturally, I revere you personally. Every Ansu person reveres you. But I am not merely an individual; I am also a lord. I must consider my territory and my people..."

Gawain shrugged. "Broaden your thinking, Viscount. Is investment value limited to hard coin and tangible territory?"

Andrew said, "You mean..."

"I possess Permanent Pioneer Right." Gawain raised the sword in his hand. "When Gawain Cecil holds the Pioneer's Sword, he has the right to open up any unclaimed land, including but not limited to undeveloped regions within Ansu, untamed regions beyond the borders of other nations, the Gondor Wasteland, and other areas without legal dispute. So long as control can be maintained over the aforementioned regions after they are opened up, wherever the Pioneer's Sword reaches shall become Cecil Family territory, and the Ansu Royal Family shall at all times recognize and guarantee Gawain Cecil's rights as lord."

As Gawain spoke, he watched Viscount Andrew's eyes grow wider and wider. Then he deliberately slowed his pace. "The aforementioned Pioneer Rights were signed by Charles I, the Founding Ancestor of Ansu, and jointly recognized by the Ogre Tribes Nation to the west, the Typhon Empire to the east, the Highland Kingdom to the south, the Silver Empire of the elves, and the city-states of the north. Their expiration date is infinite—as long as the authorized pioneer, namely myself, remains alive, they shall remain permanently valid."

"Actually, this decree was not signed for me alone. Every pioneer leader at the time received corresponding authorization. But today... I am likely the only one who can exercise this right."

At this point, Gawain grinned happily. "Those old fellows who signed these documents back then must never have imagined that one day I would climb out of my coffin."

Before the dumbfounded Viscount Andrew could say anything, Rebecca beside him could no longer contain her cry. "A-Ancestor! Is this... is this true?!"

"Who exactly was in charge of her history lessons?" Gawain could not help covering his forehead as he shot Heti a sidelong glance. "Or has this decree already been repealed? If it has, then this is rather awkward for me—come to think of it, the leaders of all those nations would not have been bored enough to suddenly gather for some conference centuries later and announce the repeal of a pioneer decree that had long ceased to be useful, would they?"

"Rebecca's history lessons... were actually taught by me, but her grades truly have always been poor," Heti explained with a flushed face, then hurriedly answered Gawain's question. "And of course the decree you mentioned has not been repealed. While the Expansion Knights were still alive, no one dared repeal it. After the last pioneer died, the decree became part of their glory, representing humanity's faith in rebuilding civilization. No one would dare repeal it then either."

Viscount Andrew picked up the latter half of her words. "Not only has it not been repealed, historians and scholars have written extensively about it..."

Gawain shrugged. "So my sudden resurrection must be both a surprise and a delight to them—the law from seven hundred years ago finally has a use again."

Viscount Andrew stared at Gawain, especially at the Pioneer's Sword in his hand. "I admit, this is indeed a... line of thinking I never considered. If you use Permanent Pioneer Right, then you truly may have a chance to revive the Cecil Family. But forgive me for speaking frankly—this will be a very long-term venture. Do you know how much unclaimed land suitable for development remains along the kingdom's borders?"

"I know roughly. My descendants have already told me about it on the road." Gawain glanced at Heti and Rebecca beside him. "Basically, every place capable of supporting people has already been granted out. The remaining unclaimed lands are either dense forests and poisonous marshes, or places bordering the Gondor Wasteland."

"So what do you plan to do?" Viscount Andrew spread his hands. "Where do you intend to restore your family?"

"That is for me to consider," Gawain said with a smile. Yet what rose in his mind was a view of the land from high above, a satellite map of such insane precision and scope that the people of this era had absolutely no means of obtaining it. It was deeply stored in Gawain's memories. Though it might have been an outdated record from several or even over a dozen years ago—after all, Gawain had now lost contact with that bird's-eye perspective—it was enough to point him toward the future. "You need only consider... just how much investment value a Founding Grand Duke who participated in the Second Expansion and still possesses Permanent Pioneer Right might have."

Andrew lowered his head and, for the first time, seriously considered the matter.

After a long while, he broke the silence. "If your Permanent Pioneer Right is truly recognized by the royal family, then this humble viscount would be more than willing to offer whatever assistance lies within his power."

A standard polished noble's statement—leaving no openings, crossing no lines, and still displaying a measure of respect.

Rebecca's eyes widened. "Could His Majesty the present king possibly refuse to recognize Permanent Pioneer Right, when it was recognized by the Founding Ancestor and the ancestors of every nation?!"

Gawain smiled at this rather immature descendant. "Of course he would not want to recognize it. In fact, there is a strong chance he would not even recognize my identity. Even if Charles I himself appeared to prove I am real, His Majesty and his advisers would probably still pray from the bottom of their hearts that I would drop dead on the spot and be buried again in the ancient tombs of the kingdom's southern border."

"Why?!" Rebecca felt her entire worldview being challenged. "You are the Founding Grand Duke! A figure enshrined in the halls of worship! The king and nobles commemorate you every year. Would they not want you to return and help this kingdom again?"

Just as Gawain was about to explain, Amber shouted from across the table, "Because they lose three days off!"

As she shouted, the Half-elf girl deliberately waggled her eyebrows at Gawain, earning an irritated glare from Heti.

"Do not listen to her nonsense. That was a joke I made with her," Gawain said, waving a hand. "The real reason... Heti and Viscount Andrew should both have figured it out already, should you not?"

Heti sighed. "A king will commemorate a hero because the hero's image and reputation can be used to consolidate his rule. But he will never wish for that hero to return. Once the hero returns, that image and reputation are no longer things he can control..."

With Andrew present, Heti did not voice the even more rebellious thought in her heart: especially when this king descended from a bastard and lacked legitimate standing to begin with.

"So the matter we need to consider is actually clear," Gawain said, lowering his gaze to the Pioneer's Sword at his waist. "It is simply... making my Permanent Pioneer Right take effect."