Loan

After Karl had roughly described the hardships of rebuilding and its initial results, Charlotte raised her glass, clear admiration in her eyes. "It looks like you really can establish yourself in the Northern Territory, Karl—faster and better than I imagined."

Her tone shifted, and a playful smile curled at the corners of her lips. "I suppose you haven't forgotten your promise from before, have you?"

Karl certainly remembered. He smiled and clinked glasses with her. "Of course not. I promised that once Carnford was firmly established, I'd invite you over as a guest. It's just... the castle is still nothing but ruins, so there's nowhere to entertain guests. The thing is... I don't have the money to rebuild."

Charlotte raised an eyebrow. "Before you left, didn't your family—your esteemed father, Duke Schmidt—give you enough startup funds? As far as I know, it should have been quite a substantial sum."

"That money would indeed have been enough for me to spend lavishly on myself." Karl shook his head and gave a bitter smile. "But rebuilding a fortress, supporting an army, and keeping a territory running requires far more."

"The soldiers' wages, food for everyone, worn-out tools, and all sorts of unexpected expenses... We spent almost all of it long ago. After buying the provisions this time, we're practically out of money altogether."

At that, Charlotte suddenly laughed. There was a hint of So you do have your foolish moments after all in her smile. "Karl, sometimes you're astonishingly clever, but at other times, you can be unbelievably dense."

She leaned forward slightly, candlelight dancing in her eyes. "Actually, you have the simplest and most direct source of money right in front of you. Have you really never thought of it?"

"What source?" Karl asked, puzzled.

"Go to your father, Duke Schmidt, and ask him directly," Charlotte said as though it were obvious. "He controls one of the kingdom's richest riverlands and possesses staggering wealth. One or two thousand gold coins would be nothing to him, but to you, it would be a lifesaving investment."

Karl hesitated. "But my relationship with him is fairly ordinary. Otherwise, he wouldn't have sent me here. Besides... I don't want everything I've worked so hard to build to end up benefiting someone else. I need to preserve Carnford's independence. If Old Schmidt gives me money, he'll certainly demand to send his people to fill key positions, and might even sideline me entirely in the end."

"You're too naïve, Karl." Charlotte shook her head, her gaze sharpening. "For a great noble like Duke Schmidt, family ties may be insignificant, but profit is eternal. The fact that you've occupied a strategic stronghold in the Northern Territory gives him and the Schmidt Family an excellent foothold and excuse to meddle in Northern affairs. Investing in you would be an extremely profitable political deal for him. As for control..."

She smiled slyly. "He isn't your only choice."

"There's another?" Karl was even more puzzled.

"Of course. And he's very close to you." Charlotte's smile deepened as she lightly tapped the tabletop with her fingertip. "My father, Earl Rochefort. He's a shrewd businessman. Perhaps it's precisely because he's so skilled at managing finances and business that the kingdom appointed him governor of the Northern Territory. Otherwise, the barren land here could never support so many troops. You could ask him for a loan."

She continued analyzing the matter. "Given his judgment and the fairly good 'relationship' you currently share, he might well be willing to invest in you. Wouldn't that bring another powerful force into the picture? If Duke Schmidt's influence and Fran City's influence competed and restrained each other through you, your pressure and risks would actually be greatly reduced."

Karl repeated thoughtfully, "Curry favor with both sides and act as the balancing force? That requires exceptional political skill. I don't think I possess that ability yet."

Charlotte said nothing. She merely watched him in silence, her sapphire-blue eyes seeming profound and earnest beneath the candlelight.

Only after a moment did she speak slowly and clearly:

"But I believe you do."

As the night deepened, the wine glasses on the dining table stood empty, and the candle flames flickered lower and lower. Dinner ended amid relaxed conversation.

Karl rose to leave. "It's getting late. I should return to the inn. Thank you very much for your hospitality tonight, Charlotte."

Charlotte shook her head and stood as well. "It's so late. I'll walk you back."

"There's no need to trouble you, is there? The inner city of Fran City is perfectly safe." Karl felt that having a lady escort him home was somewhat strange.

"Consider it an after-dinner walk." Charlotte's tone was casual, but carried an unmistakable refusal. She had already picked up a light cloak hanging beside the door and draped it over her shoulders.

Karl could only nod in agreement.

The two of them left the cottage and entered the streets of Fran City's inner city.

It was already deep into the night. The streets were utterly deserted and exceptionally quiet, with only the occasional orderly footsteps of patrolling sentries and the faint clink of rubbing armor drifting from afar.

Cold moonlight and sparse starlight spilled across the ancient stone road, sketching the blurred, silent outlines of the buildings.

They walked side by side without speaking. The quiet night seemed to cool the warm intimacy of dinner slightly, yet it also brewed another kind of tacit understanding—one that was difficult to put into words.

Their footsteps echoed softly through the empty streets.

Before long, the lights of the inn appeared ahead.

"This is far enough." Karl stopped at the inn's entrance and turned to Charlotte. "Thank you again, Charlotte. I had a wonderful time tonight."

"So did I." Charlotte nodded. In the moonlight, the contours of her face looked gentle. "Remember what I said, Karl. I believe you can do it."

Her tone was utterly serious.

"I'll give it serious consideration." Karl responded solemnly.

Without another word, Charlotte waved to him, then turned and walked away along the road they had taken. Her figure soon melted into the darkness.

Karl remained where he was, watching her disappear, before turning and pushing open the inn's door.

Roland and a soldier were still on duty in the inn's hall. When they saw Karl return safely, they visibly relaxed.

Karl nodded to them and exchanged a simple greeting before returning to his room.

Lying on the bed, which was hardly comfortable, Karl discovered that he was not sleepy at all.

He tossed and turned, his mind unnaturally clear. The scenes and conversations from dinner replayed continuously like images in a revolving lantern.

Charlotte's every frown and smile, her blue eyes as she listened intently, the slight lift of her lips when she teased him, and the sharp, confident light in her eyes as she analyzed the situation...

Those images were etched with astonishing clarity into his mind.

He had always thought Charlotte was merely an outstanding soldier, a knight who pursued strength, like the pure warriors the Northern Territory produced in abundance.

But tonight, the sharp insight into politics and economics she had displayed, along with her seasoned proposal, completely overturned his understanding of her.

She had not only seen the predicament he faced; she had also pinpointed the simplest solution he had overlooked, and even mapped out a strategy for him to maneuver between the two great powers and survive.

Bring in investment directly.

Yes, he controlled Carnford, a territory of strategic value, along with nearly four hundred people who had undergone initial consolidation and were beginning to develop a sense of unity. That truly was a healthy asset.

To his father, who yearned to expand his influence, and Earl Rochefort, who needed to stabilize the front line, he really was a "high-quality client" worth investing in.

But can I really outplay Old Schmidt and Rochefort, those two old foxes?

The thought weighed heavily on him and left him uneasy.

Both were masters who had spent decades immersed in the arena of power. Was his own modest experience really enough to stand against them?

Bringing in their capital would undoubtedly be inviting wolves into the house. Every step could lead straight into a trap.

And yet, Charlotte's final words, spoken with such absolute certainty—

"But I believe you do."

They were like a stone dropped into a still lake, sending ripples through his heart and inexplicably stirring his fighting spirit and confidence.

If she believes I can do it, then what right do I have to lose heart before the battle even begins?

Karl silently pondered in the darkness, trying to imagine possible scenarios and countermeasures.

The risks were enormous, but the rewards were equally tempting.

This might be Carnford's only shortcut to quickly acquiring development funds and breaking out of its current financial predicament.

He continued mulling things over, his thoughts tangled like a ball of hemp, until the second half of the night, when the sky outside began to show the faintest hint of gray-white. Only then did exhaustion finally overcome him, and he drifted into a hazy sleep.

Yet even in his dreams, the figure of the golden-haired girl and those words filled with faith seemed to linger, refusing to fade.