Loan

After Karl briefly recounted the hardships and initial achievements of the reconstruction, Charlotte raised her wine glass, her eyes filled with clear admiration. "It seems you can truly establish yourself in the Northern Border, Karl. Faster and better than I imagined."

Her tone shifted, a playful smile curving her lips. "I assume you haven't forgotten your previous promise, have you?"

Karl certainly remembered. He smiled and clinked glasses with her. "Of course not. I promised that once Carnford was on solid footing, I'd invite you to visit. It's just... it's just that the castle is still in ruins, and there's nowhere to entertain guests. It's truly... I don't have the money to rebuild."

Charlotte raised an eyebrow. "Before you left, didn't your family, the esteemed Duke Schmidt, provide you with sufficient startup capital? From what I understand, it should have been a considerable sum."

"That money was indeed enough for my personal extravagance," Karl shook his head, giving a wry smile. "But to rebuild a fortress, support an army, and maintain the operation of a territory, it's far from enough."

"Soldiers' salaries, everyone's rations, tool wear and tear, and all sorts of unexpected expenses... it's all but spent the money. After buying the grain this time, we'll be almost completely broke."

Upon hearing this, Charlotte suddenly burst into laughter, a hint of "So you can be foolish sometimes too" in her smile. "Karl, you're sometimes astonishingly smart, and sometimes incredibly dense."

She leaned forward slightly, the candlelight dancing in her eyes. "Actually, you have the simplest, most direct way to get money. Haven't you ever thought of it?"

"What way?" Karl asked, confused.

"Ask your father, Duke Schmidt, directly," Charlotte said as if it were obvious. "He controls one of the kingdom's most prosperous riverlands, his wealth is astonishing. One or two thousand gold coins are nothing to him, but for you, it would be a life-saving investment."

Karl said hesitantly, "But my relationship with him is very ordinary. Otherwise, he wouldn't have sent me here. Besides... I don't want all my hard work to end up benefiting someone else. I need to maintain Carnford's independence. If Old Schmidt gives me money, he'll definitely demand to have his people appointed to key positions, or even eventually sideline me."

"You're too naive, Karl," Charlotte shook her head, her gaze sharpening. "For a great noble like Duke Schmidt, family ties might be insignificant, but profit is eternal. Your ability to occupy a strategic location in the Northern Border is itself an excellent springboard and excuse for him, for the Schmidt Family, to meddle in Northern Border affairs. Investing in you is an extremely worthwhile political transaction for him. As for control..."

She smiled slyly. "You don't have only him as an option."

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

"Of course, and it's very close to you," Charlotte's smile deepened. She tapped the table with her fingertip. "It's my father, Earl Rochfort. He's a shrewd businessman. Perhaps it's precisely because he's good at financial management and operations that the kingdom appointed him Governor of the Northern Border. Otherwise, the output of this barren land in the Northern Border couldn't support so many troops. You can seek a loan from him."

She continued her analysis. "With his insight, and your currently decent 'acquaintance,' he'd likely be willing to invest in you. This way, wouldn't you introduce another powerful force? Let Duke Schmidt and the forces of Fran City compete and restrain each other here, and your pressure and risks would be greatly reduced."

Karl mused, "Playing both sides, acting as a balancer? That requires extremely sophisticated political maneuvering. I don't believe I possess such abilities right now."

Charlotte remained silent, merely watching him. Her azure eyes seemed incredibly deep and serious in the candlelight.

After a moment, she slowly and clearly said:

"But I believe you do."

As the night deepened, the wine glasses on the table were empty, and the candlelight flickered and dimmed. The dinner concluded amidst relaxed conversation.

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

Charlotte shook her head and also stood up. "It's so late, I'll escort you back."

"There's no need to trouble yourself, is there? The inner city of Fran City is very safe." Karl felt it was a bit strange to have a lady escort him back.

"Just consider it a post-dinner stroll." Charlotte's tone was casual, yet carried an unrefusable weight. She had already picked up a light cloak hung by the door and put it on.

Karl had no choice but to nod in agreement.

The two of them left the small house and stepped onto the streets of Fran City's inner city.

It was late at night now. The streets were deserted, eerily silent. Only the occasional sound of patrolling sentries' synchronized footsteps and the faint clinking of armor could be heard from a distance.

The cold moonlight and sparse starlight sprinkled onto the ancient stone-paved road, outlining the blurred and silent silhouettes of the buildings.

They walked side by side, neither speaking. The quiet night seemed to have slightly cooled the warm and intimate atmosphere from dinner, yet it also brewed a different, indescribable sense of tacit understanding.

Footsteps echoed softly on the empty streets.

Soon, the lights of the inn appeared ahead.

"You can stop here," Karl stopped at the inn's entrance and turned to Charlotte. "Thank you again, Charlotte. I had a very pleasant evening."

"Me too," Charlotte nodded, her facial features soft in the moonlight. "Remember what I said, Karl. I believe you can do it."

Her tone was serious.

"I will consider it carefully," Karl responded solemnly.

Without further words, Charlotte waved goodbye to him and turned to leave the way she came, her figure quickly disappearing into the night.

Karl stood there, watching until she vanished, then turned and pushed open the inn door.

In the inn's lobby, Roland and a soldier were still on duty. Seeing Karl return safely, they visibly relaxed.

Karl nodded to them, greeted them briefly, and returned to his room.

Lying on the not-so-comfortable bed, Karl found he had no sleepiness at all.

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

Charlotte's every smile and frown, her blue eyes when she listened intently, the slight upturn of her lips when she teased, her sharp and confident demeanor when she analyzed the situation...

These images were imprinted in his mind with incredible clarity.

He had always thought Charlotte was just an excellent soldier, a knight who pursued strength, like the pure Dou Practitioners found in abundance in the Northern Border.

But tonight, her keen insight into politics and economics, and her shrewd suggestions, completely overturned his perception.

She not only saw the predicament he faced but also pointed out the simplest, yet overlooked, solution with pinpoint accuracy. She even planned a strategy for him on how to survive by navigating between two major powers.

Directly seeking investment.

Yes, holding the strategically valuable territory of Carnford, along with nearly four hundred people who had undergone initial integration and were beginning to develop cohesion, was indeed a sound asset.

For the Earl of Rochfort, who was eager to expand his influence, and whose father needed a stable front line, he was indeed a "high-quality client" worth investing in.

But could he really outmaneuver old Schmidt and Rochfort, those two old foxes?

This thought weighed heavily on him, making him feel uneasy.

They were masters who had been immersed in the world of power for decades. Was his own meager skill truly enough?

Bringing in their capital was undoubtedly like inviting wolves into the house; every step could be a trap.

However, Charlotte's final, incredibly confident words.

"But, I believe you can."

Had rippled through his heart like a stone dropped into a calm lake, inexplicably igniting his fighting spirit and confidence.

If she believed he could do it, why should he lose his nerve before even fighting?

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

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

This was perhaps the only shortcut for Carnford to quickly obtain development funds and break through its current financial difficulties.

He mused like this, his thoughts a tangled mess, until well past midnight. Only when the sky outside began to show a faint, pale gray did he finally succumb to exhaustion and drift into a hazy sleep.

Yet, even in his dreams, the image of the blonde girl and her words of trust seemed to linger, refusing to fade.