Translator: Cinder Translations
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Hansel Abbott was somewhat uneasy as he sat in the palace dining hall, giving a slight nod to the servant who was placing food in front of him.
He glanced at the tableware arranged before him, which was exquisitely made with no visible flaws, but all were ordinary porcelain items.
Porcelain, as a flagship product that brought great profits to Alden, had already become popular around the world along with the merchant ships from the Northwest Bay. These smooth, intricately patterned items were beloved by all social classes.
However, due to Alden being the original country of porcelain, the prices of porcelain here were not as outrageous as in other countries. After the initial craze when porcelain first appeared had subsided, its prices had returned to a somewhat expensive level.
In any case, it could never compare to vessels made of gold or silver.
But Hansel had heard from his father that the palace used vessels made of gold and silver when entertaining guests.
"This is not meant as disrespect, Sir Abbott,"
King Rodney the Eighteenth noticed that Hansel's gaze had briefly lingered on the tableware and explained.
"I have already exchanged most of the gold and silver items in the palace for money."
"Oh! Your Majesty, you've made such a great sacrifice for the nation," Hansel flattered, though his heart ached.
Indeed, it truly pained him. The many items in the Crystal Glare Palace had been passed down through several centuries, their value far exceeding that of the items themselves. Even a simple dinner plate or set of cutlery would be worth more than gold.
Rodney the Eighteenth said firmly, "As long as it helps strengthen Aldor's army, any sacrifice is worthwhile."
With that, he raised his glass. "Hansel," the King called his name kindly, "I offer you a toast."
Hansel was momentarily stunned and quickly picked up his glass, clinking it with the King's before drinking it.
Oh my, this was unimaginable in the past. A noble bastard from a not-so-honorable family, being personally invited to a private dinner by Aldor's supreme ruler in this magnificent palace dining hall—what an honor!
"You've done an outstanding job!"
Outstanding? The King's words caused Hansel's previously heated brain to cool down.
"I remember, your uncle arranged for you to be placed by various loyal lords to strengthen ties with them. Among all those people, only you—Hansel Abbott—truly brought great benefits to the kingdom."
Uh... Hansel's mind grew alert. Rodney the Eighteenth's words seemed to still regard him as a direct servant of the King.
But Hansel now understood. There was no way for him to leave Alden's system anymore.
In the Northwest Bay, he was an important official in the Ministry of Affairs. As the head of agriculture, he played a key role in the land reforms initiated by Marquis Grayman, gaining respect or fear from many powerful landowners and gentry. This sense of power was something he had never experienced when he was just a lowly tax clerk in Crystal Glare.
Hansel also realized that the noble youths like him, who had been sent to various places to liaise with the royalists, were just a reason for the royal family to send them away to avoid wasting food. The clearest evidence was that for all these years, the royal family had never shown any intention of recalling them.
He recalled how, after coordinating a large contribution of crucial food and military supplies to Crystal Glare from Earl Paul Grayman, Hansel had eagerly awaited being recalled to the palace, only to grow cold after years of waiting, gradually seeing the Northwest Bay as his base.
Moreover, Marquis Paul Grayman had treated him well—high salary, consultation on various matters, making him feel important—while the royal family had never given him a penny. For all these reasons, Hansel had made the transition in his self-perception, preferring to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond. Besides, with the rise of the Northwest Bay, it was hard to say which was the big pond and which was the small one.
Hansel felt no guilt toward the royal family. He had done what needed to be done and had earned his baron title.
"Haha!" The King seemed to notice the fleeting awkwardness on Hansel's face and smiled, saying, "This is merely a sincere compliment! No other meaning."
Rodney the Eighteenth was not one for probing people's hearts with riddles. "I hope you will continue to work diligently for Paul. After all, he is my brother-in-law and the Marquis of the kingdom. I only hope you will continue to maintain the loyalty and goodwill between the Graymans and the Rodneys. I won't ask anything excessive of you."
"Thank you! Your Majesty!" Hansel gazed at him. "So, Your Majesty, is there some excessive request for which you invited me to the palace?"
"Hahaha!" Rodney the Eighteenth laughed for a while. "I just want to talk to you about my brother-in-law. You've been by his side for so many years, you must know him better than I and Catherine do."
Hansel asked, "Isn't Princess Eileen also familiar with him?"
When Hansel learned that the proud former education supervisor was actually the kingdom's second princess, he was quite nervous, since he had argued with her several times in the Ministry of Affairs meetings.
However, as he completed his transition in self-identity, this concern was soon forgotten.
Rodney the Eighteenth raised an eyebrow. "No. After all, she's just a young girl, inexperienced in the world. When it comes to another young, capable person in a high position, she might magnify certain things while overlooking others."
"Hmm..." Hansel thought, commenting on his actual superior, was this "excessive request"?
The King smiled again. "Whatever you say, I'll listen carefully. You know, I've even entrusted the army to Paul to manage. It's a big gamble, and I'm eager to learn more about him from multiple perspectives."
Since the King had requested it, Hansel had no choice but to speak. But was his meaning... that he could say whatever he wanted?
Hansel pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, entrusting the army to Marquis Grayman's subordinates for training is the right decision. The Marquis is an ambitious man."
"Uh..." Rodney the Eighteenth was confused by this seemingly contradictory statement.
"Don't worry." Hansel continued, "The Marquis's ambition is not in the pursuit of secular power."
The King asked, puzzled, "Are you saying he's a seeker of the spiritual world? But I think Paul's enthusiasm for religion is not that high."
Hansel shook his head. "Not in religion. Besides studying some strange technologies, the Marquis is also keen on sociology. It seems he wants to explore a path to construct a different social structure based on human virtues—such as hard work, altruism, and self-restraint. That's what I mean by ambition."
"Oh? That seems no different from what the wise men of history pursued," the King nodded.
"Yes, but the wise men in history relied on wise monarchs, powerful heroes, or omnipotent deities, while Paul Grayman intends to rely on ordinary people themselves."
"Continue."
"The Marquis has conducted several social experiments. He has built several large farms but did not appoint managers, letting the people inside decide for themselves what to do—members of the farm would cooperate according to different roles, and collectively decide on operational matters. The key point is that the farm's assets and harvests belong to the collective members. It's a complex situation, but that's the gist of it."
"Naive!" the King commented.
"Yes, naive. We all privately think so!" Hansel agreed. "And without exception, those farms failed for various reasons."
"But Marquis Grayman is undeterred. He seems to believe that human nature hides an inherent good quality that can regulate people's behavior. Even without a coercive force, ordinary people can spontaneously form a positive and beneficial order."
"Simply playing house!" The King laughed. "Please don't repeat my comment to Paul, that would be very impolite."
"Of course," Hansel nodded. "But he once said, some mistakes must be repeated to understand where they went wrong."
"Sounds like someone has tried this before?"
"Maybe," Hansel said. "But someone like Marquis Grayman, I think, would not want to become that 'coercive force.'"
The King smiled. "What if he also opposes others becoming that?"
"Marquis Grayman is also a realist," Hansel answered. "Theory is theory, reality is reality. He hopes to strike a balance between the two."
(End of the Chapter)
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