"Good to meet you, Sir Streit. Have a seat."
Just as he had appeared in the game, he had the look of a gentle old gentleman, but I shouldn't be fooled by appearances. Even in the game, there had been many cunning lines, and even simple question-and-answer exchanges had given me pause, so now that I was actually sitting across from him, I couldn't help but be nervous.
"It's an honor to meet you, Your Excellency."
"A polite young knight," he observed.
Did I pass the first impression?
I was reasonably courteous, and the Finance Minister seemed satisfied.
"It's natural to take an interest when a young knight with achievements comes along. In particular, you've become known among bureaucrats as an unconventional but effective knight," the count continued.
Was I that well-known?
Naturally, I'd had no idea I had such a reputation among bureaucrats.
"Though I lack talent, I couldn't let my retainers starve, so I simply worked hard."
"There are countless duchy knights who let their retainers starve. In that sense, you deserve high marks. I received a report that our bureaucrat was indebted to you."
That seemed to refer to the landlord.
What kind of report had the landlord filed for the Finance Minister to take an interest in me? The only things related to finance that came to mind were the fence and the fake guards. There was no way the Finance Minister would be interested in just that level of incident. His position was far too important for that.
"You're too kind. I was just faithful to the work I was given," I said.
Modest yet not servile. I continued the conversation with the Finance Minister in that posture. The exchange of praise and modesty would look friendly to an outsider, but it was by no means a substantive conversation. A conversation where neither side showed their cards simply went around in circles.
Such conversations were quite exhausting.
"You're modest. Normally, hot-blooded youngsters would get full of themselves thinking they're great, but you're different from such simple types. You're fully qualified to rise," he said.
"I'm still just a lowly duchy knight who hasn't even been knighted."
"Your father was a knight who distinguished himself in the French war and has military merit. Even now, if you applied for knighthood, you could receive an investiture ceremony. What's the reason for the delay?"
"I'm building experience because I lack it."
"Hmm, I see. So you plan to first gain practical experience in the field, produce results, and then receive knighthood? The more I see of you, the more I like you. I wish my son had the same mindset."
The position of minister wasn't appointed by the king but was passed down through the family line for generations. So unless they committed a serious blunder, one family monopolized one position for a long time. That's why there must have been fierce political maneuvering and conspiracies between other high-ranking nobles over minister positions.
"Sir Streit. As you said, your family is of low standing. Normally, a meeting between you and me would be out of the question. My subordinates also objected, saying it didn't befit the difference in rank, but I still broke precedent and summoned you because I considered you a capable individual, well-regarded among bureaucrats. Most low-level bureaucrats are commoners, so they rarely have kind words for nobles."
"Is that so? Thank you for the generous evaluation."
I didn't have strong feelings about it, so I answered calmly, but that actually seemed to win the Finance Minister's favor. It was fortunate to win his favor, but I was uneasy, not knowing what the Finance Minister had in mind for me. It was also difficult trying to mask my anxiety and feign composure.
"As expected, you're an interesting young man. Even though I praised you as a capable individual, you show no signs of excitement and maintain your poise. It's fortunate I discovered you early, or the administrative department would have snapped you up. Lucky."
Wait, was he thinking of recruiting me to the finance side? If I could secure the patronage of the Finance Minister, the head of the bureaucracy, wouldn't I be able to climb steadily as an individual? Thinking rationally, it would be wise to accept the Finance Minister's recruitment offer.
From the flow of the conversation, the Finance Minister seemed to view me as a promising recruit.
Had I received a high evaluation? But it was a weighty one.
While adapting to noble society, I had learned various things, and one of them was this:
There is no kindness without a motive.
It was a saying passed down like a maxim.
The Finance Minister definitely wanted something from me.
"There's a family called Elsheimer. Have you heard of it?" he said.
"I know it as the noble family that oversees tax collectors."
"Yes, that family has long been in charge of collecting taxes. They're a dedicated family that doesn't shrink from difficult work, so I've had long dealings with them too. On the surface, they're my subordinate bureaucrats, but the Elsheimer influence can't be overlooked. Having worked with tax collectors yourself, you know it's no ordinary task. That's the nature of a thankless job—even when the enforcement is perfectly legitimate."
"Having experienced the field, I know."
I had heard about Elsheimer from the landlord, but I had never expected the name to come up here. But why bring it up out of the blue? In the game, there had been dialogue choices and no time limit, so there had been plenty of time to think.
I could easily arrive at the best answer then, but now that was impossible.
"Count Elsheimer of the court had exceptional boldness and the ability to command loyalty, so he managed tax collectors flawlessly. Thanks to his leadership, taxes could be collected smoothly. But unfortunately, he had a serious flaw," the Finance Minister continued.
Was it the visits to the brothel district?
I had heard speculation from the landlord that he had died from a disease contracted there.
But that was just rumor, and I didn't actually know how he had died.
"He fell for a woman of low virtue and eventually incurred God's wrath. How regrettable. In the end, only two daughters remained to succeed him, so the Elsheimer influence declined rapidly."
The Duchy of Beren followed the Empire's Salic Law, which prohibited women from inheriting the throne and territories. However, the exception was that in the case of court or duchy nobles without territory, women could inherit titles.
"Since he's a court noble, couldn't the family simply take on a capable son-in-law?" I ventured carefully.
"I think so too. What do you think?"
"...What do you mean?"
The Finance Minister's gaze, fixed intently on me, was deeply unsettling.
Don't tell me the son-in-law was me? Was he telling me to marry into the Elsheimer family?
In noble society, marriage was the most powerful tool for forging alliances. I had also been considering how to use the weapon of marriage, but I had never expected to receive an offer first. It was the surest way to form a bond. But a son-in-law? Was he telling me to end my family line in my generation?
If I married in, all my children would take the Elsheimer name.
That's why it was usually second sons or younger children who married into other families.
But I was the head of the Streit family.
My goal was to become the lord of land ruled by my own family, not to be shackled as a son-in-law living off the Elsheimer family's table.
It was an absolutely unacceptable proposal.