Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters-Chapter 905 - 17 The Purse and the Hilt_2

Chapter 905: Chapter 17: The Purse and the Hilt_2 Chapter 905: Chapter 17: The Purse and the Hilt_2 Being compared to the Duke of the Butcher, Winters always felt somewhat uneasy. He reflected that he had never gone on a slaughter like the Duke of the Butcher, and he could still be considered tolerably merciful and benevolent.

He really wanted to ask little Priskin, “Why are you so afraid of me? What did I do to scare you?” However, he knew it was futile to ask, and could only sigh helplessly in the end.

“The wealthy always fear those who wield swords,” Mr. Leo seemed to understand Winters’ dissatisfaction and comforted him with a smile, “It’s inevitable. It has always been like this.”

As Winters contemplated the phrase ‘the wealthy fear those who wield swords,’ he couldn’t help but smile, “What about you? Are you also afraid of those who wield swords?”

“Of course,” Mr. Leo said candidly: “Otherwise, why would I follow ‘Colonel Chino Capu’ to Iron Peak County? It’s because I’m afraid to travel alone.”

“So, after becoming wealthy, do people start to pursue power?” Winters remembered historical anecdotes: “Like Crassus?”

Leo slightly tilted his head because he didn’t know who Crassus was. Winters briefly described the life of Marcus Licinius Crassus.

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After listening, Mr. Leo fell silent for a moment: “Probably so, once you have money, you begin to pursue power, it’s inevitable. Unless…”

“Unless what?”

Mr. Leo pointed at little Priskin: “You said why is he afraid of you?”

Startled, little Priskin was left hanging.

“Didn’t you say it?” Winters glanced at little Priskin: “Because I’m holding a sword.”

“It seems to be because you’re holding a sword,” Mr. Leo spoke slowly: “Essentially, it’s because you can arbitrarily strip him of his life, property, and status. No need for a reason or explanation, just the power of the sword is enough.”

This time, Mr. Leo’s chubby face bore no trace of a smile as he looked at little Priskin and asked, “Mr. Priskin, do you think so?”

Little Priskin didn’t speak, but his expression said it all.

Winters defended himself: “I have never thought of doing such things, nor do I have any reason to.”

“Having the desire is one thing; having the ability is another,” Mr. Leo paused for a moment, sincerely said, “Unless you can completely eliminate this ‘insecurity’, he—and thousands like him—will always fear you, forever.”

After speaking, Mr. Leo shrugged his shoulders, his expression returning to a jovial one: “But perhaps… those who wield swords desire ‘fear’. Didn’t mad King Richard borrow money from the bankers of The Federated Provinces and brazenly default on it because he wielded the sword? Which ruler would willingly castrate their own power?”

Mr. Leo’s last remark, actually an offhand comment to comfort Winters, but he noticed that Winters had fallen into deep thought.

“I’ve thought about it,” Winters chuckled brightly: “Indeed, it’s quite difficult.”

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“I have something to ask Mr. little Priskin,” Leo blinked: “May I?”

“Of course,” Winters leaned back in his chair, signaling his withdrawal from the conversation: “It’s just right that he’s here.”

Little Priskin, listening to the conversation between Blood Wolf and the stout middle-aged man, was still somewhat befuddled until he heard that something was to be asked of him.

Little Priskin perked up and sat up straight.

“According to Mayor Priskin, your firm hasn’t invested much in head bonds,” Mr. Leo inquired with interest: “So I’m curious, how did you hoard so many head bonds?”

Little Priskin didn’t dare to conceal, and disclosed the whole process of [mortgage-purchase-re-mortgage].

He initially wanted to hide the part about suppressing the price of head bonds, but recalling his grandfather’s admonition—”Don’t be too clever,” he also thoroughly confessed his attempts to lower the prices.

As he confessed, little Priskin kept sneaking glances at Blood Wolf’s expression. However, Blood Wolf was deep in thought throughout, as if still pondering the previous conversation, so he couldn’t discern anything.

Only after listening to everything, did Mr. Leo ask: “Using head bonds as collateral while suppressing their price, sounds somewhat contradictory.”

“Suppressing the price was initially done at the beginning,” little Priskin defended himself: “Afterward, I couldn’t suppress it anymore.”

“Now that the price of head bonds is already high, aren’t you planning to sell some?” Leo asked again.

“There are too many head bonds in hand, it’s not easy to sell,” little Priskin honestly replied, “And I always feel like I’d be at a loss if I sold them now.”

“You think the price of head bonds will continue to rise?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“A head bond represents a hundred acres of land, even if calculated at the cheapest low rate, the current price is not considered high.”

Mr. Leo asked intriguingly: “Are you so sure that a head bond can eventually be exchanged for a hundred acres of land, and not end up as an empty effort?”

Taking a deep breath, little Priskin seized the opportunity to lavish praise on Blood Wolf: “It will definitely be worth a hundred acres! I wholeheartedly believe in this.”

Unfortunately, Blood Wolf still showed little reaction.

Mr. Leo glanced at Winters and burst out laughing.

“All in all, you’re holding the head bonds on the surface, but the actual owner is the financer who accepted your mortgage?” Mr. Leo summarized.

“It’s not exactly like that,” little Priskin felt compelled to explain: “I originally planned to use the head bonds to repay, but they didn’t agree. So in the end, we agreed that I would repay using hard currency.”