"Why us?" Vanessa asked. "I mean, this invitation is for you…"

"But I can't go." Althea replied. "The celebration is next week, I can't go then. And you are the only other nobles in the county. And I thought Nathan could use the experience."

"Is there anything we should know, Countess? How is the county's relationship with the Bern march now?" Isa asked. "I know there was an engagement between the Countess and the ninth young marquis, but…"

But how did it end? Althea sighed, she was going to tell it anyway, but that topic still wasn't something she wanted to broach.

"The Marquis and Marchioness can be considered friends. But the younger generation, especially the ninth young marquis, might try to find trouble." Althea paused. "I will ask Mira to go with you, she can guide you through the event. Just avoid Neil if you can, there is little to gain from fighting with him. There is also a maid, Ms. Harkins, avoid her too."

Althea considered for a second. "But tell me what is going on with her."

Isa frowned at her asking about a mere maid, but she nodded in the end. "I will see it done, Countess."

"I know you won't disappoint me." Althea replied. "Now, please, I need to prepare for the meeting."

The three left, and Althea went back to reading her reports, and parsing through the finances of her family. If she wanted to take control of her family's businesses, she needed to learn everything she could till the next week.

sc

(A week later)

Althea sat in her room, her hands shaking nervously.

"Come on, you're ready." Pulsie said.

"I know, but I also don't know what these people are planning." Althea said. "Can you show me the room?"

"Oh my, getting used to spying are we?" the plant quipped. But he still showed her what she wanted to see. The meeting hall where the meeting would begin ten minutes later. As Countess and their 'boss', she couldn't be waiting for them there. So she was spying on them from her bedroom.

"— still an idiot." a man's voice said as she listened in. Tenebre Moon, head of the port management authority.

"Yes, yes, I am the idiot." another's voice responded. Jassinda Kettle. The head of agricultural production.

"I would advise the two of you to keep silent." an old voice said. Nestor, head of miscellaneous investment.

"Oh, shut up, oldie, you don't know how much this navy costs. I didn't work this hard for some girl to spend it away on delusions of grandeur. The next thing she'll do is try to compete with Duke Zerolian for resources, and before we know it, we have a trade war on our hands.

Do you know how much a trade war costs? How much the Zerolian Duchy could restrict us if they wanted to?"

That…was what she was planning.

"Are we supposed to just sit back and let the Duchy roll over us? Duke Zerolian has been restricting us for a long time, I say it's time we strike back." Jassinda said.

"Well, it's easy for you two to say. Nestor here has barely any subordinates, and agriculture is too critical to take much damage. I am the one who will bear the brunt of the Duke's anger. The ports are in enemy territory, and the ships might as well be.

Will you tell the sailors why they don't have jobs anymore? Explain to their mothers why our ships keep having 'accidents'." Tenebre said.

"That is why a navy would help. Even if we let the Duke roll over us, how long is it till someone else tries the same thing? This is exactly why a navy is necessary." Nestor said.

"And what about when we go to war? The Diery family has more money, and way more profit, than the Zerolian Duchy, but the Duchy still makes three times as much in net revenue. The only reason we are richer is that we had minimal costs before. Now, we will be the one with massive costs. What do you think will happen then?"

"How about we just wait for the Countess to come? I have investigated her, she is not a fool. If she is taking action, then she must have a reason." Nestor said. Althea was already moving.

"Are you satisfied?" Pulsie asked.

"Yes." Althea replied. The problems they presented were important, but she could still answer them.

Althea stepped into the room, feeling the gaze of the three heads turn to her.

"Lord Tenebre. Lady Jassinda. Mr. Nestor." she greeted as she took a seat at the head of the table.

"I know that you have worries, but please wait till I finish presenting them before you voice them."

Tenebre grunted, but Nestor simply replied. "Please proceed, Countess. This is simply a meeting to enable communication."

Althea smiled as if she believed him.

"I am glad to hear your words, Mr. Nestor. " she said.

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"Moving on, first is the increase in the grade of food this harvest." she said. "The level of mana in the county has been steadily increasing, and that has brought about a change in the crops. I expect that we will be able to make a larger profit this year."

"If the grade grows as expected, I expect the profit increase by as much as thirty percent." Jassinda said. Tenebre just hummed. A thirty percent increase was a lot of money, but it was still insufficient for what they wanted.

"Then there is the fur business, the tide produced a lot of materials, materials that we are still selling. The vast majority of them are owned by people of the county, but with tax on these transactions, and with us buying most of the materials in the first place, I expect a tidy profit from it." Althea said.

Nestor sighed. "The tide left us with enough materials for a decade. And if the beasts continue to emerge at these numbers, I expect we will not be able to sell our stock. The meat and beast material market in Soleria is too over saturated at the moment. And with the current economic crisis, few nobles are buying higher grade meat."

Althea gave a slight smile.

"There is also the herb business from the Eastern isles." she said.

"Yes, it has cornered the Empire's market on herbs. The Zerolian Duchy made quite a loss on that. Three percent of their revenue was lost." Tenebre stated.

"Could it be…" Jassinda suggested as Althea smiled.

"Yes, the trait works. I didn't expect it, but with the Elves using their own magic, I expect a two hundred percent amplification." Althea stated.

The herb business was an unexpected gain. Althea had just given the herbs she had bought on a whim, thinking they could maybe make some money from them and start the economy. A month later, the herb business was booming massively.

Verest had already asked her for more islands to grow them in. And she was happy to give them. For a price. The herbs would be sold only to her companies, but she ensured that the price was fair. The land was also rented to them, for cheap, and she provided the initial funding.

"That is very good, Countess, but we are already running out of places to sell herbs. The business in the Empire just cannot support your expenses." Tenebre said.

So, he was finally broaching it.

"I have a solution for that." Althea took out a piece of paper. "This is a declaration signed by Empress Enara of the Enara Empire, declaring the Diery county an ally. I have already talked with Empress Nerusia, and used a little favor."

A little favor from giving Matty the manual. This plan wasn't very planned, but luck was on her side this time.

"I can set up a branch in the newly founded Enara Empire, and establish a new business there. That business can be used to circumvent the Empire’s restrictions."

"A business that can trade with other empires?" Nestor asked, sounding eager.

"Yes. I have already confirmed it. The Eastern isles can serve as a midway point that is in our territory. The Leria Duchy and the royal lands will allow our caravans to pass through, so we can avoid the Zerolian duchy. The navy can secure the trade route from the Zun Empire." Althea said.

"The royal council won't be too happy about this." Jassinda said. “In fact, they will be furious.”

"The royal family isn't too happy with the royal council. I have secured support from the Garron family and the Leria Duchy. This way, we have three of ten seats on the royal council. And the rest will not act too much right now, the Empress has broken through, and their financial situations are strained. This is the time for us to expand."

Tenebre looked thoughtful. "The new navy will not be enough if the Zun Empire actually wants to interfere. But if the Garron family is willing to help, that can be solved."

"That shouldn't be a problem as long as we provide some benefits to them." Nestor suggested.

"The Garron family's finances are terrible, aren't they?" Jassinda asked.

"Yes, they had a large debt with the Zerolian Duchy. The royal family had to buy the debt so that the family didn't fall to the Zerolian Duchy." Nestor said.

"That is old news, the Garron family has new debt now." Tenebre quipped, sounding irritated.

"To who?" Jassinda asked. Althea just listened to them. But she had to say, this was…surprising. A new debt? The last debt was nearly ten million gold!

"The Zerolian Duchy, who else will take their debt?" Tenebre said.

Jassinda groaned. "Of course. The bloody idiots, at this rate, even the royal family won't be able to bail them out."

Althea put on a hesitant smile on her face. "The thing is, they already can't. The Empress has asked me to buy the debt since we are supporting the Garron family. I was thinking of letting them pay it in materials and refurbishing our navy."

The three business heads looked at her doubtfully. "How about we add a clause that they accept a financial advisor?" That was a thing back on Earth…maybe?

"Will they agree to that?" Nestor asked, doubtfully.

"How about we ask them?" ALthea said, nodding towards Anthony before they could reply. The orb was set up, and the face of the Empress appeared soon enough. The orb rippled as it absorbed more mana, the screen splitting in two as a crowded room appeared on the other side.

The room was full of buff looking men, Matilda looking out of place and awkward among them. The Garron family had apparently decided to send not one, but several representatives to this. The situation on the other side certainly wasn't calm.

"I greet her majesty, the Empress." Althea bowed. The greetings took a while, there were thirty people on one side that had a tiptoe around each other to greet the Empress. But for some reason, the Empress let them. Was she showing her anger or something?

"The Empress has offered to let me buy the Garron family's debt." Althea said. The Garron family shifted nervously while the Empress stared at them. At least Althea thought she was staring at them, she could be staring at Althea. But she hadn't done anything to draw the Empress' ire.

"But I have a few clauses." Althea said. "First, the Garron family must pay back the debt by refurbishing the Diery merchant navy into a military one."

The men before her talked in hushed tones. Althea recognized some of them. Captain Nerm. Vice-Admiral Jerund. Fleet Captain Mer. Adept stage mages. There were seven Adept stage mages in the room in front of her, and they were looking very nervous.

"And y must accept a financial advisor to ensure that you do not fall into such a situation again." Althea said.

The men turned to look at her as Matilda tried to hide a laugh.

"A financial advisor would be very helpful." The Empress stated, still glaring. Oh, she was definitely angry.

"And third," Althea continued before there could be any replies. "The county will further loan you the money to pay back the new debt to Duke Zerolian. There must not be any more debts to the Duke if this is to continue. How much is it?"

"A hundred thousand gold…now." one of the men said hesitantly.

"What do you mean now?" Althea asked.

The Empress laughed. "Come on, Jerund, tell her about your new plans."

"Well, we are trying to borrow another million gold." the Vice-Admiral said, finally getting a grip on himself.

Althea took a deep breath as Tenebre tried to stifle his laughter.

"Vice-Admiral, why exactly is it that you need a million gold?" she asked.