“Echigoya, you are also wicked~.”

Many people probably know this line.

When thinking of a corrupt merchant, the image of Echigoya comes to mind from my previous life.

It's a troublesome story for Mr. Echigoya too.

Putting that aside.

Before I act as a corrupt lord, my Echigoya—no, wait.

Let me introduce our designated merchant.

A short, stout man with a beard, who looked like a corrupt merchant, is [Thomas Henfrey].

When the dilapidated territory was developed, progress was made, and it prospered, he came wanting to do business.

The merchants here are trade merchants. Moreover, interplanetary ones.

It was thought that the existence of designated merchants was unnecessary in this world that had advanced into space—but frankly, it is necessary.

They travel between planets. They buy and sell goods not only within the empire but also in other interstellar nations.

Imagine them bringing rare resources and goods from incredibly distant planets and selling them in my territory.

The reverse is also true, but they are separate from the companies doing business within the territory.

Our designated merchant.

In other words, a special merchant in my territory, approved by me, or rather, the Banfield family.

As we sat facing each other across a low table in the reception room, I made a demand of Thomas.

“You brought the yellow sweets, didn’t you?”

Thomas, wiping sweat from his brow, presented me with a box containing gold bars.

“Of course. Please accept this, Count.”

I took it, and a smile spread across my face at its substantial weight.

“Echigoya, you are also wicked!”

“No, Count, I have told you many times that our family is the Henfrey Trading Company.”

With our usual greeting out of the way, he is a corrupt merchant befitting me.

Thomas is the bad merchant who makes me money.

I, having received the bribe, listened with a beaming face.

“So, what is it this time?”

“Actually, I have to pass through a dangerous sector for a trade, so I would like to borrow your fleet. I request a hundred ships as escort.”

He wants to borrow military power as escort.

It’s probably a pretense; I wonder what kind of wicked scheme he’s planning using my military power—

But, if I can profit, I don’t mind lending it.

“Are you going somewhere that dangerous?”

“The destination itself isn’t dangerous, but there are many pirate strongholds in the transit points. It’s not uncommon for merchants to be attacked two or three times a day.”

Space pirates are troublesome.

They also vary greatly.

There are those who swagger around with weapons from several generations ago, and there are those who have escaped from the military and possess military-grade weapons.

Those kinds of guys also work as mercenaries and have extensive combat experience.

They are extremely troublesome.

I glanced at Amagi, who was standing behind me, and she seemed to understand what I wanted to say.

“If it will be completed in about three months, I can prepare a hundred ships immediately. For longer periods, preparation will be necessary.”

I nodded and smiled at Thomas.

“I’ll lend them to you. But, you understand, don’t you—Thomas?”

Thomas looked relieved, but he was a little perplexed by my meaningful smile.

“I-I understand, but, well—no, I will prepare the yellow sweets next time as well.”

“That’s important too, but the important thing is something else. —You’re going to make a profit, right?”

If I don’t profit, there’s no point in lending my forces.

“O-of course!”

“Very well! Amagi, make the arrangements immediately.”

“Understood.”

Do your best to make me profit as a designated merchant, Echigoya—no, Henfrey Trading Company.

◇

Thomas’s large transport ship was docked at the spaceport.

Thomas, who had ascended from the ground to space, was proceeding through the zero-gravity corridor to board his ship.

He carried his hand luggage, and his subordinates and guards were around him.

Looking at the planet visible from the corridor, a subordinate spoke.

“The Banfield family’s territory has developed quite a bit. That young lord—no, the Count, managed to rebuild it so well at that age.”

Thomas had also visited the Banfield family’s territory many times for business.

It couldn’t be called a wonderful territory by any stretch of the imagination, but it was undoubtedly a planet that had grown rapidly in the last few decades.

“He’s a bit different from the nobles I’ve seen so far. He’s an unusual existence, but—he is a wise ruler.”

Thomas called Liam, who demanded yellow sweets, a wise ruler.

No one around him denied it.

However, the subordinate tilted his head.

“But why does he demand gold? It’s not a resource that is particularly scarce in the Count’s territory, is it?”

Thomas was also puzzled.

“That’s right. I wonder why it’s gold. Well, it’s fine. But, from our side, it’s a bit of an apology—or rather, a little while ago, I offered mithril, magic-infused gems, and various other things, but he seemed dissatisfied. Gold seems to be the most important.”

“He’s an incomprehensible person.”

The reason Liam demands gold is because he believes gold is valuable.

Why does gold have unchanging value? It’s because its quantity was limited on Earth.

While it is expensive in this world too, in this world—depending on the planet, large amounts of gold have been discovered, and there are metals that are rarer and more valuable than gold.

Mithril is a typical example.

Silver imbued with sacred power—it is welcomed as a gift, and it is considered a valuable metal, said to be less abundant than gold.

“He must be a modest person.”

Compared to the profits gained as the Banfield family’s designated merchant, the bribes he usually offered were truly a small amount.

It was a drop in the bucket—within the margin of error.

He passed through the corridor and arrived at his ship.

“Still, things have become convenient.”

Thomas looked back at the spaceport.

The newly constructed spaceport is equipped with excellent facilities and amenities, which is a great help to merchants.

“I heard that most of the taxes collected are invested, but he does what should be done as a matter of course. That he can do that at his age, he must truly be no ordinary person. If only he didn’t have enormous debts to the Banfield family, what a territory it would be.”

Thomas murmured regretfully and then looked at his subordinate.

“This transaction is more dangerous than usual, but it will be a very important transaction for the Banfield family. We are making a profit from them regularly. Let’s contribute to the Count as designated merchants.”

Actually, this transaction was important for the Banfield family.

For Thomas and his crew, it wasn’t necessary to go to such lengths, but it was a business that was essential for contributing to Liam.

—Thomas was not a corrupt merchant.

◇

Future predictions are usually wrong.

In my previous life, when I was a child, there were future predictions that cars would fly in the sky normally.

But, when I grew up, flying cars existed, but they weren't common.

Despite the existence of interstellar nations, the view from the high-rise buildings—luxury hotels—is not much different from the view I saw in my previous life.

No, the big cities of my previous life even seem more developed.

High-rise buildings exist, but they are not densely packed.

It sounds good to say it’s rich in nature, but there’s a lot of untouched land.

“My territory still isn’t developing.”

As I grumbled, Amagi, who was nearby, corrected me.

“Compared to when you inherited the title and territory, it has achieved significant growth in terms of numbers. In reality, it has developed to an unrecognizable extent.”

“In terms of numbers, right? Also, it’s not the scene I idealize. The fashion is also somehow different, and I don’t feel like bringing women back to the mansion.”

Sometimes I walk around the territory and try to pick up girls, but the fashion is... it’s no good.

Recently, women have started spending money too.

Women dressed up and enjoying shopping.

But, it’s different.

See, in modern terms, can you get excited by looking at 1980s fashion?

I like a pure look, but everyone is dressed like gyaru or gothic lolita—in short, I don’t like it, so I have no desire to pursue them!

“I need to develop it more.”

“It might be good to teach them about fashion, perhaps. With the premise of being in your preferred style, of course.”

In the first place, this world has different cultures on each planet.

Within the large framework of the empire, there are commonalities, but also differences.

There might be planets that match my ideals, but there are also many fashions that make me tilt my head.

“Alright, I’ll bring in fashion designers, or people like that! I’ll invest in esthetics and that kind of thing too! Otherwise, I won’t be motivated!”

The swimsuit that is popular at the beach in my territory is a full-body suit type.

Don’t be ridiculous, that’s absolutely unacceptable!

“Let’s bring models too. If they see beautiful people, they’ll definitely be influenced, right? Let’s invite celebrities and the like!”

As I was talking about trying new things, Amagi had a troubled expression.

Maid robots are also very expressive.

“If that’s the case, the debt is indeed a problem. Although tax revenue has increased due to development, we have also increased the repayment amount at the same time.”

The enormous debt that the Banfield family holds.

Because of this, it seems I can’t do what I want.

Looking out the window, I saw a space battleship flying in the sky.

Is this the only futuristic sight?

Certainly, it has developed compared to when I was five, but from my perspective, it was a lonely sight.

◇

The door to another world opened.

The guide who returned to this world confirmed the current situation and felt disgusted.

“—This guy hasn’t done anything.”

I thought he would aim for a life of debauchery, but he didn’t touch alcohol or women.

Alcohol is due to his physical age.

Women are due to his distrust of women and the fact that his tastes differ before he could lay hands on his subjects.

Before he knew it, he was simply working diligently as a lord.

“It’s disappointing. I was expecting something, but I feel betrayed. He’s aiming to be a corrupt lord, so why is he being treated as a wise ruler?”

Also, because his previous life’s sensibilities remain, he feels like he’s indulging even in small luxuries, which is unacceptable.

He himself is quite satisfied, so he has a余裕 (yoyu -余裕, leeway, margin) in his heart.

That余裕 (yoyu -余裕, leeway, margin) in his heart is turning into gratitude towards the guide.

What’s more infuriating is that Liam is being thanked by his subjects.

That also made the guide feel sick.

Indigestion, headache, nausea, dizziness—while bearable, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s infuriating.

It would have been fine if they were grateful.

Because eventually, I intend to make him fall to the bottom of a valley and show him hell.

However, this way, the future the guide envisioned will not come true no matter how you look at it.

If left unchecked, Liam might truly end his life as a wise ruler.

“It was a disappointment. Even if he feels happiness, if there was a situation like—beneath the surface—I could have enjoyed it.”

His subjects harbor dissatisfaction towards Liam, the corrupt lord.

Soldiers plot a rebellion.

The collected beauties harbor murderous intent towards Liam—I wanted to see such a scene.

Yet, because he lives modestly, he is thought of as a wise ruler by his subjects.

The soldiers also think, “If it’s for that lord…”

Besides, there are no beauties around him, so it’s impossible to complicate human relationships and remind him of the suffering of his previous life.

Is this guy really aiming to be a corrupt lord?

The guide decided to discard Liam, who was a disappointment.

“At the very least, let’s burn down the territory he built along with him in his final moments. Yes—there are some affordable space pirates.”

Black smoke billowed from the irritated guide’s body and dissolved into the surroundings.

And he said, as if disgusted.

“At least for once, I wish he would entertain me. Until then, I suppose I’ll watch from here.”

◇

A planet far from the Banfield family.

Missiles striking that planet were causing successive large explosions.

The ground was scorched.

There was a pirate watching with a smile as the beautiful planet became a sight of utter ruin.

Over thirty thousand pirate ships—the man leading the pirate crew was named [Goaz].

He was a rough-looking man with a scar on his shaved head and a black beard.

A giant with bulging muscles.

Goaz laughed with his mouth wide open.

Holding a bottle of liquor in his left hand, he drank while watching the moment many lives disappeared.

“This moment is always the best, hey!”

The pirates under Goaz feared him.

One of them offered an opinion.

“Captain, was it necessary to go this far?”

Then, Goaz placed his large hand on the subordinate’s head.

Some of the surrounding pirates averted their eyes, while others were dumbfounded, thinking, “That guy is an idiot.”

“Who told you to offer me an opinion? Don’t disturb my enjoyment.”

“C-Captain, wai—!”

With that, he crushed the subordinate’s head with his grip alone.

A subordinate standing nearby neatly cleaned Goaz’s hand.

As the subordinates began to carry away the body and start cleaning, Goaz looked at the planet he had destroyed on the pirate ship’s monitor.

He placed his now clean right hand on the golden box he cherished.

He always kept the box, which had patterns and crests on it, close to him.

He usually carried it in a special holster.

He stroked it repeatedly with his right hand.

“This job was easy again.”

These are the words spoken after taking the lives of one planet and many lives on it.

It shows how extremely villainous this man is.

Goaz himself had a bounty placed on him, and the amount was astronomical.

If Goaz and the Goaz Pirate Crew were defeated, one would obtain an amount of money that could not be spent even if they played for the rest of their lives.

He was considered that dangerous.

A man who was his副官 (fukukan - adjutant, deputy) spoke to Goaz.

“It was a lot again this time. By the way, what about that favorite woman of yours? We’ve acquired a replacement, so should we discard her?”

Goaz grinned.

His yellowed teeth were very dirty.

“That’s right. I’ve played with her quite a bit, so it’s time to have fun with a new toy. She lasted a long time.”

The副官 (fukukan - adjutant, deputy) also wore a lewd smile.

“It’s amazing she maintained her sanity after becoming the Captain’s toy. More importantly, what’s next? A vacation somewhere?”

Goaz thought that would be fine, but then he suddenly saw something like black smoke.

He rubbed his eyes, and it disappeared, so he thought it was his imagination, but suddenly an idea struck him.

“No—wait.”

“Captain?”

“Come to think of it, I heard there’s a brat who’s been getting cocky lately. Banfield, was it? They say he’s a wise ruler. Working hard in the countryside, you know.”

The副官 (fukukan - adjutant, deputy) also recalled the rumor.

“I hear that often lately. So, is Banfield the next target?”

Goaz had no fear of nobles.

After all, Goaz possessed an incredible treasure.

“Things that people have painstakingly built are worth destroying, aren’t they? Besides, it was a place that ended too easily and was boring.”

The副官 (fukukan - adjutant, deputy) nodded.

“Then, the next target is—Banfield.”

Goaz licked his lips.

“I’ll thoroughly torment that cocky brat.”