Chapter 98 Frankness

A 20% tax wasn't too much, but it wasn't too little either. Of course, for Andrei, this wasn't an unacceptable condition. After all, he had acquired this entire territory for free.

His Majesty clearly intended to begin with Baron Neumann's territory and gradually expand the new policies throughout the country. If André was unwilling to cooperate with His Majesty, then there was no need for His Majesty to force him to give him territory. There were many "viscounts" loyal to His Majesty, and André was simply the most useful one among them.

Jiang You naturally understood this point; no one in power in the world lacks money. If King Maybury Huntington had been a tyrant with more ulterior motives, he would have been able to quickly accumulate wealth—by sending troops, openly plundering, extorting money... or simply pretending to turn a blind eye when the people suffered natural disasters. He would have been able to save on these expenses and fill the treasury to the maximum extent possible.

There have been tragic incidents in history where kings were thriving while the common people were starving. In medieval times, there was a natural divide between the nobility and the common people, a difference that went beyond class and could almost be considered a species difference.

Furthermore, in this era, the martial and magical abilities of ordinary people were extremely limited. Just looking at how much Andrei spent every month on armor, weapons, and warhorses, it's clear that these were definitely not things ordinary people could afford. The same goes for magic. Without a magic academy to teach and learn, even the most gifted in magic wouldn't be able to draw a magic circle.

A rusty hoe versus a well-maintained fine steel sword, a crude magic that was learned by one without any instruction versus a perfect magic circle constructed with the help of a huge mathematical model... Even if people who can't stand tyranny rise up in rebellion, it's difficult to make a splash.

The fact that His Majesty the King is still so poor, yet has many loyal ministers willing to sell everything they have to follow him, actually shows that he is a wise ruler who spends money on the people.

"In business, the more powerful party always has the final say," Jiang You said. "What's more, he's the ruler of a country. A 20% tax is nothing to us. But if this is promoted, those old nobles will be furious, right?"

Compared to Andre, who had negotiated a 28 split with the king from the beginning, the old nobles who had never paid taxes to His Majesty the King were the ones who were really going crazy.

"That's right," Andre said. "These kings are all under siege. For your own safety, if you want to go out, tell my mother. She will arrange everything. Don't sneak out by yourself."

"Okay!" Jiang You, who was very careful about her life even after becoming a lich, nodded vigorously. She would not joke about her life for a moment of fun. She was an unfamiliar person in the royal capital. What if she was kidnapped by her political enemies?

The two chatted for a while about the state of Huntington and the future development of Eston West City. After confirming their relationship, both Andrei and Jiang You could no longer hide their feelings in many aspects. After all, the foundation of a relationship is mutual trust.

You know, dating is not just about eating and watching movies. What’s more important is to make sure that both parties’ outlook on life, values ​​and world view are in the same camp. Even if they are not exactly the same, at least they are not completely opposite.

Not to mention that marriage will be a union of two families. Although Jiang You is a lonely skeleton, Andre is a member of the royal family! Even if Andre will do his best to protect Jiang You from the storm, Jiang You must at least learn the rules of life-saving.

So Andre told Jiangyou many things that he needed to pay attention to in the royal capital, such as the nobles that their family was friendly with and the hostile families, such as the next target of His Majesty the King, and Andre's next plan to continue digging for the whereabouts of the Evil Eye Moon in the west city of Eston.

Mi You also told Andre in detail how she came to this world, including the diary and notes she found and the "testimony" she heard from Aunt Wolf. She didn't know what the relationship between Mi You and the Evil Eye Moon was, but she always felt that there were many strange things about it.

"Actually, I've guessed a little bit." Andrei wasn't too surprised. "After all, you sometimes lack common sense, but the dishes you make are so novel, and you know a lot of wonderful things we haven't heard of. I've researched your dishes, like tofu. Not only in Huntington, but even in several neighboring countries and the distant South Seas, no one knows how to make it."

"Hey, it turns out I was exposed so early!" Jiang You scratched his skull embarrassedly.

"Well, when others invent dishes, they start with the ingredients they have on hand, using everything they can to finally create a dish... but you're not like that," Andre looked at her lovingly. "For example, when you were describing those plants and their properties to Holly with such enthusiasm, it seemed like you'd seen them before, but weren't sure if they existed in this world, what they were called in this world, or what strange side effects they might have... This makes me very curious...

"I always feel like you're not from this world. You already have established recipes and a wealth of knowledge, but in this strange world, you need to find local ingredients to replicate them."

"Hehe, this is called 'following the map'." Jiang You said, her eyes flickering, and she laughed again: "That's right!"

"This itself is not surprising. I have checked the failed magic circle left by Mi You. Perhaps you still remember that it is a combination of the lich refining magic circle, soul summoning and sacrifice." Andre said.

Jiang You nodded. "Then Mi You wrote the wrong soul name. She didn't write her own name, but my soul name. Our names are somewhat similar. My soul name only has two more strokes than hers, which is the difference of two tremors. She wrote in her diary that perhaps due to the aging potion, her hands would tremble uncontrollably..."

"That's not the problem." Andre shook his head. "You may have an affinity for magic, but you certainly haven't studied how to become a lich. Transforming yourself into a lich only requires one magic circle: the lich formation magic circle. So, what are the extra soul summoning and sacrifice spells used for?"

Takumi Yuu: “!!”

"But... Polina told me that the essence of magic is equal exchange. To complete the refining of the lich, one must sacrifice one's body."

"Yes, this kind of equivalent exchange is included in the lich transformation magic circle. It simply involves sacrificing one's original rotten body to transform into the lich's immortal body... During this process, there is a certain probability of failure, and one may be transformed into a skeleton, but this will not affect one's ability to achieve eternal life. Regardless of the body, the caster's soul does not need to be replaced."