Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Bill.
The position of Duke of Oulu does not sound very serious, or more like an honorary one.
This is indeed the case.
This council was originally composed of the empire's bank presidents, guild leaders and major merchants, and its nominal purpose was to provide economic policy advice to the emperor and the finance minister.
When Su Cheng was reading the information about Galen VII, he specifically looked at this information and it took him some time to understand it.
——As the chief advisor, his job is to organize and host meetings regularly, compiling some economic reports and proposals to be submitted to the imperial conference.
The Duke of Oulu has a very good relationship with the Minister of Finance and has close contacts with the Emperor.
It is said that His Majesty the Emperor is obsessed with magic and has been conducting research with professionals from the Royal Mage Corps for many years.
Several core members of the Mage Corps were either recommended by Duke Oulu or had some dealings with him.
"...Good night, Your Excellency the Duke."
Su Cheng responded, then gently held his hand. "It's my honor."
Amidst countless whispers and envious gazes, they stepped onto the dance floor together.
The night-like dome above displays a vast starry sky, with bright purple and golden red hues smudged across the deep dark blue.
The crystal chandelier was slowly rotating, and the facets of the gem lampshade cut the light source, diffracting millions of scattered silver lights, like a galaxy pouring down.
"You can't say that—"
A man's pleasant voice came from above.
The music in the hall gradually became melodious and cheerful. The tones of the harp were like the gurgling springs in the mountains, and the long and short flutes were like a flock of birds circling in the forest, flying freely.
"I am honored that you have the honor to visit me."
The moment their palms clasped together, she felt many hard, metallic bumps pressing against the base of her fingers and the palms of her hands.
One priceless ring after another was stuck between each other's fingers.
His skin was smooth and warm, without any trace of scars or calluses, and it felt very comfortable to touch across his palm.
And those rings—
Some of them were blazing hot, like burning embers in a fire, while others were completely cold, like frozen stones at the bottom of a lake.
Obviously these are all made of magical minerals.
The blond man smiled and raised his other hand, loosely wrapping it around her waist and back, still maintaining a polite distance.
They are very close.
She couldn't help but look at the jewelry on the other person, the heavy gold brooch, with rose petals clustered in pigeon blood red in the center.
There were three rings on the hand she had just held.
The black ring on the middle finger is made of black onyx, and there seems to be a pattern slowly rotating in the gem.
On the little finger is a multi-faceted sapphire ring, shrouded in a faint white halo, like a hazy frost mist.
The ring on his thumb looked like it was made of some kind of bone, and it shone brightly in the light.
The man was also very tall. When they talked, his breath brushed against his hair imperceptibly, carrying with it the scent of woody perfume and alcohol.
The smell is very light, not strong or suffocating, but quite pleasant.
"…You seem to have a lot of questions, Your Excellency."
Duke Oulu suddenly spoke.
Su Cheng didn't want to show that he knew him too well, nor did he want to be too direct.
She pondered for a moment, then feigned confusion before asking, "Your Excellency the Duke's position must be very important, right? That title sounds like something that would appear in the archives."
"Just call me Galen," the blond man said with a smile. "It's true that it's a bit long to pronounce, but don't overthink it. Imagine the empire is a person, and the Chancellor of Finance is the housekeeper. You have to calculate this person's daily income, how much bread and cake they consume, their jewelry, dresses...all sorts of expenses."
He tilted his head slightly and continued in a tone as if sharing a secret, "We are merely her doctors. We listen to those sounds: the sailors' horns on the docks, the farmers' songs in the fields, the footsteps of laborers in the mines, or the sighs of nobles as they caress silk and jewels. These, taken together, constitute the pulse of the empire. Is it strong or weak, steady or chaotic? That is what we need to judge and correct."
Su Cheng: “…”
I have to say, this guy speaks really nicely.
This is not about the content, but the pure auditory enjoyment.
He must have received relevant training and study. From the ups and downs of his voice to the pronunciation of each word, he makes the audience feel comfortable from the bottom of their hearts.
And maybe it's more than just nice to listen to.
Some people have beautiful voices.
But when they speak, they may still make the audience distracted or even drowsy.
As soon as the Duke started speaking, people subconsciously wanted to continue listening.
"When we discover her illnesses, such as clogged blood vessels and nodules—perhaps textile production in a certain district is declining due to low yields from dye plants, or grain from the north is unable to be transported smoothly to the capital due to clogged canals—we will gather this information in advance and promptly provide any potentially useful suggestions to His Majesty the Emperor and the Ministry of Finance."
He spoke slowly, "For example, encouraging caravans to open up new routes and transport new silk from the islands of the Principality of Anser, or dredging the canal that has been inactive for too long."
The two people's dance steps changed with the rhythm of the music.
"I understand," Su Cheng said softly, "Thank you for clearing up my confusion. I think only someone as experienced and well-connected as you can take on such an important task."
The joyful and cheerful melody gradually became melodious, like a pastoral song echoing in the wilderness.
Their heels slid across the shiny jade floor, which reflected the flowing light and countless blurry, swaying figures.
The diamond-studded hem of her skirt spun in the air, like rippling waves, and also matched the low hum of the orchestra.
Su Cheng caught a glimpse of the waiters standing quietly beside the dance floor. On the trays in their hands stood high-heeled glasses, the fine transparent crystal sparkling.
"...You are very kind, Your Excellency. I am deeply honored to hold such a position. It demonstrates the trust Your Majesty has in me, and I sincerely hope that the Empire will always be healthy and strong."
After an elegant spin, the Duke lightly put his arm around her waist and asked, "You seem to have something else to say?"
Su Cheng sighed softly.
The Olu family has a very powerful intelligence network, so they can get a lot of updates firsthand.
There's nothing wrong with his answer, but it certainly glorifies himself—and sometimes the truth is just the opposite.
Just as it is sometimes not their advice that guides economic policy.
Instead, he got the direction of the wind first, for example, where the imperial government was going to invest in construction projects, so that the Olu family could go there in advance to purchase land.
Of course, from another perspective, he can also use those proposals to cleverly guide these investment plans into industries controlled by his family.
The two left the dance floor and went to the side hall.
The silver plate contained roasted poultry legs, topped with a golden soup made from rare fungi. It tasted salty, fragrant, and delicious, with a hint of spiciness, and almost melted in the mouth.
Thinly sliced giant crayfish, about two meters long from head to tail, are placed between ice blocks, each piece having beautiful textures and a diamond-like luster.
This is only the food at the entrance. Along the center of the hall, the long table is filled with all kinds of unheard-of delicacies, displayed like works of art.
Su Cheng: "...Since you are very good at making various suggestions, Your Excellency the Duke, would you like to give me some advice on which dish I should start with?"
"Well," Galen looked at her with a smile, "I guess you would like seafood, such as shrimp--"
Su Cheng's heart skipped a beat.
Before she went to the Golden Marigold Palace disguised as Vanessa, she ate a plate of shrimp in the banquet hall.
"Because you were watching that crayfish," Galen winked, "right?"
Su Cheng: “…”
This guy.
"So," Su Cheng said nonchalantly, "Is that an ice crayfish, a fifth-tier monster?"
She said this just to express that she was looking at the shrimps not because she was greedy, but because she was curious about the species.
"Indeed," Galen nodded with a smile, "You have a good eye, but these are mutants, so they are more valuable."
"I want to ask a particularly cheesy question," Su Cheng asked curiously, "What is the value of this dish?"
If they were on a date, this question would be terrible and might make the other person think she is a country bumpkin, not only vulgar but also unsophisticated.
But she wasn't trying to gain favor.
"Hmm," Galen thought for a moment, "5,700 gold coins, including the commissions paid to the mercenaries."
Su Cheng was a little surprised.
It's not just about the number itself.
Su Cheng: "I thought you wouldn't personally ask about the details of the restaurant."
Galen shook his head slightly. "As for this ball, the only part I participated in was adding a few names to the guest list."
Su Cheng thought to himself that he must be one of them. After all, this kind of dance party must have been planned a long time ago, and he was probably not even a God-favored One at that time.
"But I can answer you because I know everything that goes into this number, whether it's the reward for hunting and transporting magical beasts in the mercenary guild, the salary of my half-elf chef, or the cost of everything you see."
He laughed. "If the actual cost of this dish exceeds the price I quoted you, the manager in charge of this banquet will be fired tomorrow. If the opposite happens, I'll reward her, but I don't think that's likely. I know the abilities of my employees, and as long as they perform within their capabilities, that's all that matters."
Su Cheng blinked, "...Indeed, it seems you have a good memory."
"Well, thank you," Galen thought for a moment, "and please don't think this is a cheesy question."
The Duke looked at her seriously, his deep eyes appearing honey-colored in the light, and his long eyelashes made him look affectionate.
"'Value' is very honest. It doesn't lie. It transforms all intangible efforts into tangible numbers—the hardships of the mercenaries stalking the icy sea, the skills honed by the chef over centuries, and the effort put into transportation. A fifth-tier magical beast is no docile kitten. To ensure the best experience for the guests, it must be transported alive to the imperial capital, which certainly wasn't an easy journey. And then there's the inspiration for the layout of the dishes."
Galen spread his hands. "Skill, time, inspiration—it's hard to measure them intuitively, but money can crown passionate effort with cold numbers. That's the most fair thing. You're exploring the sum of all the beauty behind a dish. How can that be tacky? This is clearly the ultimate exploration of beauty. You must have a very interesting soul."
Su Cheng: “…………”
This guy is really good at talking.
She could clearly imagine how he spoke eloquently in the imperial court meeting and how he made the emperor dizzy.
Su Cheng slowly took two pieces of shrimp meat, took just one bite, and felt that the first half of his life had been lived in vain.
She made no effort to hide the surprise on her face. Galen smiled at her and said, "Now the value of this dish has increased again. It pleases you."
He curled his lips. "If my chef quits his job and opens a shop in the future, maybe I can put this on the billboard."
Su Cheng almost choked, "I think the resume of 'having served the Olu family' is enough to attract all the guests. There is no need to say anything else."
After she finished eating a few slices of shrimp, she suddenly heard the man next to her speak again.
"Sir, the person in charge of the auction house came to me earlier and said they had encountered a difficult problem."
Duke Oulu said slowly, "In order to prevent unnecessary panic, the news of Prince Aguila's disappearance has not spread in the imperial capital, but I think you may have already known about it—"
Su Cheng turned his head to look at him.
"After all, you were with Lord Xiao Lan. He should know about the incident. Although he had left by then, he had other acquaintances who were in Jinzhan Palace at the time of the incident."
The Duke continued, "The Empire has lost a distinguished and powerful member of the royal family, and we are all heartbroken. However, before Her Royal Highness disappeared, she had purchased the mysterious dragon bones from the Sunless Ruins from us and signed a deed of transfer of ownership. In accordance with the unwritten custom between us and members of the royal family, based on absolute trust, the auction house allowed her to take away all the auction items on the spot. Now—"
He looked at her with a half-smile. "This morning, the head of the auction house went to the prince's residence to visit her steward, but was refused payment of a bill of two million gold coins. How do you think this matter should be resolved?"
Su Cheng: “…………”
It turns out I haven’t paid yet!
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