Elena took over the conversation.
“Professor. Could we launch a public fundraiser led by the Governor’s Mansion? We could use promises of profit to invite the nobility to donate food under the belief that they will see a return.”
Antoni thought for a moment before answering.
“If this were a kingdom known for honor and reputation, it might actually be feasible. But unfortunately, the Golden Book Nobility here do not care for such things. So, what promise could convince them to donate massive amounts of grain that can be sold for over 100 Grosso a barrel?”
Elena answered quickly.
“Stocks. Stocks in the South Sea Company. Since the beginning of this year, the Governor’s Mansion has not issued any new shares, causing the stock value to nearly double. If new shares could be issued and circulated among the nobility — on the condition that they must provide an equivalent amount of food to the commoners — the Governor’s Mansion wouldn’t even have to pay out any real gold or silver, right?”
Antoni smiled kindly.
His student was still too young.
“It sounds beautiful. But Elena, given the unique nature of the South Sea Company’s stock, this would be the large-scale issuance of a ‘Republic’s Acknowledged Debt.”
“Though the Governor’s Mansion has never told the truth, I suspect their gold reserves have long been insufficient to redeem the stocks.”
Liv, who had been dazing off, was startled.
She hadn’t expected Antoni to figure it out through mere guesswork.
‘That’s right. The market capitalization is six times the gold reserves, and that was the data from several days ago.’
She composed herself and asked a question.
“Professor. Since the gold reserves are insufficient for redemption, why did I see so many nobles frantically fighting over the stocks confiscated from Bauer and put back on the market just several days ago? Are they all fools?”
Antoni turned to look at Liv.
“Haha, they certainly aren’t fools. Actually, even if everyone can see through it, as long as no one pops the bubble, this upward curve can keep going for another round. In the end, they are just gambling.”
“Their biggest worry is where to stuff their money, not whether they are losing it. Melting it into gold bars to keep at home is what they consider a true loss.”
Elena seemed extremely frustrated.
She stabbed an entire fried dough ball with her fork, moved it to her plate, and began to mess with it.
Before long, the ball was dismantled into syrup and bits of dough.
“Professor. Then is there really no hope for the starving residents?”
Next, Elena stole a glance at Liv before pursing her lips, appearing to have made a decision.
“Professor, the patience of the Sans-culottes has its limits. Once their rage is truly ignited, that old fox Domenico won’t be able to pretend everything is normal anymore.”
Antoni did not speak.
Instead, he turned his gaze toward Liv.
“Miss Livyat. I suspect you must already know. That’s right — even Domenico knows. In this city, some disgruntled commoners have organized a Mutual Aid Society. It was originally intended for sharing resources and helping one another.”
“But when the food crisis arrived, it completely broke them. Many are dying of hunger, but even more people are joining the organization. They aren’t a mob, but they can hardly be called educated either. If Domenico ignores them or, worse, suppresses them, the consequences will be unpredictable.”
“You surely know about the previous incident involving the assault on the consulate. That crowd was actually composed of Sans-culottes members who had heard rumors. I even suspect the Kingdom’s secret agents leaked the information. They didn’t expect to play with fire and get burned themselves.”
Liv nodded.
“I know. The Elven Consulate is not far from the Kingdom’s Consulate.”
Antoni’s voice suddenly grew louder, carrying a trace of anger that didn’t match his usual temperament.
“As a result, the Governor’s Mansion actually sent troops to suppress them directly. There were almost no survivors. In some cases, entire families were slaughtered. For a citizen of a nation to be expected to starve to death decently in their own home — it is truly against all legal principles! Even if they aren’t native-born to Landingset, they are people within the territory of Hobrick. They usually have black or brown hair, rather than the blond or flaxen hair of the Kingdom.”
“Now, they want to execute more than a dozen blond-haired foreigners to appease the reasonable anger of the public. Yet they demand the public offer up the lives of over 200 people. It is simply against all reason!”
Because his voice was so loud, the surrounding patrons quickly cast strange looks their way.
The shop owner looked over in surprise, appearing deeply confused about what they were doing.
Tess stood up quickly and surveyed the surroundings.
When the customers noticed the blond, blue-eyed elf, they quickly lowered their heads and stopped looking.
Antoni coughed softly, thumping his back with his fist.
“I apologize. I lost my composure.”
Liv knew, of course, that this wasn’t just a loss of composure.
When Antoni was at the Academy, he had written a very dangerous book titled On the General Will and the Basis of the Right of Citizens to Petition.
In it, there was a single small paragraph stating that a citizen was any local of Hobrick capable of articulating a demand.
The right and necessity to articulate such demands formed the basis of the citizen’s right to petition.
Even if it was just a fool explaining that he wanted to eat.
Because of that one short paragraph, the tax cavalry of the time had bypassed the neighboring villages to collect taxes and marched straight into the campus instead.
It was only to deliver a letter from Governor Carlos.
Liv didn’t know what the letter said, but from then on, that book was only read by Antoni and a few close students.
Liv knew that Antoni had become much more reserved and pragmatic over the last few years.
He had requested a transfer from the Academy to the Bureau of Shipbuilding.
Through the connections of his mentor, Governor Carlos, he had submitted his work, On the Dangers of Judicial Delay, to the High Court.
Only under Carlos’s academic guarantee was the book even reviewed.
Subsequently, the High Court introduced a law stating that minor crimes must have a deadline for adjudication and a maximum detention period.
If a case remained undecided after the period expired, the suspect could be placed under house arrest in their own residence or a rented apartment.
In normal times, such an incremental approach would certainly be fine.
But now, people were starving to death every day, and the harbor of Landingset was filled with the floating bodies of those who had committed suicide in despair.
In the Hilltop Villa District, where property prices were at their peak, forest rangers found people hanging from trees every day.
Sometimes there were even weeping spouses or children standing nearby.
In such a situation, what use was a limited detention period for minor offenders?
Furthermore, the Governor’s Mansion had already learned to let the Republican Guard deploy cannons to fire grapeshot, tearing commoners limb from limb.
Liv finally asked: “Sir. Would you be willing to run for the assembly? I can have Julia or Domenico introduce you — or if you despise Domenico, I can persuade the Governor to do it.”
Antoni shook his head as he chewed on a piece of melting ice.
“No. If I had wanted to go, I could have gone while Sir Carlos Ruizni was still here. Forgive me, Miss Elf. However, if you truly intend to offer your patronage, my student here, Elena Vale, is truly excellent.”
“I had another wonderful student; his name was Loren Green. He seemed to understand my ideas perfectly, and sometimes he could even utter insightful prophecies that I couldn’t even think of.”
“I still remember… he said that in the motherly eyes of civil law, every citizen is the entire nation. What a romantic sentence! He should have inherited my mantle and eventually become the dean of the Suburban Academy.”
“But he died. He died in the Blue Sea and Silver Waves. His body was never even found. When I heard the news, I couldn’t even cry. What a good boy he was.”
“Finally, I gave most of my savings to his parents. I hope they won’t be too sad; their wonderful son showed the most brilliant of thoughts in his short life. I must include those sentences of his in my book.”
“I will even put his name on the entire book. He will be the primary author.”
Liv turned her head away, no longer looking at her former teacher.
She began to weep softly.
It was perfectly timed and not excessive, as if she were mourning a brilliant stranger.
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