"Do you understand why I'm doing this?"
Morssen asked from the window of the study on the second floor, looking down at the bustling stalls below. Mother was the one in charge of the stalls now.
After lunch, Morssen gestured for Claude to follow him to the study on the second floor. It seemed that he wanted to talk to Claude, or perhaps he wanted to know what he was thinking.
As Claude expected, the study was empty as well. Everything that could be sold had been moved downstairs. All that was left was the thick old desk, an old chair, and an old leather sofa.
Claude suspected that if the armchair and sofa weren't so old and worn out, his father would have taken them down and sold them as well.
As for the desk, it was simply too heavy for Morssen to move.
Claude nodded and shrugged. "I understand what you're doing, but I think you're exaggerating a little."
Turning round, Mr. Morssen advanced to his desk, drew from a drawer the silver case of tobacco, and from his pocket the black mulberry pipe with an ivory mouth. Picking up a pinch of tobacco from the silver case, he slowly stuffed it into the pipe.
Those two items were his favorites and he couldn't bear to sell them.
"I'm glad that you understand. This shows that you're much smarter than your brother and that you can see further."
Mr. Morssen lit the tobacco in his pipe, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled the smoke. "There's one thing that Abel doesn't understand. Even though I've been exonerated of my crime, it doesn't mean that it's all over. Misfortune hasn't left our home yet …"
What happened to the trading fleet means that all our investments were for naught. We can only blame ourselves for thinking too highly of ourselves. We only saw the glittering returns and forgot about the risks. We lost everything.
Even the futures of Thomas and I were ruined. We could've gone one step further. It's not impossible for us to earn a noble title through the development of new trade routes. "
Morssen sucked on his pipe bitterly. Claude could tell that he was rather agitated and regretful.
Claude didn't know what to say, nor could he think of a way to console his father.
However, he quickly controlled his emotions and smiled bitterly. "It's too late to say anything now. There's no cure for regret in this world.
However, you have to remember this lesson. Going too far is as bad as falling short. You can't be too greedy! "
Claude nodded to show that he understood.
Morssen sat on the old chair. "It's not that we don't have money. I just used it to invest in the trading fleet.
A long-distance merchant ship costs five hundred crowns. I invested 350 crowns of my family's savings and borrowed another 150 crowns from the national bank, thinking that the ship would bring in ten times the profit. I didn't expect it to be robbed by those damned pirates. "
Claude couldn't help but click his tongue. He didn't think that his father would be able to amass such a huge sum after being the town's chief executive for more than a decade. It seemed that being a civil servant really did have its advantages.
Knowing what Claude was thinking, Morssen shook his head. "Claude, your father has been the chief executive for more than ten years. He hasn't embezzled a single penny in his work. These savings are actually accumulated from the dividends of his shares every year.
I won't deny that I got those shares because of my position, but that doesn't mean that I forcefully bought them.
Many people only asked me to buy shares to avoid trouble. At the same time, I paid real money for them. "
"Father, I didn't think of it that way …" Claude sweated profusely.
Mr. Morssen continued to smoke, and then sighed, "Albert always thought that these shares were part of the family fortune he would inherit in the future, but he didn't realize that now that I've lost my public office, these shares would be coveted by people with ill intentions.
So, to avoid trouble, I cashed out all my shares a few days ago for more than four hundred crowns.
On one hand, it's to repay the bank, and on the other, it's to deal with the trouble that's to come. "
Claude suddenly felt that it was strange. His father should've discussed that with Arbeit. After all, Aueras had a system where the eldest son would inherit the family.
As the second son, he would have to become independent from the family and open a new account. As long as the eldest son was still alive, he wouldn't be able to participate in the family's decisions. So, what was his father trying to do by telling him all that?
Morssen stood up again and walked to the window with his pipe in his mouth. "It's the middle of February now. In a week or two, news of the incident with the fleet will reach Whitestag. When that happens, our family will be dragged into another huge whirlpool.
Two to three hundred families will lose their loved ones. That's a huge nightmare for the town.
"Baroness Maria mentioned the same thing in her letter. You've read it yourself. She said that once His Majesty makes his choice, there's no need to hide the secret of the new trade route anymore.
"If we don't handle the situation appropriately, we might not be able to stay in Whitestag for much longer. No one can live in peace with two to three hundred families hating and hating each other.
Even though their loved ones were hired by us, in their eyes, we're the culprits who caused them to lose their loved ones. "
Claude thought that his father really cared too much about his family's reputation in town. That made sense. House Ferd had been in Whitestag for almost a century. It was mostly thanks to his father's hard work that they were able to enjoy such a high reputation in town.
Very few people in this world left their homes. Not to mention, the kingdom's laws didn't allow its citizens to move as they pleased. That would bring a lot of trouble for taxes and military service.
Sometimes, when he thought about it, he really admired the bosses and capitalists in his previous life. Not to mention the hatred and resentment of two or three hundred families, even if thousands of people cursed and hated them, they would still pretend that they didn't see or hear anything and continue to live their luxurious lives.
Just like the internet celebrities, they treated the curses of millions of netizens as nothing more than a spring breeze and brushed it off with a smile. They didn't think their views were wrong. Instead, they thought that the netizens were too thick-skinned.
From that point of view, Claude believed that his father had a moral bottom line and was willing to shoulder his responsibilities.
Even if he had selfish motives, it was only human nature.
"Sigh, your brother doesn't know that our family is now sitting on the edge of a volcano. He actually thinks that even if the news of the merchant fleet's accident is confirmed, it only means that our investment this time has failed, and the fate of those sailors has nothing to do with us because we have already paid for their service.
So, there's no need for us to compensate the families of the sailors. If they come to cause trouble, we can just call the police and arrest them for labor. "
Mr. Morssen smiled bitterly as he took his pipe from his mouth. "Abel is too simple-minded. He strongly opposes the idea of me cashing out those shares as a pension and compensation.
But he doesn't think about it. If I lose my position as the town's chief executive, will I still be able to keep my shares?
"Baron Robert is the one in charge of Whitestag now and he's always seen us as a thorn in his side. If the families of the sailors come to cause trouble, he'll easily find an excuse to intervene.
"Given Baron Robert's personality, I know that it'll be impossible for us not to be skinned alive if we fall into his hands.
"Not only will we lose our shares, we'll also have to pay a huge sum of money to compensate the sailors and their families.
"Since that's the case, why can't I sell my shares and take the initiative to compensate the sailors and their families?
Not only will I gain some reputation, more importantly, Mayor Robert won't be able to do anything to us. "
Claude raised his chin at his mother, who was bargaining with a customer at a stall downstairs. "Is selling your assets a way to protect yourself?"
"Protect myself …" He mulled over the term and nodded bitterly in the end. "Yes, protect myself.
Don't you know that without my position, my words don't carry much weight?
Even though they still address me as Mister Morssen respectfully, they're actually mocking me in their hearts.
"If I were still the chief executive, I would be able to sell my shares for at least seven hundred crowns instead of the four hundred I have now. They didn't make things difficult for me because of my past relationship with them. I didn't waste all the good words I've been putting up to them.
"Our family will have to live a tough life from now on. It's not for show, but to let others know that we've done everything we can to help the families of the sailors and their families. That's why we're in such dire straits.
"That way, the only property we have on the surface is this red brick house. We're living off the rent from your grandfather's inheritance.
Leaving a good reputation in town will make Baron Robert hesitate and there's no need for him to cause trouble for me now that we're in such dire straits.
"We'll only have a chance to make a comeback after the incident with the merchant fleet is over.
If His Majesty plans to open up new trade routes, we'll raise more funds to buy a merchant ship and start trading with Nubissia again.
Who knows, I might even be able to set off on that ship and become the biggest merchant on both continents. "
Claude smiled. It was good that his father hadn't lost his will to fight. What he was worried about the most was that his father would become a drunkard like his grandfather after being relieved of his duties.
It seemed that he didn't have to worry about that at all. His father was clear-headed and knew what he should and shouldn't do. He had a plan for the future and was confident about it.
"By the way, Claude, I called you here to talk about your future," said Morssen, finally remembering what he wanted to talk about with Claude.
"I'm sorry, son. It looks like your plans to enlist in Tyrrsim won't go down the drain," Morssen said after a long moment of silence.
Claude breathed a sigh of relief. He was wondering what had made his father so hesitant. He had long forgotten about whether he should enlist in Nubissia with his godfather whom he hadn't even met yet.
Ever since the incident with the merchant fleet, he knew that he wouldn't be able to go. The new trade route had been taken over by pirates and before the kingdom's navy sent warships to clear out the pirates, he wouldn't be able to take a merchant ship there.
"It's fine, Father. I don't really care about that.
I'm really happy working at the wood and didn't think about enlisting, "Claude said sincerely.
Morssen shook his head. "That's not what I'm talking about. You're already an adult and registered as a commoner.
Even though you can avoid conscription as the supervisor of Normanley Wood, don't forget that you're the top student in physical studies in Whitestag. The military will still send you a conscription order eventually. You won't be able to avoid it. "
That wasn't wrong. A physical student like Claude was the best source of recruits, not to mention the fact that he was the top student in physical studies.
In an era where guns were lined up for execution, physical students like Claude were the best candidates for low-ranking officers. They were also the ones who would suffer the most in a war.
Even Lady Maria couldn't protect Claude from being conscripted.
"We'll see when the time comes. Nobody knows when the conscription order will come. I believe there'll be a way.
Besides, conscription doesn't mean I'll go to the battlefield. Even if I go to the battlefield, it doesn't mean I'll be unlucky, "Claude consoled himself and his father.
Morssen glared at Claude angrily. "You definitely didn't read Lady Maria's letter carefully. Didn't you notice that His Majesty hasn't decided on a plan yet?
If he insists on the original plan, you'll receive a conscription order in the first half of the year.
I hope His Majesty will open up a new sea route. That way, the conscription will be delayed by a year. You'll have a year to prepare to become a herbalist. That way, you won't be sent to the frontlines as cannon fodder! "
It was Claude's turn to smile bitterly. Was a year enough for him to become a low-ranking herbalist?
Even he wasn't confident in that.
Unless he stopped practicing magic and experimenting with alchemy and focused all his energy on herbalism, he might have a 50% chance of success. He also needed someone to teach him from the side.