The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent

Chapter 181

In the original, the issue with Roti’s mother was resolved by granting her the status of a free person.

You might ask, “How can there be such a thing as a free person in a world without slaves?” But as I’ve mentioned before, slavery may not be officially recognized by law, but with a little manipulation of the system, it’s not impossible to create something resembling slavery.

It’s an era where a few percent of the population controls almost all of the world’s wealth. No matter how expensive human life is, there’s no reason it couldn’t be bought. Moreover, in this world, human life isn’t really as valuable as one might think.

One of the most common ways the Empire treats colonial natives like slaves is through **debt**.

It works like this: a person takes out a loan they can’t possibly repay, and then they’re forced to keep working to pay it back. And if they can’t repay the loan, they’re made to work even harder, supposedly as a way to pay off the debt. If they refuse to work and just lie down, the financial authorities are alerted.

It might seem better to just go to prison, but even in prison, labor continues. Outside the prison, it’s labor to pay off the debt, and inside the prison, it’s labor to pay off their crimes.

And in this era, corporal punishment still exists. Of course, it doesn’t apply to Empire citizens. The law was supposedly implemented out of respect for the original practices of the colonial natives who used corporal punishment.

“Is there no way to live without getting into debt?”

After hearing my explanation, Alice asked with a look of disgust.

Though the night was chilly, it wasn’t cold enough to be called winter. At least as long as we kept our coats tightly fastened, the cold was bearable. We could sit at a café late into the night, far away from the Duke’s mansion.

Lindbergh was a bright city even at night. In some ways, it was more developed than the surrounding areas. The city center didn’t get dark even at night, and there were plenty of places like cafés and bars that didn’t close even at midnight.

Though, it wasn’t always easy to distinguish between the two. Some places sold coffee in the morning and alcohol at night. We didn’t sit at a table outside sipping non-alcoholic cocktails just because. The inside of the café wasn’t quiet enough for a proper conversation.

“Debts in the colonies aren’t limited to just money borrowed by individuals.”

Of course, there were individual debts. Many of the original landowners were forcibly displaced, turning the natives into something close to serfs, and no matter how hard they worked, they couldn’t get enough rations to survive. They had no choice but to borrow money from landowners.

They borrowed out of necessity, to avoid starving themselves, or to feed their families.

Some might ask, “Isn’t it just a matter of them starving to death if they don’t get the food?” This kind of question usually comes from people who have never experienced true hunger, those who think the hunger they feel right before lunch is the same as what someone else might feel in a different situation.

Well, okay, let’s leave it at that.

But then, how would they respond to the discussion about infrastructure?

It’s obvious, but infrastructure can’t be built for free. Digging for steam engines, pouring mana stones for electrical lines, constructing modern buildings, laying roads, building airports, and seaport facilities.

All of this is being done for the Empire, for the Empire, but the ones who are billed for it are the colonial natives who will have to “enjoy modern life.” After their old homes were destroyed, the price of their homes was severely undervalued, and they were charged for the modernization.@@@@

Even when roads were built over land where houses used to be, the same thing happened.

“...”

After listening to my explanation, Alice was silent for a while.

“You told me that the purpose of all this was to modernize the world and abolish the class system.”

“...”

At my words, Alice kept her mouth shut.

* * *

How much money does the Imperial family really have?

This was a question that even the distant collateral relatives, far removed from the line of succession, were curious about.

And honestly, I was curious, too.

Even though I had wandered freely through the Imperial Palace, seeing all the hidden treasures, I still couldn’t quite grasp just how much wealth the Imperial family held.

Of course, the wealth wasn’t enough to buy an entire country, but—no, wait. Thinking back to how the United States bought Alaska, I’m sure that with the money from the Imperial family alone, they could easily buy a small principality.

There were six secret vaults inside the Imperial Palace. Even though they weren’t mentioned in the game, these vaults held gold and priceless art, carefully organized and securely kept.

This was why the Imperial family didn’t give allowances to princesses.

Rather than setting aside a budget for allowances, they could just borrow money directly from the bank and repay it with interest later. Money was abundant, and even if it ran out, the family could live comfortably for three generations.

And with the wealth of the Imperial family, that’s why the bank manager was summoned and came running, out of breath, long after business hours.

“Yes, so...”

The bank manager scratched his head as he spoke.

“Honestly, it’s a bit tricky to convert that into money.”

Though he seemed to be racking his brain to try to lend Alice as much money as possible, his words were sincere.

“Because the natives’ surnames were completely erased, it’s difficult to tell who’s who. ...It’s a bit awkward to say, but for Lindbergh, it doesn’t really matter. The debts of the natives are theoretically infinite.”

They’d find any reason to turn them into debt slaves.

But Alice, sitting with her legs crossed, spoke confidently.

“If that’s the case, how much are you willing to spend to free a single native maid?”

The bank manager’s face brightened immediately upon hearing Alice’s words.

He was likely going to ask for an exorbitant amount.

Well, it was only possible for us, after all.

They say that borrowing money is a skill in itself.