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Chapter 41
Raymond was thinking about it when someone intercepted to answer.
“May I answer for you, Father?” It was Lemarton, the 3rd Prince!
He stepped forward with a cold stare.
“I’ve always thought about my father’s question.” People looked at him hopefully.
Prince Lemarton, is the third prince known to be a genius. He was expected to come up with a great idea.
“The fundamental problem in the Bay Area is poverty.”
Lemarton cleared his throat for a moment.
‘My father has a great attachment to the Bay Area poor. So I have to say something that he’ll like.’
In the past, he proposed to get rid of the Bay Area, and was met with Oden’s bad eye.
So, he decided to come up with an opposing opinion.
“We must address their hunger. Give them regular relief, and they will give their sincere loyalty to King Oden.”
Galman thought to himself. ‘That’s not a bad opinion.’
Surely it will have a calming effect on the poor. Loyalty to the royal family will increase.
‘But the limits are clear.’
Giving relief does not solve poverty. More fundamental measures were needed.
‘The problem is that it is impossible to come up with fundamental measures.’
So the third prince Lemarton also expressed that opinion. It’s impossible to fundamentally solve poverty in the Bay Area.
Oden turned his head without answering Lemarton.
“Kairn, do you have any other thoughts?”
Prince Kairn shrugged his shoulders.
“It seems like a generous policy to rescue. I don’t think it’ll be easy to raise funds.”
“But it’s necessary to stabilize the Bay Area.”
Lemarton would’ve countered, but Kairn shook his head.
“I rather wonder if I should care about the Bay Area that much. It is a place where poor people who are not helpful to the kingdom stays anyway. I think it’s better to control it thoroughly so that it doesn’t cause disturbances.”
“I see. Your opinion is well received.”
Oden didn’t seem to like their answers very much. It wasn’t because there was something lacking from the two of them.
The question was just too difficult for anyone to answer that can satisfy the real situation.
Oden then turned to Raymond for the last time.
“Do you have any other thoughts, Raymond?”
Everybody’s eyes were on Raymond.
No one thought Raymond would come up with a clever idea. The two princes did not give a fundamental and solid answer that can be implemented with great success, so how come Raymond would be able to?
There were even people who laughed.
Silently receiving the gaze, Raymond opened his mouth.
‘Errr, I don’t know. There’s nothing I can do even if they laugh and move on.’
“As I said, we need to improve our environment.”
“Environment? That alone is not enough.”
What kind of expectations did they have?
A faint sense of disappointment passed by Oden’s eyes.
But at that moment Raymond continued in a straight tone.
The “Heart of Steel” and “Speech” skill effects were mixed to create a strong sense of eloquence.
“The environment I’m talking about is not just about cleaning up the dirt. We need to expand the streets so that wagons can travel onto it, improve security, and eradicate all the rampant underworld organizations and illegal activities of pleasure houses.”
“

!”
“We need to improve the environment to make Bay Area a commercial hub.”
Everyone opened their eyes widely.
An unexpected word popped up.
Bay Area as a commercial hub?
It was a ridiculous story.
‘I was wondering what he was talking about, and I can’t believe you’re talking about something absurd like that.’
‘That’s what an illegitimate child does.’
Some aristocrats even laughed at themselves like this.
But only two people on that spot were stunned in great surprise.
Only Chancellor Galman and King Oden understood what Raymond had just said.
“With what thought?”
Chancellor Galman asked sharply on purpose, wanting to see if Raymond really spoke with that thought.”The Bay Area is not a suitable place to grow into a commercial area because there is no traffic. Don’t you know that?”
“Not now. But the Bay Area has very favorable conditions to grow into a commercial area.”
“What conditions?”
Raymond replied briefly. “First is the Alpine Road.”
“..
!”
“The Bay Area is closest to the Alpine Road, which enters the capital. But the merchants enter the capital through the East Gate rather than through the Northwest Gate, which connects to the Bay Area. It is because the Bay Area isn’t safe.”
The hall became quiet.
Now others have begun to understand the meaning of Raymond’s words one by one.
“If the security of the Bay Area improves, will merchants bother to return to the east gate? They’re all going through the Bay Area.”
Raymond, who had talked so far, looked at the people’s faces.
‘I don’t think the reaction is as bad as I thought.’
‘Errr, I don’t know. Let’s just talk about it all.’
“And the Bay Area has a special advantage that no other place has.”
“What is it?”
“It’s Langtram, the entertainment district.”
“

!”
Langtram!
It was an entertainment district located in the Bay Area.
The aristocrats frowned as a place where all kinds of illegal entertainment were held. This is because it was a place that did not fit in with them.
However, for an aristocrat who likes entertainment, there is no one who has not visited Langtram. No one has visited only once.’
It was a double appearance of aristocrats pretending to be noble.
Anyway, there were many people in Langtram who wanted to enjoy entertainment at night.
“There are a lot of problems in Langtram right now. Illegal gambling, crime, drugs, etc. Unacceptable things are happening. We need to root it out and transform it into a completely new place.”
The ‘speech’ skill empowered Raymond’s voice.
“That’s why we have to let Langtram come out into the sun. Then it will attract a lot of people.”
Galman swallowed his saliva.
‘There’s definitely a possibility.’
Get Langtram out in the sun!
Another commercial center of the capital is going to be created.
‘That’s a great idea.’
‘I couldn’t tell how many times I admire Raymond today.’
‘Honestly
 
it was so excellent that it was incomparable to the opinions of the two princes before him.’
“A place where you can visit at any time and have a good time with people close to you, rather than secretly enjoying pleasure avoiding other people’s eyes like now. If Langtram becomes such a busy street, merchants will naturally gather. The whole Bay Area will be transformed, and the poor will be able to gradually get out of poverty.”
At the end of Raymond’s explanation, the hall became quiet.
Everyone looked at Raymond in astonishment.
‘Let’s develop the Bay Area into a commercial district.’
What’s more surprising is that it’s a story that is full of possibilities.
In particular, the Dark Blade Guild, which used to exploiting the poor in some back alleys, has been wiped out in the Bay Area. It was much easier to clean up because the tiger has now completely disappeared.
‘Raymond’s idea does not only benefit the Bay Area. Another commercial district will be created in the capital, which will greatly help grow trade.’
Galman poked his head around.
Galman being the wise one, he immediately grasped the benefits of Raymond’s idea.
Raymond, meanwhile, looked puzzled by the people’s reactions.
‘I was talking about my original idea, but people’s reactions were somewhat different from what I expected.’
‘Are they really taking it seriously?’
It seems to be like that since King Auden said this: “It’s not bad.”
“

!”
Raymond’s eyes grew tearfully wide.
It was a compliment!
‘Father- no, the King, Your Highness compliments you?’
‘My heart trembled with unknown emotions.’
Raymond pursed his lips to control his emotions and bowed his head.
“

Thank you.”
King Oden looked at Chancellor Galman.
“Let’s review the comments just now with an administration official.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The people in the hall roared with surprise.
‘Your Highness said that? Doesn’t that mean he is going to proceed as it is because of your highness’s nature?’
Oden is extremely cautious and doesn’t make decisions easily.
He always makes a decision after carefully considering various aspects, but how can he make a decision like this at once?
As such, he accepted Raymond’s opinion positively.
“And Raymond.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“The statement you’ve told just now is only for the slums. There is no content for you, so it can’t be called a reward. That is why I will give you additional compensation.” King Oden said.
“

!”
Raymond’s eyes grew bigger.
It was an unimaginable reward.
‘What do you mean, a baronet?!’
‘If I become a Baronet then I’ll belong to the official “Noble Rank”.’
Baronetcy has a different meaning from region to region.
In the Cross – League Empire to which the kingdom of Houston belongs, it is a single victory and cannot have a territory, but it is recognized as a “ranked aristocrat” still.
It is a position that is incomparable to a knight who only reached the aristocracy.
Raymond knelt down to an unexpected and unconventional award.
“It’s an undeserved award.”
“Do you think it’s too much?”
“No, it’s

.”
‘That’s not it. Just thank you!’
Raymond, who had almost uttered his true feelings without realizing it, closed his mouth.
“As a healer, you stabilized the public sentiment in the Bay Area, wiped out evil groups in the underworld, and at the same time sought out dishonest officials. You also provided a clue to a solution to the problem of the Bay Area, which has been a concern for the kingdom for a hundred years. I don’t think it’s too much considering that.”
King Oden took out his sword.
Then he put it on Raymond’s shoulder, who was already kneeling.
The touch of the cold sword made Raymond’s heart pound.
“Is there a family name you want?”
“

Penin, please.”
‘Am I mistaken?’
Oden’s eyes glimpsed faintly with emotion.
Penin was the surname of Raymond’s biological mother.
“Yes, I will ask you. Will you devote your whole life to the kingdom of Houston from now on?”
It was a vow.
Unlike when he received a medal and was knighted, he asked this question.
“
I am Raymond. I swear on my name that I will offer my loyalty to the great Highness.”
“I, Oden of Houston. In the name of great Houston accept your allegiance. I shall give you the rank of baronetcy. From now on you will be called Baron Penin, not Raymond.”
Thus the ceremony of awarding a summary title took place, and Raymond became Baron Penin.
***
After Raymond was crowned, some unknown figures were talking about Raymond in a place far away from the capital.
“The healer became a quasi-baron?”
– Yes.
They were the ones who plotted the Oden’s assasination the other day!
They were talking about Raymond by correspondence.