The undead are keeping the armour and weapons, they used during their life time, equipped.
Since 12 years have passed without doing any proper maintenance either, a part of them won’t be usable anymore excluding the removed scrap iron. But there are some things amongst them that have a value and there are also objects that can be passed as articles of the deceased to their bereaved families.
As a matter of fact, given that Margrave Breithilde wants to hand over the items, which can be assigned to a particular owner, to the bereaved families, he entrusted us with his desire for us to return holding as much as possible.
“Articles of the deceased, huh? Those are certainly very important things.” (Artur)
“It’s 50%.” (Kurt)
“Eh?” (Wendelin)
Suddenly, there is a fellow who began to talk about something weird forcing his way into the conversation.
If you wonder who it is, it was Kurt-ani. (T/N: I typed the name even before I got to this line… so obvious, as expected of a greedy asshole after all.)
“It will be bitter if you don’t bring back the articles of the deceased, Wendelin. You won’t be able to fulfil your duty as adventurer either.” (Kurt)
“Say what you like, if it’s 50%, it’s usury, I believe.” (Wendelin)
This is the usual way in a territory where there is no guild.
The lord imposes a rate of payment to the fief’s government onto the adventurers. The estimation is from 10% to 30%.
Although it isn’t a rule that everyone is like that, it looks like there is a trend that the rate of the major nobles close to the central government is low whereas the rate of the smaller feudal lords in the countryside is high.
For major nobles, they won’t do something like excessively expecting excellent adventurer parties to pay money to them. They have a tendency to worry about that field since their reputation will drop if they indulge in too much usury.
Furthermore, because most of the major noble’s territories have an adventurer’s guild branch, the cases of actually negotiating are rare in themselves.
In contrary, for the smaller feudal lords in the countryside, given that they are seldomly approached by adventurers regarding negotiations, they understand it as rare chance to obtain a large amount of money and they end up raising the rate by all means.
However, something such as 50% is far too much of usury.
“Kurt-dono.” (Burkhart)
“It’s certainly high, but do you have some problem with it?” (Kurt)
Kurt-ani, thinking Burkhart-san has called his name in order to criticise him, faces him with a disgusting smile.
“(This asshole…)” (Wendelin)
Burkhart-san has become expressionless, but his insides are boiling, I think.
Even so, there is no law stating that it is absolutely forbidden to impose a rate of 50% either.
That is because in a territory a lord’s decision is the definite law.
“By the way, what is the opinion of Lord Baumeister and Klaus-dono?” (Burkhart)
I didn’t realise it when I was a child, but without doubt Kurt has hated me, I guess.
Now that it has come to this, you can even say that it is already futile to have a decent talk.
Besides, as Kurt has interrupted the talk too much, the current him won’t exceed being anything but the next family head.
Just now, by rudely speaking towards me, since the current me is in front of him as adventurer rather than as noble, he probably thinks that there won’t be any problems.
If that’s the case, nothing is better for me than ignoring someone like Kurt.
“I stress, it is just my own opinion. But, excluding the things that are articles of the deceased, isn’t 30% appropriate?” (Klaus)
Dad silently nodded his head in consent towards Klaus’ opinion.
I see, Klaus is a man that doesn’t leave any gaps after all.
Since they are insignificant nobility in the countryside, the rate of payment is 30%.
But, since we are excluding the portion of things that will become articles of the deceased, that much is in consideration of us and Margrave Breithilde.
And, dad approved of this.
If that’s the case, it is decided with this.
Kurt, who doesn’t even possess the peerage yet, has no authority to interject here.
“Well, then it will be 30% excluding the portion of things that belonged to the deceased.” (Artur)
As for equipment items that can’t be assigned to a specific owner, there is still the chance remaining that they are lost items of the expeditionary force.
And I guess such things as the raw materials of the monsters we defeated in the process of purification?
“The payment will be in goods? Or?” (Wendelin)
“Please liquidate it in Breitburg and pay 30% of the appraised value in cash.” (Artur)
“Understood.” (Wendelin)
Like this the chat and negotiations with dad have smoothly advanced.