From an economic perspective, what is the fastest way to make money?
Some might say trade.
Others might say real estate.
Some might even say cryptocurrency.
But in Ernest’s view, all of these answers were superficial.
They failed to grasp the true essence of economics.
What is the essence of economics?
Circulation.
Money moves from one person to another, enabling the flow of wealth, which in turn drives fairness and development in society.
Once you understand that, the fastest way to make money becomes obvious.
“Borrow!”
If Kjerag wanted to develop its economy, there was only one answer: borrow.
What did Kjerag have?
No industrial foundation, no experience in the service sector, and no stable, unified government or environment.
A country like this trying to get rich through secondary or tertiary industries?
It simply didn’t have the capability.
Just look at Karlan Trade.
Building factories and laying railways meant constant complaints, along with periodic pressure, both physical and political, from the Paleroches warlords and the opportunistic Browntail family.
And yet they kept pushing forward, stubbornly developing Kjerag at all costs.
Ernest could only say their courage was admirable.
But he had no intention of following that path.
Running factories required capital.
Whether in his past life or this one, he had always been a proper civil servant.
He had neither the experience nor the ability for business.
Not to mention, Karlan Trade’s current scale owed much to Enciodes’s connections built during his years studying in Victoria.
But governments had their own methods.
Ernest spoke bluntly:
“Given Kjerag’s current situation, it’s extremely difficult to raise enough funds through conventional means in a short time, especially if we want to recruit the right people and build a functioning government.”
“So you’re thinking of borrowing?” Enciodes leaned forward, hands clasped on the desk, already shifting into a focused, analytical mindset.
Ernest continued:
“The essence of economics is circulation.
Kjerag doesn’t have money, but other places do.
So all we need to do is bring their money here.
The method doesn’t matter.
To be honest, taking it by force would be faster, but we’re a legitimate government and a legitimate company.
Illegal methods are out of the question.
Since we can’t take it, we borrow it.”
Enciodes frowned, sensing something off about the logic, though he couldn’t immediately pinpoint it.
“And who exactly would lend you money?” he asked.
Ernest smiled, crossing one leg over the other with easy confidence.
“Plenty of people.”
“Borrowing money is easiest for first-time borrowers and for those with credibility.
Kjerag falls into the first category.
My government is the first government Kjerag has ever had.
A blank slate like this?
There’s no shortage of capital eager to throw money at it.”
Enciodes leaned back slightly, suddenly feeling that neglecting his younger brother’s education in the past might have been a serious mistake.
The logic made sense, but where did he even learn to talk like that?
Rubbing his temples, Enciodes asked the most important question.
“What are you planning to use as collateral?”
Borrowing required collateral.
As Ernest himself had said, Kjerag’s government was completely broke.
It couldn’t even pay salaries.
Ernest, the prime minister, was essentially alone.
What could he possibly offer as security for foreign loans?
The moment the question was asked, Ernest fell silent.
At first, Enciodes thought he was thinking, so he waited patiently.
But after a while, he noticed Ernest was still staring straight at him, his gaze steady and unshaken, without the slightest hesitation.
A chill ran down Enciodes’s spine.
“You’re not planning to use Karlan Trade…”
Ernest clicked his tongue.
What else would I come to you for?
Of course, that was just a joke.
Karlan Trade was Enciodes’s foundation, the core of his future plans to reshape Kjerag.
There was no way he would allow it to be used in such a risky political gamble, not even for his own brother. The source of this chapter is g.com.
Ernest knew that too, so he shook his head.
“Of course not.
I’m talking about Turicum.
More precisely, the undeveloped land to its northeast.”
Turicum was a town in the southern territory of the Silverash family, Kjerag’s only gateway to the outside world, and the only modern city developed under Enciodes’s leadership through Karlan Trade.
It had not yet reached the level of a mobile city, but it was the closest thing Kjerag had.
The undeveloped land to the northeast covered about six square kilometers, consisting of gently sloping hills and plains with strong development potential.
In Enciodes’s original plans, this area was meant to become the direction for Turicum’s future expansion.
But with Kjerag’s modernization facing constant resistance, that plan remained a distant dream.
The moment Ernest mentioned it, Enciodes immediately understood.
“You want to use land as collateral?
Do you realize the risk?
If you can’t repay the loan, that land will belong to another country.”
“Repay?” Ernest suddenly shot to his feet, looking genuinely shocked.
“Why would I repay it?”
“They get the land, the contract is signed, and I still have to repay the money?
That means all the benefits go to outsiders.
Why should I accept that?”
That statement nearly left Enciodes stunned.
Borrow money and not repay it?
Wouldn’t that just be robbery?
Hadn’t they just agreed that a proper government and a proper enterprise don’t steal?
Yet Ernest simply smiled and began laying out his plan in a calm, matter-of-fact tone.
“I never intended to repay this loan from the start.
That pledged land is meant to be taken.”
He raised a hand to stop Enciodes from interrupting, signaling for patience.
“They can take the ownership, sure.
But the land itself stays where it is.
It won’t run away.
As long as the one who holds the title can’t actually come, doesn’t that mean the land is still effectively ours?”
Can’t come?
Enciodes frowned, struggling to follow.
“How could someone obtain the land yet be unable to come?
Who exactly are you planning to borrow from?”
“Whoever has money,” Ernest replied.
“Victoria?” Enciodes tapped the table.
Ernest shook his head.
“No.”
“Ursus?”
“Ursus is broke.
There’s nothing left to squeeze out of them.” Ernest paused, then revealed his answer.
“I’m borrowing from Columbia.”
“Columbia?” Enciodes repeated, and then something clicked.
He looked at Ernest in shock.
“You’re not thinking of…”
Ernest nodded with a faint smile.
“Exactly.
I’m going to borrow from Columbian banks.
The kind everyone knows are tied to the military.”
It sounded abstract, but Enciodes knew very well that in Columbia, such targets were anything but rare.
Off the top of his head, he could name more than a handful of banks acting as fronts for the military.
Ernest continued,
“Brother, you understand Kjerag’s geographical position better than anyone.”
Kjerag’s location was deeply awkward.
Beyond the endless snow-covered mountains lay three major powers watching it closely.
Victoria.
Columbia.
Kazimierz.
Three nations that ranked among the strongest on Terra, with Victoria standing as an old empire and arguably the most powerful on paper.
Three great powers surrounding a single Kjerag.
What a ‘blessing.’
It had always been Enciodes’ greatest concern.
Having stepped beyond the mountains, he knew how vast the outside world was and how fierce its conflicts could be.
If Kjerag failed to develop and strengthen itself, its future would be nothing but darkness stained with blood.
“So tell me,” Ernest said quietly, his posture relaxed yet confident, “if I, as the head of the Kjerag government, apply for a loan from a bank widely known to have close ties with the Columbian military, and use six square kilometers of land as collateral, what do you think will happen next?”
His tone was low, but his crossed arms and casual posture radiated certainty.
He trusted that his brother, as sharp as he was, would see the answer.
“A six-square-kilometer plot of land could be used to build factories, industrial zones, schools, residential districts… or just as easily, a military base,” Enciodes said slowly.
“On paper, it’s a normal commercial loan between the Kjerag government and a bank.
But Kazimierz and Victoria won’t believe that.
Even if it’s the truth, they’ll believe in a far more dangerous possibility.”
“That Columbia’s military has effectively bought influence within Kjerag, securing land at a strategic choke point between three nations to establish a foothold.
And when that happens, they will oppose it.
Fiercely.”
Ernest nodded.
This was a foreseeable outcome.
When Ernest refused or failed to repay the loan and the bank came to claim the land as stipulated, what awaited them would not only be the plainspoken people of Kjerag, but also the armed pressure of Victoria and Kazimierz.
At that point, any explanation would be futile.
No one would believe that a bank tied to the military could acquire such a sizable piece of land in such a sensitive region for a development that was completely “harmless” to the interests of the other two nations.
The ownership of the land would indeed be transferred, but all Columbia would truly obtain would be a stamped document.
They might never even lay eyes on what that land actually looked like.
“Why not choose Kazimierz?” Enciodes asked.
“Because Kazimierz’s merchants and soldiers are not aligned,” Ernest replied.
“Then why not Victoria?”
“Because Victoria is too strong.
They might actually march in,” Ernest said with a wry smile.
The only uncertainty in this grand deception was whether the loss of a purely commercial loan could provoke military intervention.
Victoria’s presence served as a safeguard.
Even if Columbia’s military were foolish enough to back a group of bankers, they would still have to consider whether they could afford to clash with Victoria.
And Kjerag, ironically, would be the most innocent party in all of this.
The Ernest administration would indeed be in breach of contract, having failed to repay the loan on time.
Yet it would also have transferred the pledged land in accordance with the agreement.
If Columbia lacked the means to take possession, how could that be blamed on Kjerag?
This was, after all, a legitimate commercial transaction.
The contract was honored.
If it could not be executed, that was the other party’s problem.
They could take it to court if they wished.
Oh, right.
Kjerag had no courts.
Judicial matters were decided by the Kjerag Saintess.
And the Saintess was his sister.
Enciodes pressed his lips together.
By now, he was almost convinced.
Yet one concern still lingered.
“Aren’t you worried about yourself?
If you do this, your reputation in Kjerag will… and your safety will also be at risk.
Once Columbia realizes what has happened, they won’t let it go.”
He was, after all, Ernest’s elder brother.
He could not simply watch him take such a risk.
But Ernest shook his head.
Of course he understood all of this.
This was a last resort.
After all, he had been born in Kjerag, a small and peculiar nation.
On this land, survival itself was a luxury, and development was never a gift.
For any nation to rise, it had to endure relentless struggles behind the scenes.
Countless sparks of civilization had already faded silently into the wilderness.
He did not want Kjerag to become one of them.
This place carried a long history, people as simple and sincere as those of his previous life, and a harmony worth protecting.
It was his second home.
So he shook his head, slowly but firmly.
“Once you sit in this position, there is only responsibility.”
“Better that I bear the burden than let the people suffer again.
Let the blame fall on me.”
“Trust me, brother.
A branch will not snap in the hands of a chameleon.”