Faza and his party returned from Margrave Sugoera's estate a few days later. But they weren't alone. Trailing behind them was a complication Ryu hadn't expected: Associate Baron Elanza ¹. Ryu and Jiro traded a wary look.
The man had only just slunk away in disgrace a few days ago. The sheer gall it took for him to show his face here again was almost respectable.
Elanza marched into the manor with a plastered-on grin, chatting away with Faza. The moment he caught sight of Ryu and Jiro, he let out a derisive huff and disappeared inside without a word.
Ryu pulled his older brother, Tauro, aside to get the story.
"He spent the whole trip back kissing up to Dad," Tauro muttered, looking exhausted. "Praising the Landmark family's 'meteoric rise' and all that." Even Tauro, who usually tried to see the best in people, was clearly on edge.
Inside the study, the Associate Baron wasted no time on pleasantries once the doors were shut. He claimed this year's poor harvest had left his coffers empty and begged for a loan. Faza tried to refuse at first, but Elanza started playing the victim, tugging at Faza's notorious sense of pity. Before long, Faza was buckling. He agreed to "a small sum."
Honestly, Dad... you're a total pushover, Ryu thought.
He couldn't just sit back. As the one actually balancing the Landmark books, he wasn't about to let a "friendly loan" vanish into a black hole. Ryu bolted for the office.
He burst through the doors just as Faza reached for his coin purse.
"Father, wait!" Ryu shouted.
"To barge in while adults are talking business!" the Associate Baron snapped, his face flushing. "Lord Faza, your son is woefully undisciplined!"
Faza ignored the Baron entirely. "What is it, Ryu?" Faza asked.
"Even among friends, business is business," Ryu said, keeping his voice steady and cold. "If you're going to lend the Baron money, you need a formal IOU ² first."
"An IOU!?" Elanza stammered.
"The Associate Baron seems to find himself short on cash quite often," Ryu continued, staring the man down. "It must be embarrassing to keep asking for favors. By putting this on paper, we acknowledge the debt properly. It ensures both sides are clear on the repayment terms. For the sake of our future relations as neighbors, we need to keep things professional."
"You have a point, Ryu," Faza said, nodding slowly. "Draft the document."
"Right away," Ryu replied.
Ryu grabbed a sheet of parchment and a quill. His hand moved with the practiced ease of a man who had drafted a thousand high-interest contracts in another life.
"Now see here, Lord Faza!" Elanza blustered. "Are you really letting a child handle your legal affairs?"
"Ryu manages our internal ledgers," Faza said firmly. "He's the reason we're actually seeing a profit lately."
"That-that isn't the point-!" Elanza spluttered.
Ryu ignored the noise and finished the draft. "Sign here. Both of you."
Faza signed without a second thought. When the pen was handed to Elanza, the man hesitated, his fingers twitching with rage. Finally, he scrawled his name.
"There. The loan is officially on the books," Ryu said, looking the Baron in the eye. "We'll be by to collect on the due date. Don't forget."
Elanza's face twisted in a mask of pure frustration.
He clutched the gold and retreated as fast as his legs would carry him. He was out the front door before the ink on the contract was even dry.
Sebastian, the butler, watched the Baron's carriage disappear down the road. "Thanks to Young Master Ryu, we might actually see that money again," he murmured.
Tauro and the others crowded around Ryu, finally letting out their held breath.
"That's our kid brother!" Tauro laughed, clapping Ryu on the shoulder. "Seeing the look on that leech's face was the highlight of my week."
"Thank you, Ryu," Faza said, looking sheepish. "I suppose I do need to be a bit firmer. I'm glad you were there to step in."
Ryu nodded. With a legal contract signed, Elanza wouldn't be using the Landmark family as his personal ATM again anytime soon.
Now, I just need to tell the maids to break out the salt... Just as the thought crossed his mind, a maid appeared with a ceramic jar. She began vigorously sprinkling salt across the entryway where the Baron had stood, performing a silent purification ritual ³.
...Our staff is damn good, Ryu thought, flashing the maid a silent thumbs-up as she worked.
Trivia:
- Elanza had previously left in disgrace.
- Tauro was also suspicious of the flattery.
- Ryu's role as CFO/ledger manager is officially recognized by Faza.
- The salt-sprinkling is a purification ritual to ward off the 'bad luck' of the Baron
Character Insight:
Ryu demonstrates that his protective nature over his new family is intertwined with his old-world ruthlessness regarding debt. Faza acknowledges his own weakness in negotiation, showing potential for growth.
Behind the Scenes:
The salt-sprinkling (morio-jio) is a common Japanese superstition often seen in Yakuza media to 'purify' a space after an unwanted visitor leaves.
TL Notes:
1 ↩ Associate Baron: A specific rank within this world's peerage, likely equivalent to a Baronet or a lower-tier noble.
2 ↩ IOU (Shakuyousho): A formal debt acknowledgment document. In this context, it legally binds the noble to repayment.
3 ↩ Purification Ritual: Refers to shio-maki, the act of sprinkling salt to ward off evil spirits or bad luck brought by a person.
Notes:
• Elanza - Associate Baron (Jun-danshaku) of a neighboring territory. 36 years old, black hair in a pompadour style, wears flashy clothes and has a mustache.
• Faza - The Lord of the Landmark Domain. A slender but sturdily built man with red hair and brown eyes.
• Jiro - Ryu's second older brother. He has the 'Priest-Warrior' skill, combining martial arts with healing magic.
• Sugo - Captain of the territorial guards. Responsible for teaching martial arts. Large, grim-faced, and protective of Ryu.
• Ryu - Formerly Yokohama Ryusei, a yakuza. Reincarnated as the third son of the Landmark family. Has red hair and blue eyes. Possesses memories of his previous life and the ability to see names of objects.
• Tauro - Ryu's older brother. The eldest son of the Landmark family. He has the 'Knight' skill and is proficient in various melee weapons. Described as kind and supportive of his younger brother.
• Kei - Grandmother of Ryu. Member of the Landmark Knight Family.
• Sebastian - The family's elderly, white-haired butler who has served since the grandfather's generation. Highly knowledgeable.