"When I owe the bank hundreds of thousands, I can only obediently be a 'good grandson'.
"But the day I am deemed worthy of owing the bank and various creditors tens of billions, I will be able to turn things around and become the 'grandfather'.
"They all fear that I might accidentally meet some mishap, turning this investment and debt into bad debt.
"By then, we will no longer be looked down upon as beggars, but as noble... Debt Daddy.
"The whole world will rejoice at my happiness and rage at my anger, dancing along with me!
"Besides, I've only played the 'hoarding' card so far. I haven't yet resorted to potent weapons like the presale system, shared public areas... and so on. Well, let's leave those aside for now."
Though Byron's official role was that of a lawful evil pirate, he always felt more uneasy doing this sort of thing than straightforwardly robbing in broad daylight.
"Brave ones express their anger by drawing swords against the stronger. Cowards draw their swords against the weaker."
I feel perfectly justified in fleecing those Remit People and the major powers who devour others without spitting out the bones. The more I scam, the more capable I prove myself. But as the so-called Sea Evil Dragon, my blade should only be aimed at the strong.
With this thought in mind, he did not forget to instruct Catherine, who was excitedly counting a dozen bank deposit slips behind him,
"Sis, add one more item to the benefits in our territory. We should provide basic housing for those permanent settlers on the island.
"The conditions may not be very good, but it's a start to go from nothing to something.
"If they desire better conditions in the future, they should strive for it with their own hands, but at least they should have the guarantee of basic public welfare."
Although Catherine felt somewhat pained to allocate some of the gold coins they had only recently obtained, she would never refuse Byron's requests.
"Okay, when I get back to the Governor's Mansion, I'll set up a housing security department and allocate a budget for them."
Having become one of the property owners on the island, Michal had dispatched quite a workforce to begin leveling the land and initiating construction.
Even a large group of bonded slaves from the Old Continent who arrived by ship were hurriedly put to work.
It was clear they didn't want to waste a single day.
Not until the slave ship was returning and the harbor grew distant did an assistant cautiously remind Michal, Find the newest release on NoveI[F]ire.net
"Mr. Michal, I originally came to collect a debt, right? But is it really okay to pour all the company's liquid capital and slaves into this island?
"If this turns out to be a lost cause, we won't be able to explain ourselves."
Hearing this, Michal slapped his somewhat overheated head, suddenly realizing,
"You're right. These bonded slaves were meant for Tayman Brak Island next door, and there's a penalty for delayed delivery.
"Quick, quick, let's go back and bring back another ship of slaves—no, two ships! One for Tayman Brak and one for here.
"This will apply to all goods from now on. We have to rush to stock up to catch this opportunity.
"We also need to go back and find more Remit companies to settle in Georgetown Harbor.
"I bet this land will continue to rise in value, surge even. The more we buy, the more we earn.
"It's time for Michal to take advantage again!"
In the following days, the throughput of ships at Georgetown Harbor quietly increased more than tenfold.
Under the active lobbying of the Newman Family and Michal, the response from major powers was even more enthusiastic than Byron had initially anticipated.
Each employing their unique methods and flying the banners of Hightins, they evaded the eyes and ears on the high seas and rushed towards Georgetown one after another.
Hightins, Irisflower Kingdom, Netherland, the Rhein Alliance... these were the maritime powerhouses rising up to chase after Castilia.
The Bloodthirsty Cult, the Remit People, various multinational armed colonial companies, and even the colossal Lighthouse Union... among other unofficial civilian organizations.
Every organization worth its name had a piece of the action.
The land parcels not yet sold on the billboards were snapped up in the blink of an eye.
Georgetown Port, whose development stage was still very limited, suddenly became a bustling construction site.
Under the insistent demands of numerous wealthy clients waving their Gold Coins, Governor Byron had no choice but to reluctantly open the second phase of the project on the third day, thereby avoiding the misfortune of having the Governor's Mansion doorstep trampled.
While tearfully accepting box after box of shiny little darlings, he also had to endure the miserable experience of counting money until his hands cramped.
In essence, the unspoken rule was that not a single moneybag could escape the Tayman Archipelago in one piece.
These organizations also knew that they were competing with the People of Castilia for a share of the meat, so they did not make too much fanfare, but the personnel sent to set up the advance camps were all truly elite forces.
Byron and Catherine's Gold Coins, as well as their sense of security, grew with each passing day.
The massive infrastructure projects, and the resulting markets for labor and raw materials, indirectly made all the vassals in the Earldom extremely wealthy.
"Turns out real estate is indeed the fastest way to make money. However, dealing with those old foxes is genuinely exhausting. It makes me feel it would be better to have a fight out at sea."
"You should be content."
The two of them had been busy meeting representatives from all sides during this period, and their connections expanded to cover the entire upper class of Banta'an.
Especially worth mentioning was Byron's encounter with the Special Envoy from the Irisflower Kingdom, who had also acquired a significant plot of land in Georgetown—Magnyra.
A shrewd and competent beauty who was still charming, and her status was not as simple as just a Special Envoy.
Though not entitled to bear the Valois name, she was the illegitimate daughter of the current King of the Irisflower Kingdom of the Valois Dynasty, King Charles VII, also known as the 'Victory King.'
'Victory King' Charles VII not only led the Irisflower Kingdom to defeat Hightins and win the Hundred Years' War.
He was also the maternal uncle of Byron's uncle, the 'Mad King' Henry VI, and of Byron's father, Prince Sorrenberg. This made Charles VII Byron's granduncle.
According to their blood relation, this Magnyra would be Prince Sorrenberg's cousin and Byron's aunt.
Of course, blood relations are blood relations, and national interests are national interests.
It was uncertain what attitude this granduncle and newfound aunt would hold towards Byron if they knew he was still alive.
Therefore, apart from official activities, Byron was not yet prepared to have too much in-depth contact with her.
Byron, looking at the foreign embassies being prioritized near the Governor's Mansion, muttered to himself,
"As a mature noble and politician, negotiation and compromise are forms of art. If you want to obtain something, you must first give something. If you lack real ability and can only rely on borrowed forces, then even victory will inevitably come at the cost of the nation's interests. However, after developing quietly for so long, I will soon secure my own base amidst the great powers. Next, watch my maneuvers!"