NOVGO.NET Chapter 23 Better call Axios
The next morning, Amos realized something important. His grandfather was still very much a dangerous man. Not a physical sense—well, probably that too—but more crucially, mentally. The proof sat across from him under the shade of the estate gardens, sipping tea as if nothing were amiss.
“Now then.”
Axios leaned back comfortably.
“The first thing every competent noble should learn is how to legally avoid taxes.”
“Grandfather.”
“What?”
“That is a crime.”
“It is only crime if you did a poor paperwork.”
Amos stared silently.
Across the table, Maria calmly continued reading a book without even reacting anymore while Ambrosia and Lisa are still sleeping.
Which somehow made this worse. Axios pointed toward Amos with absolute confidence.
“The kingdom taxes declared profit.”
“Yes.”
“So naturally you would declare less profit.”
“…"
“You distribute assets through secondary holdings, agricultural redistribution, merchant partnerships, and long-term land investments.”
Amos blinked slowly.
“That sounded like experience.”
“It is.”
Maria turned a page calmly.
“You made one accountant retire.”
“He lacked ambition.”
Amos buried his face into his hands briefly.
“Why are you teaching me financial crimes over breakfast.”
“Because your father doesn't teach you this kind of real-life solutions. I will teach you how to survive and thrive.”
“That is not reassuring.”
Axios leaned in slightly. “Listen closely, Amos. A true noble survives on three things.” He lifted one finger. “Connections.” A second finger. “Money.” And finally, a third finger. “Information.”
“That actually sounds reasonable.”
“Of course it does. I was an excellent Duke.”
Maria snorted softly from behind her book.
“You were not.”
“A successful businessman.”
Amos quietly accepted that this was unfortunately true.
Axios continued.
“For example.”
That word alone worried Amos.
“If you ever become suspicious of an official never investigate directly. Rather you investigate the people around them.”
Axios grinned slightly.
“Corrupt people rarely hide their greed well.”
Maria finally lowered her book slightly. “He once uncovered an entire bribery network because someone purchased expensive wine too frequently.”
“The official’s salary couldn’t support the purchases.”
“That was your clue?”
“No.” Axios smiled proudly.
“The clue was he suddenly started pretending to understand wine.”
Maria laughed quietly into her tea.
Amos stared at his grandfather in disbelief. “You really are a fox.”
“Correct.”
“And somehow your grandfather’s version of corruption is still more ethical than most nobles,” Maria added dryly.
“That feels deeply concerning for the empire.”
“It should.”
Axios pointed toward him again afterward.
“And another important lesson, never keep all your wealth in one place.”
“That at least sounds sensible.”
“Banks will fail. Nobles will betray each other. Kingdoms will collapse. Gold will disappear.”Axios shrugged casually.
“Only one thing will, and that is the land, it will survive.”
Amos leaned back slightly.
“That explains this estate.”
“Yes.”
The older man gestured toward the surrounding countryside. Fruit trees, open fields, and healthy livestock, with fresh water close at hand. Trade routes are nearby, and there’s no reliance on the politics of the capital.
Amos slowly looked around again.
“You really planned for everything.”
Axios smiled faintly this time. “No.”
The older man looked toward the distant fields beyond the gardens.
“I simply stopped trusting the chain.”
Silence settled briefly after that.
He sounded calmer saying it now.
Maria finally closed her book completely.
“You are teaching wrong things to our grandson again.”
“I am educating him.”
“You taught him money laundering first thing in the morning.”
“That is financial flexibility.”
“That is literally not the term.”
Amos rubbed his temples slowly.
“I feel like father would disapprove of this entire conversation.”
Axios immediately snorted. “Your father already knows most of it.”
“What.”
“He simply pretends otherwise.”
“That sounds sad.”
“Correct.”
Maria sighed fondly. “The Kyros men have always been troublesome.”
Axios looked offended. “I was beloved by the people.”
“You blackmailed three nobles simultaneously.”
“They deserved it.”
“That is not that good of a defense you think it is.”
Amos stared toward the sky.
“Why is this family like this.”
Maria smiled slightly.
“Genetics.”
“That explains nothing.”
***
Axios leaned back comfortably beneath the garden pavilion, tea in one hand while casually dismantling Amos’s mental stability with the other.
“As I was saying.”
“That sentence continues to concern me.”
“My academy days were glorious.”
Maria snorted softly from beside him. “You nearly got expelled twice.”
“That's the point, I didn't get expelled.”
“You started a many fights.”
“It built character.”
“It also caused property damage.”
Amos was beginning to understand exactly where certain personality traits in the family originated from.
Axios suddenly grinned.
“Still, I met one of my closest friends there. He became one of the wealthiest merchants in the kingdom.”
“That is nice.”
“He currently controls around sixty percent of southern grain trade.”
Amos blinked.
“What.”
“Also shipping.”
“Of course.”
“And textiles.”
“Naturally.”
“And apparently now magical tools somehow.”
“That sounds like a monopoly.”
Axios looked proud.
“He cried once because I beat him at cards.”
“That sounds unrelated.”
“It isa very important context.”
Maria sighed quietly. “The two of them were unbearable together.”
“We were visionaries.”
“You were not.”
Amos already disliked where this conversation was going, mostly because his grandfather suddenly looked far too amused.
“Grandfather.”
“Yes?”
“Why are you smiling like that.”
“Well.”
That word alone triggered survival instincts.
“Back then, during our academy years, we jokingly promised that if we both had children—”
“No.”
“—we would unite the families through marriage.”
“No.”
Maria calmly sipped her tea. “Oh dear.”
Amos immediately pointed accusingly.
“You knew about this.”
“Of course.”
“And nobody thought to mention this to me?!”
“It was mostly a youthful joke.”
Axios nodded proudly.
“A very fun thought.”
Ambrosia was entering the place forward with sparkling eyes.
“BROTHER HAS A FIANCÉE?”
“I DO NOT.”
Lisa looked equally stunned beside her.
“You might.” Axios replied
“I REFUSE.”
Axios ignored the emotional collapse entirely.
“Well, technically the original arrangement became impossible since your father already married.”
Amos visibly relaxed.
“But.”
“…Grandfather.”
“He now has a granddaughter, and she happens to be your age.”
“…"
“And apparently she’s extremely good with money.”
“…"
“And very beautiful according to rumors.”
“…"
“And—”
“Grandfather.”
“Yes?”
“Please stop trying to put the idea in my brain.”
Axios burst into loud laughter immediately.
“Hah! Your face!”
Maria finally intervened slightly.
“Stop bullying him.”
“I’m educating him.”
“You are bullying him.”
Amos stared into the distance like a man questioning existence itself. Ambrosia looked delighted beyond belief.
Maria set down her teacup afterward with perfect elegance.
“Personally, I already had another candidate in mind.”
Amos froze.
“Excuse me.”
Axios immediately looked interested.
“Oh?”
Maria nodded calmly.
“One of my former disciples has a daughter.”
“WHY ARE THERE MULTIPLE CANDIDATES.”
“She’s very intelligent.”
Amos buried his face into his hands.
“She also inherited excellent magical talent.”
“Oh no.”
“And unlike certain troublesome boys, she possesses proper manners.”
“That sounds targeted.”
“It was.”
Ambrosia looked between them excitedly.
“Wait.”
She pointed dramatically at Amos.
“Brother is being married off?”
Lisa hesitated quietly.
“Is this normal for nobles?”
Amos answered immediately.
“No.”
Axios answered at the same time.
“Yes.”
The two stared at each other. Axios grinned shamelessly.
“You should be grateful.”
“For what.”
“You have many options.”
“That sentence somehow made this worse.”
Maria looked thoughtful. “Though Elena would have been my first choice.”
Then Ambrosia slowly turned toward Amos with the expression of someone discovering forbidden knowledge.
“Oh.”
Lisa blinked repeatedly.
Axios suddenly looked enlightened. “Indeed.”
Maria looked genuinely pleased now.
“She really was lovely.”
Amos stood immediately.
“I am leaving.”
“Try it.” Maria gave him a very scary smile. Axios laughed so hard he nearly spilled his tea.
Ambrosia was fully collapsed against the table laughing while Lisa tried desperately not to join her and failed completely.