Imperial Crown.

Chapter 633 You Have a Plan Too?
Many thanks to Qidian user [Book Friend 20231026094803068] for the 1000 reward!

……

However, Raven disagreed with some of the things Vesdon said.

Yes.

Aunt Denise is indeed a bit stingy. In layman's terms, she's miserly.

But that's because Denise was just an ordinary woman from childhood. She wasn't a princess born into nobility, nor was she the daughter of a merchant family. She was just an ordinary girl born into a free family. She had neither resources nor background; all she possessed was her beauty, which in this cruel world was utterly insignificant, even akin to a sin.

Her rise to prominence was the result of her childhood experience spinning and weaving, her delicate hands worn raw, bleeding, scabbing over... then worn raw again, bleeding again, until finally rough calluses formed. It was all accumulated, one copper coin at a time.

We have certainly taken some shameful detours.

After accumulating her first fortune, she bought beautiful clothes and cosmetics, began to dress herself up, and became a socialite. First, she ingratiated herself with businessmen, then she climbed the social ladder. But in this cutthroat world, a woman had no other way to transcend class barriers or change the fate of her next generation.

The problem wasn't her, it was the world.

She truly experienced poverty and hardship... She tasted bitterness... She rose from the mud, the swamp, the cesspool... Relying on her indomitable spirit, her relentless determination, and her unyielding will... She fought her way to becoming a great heroine step by step.

Therefore, she is stingy and miserly.

To be honest, if Raven weren't a nobleman, but just an ordinary person who could only marry one wife, he definitely wouldn't marry Nancy or Lux; he would only marry Danes.

Because Raven had a clear understanding that only a woman like this could manage his entire household, accumulate his initial capital, and build up substantial wealth for the next generation.

Nancy is extravagant and cannot endure hardship.

Lux can endure poverty, but she has virtually no concept of money.

Denise was the most greedy and obsessed with making money.

This is the greatest helper for a man from the bottom on his road to success.

Even now, if it weren't for Denise managing the territory, the economy would have collapsed long ago. It wouldn't be thriving to this day. Raven is always spending money extravagantly and is constantly away fighting wars, so he's barely managed the territory. Many people probably don't understand the concept of raising an army or waging war. To put it simply, saving 100 million gold coins would typically take a normal viscount 10 years. But if there's a war, it'll be gone in a year.

The reason Raven was able to be so carefree and raise such a large army was all thanks to the silent support of his aunt Denise.

Fiona, while not bad herself—even more ruthless to the serfs than Raven, having once considered feeding them sawdust—had a far inferior business acumen compared to her aunt. In other words, she could only cut costs, not generate new revenue.

It's worth noting that the Angel's Tears icon was designed by Aunt herself. While Raven's invention of the taste certainly contributed to Angel's Tears' immense popularity across the continent, Aunt's simple yet elegant design also resonated deeply with people. Most importantly, it captured the nobles' yearning for beauty and prestige. Like Cupid's arrow, it struck their hearts instantly.

Another example is the scam perpetrated by the Kingdom of Podomichrie. If it were my aunt, she would never have fallen for it.

All of this is enough to show that Fiona is not as good as her aunt Denise.

How could Raven not love his aunt deeply?
"Master, why do we have to earn 300 million gold coins first?" Thor asked earnestly from the side. "Is there a reason for this?"

The others also looked on with curiosity.

雷文呵呵一笑，总不能告诉他自己要跟死亡之手合作买法阵吧？信口胡诌的淡淡道：“伱知道吗？”“我做过一个研究。”“一个人想要攒钱，必须从3开始。”“3铜币。”“3银币。”“3金币。”“30金币。”“300金币。”“3000金币。”“30000金币。”“然后才是30万、300万……”“否则是不可能攒下钱的。”

Silence fell over the room. Though puzzled, everyone was deeply shocked. "No wonder I haven't been able to save any money!" "So that's it!" Thor exclaimed, his eyes shining.

"Ugh"

Raven sighed inwardly, speechless. More tithes to pay. More fifth-tier antidote for Simon. Each of these would cost hundreds of thousands of gold coins!
In this materialistic world, money always seems to be never enough.

I'm short of money...

"Link"

Raven coughed lightly, put his feet down, stood up, and said, "Later, you go to the Noble Council and spend some money to spread the word through their channels in every province. Say that I, Raven, am hosting the seventh 'Raven Arena Tournament.'" "It's limited to ranks 1-4, with different areas for each rank. Anyone who can persist for 10 days will receive a reward of 100 million." "Persist for 20 days, and the reward is 200 million." "Persist for 30 days, and you'll be the champion, receiving a reward of 300 million!"

"what??????"

Everyone was utterly shocked upon hearing this. They all stared at Raven with looks that said, "Are you crazy?"

Thor immediately said, "Master, may I participate?!"

Viston, standing nearby, exclaimed anxiously, "Brother, what's the difference between this and giving money away?!"

Raven scanned everyone in the room with his gaze, his eyes deep and unfathomable, and said in a low voice, "I advise you not to participate."

"Hyena" Raven continued, "Later, go to Goldshire, find Philip, and have him pay for two sets of 100 large banner ads."

One of them reads:

Simply survive in the wilderness for 30 days in the competition and you'll receive a reward of 3,000,000! (A coin-like icon will be drawn next to this image.)

Then, in extremely small print in the bottom right corner, it says: "The final interpretation of the Raven Tournament rests with Viscount Raven. The 300 million refers to merit points, not gold coins."

Everyone: "..."

“Uh…” “Isn’t this a bit shameless?” the hyena couldn’t help but say from the side.

"Shameless?"

Raven chuckled. He had even more shamelessness in store. He wasn't stupid; why would he give these people gold coins? Even if ten survived, that would still be 30 million gold coins! Where was he going to get that much money? He'd just give them some merit points to live a life of debauchery within his territory. Of course, he could also exchange them for a small amount of gold coins, at most 100,000. The value of merit points depended entirely on Raven's mood. A bottle of wine might cost 10,000 merit points, and a room for a day 20,000. Before long, the 3 million merit points would be gone.

"One more to write:"

All nobles and their relatives who come to watch the Raven Arena will receive a free "Invincible Potion".

Then, in the bottom right corner, in extremely small print, it says—"Invincibility" is the goal of the drug's development.

"..."

Everyone was utterly speechless. They never imagined advertising could be done like this… Raven truly is… a genius.

Seeing the expressions of deep admiration on everyone's faces, Little Bee's vanity was greatly satisfied. He had long said that with his business acumen and economic skills, he would have been rich long ago if Habs hadn't been making things difficult for him! Then Raven smiled, revealing his red lips and white teeth: "Make sure Philip makes more. If he doesn't have enough money, tell him to go to Fiona." "Then we'll plaster it all over the streets and alleys of the three northwestern provinces."

Didn't Mr. Krabs say that he, Raven, had exhausted the people of the Nord Province? Let's see how he can attract the entire empire with a little trick.

Raven could foresee that it wouldn't be long before the entire Nord province was overcrowded.

When people arrive, money naturally follows.

Moreover, apart from the Northwest, war is raging everywhere else, and these people are desperate for a place to stay. As for the mercenaries, bounty hunters, and numerous cultivators, Raven only needs to reveal a tiny bit of profit between his fingers to attract countless heroes from all over the world. Like koi fish in a pond, they scramble forward, one after another, even if it means getting hurt, just to avoid being left behind.

This is the terror of those in power and the allure of those in high positions. "Besides Link," "Eric, go see Lairenning later too." "Use the Lord of Light's channels to spread the news of the tournament." "The Lord of Light has organizations in various human empires and even the entire continent. Spending a little more money and giving some kickbacks is only fair."

To make money, you have to spend money first. Raven has invested at least 4 million gold coins in this 7th Tournament. Conservatively speaking, he can recoup 10 million. On the bright side, he might even get back 17 million gold coins. Of course, this will require some other methods. For example, developing more Angel's Honey series, or Angel's Feather, etc.

Raven had already planned everything.

Lairenning is, after all, a fifth-tier powerhouse. Sending either Vesdon or Thor would be somewhat inappropriate; sending Eric would demonstrate Raven's high regard for him.

“Oh right,” Raven pondered for a moment, then added, “Besides the Raven Arena, I’m also going to hold a talent competition. Singing, dancing, animal taming, acrobatics… the winner will receive a reward of one hundred million.” “Same format as the Arena.” “Link will go to the Noble Council later. Eric will go to the Holy See. Thor will go to the mercenaries.” “Spread the news as quickly as possible through these three methods.”

"People from all over the continent are welcome to participate."

"This will be an unprecedented event on the continent of Middlesex."

Not everyone is interested in bloody and brutal activities. There are nobles who enjoy the arts and culture. For example, the Grand Duke of Vanilla of Eivor was once very fond of appreciating the arts. Moreover, nobles usually bring many family members and relatives, and these women might be more interested in talent shows.

Especially those aristocratic ladies who rarely leave their homes. The contrast is striking; they spend money like crazy.

"Yes"

Everyone took orders one after another.

“Uh…” Vesdon hesitated for a moment, then asked, “Brother…” “You mentioned the three northwestern provinces earlier, but the province of Molinier is not in our hands.” “This matter should not be delayed.” “If it is delayed too long, things may change. What if Serafinu changes his mind and refuses to give Molinier to us?”

"Tsk," Link clicked his tongue. "Yeah." "But Earl Jonah... this won't be easy."

"Hmph," "I have a plan."

The hyena snorted coldly, its eyes gleaming with a chilling light.

“Huh?!” (àn)

"You have a plan too?!"

Upon hearing this, Raven's face showed a shocked expression, and he exclaimed in horror.

Everyone looked at the hyena in surprise.

The hyena was a little embarrassed. "I've been following you, sir, for so long." "Haven't you ever seen a pig run even if you haven't eaten pork?" "Of course, I have some schemes in my heart."

"Please go on," Raven said, intrigued.

The hyena pretended to ponder for a moment, then said, “Let’s use this tournament as an excuse. Summon Count Jonah, and have axemen outside. Your Excellency only needs to smash the cup as a signal, and we will rush in and chop him into mincemeat.”

Raven nodded. "Not bad." "Pretty good." "Much better than I expected." "I thought you were going to say you'd ride a dragon over and kill them all with one breath."

"but"

“I absolutely cannot kill Jonah now.” “I killed so many nobles before, and I had the war as an excuse.” “Now that the war is over, I’m branded a regicide.” “If I attack nobles again, my reputation will be completely ruined.” “No one will dare to ally with me.” “In other words,” “my reputation back home is so low that I can’t even buy a shared bicycle.” “I can’t even borrow a power bank.”

"This plan is not bad, but it won't work."

Raven offered a relatively fair assessment. With a little encouragement, perhaps the hyena might actually develop some wisdom. To be honest, killing so many nobles before—that debt would have to be settled sooner or later. Although he'd seemingly gotten past the Empire, he still hadn't gotten past the Holy See. He bore the stigma of regicide, yet he hadn't declared himself king, paying such a price. While Serafinu, representing the Imperial Cabinet, hadn't pursued the matter further, the Holy See still would. Those nobles, after all, had been appointed by the Holy See. Unlike Tyrone, he wasn't simply dead. Naturally, death absolves all debts.

This is the real world.

If Raven were to continue his mass killings of nobles, or even harm counts like Jonah, the Church of Light would surely consider Raven a heretic.

Next time, it probably won't be as simple as just scaring people.

“Eric,” Raven asked, “what are your thoughts?”

"Um--"

Eric frowned and pondered, "If we can't do it openly, then we'll have to do it covertly." "After Conrad and Comos died, only Earl Jonah is left in power in the province of Morlinier." "In my opinion," "we should support a few more viscounts in the province of Morlinier and let them fight each other like dogs with Jonah. That way, when Jonah dies, it won't concern us."

"This is a great plan!"

Upon hearing this, Raven's eyes lit up with admiration. He clapped his hands and shouted.

Everyone praised it.

This made Eric quite proud, but he waved his hands repeatedly, feigning humility. However, the smile on his face was quite radiant.

"but"

To be honest, Raven was quite pleased. Eric's scheme had reached a new level, gradually demonstrating his ability to control a region. However, Raven still poured cold water on his enthusiasm, freezing Eric's smile on his face. "This plan is brilliant, but the risk is too great." "Have you considered supporting a few viscounts?" "Two? They're probably no match for Jonah." "Three? They'd only be on par with Jonah." "Five? The investment is too large, and the outcome is unpredictable." "Each viscount requires an investment of 1 million gold coins, so five viscounts would cost 5 million." "If it fails or they turn against us, we'll end up with nothing."

"Well…"

Upon hearing this, some nodded in agreement, some fell into deep thought, and some rubbed their chins...

“I have a plan.” “We can defeat Jonah without losing a single soldier.” “Would you gentlemen believe me?”

Raven sat back down on the sofa, a playful smirk on his face. "If you don't believe me, you can place a bet." "If I, Raven, can't do it, I'm willing to pay ten times the amount." "If I were you, I'd bet ten thousand gold coins, even if it meant going bankrupt." "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." "Normal betting odds are at most 1 to 2.1, or 1 to 3.6. Mine is a direct 1 to 10." He had no choice; he was desperately short of money. For the past eight or nine years, he'd barely made any money, barely surviving on just one product, Angel's Tears. Without his involvement, the Angel's Honey he developed tasted terrible. Angel's Feathers weren't selling, and he'd been swindled out of a large sum of money. He had no choice but to resort to this despicable tactic, squeezing every last drop of wealth from his trusted confidants.

What kind of person can be a boss?

That's the kind of person who can make people willingly part with their money. Someone who notices even the smallest thing. And then there's someone like Raven—someone who doesn't hesitate to scheme against even their own family.

"I'll bet 3000 gold coins."

Vesdon was the first to speak, taking out gold coins and placing them on the desk.

Raven chuckled. It was clear he still harbored resentment over the 3000 gold coins he should have received as a child for charging into battle, which Raven had withheld.

"300", "1000", "500"...

Following his bet, Eric, Link, Hyena, Thor, and others also placed their own bets.

They simply couldn't believe that Raven could take down a provincial earl without firing a single shot. Raven wasn't human; he was practically a god!
After much deliberation, everyone felt it was impossible.

Raven smugly pocketed all the money into his storage ring, laughing heartily, "Just wait and see, everyone!"

……

(End of this chapter)