The Fat Aristocrat Waltz in the Labyrinth - Chapter 44
Chapter 44:The fat aristocrat has money problems
“Money—I want money—everything in this world is about money.”
Mitrof muttered to himself.
As a nobleman, Mitrof was born into a life of restrictions. Even as a child, he received lessons every day without any time for play.
Even during meals, instructors sat beside him and lectured him on etiquette and food knowledge.
The books he was allowed to read were limited to historical books and biographies about the founding of the family. They were pieces of knowledge meant to be learned for education rather than entertainment.
As a nobleman’s etiquette, he learned dance, swordsmanship for duels, the management of the territory, and how to eat elegantly.
However, Mitrof was the third son.
The oldest son was supposed to inherit the noble family. The second son was there as a reserve and to support the oldest son. Being the third son meant that Mitrof was only a reserve of the reserve.
Despite being part of the Count family, Mitrof, as the third son with no noteworthy talents as a nobleman, was regarded as having no value. Over time, he became lazy, hopeless about his future, and simply repeated eating and sleeping, which ultimately led to him being kicked out of his house due to his laziness.
However, this became an opportunity for Mitrov to become an adventurer and lead a life where he could make all the decisions himself.
Freedom. It was a wonderful thing.
He could eat whatever he wanted whenever he wanted without caring about anyone’s opinions.
He could sleep until noon and snore all he wanted.
He could even confidently fart without being scolded by a teacher.
He wouldn’t even be slandered behind his back as a pig at a noble child’s tea party.
However, there was one problem.
‘I don’t have any money.’
“Ugh.”
Mitrov sat cross-legged on a shabby bed, calculating his finances.
“Is this how expensive it is to live?”
He sighed heavily, pinching the fat under his chin.
Life as a noble was indeed suffocating. He was restricted in everything and forced to do things he didn’t want to do. He was not regarded as an individual, but as the third son of the Count family.
However, he never had any financial problems.
There were always fresh and clean clothes, delicious food when hungry, and a soft bed with feathers. The room was always clean.
The necessities of life were perfectly provided for. This was the life of a noble.
Mitrov looked around again at his current state of dress, food, and lodging.
His clothes were made of scratchy hemp, bought from a thrift store, and the size was loose and ill-fitting. The rough material always irritated his skin, and the collar and hem were frayed. The yellowed stains around the neck remained even after washing.
On the edge of the bed, there was a half-eaten green apple. It was cheaply sold at a food stall, but it was dry on the inside and only tasted sour. Mitrov was astonished that such things were sold as fruit.
And then there was the room. It was unacceptable.
It was an inn for rookie adventurers partnered with the guild.
The room was small, the bed was shoddy, and no one cleaned it.
The walls were thin, and there was never any silence. Drunken men’s raucous voices, prostitutes’ moans brought in by someone, dark voices cursing their own situations, and so on. There was no quietness whatsoever.
Mitrof’s impression was that this was not a place for people to live. Perhaps his snoring was disturbing someone’s sleep as well. Yes, it was not good for either of them.
“I need to live in a better room.”
It was a wish and a declaration of intent.
Since leaving home, Mitrof hadn’t had the luxury of caring about his environment. He was too busy adjusting to the labyrinth, and his room was merely a place to sleep. The clothes were just there to get dirty.
But now, with an adventurer’s lifestyle, he has become accustomed to stability and tranquility. His attention turned to his surroundings.
And what should he find? What a terrible environment!
It was wrong to compare it to the life of a nobleman.
Mitrof, who admitted to being ignorant of the world, understood that.
Still, he could want a little bit more, couldn’t he?
“I want to sleep in a quiet and clean room. I want to eat delicious food until I’m full. I want silky sleepwear.”
Mentioning it made the desire even stronger. It was a craving.
Things that were naturally present until now are no longer in Mitrof’s hands.
From somewhere in the inn, angry screams can be heard, along with the sound of bottles breaking. Men are fighting.
Mitrof sighed.
On the bed, his money was sorted and arranged neatly.
When he was kicked out of the house, he was given some money. Former servants also pitched in and gave Mitrof some money. Although it was not a lot, he made some money as an adventurer.
He won’t be hungry anytime soon. However, he is not rich enough to choose a good inn.
Moreover, Mitrof realized
“I haven’t kept any accounts…”
The duty of a noble is to govern their territory well. Collect taxes from the people and pay them to the country. Accounting is important.
Mitrof has learned how to handle money since he was young.
Therefore, he understands the importance of it.
Accounting is significant.
How much money is coming in and what it is being used for.
He has to record the details. Otherwise, his money won’t accumulate. He won’t even know how much money he can spend freely.
“Okay, let’s keep accounts.”
Suddenly, there was a loud noise from somewhere in the room.