Chapter 67

Episode 67

#67. Seeds from the North (2)

Whether it’s the Empire or the Northern Region, the hardships of the poor are all the same. It’s just a difference between nature and monsters.

If the North suffers from harsh winters and food shortages, the Empire and Kingdoms endure constant food shortages due to noble exploitation.

While those in the North face threats to their lives from monsters and barbarians, citizens in the Empire and Kingdoms are endangered by endless wars.

Maybe suffering at the hands of fellow humans is even more soul-crushing than facing nature or savages.

And now winter has come to the lands south of the Northern Region.

Winter – not as severe as in the far North but still cold enough to make work scarce in the Empire.

Especially in the central-north region near the Northern frontier, where people struggle under noble oppression, trying to cut back on food and clothing just to survive.

Every year, there are countless deserters from minor fief conflicts and conscription escapees.

Such people overflow in the central-north regions of the Empire.

Because of this, Bishop Company can easily hire factory workers.

“Work! You bastards! If I’m feeding and housing you in this cold, you’ll work your asses off to repay me!”

Even late into the evening, hard labor continues under lamplight at the Bishop Company factory.

Cough… Cough… Cough…

Working in accommodations that resemble animal pens and factories that barely shield against the wind causes coughing sounds to echo everywhere.

But no one complains.

“You’re mostly former freed serfs, right? This should feel familiar! Just think of your master changing from a lord to a sir!”

Several years ago, the now aged and frail Emperor Solred freed the serfs – a great achievement that turned out to be a disaster without proper preparation.

Countless freed serfs flooded into cities, becoming vagrants. Especially during the cold winters, hundreds of corpses were found daily in city alleys and sewers.

“To you, Bishop Company and its owner Bishop Entaire are salvation itself.”

“The weekly wage is 20 copper coins. With full overtime, you can earn up to 35 copper!”

The pay was less than a third of Arad Company’s average wages, yet no one complained.

“There’s a 20 copper deduction for dormitory fees, break room usage, meals, and uniform rentals every week. So your actual weekly earnings will be up to 15 copper maximum.”

Since everything – food, sleep, even clothing – comes out of their wages, they have to pay most of their earnings back to the company.

Still, no one complains.

“Be grateful to Mr. Bishop Entaire who provides jobs in this cold winter! Where else can you find such safe and steady work these days?”

To someone from the North watching this scene, it might seem like an oppressive red-tinted exploitation, but relatively speaking, it’s still bearable.

People desperate for factory jobs always swarm around Bishop Company.

Thus, no one dares to complain.

“At High City, Arad Company seemed incomprehensible. So I’ve run my factory my own way…”

Looking around the factory, Entaire muttered with gleeful eyes.

“This is it! The most ideal factory setup.”

Entaire was confident that his factory’s pure profit would surpass Arad’s.

‘The most efficient system with zero waste!’

The specialized division of labor production revolutionized the empire.

Products from the factory maintained consistent quality while being produced in overwhelming quantities, reducing prices to one-fifth.

“Mr. Bishop! Are you here?”

As Entaire came for inspection, the factory supervisor hurried over, rubbing his palms.

“Get the employees to come greet me immediately…”

“Factory manager, remember what I said before? Use that time to do one more task instead!”

Recalling the impressive scene he saw at Arad Works, Entaire spoke sternly.

“A! Yes! Of course!”

Thanks to this, the workers could focus on their tasks without looking up even when the boss was walking nearby.

“Is this shipment going to Winter’s Territory?”

“Yes.”

Inspecting the factory, Entaire noticed arrows lined up on the finished goods rack.

“Since this is a hard-won military contract, don’t make any mistakes.”

“Of course.”

Using his natural instincts, Entaire focused on fields that could be mass-produced cheaply.

While swords were still difficult to mass-produce due to guild and artisan resistance, arrows were definitely possible.

‘Damn it, damn it. If only we could use this process to produce imperial steel weapons and armor much faster and cheaper…’

Though he had compromised with reality, he couldn’t help but lament the missed opportunities.

“Damn workshops, damn guilds, damn artisans…”

He cursed the closed-off and prideful imperial artisans and guilds in his mind.

Even if they secretly tried to produce items using imperial steel, the artisans’ secret techniques passed down orally were beyond reach for Entaire and Bishop Company.

Even if they somehow managed production, those powerful entities wouldn’t leave them alone.

‘The North is probably already manufacturing Northern Cold Iron in factories, right?’

He thought of the North unnecessarily.

Though he hadn’t seen weapon and iron production facilities, given what he knew about Arad and the North, they must have been prepared long ago.

‘If we could produce imperial steel and armaments cheaply and quickly, we’d gain overwhelming profits…’

Imperial steel had been famous since ancient times.

Its quality was similar to Northern Cold Iron, but its reputation far surpassed it.

However, it also required more time, processes, and costs to produce.

‘We could sweep through not just the empire, but even Badenheim and distant Eastern Continent! This would be Bishop Company’s signature spice!’

He regretted it not out of patriotism for the empire and royal family, but purely from a businessman’s perspective.

“Tsk, an opportunity will come eventually. Someday…”

Until then, he decided to focus on current affairs.

Clearing his thoughts, Entaire returned to reality, hearing the sounds of arrow production.

“Ah, wasn’t that the third son of the Saliman Baronage? Is he one of those going to High City?”

While inspecting the factory, Entaire suddenly asked another company executive following him.

“That’s correct. Besides the third son of the Saliman Baronage, the second son of the Betero Viscountage and A-rank mercenary Philip, known as the One-Armed Swordsman, are also scheduled to go to High City that day.”

All mentioned individuals had become disabled through combat, accidents, or duels.

As a merchant, Entaire had wide-ranging connections, allowing him easy access to these people.

“Lenslet will take care of things, but we must not make mistakes either.”

“I understand.”

Through this arrangement, Entaire secured both political and economic benefits along with his commissions.

“Let’s go.”

After roughly inspecting the factory, Entaire boarded his carriage with satisfaction.

Behind him, Carpe and Red Wolf provided security.

Wooosh~

The fierce winter wind swept through the factory building.

Carpe briefly glanced at the factory windows lit by fire and lamps.

Inside, people shivered in the cold night while working.

‘They get paid 35 copper per week for working like this?’

Watching this, Carpe felt nothing particularly remarkable.

‘The world has improved so much. A world where vagrants and paupers can safely and steadily earn money, even in the dead of winter.’

Considering how he’d brought people who would have otherwise died on the streets, fed them, housed them, and even paid them, it seemed quite commendable.

Having experienced Northern winters as a child and countless battlefields as an adult, Carpe viewed simply working safely(?) in this factory as a privilege.

On the contrary, what she saw at Arad Company in High City seemed stranger to her.

* * *

In this alternate world Arcadia, counterfeiting gold and silver coins was almost nonexistent.

This was because the magical technology to easily measure the purity of gold and silver had spread widely across the continent for a surprisingly long time.

By attaching four different attribute low-grade magic stones to an iron plate, a currency detector was complete.

Now, simply place gold and silver coins on this plate.

If gold light appears from gold coins, silver light from silver coins, and dark brown light from copper coins, it’s genuine.

Even during the Dark Ages equivalent of this world’s Cultural Revolution and the Mongol invasion/Iconoclasm period known as the Age of Barbarians, this magical technology survived unscathed.

Capitalism triumphed even over fanaticism and barbaric destruction.

“Also partly thanks to its overly simple and straightforward production method.”

I muttered while placing a gold coin and a silver coin on the currency detector.

Flash flash flash

“While checking, I replaced the magic stones embedded in the currency detector.”

“Why are you suddenly examining currency detectors, Mr.?”

Mary, who had been watching me silently until now, finally spoke up.

“Referring to why you’re suddenly doing this?”

“That’s right.”

“Because the empire has been too quiet lately.”

“Huh?”

“While we’ve been making too much money recently, hasn’t Bishop Company been similarly?”

I said while looking at the recent gold and silver coins delivered from the empire and Bishop Company.

“Yet it’s strangely quiet.”

“!!”

My words made Mary’s expression turn serious.

“So, I wondered if the empire might have sent large amounts of counterfeit currency. I would have done the same if I were Crown Prince Khanbraman.”

“Indeed, the empire would have plenty of reasons to do so.”

Mary nodded in agreement.

“What were the results of the inspection?”

“Surprisingly, they’re all real gold and silver coins. The copper ones too.”

“Should we consider ourselves lucky?”

“Lucky indeed. Though sending counterfeit currency would cause significant damage not just to us but to the empire as well.”

“The Bishop Company wouldn’t have sat idly by from the start anyway.”

“That’s true.”

“But as Mr. said, it is strange. The empire isn’t one to sit back and watch the North prosper…”

“The empire’s silence is frightening. Truly.”

“I agree.”

“Let’s just keep observing for now. There’s no point worrying endlessly about something that hasn’t happened yet.”

“We trust the knights of Lenslet and Frosthaven.”

“That’s right, we should.”

Saying this, I looked at the map hanging in the office.

The map depicted the entire Arcadia region, including the North and the Empire.

“Entaire’s doing better than expected.”

I focused particularly on the central-north region of the empire.

“There, we’ve planted our seed in the empire.”

“Amazing how quickly they’ve copied our factory system.”

I already knew well what Entaire did upon returning to the empire.

“Typical early stages of an industrial revolution in Europe.”

Arad Factory’s welfare system removed.

Naturally, it created an environment where the red plague could easily spread.

I couldn’t help but smile.

“When I finish writing the Magic Engineering textbook, I’ll publish this world’s red-flavored ideologies in book form using Bishop and Frosthaven.”

Using Bishop and Frosthaven to spread the red plague throughout the empire thrilled me.

With higher literacy rates in the empire compared to the north, it would burn even more fiercely.

“This is soft power.”

Whether republicanism or communism, anything that troubles the empire would be the ultimate check.

To me, Bishop Entaire is the ultimate hidden peace.

“By the way, Mary.”

While looking at the map, something came to mind, so I spoke to Mary.

“The portrait drawing is scheduled for two days from now.”

“…I’m aware.”

“Are you?”

“Yes.”

“You don’t need to feel too pressured. Everything went extremely~ well~ with His Highness the Duke.”

“Thank you.”

“?”

For some reason, she didn’t seem as delighted as I expected, but I let it slide.

She must be tired from balancing academy work and company duties lately.

“Still, it took longer than expected. Portrait drawing. I remember it was summer when we first got confirmation…”

“Yeah, why not just draw separately…”

“What did you say?”

“No, never mind. It’s truly exciting. Hahaha…”

“Right?”

The portrait drawing we decided last year kept getting postponed until the summer of the new year.

“Everyone’s been busy during this time.”

Had I not received Lady Ariana’s order to come for the portrait drawing, I probably would have forgotten about it entirely.

“It’s been a while since I properly used my MAX level art skill. Time to showcase it!”

Thinking about creating something after a long time made my hands itch.

“Damn, my hands are itching. I should practice before heading to High City. Need to develop oil paints too.”

Though it’s a miscellaneous skill, it’s still MAX level art and crafting skills.

Lately, I haven’t used them much while focusing on running the company.

“When cameras are invented later, this kind of fun will disappear, so enjoy it while it lasts.”

Honestly, all that’s needed is a camera made with magic engineering.

But that lacks romance.

“The masterpiece painting by the genius Arad Jin of the North. That’s romance.”

Above all, the artistic impact of paintings far surpasses others.

“I don’t know when I’ll leave here, but the paintings I pour my heart into will remain in this land for a long time along with storytelling. Like Earth’s Mona Lisa.”

Besides cooking, inventions, and business, now comes artistic achievements too.

Earth had such figures too – Leonardo da Vinci.

“Will people in this world someday view me as an enigmatic figure? I’ll surely appear as a regular trope in this world’s version of Surprise.”

That’s right. This is a kind of achievement work.

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