Chapter 87

Episode 87

#87. The North’s Gratitude (2)

It was around sunset when the tour finally ended.

“Sharing not only machinery sales but also various know-hows! We will surely repay Mr. Jin’s trust!”

In a warm atmosphere, we wrapped up the contract and negotiations faster than you can say “bean paste.”

Though most conditions favored us, the executives of Entaire Bishop Company signed off on anything major out of fear I might change my mind.

“Yeah, I trust only Bishop Company.”

“Trust us alone. Using the four divine tools given by Manager Jin, we’ll make the empire as noisy as possible!”

After shaking hands firmly, Entaire and I parted ways.

The next morning.

After just signing the contract, Entaire rushed back to the capital with Red Wolf since the coronation date was looming.

“Manager.”

“What is it, Mary?”

“The Duke wishes to see you urgently.”

“Huh? Let’s go then.”

“He requested you come alone.”

“Hmm…?”

And right after Entaire left, I was summoned to the Palace of Glory.

“Count Arad Jin.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

I stood before the pure white throne for the first time in a while.

On either side were the ministers and high knights of High City along with magicians.

It was an imperial council meeting.

* * *

“I heard you sold those steam engines, spinning machines, and looms to Entaire Bishop.”

“Along with sewing machines.”

“How about the sales price?”

“Since Bishop Company was short on funds, we agreed to receive royalties.”

“Royalties?”

“Yes. We’ll get a percentage of the revenue generated from those machines. In the long run, this will be a profitable deal.”

High City, more specifically Grand Duke Ariana, rarely interfered in what I did.

But this time was different.

Anyone could see that the four divine tools – steam engine, loom, spinning machine, and sewing machine – were incredibly valuable items.

Even without magical engineering, they required impressive mechanical engineering that couldn’t be ignored.

“Therefore, when you made this contract with Entaire…”

Ariana must have felt she couldn’t just sit by and watch.

“Especially the steam engine is dangerous. If the empire secretly uses them like we plan to use them with northern cold iron and weapon production…”

She probably wanted to hear at least why I judged this way.

‘With the ministers of High City present too. Are they asking me to persuade and explain here? What thoughtful consideration indeed.’

I understood why they didn’t ask through Mary or letters but called me directly to the imperial council meeting.

They were giving me a chance to explain face-to-face.

Because once misunderstandings and suspicions pile up, they’re hard to resolve.

“The more spinning machines, looms, and sewing machines spread, the better. Steam engines are no exception.”

“Please continue explaining.”

“Steam engines require lots of coal and low-grade magic stones. It greatly helps the finances of the mineral-rich north.”

“That’s still insufficient.”

“Porcelain and Arad salt are the limits the empire can tolerate. Here, I mean the entire Laigoite Empire, not just the royal family.”

“…”

“If we monopolize the steam engine, both the royal family, aristocratic council, church, merchant guilds, and all factions will oppose the north. The empire will unite against our common enemy, the north.”

“Um…”

I gave Ariana yesterday’s explanation to Entaire along with additional details.

I didn’t mention arcanepunk or steampunk roots. They wouldn’t understand even if I explained now.

“Initially, with the manpower, capital, and geographical position of the north, we can’t monopolize these anyway.”

My explanation continued.

“As previously reported, Arad Company has contracted to receive thirty percent of the revenue from the four devices from Bishop Company over five years.”

From now on, economies of scale will begin.

While porcelain could be somewhat monopolized somehow, clothing and textiles are different stories.

The north wasn’t large enough to dominate the continental clothing market.

“This will bring an immense fortune to the north far beyond what porcelain or Arad salt could provide.”

“You said you’d take part of their revenue, but what if they lie about it?”

“They won’t. Entaire values credit highly. He knows very well that this contract is a kind of test.”

“Test?”

“Yes. A test showing that if they maintain good credit, they can receive our latest equipment and technologies similarly in the future.”

“Hmm… But isn’t there a risk of the machines in Bishop Guild being stolen? Or taken by imperial order?”

Still puzzled, Ariana asked.

“Even if the emperor gets his hands on the steam engine and spinning machine, it doesn’t matter. In fact, it’s better.”

“Why?”

“It helps stabilize prices through industrialization.”

What I hope for from the empire is the same role China played on Earth: lowering global prices with productivity while becoming a massive consumer market—just to that extent.

Something Lenslet, with its small population, could never achieve.

‘And this China is already internally fractured? This is completely lucky…’

Thinking this, I glanced around the people in the court, but their expressions remained unchanged.

‘They don’t seem to understand at all.’

The problem is that this doesn’t resonate with people of this era.

So, I started persuading from a slightly different angle.

“And anyway, the royal faction won’t be able to use those machines anytime soon. Because the empire’s master craftsmen and guilds finance the royal family.”

“The emperor could ban factory operations by royal decree.”

“They won’t be able to ban it. If they do, they’ll have to bear the fierce opposition of the aristocratic council and the church who would lose massive profits. The empire would have to prepare for civil war.”

The most infuriating thing in the world is taking something away after giving it.

“Imperial civil war…”

“Yes, the empire has many enemies not only externally but internally. Oh, correction: not the empire, but the royal family.”

The imperial aristocratic council and the church lost much power due to the liberation of serfs in the past.

They’ve been recovering recently through Bishop Company, and banning this would be impossible even for the royal family.

“Still, I’m worried that our technologies will be quickly replicated in the empire.”

“Surely the empire will create similar devices soon. But by then, the market will already be dominated by our north and Bishop Guild.”

The domestic market of the north had clear limits, and inevitably, we had to export.

As the empire’s market grows, the share the north takes will naturally grow as well.

Thus, for the sake of market expansion, the empire needs a half-baked industrial revolution and mutant steampunk.

“But still… thinking about how the empire’s industry and economy will grow because of these four things makes me uneasy.”

“Actually, that’s exactly what I aimed for, Your Majesty.”

“Huh?”

“The power gained from such growth won’t be distributed only to the royal family and Bishop Guild.”

There’s nothing like desire to cause division, Your Majesty.

‘We mustn’t let all desires point toward the north. If they do, the north will be torn apart.’

‘Aggro dispersion. There’s nothing more important than this right now.’

Redirect desires toward the empire itself.

And currently, the most effective way to stimulate these desires is the equipment I leaked to Entaire this time.

“Steam engines, looms, spinning machines, and sewing machines are a kind of plague. A plague that will cause division and polarization within the empire.”

“…?”

When I mentioned “plague,” Ariana’s expression changed curiously.

“By ‘plague,’ do you mean something like republicanism that Lord Arad talked about before? Like the Feise Republic of the Kingdom Union?”

“If Entaire Bishop develops properly, a stronger civilian force than Feise, a nation of merchants, will emerge within the empire.”

To weaken and decline the empire, some growth is necessary.

‘Democracy doesn’t start until GDP hits ten thousand dollars.’

The empire will grow. But the grown empire won’t unite; it will divide.

Like some countries on Earth that became economic superpowers but fell into decay due to various polarizations and conflicts.

“Hmm…”

By this point, Ariana seemed mostly convinced.

“Dangerous, but this seems to be the best option.”

“Lord Arad’s words make sense.”

The surrounding ministers reacted similarly.

“I trust Lord Arad. But I’m still uneasy. There’s a saying: when the tiger leaves, wolves ravage.”

She wasn’t entirely at ease yet.

Wouldn’t the grown Entaire and imperial merchants devour the royal family someday and threaten the north further? Ariana couldn’t shake this concern.

“Don’t worry, Your Majesty. Before he becomes the ruler of the empire, we can nurture another power.”

“Another power?”

“We have the aristocratic council, the Kingdom Union, the Golden Mage Tower. And soon, the new emperor too.”

“Rather, I think strengthening the imperial church would be better.”

When I mentioned the emperor, Ariana openly frowned.

“Then what about Julian, who just became the imperial crown prince?”

“Hmm… Julian?”

At the mention of Crown Prince Julian, Ariana relaxed her furrowed brow.

‘If we consider dangerous elements, Julian is more dangerous than Khanbraman.’

Recalling Julian from the original history,

he was an excellent emperor worthy of the title “Compassionate Julian,” with even more seasoned ruling skills than his father.

Of course, now the prevailing opinion is that he’s weak, so even Ariana lets her guard down.

Anyway, when Entaire charges forward with steampunk, there’s no better royal family member to balance him than Julian.

* * *

Last year, after holding the funeral for the late Emperor Solred, winter arrived.

It felt inappropriate to hold the coronation during winter, so the period was filled with events honoring the long-reigning emperor.

Spring returned, weather softened, and the palace was fully occupied preparing for the coronation.

Numerous envoys from across the continent flocked to the capital.

During this time, even wars paused, and grudges were temporarily set aside.

This included envoys from the north.

“Can’t the sorcerers and witches of the north unleash a powerful plague on the empire?”

“That’s reasonable.”

Gard, head of the Rune Trading Company and representative of the northern envoy delegation, frowned deeply and glared at the source of the voice.

“Phil! This is the imperial palace. Please choose your words carefully.”

President Entaire Bishop quickly reprimanded him.

“Ahem! It’s fine. Fortunately, the soundproof magic device is working well.”

“So? Then we can speak freely, right?”

“Are you trying to make a mistake somewhere else?!”

“Be careful! Be careful! So, why aren’t we doing it? The plague talk.”

Ignoring the serious looks from Gard and Entaire, Karpe, known as Phil, shrugged and persisted with her questioning.

“It’s ridiculous what the empire does. They pretend to be clean and noble on the surface but secretly collude with dark wizards to spread plagues! And yet they look down on us northerners as plague-ridden!”

She clearly harbored anger from the subtle discrimination she experienced at the imperial palace.

“Recently, the north successfully transformed perceptions, moving from the Coven to the Lenslet Mage Guild, and from ancestor worship to the Lenslet Order. In such a situation, spreading a plague would invite public condemnation across the continent.”

Gard explained to Karpe why revenge through plague was impractical.

“Instead, we should worry about the empire staging a self-inflicted plague drama.”

Entaire Bishop added from the side,

“Besides, the empire has plenty of magicians and priests. Even if we tried to spread it, they’d counter it immediately.”

“Damn empire bastards! I just don’t like them! Ah! Except our employer and Red Wolf—I’ll recognize them as honorary northerners.”

“Tsk…”

After barely convincing and calming Karpe, Gard and Entaire exchanged a small sigh upon looking at each other.

They glanced around and shifted the topic of conversation.

“So, why did the royal family summon us here? Do you happen to know, Count Entaire?”

“I haven’t received detailed information either. But whoever it is, they must be someone significant if they’re making us wait like this.”

Currently, Entaire and Bishop were waiting in the VIP room of the palace with Karpe disguised as Phil as their sole escort.

“Could it be Doom? Havana? Or an envoy from the Kingdom Union?”

“Did the emperor summon us? Or maybe Archbishop Theresa? Perhaps Yulkaneis, the master of the Golden Mage Tower?”

Since it’s coronation season, heavyweights who usually don’t move easily gathered at the palace.

That’s why there were many candidates who could summon them and keep them waiting like this.

The three stared at the untouched tea and snacks, lost in thought.

‘So… the royal family is still using porcelain.’

‘Is it pride refusing to use northern celadon? Or flaunting wealth by using fragile porcelain?’

‘Why aren’t they eating the tea and snacks? Is there poison or truth serum inside? Should I just eat it and get poisoned?’

How long had passed?

BANG!

The door burst open, and royal knights, palace attendants, and maids rushed in.

Whether it was intentional to surprise us or simply forgotten, there was no announcement of who was entering.

“Uh… Ah, hello? My name is… Julian…”

Amidst the commotion, the voice of the person hosting this meeting rang out.

“His Highness the Crown Prince.”

“Greetings, His Highness Julian La Goite.”

Julian La Goite, newly appointed Crown Prince of the Empire, shyly appeared.