Episode 247: Let’s get some investment. (1)
Doo doo doo doo!
The soldier rode his horse without stopping.
It was a horse that ran across the wide land of the north. As it ran along the straight road, it began to show a speed that was incomparable to that of other horses.
If the distance is too far, you can just change to another horse at each base, so stamina is not an issue at all.
Currently, it can only be operated within the territory, but as the road network expands and more bases are added in the future, the number of places where delivery is possible will increase.
The delivery men who left in the morning arrived at the forest guard of Masu around that evening.
“This is… … what my mom sent me this morning?”
“Yes, we aim to deliver our Fenris Arrows as quickly as possible.”
Ricardo looked the courier up and down with a suspicious expression.
‘Even if it’s a close territory, how can it come this quickly?’
Normally, you would have to ask the higher-ups or mercenaries to send such letters.
So, it was bound to be expensive and take a long time. Unless you pay a huge price, you wouldn’t move like this for one person.
‘Come to think of it… … There was a fuss recently about the Grand Duke starting some kind of delivery business.’
A road was laid in Perdium, and a telegraph office and several other base facilities were built. Ricardo had heard that the delivery business was being promoted on a large scale.
‘Well, there’s no need to commit such a scam on me.’
It didn’t look like anyone was joking. The delivery man in front of me was covered in dust and sweat.
It was too enthusiastic to be a joke.
Ricardo opened the letter. His mother must have written it for him since she couldn’t read, but he was confident he could understand the contents.
[When on earth are you going to get married? Stop dating women and get married soon. My mom’s friend’s son is already married and has grandchildren… ]
‘Oh, I guess it’s Mom?’
Every time I went to see my mother, the nagging I heard was the same. It was full of sincerity and anger.
How frustrating must one have been for someone to send a letter using the phrase ‘Arrow Delivery’, which people don’t even use?
“Then I’ll be going now. Please sign here to acknowledge that it was received… .”
“No, just a moment.”
Ricardo had to check if this was true. He quickly wrote a letter and handed it to the courier.
“It’s free right now, right? Can I send this to my mom?”
“Yes, it’s free now. Then I’ll give this to your mother.”
He could have sent it through the telegraph office, but Ricardo wanted to check it quickly. He wrote in the letter that he wanted to write about things that happened to him when he was young, things that only his mother would know.
Because I wanted to know if I could really exchange letters with my mother and if the arrow delivery was real.
When you receive a letter, you will either ask someone nearby who knows how to read to read it to you or use the telegraph office again.
The next evening, Ricardo received a letter from his mother. Ricardo’s letter was delivered in the morning, and his mother replied immediately.
“Wow, is this real? This is crazy fast?”
The letter contained information that only my mother would know. There was no problem at all.
Ricardo, who had tasted the greatness of arrow delivery, was so excited that he bragged about it to the forest guards of the Demonic Forest. He didn’t forget to brag about it to the women of the social gathering.
Ricardo’s parents in Penrith also found it amazing and actively told people around them about it.
At first, people were hesitant, but soon they sent letters to their close relatives in the territory and praised them.
“Wow! This is really as fast as an arrow! How many letters and gifts have you exchanged with your relatives in Ferdium?”
“Is it because the roads are well paved? We can get there in a day or two!”
“Have you ever ordered something? They actually delivered it right to your doorstep!”
As word spread, more and more people flocked to the telegraph office. The existing staff could not handle it, so they hired more workers and even built several more telegraph offices in crowded cities and towns.
In particular, the most popular one was the delivery of goods. When ordering goods that were difficult to obtain in the market or that had to be purchased in large quantities, the telegraph office was used.
There weren’t many items available right away, but it was a service where you could check the items and quantities that could be delivered within the telegraph office and apply for them to have them delivered to your home.
People started to get excited about the service.
“I can’t live without arrow delivery anymore!”
“I heard there are more and more items you can order? The Lord said he’s increasing them.”
“For something like this to happen in our territory! Our lord is truly amazing!”
As people praised him, Giselle’s pride rose. He raised his chin haughtily and spoke to his followers.
“How is it? You see? People tend to pursue things that are fast and convenient. That’s why I always say to do things quickly.”
“… … .”
Claude and his vassals were unable to say anything. The number of people using arrow delivery was really increasing.
As a result, the administrators became busier. This was because this was not a business run by individuals, but a business run by the estates.
It was also the job of the administrators to check the inventory of the logistics warehouses every day and to quickly replenish the goods in each town and city.
“Wow, if we just operate within the territory, it’s like this, but imagine if it spreads out to the kingdom level. The number of goods we can deliver, and the number of people using arrow delivery, would increase.”
The attendants nodded in agreement and thought.
‘And then we’ll die more.’
The application to the Crown for the right to collect tolls instead of building roads has not yet been approved, and no investment in business funds has been received.
Once all that is done, the arrow delivery business will be run by all the nobles of the royal family.
The problem is that no matter how much investment is received, the main business entity is the Fenris territory. In the end, this means that the Fenris managers will have to spread out here and there, hire people, and do the work. It was clear that the body would be more torn up.
Claude, who wanted to stop at this point, tackled her lightly.
“But the deficit is severe. It costs more money than expected to build the infrastructure. Even after the free period ends, the fees are still quite low, so it seems like it will be difficult to turn a profit for a while.”
“It’s okay. It doesn’t matter if we’re running a deficit right now. What’s important is laying the foundation. Eventually, we’ll make a ton of money. We’ll monopolize it all, right?”
‘Hey, it’s not working.’
Claude licked his lips in regret as he watched Giselle recite exactly what he had predicted.
If we build an overwhelming logistics infrastructure, other companies will also have no choice but to use arrow delivery.
If you don’t like it, then pay the road toll.
‘But something is strange. You always seem too certain to be predicting things. Am I having a precognitive dream?’
It was even stranger because most of the things the Lord had done so far were completely new concepts that had never existed before.
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At first, I thought he was just showing unfounded confidence due to his youthful spirit, but when I actually listened to what he had to say, I found that he was very knowledgeable and logical.
It was clear that success every time wasn’t just due to luck.
Even as Claude watched Giselle with suspicious eyes, the Fenris Estate developed rapidly.
With the construction of roads and the addition of horses, mass-produced meat, food, and other resources were transported across the territory at incredible speeds.
Giselle smiled happily as she received daily updates on the situation.
“Things are going very smoothly. But there are still many things lacking, so let’s move faster.”
There were not just enough facilities for transportation, such as a telegraph station, stables, and warehouses. As the territory grew stronger, more facilities were needed.
As Jiselle urged, the administrators died, but the speed of territory development became incomparable to before, and the people’s convenience also began to gradually increase.
Perhaps, no matter where you look on the continent, it would be rare to find a territory this comfortable to live in.
Jiselle immediately set about her next task, determined to row when the water came in.
“Now let’s go to Marquis Branford. Let’s get some expropriation rights and investments.”
* * *
Claude and his associates created a business plan to maximize efficiency.
It is a business that covers half of the kingdom. Even the royal family could not have imagined such a scale.
The right to collect? If the Marquis of Branford asks, I will give it to you. The royalist faction can never refuse this offer in the current situation.
Once you receive the right to collect, that’s it. Other lords might refuse to pay you later… … But then, given Jiselle’s personality, she’ll definitely bring an army.
If you have a reason, it becomes easier to beat up others.
Claude smiled meaningfully as he reviewed the business plan.
“As the lord said, even if we suffer some losses, it doesn’t matter. More important than a few pennies is that the influence of our territory will increase tremendously. If we use it well, we will be able to hold the reins of the lords and the merchants.”
If we can just get the right to collect, we can control everything from logistics distribution to the movement of people. If the system is properly established, no one will be able to look down on Penris.
Of course, it wasn’t all rosy. To exert that much influence, you need a strong military force. That way, no one will try to take away your roads by force.
Although it is still lacking in that respect, for now, I can rest assured that the Marquis of Branford is behind me.
“After all, our territory’s top priority is a strong military force. And that’s growing very quickly. The pro-Prince nobles aren’t the problem… … The civil war ahead is the problem.”
The Duke’s family is targeting the Prince’s faction. If we get caught up in it, this territory may also end up in ruins.
But what if the Prince’s faction wins the civil war? Or what if the Prince’s faction loses but the Fenris territory survives? What if the Lord can acquire a powerful military force in the meantime?
“Perhaps… … we rule the kingdom instead of the Dukes… … .”
It was a remark that came out unconsciously. Claude was startled and covered his mouth.
Did you have such an ambition? I’ve been so busy these days that I haven’t realized it at all. I thought I would be satisfied with just playing and eating.
When Wendy’s eyes met, she tilted her head.
“Why are you doing that?”
“No, no.”
It seemed that his recklessness had spread as he spent time with the permanent resident. Claude shook his head several times to shake off his idle thoughts.
Civil war and all, right now the things right in front of us were more important than those things.
After several days of meetings with the people who had gone, he came up with a detailed business plan. Now all he had to do was send it to the Marquis of Branford.
The problem was that Jiselle was too busy developing the territory.
No matter how many times Claude asked, Giselle remained unmoved.
“Are you really not going to the capital?”
“Oh, that’s annoying. I’m really busy right now. I have to check on the development status of the territory, do some training, and check on the training situation… … So just send someone. The Marquis will definitely give his permission.”
“… … .”
Of course, letters can be delivered even if you just send people.
But the opponent is the Marquis of Branford, the most powerful man in the kingdom. Who would he send when the lord himself would not be able to do so?
‘I don’t want to go… … .’
Claude still vividly remembered the time when his life was in danger because of Giselle, who had stepped forward to treat Rosaline. To be honest, he was so scared of the Marquis back then. Just looking at him made him feel like he was going to pee.
Even if that weren’t the case, he himself was very busy.
So Claude postponed sending the letter to someone else. He called Lowell and spoke to him in a very lively tone.
“You go, capital.”
“Yes? Me?”
“Yes, go and explain our business to the Marquis of Branford and get the deed. Tell Rosaline and Meriel to invest.”
“How can I do something so big! Oh, I don’t like it! It’s scary! I’m busy too!”
“You can do it. So go quickly. Otherwise, I’ll tell Wendy to kill you.”
Wendy, who was listening from the side, glared at him with contempt, but Claude pretended not to notice. He began to understand a little why the lord was forcing people in like that.
‘If you tell me to do something, just do it! Why do you keep nagging me! This is so annoying!’
Lowell had no choice but to shed tears at Claude’s funeral and head to the capital. He was already busy with work, and when he returned, he would have more work to do.
I felt like I was going to die because the real lord and the governor were all the same.
* * *
The Marquis of Branford, who had received the business plan, glared at Lowell, who was standing before him, with a very cold gaze.
“Road work? Expropriation rights?”
“Yes, yes… … . He said that he needed that… … . He said that it would be of great help to the royalist faction.”
Even Lowell, who was a smooth talker, trembled in front of the Marquis of Branford.
I felt oppressed by the spirit of the vassals, knights, and soldiers standing on either side, to the point where it was difficult to even breathe.
It was a completely different atmosphere from the Fenris territory where everyone was free to run wild. It felt like I was standing on a sharp blade.
The Marquis of Branford tapped his chin a few times and continued speaking in a displeased voice.
“Do you dare to undertake a project that will encompass the entire kingdom as a mere lord of a remote region?”
“… … That, that seems to be the case.”
Lowell just shook his head, trembling.
Jiselle is the type of person who will push through anything she wants to do. So, there was no use asking her.
‘Why are you asking me that? Even the Marquis can’t stop me.’
While Lowell grumbled timidly inwardly, the Marquis of Branford was lost in thought.
‘What a clever guy. He’s planning to use this opportunity to make money and increase his influence. Who would have thought he’d think that way?’
Other nobles don’t think like that. They think it would be a loss to them to build a road on someone else’s land.
It would require a huge amount of financial resources, so it is not even imagined, let alone attempted. This is something that the royal family would undertake directly, and would be able to do on a kingdom level.
It was said that only one lord could undertake such a huge undertaking. If it had been said by another person, I would have scoffed, but the other person was Giselle, who had a tight grip on food and was overflowing with money and people. Then the story changed.
‘That’s a good idea. If it’s completed, it’ll be a great help in fighting the Duke.’
In any case, civil war is now unavoidable.
In order to fight the Duke’s family, which is the strongest force even as a single force, the royal family and the pro-prince lords must unite.
When someone was attacked, they would be able to survive if they could quickly receive military and material support from surrounding territories.
Of course, if multiple territories were occupied, it would mean handing over an advance route to the enemy, but that level of risk had to be taken.
If there is no route of advance, the pro-Prince faction will not be able to move quickly and will collapse anyway.
‘This guy seems to be thinking about the end of the civil war. Is he confident that he will win no matter what? What an arrogant guy.’
That kind of confidence wasn’t bad to look at, but I didn’t like it when it grew to the point where I couldn’t control it.
‘But the royal family cannot proceed with this business.’
The aftereffects of the famine had not yet subsided. Other lords were struggling just to maintain their military power.
Such a large-scale undertaking was something only he, with plenty of food and money, could undertake. If he took on the task, the other lords would only have to provide laborers.
However, he felt burdened by doing it alone and wanted to make a large-scale investment.
‘Well, no matter how much money you have, it’s not a business that a single lord can do alone.’
After thinking for a long time, the Marquis of Branford slowly opened his mouth.
“Very well. I will permit the business and tell the lords to cooperate. I will also grant the right to collect money to the Earl of Fenris in the name of the crown.”
‘oh!’
Lowell was surprised. He had not expected the Marquis of Branford to make such a decision on the spot.
‘It turned out just as the lord said. It’s amazing.’
But the Marquis of Branford wasn’t finished speaking yet.
“step.”
“… … ?”
The Marquis continued, looking at Lowell with cold eyes.
“We need to increase our stake.”
