77 – Blueport Pioneering (3)

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My original plan was to expand the 4 crop rotation system and create a city that would sell surplus food and in return get northern specialties and sell them to neighboring countries and territories.

However, the return of the herring necessitated a major revision of the plan.

Because when I first planned it, I did not assume a base industry that could be produced directly in this city and finished with one touch of processing.

So I called the city’s mayors together and began to explain my revised plan.

“Listen, Captain Holk has already caught 100 kilos of herring with a fishing rod in an hour with only 10 crew members. If we had used a net, the boat would have been full in an hour.”

Hearing this, the district chiefs began to stare at me with a twinkle in their eyes.

“As long as we have this many herrings, we need not fear a bad harvest. Because, if there is a bad harvest, some serfs can be engaged in herring fishing to secure fish. In normal times, you can build up a lot of wealth by selling that many fish to people around you.”

Even in modern times, herring is not legally controlled even during the spawning season even if it is caught randomly.

This is because the population is so large that everyone agrees that there is no shortage of herring even if it is caught during the spawning season.

Therefore, the number of herring is so large that it does not even budge no matter how much you try to catch it with a ‘net fishing boat’.

In addition, the relative value of food is overwhelmingly higher than in modern times, so meat and fish are almost worth gold, but herring is caught in relatively large numbers, so it can be distributed at about half the price of wheat even though it is ‘animal protein’.

So, although most of the trade in this era is a narrow trade that is only for the needs of the middle class or higher, if stored well, it can suck even the money in the wallets of serfs, who make up the vast majority of the population.

Because no matter how poor they are, if there is a cheaper source of protein than wheat, they will buy as much or more than they need.

So I said to explain it to them.

“With a little bit of exaggeration, you can catch herring just by throwing a net at the fishing ground, but the taste is good, and it is good to feed the peasants as a substitute for meat. No, as long as it can be distributed, it can be fed to poor serfs instead of wheat. You can sell it cheaper than wheat.”

Hearing this, the district chiefs were shocked and said,

“…Fish cheaper than wheat…”

“Your Excellency, no matter what, that’s…”

“Yes, you only have to plow the field to plant wheat… but you can only catch fish in the sea, right?”

And I smiled at them lightly and then said.

“In front of whom do you discuss the impossible? You haven’t forgotten who I am, have you?”

If another aristocrat said such a thing, it would be groundless and he would strike down the merchants with his own power and authority.

I am also a manager and trader who has already pioneered numerous markets as a trader.

A legend that immediately extracted sugar from sugar beets, increased the yield until there was a surplus of grain through the 4 rotation method, and sold it to train 5,000 elite soldiers with a population of 200,000.

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Maybe that’s why, after hearing my words, the district leaders said with faces full of expectations.

“Could you give us a share of that too?”

“Follow my instructions, then I will give you more. If you follow me, I will give you wealth and honor worthy of the barons of other countries. No…”

After a pause, I put my right hand to my mouth and spoke in a low whisper.

“I will make all of you nobles. I can’t give you a fiefdom, but as a commercial nobleman richer than the knights with fiefdom. As a promise, I will give you the privilege.”

The merchants in front of me glared more at the word privilege than at the word nobility, which I don’t quite understand now.

So, to instill in them the conviction that if they follow me, they can become nobles, and a desire for him.

It was also said to create a trickle-down effect that made everyone rich by making them pay for their dignity as aristocrats.

“From the present time, the county of Creutel abolishes the distinction in clothing between nobles and commoners. In other words, even if you are not a noble, you may wear other silk clothes other than black silk, and you may eat the same food that nobles eat. They are also allowed to travel with luxurious carriages and richly dressed servants. However, unless you are a ‘nobleman’, we cannot allow you to engrave your own crest, of course.”

Hearing this, the district leaders must have been shocked, and they forgot I was in front of them and started talking about what they wanted to do while looking around.

“Am I wearing a red silk dress? Hey, can I dress up like a prince after I’m over 40? My dream was to try on clothes like a prince in a fairy tale…”

“Okay, I need to dress my mother in a colorful silk dress. Since you like yellow clothes, I should dress you in a yellow silk dress…”

Then I clapped twice to get their attention and then said,

“Instead, follow my instructions completely. Convince the citizens under you. To the point where they would even pretend to die if I were to die.”

After those words, silence began to flow between us to the point where you could even hear the blinking of an eye.

Breaking the still flowing silence, I spoke to them once more.

“If you don’t want to comply, say it now and leave. However, if you leave here, you will have to leave this city as well.”

Hearing that, a courageous district manager looked at me and asked.

“What if I go out? Are you sure you want to kill me?”

“I’m just going to buy all of his property with the money I have. I don’t know how much, but I can buy all the businesses and real estate owned by two or three of you with my personal fortune. And in its place, we can appoint another manager who listens well.”

Then, I rang the bell at my seat and called for a servant.

“Get that contract.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

After some time passed, the contract was placed in front of me and the district chiefs.

“Read it, and decide. No, by the time you’ve finished reading, I’ll give you one last chance, so think about it carefully.”

“Yes, Your Excellency Count Kreutel.”

When they heard that, they began to read the contract carefully.

Some, looking for a trick hidden in each letter, put a single-eyed magnifying glass over their eyes and read while moving the pen as if underlining each letter.

It resembled a friend in high school who wore wide glasses who was ranked first in the whole school, but I felt the sincerity of risking his life in a different direction from them.

And after a while, everyone put down their pens, and I asked them.

“So, does anyone want to leave?”

“There is not. But there is something I would like to ask you.”

I thought that they wouldn’t leave recklessly at the point where they had already given permission to wear ‘silk clothes’, a symbol of nobility, but I couldn’t believe that even after seeing this contract, not a single one stood up.

It was slightly different from what I expected.

“Tell me.”

And the district commander who asked me a question asked me with the energy that he would really kill me if it wasn’t for the Count.

“It is understandable that each district is divided into weapons workshops, armor workshops, factories that process food, and factories that produce clothes in large quantities. Right now, His Excellency has achieved great success by tying up each guild in Baron Creutel. If you are not another merchant, but your Excellency, you can trust and follow this much. But…why do we have to disclose the account books to Your Excellency from next year?”

I answered the questioning merchant in a natural way.

“It is to ensure your best interests. If you submit only the account books from next year, I will send my soldiers when necessary to guarantee the commercial activities of your guild.”

In fact, in terms of words, the disclosure of accounting books and the guarantee of profits are absolutely incompatible concepts when viewed from the concept of this era.

This is because the merchants of this era try to hide the profits they pay to the lord as much as possible by reducing and hiding the apparent sales scale.

And that hidden tax goes right into your own pocket.

In this day and age, this is an acceptable practice.

Therefore, that merchant must be wary of the damage caused by my ignoring this practice in advance.

So I presented a carrot to convince that nobleman.

“If you open the books, you can pay only 30% of your net profit as taxes. And again, you will receive my full protection and support in return for paying your taxes.”

“What support are you talking about? Bhoranyo again? We just need to be guaranteed the right to do business or run workshops or factories in your estate.”

I clicked my tongue twice and then said.

“Tsk, listen carefully, opening the books and paying taxes is a contract similar to the bilateral contractual relationship between the drivers and me. If you report the income you earned by engaging in commerce for me and pay taxes, I will protect you as if I were my vassal.”

“What do you mean…?”

“If one of the nobles of our land asks you for a bribe, he will be guilty of trespassing on my property. If the lord of another territory bothers you, I will write a letter to protest. They will even start a war if necessary.”

What I said is very unconventional for this era.

For, as a rule, lords only think of collecting taxes from merchants, and do not try to open a market for them, and when they are disadvantaged, they throw them away as soon as they are useless.

And, of course, if a conflict with another lord is likely to occur, he tries to calm down and end it, and there are quite a few tendencies to pay taxes and pay bribes.

Even when I was doing business with my apprentice in Hamburg, if I hadn’t dealt directly with the apprentice, I would have had to pay a bribe equal to the customs duty paid when exporting sugar to influential people…

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Maybe that’s why all the district leaders looked at me with their mouths wide open.

“What are you so surprised about? I’m different from the other lords, I’ve been active as a merchant just like you. So, of course, I know your troubles better than other lords. be honest again How much money are you guys taking out with bribes or unreturnable loans while you’re active here? If you make a profit worth 200 gold coins, don’t you take about 80 of them like that, and pay about 20 of them as taxes from the remaining profits?”

No one responded to the words that pierced the corner.

Like a demon, I stretched out my right hand and said,

“So why don’t you join hands with me? And if you work with me, I’ll give you a big market in the north. Even though the production cost is really cheap because they don’t know, there are also items that can be sold for 10 to 40 times the original price… I’ll give you a little. That’s all I have to say now, the rest is working-level coordination, so you guys decide accordingly. Those who want to leave may leave immediately.”

Even after hearing that, they did not go out.

Then he looked at me and asked with greedy eyes.

“Your Excellency has ordered us to build factories and workshops. How are you planning to recruit people?”

“I will gather the second and third sons who have no place to work in Nantes, Creutel, and Helsmann, and put them to fish for herring, some to be artisans, build buildings, and raise them to be sailors. In our county of Creutel, there are already over 40,000 people we can bring here. In other words…”

They swallowed and waited for my words, and I said with a bright expression.

“It’s like saying that 8 of you will have 5,000 subordinates each. Hey, even though you won’t be taxed, if you have 5000 subordinates, you won’t be envious of nobles. No, you will enjoy a wealth and glory that is comparable to that of a modest baron.”

And finally I told them.

“You said you would cooperate with me without leaving your seat today, so I prepared a banquet, albeit a small one. The dishes served here will be eaten by nobles and merchants who will come here in the future… You can look forward to it. No, you’ll be able to eat until you get tired of it soon, so enjoy today to your heart’s content. You’ll get tired of it in a few months. ”

Afterwards, we quietly enjoyed the fine cuisine that I would serve at Blueport, the city of trade and tourism.

The budget for each person was only 2 gold coins, but the food they ate would be provided for at least 20 gold coins…

These foods must be sure to attract many aristocrats who seek splendor and novelty.

And I soon entrusted this territory to Frost, Chris, and the officials, and I set off to possess the ‘Nobles of the Northern Union’ with Ella.

Surely I will be able to seduce villagers who have nothing but snow with all sorts of splendid dishes, with majestic architecture and art.