Knights, Let’s Smash Them

69 – All in the North (5)

“It is a great honor to meet you, Count Marco.”

I politely bowed my head toward Marco Firenze, who was waiting in the separate drawing room.

Even though he looks at least 60 years old, the gun in his eyes is still alive and well.

He is not a colossus called the wise man of money for nothing.

“hahahaha, I am truly honored. He is not well known to the public, but he is the representative of the great heroes who led the great expedition to victory for the Empire.”

“…… It is overrated.”

I laughed awkwardly and opened a cupboard on one side of the drawing room and took out a luxurious teacup set.

“As you can see, our knights are still very weak. This time, we plan to do a large-scale staffing.”

“Looks like it.”

“Does the Count like black tea? Do you like green tea?”

“Black tea would be nice.”

I poured the well-dried tea leaves over the kettle, closed the lid, and tapped it with my fingers.

Then the water starts to boil on its own, even though nothing has been done.

“Is it a magic tool?”

“Yes, this item was specially ordered for the Blue Dragon Transcontinental Convoy. It is very convenient to have this.”

“Ooh… ….”

Marco Firenze looked at the kettle with interest.

“The applied one is quite convenient even though it is a simple magic. It’s because the imprint of hot fire is left only at the bottom of the kettle, and the simple operation of mana boils the water.”

“Unfortunately, I am a person who has not awakened mana.”

“Ha ha ha! Hagishi, no one who knows how to use magic properly would make a tool like this.”

It was one of the reasons why there were so many unusual magic tools in my office.

In this world, using magic doesn’t get special treatment unless you reach a certain level.

Unless you’re really a poor village on the outskirts of Count Rupel.

It was because people who could use simple magic were widely spread throughout the empire.

For this reason, in order to prove that you are a ‘mage’ who specializes in magic, it was common to become a member of a famous school or belong to the Mage Tower.

Everything else is wild.

He was a strange person who was a magician as a hobby.

Squeeze.

I poured the steaming black tea into the cup and carefully placed it in front of the old man.

“mmm, the scent is wonderful.”

“This is a product imported directly from the Eastern Highlands.”

“As expected from before, the Lubern magistrate…… No, Baron Luberne has a great deal of skill in recognizing the value of things.”

Marco took a bite of the tea and said with a satisfied smile.

“These are things you learn naturally while living in the Imperial Capital.”

“Let’s just call it the wisdom of life.”

The old man slowly savored the taste of the tea. Seeing that he likes it quite a bit, I feel proud as well.

“But why did the very Imperial Knights come out? Any other reasons?”

Well, yes.

I knew it would come out.

I nodded slightly and told Count Marco why.

Of course, I did refine it a bit.

Still, it’s my former job, but it’s kind of disrespectful to gossip in front of the biggest colossus in the empire.

“Oops…… You must have suffered greatly.”

After hearing the story, Marco agreed with a gentle expression.

“I heard that the situation with the Knights of the Black Lion has deteriorated recently. It won’t collapse because it’s big, but it’s definitely different from before.”

“Yes, it is.”

Though I jokingly say that the reason why the Black Lion Knights are getting worse is because I resigned and left.

At this point, it was right that things should be normalized little by little.

Actually, through Petra last time, I provided emergency solutions for some areas, and Petra, who became the new administrative chief, was exceptionally talented.

Of course I did commit a ‘minor’ sabotage to the north.

Still, it’s an Imperial Knights in its own way, but the amount of capital or influence it rolls isn’t close to a critical hit just by kicking a few poop balls in the north.

If Levia knew that I was behind the scenes, maybe Levia would grab her by the back of the neck.

It means that it is just that level of blow.

“Perhaps a problem that should have happened a long time ago is slowly erupting.”

The Black Lion Knights are not proud knights. No, rather, because it is the Imperial Knights, they have done many dirty and despicable things compared to other knights.

Even the blue dragon transcontinental convoy, which was the largest convoy, was at a loss as they could not meet the demand for iron ore at the time of the Jarhead Incident.

The reality of the Black Lion Knights was a bit far from being clean and noble.

Since I, the chief administrator, have taken bribes quite a bit…… No, that’s not a bribe. It’s just a development fund, right?

‘That’s right.’

The brainwashing was about to be lifted in an instant, so I made another self-suggestion.

“Because everything has its ups and downs. I don’t even know if this is the time.”

Marco, an elderly man, said that and set his empty glass down on the table.

“However, our merchants always pursue pleasure and success. That’s why I visited Count Rupel.”

Are you going to get to the point now?

It went well.

If it was the same as before, we would have cut it off and discussed the main point straight away, but since the opponent was the opponent, I was frustrated because I couldn’t move first either.

I straightened up and looked at the colossus in front of me.

“I want to build a brewery in Rupel.”

“Yes?”

“That’s literally it. The beer in the Rupel region is unparalleled, but…… Most of them run private breweries.”

That’s right.

Although Rupel is famous for its beer, this was one of the reasons why it was not commercialized until now.

There was also a reason that the storage container was not suitable, and the taste disappeared like a ghost after leaving the area.

For merchants, the most important thing in the end is quantity rather than quality.

Although the method of brewing beer is almost the same, it is brewed in a brewery operated by an individual home, rather than operated by an integrated brewery.

Because we couldn’t supply the amount of beer the guild wanted.

I was aware of this problem, but I had put it aside for the time being because there were so many other things to do besides building an integrated brewing facility.

“If that happens, we will not be able to flexibly respond to supply and demand. You can think of it as a kind of investment to earn the maximum profit from the standpoint of having an exclusive sales right.”

“So, are you saying that Marco will personally build a brewery?”

“That’s right.”

To be honest, it’s a proposal that Rupel Mansion would welcome with open arms.

At least Count Dionaos Rupel was interested in the ‘construction of a large brewery’ that would allow the capital to produce a large amount of beer on its own in Petalonto.

“If you do, I’d rather welcome it. We can hand over a decent lot for a cheap price.”

However, even if it was an investment, a magnate the size of Marco Firenze would not have proposed the construction of the brewery out of pure good will.

As I expected, he answered with his eyes twinkling.

“It would be better if you lowered the price of the lot, but in fact, I am interested in other things than the lot.”

“Which do you want? We will guarantee to some extent what is possible, but we cannot concede as much as Luchihyup.”

“Ha ha ha…… ! They are not conscienceless enough to devour an association that has already been conceived by the Templars themselves.”

“Then…… ?”

“The mainstream that is being newly developed this time. Did you say barrel-aged beer? Stout.”

I couldn’t help but open my eyes wide at those words.

Barrel-aged beer is a product that very few people, including myself, know about.

In the first place, Count Rupel’s Liquor Manager hadn’t properly secured the brewing method for the beer.

The former liquor manager, who visited with high expectations, couldn’t remember how to brew beer.

But how does Count Marco Florence, an outsider, know about the beer?

Considering that he even knew the official name of Stout, it wasn’t something he just passed over.

Who the hell did you hear that from?

My head was spinning rapidly.

“Are you embarrassed?”

“… ….”

I was too quick to answer, so Marco chuckled.

“Fisherpepper, the spice store we are working with, is the one that handles the spices produced in San Mariano.”

“hahahaha, was it?”

“I am familiar with a friend named Roger. Why did you bring a stout beer the other day and invite me to try it? I did it in case I knew the detailed casting method.”

Somehow.

I wondered if there was someone leaking insider information, but was it simply an acquaintance?

I would have thought that Marco Firenze, the richest man in the South, who handles all sorts of things, would most likely know how to cast.

“So, have you figured out how to cast?”

“Unfortunately not. If that were the case, I wouldn’t have bothered to put up with these conditions.”

I realized that the words I said as a joke contained a rather sharp meaning.

If he knew even a little about brewing methods, he would have picked up the recipe himself, not the brewery.

In fact, merchants are in a fairly high social position, unlike what is portrayed in general fantasy, even though most of them are commoners.

Unless it was a giant like the Imperial Black Lion Knights, there were frequent cases where the knights of the general county or marquess were swayed by large guilds.

Moreover, in the case of a nobleman like Marco Firenze who is also a target with a huge amount of capital, he could blackmail the county as well as the dukedom.

“This is a kind of duty. It’s also because I see the potential of the Rupel estate as high.”

“So in exchange for building the brewery, you are asking for the exclusive right to sell that beer as well?”

“Yes. It will never be a losing business from Rupell’s point of view. If possible, shouldn’t it be a mutually beneficial transaction?”

That’s right.

The management of the brewery will be done by Marco’s upper house, but in any case, a business that requires that much capital cannot be carried out solely with its own personnel.

From noble mtl dot com.

Basically, since only the ‘sales rights’ are monopolized, brewers who are currently engaged in brewing in Rupel will have to be hired.

Then, how to create jobs naturally?

Rupel Manor has an excessively high proportion of self-employed people.

Until now, there was no outside capital, so it was a natural phenomenon…… If you insist on the domestic economy in the future, you will not be able to dream of the growth of Yeongji.

In addition, according to the Territorial Law, if a person who is not a Rupell Territory conducts a business, the entrepreneur must pay a tax of up to 25%.

Although it is the standard value not only for Rupel Manor, but also for imperial laws, 25% is not a profit that can be ignored by any means.

Even if you have to hand over the site at a low price, it is 100% profitable to attract it.

But there was something I needed more than that profit.

I pointed my fingers together and answered the colossus.

“Under the original Imperial tax law, the tax on the brewery’s income is 25%.”

“Yes. It is the Imperial standard.”

“But let’s freeze the tax rate at 15% for the next 10 years.”

Marco Firenze’s eyebrows twitched at the remark that he would rather lower taxes than raise them.

“…… Ha ha ha, even tax cuts. I heard that there is a big project being promoted in Rupel Manor recently. Did you say ‘Iron Road’?”

I couldn’t help but admire the words that flowed like water.

‘Chuck is Chuck, is he a colossus?’

There are many reasons why the territory provides tax cuts to merchants, but the most representative is when proposing ‘investment attraction’ in the region with the money saved.

A tacit proposal to return some of it to the estate in the form of investment money, as they reduced taxes by a few percent.

In the first place, the Iron Road I was envisioning was a project to build a road from the mining city of Zaheed to the capital of Petalonto, and to Baron Kirten, so a huge amount of money was bound to be invested.

Of course, there is no way that this kind of money can come out overnight.

Because it’s Rupel’s estate, which has been raising money from various places because it doesn’t have money.

Even if they made a surplus, paying off their debt right away is a tough situation.

What if there was at least one reliable outside investor like Marco Firenze in this situation?

Since other merchants also have the name Marco Firenze, they will be able to raise enough funds to complete the project, judging that the investment risk is low.

“Yes, that’s right. It is a road construction project called Iron Road.”

“Good. It would be quite convenient for us if roads were built in the Rupel Counties.”

The colossus gently touched his chin and nodded.

“We, the San Mariano Firenze Foundation, will provide investment funds for the Iron Road completion project.”

A tiny northern outskirts territory.

It was the moment when the arm of the giant entered Count Rupel.

The black beer launched by the former liquor manager was coming down as a bag full of gold coins.