Chapter 52.2

‘I feel bad for the disabled veterans who lost their stipends, but this situation is pushing the North further toward centralization.’

The North had already been a region where the Grand Duke’s influence was immense. Recent events had only accelerated its centralization.

Nearly half of the North’s territories were now directly under the Grand Duke’s control.

Of the remaining half, another 20% belonged to loyal nobles like Balzac, Sun, and Haita, who were unwaveringly devoted to the Grand Duke.

That left only 30% of the North’s lands under the management of ordinary Northern nobles.

Walking through the factory with Secretary Teo, I spoke in a regretful tone.

“These chimera automail prosthetics… No matter how I think about it, it feels like a waste. If we could sell them to the Empire or even across the continent, we’d rake in money hand over fist…”

“I share your sentiment, sir. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely because they involve black magic.”

Teo nodded in agreement. Of course, as Chief Secretary, he understood the value of these prosthetics better than anyone.

“They’re incredibly valuable, yet we can’t profit from them…”

I clicked my tongue in frustration, a strange sense of déjà vu washing over me.

‘This situation feels oddly similar to the early days of Jin Industries back on Earth.’

In the early days of my business on Earth, we hardly made any profits, focusing instead on market entry and research and development. Back then, my company was seen as a money pit, consuming investments without yielding returns.

I’d spent countless hours convincing investors and securing more funding. It had been a grueling time.

‘Or maybe the Arad Company has it much better? At least we started as a royal charter company with unconditional government backing.’

Then again, looking at it now, things seemed far brighter.

‘The gold and silver coins Arina extorted from the Empire were all invested in the Arad Company.’

Arina had funneled every coin she extracted from the Empire into my business, allowing my venture to expand instead of collapsing under its weight.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Hmm… Still, I bet those with money would find ways to acquire these prosthetics through back channels.”

But I wasn’t content to rely solely on investment capital.

“Weren’t there a fair number of renowned mercenaries from the North?”

“Yes, sir. Now that I think about it, it’s rare for such individuals to remain unscathed. Many must have suffered injuries after years on the battlefield, and I’m sure there are nobles who’ve become disabled fighting alongside them.”

Teo nodded, sparking an idea. If we targeted these individuals, we might expand the market for our chimera prosthetics. Some of them might even have connections to the Frost Knights.

“I’ll propose the idea to the High Tower,” Teo offered.

“No, I’ll discuss it with the Grand Duke myself. I’ve been considering something for a while now.”

This marked the true beginning.

Money, money, money!

The real tug-of-war with finances was about to begin—a battle of deficits and surpluses, expenses and income.

I moved with Teo to the core of the First Factory.

Watching the witches engrave magical circuits onto the prosthetics, I couldn’t help but click my tongue in frustration.

“Can’t we hire more witches?”

“No… They tend to prefer freedom, and their insular nature makes them unwilling to work unless they’re desperate for money.”

The witches’ expressions were markedly different from those of the other workers.

They looked like they were working under duress, their faces screaming reluctance.

‘If not for the magic texts I authored and the golden carriage I offered, they wouldn’t have agreed to this at all.’

It was clear they only took the job out of financial necessity.

But there was no helping it. Witches, by nature, were stubborn individualists who didn’t even listen to their matriarchs like Isabel.

This trait wasn’t unique to witches—it applied to mages across the continent.

“Their insularity means mass-producing spatial storage bags is off the table for now.’’

Even if I wanted to expand the business, capacity was an issue.

For now, I was grateful they were at least engraving magical circuits into the prosthetics.

‘But I can’t just sit around and wait for the academy to be established.’

Looking at the witches made me anxious.

Time was the issue.

‘The gold and silver coins we received will only last until mid-next year at best.’

The root problem was funding.

Daily increasing labor costs, the rising expenses of factories, dormitories, and academy construction, and providing meals for the employees…

To top it off, the Renslet Academy had to be operated for free. Meals, textbooks, teachers, lodging, clothing, even living expenses—everything had to be borne by the company.

‘Even if I wanted to charge tuition, most Northerners can’t afford it.’

Most Northerners were still poor.

Not that I wanted to charge them. All of these expenses were investments for the future.

‘But this academy is a money-eating monster. The lack of proper educational institutions in the North makes it even more expensive.’

Until now, Northerners had to either hire retired officials or knights as private tutors or send their children to study in the Empire.

The lack of formal educational infrastructure meant that the initial investment costs were bound to skyrocket.

‘The Second Factory must produce something to stabilize our finances! It’ll be the cash cow we need for sustainability.’

My thoughts naturally turned to the soon-to-be-completed Second Factory.

Like Arad Salt, the production process would require no magic yet involve significant technical expertise that was impossible to replicate.

‘Finally, I’ll launch the first project I originally intended to pursue.’

That golden business idea sparkled in my mind like a treasure trove.

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