Chapter 185 - 185 Goodbye Former Baronet Parker
Aurora immediately decided to make a settlement with Steve.
Relatives of House Archibalt gathered in one place.
Steve, Arthur, Isabella, Michael, Aurora, and Cecily. Cecily was selling adzuki beans in the Kingdom of Cascade and was still staying within the country.
First, Aurora presented the settlement conditions as the Sowell family.
"All adzuki beans and the penalty fees will be returned, plus an additional 10 billion Dora as compensation for the trouble. The trial of the former Baronet Parker will be handed over to House Archibalt. As for the warehouse staff who were silenced, they were originally doing various illegal acts, and as the investigation shows, they were destined for the death penalty anyway. If there are suspicious points, shall we hand over the right to investigate?"
The conditions presented by Aurora admitted to a complete defeat of the Sowell family.
With this, Steve had nothing to say. However, he still had a dissatisfied look on his face.
Aurora asked him about that.
"Oh my, still dissatisfied?"
"No, I have no complaints about these conditions."
"Yet, your face says 'dissatisfied'."
"This is a personal matter."
When Steve said that, Arthur, Isabella, and Michael slumped like puppies scolded by their master. They felt that Steve was dissatisfied with what they had done.
On the other hand, Cecily was smiling brightly.
"I sold the adzuki beans and got the manual dough mixer, so I am completely satisfied. If it's something made entirely by human hands, we can reproduce it here too."
Isabella gave a bitter smile at those words.
"Auntie, was there really a faction that would criticize us if we didn't have that?"
"Well, someone would say something somewhere. I'm glad that the sixth industry can be promoted this way."
Cecily's true aim was to root the sixth industry in the Empire as well.
The sixth industry means carrying out agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, processing and manufacturing, and sales and distribution all in one. It is the sum of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries called the sixth industry.
She aims to escape from labor-intensive environments and develop food processing machinery.
"I felt a sense of incongruity from the very beginning."
"I am your aunt, but I am also a subject of the Empire. If the dough mixers stop selling in the Empire because of this, I apologize."
"There is no need to worry. The next thing we release will improve efficiency by 20% compared to this one."
Isabella retorted like that.
This was Steve's teaching. Things released into the world will be imitated. Therefore, release better things next time and keep running at the forefront.
Japanese manufacturing was chased by foreign countries, and domestic production decreased. However, things that can only be done in Japan remain. The teaching not to rest on one's laurels was from experience.
"That sounds fun. If so, I will buy that too."
"Please do."
Aurora, who had been watching that exchange, spoke to Isabella.
"By the way, the seat of our lord is open. Do you intend to take it?"
Isabella shook her head at that invitation.
"My dream is to make the company bigger and set up branches and offices all over the world. For that, being a lord is unnecessary."
"Saying you don't need the seat of the head of the Sowell family makes me want it even more. I wish we had a child like that among ours. It's hard to find a child who can sit on the chair next."
Aurora's eyes told that she had not given up yet.
Isabella answered with a strained smile.
"Isn't Liz, Elizabeth, available?"
"Oh, that child is quite excellent too. Shall I ask the Queen in exchange for the Merda Kingdom's rights? I don't know how many more years I will live, and I want an excellent heir soon."
Isabella offers Elizabeth as a sacrifice. Later, this fact would be conveyed to Elizabeth, and she would protest again.
In the end, Aurora made Loki's son, who had just come of age, the head, and decided to educate him directly. Furthermore, since she is still healthy and will live a long time, it will be a while before the Sowell family is surpassed by House Archibalt.
Also, by releasing the adzuki beans held by the Sowell family and importing adzuki beans from the Empire, the price of adzuki beans fell below the average year, and sweets using adzuki beans became cheap and widely available.
With the settlement thus concluded, Oz Parker's sentence was finalized, resulting in life imprisonment. When this was conveyed to Heimdall, he came to House Archibalt.
Since it was without an appointment, he could not meet Brian or Steve. In fact, he wasn't even allowed into the mansion.
But he did not give up and kept prostrating himself in front of the gate. He prostrated himself even in the middle of the night, and eventually, the sun rose.
Seeing this, Steve decided to handle it.
When Heimdall saw Steve's face, he apologized.
"Regarding this matter... truly... I... am... so... sorry..."
He cried, stumbling here and there. Steve glared at him.
"So what?"
"Release my father... please."
"That won't do. The damage he caused to us is great."
When Steve refused, Heimdall clung to Steve.
"I will definitely... definitely repay..."
"Then you should bring it first. Only when that is done can we even consider it."
Separate from the penalty fee to the Sowell family, a penalty fee for the adzuki beans that should have been paid to House Archibalt had occurred. Regarding this, although the adzuki beans were returned from the Sowell family, House Archibalt had already procured the planned quantity from the Empire, so they did not accept them.
And, they are demanding 25 billion Dora as a penalty fee from the Parker Baronet family. Since payment cannot be made, it has been set up as a 100-year installment repayment. The lack of interest is an act of mercy.
Heimdall gave up and left.
That was immediately conveyed to Brian, and Brian visited Oz to tell him this.
Oz smiled embarrassedly.
"Did my son bow his head for me?"
"We could grant a pardon."
When Brian said that, Oz refused.
"No, if I am released by a pardon because of this, my current feeling of regret will fade. After all, I know well because I was like that. If I survive, the regret of failure disappears."
"I see. Well, Freya also strongly told me that. She said she would go into the cell with me. If I say no, she says I am an accomplice."
"I see. I said I would definitely make you happy when we got married, but it turned out like this. I am sorry."
Oz bowed deeply.
Hearing that, Brian chuckled.
"Son-in-law, raising children is difficult, isn't it?"
"Yes."
Oz nodded.
In the end, Oz Parker would stay in the cell until he died, but separate from the repayment of the penalty fee, money was sent every year from the Parker Baronet family under the guise of improving life in the cell, and the food and clothes became distinct from other prisoners.
Also, only Freya was free to visit, so she could enter the cell freely, and she secretly went out with her son without his knowledge.
However, Heimdall, who did not know that, would weep loudly while offering words of apology before his father's returned corpse.
As for that Heimdall, he tried various things to repay the penalty fee early, but it bore fruit only after his death. Just as Takayama Yoshimune's reforms were, reforming a territory is not something that can be done in a day or two, but the fact that he was able to repay the penalty fee early was because he had sown the seeds.
The next day Heimdall visited, Steve was in the heavy industry prototype room. There, he was doing cutting work using a milling machine.
The time had passed 10 PM, but the room was bright like daytime, illuminated by electricity.
Light bulbs had already been put to practical use, and electricity was being sent from power plants to major facilities.
Laying power lines is a huge infrastructure project, and it is still a while before it reaches each household, but there is a plan to spread it to city homes within 10 years.
Steve's face, illuminated by such electricity, was still gloomy as usual.
Nick, who was with him, spoke in an exasperated tone.
"Wakasama, you can't make good things by sharpening so angrily."
"I don't do work swayed by emotions."
"Yes, yes, that's right. But, Miss and Master were worried, so why don't you stop getting angry soon?"
"The two of them were worried?"
At that, Steve stopped his hands and looked at Nick.
"They both think you are disappointed in Wakasama because of this matter."
"Why?"
"Because you've been gloomy all this time. Anyone can tell they weren't satisfied with this outcome."
"Hah, what a disgraceful father to make children feel such things. It's not that they are disappointed in me, but I was angry at my own judgment's leniency. If I had intervened at an earlier stage, my brother-in-law wouldn't have been locked up."
Hearing that, Nick chuckled.
"That's overprotectiveness. Then they can never walk on their own. Our young ones also talk about independence, but to me, they are still chicks, and I want to guide them here. But if I do that, they will stay that way forever. I tell myself that it is the master's duty to watch over them as they think for themselves and overcome it even if they hit a wall or fail. Well, I don't know about raising children since I left children alone and worked all the time."
"Well, I did wrong to Nick's children."
Steve apologized to Nick, thinking it was his fault that Nick had no time for raising children.
"Why are you apologizing? It's not your fault, it's my decision."
"Even so, I feel sorry that I might be making them work too hard here."
"Well, those kids can't become fools like me. So they give up quickly. If they think, make it, and if that doesn't work, think again, they won't be able to go home until the day changes."
"No, no, that's overdoing it. You'll die young."
Steve recalled his previous life. Since he died of overwork, he doesn't demand that much from the current employees.
"They won't die. I am the evidence."
Nick slapped his chest firmly.
"Nick is already an old man, so you shouldn't force yourself at night."
"What are you saying? Anpan Knight said it's a job looking a hundred years ahead. Then we can't stumble at the beginning. Even if I whip my old body, I will do it. Besides, even if I collapse, I won't die where Wakasama is. Even if I lose a finger with a Grinder or get caught in a press, I can get it fixed immediately."
"That's true. Better to have you nearby than collapse somewhere I can't see. There are many mold drawings, so I won't be able to sleep tonight."
Steve grinned. Nick laughed back at that.
The character development of Anpan Knight is a flagship business for Archibalt-related companies and also serves as peace education for children in society.
Because of that, they cannot fail, so Steve is making molds together with Nick. Other employees are doing it too, but at night, it was just the two of them.
The reason no one was in the prototype room was a consideration so that the two could use the machine tools at night.
Incidentally, busy lines also produce during night shifts, and the company is operating.
"It's where I want to be. After all, this is used for sweets and toys. Children raised with Anpan Knight will love peace with love and courage in their hearts. If it's a job to create such a world, I would be satisfied even if I died."
"No, don't die. Well, if such a world comes, I'd trade my life for it. Getting along with the neighbor. That's all I want for world peace."
"If that's done, there won't be any wars in the world. Well, it's great that I can make toy molds instead of making weapons."
Archibalt Heavy Industry, a private company, does not manufacture weapons.
They could make them if they wanted to, but Steve did not approve of that. Such things are handled by the arsenal, and no orders have come to private companies.
Nick also stands before the lathe. Steve spoke without turning around.
"Tomorrow, I'll try talking to the children."
"Then please go after sleeping properly."
"I will. So Nick, come back with me. It's troublesome if you collapse somewhere I can't see."
"I'm not that old yet."
"Only you think that. Besides, people die of overwork even when young."
"If so, why don't you make your share with magic? It's fast."
"That would be boring."
When Steve answered like that, the two burst into laughter.
And, they returned after the sun had risen.
I made a scene for Parker the father, but it was a bit unsatisfactory.