Chapter 213 - Chapter 213: Aurora ④
"What if I told you there is a policy for developing the West?"
This was the compromise Steve proposed during his conversation with Aurora. The compromise lies in the engagement to Christina, the daughter of the Macintosh family. It addresses Aurora's concern that establishing ties with the Northern faction through this engagement would allow them to use it as a foothold to advance into the West, which she could not allow. In exchange, Steve proposes that the West will bring even greater profits.
Aurora looked at Steve, sizing him up, wondering what he would propose next.
"Oh, that sounds fine. With that, others should be convinced. Can we discuss the details?"
Steve smiled and deflected that gaze.
"Yes. Actually, I intend to establish a commodity futures exchange to create a system that prepares for fluctuations in commodity prices."
"Commodity futures? I have never heard of that."
"Futures refer to the prices of future commodities, such as copper or wheat. It is a system to reserve these. If you are a producer, you can reserve your selling price according to the shipping season, and if you are a wholesaler, you can decide your purchasing price. In that way, even if there is a bumper harvest, a poor harvest, or bad weather, the buying and selling prices will remain stable."
"If that is the case, it is enough to decide between the producers and merchants. It does not seem like there is any profit for us."
"That is where we create a system involving an exchange and brokers. People who wish to buy and sell goods do so through brokers, so they do not need to go directly to the other party. Furthermore, we will make the brokers a licensed system. Your Excellency will issue the licenses, collect annual fees, and impose taxes on the commissions. Also, on the delivery date, the physical goods must be transported here, so the movement of people will increase as well. As a result, commerce will also grow."
Aurora considered Steve's proposal. Her honest impression was that it was not bad.
And while thinking, a sudden doubt arose.
"With such thorough thinking, why did you not try to do it yourself?"
"As for the personnel our house can prepare, managing such buying and selling is difficult. Moreover, if goods and people gather, our house's territory is simply not capable of handling it. Therefore, it was better to provide the idea to Your Excellency who can realize it. However, if we can receive a small idea fee, we would like merchants closely connected with our house to act as brokers."
"Since this is a new thing, I cannot answer immediately, but I understand your request. After consideration, I will send questions regarding unclear points and points you wish to know in detail, so please answer them."
With that exchange, the day ended.
Then, Aurora called her husband, Leo Tes Sowell, into the room where the two from House Archibalt had disappeared, and left Harry, the head attendant who was with her as a guard, in the room as well.
"How were the rumors about House Archibalt?"
Her husband Leo asked Aurora.
"The rumors are real. And the person himself is even more than the rumors. Lord Archibalt is ordinary, but how can such a child be born? Harry, what do you think we should do to stop that boy?"
"My lady, if we try to stop that one, we will need to prepare a massive amount of national army and mages. At the very least, if we clash with only our house's military strength, defeat is inevitable."
Leo was surprised by that reply.
"Good heavens, so he is a person that Harry says must be stopped like that."
Leo looked at his wife in surprise.
"Yes. However, even if they win, they lack the ability to rule, so they will not do such a useless thing. He is truly a calculating opponent. If he acted based on emotion, I wonder what would have happened to this country."
Aurora felt this way after seeing Steve's movements.
To stop him, one must deploy military power comparable to a war between nations. And one does not keep such military power on standby at all times.
Therefore, even the King has no guarantee of life before Steve, who has become serious.
Furthermore, the matter of commodity futures.
"It is a mechanism we have never heard of regarding the commodity futures exchange, yet he explained it properly. Yet, he does not try to do it himself. He simulated in his head something no one has ever thought of before and knows the scale of it. This is amazing. If he had seen it somewhere, that would explain it, but that would mean he has the ability to see another world. However, I can accept that he knew other things because of that."
"Good heavens, do you really think he has abilities like a god or an apostle?"
"Yes. But then, how did he obtain that knowledge otherwise? Is there a satisfactory explanation?"
Being retorted like that, Leo fell silent.
The idea that he was not human was the most satisfactory, and he could not think of anything else. Leo looked up at the ceiling in distress.
"My, my, did Count Macintosh send his daughter knowing this?"
Aurora shook her head to deny it.
"No, it seems that is not the case. The daughter is completely infatuated with the boy. That is what the report said. If this were a minor noble house, we could forcibly dissolve the engagement and force our child in, but if we do such a thing against Count Macintosh, we do not know how much damage we will suffer. We have decided to seek a path of mutual prosperity for now."
Aurora gritted her teeth in frustration. It was intense regret that they had not been able to incorporate Steve earlier. After all, the discovery of his magical talent occurred during the ceremony in this Sowell Land. If they had bought him out at that time, this would not have happened.
The one who conducted the ceremony reported that it was merely a measuring stick or scale for measurement, so they believed it. Aurora glared resentfully at the church visible from the window.