Chapter 303 - Episode 295: Future Outlook
One afternoon in late June.
Noein had gathered some of his retainers in the mansion's conference room.
Seated at the conference table were Anna, Edgar, Christy, Bart, and—though not a retainer—Philip. Beside Noein, who sat at the head of the table, his adjutant Matilda served as the secretary.
"Well then, shall we begin? First, Anna, please."
"Yes, Noein-sama... Then, I shall explain the current financial situation of the House of Viscount Arqvist."
At Noein's request, Anna spoke regarding how much expenditure the House of Viscount Arqvist planned in the immediate future, and how much money remained on hand against that. The remaining balance in the Viscount's purse was, effectively, the remaining balance of the territory's operating budget.
Among those listening, Edgar was in charge of agriculture, Christy was the practical manager of the lord's direct workshops, Bart was in charge of communication and negotiation with noble houses and merchant guilds outside the territory, and Philip was the purveyor. All of them were key figures involved in the House of Viscount Arqvist's money-making.
As for Philip, he was technically someone from outside the Viscount's house, but since they were economically equivalent to a community of shared destiny, there was no problem with him hearing such candid discussions.
"—And so, if we combine the funds provided to Noein-sama by Mr. Julian Kivileft and the money Noein-sama received from His Majesty the King as an unofficial reward for the Betumia War, it is expected that enough cash will remain on hand to have some leeway even after getting through this year. It can be said that we have returned to a situation where we can feel relieved for the time being."
With that, Anna concluded her explanation.
The House of Viscount Arqvist had lost the cash income it had relied on last autumn due to the invasion of the Republic of Betumia, but thanks to the massive sum of twenty million Rebro unexpectedly brought by Julian, they avoided the crisis of their on-hand funds becoming completely empty.
Furthermore, when Noein returned to his territory from Laden, Oscar had permitted him to bring back a portion of a large amount of currency whose owners had become unknown in the midst of the war—roughly several million Rebro—in addition to the magic carriages and horses abandoned by the Republic of Betumia's army.
It was a form of permission to obtain some spoils of war as an immediate reward from the King for achieving the greatest possible merit.
Combining those several million Rebro, while it couldn't be called "plenty," they had saved enough that they didn't need to panic.
"Thank you, Anna. I'll take over from here... This is where we get to the main topic. A discussion on how the House of Viscount Arqvist will generate profits moving forward."
As Noein took over the role of speaker, the members of the conference room looked toward the lord and slightly straightened their posture.
"First, agricultural crops such as wheat, as well as lapis lazuli, will continue to be important funding sources for the Arqvist territory. In addition, moving forward, weapons starting with the ballista, and potatoes as strategic supplies, are expected to become major sources of profit."
Before his return, Noein had held a meeting with Oscar and received a request for a large-scale order of ballistae from the royal family.
In this war, the Lordberg Kingdom's vulnerability to invasion from the sea had been exposed. To improve this, the royal family decided to deploy numerous ballistae to the various noble territories in the south facing the sea, preparing for landings not only by the Republic of Betumia but by other nations as well.
The job of manufacturing many of those ballistae was given to Noein. The Arqvist territory, possessing die-casting equipment and a large number of golem users, could manufacture more ballistae more quickly compared to other territories. In terms of quality, they could also produce items with a superior finish.
Over the next several years, hundreds of ballistae would be shipped. The expected revenue was considerably large considering the scale of the Arqvist territory.
"Then, does that mean the lord's direct workshops will prioritize the manufacture of ballistae moving forward?"
"That's right. Especially for the next six months or so, I want you to make ballistae even if it means reducing the production of other products, including crossbows."
When Noein answered, Christy, who had asked, nodded and said, "Understood."
"Regarding the potatoes, does that mean we will actively spread them as one of the new staple foods in the southern part of the kingdom?"
"Yes, that's how it will be. It seems the royal family will be taking the lead in pushing them forward."
The next to ask was Edgar. Noein nodded to him and continued his explanation.
Now that the reconstruction of southern society was an urgent matter, it was necessary to spread potatoes—which had been gradually spreading from the northwest to various regions until now—somewhat forcibly as "provisions that grow even in wasteland, require little effort, and increase easily."
For this purpose, the royal family decided to use its authority to encourage potato cultivation and work in various directions to spread it on a national scale.
Therefore, not limited to the Arqvist territory, the noble territories in the northwest that have potatoes as one of their main products are expected to be able to significantly increase their profits from exports from now on.
Last year, during the poor harvest, they had eaten potatoes until they were sick of them, but from this year, conversely, they would sell them to other territories even if it meant reducing the amount consumed within the territory.
"Understood. Then, starting from the second planting of this year, I will consider increasing the production volume of potatoes."
"Thank you. Let's discuss that matter in more detail later."
Speaking to Edgar, who seemed satisfied, Noein then looked toward Bart and Philip.
"Then, does that mean we will handle the practical side of exporting the ballistae and potatoes?"
"That's right. It helps that you're quick to understand."
Noein smiled and nodded to Bart, who had sensed his role before being explained to.
"The Arqvist territory's name has become well-known again because of the Betumia War. The request for new work from the royal family will probably be officially communicated soon, and moving forward, regarding the transport of ballistae and potatoes, using our name should make things quite flexible... in various circles."
"Then, within that, the Skinner Merchant Guild will continue to fulfill its duties as His Excellency's purveyor while expanding its sales channels to the southwest and increasing its scale."
Philip also spoke, having sensed the reason he had been called here today.
"Yes, that will also be profitable for the House of Arqvist. If the retainer in charge of foreign affairs and the person from the purveyor guild act together, it should be convenient for various things even in the far southwest. Please coordinate well."
At Noein's instruction, Bart and Philip each nodded.
"We'll do detailed planning later, but that's all for today's talk for now. For a while, let's strive for the manufacture and production of export goods, and create a system where transport teams head south regularly starting in a few months."
The post-war reconstruction of the kingdom, and the Arqvist territory's contribution to it. And the development of the Arqvist territory itself. Sharing what needed to be done toward those goals, Noein concluded the discussion.
Following the previous post, I have posted a simple map of the Arqvist territory on the author's Twitter.
This is also just a guide for positional relationships and atmosphere, but please take a look if you like...!
It will appear if you search for the author's name "Enoki Surume" or the work's title.