He Opened A Matchmaking Agency In 18Th Century London [EN]: Chapter 2

2. Heading to London with a Recommendation!

Samuel Scott asked again.

“Theo? What are you talking about? You know the cure for scurvy?”

Theo hesitated, unsure how to answer. He couldn’t exactly say he knew the cure from the modern era.

“I heard it from a sailor who definitely knows the cure. He said that eating sour fruits like lemons and oranges, or vegetables and seaweed, can easily prevent and even cure it.”

“That terrible disease can be cured with something like that?”

“Yes! It can definitely be cured. The disease occurs after about three months of not eating fresh fruits or vegetables. That’s why it hardly ever happens on land. It’s definitely not a curse of the sea, he said. It’s from a very reliable source.”

“······.”

Of course, it was known at the time that eating meat with blood dripping from it was somewhat helpful for scurvy, but eating land meat during months or years at sea was nearly impossible in this era without refrigeration.

At best, they had salted meat, but scurvy could only be prevented by eating fresh vegetables, fruits, or fresh meat, so salted meat and fish weren’t very effective.

“Think about it, Uncle. You’ve hardly ever had that disease on short voyages of a month or two, right? That sailor said they never get scurvy.”

“Well…”

“Uncle, there’s a huge shortage of sugar right now, causing a massive scarcity. Going to the British colony of Jamaica to get sugar is a golden opportunity to make a lot of money. Can you trust me just this once and invest? Huh?”

“···.”

Samuel Scott, after pondering for a while, asked,

“Can scurvy really be cured that way?”

Theo answered confidently.

“Yes! You just need to consume enough fresh fruits and vegetables before departure and load them onto the ship. And it only takes two months to get to Jamaica at most. As soon as you arrive in Jamaica, you can eat fresh fruits and vegetables, and there won’t be any problems on the way back either. The ships that had scurvy problems this time were all at sea for more than five months, right?”

“···Hmm. Now that you mention it, that’s true.”

Samuel, who was facing serious financial difficulties because he couldn’t launch a trading ship, was already considering taking a risk.

Theo, reading his change in expression, seized the opportunity and pushed forward.

“Uncle! There’s chaos everywhere because they can’t get sugar right now. On the other hand, there will be mountains of unsold sugar piled up at the port in Jamaica. First, load the ship with fabrics, furniture, and various tools that can only be made in British factories and head to Jamaica.”

“Those essential goods will be scarce there too since ships haven’t been coming in. Then, sell those goods for a big profit, buy sugar at a cheap price, and bring it back to England. You can make a huge amount of money.”

Samuel tilted his head in surprise.

“Theo… were you always this smart? You’re talking like a seasoned trader.”

The education level of the lower classes at this time was mostly terrible. Many couldn’t even read or do simple arithmetic.

Theo Sanderson, who was born and raised in a slum, was just an ignorant porter.

Samuel couldn’t help but be surprised to hear Theo talking about international trade so fluently.

“Uncle, my father often said before he died that if I ever needed a big favor, I should go to you. He said you would definitely help me once.”

Samuel had almost drowned at sea in his youth. Theo Sanderson’s father had saved his life back then.

“Oh… yes. That’s right.”

“Can’t I use that one favor for this? I won’t ask for a second time. Please trust me and help me just this once.”

Samuel pondered deeply and then nodded firmly as if he had made up his mind.

“Alright. Good! I’ll take a chance too. I’ll give you a small trading ship. There are people who are willing to go even if it means risking their lives, so there’s no problem. If you succeed as you say, I’ll give you half of the net profit. Work hard.”

“Thank you, thank you, Uncle! You definitely won’t be disappointed.”

**

Theo’s Jamaica sugar procurement operation proceeded smoothly with Samuel Scott’s help.

As soon as they prepared the ship and recruited a captain and crew, they headed to Jamaica and eventually managed to bring the sugar safely to England.

As rumors spread that black sugar had been brought from Jamaica, hundreds of merchants lined up at the port of Bristol to wait.

With the added value of being sugar obtained at the risk of their lives, it was truly worth whatever they asked.

A wealthy aristocrat, who had his daughter’s wedding coming up, even bought the last remaining container of black sugar for more than 20 times the price.

At that time, sugar dishes and sugar decorations at wedding banquets were indispensable elements to show off the family’s wealth and power.

***

Theo, having received half of the profits from Samuel Scott, bought a large quantity of goods to sell to the colonists and headed back to the British colony of Jamaica in the Caribbean.

The fabrics, furniture, and various household goods brought from England sold like hotcakes in Jamaica.

Theo poured all the money he received from Samuel and the money he earned in Jamaica into buying 30 containers of black sugar.

In this way, Theo was able to become rich quickly by traveling back and forth to Jamaica twice.

‘This is more fun than I thought? Is it really this easy to make money because the infrastructure and information are at a beginner level in this society? Wow… I didn’t know it was this easy to make money, and I lived a miserable life in my previous life? Hahaha. Good! If I work hard for just one more year, I can live really comfortably in a nice mansion with servants. I should make a lot of money and live comfortably while figuring out how to go back to the future.’

Theo set aside some of the money he earned to buy a house and fields for his stepmother and stepsiblings, and he also bought a decent mansion for himself.

Then, he bought a small trading ship and set out on his third voyage.

Theo was aiming for a different level of profit this time, as he had invested heavily.

‘This time, it’s 50 containers of sugar. There’s still a huge shortage of sugar on the market, so if I bring that back, I can become the richest man in Bristol. Hahaha.’

But the joy was short-lived.

The seemingly clumsy 18th-century world was not so easy.

While crossing the Atlantic Ocean with a full load of sugar from Jamaica, they encountered a notorious pirate ship.

The ship’s captain and many crew members were brutally murdered at the hands of the pirates, and only Theo and a few workers barely survived and were abandoned on a deserted island.

Fortunately, they were rescued by a passing warship and were able to return to England, but they had to come back empty-handed, having been robbed of all their silver coins and sugar.

Even after returning home, Theo suffered from nightmares every night.

The pirates had tied the resisting captain and crew to the stern, cut open the ship, and burned it.

With the memory of the horrific slaughter he had witnessed, Theo felt that he could never go back to sea, even if he was given a billion dollars.

‘Even though this is the Age of Exploration, I’m too scared of the cruel pirates and sea accidents to do this anymore. I need to quickly find another business with the little money I have left.’

However, no suitable business caught his eye, no matter how much he looked around.

Theo knew better than anyone that the triangular trade between Africa, Europe, and the Americas, centered on black slaves, was a business that raked in money.

However, with his fear of sailing, he was too hesitant to jump directly into trade.

Even if he bought a ship and operated it indirectly as a shipowner, he didn’t have enough money left, making it difficult.

‘Sigh—what can I do like this? Is it impossible to make money even with the knowledge of the future?’

Theo couldn’t help but sigh.

***

The feeling of confusion and wonder after entering his past life was only temporary. As life became more real, he felt the pressure of life, no different from the modern era.

He thought he could easily make money by using a little of his future knowledge, but when he actually lived as a lower-class person in the 18th century, he felt lost in a vast and dense forest.

‘I only remember the big events that are recorded in history books. But the gaps between those events are too big. Making money using those events is not as easy as it sounds.’

Moreover, all activities were blocked in a modern society where transportation infrastructure, networks, and a free economic order were not established, making him frustrated.

As the remaining money quickly dwindled, Theo became increasingly anxious.

While contemplating his next move, Theo overheard a conversation between a middle-aged woman and a younger woman.

They appeared to be mother and daughter.

The middle-aged woman’s voice was calm, but with an underlying tension.

Theo noticed her thin lips, a telltale sign of suppressed anger.

‘The psychological state of anger…?’

Humans often exhibit thinning lips when experiencing anger. Theo quickly recognized this as a sign of initial anger in the middle-aged woman.

Some psychologists are skeptical about reading emotions from facial expressions.

They argue that facial expressions are just one factor to consider, and that an expression doesn’t necessarily equate to a specific emotion.

However, defying these criticisms, AI-powered facial emotion recognition programs are achieving significant accuracy and are becoming commercially viable. These programs have learned from millions of human faces and can now identify emotions with a high degree of accuracy.

Theo possessed an even more remarkable ability to discern emotions, surpassing even these AI systems. Through innate observation skills and dedicated study, he could identify emotions with near-perfect accuracy simply by observing subtle changes in facial expressions or body language.

“…What are you saying?”

“You’ve ruined your third social season. Marriage is practically out of the question. If you end up an old maid, it will affect your brothers’ and sisters’ marriage prospects. You’ll be a disgrace to our family. Even Eliza, who is less accomplished than you, got married at once. How could you end up like this? I’m so upset…”

A disgrace to the family for not being married? Even considering the different era, it was unpleasant to hear.

Curious, Theo glanced at the younger woman’s face.

Her face was shadowed by deep sorrow, but she had a well-proportioned figure, fair skin, and striking features.

‘Hmm… I don’t know her circumstances or character, but she seems to come from a reasonably well-off family based on her attire, and she’s quite attractive. If a young lady like that registered with our matchmaking agency, she would be highly sought after…’

Suddenly, Theo was reminded of [Margaret] Mead, who sharply criticized the customs of modern society, where everything seemed to hinge on marriage.

As a current matchmaking manager, he had found the drama very interesting.

Seeing such a scene unfold before his eyes made him realize that he was truly in 18th-century British society.

Lost in thought, Theo shook his head.

‘What am I doing? I shouldn’t be distracted by such trivial conversations. I need to find a business opportunity quickly.’

◈ One month later, Hampstead, London.

Theo sold the mansion he had bought in Bristol and moved to Hampstead, a quiet village near the Soho district of London.

He had decided that there were no viable business opportunities for him in Bristol.

Therefore, he decided to go to London, the center of England, to come up with a business plan.

Hampstead, where Theo moved, was a quiet village located north of London, famous for its beautiful scenery and fresh air, and was a wealthy neighborhood.

Perhaps that’s why many famous writers and artists came there to work.

The house Theo rented was a fairly luxurious residence with an annual rent of 1,000 pounds (approximately 200,000 USD).

He also spent about 500 pounds (approximately 100,000 USD) to purchase various items and a carriage.

He was a little anxious about the little money he had left, but he thought it was an unavoidable investment for his business.

‘In this era, where a proper capitalist economic order has not yet been established, business can only target the affluent. Therefore, I must get as close to them as possible.’

To do so, he had to have at least similar housing and clothing to the upper class.

In this era, housing and clothing were nothing less than a measure of a person’s status.

***

Clatter. Clatter.

Theo sat in a carriage heading to the Soho district of London.

In his hand, he held a letter of recommendation written by Admiral Matthew Bentham.

‘The Intelligence Club, huh…’

Admiral Matthew Bentham was the captain in charge of the warship that rescued Theo from the deserted island.

Theo and Admiral Bentham often shared meals and had many conversations, and each time, the admiral seemed very surprised by Theo’s vast knowledge.

That was because Theo’s remarks, which thoroughly grasped world historical events and political trends, could only be seen as great insight by Admiral Bentham.

One month later, on the day Theo disembarked at Bristol Harbor, Admiral Bentham handed him a personally written letter of recommendation.

“Mr. Sanderson, if you ever go to London, be sure to visit a club called the Intelligence Club. I think you will be more needed there than anyone else.”

It was talk about a club that he wasn’t very interested in, but Theo’s ears perked up at the name that soon came out of his mouth.

“The person who created this club is… I don’t know if you’ve heard of him, but it’s the renowned sociologist Adam Smith and the poet Samuel Johnson. They created the club about 10 years ago, and thanks to their reputation, it has now become a place where many of England’s leading intellectuals gather, regardless of status.”

Adam Smith, the father of classical economics who wrote ‘The Wealth of Nations,’ and Samuel Johnson, who compiled the first comprehensive English dictionary.

These were the first historical figures he had heard of since entering his past life.

Clatter. Clatter.

Theo was now heading to that very ‘Intelligence Club.’

In fact, even when he received the letter of recommendation from the admiral, he was just curious about the famous historical figures, but he never thought he would actually visit the club himself.

However, the moment he decided to make money in London, the first thing that came to mind was Admiral Matthew Bentham’s letter of recommendation.

To profit from a business targeting the upper class and emerging capitalists, good connections were essential, but porter Theo Sanderson was unlikely to have any proper connections.

Theo planned to build strong relationships with many of London’s intellectuals through the club that Bentham had recommended.

And through his relationship with them, he planned to continue to interact with the upper class.

‘I’m glad I kept this letter of recommendation. It would have been a disaster if I had just thrown it away.’