How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 131

Jess Orléans, having finished his greetings, sat down across from me.

“You could have given me some notice.”

“There’s a certain charm to a surprise visit, you know.”

“I suppose so. Anyway, welcome to Frey Port.”

“Seems like a nice place. Quiet, good scenery.”

Jess seemed a bit abashed, realizing I’d subtly pointed out its unsuitability as a trading port.

“It’s a humble port, I admit. But its location is good. Full of potential, you might say. It’s just that in these peaceful times, it’s not shining as brightly as it could.”

Not shining brightly, huh?

Sensing his meaning, I cautiously opened my mouth.

“‘Not yet’ implies…?”

“Things will certainly change when the political landscape shifts.”

“Anyone listening would think you’re hoping for a war.”

“Of course not. I’m merely preparing for such a possibility.”

Jess deftly parried my probing, as expected of someone with foresight.

“The meal is arriving.”

Just then, employees began bringing out the dishes with perfect timing.

Luce’s mouth watered at the seafood dishes and wine that filled the table.

“Please, eat your fill.”

“Is this on you?”

“Of course. You’re our employer, after all, and you’ve come from afar.”

“Employer, huh.”

Leaving Luce to devour the seafood, I poured myself a glass of wine.

“Then, as your employer, let me ask the most pressing question: How much can I expect to earn?”

At my question, Jess pulled a paper from his pocket, as if he’d been waiting for it.

“First, do you recall the terms of our initial contract?”

“I do.”

How could I forget?

It was a gamble, pure and simple.

But the gamble was as good as won, so it wasn’t worth discussing.

The important thing was how much we’d exceeded the projected profit.

“The initial investment was roughly two thousand gold coins, and the projected profit based on that was five hundred gold coins. To exceed it threefold, we’d need to earn fifteen hundred gold coins.”

“That’s correct.”

“But it won’t end at a simple threefold increase, will it? Not with the situation at hand.”

“Indeed.”

“So, how much is it?”

“Twentyfold.”

Cough!

Food fragments erupted from Luce’s mouth as he was eating seafood.

“What the hell are you doing, making a mess?”

Ignoring my glare, Luce urgently asked Jess,

“Twentyfold?”

“Yes. Though it’s still just a projected profit.”

“Then how much is it?”

“Five hundred times twenty, so it’s simple.”

“T-Ten thousand coins?”

“Yes. Ten thousand gold coins, to be exact. Of course, this profit is only possible because you secured tariff-free benefits on the Hreuden River, Baron.”

Ten thousand coins, huh.

I could bathe in a tub filled with gold coins.

Luce, who seemed to be having similar fantasies, snapped out of it and asked Jess again.

“Even with the mine collapsing, can the price really skyrocket that much?”

“It’s simple. Because it’s salt.”

“Because it’s salt?”

“Salt isn’t a luxury item like gold or jewels; it’s not something you can simply do without. It’s closer to a necessity. In that situation, if the supply is completely cut off, what do you think will happen? The value will likely continue to soar until the mine is restored.”

“So, that means…”

Luce turned to look at me again.

“Young Master, let’s hold onto it longer.”

“No way.”

“Huh?”

“It’s better to sell now, even if we take a slight loss.”

“Is there any need to take a loss that we don’t have to?”

“It’d be a loss if we only looked at the money. But overall, it’s a gain.”

“Eek?”

Luce tilted his head, looking confused. Silly Luce.

“The reason is simple: because I’m not just thinking about one big score.”

“I don’t quite understand.”

“Capitale and other major cities on the continent are all inland. And the countless nobles residing in those cities must be feeling desperate right now. Commoners can somehow manage without it, but nobles can’t.”

“Ah, so then…”

Luce nodded, finally catching on.

“Is the goal to establish trade with those nobles?”

“Exactly. A friend who lends a hand when needed is remembered for a long time. Especially since the current Blue Wind Trading Company is just a small trading company with no name or influence among the public.”

“It sounds like you’re planning to grow the Blue Wind Trading Company.”

“I’ve ended up raising a money-eating hippo. To feed it, I need a steady stream of income.”

At my words, referring to the newly formed Knights of the Sky Fortress, Luce nodded.

“A money-eating hippo. You’re right.”

The growth of the Blue Wind Trading Company.

It was a topic I’d already discussed with Jess.

I would support the company’s growth in every way possible. In return, the company would pay me dividends from its future profits on a monthly basis.

Jess was an ambitious man, so he accepted my proposal without hesitation. Of course, history says that Jess would succeed on his own later, but he couldn’t know that future now.

‘Anyway, ten thousand gold coins, huh.’

That’s enough to last until the trading company grows and starts generating profits.

“But isn’t that too big of a goal for the current Blue Wind Trading Company to handle? It still seems to be a very small operation.”

Luce was right.

The current Blue Wind Trading Company wasn’t in a position to establish major trade relationships with nobles based solely on salt sales.

But I had a solution for that as well.

“There’s a trading guild wandering around without a head, isn’t there?”

“Huh? A trading guild without a head?”

After a moment of thought, Luce made a surprised face.

“Are you talking about the Sein Trading Company?”

“That’s right.”

“You’re going to hand it over to the Blue Wind Trading Company wholesale?”

“Hand it over? I’m just going to change the sign. The Sein Trading Company’s name can’t be used in the industry anymore anyway.”

Since the Sein Trading Company had already caused a scandal with drugs, its dissolution was inevitable. The problem was how to regroup after the dissolution.

“Count Lindaier…”

“He agreed on the condition that the Blue Wind Trading Company is owned by the Lindaier family.”

“But isn’t this Frey Port?”

“Then Frey Port will be the first branch. And Jess Orléans will be the branch manager in charge of the Frey Port branch.”

“Then what about you, Young Master?”

“What are you asking? Of course, I’m the boss.”

Luce chuckled at my declaration that I would be the guild leader.

“Tournament champion, lord of the Sky Fortress, and now even a guild leader? You’re going to burst.”

“Are you making fun of me?”

“I’m just jealous.”

Muttering, Luce turned to Jess and mouthed,

‘I’m so jealous.’

Jess gave a wry smile and looked at me.

“More importantly, I have a question for you, Baron.”

“You have a question? What is it?”

“Did you perhaps foresee all of this?”

“Foresee?”

“Looking at the situation, it’s as if you predicted the mine would collapse. The timing you set was perfect. When you first proposed such absurd contract terms, I just thought you were a naive noble.”

Well, from Jess’s perspective, he might think I was having prophetic dreams.

Of course, the absorption of the Sein Trading Company is a slightly different story. I had planned to grow the Blue Wind Trading Company through salt sales, but the downfall of the Sein Trading Company was purely coincidental.

“I just thought that since the South is prone to earthquakes, something might happen someday.”

“But didn’t you set the timing to two years?”

“Let’s just say my deceased ancestor told me in a dream. Either way, it doesn’t matter how I did it, does it?”

Jess nodded without crossing the line at my firm statement.

“That’s right. That’s not what’s important.”

“Exactly. What’s important now is something else. It seems Frey Port is buzzing about that matter.”

“Do you perhaps already know?”

“The guards told me everything. They said you were gathering people but suddenly stopped.”

“So you do know. Yes, there’s been a bit of a problem.”

“A problem? What is it?”

“Now that the sellers and buyers are all set, some hyenas have jumped in.”

“Hyenas?”

“It’s not easy to find ships.”

“Ah, I thought so.”

Unlike me, who understood the situation just from Jess’s concise words, Luce looked bewildered.

Perhaps feeling awkward about rejoining the conversation, Luce turned to Leo and asked,

“Hyenas?”

“Damn shipowners are trying to take advantage of us after hearing rumors that our trading company is making a fortune.”

“Doesn’t the Blue Wind Trading Company have ships?”

“That’s not enough. There are more than one or two places to send them, and half of the ships we have are already carrying other trade goods on the other side of the continent.”

Jess nodded at Leo’s words.

“That’s why I wanted to see you, Baron, to decide whether to secure ships even if it means paying more than necessary, or to find another way…”

“Can’t you ask the nobles you’ve established trade with to send ships?”

“Most of the nobles are located in inland cities, so they hardly own any merchant ships.”

“What about help from other trading companies?”

“They’re being cold.”

“They’re jealous, huh. Can’t say I don’t understand.”

Hmm, what to do.

“Wouldn’t it be better to just use the ships even if it means paying a premium?”

Jess shook his head at Luce’s question.

“That would probably reduce the projected profit by about 30%.”

“30%? Are they crazy? Let’s just go and smash them all. Let’s see if they can talk like that with a knife to their throat.”

“Silly Luce. Are you suggesting we start a fight in someone else’s territory?”

“Oh, now that I think about it, you’re right. Damn, it’s a shame I don’t know any lords around here, and being a foreigner is really a disadvantage.”

It was then. Hearing Luce’s words, someone came to mind.

“A lord I know…”

“Yes?”

“Maybe I can get the ships.”

Luce tilted his head at my words.

“Yes? Did you know any nobles in the East?”

“I know one.”

“Who is it?”

“Redran.”

“Redran…? That’s the first time I’ve heard that name.”

On the other hand, Jess’s face, who had been listening quietly, lit up.

“Redran? Are you perhaps talking about Baron Redran Basarac?”

“Is there another Redran?”

“If there’s a noble using the name Redran in the East, it’s only the Basarac family. The young lord who inherited the family at a young age, Redran Basarac.”

“A young lord, huh.”

“That’s the nickname they use when referring to Baron Basarac in the East.”

Jess was attaching the title to the surname, not the name, since Redran was the head of the Basarac family.

“I think that Redran is the one I’m talking about. Does he have enough ships for our needs?”

“Of course. The Basarac family even owns warships. Although its history is short, it’s still a baronial family, but in reality, it’s comparable to a count family.”

“Then that’s settled. I’ll go to Redran and try to get the ships.”

“If you could do that, nothing would be better… I’m curious. How did you build a friendship with Baron Basarac, who is known as the only one in heaven and earth?”

“Rather than friendship, I’d say that friend owes me a debt.”

“A debt? It’s hard to imagine that arrogant baron owing a debt.”

A debt is a debt.

Was it a bet on the outcome of the opening match of the tournament?

I saved Redran from almost running naked through Capitale after losing there.