How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 43

Living as the Third Son of a Trash Novel – Chapter 43

* * *

That evening.

Luth, Leo, and I entered a luxurious restaurant, concealing our identities.

As if prearranged, a waiter led us to the top floor of the restaurant.

It was a place not for mingling with strangers, but for a select few.

And there, we saw someone already seated.

A slender figure with chestnut hair.

Smiling eyes and a gentle mouth, giving the impression of a docile personality.

But I knew his true nature.

‘The Evil Merchant, Jess Orléans.’

The Evil Merchant.

Meaning the devil’s arms dealer.

Jess Orléans, with his exceptional business sense, amassed capital and rose to become the continent’s top arms dealer through brokerage trade that exploited the special demands of war.

This was how he earned the title of the devil’s merchant. The vast amount of weaponry he distributed ultimately led to the deaths of countless people.

What would he be like now, in his past?

At first glance, he certainly seemed gentle.

But I could sense it. The sinister nature lurking within his docile eyes.

“You’ve arrived.”

Jess Orléans rose from his seat upon seeing us.

He began to scan Luth, Leo, and then me, before stopping in front of me and bowing deeply.

Even though we had concealed anything that might reveal our identities.

Perhaps his intuition was sharp.

“Sit.”

I pulled out a chair and sat down, removing my hood.

Jess’s eyes widened.

He recognized me.

In truth, it would have been difficult for Jess to recognize me at a glance, as we lived in different regions.

But now, I was a hot topic in Middle Point. The story of the Third Son escaping with a princess was a good subject for gossips and bards.

It was safe to say that there was no one in this city who didn’t know my face.

Thud!

Jess hastily knelt and bowed his head.

“The insignificant merchant, Jess Orléans, greets the Third Son of Lindayer County.”

“You’re Jess?”

“Yes. I am the master of the Bluewind Trading Company, located in Frey Port.”

“Nice to meet you. Sit and let’s talk.”

“Thank you for your kindness.”

At my words, Jess quickly stood up and sat in his chair. His quick movements were quite pleasing.

“Have you eaten?”

“Not yet.”

“Let’s talk while we eat.”

“I will gladly accept.”

He accepted the offer without any discomfort, expressing his willingness to eat well. He was affable, making others feel comfortable.

Yes, this must be Jess’s business persona.

When Leo gave a signal outside, waiters began to bring in the food. As if prepared in advance, the table was quickly filled with dishes.

“Young master?”

Luth held up a bottle of wine and grinned.

“Drink moderately.”

“Yes, sir. Shall I pour you a glass, too?”

“Sure.”

“Will you drink as well?”

“If you offer, I will gladly drink!”

Jess cheerfully and politely held out his glass, and Luth chuckled and poured the wine.

Watching this, I took a light sip of wine and opened my mouth.

“About an hour.”

“Pardon?”

“That’s the time left for our meal.”

“Ah… is that so?”

“Yes. It’s also the time given to you.”

Clink!

Jess put down his glass. At the same time, he placed the silverware neatly beside the plate, indicating that he had finished eating.

“Ahem!”

Jess cleared his throat and then, with both hands on his knees, his eyes gleamed.

“The Bluewind Trading Company is a new company established about five years ago. We are engaged in maritime trade in Frey Port, and there are a total of eight merchants belonging to the company.”

“Only eight? How many ships do you have?”

“For small ships, we have seven cogs [small, single-masted ships] and three caravels [small, highly maneuverable sailing ships], and for medium ships, we have one carrack [three- or four-masted sailing ship].”

“That’s too few.”

“Originally, we had more than five times that number, but recently, three carracks loaded with specialties from the south encountered an unexpected storm…”

“Storm?”

“Yes. For now, we have barely managed to cover the losses by selling some of the remaining ships and reducing staff.”

“So, you’ve gone bankrupt once.”

“…To be honest, we are just barely recovering.”

High risk, high return.

That’s what maritime trade represents.

Of course, land trade is often more efficient for shorter distances of a few days.

The real advantage of maritime trade is long-distance trade. With ships, a small number of people can transport vast quantities of goods across the sea.

Of course, like Jess before my eyes, you can lose everything in an instant due to a storm. Unlike trade via land routes, the capital invested in sailing ships is on a different scale from their carrying capacity.

That’s why it’s called high risk, high return.

Well, the story we’ve shared so far is actually unnecessary. The only reason I brought it up was simple.

You’re desperate, so you better bend over backwards.

It was a preemptive strike.

As expected, Jess opened his mouth cautiously, looking somewhat subdued.

“I heard that you are considering investing, young master.”

“That’s right.”

“What kind of investment are you considering?”

There are several types of investments, but broadly speaking, there are two types.

Either invest in the trading company and receive dividends in proportion to the profits.

Or buy ships in my name, hire merchants to manage them, and take the profits.

Of course, I’m not considering either of those.

“I want to purchase a certain item on consignment, and I want to entrust it to the Bluewind Trading Company.”

Consignment purchase.

Hearing that, Jess narrowed his brows.

“Are you saying you want to buy goods?”

“Yes.”

“So, you want to buy goods and then sell them again in the distant future to make a profit from the difference…”

“That’s right.”

“……”

Jess looked deflated.

I could roughly guess what he was thinking.

Simply buy goods, store them, and sell them again when the price rises in the future.

Everyone knows this simple concept.

However, no one does it because the future is unpredictable. Even professional merchants don’t easily choose this method.

It’s a method that can potentially wipe out all the investment, and it takes an incredibly long time. It’s like keeping money idle without circulating it.

But I’m different.

I know the future with 100 percent certainty.

In short, this was a gamble I could never lose. A gamble that would return several times the bet every time.

“I have no choice but to follow your wishes, young master, but I would not recommend it. If you were hoarding goods, it would be a viable method, but that would require astronomical sums and the scale to withstand the scrutiny of those around you. Unfortunately, our trading company does not have such capabilities…”

“I’m not planning to hoard goods.”

“Pardon?”

“Buy as much as you invest, and sell it again in the future. It’s a simple principle, is it difficult to understand?”

Jess straightened his posture.

“It sounds like you have definite information.”

“That’s right.”

“I won’t ask you to reveal the information. However, what is the item you intend to purchase?”

“Salt.”

Salt.

A compound also known as white gold.

There’s a saying that sugar is desire, and salt is survival.

In modern society, with the advancement of technology, there’s a fuss about low-sodium diets, but in the medieval-like Midland, the status of salt is beyond imagination.

“Did you say salt?”

“Yes.”

Jess’s face became serious.

“To profit from the price difference by purchasing large quantities of goods, you need to target items with unstable supply. However, salt has been steadily mined from the rock salt mines found in the Southern Mountains since ancient times. This means that it is a product that has been stabilized for a long time.”

“So, you can’t profit from that?”

“The supply doesn’t increase or decrease like a spider web, and it’s an item with established sales channels, and you can’t hoard it because of the price. To be honest, it won’t make a lot of money. No matter how long the expiration date is, the quality will deteriorate if stored for a long time, and you will surely lose money.”

“Good. Leo!”

Leo, who had been listening quietly, handed me a quill and paper at my call.

It was a contract that had been prepared in advance.

“Let’s simplify it. Still, I intend to buy salt. I intend to delegate all authority in that method to the Bluewind Trading Company.”

“I will not accept. I am grateful a hundred, a thousand times for your intention to choose our trading company, young master, but it is a gamble that could potentially ruin our trading company…”

“Read the contract clauses before you speak.”

I interrupted Jess and handed him the contract.

His eyes, which had been scanning it with suspicion, widened to the point of popping out.

If the expected profit is not exceeded by three times, the buyer shall transfer all of the purchased goods to the seller, Bluewind Trading Company, without compensation.

“What do you mean by expected profit?”

“You can estimate that now.”

Only then did Jess realize that it was not a joke, and his face became serious.

“How much do you intend to purchase? I initially heard it was a thousand gold coins.”

If I combine the reward I received for subduing the Knife Tribe, the bounty left over after giving it to Leia, the amount I will receive from the County, and the remaining jewels I received from Kerwyn….

“It’s increased.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s increased, so I’m going to start with 2,000 gold coins. I may purchase more in the middle.”

Cough, cough!

Luth, who was drinking water beside me, coughed as if he had choked.

At the same time, Jess let out a hollow laugh. I could almost hear his unspoken thought, ‘Is this guy crazy?’

It was understandable. Jess would see me as a madman right now. Luth, who was next to me, would feel the same.

“Are you serious?”

“You have no reason to lose out.”

“You told me to estimate the expected profit, right?”

“Yes. You decide. How much can you earn by trading salt with 2,000 gold coins?”

“What is the time limit?”

“Maximum of 2 years.”

“After deducting everything, the net profit per year is about 10 to 15 percent of the investment cost, and considering maintenance costs, it would be about 500 gold coins in 2 years. The tariff is quite high because of the item…”

“Simple. If you don’t make more than three times that amount, 1,500 gold coins, within 2 years, I’ll donate everything to the Bluewind Trading Company.”

I wrote down the amount Jess mentioned on the contract without hesitation. Jess, who couldn’t find anything else to say, clicked his tongue.

“What is the reason for giving such good conditions…”

“Of course, there are clauses that are favorable to me as well.”

“What are they?”

“If you exceed three times, the percentage taken by the trading company will be adjusted.”

Jess laughed again at the words I had written with the pen.

Profit distribution from the sale of goods

Buyer 95 : Seller 5

It simply means to work for the minimum labor cost.

Jess looked at it and began to think for a long time.

Should I do it or not?

I could almost hear him turning his head.

The thought didn’t last long. Jess is a person who achieves great success by combining his unique gambling spirit and abilities. There’s no way he’d miss this golden opportunity.

“I’ll do it.”

Jess expressed his intention only after thoroughly checking the subsequent clauses several times.

“One last question.”

“What is it?”

“In the last clause here, it says that your agent will always reside in the trading company and receive reports on the progress of all matters… Who is the agent?”

“You can think of it as my eyes and ears. Of course, I’m not just going to leave him in charge of surveillance. Leo!”

At my call, Leo, who was standing next to me, approached.

“Yes, young master.”

“From today, follow Jess Orléans.”

It was a part that Leo and I had already talked about and promised.

Leo seemed to have felt something at my words, asking if he would be satisfied with being a servant forever.

In fact, a simple servant was meaningless to me.

In the end, Leo seized the opportunity I offered.

It was a will to become someone needed by me, not just a simple servant.

“If you command, I will do so.”

“Yes. Go and learn a lot.”

I turned my head and looked at Jess.

“He is a child who has been trained as an exclusive servant. He can read and write and is intelligent, so I would like you to keep him by your side as a disciple or assistant and teach him the work.”

Jess fell into thought for a moment at my words.

But the thought didn’t last long.

It must be because the trading company, which had gone bankrupt once, was suffering from a shortage of manpower. If he was a resource who could be entrusted with even simple tasks, there was no way he would refuse.

“Since you have made a large investment, I will do as you wish.”

“Good.”

After signing the contract, I reached out my hand, and Jess also grabbed it strongly with both hands.

He tried to hide his inner thoughts, but a smile was drawn on Jess’s face.

He must be thinking that he can swallow about 2,000 gold coins worth of salt in 2 years.

But it’s a vain delusion.

The Southern Mountains rock salt mines, the largest salt production area in Midland, will soon be buried in a series of earthquakes.

And that’s not in the distant future, but within 2 years.

The reason why I bothered to include Leo was simple.

Starting with this deal, I want to put a leash on the Bluewind Trading Company, and Jess Orléans, and keep them in my hands.

To do that, I need to send Leo to find out the internal situation.

There are countless plans. This salt deal and sending Leo are just minor beginnings.