Chapter 67
Was it because work was too busy? Time flew by like an arrow.
"It feels like just yesterday that I became a viscount, but a month has already passed."
During that time, I had concluded similar contracts while visiting other cities besides Perugia, and handled the remaining administrative work.
Without exaggeration, there was so much to do that I was completely overwhelmed.
Still, I was able to finish the preparations related to military supplies within the deadline.
From now on, as long as the guilds I've subcontracted don't cause problems, I shouldn't have to struggle like this anymore.
"Sebastian said the sales and net profit would be calculated around today. I wonder when the report will come in?"
Chloe answered to that:
"The head butler is someone who always keeps even the smallest promises. He'll surely report on the promised date, today. And aren't you rushing too much, young master?"
"I've resolved all the urgent matters I had to do, but Chris and Sebastian probably still have practical reviews left. Right, it's just morning now, am I being too hasty?"
"You've been working constantly lately, so enjoy this leisure time and rest now."
I tried to enjoy some leisure, but the sound of knocking on the door was heard.
As soon as the door opened, Chris appeared, holding a rather thick report in her hand.
"We've just finished calculating the income our trading company can earn from this military supply. We've completed three rounds of recalculation, so there shouldn't be any changes except for minor errors."
"You've worked hard, Chris."
"I just did what I had to do, Viscount."
Although she said that, Chris smiled brightly hearing my words.
They say even whales dance when praised.
Chris seems to be happy to be acknowledged by me too.
Since praise doesn't cost money, I should give as much as possible in the future.
"What we calculated this time is the transaction of one month's worth of supplies that we're delivering right now. I wanted to calculate for a year, but..."
"You didn't calculate that far because we don't know how the division receiving our goods will react? I understand completely."
When I had a productive conversation with the guild master in Perugia, I even warned that if they mixed in defective products like in other military supplies, they would experience 'sad things'.
I also said I knew they were lying about their profit margins but pretended to be fooled.
Since I kindly informed them that they would die if caught doing foolish things, products of poor quality shouldn't be supplied.
'There's a high probability that impressed logistics staff officers will increase the volume a bit more.'
"So what's the estimated income we can take when supplying one month's worth of goods?"
"We'll have a net profit of 500 gold coins."
It's because I earn so much money, but 500 gold coins is actually an enormous sum when you look at it.
With that money, assuming they spend frugally, 400 households of 4, no, 5 people each, 2,000 people could spend for a year.
'Since that's just for one month, if we roughly calculate annual sales by multiplying by 12...'
"If we keep trading like this, we'll be left with 6,000 gold coins every year. This much would be the annual tax income of a small barony."
The most important thing is that this is 'net income', the amount after excluding labor costs, transportation fees, purchase prices of goods, etc. to maintain this transaction.
"You've worked hard. Why don't you rest a bit too, Chris? You haven't been able to rest much lately."
Ordinary workers work 6 days a week and rest one day on Sunday when they go to church.
Including various holidays, they end up resting about 1/3 of the year.
But we had to somehow digest the military supplies, so we worked without resting even on Sundays.
'Because preventing people from attending church service is punished more severely than killing people, I made them attend church service even in the midst of being busy, but...'
Everyone returned to work immediately after attending service...
I've made people work at the worst level imaginable by people of this era.
"No. Besides resting on holidays and Sundays, I'll give all employees 3 special holidays. Rest in shifts without interfering with work. Next month's salary will be paid double the usual amount including bonuses."
They say even ghosts can be worked if you pay them.
Financial treatment is best to heal hearts hurt from being worked to death.
"Everyone will be happy."
"And you rest first, Chris."
Even before, it seemed like there was no more fat to lose except on her chest and hips, but maybe because she's been working so hard lately, her face has become gaunt.
We can't let her get sick like this.
"Yes, I understand. Then can you keep the promise you made with me before?"
"I don't have any urgent matters now either. I'll just change clothes and go out, so wait a bit."
Chris smiled hearing my words.
And as if she remembered something to say, she brought up another topic.
"I forgot for a moment because this isn't directly related to our trading company, but great merchants including the Medici Trading Company have doubled the prices of spices like pepper, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon."
It's understandable to forget if we're busy and not directly in charge of it.
But colluding to raise spice prices by 2 times? Where has their concept gone on vacation?
'Even now, the net profit from spice trading exceeds 50 times the cost price.'
At this rate, the Age of Exploration will soon begin.
"According to rumors, Baron Medici led this."
The Medici baron family leading the spice price increase won't immediately harm the family.
Rather, the family finances will become a bit more abundant.
However, from a long-term perspective, that's crazy.
If you raise spice prices too recklessly, humans will even go around the sea to plunder and sell, you know?
"If sugar hasn't risen, it's not a big concern for us, so we can just roughly investigate later using the information guild. I'll change clothes and come back for now."
Albert was doing well with his political position stabilized after forming a marriage alliance with the Count Farnese family.
To make such a mistake already after succeeding as baron.
If we peel this once, won't problems caused by that gentleman come out like peeling an onion?
I hope mud water doesn't splash on me alone.
**
When I took Chris to the cafe, the attention of those around focused on me.
It's probably partly because Chris herself is beautiful that everyone's interest gathered...
But now the fastest growing unmarried viscount in central politics has brought a woman.
It would be fair to say that the nobles' unique political sense has moved.
Still, whether going to a cafe or anywhere, there's an unspoken rule among nobles that 'you shouldn't talk to a noble who came with a woman except family'.
So there were no people bothering me and Chris.
No, everyone even turned their gazes away.
'Still, it will become a topic of conversation.'
But it will stop at a level that can be ignored as really nothing.
"Please give us one special parfait and two cups of coffee."
The employee who saw the owner greeted us stiffly and took our order.
Although we ordered later than others, my menu came out in just 5 minutes.
A parfait with various summer fruits like strawberries, peaches, grapes, whipped cream, and sweet bread layered in a fairly large glass.
Seeing that, Chris's eyes began to sparkle.
"As expected of a special parfait, it has various kinds of fruit, it looks delicious."
She's always sharp about work to the extent that even subordinates, no, even Sebastian calls Chris the Ice Princess.
What would they think seeing her like this, happy looking at a parfait?
Will they simply accept that she likes such things because she's a woman, or will they be surprised?
I scooped Chris's portion onto the side plate that the employee thoughtfully brought out.
"You seem to come to eat often."
"In seasons with many seasonal fruits like summer or autumn, I come once every 3 days if I have time."
She stammered slightly, perhaps embarrassed about liking sweet things too much.
"If you tell Sebastian or Antonio, they'd probably just process it as executive welfare at that level."
"Eating dessert here is my private domain. And thanks to you giving me a generous salary, my wallet won't be empty just from eating some parfaits."
Chris's salary is 2 gold coins and 5 silver coins per month.
In our trading company's internal rank classification, Chris is a proper executive, so her salary is measured high.
If you add bonuses to this, she would properly enter the ranks of the rich.
'If you add the Modina family fortune too. Well, no need to even mention it.'
"If that's the case, well. Do you have any other hobbies lately besides that?"
"When work is a bit slow, I do embroidery at home. When my father was alive, he would treasure the handkerchiefs I personally embroidered and gave him."
I didn't have a daughter, but if Chloe personally made and gave me a handkerchief with embroidery, I think I would cherish it like a treasure.
How much more if a daughter personally embroiders and gives a handkerchief?
He must have bragged about his daughter to death to his subordinates.
"And I keep getting marriage proposals too. Because I became an executive of the Medici Trading Company at a young age, sons of other merchant families or poor nobles try to make connections with me. At worst, I spend a whole day writing polite rejection letters without even resting on holidays."
...... I can sympathize.
Because I make a lot of money, there are many people who try to overcome their difficult financial situations by biting me.
'Last time, there was even a proposal from a count family that went bankrupt after investing in something strange a few years ago, saying they would give me their daughter.'
Of course, I very politely rejected that proposal through Duke Visconti, but.
"Others might say it's good to be popular, but just writing those letters takes forever."
"I don't think I want to marry someone I fell in love with at first sight like some flower-brained young lady, but I don't want to live serving an idiot who wants to marry me just for my money as a husband."
"Is that so? Then what kind of person do you like?"
Lately, for some reason, it seems like Chris has some serious goodwill towards me.
So if I ask like this, pretending not to know anything...
'There will be a bite, whether it's real or not.'
"I like someone who endlessly runs towards the goals they've set, a man who can see further than others. Also, it would be nice if he sees me as an equal person, not ignoring me saying I should just think about my husband in the women's quarters because I'm a woman."
...... In dramas and such, the insensitive protagonist says things like "Oh, really? Who's that?"
But even I can understand this.
"It would be nice if you could meet such a person."
"Yes, Viscount. So for now, I'm trying to polish myself more. A virtuous wife suits a good man."
On this day, I finished eating the special parfait with Chris and returned to the mansion.
I don't remember what it tasted like.
But after hearing the whole story, Chloe said as if she knew everything:
"It's as expected, right?"
**
And now that the military supply structure seems to have stabilized, I prepared for the next step for octopus-like expansion.
I need to cook and boil the royalist faction of the nobility of the robe first...
'How should I cook and boil them?'
After much deliberation, I was able to find a good answer.