Chapter 390

Business Activities in Juneb Viscountcy
It was officially decided that we would fully establish the Saltas Company and drive out the current official merchant of the territory.
Alizée would handle the necessary procedures, so we’d be staying at the Juneb Viscount's estate for a few days.
In the meantime, I wonder if there’s anything I should be doing?

“You, Lady Lily? Let’s see... Please decide on the overall business direction. The operation of funds will be managed by the local personnel and the Trade Guild, but the scope of the business will be left to your discretion. Just be careful not to expand too broadly, or you may end up in the red.”

I see, the scope of business.
That’s certainly a decision a business owner has to make.
… Not that I have much knowledge on the subject.
Well, for now, I’ll try organizing what I want to do.

“The first thing we need to do is collect and sell the vegetables and grains harvested by the Kiblinki Saltas, and also buy vegetables. It seems they plan to start livestock farming here in Juneb Viscountcy, so once that business begins, we’ll handle livestock trade. Since the current official merchant appears to be involved in shady dealings, we’ll eliminate their influence from the territory. And we also have to support the orphanage… There’s actually quite a lot to do.”

The trade of agricultural and livestock products is absolutely essential.
I also want to quickly eliminate the current merchant’s influence.
And I want to get the orphanage support moving as soon as possible.
These are all things I really want to do.
But if I don’t set priorities, I’m bound to fail.
What order… or rather, yes, I’ve decided the order.

“The trade of agricultural and livestock products is essential and will be the core business, so it needs to start from the beginning. Support for the orphanage should also begin immediately, to help undercut the influence of the current merchant. Everything else can be handled later.”

Alright, I’ve decided what to do.
As long as the Saltas Company is operational, the buying and selling of agricultural products is a must.
This part should be managed smoothly by the Trade Guild.

The issue is supporting the orphanage.
I could go ahead and do it on my own, but if a brand-new trading company jumps into it, people might get suspicious.
I should probably get Viscount Juneb’s permission for that.

“Support for the orphanage… you say?”

“Yes. Since the current official merchant seems to be doing whatever he pleases, I’d like to make up for that.”

“I appreciate the thought, but this would involve handling a substantial amount of money, wouldn’t it? Lady Lily, as a merchant, you surely can’t run it as pure charity forever. How do you intend to handle that?”

That’s exactly the issue.
In Vardmoi, we had the children operate the “Spiderling’s Nest” to help them become self-sufficient and learn skills for daily life.
But that doesn’t mean we can do the same thing here.
Juneb Viscountcy is inland, so we can’t use seafood.
And in Vardmoi, we happened to have the right property and people to start the shop so quickly—no guarantee we can do that here.
If I keep focusing on what we can’t do, I’ll never get anywhere.

So let’s change how we think.
Let’s find what we can do.

“Even if it runs at a loss for now, that’s fine. Instead, I’d like the orphanage children to learn how to read and write, how to keep ledgers, and gain knowledge related to agriculture, so that in time, they can become part of the Saltas Company.”

“Keeping ledgers!? Even among the Trade Guild staff, that’s a skill difficult for regular workers!”

Huh?
Back in my previous life, even high schoolers studied bookkeeping. Is it different in this world?
I asked Alizée when she returned from the Trade Guild that day, and she said not all regular employees there can manage ledgers either.
Many of those who can learned after joining the guild, not before.
… Hmm, maybe this is doable?

As a test, I used the Goddess’s book to look for a double-entry bookkeeping ledger—and it turns out it doesn’t match the style currently used by this country’s Trade Guild.
But even so, Alizée said that double-entry bookkeeping is much easier to read.
Alright, let’s make this our selling point.

We’ll teach the Trade Guild’s bookkeeping style, the double-entry bookkeeping style, and a comparison method for the two, giving the children practical knowledge they can use in life.
Here in Juneb Viscountcy, this will be our main approach to supporting the orphanage.

What do you think about this chapter?