Chapter 142

The Viceroy Merchant Union
The Viceroy Company generates enormous profits every day. Nobles, merchants, and even the Kingdom itself continuously request the mass production of storage bags. The profits being made are substantial.

After all, the price is highly attractive. It's an absolute goldmine. Since these storage bags are produced without relying on rare magic users, their price is low, and the cost of production is equally inexpensive. The Viceroy Company is raking in profits.

"This is an incredible sales record. We can expand the company even further!"

Even Mr. Ponpoko seems busy but is clearly enjoying himself. To address labor shortages, the company prioritizes hiring slum dwellers. Reports indicate that as a result, anti-Kingdom sentiments in the slums are rapidly weakening.

These people have no jobs. Even when they do find work, it's in dire conditions with low wages, leading to a miserable life.

The Viceroy Company was founded to improve the livelihoods of its employees. By hiring more people, it expands the market and stabilizes it.

"But it's still not enough. At this rate, the slums will never disappear. We need to transition to the next phase of the plan."

Yes, this is just the preliminary stage. My goal is to enrich the Kingdom. Expanding a single trading company isn't enough. The government itself needs to be mobilized.

"That's true. However, convincing the government will be the next major challenge."

"Exactly. That's why, Mr. Ponpoko, I want the Viceroy Company to form a union with other companies. If the Viceroy Company leads, it can exert pressure on the Kingdom, can't it?"

By forming a union with various trading companies and skilled craftsmen, we can undertake public projects. Infrastructure development is the foundation of national progress—paved roads, water and sewage systems, and railroads. There’s a massive amount of work to be done. If we make the Kingdom cover the costs, citizens' incomes will rise, boosting economic activity. By increasing incomes, we increase tax revenue. We need to expand the number of people who can pay taxes.

That's why I got involved in developing Barel Viscountcy. That territory is now attracting the attention of many nobles, who come for inspections. The planned roads and water systems have piqued their interest.

But there’s a problem. If I were to construct infrastructure myself, it could be done at low cost and in a short time. However, if we mobilize citizens, the cost and time required will be enormous. The returns will be substantial, but such an approach is unheard of in this world. The government here isn’t mature enough to take action for the people.

Arland is no exception. The Kingdom's role is limited to ensuring public safety; it has no resources to invest in anything else.

Moreover, the Kingdom is poor. But if there's no money, we simply need to supply it. My personal wealth, which has been growing at an alarming rate, is now putting pressure on the royal treasury. If I contribute a portion of it, the problem is solved. Hoarding money stagnates the economy, and I could never spend that much wealth on my own anyway.

I instructed Mr. Ponpoko to convey the union proposal to several merchants.

"We did it! Everyone wants to join the union."

"That was fast."

It seems the proposal was met with more enthusiasm than expected.

"They’re merchants, after all. They never miss an opportunity."

Mr. Ponpoko remarked that the bait was too tempting. I summoned the participants. The next day, about fifteen merchants gathered at the Viceroy Company. For some reason, Lawrence and his craftsmen also showed up.

"Leaving us out would be downright cruel, Princess! We’re in on this too!"

"I wasn’t planning on excluding you in the first place. Fine, join in."

Their cooperation is necessary as well. The Ponpoko Company has a meeting hall. Around the round table sat merchants and several master craftsmen representing the artisans.

"Let’s skip the formalities—this union is a gathering of those who wish to see the Kingdom prosper.

I’ll be frank. The Kingdom’s finances are dire. That’s why we must alleviate poverty to improve the financial situation. Even I can't eliminate poverty entirely, but I can reduce it, even if only by one person at a time.

By employing slum dwellers, we integrate them into the tax system. That’s my plan. Once they prosper, you all can sell goods to them and turn a profit."

"I see. So, while earning their gratitude, we also make money. As long as it boosts business, I have no complaints. And reducing poverty is an admirable goal—nobody would oppose that.

But if the Kingdom’s finances are in such bad shape, how do you intend to fix them?"

One of the merchants naturally raised the question. Several others nodded in agreement.

On the other hand, Lawrence and his craftsmen seemed uninterested. Perhaps they trusted me.

"The solution is simple. Who here has seen the new Barel Viscountcy?"

About 70% of the merchants raised their hands. As expected, they had checked it out.

"Then this will be easy to explain. We will lay down roads, water and sewage systems, and railroads across the entire Kingdom. By undertaking these projects, we will combat slum issues and increase incomes. We will petition the Kingdom to fund these initiatives. The cost will be… approximately this much."

The figure I presented far exceeded the Kingdom’s annual budget. In fact, it amounted to several years' worth of the national budget.

A wave of shock spread across the room.

"I don't think the royal government would spend this much money. While I do believe it's an effective economic policy, this is absurd... It can't be realized!"

"Exactly. The economic impact would be tremendous, but the Kingdom would go bankrupt."

"It's not like I'm paying it all at once. It'll take about ten years. As for the initial funds, I can cover them, so there's not much of a problem."

Unnecessary money should be disposed of. Having too much is just annoying.

"But there's no gain for you, Princess."

"In return, I'll have them build a culinary school, so it's fine. Besides, if I just hoard money, no one would be happy, right? Then, let's release it in grand style."

Money isn't infinite. If you hoard it, it doesn't circulate. Money only has meaning when it's in motion. And besides, you can't eat money by itself.

If I request the culinary school to establish a confectionery department, my personal desires will also be satisfied. I'm eagerly waiting for new sweets.

"As always. In that case, we have no objections. As you wish, Princess."

It seems everyone gathered here is convinced. However, Lawrence stood up.

From his bag, he pulled out a book and handed it to me.

"I want you to look at this. This has been my dream since childhood."

"… This is—"

I flipped through the pages and found myself shaken.

It was a photo book titled "Major Cities of the World." The publication date said 2016. Lawrence had a photo book that was published in Japan.

Inside were photos of capital cities from around the world. Skyscrapers stood in overwhelming numbers—a pinnacle of human intelligence.

"Why do you have this?"

"It used to be sold in a bookstore. I begged my dad to buy it for me. It was my treasure, given to me even before a hammer."

"I don’t care why you have knowledge from another world. I just want to know if humans really built these. And I want to create them myself."

"Amazing, right?! Humans built these towering structures reaching the sky. I've always wanted to do this kind of work!"

"If I follow you, maybe I'll get the chance to work on something like this. Please, let me take on a huge project."

I see. There are even small airplanes and asphalt in these pictures. He must have realized that I have knowledge from Earth.

"I can't tell you why, but yes, I have knowledge from another world. And I can say for certain—humans did build these. If you asked another person from that world, they'd probably call it home. Though, I can't say if it came from my exact world."

"Also, getting to this point takes an incredibly long time. The gap in foundational technology is too wide—by hundreds of years. Even for me, it might take decades. But I'm sure we'll reach this level someday."

"It's prosperous, isn't it? But this prosperity is distorted. These cities exist because a few nations have gathered the world's wealth."

"Behind this prosperity lies poverty. When some people live richly, others must live poorly. That’s why I’m taking action."

"I don’t want the Kingdom to end up as one of the losers."

That’s another reason. Poverty always lurks behind prosperity. Humanity has created many political systems—liberalism, communism, monarchies, empires—but poverty has never disappeared.

The world is a game of seizing wealth. People have always advanced out of the desire to live better than others. It's an unavoidable truth.

But I don't want to lose. I want to be on the winning side.

"I didn't know you were thinking that deeply, Princess."

"I do understand that better living conditions come at the expense of others. But this is my dream. Even if I have to push others aside, I will make it happen!"

"If you have that determination, you’ll reach it eventually. As long as the Kingdom prospers, I don’t care about the circumstances of other nations. Their fate is in the hands of their nobles and citizens."

Some people rise from poverty. I will simply move as I see fit.

"Then, there are no objections, right? Each company will gain the right to handle the Viceroy Union’s products within their own trade zones. I expect even greater efforts and results."

Mr. Ponpoko and I alone can’t develop the market. To maximize profits by reaching hidden consumer bases, we will grant partial sales rights for storage bags. Their profits will become the profits of the Viceroy Merchant Union. It’s a win-win situation.

However, there is an issue—our current low production capacity. The only solutions are introducing sewing machines and increasing personnel. We must produce and sell. That’s the foundation of business.

"By the way, how’s the research institute going?"

Aside from this, I also had the Viceroy Merchant Union establish a research institute to teach my technology.

The Kingdom’s technology development bureau mainly studies magical technology, while we focus on scientific technology. I want to start manufacturing various things.

"We’re gathering excellent personnel from the public. Right now, they’re working on prototypes. Bulldozers and excavators are being prioritized for research and analysis... and the results are incredible. In a few months, we might be able to produce them ourselves. Fortunately, without magitech furnaces, production is nearly impossible, so the risk of technology theft is low."

"However, the orphanages where we’ve placed magitech furnaces face theft risks, so we’ve implemented strict security measures, treating them as highly important facilities."

"Good. And Mr. Ponpoko, take some rest too. It would be troublesome if you collapsed."

"Hahaha. You should take a break too, Princess. I’m used to this, so I’ll be fine for a while, but once things settle down, I’ll take a break."

A vacation, huh? I might take one later. Captain Pash has been handling the Air Force well. After I finish negotiating with the Kingdom, maybe then.

Now, the next person to persuade is the Minister of Land Development, who oversees domestic development. I need to bring him to my side.