I Became A Black Merchant In Another World-Chapter 344: Modernized Colonial System (3)
"Such a perfect piece of land for building a factory."
It’s only a day's carriage ride to the nearby big city, and there’s a huge river nearby, making it easy to secure both drinking water and water for the factory’s operations.
While making weapons and armor requires a lot of coal, that can be solved through water transport.
It’s truly pathetic that such prime land has been left ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) undeveloped, just lying there abandoned.
If they had developed a new city and sold it, they would have paid off all their debts and still had plenty left over.
"All they can do is play politics, yet they can't even recognize such good land. Don't you think so, Sebastian?"
"Thanks to those noblemen, who know nothing except politics, our family has a lot to gain in the Toscana Empire, doesn't it?"
"True enough. When is the landowner supposed to show up?"
"It seems it’s about time."
"We set a meeting for 3 p.m., but he’s running late."
Muttering to myself, I took out the pocket watch I had received from the Department of Technology and checked the time in the pocket of my coat.
It was now 3:20 p.m., about 20 minutes past the appointed time.
Nobles and merchants usually have a large clock at home, whether for practical or showy purposes.
But without a portable watch, it’s not uncommon for someone to be late if you agree to meet at 3 and they arrive at 4.
‘It’s not exactly rude, though.’
The person waiting often considers it normal.
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Sebastian, eyeing my pocket watch, spoke up.
"That's a very convenient and useful item. And it looks great."
"Right?"
"The body of the watch is made of pure silver, and the family crest is engraved in gold. It’s truly impressive. If you ever sell these custom-made at Rothschild, they’ll likely sell out in no time."
Women are naturally accustomed to decorating themselves with earrings, rings, necklaces, brooches, and the like, but men don’t typically adorn themselves so lavishly.
It’s considered dishonorable for men to dress with such extravagance.
However, nobles who live off pretension and luxury will decorate themselves as long as they can find a "reasonable reason" for it, whether it’s visible or not.
They decorate their robes with gold thread or use buttons made of ivory, and wear the finest silk for their neckties.
‘The cost of a Duke’s ceremonial outfit exceeds 300 gold coins, doesn’t it?’
But now, an extremely practical silver watch appears?
"Nobles, merchants, artisans, and citizens with a little extra money will flock to buy it. You can check the time, but above all, it looks stylish."
"I should probably pre-order one for my family. I think it’ll be a long wait if I don’t reserve it now."
"You don’t need to worry about that. I already instructed them to make sure yours and your family’s pieces are top-quality during the prototype production. They should arrive at the estate within the week."
"Thank you, my lord."
"It’s our family’s motto. Those who contribute will always be rewarded accordingly."
No matter how much times change, a watch is still considered a luxury.
Even during World War II, wristwatches worn by officers were considered a luxury item, with gem-encrusted designs worthy of being regarded as a form of jewelry and spoils of war.
Moreover, in a medieval fantasy world, a pocket watch is akin to a technological revolution, comparable to a supercomputer.
Made from pure silver and adorned with gold, the price of such a piece would skyrocket.
‘For the one I’m giving to Sebastian, it’s worth millions of gold coins each.’
"Once you receive it, be sure to show it off to the people around you. That’s how trends spread."
"I will, my lord."
Nobles can’t stand seeing something someone else has, that they themselves don’t possess.
But now, Sebastian carries around such a stylish and impressive pocket watch?
Immediately, Duke Visconti will probably send me a letter saying something like:
"Fabio, I’ve given you my granddaughter and politically supported you, but why haven’t you given me something so good? Don’t worry, I’m not asking for it for free."
"I’ll give you the money you ask for, but send it to me at least one day ahead of that damn Duke Sforza or His Majesty."
And then, after seeing the pocket watch, I’ll meet with the emperor, showing him this very watch!
"Wow, this pocket watch is amazing! I can tell the time without needing a giant, unnecessarily heavy grandfather clock!"
I’d bet a house on it, knowing that he’d brag like that.
As we were chatting and waiting, the landowner came running breathlessly.
"My lord, I truly apologize! I thought I was hurrying, but I’ve kept you waiting like this!"
I could scold him for making me wait, but then again, scolding him wouldn't lower the land price.
It’s better not to make a fuss.
In fact, showing some mercy here could earn me some goodwill.
"Even with a watch, it’s not easy to always keep track of time, is it? Now then, let’s start the negotiations."
"Thank you, my lord."
"So, you own all the land around here, correct? What price are you asking for?"
"Though it’s vacant land, it’s still quite valuable. You should offer at least 5,000 gold coins, no, 10,000 gold coins."
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I could push for a better price, but it would only be a matter of time before he’d give in.
After all, it’s better for him to sell to me and make money than to just hold onto this inherited, unused land.
Even though Toscana doesn’t have inheritance taxes or property taxes, land that’s difficult to develop becomes a burden.
Someone with a massive amount of capital like me could invest and turn it into a city, but...
Without capital, no matter how lucky you are, you won’t become rich in this world.
"I’ll pay 10,000 gold coins immediately. Take this promissory note to Rothschild, and it will be exchangeable anywhere in the empire."
"Thank you, my lord."
"Thanks for selling the land to me."
"But what are you planning to use this land for?"
There’s an old saying that you should invest in land without your wife knowing.
Well, not really, but it’s like how restaurant owners often say, "Only I know the secret recipe."
If I say I’m developing a new city, people might spread it around everywhere.
A secret should only be known by the person who holds it; once shared, it’s no longer a secret.
"I’m thinking of building a poultry farm."
"A poultry farm, you say?"
"As you know, raising chickens is quite profitable, right?"
"Yes, that’s true."
The best way to hide a secret from someone trying to pry it out is surprisingly simple.
Just tell them a convincing lie.
And, in the Toscana Empire, from the emperor down to the lowest peasants, things like butcher shops and slaughterhouses are thriving.
‘Even the poorest factory workers in Toscana will be able to afford at least one chicken a month.’
Even the poorest factory workers in Toscana, that is.
"Back in the day, even if you sold chickens, only the middle-class citizens would buy them, and the peasants or poor workers would only drink chicken broth. But now, look at the situation. With more food and more wealth, even rural taverns serve chicken dishes in abundance."
Soon, I’ll be able to make fried chicken accessible to the common people by adding cottonseed oil.
It’s tough right now to extract oil with solvents, so I can’t open a restaurant that only sells fried chicken...
But if I figure out how to extract cottonseed oil or canola oil, I’ll be able to create a chicken franchise all over Toscana.
"If every citizen of Toscana could eat one chicken a week, let’s see... over 30 million chickens would be needed annually. Actually, considering the consumption by the military and nobility, it would be even more."
"Indeed."
"But the number of chickens currently raised in Toscana is even less than that. What do you think we should do about that?"
"We should build a poultry farm and create a facility to maximize the production of eggs and chickens."
I have no intention of passing the most important secret to that man.
But still, it’s true that I gained from buying the land at a slightly lower price than I expected, so giving him some useful information is reasonable.
The demand for chickens will be so high that a couple of competitors won’t hurt me.
"If you build a poultry farm with 10,000 gold coins, you’ll make a decent income. The returns will be considerable, so it’d be wise to save up and purchase a noble title."
"Thank you."
"Then, I’ll be on my way."
With that, I immediately started discussing city development with Sebastian, then returned to Florence.
Upon returning to Florence, I immediately continued exploring ways to make more money.
I decided to make a small use of the "new city development" policy.
