Raising the Northern Grand Duchy as a Max-Level All-Master

129. The Northern Game Changer

Currently, the individual holding the most wealth in the Empire was Entir Bishop.

If his money were directly converted into power, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he was as influential as the Emperor himself.

“Ehehehe…”

Entir chuckled to himself, running his fingers through bundles of Lenhua.

With the Bishop Company promoting the use of Lenhua, the currency bearing Arina’s portrait had quickly spread across the Empire and even into Bardenheim.

Though the Empire had hastily issued its own paper currency, the quality and supply were insufficient to match the widespread acceptance of Lenhua.

‘These days, everything is going my way.’

Aside from issues with Havana and the Emperor, Entir’s plans were progressing smoothly.

‘It’s a relief that the issue of using Imperial currency to purchase Northern Magic Stones was settled so effortlessly.’

It had been a direct order from the Emperor, causing Entir significant stress, but Renslet and the Arad Group had surprisingly agreed to accept the Empire’s currency without much fuss.

‘They mentioned that the North recently faced a large-scale invasion. That must be why they agreed so readily.’

The heavens—or rather, the shifting dynamics of the continent—seemed to be favoring him.

‘Still, it’s frustrating. The Emperor and the Reformist faction are industrializing much faster than I anticipated. Maybe I shouldn’t have gifted them the steam engine.’

Yet his mood wasn’t entirely sour.

‘Then again, if I hadn’t, they’d have taken it by force. At least I bought some time and widened the gap.’

Even though he’d prepared himself for the Empire’s rapid industrialization, it still irked him.

‘After all, part of the plan was to keep the Imperial Household’s attention away from the North—and from me.’

He tried to dismiss his frustration, convincing himself it was all part of the strategy.

‘A new balance of power is needed.’

And for that, Entir had been preparing something of his own.

‘If this works, it’ll benefit both the North and Arad, as well as me and the Bishop Company…’

Knock, knock, knock.

A knock interrupted his thoughts.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Phil.”

The visitor was Carpe, disguised as a mercenary named Phil, who had once been the Mercenary Queen.

“Ah! Come in!”

Remembering the task he’d assigned her, Entir greeted her warmly.

“Did you deliver the message?”

He immediately got to the point as soon as he saw Carpe in her disguise. She nodded silently in response.

“Well done, well done. Here’s a little something for your trouble. Buy some good food for your mercenary friends.”

With a grin, Entir pulled out a few golden bills from his wallet and handed them to Carpe.

“...”

Carpe silently pocketed the money, her expression still full of unanswered questions, and stared at Entir.

“What?”

Noticing her gaze, Entir tilted his head curiously.

“I mean, the steam engine designs… Are you sure about distributing them in Bardenheim?”

That seemed to be the errand she had just completed.

“Of course.”

“Hmm… Are you certain Renslet is okay with this?”

“They don’t know.”

“What?!”

“But they don’t need to.”

“And why’s that…?”

“Arad Jin and I are natural-born merchants. We don’t need to speak to understand each other.”

Entir spoke proudly, recalling the compliment he once received from Arad at the High Tower.

Even back then, he had handed over two steam engines to the Emperor without consulting Arad—and instead of reproach, Arad had praised him.

The memory left him feeling rather pleased with himself.

“??”

Carpe furrowed her brow, clearly unconvinced.

“The Imperial Household’s popularity has skyrocketed after the recent victory at the Wall. Even with the media tricks we’ve pulled.”

Entir offered a simple explanation to the puzzled Carpe.

“We need to prepare for the possibility of the Emperor taking extreme measures.”

“And how do we do that?”

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

“You plan to bring in Bardenheim?”

“Exactly.”

“Are you sure you’re an Imperial citizen?”

Carpe looked at him with an exasperated expression.

“I didn’t abandon the Empire. The Empire—or rather, the Emperor—abandoned me first.”

Entir replied with a bright smile, continuing confidently:

“When steam engines and factories make their way to the United Kingdom, their revenue will skyrocket.”

“...”

“All the machines we’ve leaked are designed to function exclusively with parts and raw materials sold by Renslet.”

The North would profit by selling massive quantities of Magic Stones, coal, and other materials, while Entir himself would benefit by acting as a middleman in trade between the North, the United Kingdom, and the Empire. 𝔯α𐌽ȏꞖĚŜ

“Then why not report this to the North?”

Carpe tilted her head, puzzled by the omission.

“I’ll tell them when I visit the High Tower later.”

“You have messenger pigeons.”

“They can’t fly all the way to the High Tower.”

“Should I lend you a winter hawk?”

“Ahem! Even winter hawks are risky. This isn’t something that should be recorded.”

“Nowadays, people even use magic to send messages.”

“Magic communication isn’t safe either. Who knows when the Golden Tower might eavesdrop?”

“Then should I send one of my people to the High Tower?”

“I’ll visit the High Tower myself this winter. I’ll explain everything then.”

“Hmm…”

Though she still seemed to harbor some doubts, Carpe chose not to press further.

‘Hehehehe.’

Whether or not Carpe understood his plans, Entir simply smiled, his face alight with ambition.

‘Our Bishop Company boasts the Empire’s most expansive and intricate distribution and information networks. We’ve also established significant connections in the United Kingdom.’

Entir was acutely aware of his company’s value.

‘When the industrial revolution begins in the United Kingdom, our Bishop Company will transcend the Empire and become an unprecedented transnational corporation spanning the entire Arcadia continent!’

In essence, the company would become a nation in its own right, much like the Merchant Republic of Feze.

Or perhaps it could become the first corporation to rule over nations.

‘And when that happens, I’ll be able to topple the Emperor at will! Even that Sword Master of a woman will serve me like a slave!’

Then, he would finally achieve true revenge!

Uooooh!

The mere thought filled Entir with a rush of dopamine.

“Ugh… How did I end up working for a creep like this…?”

Meanwhile, Carpe, who was witnessing this live from the sidelines, simply frowned in disbelief.

***

Summer, Sacred Year 4571

"Happy birthday, Chairman Jin!"

"And a happy birthday to you all as well!"

The first summer birthday party of the year was in full swing.

However, the venue was different from usual—it was held on my own estate rather than the High Tower’s industrial headquarters.

"You didn’t pool money for birthday gifts, did you?"

"No, we didn’t."

"Well, considering you’re the richest man on the continent, it’d be strange for us to buy you anything."

This summer, I was also among the birthday celebrants.

"Good. All I need is your good wishes. Besides, if I need a gift, I can just buy it with the company budget."

Hahaha!

Warm laughter filled the temporary headquarters of the Arad Shipyard.

"To all of today’s birthday celebrants: work until lunchtime, then you’re free to go!"

Woooooo!

"Chairman, you’re the best!"

"Make sure to pass this policy on to the High Tower headquarters and all other branches."

"I’ll inform them through magical communication right away!"

"Alright! Cheers!"

To clarify, not all Arad Group employees gathered here for the birthday party.

At this moment, similar celebrations were likely taking place across the duchy, including at the High Tower.

After a joyful party and a luncheon, the summer birthday celebrants took a paid half-day off, while the others returned to work.

The party venue became silent once everyone had left.

In a corner of the employee cafeteria where the party had been held, faint sounds of cleanup could be heard.

"Chairman."

It was then that Mary called out to me.

"Ah, Mary. Why are you still here? Just so you know, your birthday’s in the winter, so you can’t leave early."

I tried to act as casual as possible toward her.

Ever since discovering her true identity as Arina Rune Renslet, it had been hard not to overthink every interaction.

"Now that I think about it, I haven’t heard much news from the High Tower lately. Have you been in contact with them since you arrived here?"

"The High Tower headquarters is in good hands with Director Teo."

"…"

‘I meant Renslet, not the company. How can the ruler of a duchy—especially one in fragile health—be wandering around like this? Even with Sir Balzac here…!’

The words rose to my throat but never escaped.

It made me marvel all the more at Isabelle, Balzac, and Sun, who had dutifully served and protected this precious sovereign all this time.

"Anyway, um… Happy birthday."

Oblivious to my thoughts, Mary (or rather, Arina) repeated the birthday wishes I’d already heard countless times today.

"Thank you."

"And here’s a birthday gift. It’s from me and Her Highness."

With that, she retrieved something from a dimensional bag enclosed in a protective case.

"I told you, no need to prepare anything…"

While saying that outwardly, I couldn’t help but feel anticipation bubbling inside.

A gift personally prepared by Her Highness?

Not just any gift, but one they had likely been planning since last year, specifically for my birthday?

How could I not be curious?

"This is an incredibly rare Magic Stone we were fortunate enough to acquire."

"This is…!"

The gift Mary—or rather, Arina—prepared exceeded my expectations by 120%.

It was a Magic Stone about half the size of a fist, with an astonishingly unique appearance.

Though transparent like a diamond, it shimmered with a rainbow-like aurora.

“Ether…!”

In this world, Ether referred to a Magic Stone containing all elemental mana.

Its natural occurrence was almost impossible, only appearing once in an era, enough to be regarded as legendary.

In gaming terms, it was a legendary or mythical-grade material.

“A ‘natural’ Ether of this size…!”

Seeing the legendary Magic Stone, my eyes glazed over in awe.

“...Natural? Does that mean it can be made artificially?”

Mary’s eyes widened in surprise at my murmured words.

“With a magic engine, it’s possible.”

“Ah… I see.”

Mary’s eyebrows drooped.

She had thought she had prepared a meaningful gift, but realizing it might become commonplace in the future dampened her spirits.

“But natural Ether is far more valuable than the artificial kind. Its effects are vastly superior, too.”

I quickly added, ensuring she wouldn’t feel disheartened.

“Finding a natural Ether of this size is an extraordinary fortune. It’s a blessing for an entire nation.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

“I love it. Thank you so much!”

“You’re welcome!”

Mary’s face—Arina’s face—lit up with joy. Seeing my genuine gratitude seemed to make her even happier than I was.

Hem, hem!

After a brief cough, she tried to mask her emotions with a neutral expression.@@novelbin@@

“I’ll need to send a magical communication to Her Highness later. I can’t just stay silent after receiving such a magnificent gift.”

At her reaction, I couldn’t help but feel mischievous.

Come to think of it, Mary hadn’t sent any magical communications to Arina since arriving here.

That made sense, considering the Arina in the High Tower was likely an illusion crafted by Isabelle, while the real Arina was right here in front of me as Mary.

“I-I’ll handle it! Her Highness has been very busy lately and doesn’t have time for magical communications!”

“Hmm…?”

“Well, there’s post-war reconstruction, and she’s constantly monitoring the Empire’s movements…”

Mary’s flustered attempt to dissuade me was adorable.

“Is that so? I suppose it can’t be helped then.”

Satisfied with her reaction, I decided to drop the joke.

“But Mary, when will you return to the High Tower?”

“...Do you want me to leave soon?”

Her expression hardened immediately at my question.

“I was just curious, that’s all.”

Though I wanted to say “Yes, I’d prefer it,” I held back.

“I’ll be going back in the fall. I need to prepare for Her Highness’s birthday.”

The sight of her calmly mentioning preparations for her own birthday tugged at my heartstrings.

“You’ll need to visit the High Tower around that time as well, won’t you? We can go together.”

“Indeed. As important as the work here is, I can’t stay here all year.”

I said this while cautiously gauging her mood.

‘She doesn’t seem completely over it yet.’

At the start of the year, the events at the Devil’s Den had thrown the High Tower into chaos.

Arina had reportedly ordered me to return to the High Tower immediately upon hearing the news.

But I had refused.

Instead, I went straight to my estate in Count Jin’s territory and set up the Arad Shipyard.

Stubbornness ran deep in both of us, and I was no less obstinate than she was.

Especially when it came to research or manufacturing, once I became engrossed, I couldn’t focus on anything else.

‘From what I’ve heard, Arina’s reaction back then was pretty severe.’

The problem was that my actions seemed to have hurt and confused her.

‘What a mess.’

Looking at Mary, I broke into a cold sweat internally.