Chapter 87

"Damn... Your first move is to take money from me? That's too much, kid."

"You're not a kid anymore, old man. I gave you the land, so consider it payment for the land."

After forming a makeshift organization, the first thing I did was to get funding from the old traveling merchant. Due to the naming ceremony using a magic circle, I had an obligation to pay the church, but I had already paid the amount. I was able to pay it with the money I had saved up little by little, like a nest egg.

However, Bishop Paulo was greatly surprised when he saw the money I paid. It seemed that even from Bishop Paulo's perspective, the amount was not insignificant. The reason I was able to pay such a large sum was due to my transactions with the old man, such as selling servile beasts. In other words, the fact that I was able to save that much money meant that the old man was also making a huge profit. The amount he had saved was so much that I wondered why he had continued traveling as a merchant for so long. I paid a considerable amount from his money as payment for the land.

"Well, I'll say that you made a donation to the Lord of the Valka Knight Estate. But are you sure it's okay? You suddenly became a noble and formed an organization, but I think it will be tough to manage."

"Yeah, I guess so. First, I need to create a system to earn money."

"It's easy to say, but can you do it? Let me tell you, making money is harder than you think."

I understand that even without being told. If I were the head of an ordinary knight estate, I might not have been so troubled. However, my position is not ordinary. I was originally a peasant and rose to the position of a landowner by force. Since I have a certain relationship with Carlos, the head of the Fontana family who took me in, I don't think anything will happen immediately. However, most of Carlos's subordinates probably don't think highly of me. I might be thrown into a fierce battle zone or used as a disposable pawn when mobilized. Or, if I fail to govern the estate well, someone might advise Carlos to take the estate away from me.

Therefore, I can't just govern this estate in a mediocre way. I need to make the Valka Knight Estate strong. Earning money will be the first step in that process.

"Well, that's why fundamental improvements are necessary. Specifically, we need to move away from barter..."

That's the first problem. The Valka Knight Estate has nearly 300 people who can use magic like [Land Reclamation] and [Soil Improvement]. I think the self-sufficiency rate for food will improve significantly. However, if we continue with barter, it will be a problem. If we do, no revenue will come in from anything other than the sale of servile beasts and the cultivation of magic mushrooms that I'm doing.

First, I need to make it so that all the residents of the estate can earn money, not just goods. For that, the presence of merchants who are not in this area is necessary.

"So, I'm going to open the market from now on."

And so, my economic reform began.

***

The old man traveled as a traveling merchant. Listening to his stories, I realized that being a merchant is not easy. First, just moving from place to place is quite difficult in the current world. If you want to pass through the territories governed by different nobles, you can't just transport goods without being noticed. There are checkpoints in various places where you have to pay tolls. Furthermore, the problem is that there are guilds of merchants in various places. If one merchant guild managed all the merchants in one place, it would be easier to understand, but that's not the case. There are guilds for different regions and different goods, and you can't do business without their permission. If you try, you might disappear without a trace.

However, this system is not pleasant for me. The movement of goods is suppressed by various circumstances, and prices inevitably rise. If this continues, money might not circulate to my residents. To keep prices low enough for the common people to buy, competition among merchants is necessary. For that, I want to create a free market. Without the intervention of guilds, I will open a market on the land I provide, and anyone I approve can buy and sell freely. If I create such a place, the flow of money should improve somewhat.

"No, that won't work. Who would come to such a remote place in the north? You'll be charged tolls in other territories just to get here, so it will be the same in the end."

When I explained my idea to the old man, he immediately countered. Given his experience in business in this world, he must think it's difficult. However, I believe it depends on how it's done. A system that encourages merchants to gather voluntarily. If I can create such a system, the free market will become lively. With that in mind, I started preparing to open the market.

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