Isaac

“Here's another question: why is it that the Colorado, whether or not it's the Fort Shiga Merchant Guild or not, is so desperate to stop the Fort Shiga Merchant Guild from being established? ”

- That's smuggling?

“Yes. Human greed is inexhaustible, and since you're not satisfied with the money you're making with the power of distribution, you've found something new to make, and smuggling is the biggest move you can make with a weapon. When I got there, I suddenly remembered one of the businesses I was planning. ”

Other than Grand Canal Race?

“Yes. I've actually been thinking about a lot of ways to make some money, but some of them were smuggling. ”

-Me, crazy! Are you saying the lieutenant is going to smuggle?

“Smuggling is the most profitable way to achieve the greatest risk. I don't pay taxes. And then I suddenly realized that those clever things in Port City, I never would have imagined. ”

- … damn it! Are you sure you were playing on campus?

In Magellan's grumbling, Isaac puts out smoked cigarettes and lights a new cigarette.

“Well, that concludes why the Czar tried to stop the founding of the Fort City Merchants Guild. Fort City only holds a distribution ticket, so there are other places where it can be produced, because if you want to produce and distribute sensitive goods like smuggling, you have to do it neatly. Maybe Fort Shi didn't want to share the profits. So they're going to set up a merchant guild, and they're going to officially get into business, and they're going to want to use chi to stop them, because they don't want to lose their tax dollars and their money to make money. So if you want to be in the business I proposed, you can't, because there's smuggling at stake. ”

- …….

“Well, that's as far as my reasoning goes, so it might not be true. But if what I think is real, there's one thing that I really don't understand. ”

- What's that?

“The Supply Bureau probably didn't know about the smuggling. because it makes no sense that the Supply Bureau, which controls the flow of all the supplies, doesn't know about the smuggling operation in Port City. And if the real Supply Bureau knew about it, it would be concluded that Fort City, Newport City, the Coalition and the Supply Authority were involved. Am I wrong? ”

In Isaac's words, Magellan said with an expression of serious concern.

- Hang on, I'll reroute you to a secure line and reconnect.

“Whatever it takes.”

The monitor's screen appears dead, and after nearly enough time to smoke a cigarette, Magellan reappears.

Magellan hesitated for a long time and sighed as if he had no choice but to wait quietly for Isaac's response.

- What I'm about to say is strictly confidential. If this information gets out, I won't be able to protect you. Do you still want to hear it?

“If things go wrong, he'll be dead in three years, or two and a half years. What's there to be afraid of? ”

- That's because you could die sooner than that!

“Well, I won't be the first to say it. ”

As Isaac continues to behave erratically, Magellan shakes his head, takes a deep breath and opens his mouth for a moment.

- Once you know this matter has been left untouched by the needs of the Empire.

“I'm more curious to hear that. ”

Fort City wasn't without its merchant guild in the first place. It doesn't make sense that there are no merchants in the center of such distribution. The former city of Port City has grown to a point where it is known as the second capital as the center of distribution and culture. The problem is, you're too greedy.

“…… does that matter? ”

- It was profitable to change the map.

“A map? Right. A canal?”

Periodic business is a money-eating ghost. It is also a big deal to make tunnels through mountains. If you sell canals there, the technological power of the previous world will cost a lot of money.

I don't know how much of the world's construction technology is right now, but even with magical help, selling waterways from nearby Gabelin to Fort Shi was not a viable business for one city.

- Unlike what we anticipated at the beginning, the funding consumption grew exponentially as the construction progressed. Eventually, he collapsed one after the other.

“That's enough to ask for help. ”

I was about to get funded by the central government, and at the due diligence stage, the Treasury officials realized that if you step foot in, you'll fall into an inseparable abyss. The Treasury made a terrible mistake in a situation like this and that. You're wasting your time negotiating meaningless support. And the construction went on.

“I'm drawing this. There's hope that the funding will come down if we hold out much longer, so we can't miss it if we want to. ”

The cycle was repeated during the negotiations. There was evidence that the central government was soon in negotiations to intervene, such as mortgage loans, borrowing money, engaging in investments, securing bonds and raising investment funds, so all the great lords and merchants of the province, as well as Fort City, poured out their money. As we dip our feet in time, we pour the poison into the bottom and pluck our hands. If we do wrong, we will create millions of unemployed people. Now, since there are more relevant departments, there are more voices, and the worst cycle that only takes time continues.

“I heard the canal was only done with private funds, so you gave up. The Yonker Canal is complete. ”

- I did interfere. When I was rolling my feet, I suggested that Central should use the characteristics of Port City, the center of distribution, to fund the smuggling efforts.

“Wait. So Central offered you the smuggling trade itself? ”

Isaac asked with a surprised expression. I had no idea Central would pop out of here. I felt that things were more complicated than I thought.

At the time, Central's proposal was accepted as a solution to the complex situation at once. That's why smuggling started in a complex relationship between the Treasury and the Administration and the Supply Office, as well as the Colorado and Port City and Central.

“But it's been a long time since the canal was built, and I still don't see why they're closing their eyes on smuggling. ”

According to Isaac, Magellan sighs deeply, saying, "Get lost."

- That's why this has to be handled in the strictest confidence. Although he was smuggling, it was not enough to cover most of the construction funds.

“So there was something else besides smuggling? ”

When Isaac asks, Magellan bows in shame.

- What do you think would be the most profitable product in smuggling?

“That's right…. ”

Items come to Isaac's mind and disappear. Then I looked at Magellan with an unbelievable look.

“…… munitions? ”

- Strangely high percentage of territorial warfare during the canal construction.

“Ha! Did you mean to promote more territorial warfare? ”

- It's possible with the power of Central. Plus, I found an unexpected utility while moving munitions.

“Utility? Ah! ”

- Did you notice?

“Smuggling munitions means you can control the war. ”

I liked the fact that Central could gain profits from smuggling munitions while controlling the victory and defeat of war.

“Besides, smuggling is a secret flow of supplies, so you'll know who's got the wrong idea, and you'll be able to outrun them easily. So you've been controlling the flow of munitions? This is highly confidential. If this gets out, even Central won't be safe. ”

- That's right.

“I don't understand. If Central was still involved in smuggling, we wouldn't have let them set up the Fort City Merchants Guild. ”

- Central can never intervene directly in matters within the Empire. Always have a surrogate. The four who now rule Port City are the children of those who intervened in the construction of the canal and settled all kinds of bonds and collateral with trafficking funds. Those idiots don't even know my father was a puppet in Central. They think we've got a hit on the distribution. That's why we're setting up a Merchant Guild in Port City.

“If it were Central, you'd have enough control over those successors who aren't surrogates. ”

When Isaac asked, Magellan felt an unpleasant expression, and straightened himself out and spoke in a devout tone.

- While the current emperor was on the throne and taking care of the monarchy, he briefly searched for the concierge who was in charge of your education as a child.

Suddenly, Magellan brings up a sudden story, and Isaac gives a glance and listens.

“Who is the concierge? ”

- I was in charge of teaching the king manners for a while, but he said he was a petty nobleman who was rude enough to teach the king a beating.

“Oh, you hit the Emperor? In a sense, he's an honorable man. ”

- I retired to my hometown because I was too old, but it was Fort Shi.

“That's where you wrecked the house, huh? ”

- The nobleman's son jumped into the canal and killed himself with his entire fortune. The nobles who lost their homes and property and sat on the streets said that they really had a noble end.

“The end of nobility? ”

He starved to death by his wife's grave without begging or asking for help.

Isaac has lost his words.

The palace staff who served the Emperor in his childhood starved to death? Do you have any idea how furious the Emperor was when he heard that report? The Emperor ordered a detailed investigation into Central and the Central taxed itself.

“The imperial palace must have been overturned. ”

- Not the Imperial Palace, but every organ flipped. Thanks to Central for cleaning up the mess down the canal, we found out that the perpetrator who made the mess was Central.

“Wait. The construction of the canal itself was the intention of Central? ”

- Fort City is getting bigger, and I've been working my ass off to keep it down, and the game's gotten too big. He made a mess of it, kept his mouth shut, and offered a solution in a way that he felt sorry for him. It's all been happening for generations, and it's natural for backwater institutions to come out uncooperatively. Central had to be self-centered, so they had to take their hands off smuggling.

“The smuggling incident revealed that the central government's chiefs were to be stopped, but Central is no longer in control, so Fort Cigar founded the Merchants Guild and there's no way to stop it.“ As a team, if you hear that Fort Shi has been making money smuggling in the middle of nowhere, your reputation will collapse, and you're desperately lobbying. ”

- Do you understand what's happening? Fort Shi has no use for you because the College's symbol serves as a shield, but it cannot give you room to intervene externally.

“Smuggling.... ”