28 – Goal
＜Chapter 28 – Goal＞
A week later,
I found the gray tower again.
“Elwin, I apologize, but there were no applicants.”
“I see.”
“Instead, how about purchasing some magical items? Our gray tower sells the best items at affordable prices.”
With that, they showed me a few items.
Artifacts that could use basic magic like Light, Fireball, and Shield.
Even those, except for Light magic, I hadn’t used them much.
With these, I couldn’t conquer and defend the troll territory.
“Thank you for the offer, but I’m fine with the artifacts.”
As I was about to leave after saying goodbye,
The tower owner stopped me again.
“You’ve come this far, please take a gift.”
They handed me a leather bag.
Inside were about ten pouches, each containing a bottle.
“What is this?”
“These are recovery potions made by the gray tower. They are 10% more effective than regular potions and 10% cheaper.”
When I showed interest, the tower owner explained the details about the recovery potions.
“This is too much.”
In essence, recovery potions are not cheap items.
Even if they were 10% cheaper, they were still expensive.
“Would our relationship with the Matap and Elwin be considered normal? However, could you expand the Matap cultivation site when you have time?”
Seems like there was an ulterior motive behind the excessive kindness.
“The cultivation site?”
“There are not only wizards but also staff and students in Matap, right? It seems a bit insufficient with the current cultivation site.”
“I see. I will expand the cultivation site right away.”
As if the gray Matap wanted to get along well, I also wanted to maintain a good relationship with Matap.
So, there was no reason to refuse.
After all, it was a job that I did for money.
Carrying a bag with potions, I headed towards the cultivation site near Matap.
I managed the contamination of the existing cultivation site and additionally removed the magic from the nearby land.
Since Allensia had bought all the land in the area, once the magic was removed, we could immediately start farming.
“Land restoration.”
“Land restoration.”
Kneeling on the ground,
While using the land restoration skill,
My mind kept moving without rest.
“I couldn’t save both knights and wizards.”
“But of course, I can’t become a priest.”
No one was able to find someone who could take on the trolls.
“Should we try using artifacts, like the Buddhist Monk suggested?”
Thinking about it again, it wasn’t a good idea.
It’s difficult to deal proper damage to trolls with low-level magic.
So, we would have to use intermediate or advanced magic, but the quantity was scarce and the price was exorbitant.
“To kill a troll, you need at least the skills of a sword user.”
“Then what should we do…”
“To fight against trolls…”
When the purification of the additional farming land was finished,
I reached a conclusion.
“What about hiring mercenaries?”
As soon as I found a clue, my mind quickly started working.
“First, let’s join forces with Russell. By now…”
When I left the river, the wheat harvest was almost finished.
I would sell the wheat and exchange it for monster drops.
Then, I would go to the continent through the Vampire’s Bridge.
“If I calculate the time I spent on the duke’s mission…”
I immediately headed to the Vampire’s Bridge.
And there, I was able to meet Russell.
“Master, did everything go well during your absence?”
“I couldn’t find anyone.”
“Is that so.”
“And you? Have you found a solution?”
Russell shook his head.
“No suitable plan comes to mind.”
Among the three subordinates, Russell is the smartest.
If Russell couldn’t find it, Hans or Isaac wouldn’t have found it either.
“How about mercenaries?”
Russell’s eyes widened.
Then returned to their original state.
“No matter how wealthy you are, you can’t afford that many mercenaries.”
The land I have to occupy is not small.
Moreover, it’s Monster Island, so there are a lot of trolls.
To deal with them, a considerable number of mercenaries are needed.
“It’s not just about occupying. You have to defend the land. In many ways… it’s impossible.”
“What if the mercenaries come to me on their own?”
Hiring mercenaries from the continent to defeat the trolls on Monster Island requires a significant cost.
You have to pay them until they arrive.
But what if the mercenaries come on their own?
The story changes.
“Master.”
Russell called me with a serious expression.
“Speak freely.”
“Have you ever seen mercenaries in Ireland?”
“Well… I don’t think so.”
Russell nodded as if it were obvious.
“Mercenaries don’t come to Ireland. Because it doesn’t pay well.”
What is the reason mercenaries risk their lives to fight?
Ultimately, it’s for money.
But in Monster Island, it’s hard to make money compared to the mainland.
Firstly, there are high costs.
Mercenaries need to eat to survive.
But the grain prices in Ireland are about 1.5 to 2 times more expensive than the mainland.
Secondly, there’s low profit.
The main job for mercenaries in Ireland is monster hunting,
and the main income comes from monster materials.
However, the prices are low.
Since they can’t consume it within Ireland, they have no choice but to export it to the mainland.
In the process, they have to pay a 30% toll to the Kalas Duchy.
In the end, the price of monster byproducts in Ireland is set low.
“In other words, profits are low, and costs are high. That’s why mercenaries don’t come to Ireland.”
Russell’s words echoed the thoughts I had.
“I believe the answer lies in that part.”
Fundamentally, people from the continent have a prejudice against Ireland.
Many people died here 300 years ago, and indeed, the standard of living in Ireland is lower than that of the continent.
But mercenaries are different.
I drew a circle with my thumb and index finger.
“Mercenaries don’t care about Ireland’s image. It’s all about money. They’re driven by money.”
Russell seemed to have something he wanted to say, but for now, he listened to my words.
“First, let’s talk about the costs…”
Costs include various elements.
The cost of food, clothing, and shelter, along with repair and consumable equipment costs, are added.
“We can’t reduce the price of food. Instead, we’ll cut down on other costs.”
For ‘clothing,’ we purchase slaves with experience in clothing production.
‘Shelter.’ That is, inns are newly built and supplied at a low cost.
Repair costs can be cheaper than the continent if done by slave blacksmiths.
Consumable costs were originally low in Ireland.
There’s plenty of wood, so timber prices are low, making arrow prices affordable.
“Additionally, potions will be cheaper.”
I opened the potion bag received from the Bumatop Guild.
The potion manufacturing process is as follows:
Monster byproduct -＞ Gray Devil -＞ Potion
During this process, it does not pass through the toll of Calas’s own magic.
In other words, the production cost does not include a toll fee of 30%.
Thanks to that, potions can be purchased more affordably than on the continent.
Despite the lengthy explanation, Russell remained skeptical.
“Even if you save like that, it will eventually only cover the expensive grain prices. What about profits? We can’t raise the price of monster byproducts.”
The price of monster byproducts is determined by market principles.
I can’t change that.
But, if there’s another way…
“I’ll provide subsidies.”
“What!?”
Russell replied with a puzzled expression at the unfamiliar word.
“That’s right. I’ll give money to mercenaries. To increase profits.”
Change ‘Continent Profit ＞ Ireland Profit’ to ‘Continent Profit ＜ Ireland Profit + Subsidies.’
“I’ll make it so you can earn about 20% more than the continent.”
“Are you saying 20%? Then the cost…”
“You have to spend money. The important thing is whether you can handle that cost.”
Russell closed his eyes and immersed himself in thought.
After a moment,
when he opened his eyes again, they were clear and shining.
“It’s possible. If only we provide subsidies, we can handle it. It’s a story of mercenaries voluntarily coming to the river… “
**
The Kallas Territory.
Mercenary Guild.
While Russell was selling monster materials,
I visited the Mercenary Guild.
“So, you’re asking for the establishment of a branch of the Mercenary Guild on Monster Island?”
“That’s right.”
The head of the Mercenary Guild’s branch pondered with a serious expression.
Then he explained why it was not possible to create a branch of the Mercenary Guild on Monster Island.
It was similar to the reason why mercenaries did not come to Monster Island.
“We will bring mercenaries from the mainland.”
“If that’s the case, it’s enough to request here.”
“I want to request directly from Monster Island.”
“But aren’t there no mercenaries there? Even if you bring a few, there won’t be enough fees to maintain a branch.”
“I’ll help with the loss.”
The branch head made a bewildered expression.
“There won’t be any employees going to Monster Island.”
“I’ll offer higher compensation than the mainland.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to establish it yourself?”
“Directly? Can I do that?”
According to the branch manager’s explanation,
While the Mercenary Guild was one, it wasn’t entirely unified.
“The essential aspects are controlled centrally. However, each branch also exists independently.”
The central Mercenary Guild is operated by collecting tribute from each branch.
Mercenary Guild branches are operated through the fees they receive from mercenaries.
“So, if we pay the tribute, can we operate autonomously?”
“Well, you could say that, but there are many things to abide by.”
Mercenary Registration & Management
Mercenary Rank Measurement
Issuance of Mercenary Cards
Mediation for Mercenary Party Recruitment
Mercenary Squad Registration & Management
Commission Contracting & Mediation
And so on.
The Mercenary Guild had its main missions, and there were manuals to follow for each task.
However, apart from that, the branch manager could operate autonomously.
“So, what you’re saying is that I can establish a mercenary branch?”
“Of course, you’ll need permission from the central authority.”
“Is it difficult to obtain?”
“Well, first you need to have a clear status…”
The branch manager paused for a moment before continuing.
“Most likely, you’ll be granted permission. The expansion of branches means an increase in the influence of the Mercenary Guild. However, if the branch operation results in a deficit, you’ll have to bear it yourself.”
After requesting permission from the branch manager, I returned to the inn.
Coincidentally, Russell was also at the inn.
“What about the monster materials?”
“I sold them all.”
“If the permission from the Central Mercenary Guild is granted, I will establish a branch of the Mercenary Guild in River.”
“That’s great.”
“So, here’s the thing… I need to reduce the number of slave purchases.”
“What do you mean by that…?”
The next day.
I visited the Justice Slave Market.
“500 general labor slaves for farming. 200 clothing production slaves. 50 blacksmith slaves. 50 cooking slaves. 200 slaves for miscellaneous tasks. Are these numbers correct?”
The merchant asked with a slightly disappointed tone.
The number of slave purchases had been increasing rapidly, but this time it had decreased instead.
“Yes, that’s correct. Is there a problem?”
The merchant hastily managed his expression.
“No, there’s no problem. I’ll prepare it right away.”
Though I had wanted a count of 1,000, purchasing in family units resulted in an actual number of 1,500.
The slave transfer was scheduled for the departing day, and I stepped out of the slave quarters.
“Now, would you like to hire mercenaries?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The system I envisioned involved mercenaries autonomously coming to Monster Island and hunting monsters on their own.
However, to create this, a considerable amount of funds was necessary.
To achieve this, I saved funds by purchasing fewer slaves.
