Plots, Ploys and Schemes I

Jacob discussed many of his thoughts with Leah, mostly about the order she served and ways she could solidify her power. To him, it seemed like Leah paid him a great amount of attention when he spoke.

He was smart, she'd give him that as he gave her idea's she never thought of. A lot of them were pretty simple but overlooked.

Not only did he share what was on his mind, he also gave her a few thousand silver. Money was what she needed, and with this, she could safely assume the position of bishop.

It did cost her, but Leah did not mind. She owed him big and even if he was a noble that was capable of unimaginable feats, Leah was not afraid. As long as she could finish her work, that was all that mattered.

Her dream was in sight, all that was needed now was time.

For Jacob, this was a big investment, but worth it as long as things played out well.

The temple would offer him their support, giving him an upper hand when it came to large disputes that could not be settled alone. When a problem occurred that two parties could not come to terms with, they would invite a neutral third party to help them out. Which more than not, ended up being someone from the temple.

There were other situations their support can come in handy, but for now, that was the most important.

Other than that, the two of them agreed to open an orphanage that would care for abandoned children until they became adults. The orphanage was a huge step for him, it would not only sway the public's opinion of nobles, it would also increase his house's standing.

This would take months to finish and set up, but he did not mind. Jacob wanted to raise his prestige as there were many benefits to it. Not to mention gaining the citizen's vote was more important than the nobles in some cases.

Especially later on.

Lastly, he asked for a favor, one that could be called in at any time. He did not know what he would ask for, but he figured favors were never a bad thing to have. The more people that owed you, the easier it was to see your schemes finished.

One notable person trying to get rid of you was a problem, but a problem that could be managed. However, what if there were six people trying to make you vanish? That was harder to avoid.

Most of the time people would not align themselves with plots if it did not benefit them, but they could be called in if they owed the other person a favor.

Leah left after signing a contract with Jacob, leaving him alone in the study for a minute.

During that time, he picked up the two scriptures only to look them over. One was barrier, a low tier spell that would block one attack be it physical or magical. The strength of the barrier depended on the user, and how often it could be used depended on the users' mastery of the spell as well as their mana.

Barrier was not to be underestimated, because it could be cast in battle if one were proficient with it. The skill could be a lifesaver, and Jacob was thankful for Leah bringing it to him. He was going to ask for it eventually anyway, but now that he obtained it, he could learn it now instead of later.

The second scripture was Repentance, which was a debuff type of spell. It slowed a person's movement down to a crawl, while also increasing the amount of damage they take from holy spells.

It was meh, and Jacob was debating on learning it. In Pathfinder, it was good for catching assassins or slowing down enemies who were running away. The skill would be super good if players could not break out of it.

Jacob was not too sure about this world, but if it was similar to the game then there was a way to break free from the spell. It only lasted four seconds, but if no one broke free from it that was all a person needed to finish them off.

He only had a moment to himself before Henry came back into the study.

Looking away from the two scriptures, Jacob locked onto Henry.

Talking with Leah for so long, he almost forgot he told the man to stay behind.

"We discussed the matter of buying land and opening up another dye work previously, have you thought about it in greater detail?"

Henry looked back and saw the wooden chair behind him, he took a seat. This would be a long talk.

"I have not, fearing that I should keep my men focused on the task at hand. Saying we are going to employ more people means they'll breathe easier, and if you were to take your word back, then they'll be devastated."

The current men working at the workshop enjoyed it, but there were a few complaints. Those complaints were never said out loud in front of him, but they always managed to get back to him.

Frankly, they were working hard and had long hours. Henry gave them as many breaks as he could, but it was not enough. With a few more workers, their burden would be lessened.

"Worry not. I was looking to expand the business anyways, it has always been on my mind. But, I want to change it up a little."

"What do you mean?"

Henry was confused by Jacob's sudden change. Was he not looking to create another dye workshop? Wasn't that what they talked about last time?

"Instead of creating a new dye workshop, or even opening up a new business of some kind, I'd rather buy one."

"Buy? How in Nessa's name will you do that?"

The idea was fresh, and Henry in his years of work has never heard of it. Although he might not have, Jacob has. It was not just him, the nobles did this from time to time as well, except when they did it, there were strings attached. And if it did happen, the commoners would never hear about it, because their dealings had to do with another noble family.

"You've worked in my family's workshop for years, and I'm sure you've heard of people struggling or some businesses failing. My plan is simple, make them an offer they can't refuse."

"Sure, I know some but they've worked day and night just to make their dreams come true. They won't budge just because you come in."

Dreams were not easily accomplished, and once someone could see it becoming a reality they would never give it up. For the commoners to open their own business was a dream, one that was near impossible. It would take a lot of time and effort, but in the end it was worth it.

Only if it succeeded. Which not many have, which is why commoners called it 'A dream of misfortune'. Because one would encounter many problems once they started one up. Nobles would pressure them, they would be charged twice as much as normal commoners, all that lay ahead of them was a path of thorns.

"That may be true, but I'm not looking to step over them. Let's call it a partnership."

Jacob smiled as he could already see the look on their faces now. Stunned by his proposal and accepting it without a second thought.

"How many noble families are there in the city? Too many to count, but there are many more commoners. Out of those, a fraction own stores that sell inexpensive merchandise, which may sell at a decent rate. However, with the price of goods nowadays, they are probably in the negative as they have to buy the raw materials at a high rate, and sell low enough for the common folk to buy it. Meaning, they are making no money, or very little."

Pausing for a second, he continued.

"My plan is to buy those businesses, not the ones owned by nobles. Then after buying them, I'll keep the workers."

"Lord, why would you do this? As you said, they are making no money or very little, so what would buying it do you?"

Henry was no businessman, but even he could see that there was nothing to gain from helping them out or buying their establishment.

"I have connections, I have a title, things they do not have. The materials that seem expensive to them are relatively cheap to me, and if I buy in bulk from a merchant, I can get a large discount. However, what I am after is something else."

Henry was left in thought, Jacob never said what he was after so Henry needed to figure that out for himself. His thinking was narrow, but Jacob's was wide. The two of them were looking at a different picture, and Henry felt that he could not see what Jacob saw.

"What I need you to do is help me make these meetings happen."

"Lord, you are overestimating my abilites. I am a mere worker, nothing more. I can bring you a few people at best."

What was he going to do? He was the same as Jacob, the two were different. Henry tried to think like him, but he tried and failed. All he could do was talk to the couple of people he knew and try to get them on board.

"I am not asking for a lot, a few are fine. As long as you work hard, you shall be rewarded."

Jacob did not think Henry had a lot of connections, but all he wanted was a few. That's all he needed to get the wave started, and once it began there was little anyone could do to stop it.

While Jacob could do it himself, it was better for the people to have a face they recognized approach them with the idea. They could be blunt in their worries, and discuss everything in fairness. If Jacob were to do it, they would be afraid of him thinking he had some underhanded strategy in play.

While he did, he would not tell them that.

Also, Henry gave off the impression of an honest guy. That's what Jacob got from him when they met.

The two of them talked for a bit longer, but seeing that Jacob did not say anything else, Henry bowed and left. Gathering his two sons who finished carrying the chest to Jacob's room, he left the estate.

'Insane. The young lord has gone insane!'

That was all Henry could think about. He had no idea what the outcome would be, but it was not until later did he realize his lord was a cut above the rest.

Jacob wanted to laugh but kept it in.

If his idea worked, his influence would spread in the city. It would not catch the eyes of the other nobles until later, but by then it would be too late.

He was almost certain it would work, and if it did not, he would lose nothing. He just needed to open up another enterprise, to gain more cash. However, if it did… Jacob would gain more than just a large influx of cash. He'd gain a key to the city.