Chapter 13

After my little business meeting was finished I was summoned to a meeting with my father. It was obvious that he would catch wind of my movements and he would obviously want to know what is all about

"Hello, Father," I greeted him with a smile.

"Lucas, Andrew told me you're starting a business," he said, looking up from his desk. "Can you tell me more about it?"

I pushed the blueprint across the table to him. "It's a machine that can produce high-quality yarn at a much faster rate than any of our competitors. This will not only give me an edge in the market, but it will also bring down the cost of producing clothing."

I could see the cogs turning in his head as he examined the blueprint. I hoped he wouldn't be too upset that I had decided to keep the business to myself, rather than including him and sharing the profits.

"Why didn't you include me you know I could have helped you right?" I could tell he was a little disappointed.

"Well I didn't want to share the profits" I answered him straightforward

My father chuckled and shook his head. "Ah, I see you have your father's business sense," he joked, and I couldn't help but grin.

"But in all seriousness, Lucas, you know I'm always here to help if you need it. I may not have the same level of expertise in this particular industry, but I can offer you support and guidance in other ways."

Practically speaking, I couldn't agree to his proposal because in exchange for his support, he would require access to the business books. However, I intended to utilize those records to redistribute funds and allocate resources to other more secretive projects.

I nodded,. "Thank you, Father. I'll definitely keep that in mind."

"Good," he said, standing up from his desk. "Now, move along I still need to sign some papers."

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It has now been a month since the carpet men and blacksmith finished building the first spinning Jenny, and I am pleased to report that the machine worked perfectly as intended. I immediately instructed the craftsmen to move the spinning Jenny to the designated building and requested that they make more as I planned to expand.

To operate the machine, I hired peasants who were quick to learn and adapt to the new technology. I also established a store to begin selling the carpets produced by the spinning Jenny. The cost of paying workers and security was around 10 gold coins per week, which was not a significant dent in my budget.

As I surveyed my business, my mind raced with plans for its expansion. 'This is just the beginning,' I thought to myself.

I knew that I had to be shrewd and calculated in my actions, and I considered all possible angles for achieving my goals. "I will need to advertise my products, perhaps by hiring some street vendors," I mused

My thoughts then turned to the workers I had hired. "They are useful, but I must also be mindful of their loyalty," I thought. "Perhaps I can find a way to incentivize them to work harder and stay loyal."

Letting out a sigh, I realized that offering mana contracts to my workers was not a viable option due to their high cost. I hoped that the wages I was paying them would be enough to keep them content for the time being.

Turning to Andrew, who stood guard at the ready, I asked him about his progress in finding suitable candidates for our special squad. "Andrew, have you made any progress in finding good candidates for our squad?" I inquired.

"I have found a few promising candidates, but I suspect that it will take at least a year to fully assemble a sufficient number of knights," he replied.

I nodded thoughtfully. "A year may seem like a long time, but it is fine just dont take any short cuts and make sure to write a full report of them," I said.

Andrew nodded in agreement. "Of course, Master Lucas. I have been looking for individuals with the necessary skills, as well as those who are loyal and trustworthy."

"Excellent," I said. "And in the meantime, we must keep our plans for this squad strictly confidential. We can't afford to have anyone else find out about it."

Andrew nodded once more, his expression serious. "Understood, Master Lucas. I will make sure that our plans remain secret."

With Andrew going back to his post, I decided to channel my mana a bit.

As the days passed, the raging stream had calmed down a bit, but it was still far from tranquil. I realized that in order to advance to the next level, I would need to significantly improve my control over my mana stream. However, I couldn't see any changes in the speed of my two dots. This was to be expected, as I hadn't been practicing enough since returning from the duchy.

"I need to get back on track with my routine," I thought to myself, as I continued to channel my mana. Money wasn't everything in this world, and I needed to be significantly strong to make my mark. I couldn't afford to have my growth stagnant.

I needed to reach a respectable level before enrolling in the academy.

"Its already night time" I noticed the beautiful moon light entering my room. " I wonder how the future will turn out" I muttered before turning towards my bed. The following week will be a busy one so I needed to be prepared.