NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 67.1
The Seed from the North (2)
Life for the poor was equally harsh in both the North and the Empire.
The only difference was in the source of their suffering — nature and monsters for the North, and nobles for the Empire and the Kingdoms.
If the North suffered from food shortages due to harsh winters, then the Empire and Kingdoms faced the same due to the nobles’ relentless exploitation.
If the people of the North lived under constant threat from monsters and barbarians, the people of the Empire and Kingdoms lived under constant threat of war.
In fact, being oppressed by fellow humans might be more agonizing than being oppressed by nature or savages.
Winter had arrived in the southern parts of the North.
It was cold.
Not as cold as the North, but still cold enough.
It was also the season when jobs disappeared.
This was especially true for the central-northern regions of the Empire, which bordered the North.
Here, people struggled to reduce the number of mouths to feed, driven by noble exploitation.
This region was also flooded with people who had deserted the army or fled conscription during the Empire’s never-ending small-scale territorial wars.
As a result, the central-northern Empire was teeming with such people.
For Entir, this meant there was no shortage of workers for his factory.
“Work! Work, you wretches! I’m feeding you and sheltering you from the cold, so work like your life depends on it!”
Even late at night, heavy labor continued under the glow of lanterns at the factory run by Bishop Company.
Cough, cough, cough!
The sound of coughing echoed through the air.
With sleeping quarters like livestock pens and workspaces that only barely kept the wind out, it was no wonder people were coughing everywhere.
But no one dared to complain.
“Most of you used to be serfs, so this should feel familiar! Just think of it as having a new master! You’ve gone from serving a lord to serving a boss!”
Several years ago, Emperor Soled had declared the emancipation of serfs.
It was undoubtedly a major achievement, but it also brought disaster.
The newly freed serfs, unprepared for their new reality, flooded the cities, turning into beggars and vagrants.
In the cold of winter, it wasn’t unusual for hundreds of corpses to be discovered in alleyways and sewers each day.
“The Bishop Company is your new estate! And President Entir Bishop is your new lord! He is a kind and generous lord who offers you work! You’re just serfs on a prosperous estate with a new master!”
For these people, Entir and Bishop Company were nothing short of salvation.
“You’ll earn 20 coopers a week! If you work overtime, you can make up to 35 coopers!”
The wages were less than one-third of what workers at Arad Company received, but no one complained.
“However, you’ll need to pay 20 coopers a week for your lodging, meal costs, break room fees, and uniform rental! So, in reality, the most you can take home each week is 15 coopers!”
Since food, lodging, and even clothing fees were deducted from their pay, much of their wages ended up right back in the company’s hands.
But no one complained.
“Be grateful to President Entir Bishop for giving you work during this cold winter! Tell me, where else can you find safe, stable work during this season?!”
To someone from the North, this system might have felt chilling to the bone — a system filled with red-flavored exploitation.
But for the people here, it was “fine.”
After all, crowds of people lined up outside the Bishop Company, desperate for work.
With a constant influx of replacements, nobody could afford to complain.
“When I saw Arad Company at the High Tower, I didn’t understand it at all. So, I decided to run my factory my own way.”
As Entir toured the factory, his eyes glowed with excitement.
“This is it! This is the ideal factory system!”
Entir was certain of one thing: his factory’s net profit would surpass that of Arad’s factories.
‘No waste, maximum efficiency!’
The factory’s mass production system, which emphasized division of labor, was a seismic shift for the Empire.
Every product from the factory maintained a consistent level of quality, but the production volume was overwhelming.
As a result, prices plummeted to one-fifth of what they used to be.
“President! Welcome!”
As Entir entered the factory, the factory manager rushed over, rubbing his hands together eagerly.
“Hey! All of you! Line up and greet the President—”
“Manager, how many times do I have to tell you? Stop wasting time with that nonsense! Focus on production instead!”
“Ah, yes! Of course, sir!”
Thanks to his experience observing Arad Company, Entir had learned that it was more efficient if workers didn’t stop their tasks, even when the president himself was present.
Because of this, the factory’s employees didn’t even turn their heads, focusing entirely on their work as Entir walked past.
“Is this shipment headed to the Winters Estate?”
“Yes, sir.”
While inspecting the factory, Entir noticed a shelf filled with finished arrows.
“Don’t mess this up. We went through a lot to win that military contract.”
“Of course, sir!”
Entir had a natural eye for profit.
He focused on products that could be mass-produced at low cost.
Weapons like swords and steel items were difficult to mass-produce due to resistance from the Guild and master craftsmen, but arrows could be mass-produced just fine.
‘If only… If only I could mass-produce swords, armor, and shields like these arrows…’
Entir watched the arrow production process with envy.
If armor, swords, spears, axes, and shields could be made as systematically as arrows, it would revolutionize the industry.
‘Damn those workshops, damn those guilds, and damn those prideful master craftsmen!’
Entir silently cursed the closed-minded master craftsmen and Guild members of the Empire.
Even if he wanted to secretly produce Imperial Steel equipment, he lacked the secret knowledge and techniques passed down only within the Guild.
Even if, by some miracle, he did manage to produce them, the Guild would use their influence to crush him.
‘I bet the North is already mass-producing Northern Steel in factories.’
Unbidden, the thought of the North crossed his mind.
He hadn’t seen a weapon or steel-production factory during his time in the North, but if it was Arad and the North, they’d definitely be preparing something like that.
‘If only I could mass-produce Imperial Steel and weapons, I’d make an overwhelming profit…’
Imperial Steel was famous across the continent.
While Northern Steel had comparable quality, Imperial Steel had far greater prestige.
But its fame came at a cost.
Production time, process complexity, and costs were all high.
‘We could take control of the market not only in the Empire, but also in Bardenheim and even the eastern continent!’
He clenched his teeth in frustration.
‘Someday… An opportunity will come someday.’
Shaking off his thoughts, Entir refocused on reality.
The sound of arrows being crafted echoed in his ears.
“By the way, wasn’t one of Baron Saliman’s sons supposed to be heading to the High Tower soon?”
“Yes, sir. Along with Count Vettor’s second son and Philip, the one-armed S-rank mercenary famous for his dueling skills.”
All of them were figures who had suffered injuries in battle or duels, resulting in disabilities.
With his extensive merchant network, Entir had easily made connections with them.
“Renslet will probably handle it on their end, but we can’t afford any mistakes on ours.”
“Understood, sir.”
Entir profited from commissions while also reaping political and economic benefits.
“Alright, let’s head back.”
After a quick inspection, Entir climbed back into his carriage with a satisfied smile.
Behind him, Carpe and her Red Wolf mercenaries stood guard.
Whoooooosh
A harsh winter wind swept across the factory buildings.
Carpe glanced at the factory windows, lit by torches and lanterns.
Inside, she saw workers shivering as they toiled late into the night.