By September, we had a clear plan for the beer craftsmen.
I presented them with three options to choose from:
- Become the exclusive beer craftsmen for the Marquis of Roxfall household.
In this case, their salary would be fixed, and bonuses would be tied to sales. - Establish their own independent workshops.
This option comes with complete self-responsibility, but it could make them wealthy if successful. - Partner with a capable entrepreneur to run a workshop.
In this arrangement, they could choose to focus solely on craftsmanship or take on the role of a manager, depending on discussions with their partner. Furthermore, I promised to find capable entrepreneurs for them.
“I don’t mind which option you choose, but if you pick the second or third, the patent fee for producing beer within the Bald territory will be extremely low. Think of this patent fee as a sort of royalty paid to me for developing the beer. However, if you produce beer outside Bald territory, you will have to pay a significantly higher patent fee.”
Beer is meant to promote the name of Lord Deuro, but I also see it as a potential industry for the Bald territory. Currently, the territory’s economy is stagnant due to the disastrous governance of the Lightstar family. Seriously, what were they even doing?
“Um, may I ask a question?”
“Of course.”
The speaker was Vodka, who had shown the most growth among the ten craftsmen.
“I want to work in the workshop of the Marquis of Roxfall. Will I be accepted if I choose this option?”
“Yes, of course. While I would be delighted to have you serve my family, please note that strict quality control will be required. This applies no matter which option you choose, but my standards will be particularly rigorous.”
I might scare some away by saying this, but I’d rather not take anyone with half-hearted resolve. It would be better to train new craftsmen instead. Beer representing Lord Deuro cannot be taken lightly.
The next day, three craftsmen chose to serve my family, two decided to go independent, and five asked to be introduced to potential partners.
I gathered the entrepreneurs I had preselected and arranged meetings with the five craftsmen.
The entrepreneurs invited this time totaled eleven: three merchants from Bald territory, four from Axel territory, two from the royal capital, one from the Jadose territory (Baron Rittenheim’s domain), and finally, the fourth son of Viscount Bracke from the royal capital.
My grandfather vouched for all eleven as trustworthy individuals. They had also agreed in advance to establish beer workshops within the Bald territory.
The craftsmen presented their beers to the entrepreneurs and gave presentations on their strengths. Each wrote down their first to third choices, and we matched them accordingly.
Once paired, the craftsmen and entrepreneurs discussed their terms, which was the most critical step. The contracts would be based on the agreements made during these discussions. Since some craftsmen were not very articulate, we assigned clerks to listen to their preferences beforehand and assist in the discussions.
As a result of the matching process, one merchant from Bald, one from Axel, one from Jadose, one from the royal capital, and Viscount Bracke’s fourth son each partnered with a craftsman.
Although there was no restriction against one entrepreneur partnering with multiple craftsmen, the craftsmen all chose different entrepreneurs.
For the two craftsmen who chose independence, I promised to provide land for their workshops. The land was chosen carefully to avoid potential territorial disputes, especially near the borders.
As for the three craftsmen who chose to stay, they were Vodka, Vermouth, and Johnny. Johnny, at 19 years old, was the youngest of the group.
I’ll also need to visit the Bald territory soon, which means taking a break from the academy. I’m still figuring out the right timing for that.
Meanwhile, the blacksmith Dennis is still struggling with making copper pipes. It seems like it’ll take some more time.
The craftsman Bruno, who’s working on building refrigerators, returned to the Bald territory at the end of July. He and Dennis are set to become independent, with interest-free funding provided by my family for their workshops.
Bruno will start repaying the funds gradually once the sales of refrigerators and freezers stabilize. With hundreds of orders already in for refrigerators, repayment should be quick.
For the rest of this year, my family will handle all incoming orders for refrigerators to reduce Bruno’s workload and track the order volume. From next year onward, we plan to delegate this task to merchants.
Both refrigerators and freezers are selling well, and this has led to an increase in Icicle ore mining. For now, Bruno’s workshop is the only buyer of this ore, so the volume is still modest. Since it’s extracted alongside iron ore, it’s manageable.
One day, a messenger arrived from the royal castle.
“His Majesty the King has expressed a desire to try this drink called beer.”
The king, known for his love of alcohol, had heard about the beer and sent a messenger to request it.
The king’s liver is weak despite his love for alcohol, so he’s limited to one cup of alcohol per day. Even so, he’s asking for beer—what a troublesome situation.
“To enjoy beer at its best, a refrigerator is essential.”
“We’ve heard about refrigerators, but are they truly necessary for drinking beer?”
“If you want to enjoy beer at its finest, then yes, a refrigerator is indispensable.”
I provided the messenger with the specifications and installation costs for the refrigerator. He left, saying he would relay the information to His Majesty.
The next day, the messenger returned with orders to install a refrigerator in the royal castle.
