The Founding Monarch Became the Mastermind

Chapter 99

“The Giant Mantis’ wings are twelve in number.”

The wings of the Giant Mantis were harder than steel, making them extremely valuable when crafted into armor.

“The Troll’s bones combined should weigh about 300 kilograms.”

Depending on how it was crafted, if around 500 grams of a Troll’s bones were mixed into a sword, a rare and exceptional blade could be created.

It would be highly effective not only against other Trolls but also against monsters known for their remarkable regenerative abilities.

“The tendons, hearts, livers, and other by-products from the various monsters are quite substantial as well.”

All of it was money—money that even Stelman, who usually had little sense for financial matters, couldn’t help but get excited over.

The scale of the monster by-products, already a confirmed fortune, was now laid out in a report before Si-on.

‘If I sell all this, I might be able to recover about 30% of the funds I sent to the people in Sionia.’

Si-on, who had dealt in monster by-products back when he was a mercenary, calculated the rough market price and smiled inwardly.

Even if he sold it all, it seemed likely he’d get back half the amount he had given to Yonas. And if he processed it into weapons or other goods?

‘I could profit anywhere from three to ten times more.’

The thrill of debt repayment always felt new and exhilarating.

No wonder people got caught up in the lure of paying off debts and couldn’t escape.

Of course, nine times out of ten, they ended up meeting a fate similar to Count Pamel.

“Send the by-products to Sionia with a message. Even if there’s a profit, invest all of it for now into expanding the workshops, foundries, and warehouses.”

“Understood.”

Initially, Si-on had planned to add the money to the duchy’s treasury, but after hearing what the Yazan people had to say, he changed his mind.

Even Yazan, known for its excellent intelligence network, had failed to detect the ongoing changes.

All they knew was that there was a slight increase in monsters here and there.

If even Yazan was in the dark, the situation in other regions was obvious.

No other estate or nation, except for the Si-on Duchy, was prepared for what was happening.

When the lords and rulers finally realized how serious things were, what would be their first action?

They would gather knights and soldiers or hire mercenaries to reinforce their armies.

But mercenaries aside, where do the knights and soldiers get their weapons and armor?

They don’t just fall from the sky.

Moreover, the enemies they would face were not the typical, mediocre troops from minor estates, but monsters.

That’s why lords would hire well-equipped mercenaries when they needed to subdue monsters.

But when chaos breaks out simultaneously in multiple places due to the surge of monsters, it wouldn’t be easy to hire mercenaries.

In the end, they would have to recruit or draft soldiers within their estates, then arm them.

Of course, sending out hastily organized, ill-equipped troops would only result in disaster, and they would soon realize:

Ah, even if the troops are weak, if their weapons are subpar, it’s truly disastrous.

But at that very moment…

– There’s a unit in the Si-on Duchy specializing in monster hunting, and they’re incredibly effective at it!

– And they use gear made from processed monster by-products, and it’s outstanding!

What if rumors like that started spreading?

Orders would pour in, and sales would explode.

People would want to try the products, even out of mere curiosity.

What? You think no one would buy something just based on rumors?

You should know that, even now, germanium bracelets, jade mattresses, and negative ion hair dryers are being sold somewhere in South Korea.

Moreover, the gear from the Si-on Duchy wouldn’t be some pseudo-scientific product.

By then, there would already be reviews from satisfied customers.

‘There’s a reason I secured the first contract with Yazan.’

Sure, the deal had been somewhat forceful, but there was a reason behind it.

As a trade-driven society, Yazan was unrivaled when it came to spreading rumors and information quickly across this world.

Plus, there would be customers who couldn’t directly visit the Si-on Duchy. Who would sell the goods to them?

Yazan, of course.

Thus, Yazan would be both the first reviewer and the middleman (the reseller).

With thousands and thousands of weapons and armor sure to be sold, and the sales channels secured, Si-on knew that production needed to be ramped up immediately.

“Take a few of your men and personally deliver the goods to Sionia. You can take a few days off while you’re at it.”

“I’ll take a break another time. I’ll return quickly.”

“Fine. Do as you see fit.”

“Yes, sir.”

With light steps, Stelman headed out.

“You seem to be in a good mood, Grandfather,” said Piotr, who was organizing the report, with a smile.

“I am.”

“Brother Yonas will be pleased, as will the officials at the Twin-headed Eagle Castle.”

“They should be. This could mark a significant turning point for the people of the duchy.”

“Uh… Is it really possible just because we’re making a lot of money? Are you planning to support the residents?”

The monsters had been mostly dealt with, so it was certainly much safer than before, but was it really enough to warrant such grand language like ‘a turning point’?

Was Si-on perhaps planning to distribute the money earned from selling the monster by-products to the residents?

Seeing the obvious thoughts running through Piotr’s mind, Si-on chuckled.

“Of course not. The profits from this hunt… well, consider them a sort of priming water.”

“Priming water…?”

“Yes.”

Si-on lit a cigarette, a specialty product of the Cheolsan Dwarves, and took a puff as he opened the window and exhaled the smoke. Then, he turned toward Piotr, extending the cigarette between his fingers.

“You know how much profit this cigarette brings to the duchy, right?”

“Yes, I’ve heard it’s quite a large sum.”

“Now, how many people from the duchy do you think are involved in making and selling these cigarettes from start to finish, excluding the Dwarves?”

“Well, I’m not sure.”

“Less than a hundred.”

“Wow… And you’re saying such huge profits are generated with so little manpower? That’s incredible.”

Piotr sincerely admired the situation, but Si-on gave him a bitter smile.

“Yes. Most people would think the same way. That it’s great because we use few people and make a lot of money.”

“Uh… Is it not?”

“No, it’s not.”

“……?”

Si-on snuffed out the half-smoked cigarette and spoke.

“Are you aware that the duchy’s grain production has reached saturation?”

“Yes, I heard it from Brother Yonas.”

Piotr’s home territory, the Logos Estate, constantly struggled with food shortages each year, but the Si-on Duchy had such an abundance of grain that they not only maintained massive storage but even sold the surplus externally.

When he first heard that, he had been envious.

“When there’s a surplus of grain, prices drop. But in our duchy, the price of food remains steady every year. Do you know why?”

“Um… I’m not sure.”

“We buy it at a fixed price to maintain the market. The ducal family absorbs the loss, not the farmers.”

“Really?”

“Yes. More than 100,000? Maybe even more than 150,000 people now. Anyway, more than half of the duchy’s population is engaged in agriculture. What do you think would happen if the price of grain suddenly plummeted?”

“…Ah!”

“Exactly. They’d go under. Maybe not all of them, but over half of them would see their livelihoods collapse. And if the farmers collapse, other professions wouldn’t be safe either. The entire duchy would be shaken.”

“That’s true.”

Just thinking about it made Piotr feel suffocated.

But what did this have to do with the cigarettes?

Was Si-on suggesting that people who farm rice or wheat should switch to growing tobacco?

“100 people versus 100,000. The former brings in massive profits for the duchy and our family, while the latter forces us to spend money every year. But we can’t tell the latter to do what the former does. Agriculture is too important.”

“…….”

“But there are just too many of the latter. The amount we spend each year to keep prices stable is a problem, but the bigger issue is that the entire duchy could be destabilized if something goes wrong.”

“Yes, I see.”

“So, I intend to reduce the number of those 100,000 farmers.”

“Do you mean… Ah!”

Si-on smiled in satisfaction.

His great-grandson was indeed exceptionally sharp.

“That’s right. Monster hunting isn’t just about regulating the monster population and making a profit from by-products. This is an industry that could fundamentally transform the Si-on family’s entire system.”

If levels, stats, and messages could be seen, it would mean that what Derkios had mentioned—the era when ‘users’ would come to this world—was fast approaching.

Whether it would be in a year, three years, or five years, it would definitely not exceed ten.

Regardless, during that time, the world would enter an era where monsters would proliferate explosively.

And the Si-on Duchy had already established a ‘hunting ground’ that no other estate or country could even imagine.

Moreover, the duchy had preemptively established the entire industry related to the production, processing, and distribution of monster by-products.

Si-on had no intention of stopping at merely making money from this.

Governors, mayors, district heads, and local politicians were all so eager to bring new businesses and industries to their areas for a reason.

Even if just one or two factories employing a few hundred workers were established, at least five times, or possibly even ten times as many people could survive off them.

Si-on was confident that monster hunting and the by-product business would become this world’s ‘cutting-edge industry.’

A highly profitable new business that could break the distorted structure where more than half of the population was engaged in agriculture and livestock farming.

“We’ll start by making high-quality weapons and luxury goods for the wealthy. But soon, demand will increase rapidly, and we’ll need a steady workforce to supply it. I want the farmers in our duchy to enter this industry. No, they will definitely enter it.”

In the tens of thousands.

Those tens of thousands of ‘industrial workers’ would eventually create monster by-product goods to sell not only within the Kingdom of Obla but also to the many estates and nations surrounding the Inner Sea.

“Just wait a few years. I guarantee that every person in the world, no matter who they are, will be using at least one or two products made from monster by-products. And who’s going to be the first to make and sell them?”

“Are… are we going to be the first to start?”

“Exactly. Whatever it is, we’ll be the first to produce it, and we’ll make it of the best quality.”

“……!!!”

Piotr’s eyes widened as his body trembled with excitement.

But Piotr didn’t know.

There was still one thing his great-grandfather, the world’s only ‘user,’ hadn’t mentioned.

‘If even others are using them, do you think the users who come to this world won’t?’

This was a business started with even the guaranteed new customers of the future in mind.