kscans

Chapter 224 - Episode 18: Part One, Construction Costs

I returned from the lab to the grand ducal residence early in the morning, though it was not my home. Then I prepared to head to the royal palace with my old man and Mia. It was a meeting for the construction of our new city, which was being called the Allied Forces Rear Supply Base. I had to think of it that way, or I would not be able to get through it.

Over breakfast, Mia lectured my old man and me on the details of the plan to be presented today.

Now, we were waiting in an antechamber of the Chancellor's Office, along with the great figures of the commercial world. Tapestries hung on the walls, and the desks and chairs were intricately carved. The room was not gaudy, but you could feel the history in every single object.

My companions looked uncomfortable, even though our group was an impressive lineup in its own right. There was the familiar head of the Food Guild. A magnate from the transport guild I had spoken to a few times, Giverny I believe. And a middle-aged man I had never seen before, who was apparently the head of the Construction Guild.

The exceptions were the three of us from the Vinder Company. My old man, who had the chairmanship of the New City Establishment Preparatory Committee thrust upon him. Mia, who was now recognized less as my secretary and more as the one truly managing the Vinder Company. And me, a chaotic mess of affiliations and positions.

Incidentally, as soon as we entered the Chancellor's Office, they tried to lead me to a separate room by myself. I refused, of course. Perhaps it was a ploy to drive a wedge between us.

I was busy with my experiments. Why did I have to be here, dealing with financial planning?

"Calm down, Ricardo-kun. You have a look on your face like you're about to rebel against the state. I'm afraid."

"You could stand to be a little more composed yourself, Dad. This place isn't that different from where we live."

This trio of commoners was currently lodging at the grandest noble estate in the kingdom. We could not afford to be intimidated by a room like this.

"Ricardo-kun. It's not the room we're afraid of... Well, our usual room is two doors down, so that's part of it, but the main reason is something else."

My father glanced down at the paper in his hand. It was the cost estimate for the new city's construction. The figures listed were rather staggering, but it could not be helped.

"Ricardo-dono. Allow me to introduce you. This is Doran-dono, the head of the Construction Guild."

Kenwell brought over the only man in the room I did not know, who had been glancing my way for a while now. He was probably trying to be considerate. The man who came before me was in his fifties, dressed like an ordinary, well-to-do merchant. The Construction Guild in this world was supposed to function entirely like a prime contractor.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Honorary Baron Doran. I apologize for taking up your valuable time."

I spoke politely. I was a merchant, after all, and from that perspective, I was the heir to the Silver Company. He was a guild master. The man flinched. No, the way I said that made it sound like I had summoned him. This was not good.

Considering the enormous civil engineering project that was the construction of a new city, Doran was literally a key person. Nothing could be done without his cooperation. What we were building on the other side of the river was not just a simple field encampment, but the foundation for a permanent city.

"It is an honor to meet you, Your Excellency Vinder."

Doran bowed so low he was practically kneeling before me. I panicked. Behind me, my father sighed.

"Um, you don't need to be so formal. We're the ones in the position of asking for your cooperation."

"Kenwell-dono instructed me to think of you as Grand Duchess Bertold's son-in-law at the very least..."

Who was this relative of a great noble? True, I think I said something to Euphillia about wanting Alfina, but that was just one limited possibility. To prevent that kind of situation, to prevent Alfina from being used for convenience in that way... In any case, that was why I was doing what I was doing now, for Alfina's sake.

"It seems there has been a misunderstanding in the information..."

"Do you think so?"

Doran glanced around the room.

"Well, even without that, after being shown something like this, I certainly cannot treat you lightly..."

Doran held the same paper we had. He was right, this was an unbelievable public works project. The scale, the cost, and the location. Furthermore, there was the situation of it being a rear base for the Great Cataclysm. The phrase high risk, high return did not even begin to cover it.

It was a situation where black swans were flying in flocks, to the point you would think white swans were the rare ones. And for those involved, including myself, it would undoubtedly come with some very black working conditions.

I could understand why they were dying for information, with immense profits and the risk of ruin standing back to back.

"My secretary is much more knowledgeable about the numbers."

I gestured to the petite, black-haired girl. Mia, sitting quietly, was the calmest person in the room. It seemed she had been in and out of the Chancellor's Office many times. The bureaucrats who had looked at the merchants trailing down the hallway as if they were foreign objects seemed to recognize Mia, at least.

"You mean Mia Vinder-dono, the Chancellor's Office's Special Mathematical Officer."

Why was the master of another guild showing such courtesy to my secretary? And what was that job title I had never heard before? Behind me, my father sighed again.

"I will now explain the calculations behind the figures," Mia said.

"Well, about that. Before we get to the basis for them... the fundamental scale is..."

Kenwell and the head of the transport guild joined Doran. Mia's lecture for the top figures of the commercial world began. With a sigh, I went to my father's side by the window. Father and son, we gazed at the sky with distant looks in our eyes.

"Hey, what are we, exactly?"

"...Even if you ask me that, Ricardo-kun. I'm at my limit just mediating between the chairmen of companies far larger than my own."

We both sighed. That was something I was completely incapable of. My recent negotiation style involved making threats with a national crisis at my back. I wanted to be a little more self-restrained and think about self-preservation. But if I did that, humanity might just go extinct.

"Well, you know. If we don't do our best, the kingdom will be gone..."

I said it with the feeling that the world itself was to blame. My father sighed.

"That's true. ...But thinking about what they're about to hear, maybe we should feel sorry for them instead."

My father looked at Mia.

"Your Excellency Vinder, Representative of the Kingdom to the Anti-Monster Alliance, we are ready for you."

The door opened and a young man in robes spoke. I thought his voice was familiar. It was Leonard-senpai. And who was this "Your Excellency"?

"That's you, senpai. It was written on the invitation. Ours were summons, however," Mia said. I sighed. So my special envoy title had somehow turned into representative.

Leonard led us into a medium-sized conference room. On the far side of a large table sat Grynisias and an elderly man I did not recognize. Our seats were likely on the entrance side.

Great, not only was the king absent, but there was not a single member of the royal family. Well, there was one person who was practically royalty. I glanced at Euphillia, who was sitting on the right. Setting aside the bureaucrats lined up behind the chancellor, it was a relief that I knew most of the people here.

"Your Excellency, please sit here."

As I was about to take a seat in what looked like the witness stand, Leonard pointed to the right. Euphillia was beckoning to me. Resigned, I sat down next to her.

"You forgot your title of Assistant Inspector, did you not?" Euphillia said, covering her mouth with a feathered fan. You have seen right through me, my superior. I can only keep about three titles in my head at once. Any more than that and they start falling out in sequence.

You see those photos of ministers from the Meiji era, all covered in medals. I bet they did not even remember what all of them were for. They probably just had to remember the one with the highest prestige. Out of my three titles, which was the highest? Ah, probably that Kingdom Representative one from a moment ago.

"By the way, that gentleman is..."

"Marquis Volker. The Minister of Finance. A close aide to the chancellor, you could say."

I see. He seemed like a serious technocrat. His expression was a bit stiff. I made a new space in my already overstuffed mental list of dignitaries. Someone might have just fallen out. I wonder about those people who have a Hilbert's Hotel manager-like ability to remember names. What are they?

Grynisias looked over everyone and spoke.

"Let us begin this meeting regarding the procurement of funds for next spring's monster subjugation, specifically concerning the construction of the rear base. Minister of Finance."

"Yes. First, regarding the estimate for the total war expenses..."

Volker stood at Grynisias's words. A tension ran through the bureaucrats behind him. Leonard distributed papers to us. A lot of large numbers were lined up on them. It was to be expected, since we were sending nearly the entire kingdom's army on an expedition across the river. Ordinary soldiers could not fight the monsters, but they would have to handle supply and civil engineering. It might be a good idea to make some shovels and pickaxes.

The required amount of food, timber, and stone. Ah, it looked like the walls of several towns near the border would be taken down. That was not good. But the effectiveness of walls against flying magic insects was limited, so it could not be helped.

"That is all. ...The budget required for next year alone will be nearly eight times the national budget. The means of procurement will include temporary taxes and donations from noble houses, but with the war just last year, there are limits. In other words, financially speaking, the situation is extremely dire."

Volker glared at the merchants. The three guild representatives wiped sweat from their brows. There were limits, no matter how much their lives were on the line. Besides, the true nature of the cataclysm was still unclear. It was hard for them to imagine the magic insects that only we had seen. Pushing too hard could affect the stability of the nation.

That was not all. Something extremely bad for us merchants would happen. The distribution of money would become severely skewed. It would be like having floods over here and droughts over there.

As I was mentally weighing the problem, I felt a gaze on me. Volker was looking at me.

"In this situation, you propose to spend this much on the construction of a rear base, necessary as it may be. ...Are you telling us to bankrupt the nation for the sake of you merchants?"

Sometime during his speech, he had picked up Mia's cost estimate. Combined with the other one, did that exceed ten times the national budget? But this was an estimate Mia had made. Even this figure must have been stretched thin. Of course the costs would increase, since we were talking about a full-scale construction project with an eye toward future urbanization, not just a wooden fence enclosure.

But that was what was important. That was what would turn this debt into an asset.

"I was told you had an idea."

Grynisias, who had silently left matters to his subordinate, spoke up. Well then, I suppose it was time to show them what a former economics student could do. I stood up.

"Yes. I propose that all costs related to the construction of this new city, or rather, this rear base, be procured through the issuance of bonds."

And I would like them not to underestimate someone with memories of a past life. I wonder how much debt, and assets, my previous country, Japan, was carrying.