Chapter 36 - Volume 2 (1/2)
With the project announced and construction at work, Isaac started officially buying all the land in the Ceta District. Cordnell furiously opposed the idea, his mouth foaming with frustration. Even if buying land in New Port City cost pittance, there was already so much money needed elsewhere and he couldn’t see any use in buying all the land. His efforts to save money were futile. In fact, Isaac encouraged those around him to buy land with him out of his so-called ‘generosity.’
The employees from the guilds decided to buy the land around the bridge as a combined investment from all of them; it was only because they might be able to get most of the money back from these areas even if the project failed.
The elves found it interesting and used their own money to buy some land of their own, while North Bears firmly believed that anything Isaac proposed was trustworthy and contacted their own Reservation, buying as much land the tribe could afford as well as bringing any tribesmen who were still free.
As a result, the real estate owners.h.i.+p in the Ceta District was distributed in such a way where Isaac held 70%, the North Bears held 20%, the Elves held 9% and the Seven Grand Merchant Guilds’ employees held 1%.
Most of the original landlords were citizens of Port City, but all it took was a blackmail regarding taxes and an offer double that of its market price for them to hand over the land unquestioningly.
With the real estate firmly in his grasp, Isaac sat on the rooftop of his City Hall residence. He sipped on a gla.s.s of wine and held a cigar in hand as the noise of the construction echoed around him. It was at this point that Cordnell approached Isaac with a pale face.
“We’re in trouble.”
“What is it?”
“We have no money.”
“Why?”
“Why else! You used most of the funds to buy the stupid deeds to the land in the Ceta District! We’ll be bankrupt at this rate! Just one month from now, we won’t be able to pay the wages for our workers!”
Cordnell thumped up and down as he listed every single thing Isaac had spent money on. Watching him, Isaac spoke with an annoyed face.
“Are we really out of money?”
“Yes! How can we possibly continue spending like this when we have no income!”
“Why do we have no income? Isn’t there a hotel being constructed by the Rivolden Merchant Guild?”
Isaac convinced Goldman, the Guild Master of the Rivolden Merchant Guild, to construct lodges near the casinos. Isaac advised Goldman to step into hotel business, claiming that legalising prost.i.tution was good and all, but the city lacked lodges which the people could spend the night comfortably. Goldman used his power as the Guild Master to construct two hotels for commoners and one grand hotel reserved for n.o.bles as an investment in New Port City.
“You sold the land to him at the same price we bought it, so we didn’t make any money from him! We were never tasked with managing the costs for the construction of the hotels as well!”
Cordnell breathlessly rattled on as Isaac took out another cigar, annoyed by it all.
“I guess there’s no choice. I wanted to use this as my final solution when my project failed, but I’ll have to use this since I’ve got no money.”
“Use what!”
Isaac calmly talked back to Cordnell, who was shouting as if he was making a last stand.
“Raise the tariffs.”
“Huh?”
Cordnell looked to Isaac with his eyes wide open. Isaac poured a new gla.s.s of wine and handed it to him.
“I’m a Lord. I have the right to tax any commodities that enter New Port City. Inst.i.tute the highest tax rate within my authority on all goods that are being stocked in the ports and warehouses.”
Cordnell gulped down the wine Isaac handed to him, his mind baffled. Taxing certainly was within the authority of the Lord, but Lords usually set the lowest tax rate possible, so that more merchants would use their facilities and stabilise the prices of the goods in the city.
Port City was the same. Its position on the continent made it a natural place for goods to concentrate, but what really supported it was a practically non-existent tariff.
Most of the docks and warehouses in which the goods travel through were concentrated in New Port City, so the merchants had to adhere to New Port City’s tax rate. Until some time ago when Port City still held all the authority over New Port City, the merchants paid minimal fees to use the warehouses. But if Isaac were to raise the tax rates to the maximum, the merchants would be forced to either pay the tax or turn their s.h.i.+ps somewhere else. Both would cause ma.s.sive deficits for the merchants, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if a riot took place because of it.
“Do you really think the merchants will stay put if you hit them with such tax?”
Significant losses are expected if the merchants rebelled. All goods from commodities to food would no longer be supplied, which would make prices skyrocket.
“Even better. It was only helping out Port City, and they would be the ones who are hit hardest by it all.”
“But the Seven Grand Merchant Guilds also use this place!”
“Ha, do you really think I’ll tax your guilds at the same rate? I’ll give a special deduction just for you guys.”
Cordnell ma.s.saged his forehead when he heard those words from Isaac, unable to withstand the stress.
“Hey, don’t you think it’s strange that Port City is staying put, despite the fact that you can easily make them crumble by raising the tariffs?”
“Hm? You have a point.”
“There’s a Fair Trade Law. Giving special privileges to certain merchant guilds is illegal and it will invite an investigation and correction by force.”
“So such laws existed. Then tell them to pay the same tax rate.”
“The Seven Grand Merchant Guilds won’t stand for it!”
“Ah! d.a.m.n, you’re annoying. Are you really that stupid? Do you think my duty to repay their investment is just for show?”
“Th….”
Cordnell, who tried to retort back at Isaac’s annoyed tone, suddenly stopped as a light bulb flickered in his head. Even if the tax was raised to its highest, the Seven Grand Merchant Guilds could have the tax returned under the pretense of repaying the loans while the rest of the merchant guilds were forced to pay the tax, making the difference in profit margins astronomical.
But the problem is that the merchants, who are ever so sensitive about money, would never be oblivious to this fact. Even if the Seven Grand Merchant Guilds were the most influential within the Empire, they would surely crumble if all the other merchant guilds joined forces against them. No, even if the Seven Grand Merchant Guilds didn’t crumble, all their efforts would be futile if the other guilds began supporting Port City instead.
“I’ll contact headquarters and request additional loans.”
“No, I don’t want it.”
“Huh?”
“I received a loan of one million Giga because I didn’t have money. I’m already forced to pay interest on that loan, and if I got even more loans, it will reduce my profit.”
Cordnell’s mouth gulped like that of a goldfish, unable to utter a single word.
“Just raise the tariffs. I’ll make sure your investment is paid back in full.”
“But that could cause the fall of Seven Grand Merchant Guilds!”
“That’s none of my business.”
Cordnell felt as if the sky was crumbling; Isaac would not budge on the increase of tariffs. His actions were just like a bully taking lunch money from his victim.
Cordnell’s urgent report brought together all the guild masters from the Seven Grand Merchant Guilds; they insulted Isaac in their heart, but they still decided to make additional investments since they determined that only they would be at loss if the tariffs were raised.
They had prepared their refusal to make any future investments; it consisted of using their power to blackmail Isaac into submission, but even before they could blackmail him, Isaac stubbornly refused the additional investments, instead opting for the increase of tariffs.
Now, the fire was on the Seven Grand Merchant Guild’s side, and instead of blackmailing, they began appeasing Isaac with additional investments. Only after they promised not to charge interest did they successfully convince Isaac and proceed with the investment. The Seven Grand Merchant Guilds also decided they couldn’t be the only ones on the losing end and started bringing in all merchant guilds that used the ca.n.a.ls to contribute to the investment fund.
Even Port City contributed the investment fund to avoid the uprising from merchants and to prevent the weaponization of tariffs despite Isaac’s stubborn att.i.tude. This incident helped Isaac gain fame as the greatest scammer within the Empire, taking money from not only his allies and forcing even his foes to demand that he take money from them.
With the issues regarding funds solved after much ruckus, Isaac continued to spend his time leisurely in the City Hall. The noise of the construction did bother him at first, but it felt like a lullaby once he got used to it. Once again, he was bathing in the sunlight on the rooftop when Cordnell hurriedly rushed over and woke Isaac from his sweet nap.
“What is it now?”
Isaac stared at Cordnell, frustrated that his sleep was disturbed, but Cordnell continued to pace around in panic with a pale face.
“Off with our abusive Lord!”
Isaac didn’t even need to ask Cordnell. Isaac could hear those words being chanted in unison as he slowly eased himself toward the roof’s edge. There were around a hundred men standing in the plaza facing the City Hall while other workers watched from the side, curious as to what was happening.
“There’s our abusive Lord! Let us regain our rights!”
“Lower our work hours! Raise our wages!”
“The h.e.l.l are they?”
Isaac leaned over the guard rails as he watched the riotous menace with a cigar in his mouth. As expected of the men from New Port City, all of their faces dripped with murderous intent; their words were crude and improvised weapons made of construction tools firmly in their hands.
“They’ve suddenly gathered after lunch time, stopping all progress on construction!”
“Is this the start of their sabotage?”
Isaac wasn’t innocent enough to believe his project was going to set sail without any hindrances. It was obvious that both Count Milros and the neighboring Port City would try to hara.s.s him at every corner. Instead of surprise, he was rea.s.sured that what he had expected had finally occurred.
“Where’s Rizzly?”
“The North Bears are currently policing City Hall.”
“Call him over.”
Just as Corndell was about to quickly move, Rizzly showed up with a cone-shaped tool in his hand.
“What’s that?”
“It’s a speaker. I thought you’d need it.”
“Hm, you’re rather sharp? But what’s up with them all of a sudden?”
“Some of the workers have been complaining about why their wages are the same when Sir Isaac received additional investments and began inciting those around them. It didn’t get much of a reaction from those around them. In fact, the other workers insulted them and tried to fight them, so we’ve been ignoring the issue. I never thought they’d make an incident like this.”
Hahaha, all one can do is laugh.
Wages? Instead of the horrible wages they were used to, they received 1.5 times the wages other workers received in other cities and provided them with the opportunity to escape poverty and New Port City.
Food? Not only has Isaac been feeding their children every meal, he has also supplied the workers’ meals. It was enough to make their starving stomachs burst.
Work hours? Isaac had inst.i.tuted a regulation stating that all workers receive 1 day of paid vacation after every two weeks of work.
Where could they possibly find a better Lord!
It still seemed like justice was alive since not many people agreed with those rioters, but it still irked Isaac on the inside.
“When idiots receive good favour, they start to consider it to be a right. Tsk.”
Isaac coldly clicked his tongue and took the speaker from Rizzly’s hand and shouted toward the rioters.
“Ah ah! Listen, rioters. I am…”
“There is the abusive Lord who exploits us!”
“If you disperse now…”
“Off with the abusive Lord!”
“I will show mercy to the citizens of my own fiefdom…”
“Raise our wages now!”
Isaac sighed as he watched the man who kept interrupting Isaac’s words and inciting the people like a fiery champion.
“That young brat keeps cutting off the words of his superior.”
“Shall I kill him as an example?”
Rizzly nonchalantly spoke those words. Cordnell’s face went pale while Isaac looked at Rizzly curiously.
“You sound like you’ve killed some people before?”
“The North Bears may be unpopular, but we still get some work from time to time. We occasionally face thugs and bandits who try to steal from the merchants when we are tasked as escorts.”
“No! You can’t kill someone! It’ll just make the situation worse! We must negotiate with their representatives…”
Cordnell adamantly objected and recommended that they come to understanding through a negotiation.
“Negotiate?”
This, of course, wasn’t a recommendation Isaac would even consider.
“They’re pulling that bulls.h.i.+t when I already give them a good pay, feed them, and even make sure they have off days. What more can give them when negotiating?”
“If you use force to quell them, it will just increase the size of the riot.”
“Tsk, fine. I’ll negotiate. I’ll show you how I negotiate, so you better watch and learn.”
Isaac, who felt somewhat insulted by Cordnell’s urging to lower their heads, walked up to the edge of the roof with one foot on the fence and shouted.