I Became A Black Merchant In Another World-Chapter 240: Industrial City Abito (2)

As the saying goes, "Rome wasn't built in a day."

The city of Avito, which had barely started to be built, had no buildings erected yet.

The workers' accommodations were nothing more than hastily set-up tents on a barren land, and everywhere, weeds and stones scattered around.

Thinking about building a city in such a place made me feel somewhat overwhelmed.

While I was absentmindedly looking around, Sebastian called out to me.

“It’s quite touching to think that a city is going to be built in a place like this.”

“Yeah, honestly, sometimes I wonder if I’ve been too reckless with this idea.”

Every investment and business venture in this world has a formula.

No matter how boldly you begin, if you succeed, it becomes a revolution; if you fail, you become the subject of ridicule.

Take the example of the honorary Martian, the Harvard dropout obsessed with computers.

Those folks are praised as wise because their ventures succeeded, but if they failed...

The honorary Martian would be a fool who worked 100 hours a week with no results, and the Harvard dropout would be a disgrace for wasting his life.

If this new city project fails, the nobility, merchants, and serfs of the Tuscany Empire will laugh at me.

‘In life, the only place where the process matters, to put it extremely, is in court.’

“I’m not thinking of canceling at this point.”

Spilled water can’t be gathered again.

Instead of struggling to collect it, it’s better to sleep a bit longer.

“Baron, I’m sure this time, you will achieve great success.”

“I hope so.”

The massive increase in fabric production that formed the foundation of the Industrial Revolution.

Simply implementing that technology would guarantee success.

Clothing has an enormous demand, but supply cannot keep up with it at all.

Even though 400,000 gold coins, which is roughly the annual income of a small count’s domain, are being invested, I can’t help but feel a little anxious, even though I know it will succeed.

Sebastian, seeing my concern, gave a playful smile.

“If there were stocks for investing in Avito city, I would invest my entire fortune and the land you granted me, Baron. No, I would even ask my relatives to lend me money.”

No matter how much I think about it, that’s too much.

Even if I take the idea of investing my entire fortune and land as a joke, asking relatives for money to invest—how far is that going?

There’s a limit to a beast's heart.

This level of risk is no different than pulling together everything you have to buy leveraged coins, right?

“Aren’t you going a bit too far with the joke?”

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But Sebastian answered with the most serious expression imaginable.

“Isn’t it impossible for the business you start to fail, Baron? If you give me the opportunity to invest, I’ll gather up the money left in my family and bring it back the moment we get home.”

The fire in his eyes showed he wasn’t joking.

“If you invest your spare funds, I’ll give you a portion of the residential area later. But don’t sell your land to invest, alright?”

“Thank you for your generosity, Baron.”

Sebastian’s response was a bit much, but seeing him so confident made me more certain that the new city project would undoubtedly succeed.

While I was looking around at the barren land, a man in work clothes quickly approached me.

“I am Antonio Esperto, the dean of the Rothschild School of Technology.”

Before becoming the dean of our university, he was the guildmaster of the architectural guild.

Of course, he can design cities and factories.

It was like giving an extra job to a hard-working employee, so I assigned him as the field supervisor.

Though there were dark circles under his eyes, he smiled in front of me, so there shouldn't be any major problems.

‘I saw engineers like that when I was in university too.’

“I’ll personally guide you through the site. Please follow me.”

Antonio led Sebastian and me to the construction site of the factory.

On site, artisans, workers, and students were all mixed together, happily working.

Of course, it only looked like they were enjoying themselves in my eyes.

“Who’s the idiot who put up that column like that? The roof won’t hold the weight! You moron!”

An artisan was scolding a student while holding a hammer.

The student, though an academic, was being scolded by an artisan.

It was an odd and mysterious sight that an esteemed student with a position similar to that of clergy was being chastised by a mere artisan.

“You, who expected the pale-skinned gentleman to become an artisan, how can you perform so poorly? Where did you bury your concept? Do you think you can even get your bachelor’s degree with such incompetence?”

But the poor student had no choice but to be scolded by the artisan.

The student, who had two lines of stripes symbolizing his master's degree on his work clothes, was just a university student in terms of status.

Despite the difference in status, the difference in combat ability between a master's and a mere student is insurmountable.

It was as if lava was overwhelmingly superior to fire.

Thus, we had a strange scene where, though polite words were used, the student was belittled.

“I’m sorry, Master,” the student muttered.

“If you make this mistake again, I’ll have no choice but to report you to the professor. Now, go raise that column again with the workers,” the artisan said sternly.

The noble student, after hearing this, went to set up the column, tears in his eyes.

If I had known this would happen, I should have chosen the accounting department instead of the School of Technology, he whined as he walked away, but I decided to pretend I hadn’t heard it.

Later, I’ll just mention to the professor that some of the students in the technology department have been struggling and want to switch majors.

Then, the professor will quickly solve their problems.

Looking around the other side, I saw some people with a touch of madness, holding onto blueprints and debating.

“We don’t have enough power to run the water-powered spinning machine. The river’s flow speed is too slow.”

“What if we narrow the river later and a flood happens when it rains?”

“If we build levees on both sides of the river, it will be fine! Why are you overthinking it?”

These were the people recognized as PhDs from the technology department.

Although the School of Technology was created not long ago, and they haven’t specialized in dissertations or research...

These people were either guild masters or close to that level of expertise.

When it comes to field experience and knowledge, they could rival any PhD.

If you gathered all the artisans’ knowledge and had them study it, that’s how a field of study is born.

The professor, who was in charge of these researchers, came by with a satisfied smile, holding a container full of coffee.

“If we stay up all night to think this through and write slowly, it’ll be fine. Didn’t Baron Rothschild generously provide us with unlimited coffee for our technology department?”

By the time someone reaches a position of professor, they’re often a bit mad.

Even our Western History professor would suddenly turn red in the face when a topic he was interested in came up.

If some dumb, unfortunate student gave a novel presentation, their breath would quicken.

Their voice would tremble, and their hands would try to impart true education with poor gestures.

I’m sure this professor wasn’t like this when I first appointed him.

“Even though you’re in your mid-40s, it’s wonderful to see you collaborate like this. Let’s stay up all night and have a passionate discussion. We’ve got plenty of time.”

This is chaos in its purest form.

Where work on-site and theoretical education are happening at the same time.

This is the hell of royalties.

Even King Sejong, watching the endless grinding mill being turned by Jang Yeong-sil, would probably panic and run away at this sight.

Antonio smiled with satisfaction, watching the scene.

“Thanks to you, Baron, I’m able to play the role of a noble in this era and be respected as a professor within the Rothschild domain. I’m truly happy. That’s why everyone is working so hard to build an academic achievement worthy of the title of professor.”

For a moment, I shuddered, remembering how my professors would have torn me apart when I was in graduate school.

But, as long as they work this hard, they’ll become excellent artisans after graduating from university...

‘As long as I’m not the one doing it.’

“Keep working hard. Keep working hard.”

“I will, Baron.”

From today, those poor students will have to struggle by balancing both work and study.

They’ll be learning a craft during the day and studying by candlelight at night.

It’s literally day and night studying.

“First, we plan to build a factory with about 1,000 looms and spinning machines each as a trial. Then, we’ll gradually scale up to a large factory with about 3,000 looms and spinning machines as the final goal.”

With just the looms and spinning machines, there will be 6,000 workers.

Including all other employees, over 20,000 people will be working at the factory complex.

If you consider the families of those workers and others moving here...

A city with a population of over 50,000 will be created.

‘If we include those working in all industries, it might even exceed that.’

We could even end up with a large city with a population of 100,000.

“The trial operation will take about two months.”

After that, depending on how things go, we can hire more people and expand.

After all, the Tuscany Empire has plenty of surplus labor.

‘Whether we create a Marine Corps or do whatever, we can just gather people.’

“Let’s keep doing this. And tomorrow, let’s give bonuses to everyone here and have a company dinner.”

Two months passed in the blink of an eye, and I received news that the trial operation was successfully completed.

Now, it’s time to open up the market.