Antica City, Silver Moon Trading Company.
Celineina sat in her office, several contracts spread out on the desk in front of her.
As per the agreent, the developnt of the new district in Antica City had been entrusted to the Silver Moon Trading Company. With the rights to real estate developnt secured, the company had imdiately mobilized all the resources at its disposal.
Even so, the expenses were considerable.
Fortunately, with financial aid from the Duke’s treasury, the developnt of the new district was proceeding smoothly.
At that mont, Lorenzo entered the office.
“Miss Celineina, as per your instructions, we’ve established communication stations in all the major cities within the Duke of Antica’s territory.”
“Mm.” Celineina nodded. “Good work.”
“Miss, although we’ve hired low-tier mages, their services aren’t cheap. May I ask why you’ve set up these communication stations?”
“Uncle Lorenzo, I’m starting to doubt whether you really built a business alongside my father.” Celineina’s tone carried a hint of skepticism as she looked at him.
“Apologies, Miss. Please pardon my ignorance, and kindly enlighten .”
“Uncle Lorenzo, as rchants, what do we value most?” Celineina asked, gesturing as she spoke. “Is it money? Connections? Intelligence?”
She then shook her head.
“None of those.”
“What we value most in business is information.”
Hearing this, Lorenzo seed to have a sudden realization.
“Miss, are you suggesting...?”
“Yes. While the mages we’ve hired are mostly at Tier 1 or Tier 2, they can already cast the Magic Carrier Pigeon spell, which allows for quick information transfer.”
“Typically, when we transport goods between cities, transmitting information about market values can take three to four days if it’s nearby or up to ten days, half a month, or even longer if it’s far.”
Celineina pointed to the map behind her.
“As we all know, the longer a trade route, the greater the potential profit, but also the higher the risk.”
“And these risks stem not only from security issues along the route but also from uncertainty in information.”
“Take, for example, the trade of ceramics. A month ago, the price of ceramics in Antica City soared to three gold coins per unit. Over the next month, nearby cities gradually received the news, prompting waves of rchants to rush in.”
“At this point, the earlier rchants who received the information and arrived first would reap the highest profits. Conversely, the later arrivals might face an oversupply, causing prices to drop and potentially incurring losses.”
“In this process, aside from transport speed, information is the most critical factor. Information that arrives just one day earlier could generate value exceeding ten thousand gold coins.”
“And the Magic Carrier Pigeon spell, which can facilitate early information transfer, requires only a Tier 1 mage to cast. The mage’s tier mainly affects the spell’s range, not its speed.”
“Compared to accepting dangerous or poorly paid tasks at the Adventurers’ Guild, these mages can earn a respectable salary working for our company. Their job would simply involve transmitting information from nearby towns to surrounding cities—light work that also allows them to continue honing their craft without abandoning their dreams.”
“At the sa ti, we can use the spread of information to access first-hand market intelligence, enabling us to act quickly and secure maximum profits before other trading companies can react. Isn’t this a win-win?”
“Miss Celineina, you...” Lorenzo stared at the young woman in front of him, amazed by her sharp insight and strategic thinking.
“Uncle Lorenzo,” Celineina said, standing up and pouring him a cup of tea. “As the saying goes, a wise bird chooses its tree carefully. Within the family, you must be able to discern who has the potential to rise higher, right? You should consider aligning with soone who can elevate your future.”
“Miss...” Lorenzo was stunned. The eighteen-year-old girl before him hardly seed like a novice; she already exuded the deanor of a leader.
“Alright, Uncle Lorenzo, I’m sure you have work to do. Focus on ensuring the smooth progress of the new district’s developnt. This is our pledge to the Duke, and it must be completed flawlessly.”
“As you wish.” Lorenzo nodded, finishing the tea in one gulp before heading toward the door.
“Isn’t that... hot?” Celineina muttered to herself, watching the door close behind him.
The tea had just been brewed, and he drank it in one go. What a tough guy.
—
The night she received Orson’s notebook, Celineina had imdiately started reading it.
The notebook contained Orson’s thoughts on economic developnt in this otherworldly setting, as well as detailed proposals for reforming trading companies.
When she ca across Orson’s innovative approach to exploiting information gaps, Celineina was stunned.
Indeed, the field of comrce had seen little innovation in centuries. To gain an advantage in information, rchants relied on wealth, connections, and sotis even underhanded tactics.
In other words, it was a constant struggle for advantage.
After all, who would have thought to use scarce mages as ssengers akin to telegraph operators?
Orson’s groundbreaking idea had incredible long-term economic potential, far surpassing the benefits of developing Antica City’s new district.
It turned out that when Orson said he would help her defeat her brothers fair and square, he truly ant defeating them through superior business acun.
Indeed, while Prussia and Aragon were wealthy regions, the Silver Moon Trading Company’s operations there were average at best. If she could elevate Antica’s business operations to their maximum potential, there was a real chance she could surpass her brothers and claim the top spot.
From that mont, everything had unfolded according to Celineina’s carefully laid plans. With communication mages now stationed in every city within the Antica region, the Silver Moon Trading Company’s ability to gather and act on market intelligence had reached unprecedented levels.
Celineina returned to her seat. After finishing the day’s accounting work, she once again picked up Orson’s notebook.
To her, this notebook had beco a priceless treasure, one she carried with her at all tis.
Of course, due to her busy schedule, she hadn’t yet finished reading it.
Today, she decided to complete the final pages.
Opening the notebook to where she had left off, she spent a few minutes reading before reaching the last page.
There, Orson had left a single question:
If, after reading this, you’ve co to understand the rules of the market, will you choose to regulate the market... or beco the market itself?
Celineina stared at the question, falling into deep thought.
After a long silence, she slamd the desk and stood up abruptly. She marched out of the trading company with determined steps.
Turning to her assistant, she spoke urgently.
“Prepare a carriage. I’m going to the Duke’s estate.”
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