Chapter 34: The Factory that started with Bread

Of course, hiring a princess of an entire country as an employee was absurd.

She was someone who had absolutely no need to work in the first place.

No matter how much I offered, all I’d get in return would be a scoff.

And using the handsome-guy tactic again would weigh too heavily on my conscience.

In any case, thanks to Eustia’s skill “One Followed by Heavenly Fortune,” we had discovered suitable cultivation conditions.

Now the key was mass-producing it and turning it into dried pills.

That was the only way to store them for long periods.

The current method was too moist to ship far.

We’ve crossed one huge mountain, but the road ahead is still long.

We’d probably have to go through countless more experiments.

We needed to check whether the dried pills retained their potency.

Which meant someone had to consume them first…

“Ah, not here.”

Testing a virility tonic in front of Princess Eustia?

That would be the same as openly flirting.

I stared at the cordyceps, then shifted my gaze sideways.

There were her eyes, curved like crescent moons.

“Would you like to try one?”

No, why would you even offer that?!

You’re scaring me.

The image of Eustia knocking her fiancé flat with a warhammer flashed before my eyes.

I did not want to end up like that.

“We should refine it first. The pill form is what matters.”

I hurriedly wrapped the cordyceps in cloth.

She licked her lips regretfully.

…Why is she staring at my hand?

Surely she doesn’t want to try it herself?

No! Absolutely not while we’re together!

***

Cordyceps cultivation was an overwhelming success.

When we took it to the craftsmen and turned it into pills, the efficacy was even better.

Probably because there were no impurities like scorpion shells, and the yield was far more abundant.

The conditions Eustia had accidentally discovered were truly optimal.

Base: oats. Low temperature, high humidity. That’s the core.

Now we just needed to make dried pills, but first there was something else.

The Grand Artisan Competition.

A few days later, finished products began arriving one after another.

The judges were officials from the governor-general’s office.

To ensure fairness, we conducted blind testing.

Three married men per age group.

The contest lasted a full ten days.

They took a pill every two days and recorded their reviews.

Honestly, how different could they be? It’s all just the raw material’s power.

Yet surprisingly, the judges’ votes concentrated on just a few entries.

That meant there truly were standout pills.

After fierce competition, the winner was decided by a single vote.

“The first place in the artisan selection contest is Master Quaytun! Second place is Master Laglas!”

“Woooaaah!”

Cheers erupted from all directions the moment the results were announced.

The masters themselves simply clenched their fists in silence.

They were old enough to care about dignity.

But their disciples screamed without restraint.

Of course they would; their teacher had just been recognized as the best.

I handed large plaques to Quaytun and Laglas.

“Thank you all for your hard work.”

“Not at all.”

“We are truly grateful for this opportunity.”

Both masters beamed.

They were probably thrilled at the thought of receiving fat pouches of gold coins.

But I did not hand over the prize money immediately.

“There is one final procedure. You must disclose your techniques to me and cooperate in improvements.”

“…Was there such a condition?”

“This is the first I’ve heard of it.”

Of course.

Everyone had been blinded by the 100 gold coins and hadn’t listened properly.

They probably hadn’t even read the terms written on the participation form.

I took out two sheets of paper and pointed with both hands to the exact clause I had just mentioned.

The masters exchanged uncomfortable glances.

They clearly didn’t like the idea of their know-how leaking out.

Of course not. It’s a family trade passed down for generations.

If just anyone could learn pill-making, why take disciples at all?

But they had nothing to worry about.

I had anticipated their hesitation.

“I will give you shares in the pill factory. You’ll never have to worry about making a living again.”

They would probably earn a fortune.

A completely different scale from the modest income they’d had until now.

As I explained the business structure and vision, the masters’ expressions changed.

Then they suddenly asked,

“After giving away all this, what exactly do you gain, Your Excellency?”

A perfectly reasonable question.

From the outside, it could look like I was getting nothing.

But Quaytun’s question was wrong.

First, His Majesty’s trust.

If I normalized the Delriat Autonomous Territory, Emperor Karon’s trust in me would skyrocket.

Because I was flawlessly delivering exactly what he wanted.

On top of that, my influence here would grow.

I already held overwhelming authority in official matters.

I was the governor-general; who could oppose me?

But in the private sector, deep distrust still lingered.

Thanks to the previous governors being absolute trash.

The cordyceps pill business would become the engine that changed Delriat.

It would serve as the foundation for investments in many other areas.

And it wasn’t as if I wouldn’t make money.

The majority of the factory shares would be mine anyway.

But now wasn’t the time to explain everything in detail.

It might sound like a scam, but this line was necessary.

“Do I look like someone who needs money?”

The two masters’ faces crumpled.

Only now did they remember who I was.

The Emperor’s cousin, a duke of the Empire, governor-general of the autonomous territory.

Plus a whole list of other titles and positions that described me.

“Ah… indeed.”

“My only wish is for Delriat to regain its former glory as quickly as possible. That is why His Majesty sent me.”

“Oh! Your Excellency!”

The two masters clutched their plaques with faces full of admiration.

Tears even welled up in their eyes; they were deeply moved.

Of course, my true feelings were slightly different from what they imagined.

I do have a lot of wealth. But I’m not the type to push away rewards that are rightfully mine.

Obviously.

No matter how detached one is from money, who hates having more?

Quaytun and Laglas instantly became cooperative.

It wasn’t just because they won prizes; it was because of what I had said.

A line that struck straight to the heart.

My head hurts a bit, but it’s not difficult.

Learning the pill production process wasn’t a big deal.

I didn’t have to make them myself; I just needed the overall framework.

As expected, the most time-consuming part was purification.

Both masters boiled the extract to remove impurities, then combined the essence with a herb called “foro.”

“Foro is the key ingredient that enhances the effect.”

“Oh! You use that too. What ratio?”

“Fifty-fifty.”

“I used less, so that must be why I came second. Hmph!”

“Your pills aren’t without merit either. They were much smoother. What did you add?”

“I used the whole foro root. It adds sweetness.”

“Oho?”

Quaytun and Laglas shared their secrets and complemented each other’s weaknesses.

They created pills that were both more effective and better tasting.

On top of that, I planned to introduce division of labor and a drying process.

“You want to completely dry the pills?”

“If there’s moisture, they’ll spoil quickly. Just try making one batch.”

“Yes…”

The masters looked doubtful but followed instructions.

After all, the factory owner was ultimately me.

And they had promised full cooperation.

A master craftsman doesn’t go back on his word.

And surprisingly, the result was excellent.

The pills shrank in size and became even easier to swallow.

Crunch!

“Hm? This is actually pretty good.”

The disciple who volunteered for testing gave it high praise from the very first bite.

Even before experiencing the surging lower-body energy.

“Don’t judge hastily before the effects kick in.”

Quaytun scolded gently, but the disciple kept talking.

“No, really, it’s different. The old ones were sticky and a little off-putting. This feels like eating a well-baked cookie.”

“So you’re saying it tastes good?”

“Not exactly delicious, but way more palatable.”

“Hmm.”

Honestly, I felt the same.

If we compared it to regular food, it was still pretty bad.

It was medicine, so people just forced it down.

Anyway, a day later…

Quaytun’s disciple returned with dark circles under his eyes.

“Why do you look like that after taking such precious medicine?!”

“Hah! Strange indeed. You should still be full of vigor right now.”

The shocked masters bombarded him with questions.

Quaytun’s disciple weakly raised a thumbs-up and said,

“I…

didn’t sleep a wink.”

That was how insane the effect was.

I clapped with satisfaction.

“Perfect. We’ll proceed with production like this.”

***

Near the governor-general’s office building, an unfamiliar spectacle unfolded.

Propagandists suddenly started roaming around, shouting at the top of their lungs.

“The greatest masters are establishing a pill factory! We are hiring workers! Come to Delriat for an interview!”

Large posters were plastered everywhere, but they contained almost no text.

Instead, there was a simple map to the factory and a few drawings.

Basically: do work → get money.

Yet the people’s gazes remained cold.

“Aren’t those the governor-general’s officials?”

“Yeah. I heard most ran away and only a few remained. Why are they working so hard now?”

“Either way, we can’t trust them. Think of how much the governor-general’s office has exploited us.”

“Sigh… they took money in the name of taxes without ever paying for labor.”

“How many people died from forced labor? Even starving is a hundred times better than going.”

Deep-rooted distrust didn’t dissolve easily.

People shook their heads and scattered.

Swearing they would never be fooled again.

But the propagandists didn’t give up.

Eventually, even Quaytun and Laglas’s disciples were mobilized.

Gradually, people started showing interest.

Because they were so hungry they had once considered rushing into scorpion territory.

And then a condition was added that would tempt exactly those people.

“Even just coming for the interview gets you one full meal.”

“Really?”

“Of course. You’ve got nothing to lose, so why not give it a try?”

“Uh…”

Their hesitation didn’t last long.

The scattered people began gathering in groups of twos and threes, then soon formed a massive crowd heading toward the Q&L Pill Factory.

But then a completely unforeseen problem arose.

A starving mob with red eyes is terrifyingly dangerous.

“B-BREAD!”

“Me first! I’m about to die here!”

RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE!