Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 52 The Merchant Guild's Big Rat
For the well-mannered young ladies of Aquamarine City, their pre-marital weakness and ignorance were endearing, and they were as beautiful as artificial flowers arranged in a tall, celadon vase.

But after they got married, they transformed into authoritative mistresses of the house: managing all the servants in the household in an orderly manner, keeping the living room, study, bedroom, and the master's suit spotless, and ensuring that the kitchen could provide decent food, and so on.

Does marriage really have such magic that it can transform an ignorant girl into a qualified mistress overnight?
That is of course impossible.

In reality, the pre-marital ignorance is merely a facade. In order to shoulder the responsibilities of the mistress of the house in the future, every woman from a good family in this era has already undergone extensive training before reaching marriageable age.

From a young age, they followed their mothers, learning how to manage the entire household through observation and experience. After they married, they would bring servants, dowries, and sufficient skills to take over another family.

Men think women are weak and ignorant, while women cleverly use this to their advantage, manipulating men at will—a little secret among women unknown to gentlemen.

The deceived men should blame society, since it sets the goal for unmarried women to find husbands who are of equal social standing.
The Navarre family was no exception. Like every respectable family in Aquamarine, Anna Navarre was raised by her mother from a young age to be an excellent wife and mistress.

Even more so than ordinary daughters of noble families, Madame Navarre had higher expectations for her eldest daughter.

Ordinary young ladies from prominent families, after getting married, would have children, raise them, and manage everything in the house very well.

But that's about it. Women believe that matters outside the home are the responsibility of men and shouldn't be interfered with casually.

For a woman to appear in public and work like a man is highly inappropriate and will attract much gossip, unless... unless she is a widow.

As a respectable widow, Madame Navarre not only demanded that her eldest daughter be a competent mistress, but she also hoped that Anna would have a better business mind than men, be able to take on responsibilities that traditionally should not be borne by women, and one day take over the management of Navarre Trading Company from her—at least not lose the property due to the incompetence of the heir.

So every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon, when Madame Navarre came to the Navarre Company’s large office to work, Anna would sit quietly next to Madame Navarre’s large mahogany desk, using a knife to help her mother open letter after letter, assisting Madame Navarre in checking accounts, listening to reports from employees, and silently observing Madame Navarre’s decision-making process.

“Mr. Lodovico,” Mrs. Navarre’s voice was gentle and magnetic as she asked unhurriedly, “Could you please explain why, despite giving you a written order two months ago, we haven’t even reached half of the planned purchase amount?”

The employee's chair was two meters away from Mrs. Navarre's desk, in the very center of the spacious office. The chair was uncomfortable, with no obstructions in front and nothing around him; the entire office was arranged to make the person sitting in it feel completely exposed.

But the middle-aged man sitting opposite Madame Navarre was not as nervous as the young employees. He sat upright in his chair, hat in his hand, his hair, with a few strands of silver, was neatly combed.

Lodovico calmly replied, “Madam, the prices of sulfur, saltpeter, lead, and iron are rising steadily, and there are many competitors vying for our goods. Our current inventory is the result of our all-out buying spree. Moreover, if we were to purchase the quantity you requested at the current prices, it would drain most of our working capital. These bulk commodities are not our main business, and I cannot condone your speculative behavior.”

“You make a very good point.” Madame Navarre nodded approvingly, then knocked on the bell on the table. The maid waiting outside the office opened the door.

"Bring all the senior partners to my office," Mrs. Navarre ordered loudly.

The maid nodded and closed the door again.

Anna vaguely sensed that the atmosphere had shifted, becoming more tense. Lodovico's soft cap was clenched so tightly it was deformed, but he maintained a composed demeanor, his expression as calm as ever.

The senior partners of Navarre Trading Company, above the level of supervisor, filed in, exchanging glances silently, and stood roughly in a row, with only Lodovico sitting down.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen," Madame Navarre nodded in greeting.

The senior partners also pressed their hats to their chests and bowed in return.

"Now that everyone is here, Mr. Lodovico can explain these two ledgers, one explicit and one implicit, to us." Madame Navarre took out two ledgers with black covers from the drawer.

When Lodoviko saw the two ledgers, his face turned ashen, and he lowered his head in silence.

The senior partners were all seasoned businessmen, and upon hearing the terms "open books" and "dark books," they immediately understood what had happened. The office fell silent; you could hear a pin drop. Everyone held their breath, listening intently as Madame Navarre continued.

"What's the difference between these two ledgers? The difference is that one ledger records all the transactions of the Navarre Trading Company in purchasing large quantities of sulfur, saltpeter, and other goods over the past two months, while the other has erased most of the transaction records, leaving only a small portion."

Madame Navarre slammed the ledger on the desk: "Mr. Lodovico, your idea is perfect. You give the goods purchased by Navarre Trading Company to your brother-in-law. If the price of these bulk goods rises, you produce a fake ledger and resell them for a huge profit. If the price falls, you produce the real ledger and the trading company bears the loss."

Anna noticed that Mrs. Navarre was gesturing to her with her eyes. Understanding her mother's meaning, she obediently picked up the ledger and handed it to the senior partners present, but no one dared to take it and examine it closely. After walking around, she took the ledger back.

"What have I done to deserve such disrespect?" Mrs. Navarre's tone was icy. "You've worked for the Navarre family for over a decade, you're the most senior partner. I trusted you, and you've betrayed that trust. Do you have anything else to say?"

From the moment Madame Navarre took out the two ledgers, Lodovico had kept his head bowed deeply, and no one knew what this most senior employee was thinking.

After a moment, he raised his head, regaining his composure and calmness: "There is no distinction between real and fake ledgers. One of them is just my deduction. The goods purchased by Navarre Trading Company are only what is in the warehouse, which corresponds one-to-one with the real ledger. I have not used the company's money to profit myself. Since you no longer trust me, please allow me to resign."

Lodovico calmly straightened his clothes, put on his hat, and stood up to leave. At this moment, he once again became the chief partner of the Navarre Trading Company, second only to the boss.

"What are you still gritting your teeth and holding on for? Do you hope that Mr. Arno will continue to stand by your side and sell the goods to make up for the losses once you leave?" Madame Navarre asked slowly and deliberately.

The senior partners murmured in surprise, not expecting Mrs. Navarre to point out another big rat. Another tall, thin senior partner was pushed out of the crowd. He bowed to Mrs. Navarre helplessly, his mouth opening and closing, but in the end, he chose to remain silent.

"You're so confident now because you think your accounts are airtight and that you've kept every single silver coin of the merchant guild. But you've mortgaged your inventory of cloth as capital to buy large quantities of goods. Do you think I won't find out?" Madame Navarre took out a few more receipts from the drawer and asked with a smile.

Lodovico politely replied, "Pawning the merchant's inventory without authorization was Mr. Arno's personal act; I don't know what it has to do with me. You should hold Mr. Arno accountable." "Madam! I never intended to embezzle the merchant's money! It was Lodovico who said he needed some working capital, so I did it!" Realizing he had been betrayed, Arno shouted, "Lodovico tricked me! He's a devil!"

Arno charged at Lodovico: "You devil..."

Lodovico punched the tall, thin Arno across the face, who collapsed to the ground, clutching his face and groaning in pain. Anna gasped in shock as she saw blood seeping from between Arno's fingers.

"Please excuse my rudeness, ladies and gentlemen." Lodovico elegantly removed his hat and bowed to the people in the room, as if he were genuinely apologetic for his public display of violence. "Mr. Arno is not my partner; we only have a loan relationship, as evidenced by the IOU. As for where the money Mr. Arno lent me came from, well, I have no idea."

After saying this, Lodoviko put his soft cap back on and turned to leave.

A round of applause came from behind the desk.

“Brilliant, truly brilliant, Mr. Lodovico,” Madame Navarre said, clapping and laughing. “You’ve created a complete logical framework, legally absolving yourself entirely. Even if I were to sue you, you could use that to defend yourself in court. However, you’ve made one mistake…”

Mrs. Navarre's tone changed: "I can be unreasonable."

Mrs. Navarre pressed the bell on the table again, and several fierce-looking army soldiers emerged from the room next to the office, led by an army officer.

Without a word, the army soldiers stepped forward and grabbed Lodoviko. He struggled and was then hit hard in the face with a lead-filled stick by one of the soldiers.

Lodoviko, who had been beaten half to death with a stick, was then tightly bound.

Madame Navarre walked gracefully from behind her desk to Lodovico's side, looked down at him coldly, and said, "Navarre Trading Company signed a trade agreement with the Army two months ago. You're not reselling my goods; you're reselling Army supplies. So, go to the military court and reason with them, Mr. Lodovico!"

The army officer nodded to Madame Navarre and took Lodovico and Arno away.

Having witnessed the widow's cunning, the remaining senior partners of Navarre Trading Company are now as quiet as chickens.

“Mr. Leo,” Mrs. Navarre called out the name of another senior partner.

An unease permeated the crowd. Was Madame Navarre trying to use this opportunity to reshuffle the deck?
A stout man of medium height stepped forward, bowing obsequiously to Madame Navarre with a fawning smile.

“You will take over Lodovico’s duties from now on, and Piero, the intermediate partner, will take over your current position. Everyone else may leave. Mr. Leo, please stay.”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed the matter was temporarily resolved.

After the other partners left, the portly Mr. Leo tentatively asked, "Madam, should we continue to purchase sulfur, saltpeter, and other goods as originally planned? The prices are already quite high."

“Continue, the price will be even higher in the future,” Madame Navarre replied wearily, leaning back in her chair and rubbing her forehead.

————Cut————

“I don’t think it’s necessary to treat Mr. Lodovico that way. It’s too cruel… He’s been a friend of our family for many years. He even held Kate in his arms… Those soldiers won’t let him off easily.”

Sitting in the carriage on their way home, Anna whispered to her mother.

“You… after all these years of teaching you, don’t you understand?” Madame Navarre sighed. “The world outside the family is a man’s world, so a woman must act more like a man than a man to avoid being looked down upon. If your father were still alive, would Lodovico dare to do this? That’s why I have to be more ruthless than your father to protect our family’s wealth. You must remember that.”

“Why don’t you teach Catherine?” Anna muttered under her breath. “She really loves doing business. She’s so jealous when you take me to the trading house. I think it’s not too late for you to start teaching her now; she’d be happy to. Why does it have to be me? I don’t like looking at ledgers. Wouldn’t it be better to let the right person do the right thing?”

Lady Navarre sighed again: "Your sister only likes the feeling of being able to give orders. When your two sisters get married, I will prepare huge dowries for them, and I will make them the wives with the most generous dowries in Aquamarine City, but Kate cannot be allowed to manage the trading company."

Anna pouted and gave a soft snort.

Seeing that her daughter was still unconvinced, Madame Navarre earnestly advised Anna: "Listen carefully, managing the Navarre Trading Company is not a power, but a responsibility. It is the responsibility of a parent, and if you take on this responsibility, you will have to take care of your two younger sisters for the rest of your life."

Mrs. Navarre was lost in her memories and continued, "When you were little, you fought with your sister. Even though you were the one who got scratched, it was Kate who came to me crying to complain, and you didn't shed a single tear. At that time, I understood that your sister was a flower that could only bloom in the height of summer. If the world turned bad, Kate wouldn't be able to survive on her own. That's why I chose you."

“I don’t want to take care of Catherine for the rest of my life,” Anna said defiantly. “Taking care of Olivia is fine, but Catherine… Catherine doesn’t need me to take care of her, and she’s never treated me like a sister.”

Mrs. Navarre tidied her daughter's hair and said with a smile, "When you grow up, thinking back on the arguments you had with your sister will be a wonderful memory."

The carriage drove all the way out of the countryside and back to Navarre Estate.

The butler helped the lady and young lady out of the car and reported in a low voice: "General Serbiati and Mr. Montagne are waiting at the mansion... Mr. Montagne seems to be looking for Miss Anna."

Thank you to reader 20181013204343295 for the recommendation vote, thank you to reader Mo Luoxuan for the recommendation vote, thank you to reader Social Justice Old Wang for the recommendation vote, and thank you to all the readers who voted before. Thank you everyone.

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(End of this chapter)