The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 341 Industrialization Pie...Oh No, Blueprint
As the night deepened, Marshal Eberg's estate was ablaze with lights, and melodious court music echoed in the banquet hall decorated with crystal chandeliers.

Silver tableware and wine glasses sparkled in the candlelight. Guests in elegant clothes gathered in groups of two or three, talking in low voices, with occasional laughter audible.

As the protagonist of tonight's coming-of-age ceremony, Marshal Laco Eiberg's youngest son Arthur Eiberg is undoubtedly the most eye-catching focus of the whole event.

This young knight not only inherited his father's tallness, handsomeness and bravery, but also won the championship in the Knights' Conference that just ended, winning the cheers and applause of the citizens of the whole city, and was canonized as the "Chief Knight" of the Knights Templar by His Highness Colin!
Although this honor was more or less due to his father's face, but... which of the ladies and gentlemen present here has not received care from their fathers?

Even the waiter who served tea and water got this enviable job with the help of his ancestors.

This is the rule of this world.

The girls in the banquet hall all cast admiring glances at Arthur, some whispering about his bravery, some boldly and enthusiastically approaching him with wine glasses in hand and chatting with him, some even inviting him to dance... making the other young knights, who were also winners, very envious.

"I feel like we are just pendants on His Highness Aberg." A young man who also won a place in the Knight Conference muttered, trying not to make the jealousy on his face look too obvious.

The slightly older knight at the side glanced at him and said in surprise.

"You just found out? I thought you knew."

"...I heard that His Royal Highness Colin has no children. I wonder if I have a chance." A young man with freckles on his face looked in the direction of His Royal Highness Colin eagerly.

"Why? You still want to be his adopted son?"

"Why not? What if—"

"There's no such thing as a contingency. As long as he wants, the girls willing to help can line up from the dance floor to the entrance of the manor. I think you might as well imagine that he likes to go through the back door."

"Get out of here!"

"Ha ha!"

Listening to the other boys' natural conversation and laughter, Jasper remained silent, maintaining a stiff smile on his face, but his toes were clenched.

Standing here, he felt like he didn't fit in. Even the suit he was wearing was fighting against him, causing pain in his ribs and soreness in his arms.

Saint Sith is above all else, he would rather fight demons on the battlefield!

Having never attended such an occasion before, he was so nervous that he had no energy to think about anything else.

Everyone has things they are not good at.

Not only Mr. Jasper, who was born in a commoner family, but also Arthur, who was surrounded by young boys and girls like a star among the moon, was no exception - it was obvious that he was not as good at everything as riding a horse.

Dealing with those pairs of passionate gazes gracefully and appropriately, the handsome young man's eyes were always searching the dance floor, and finally fell on a lone girl.

The girl was Duke Andrea Castellón's youngest daughter, Ophelia Castellón, who was a little younger than him.

She was wearing a light purple long dress with delicate silver embroidery that looked like starlight scattered on the hem of the dress, and her slender neck was as elegant as a swan... This made the adolescent boy hold his breath involuntarily.

Although people always say that children of earls have seen everything, Arthur is still not old enough to be a woman, so he has never seen this.

When he saw His Highness Colin holding her hand, he felt his heart stop for a moment - even though he knew it was the most normal etiquette.

The duration of this dance seemed like a century to him. Fortunately, they finally finished it and His Highness Colin did not do anything to her.

At this moment, the girl was standing alone on the edge of the dance floor, with a hint of sadness on her fair face, which made her beautiful and pitiful.

Arthur took a deep breath, blushed, and walked over quickly. He stopped beside Ophelia, leaned forward slightly, and spoke politely and nervously.

"Miss Ophelia... I'm Arthur Aberg. We... have met before. Although you may not remember me, I always remember you... It's an honor for you to come to my coming-of-age ceremony."

His voice became increasingly strained, and his face unconsciously turned purple.

"May I have the honor of inviting you to dance with me? I would like to dedicate the glory of today's Knights' Conference to you."

Ophelia came back to her senses, glanced at the young man in front of her, politely lifted her skirt and bowed, but her expression was a little indifferent.

"Mr. Aberg, you should have a lot of dance partners tonight, right? I'm sure you can have one. I think, instead of wasting your precious time on someone who is not worth it, why not go find a girl you really like?"

Ophelia's refusal was very tactful, but Arthur, who was in a state of anger, obviously didn't hear it. He was at a loss and actually tried to comfort her.

"Please don't describe yourself like that. You are not that kind of person... You are the only dance partner I expect."

As he spoke, he straightened his back and continued with enthusiasm, "Ms. Ophelia, I was able to win the Knight Conference Championship today because of your encouragement! This honor... I want to dedicate to you!"

The moment he finished speaking, there were small exclamations from all around, which quickly turned into whispers and giggles.

In the tradition of the Oss Empire, presenting the honor of the Knights' Assembly is equivalent to confession.

I didn’t expect the youngest son of the Aberg family to be so brave.

Hearing the whispers around him, Arthur's face turned even redder, but his eyes did not retreat at all, and he still looked at her with sharp eyes.

When Ophelia heard this, her face did not show the joy and shyness that Arthur expected, but instead she frowned slightly.

She turned away awkwardly, but her eyes unconsciously fell on the other end of the banquet hall - on His Highness Colin, who had just danced with her but left gracefully.

She didn't hate little Aberg. To be fair, he was also very handsome, polite and gentlemanly, and his family background was impeccable. It was just that... he was too young.

Especially compared with His Highness Colin, he was like a child who had not grown up, and she really couldn't feel any admiration for him.

In contrast, she would rather have His Highness Colin stay with her and tell her more about his adventures in the jungles of the Janna continent.

That was much better than the bard's tales, and she wished she could lie on the pillow and listen to him.

Thinking of this, Ophelia bit her lips unconsciously, and her eyes, which were about to drip with tears, became more resentful.

As luck would have it, Arthur followed her somewhat resentful gaze and happened to see Luo Yan walking towards the Duke of Castellón.

That handsome face suddenly lost its color, and his eyes also dimmed.

If his opponent was someone else, he would definitely not have the courage to fight him, but if his opponent was someone like His Highness Colin... he knew very well what his chances of winning were.

His iron shoulders slowly sank, and Arthur left Ophelia in a depressed mood, as if he had been heartbroken.

At this moment, Luo Yan, who was walking towards Duke Andre Castellón with a glass of wine, did not know that he had inadvertently and deeply hurt a brave and upright young man.

However, considering that the Demon King had indirectly harmed so many people that they couldn't be counted on both hands, even if he knew, he would probably just smile, pat Arthur on the shoulder and congratulate him on growing up.

Noticing Luo Yan walking towards him, Andre smiled broadly and spoke in a teasing tone.

"Why, His Highness Colin, why don't you stay with my precious daughter, but come to accompany an old man like me?"

The difference between the ecology of the Empire and Hell can be seen from the attitudes of the Duke of Castellón and Senator Padrich towards their daughter's emotional problems.

Of course, this may also be related to the fact that the nobles of the empire often have many children, while it is more difficult for those in hell who have clicked on "cross-species hybridization ascension" to have children.

Luo Yan gently swirled the red wine in the glass, smiled slightly, and spoke calmly.

"Actually, I have something I want to discuss with Your Excellency the Duke alone."

"Is it about the Knights Templar?" Andre asked subconsciously.

"No," Luo Yan shook his head, with a mysterious smile, "It's about the Bailu District project. I'm sure Your Excellency the Duke must have heard about it... Isn't this a place to talk about serious matters? Wouldn't it be convenient for you to talk for a moment?"

Andre raised his eyebrows slightly, his eyes showing great interest, and laughed.

"Of course, I think Marshal Aberg wouldn't mind if his distinguished guest disappeared for a while."

……

Leaving the noisy hall, the two moved to a secluded lounge in the manor.

The interior is elegantly decorated and comfortable, with soft lighting shining on the precious carpet and a light scent of incense filling the air.

The waiter bowed and served each of them a cup of steaming hot black tea, then quietly left and considerately closed the heavy oak door to isolate them from the noise of the outside world.

As the oak door closed, the room immediately became quiet, with only the crackling of the burning wood in the fireplace and the wafting aroma of tea rising from the teacup.

After a brief greeting, Duke André Castellón picked up the teacup, took a sip, and a knowing smile appeared on his face.

Looking at His Highness Colin sitting opposite him, he spoke with a pleasant expression.

"I knew that the 'Dantes Group' that has been causing quite a stir in Bailu District recently was indeed your work, Your Highness."

As an old noble family in the empire, the Castellon family has a profound heritage and many eyes and ears in the Holy City.

Such a big change happened in Bailu District, especially involving land, which naturally could not escape the eyes of this shrewd head of the family.

"Yes." Luo Yan admitted frankly. He picked up the teacup and took a sip, then calmly met Andre's inquiring eyes.

Prince Andrew drummed his fingers lightly on the armrest, as if he were choosing his words.

After a moment, he couldn't hold back his curiosity and asked, "I don't understand. The Holy City is vast and there are many places worth investing in. Why did Your Highness choose the Bailu District?"

Luo Yan did not answer directly, but smiled slightly and turned to mention another matter: "What a coincidence, I found an interesting thing when I was strolling in the market of the Holy City during the day. I wonder if Your Excellency the Duke has noticed why most of the red wines that can be easily bought on the market, whether high-end or low-end, come from the wineries of the vassal states around the empire, rather than from the Holy City?"

Duke Andre Castellón smiled upon hearing this and answered without hesitation, "Your Highness has observed carefully. It is indeed as you said, most of the red wines that can be bought on the market in the Holy City are produced in the vassal states of the Empire, especially the Kingdom of Ryan. As for the reason, apart from the soil and climate, it is nothing more than cheapness."

In fact, the water, soil and climate can be ignored. The empire is so vast, how could there not be a grape-growing estate?
Seeing His Highness Colin's interested eyes, Andre continued speaking.

"Your family has been away from this land for too long. A lot of things have happened in the past five hundred years. The empire is no longer the empire it once was. However, most of the nobles and their subjects in remote areas are still living in the past. For example, the Kingdom of Ryan, known as the 'Home of Knights', I heard that it still practices the most primitive feudal legal principles, and even has serfs." "As for the Oss Empire, it has long abolished its backward system, and the costs of manpower and land are much higher. Naturally, it is difficult to compete with those feudal vassal states in terms of price. However, in the real aristocratic circle, the wineries in the empire are still very famous. The wines produced by these wineries often do not flow into the market, but appear at the banquet just now... As for the price, that is not a factor we consider."

At this point Andre changed the subject and looked at Prince Colin with interest.

"Your Highness suddenly mentioned this, could it be related to our previous topic?"

Luo Yan nodded slightly, the smile on his lips still persisting.

"Of course there are. The reason why I chose Bailu District as the entry point is naturally because it is cheap. Not only the land, but also the people. Under the same convenient transportation conditions, it is currently the most cost-effective choice around the Holy City... Of course, in addition to this, I also have several other alternatives, but they are not as 'suitable' as Bailu District, and they are far away from your port."

Prince Andrew smiled and reminded him in a voice neither too loud nor too soft.

"Your Highness, there is something I don't know whether I should say or not. Sometimes things that seem cheap are often the most expensive. The land composition of the Bailu District is complex and there are many historical issues. Even the Castellón family is reluctant to easily intervene in the affairs there. After all, you don't know much about the Holy City. If you rashly get involved, I'm afraid it will be easy to fall."

Luo Yan smiled slightly and responded in a gentle tone.

"Thank you for your reminder, but I am already mentally prepared for this. Your Excellency the Duke, don't worry about me. I have my own way to deal with it."

Prince Andrei looked at Luo Yan deeply, as if trying to see something from his calm expression.

After a moment, he smiled again, leaned back slightly, and continued in a friendly manner: "So... Your Highness specially asked me to have a private meeting, what exactly did you want to discuss with me?"

Luo Yan leaned forward slightly, his eyes became sharper, but his tone remained gentle.

"It's simple. If I can solve the land problem in the Bailu District and turn it into a barony under my control... I would like to have in-depth cooperation with you, the Duke, who controls the nearby port, on the future operation of the Bailu District."

The fire in the fireplace flickered slightly, illuminating Andre's surprised expression.

After a while, he raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at the young prince in front of him with interest.

"Turning the Bailu District into a barony under your control... Your Highness has quite a big appetite."

Luo Yan chuckled, not avoiding his gaze, and spoke calmly.

"After all, the land composition there is complicated. It is better to deal with one baron than a group of barons."

Andre understood the hint - the prince did not intend to hold the barony himself, but intended to have his vassal manage it on his behalf.

This is actually nothing, as many great nobles in the empire do this. Only small nobles without titles will hold on to every piece of land tightly in their hands.

What surprised him was not the issue of land, but that he did not understand why His Royal Highness the Prince would do this.

There is no doubt that the Colin family is not short of money.

"Honestly, I'm very curious, Your Highness, why are you so concerned about this business? You give me the feeling... that you are not very interested in money." Andre finally asked the question that was confusing him, looking at the young and unfathomable prince with curiosity.

He seldom met someone he could not understand at all, and the prince from the continent of Janna before him was undoubtedly one of them.

Money, women, land, power...things that can captivate the eyes of mortals seem to be unable to enter this guy's heart.

It would be fine if this guy was the same age as me, but he was only in his early twenties, the same age as those brats who "couldn't even talk when they saw their own daughter."

Andre suddenly believed it.

This guy might really be God's chosen one.

No wonder the Hilfen family wanted to paint him!
Luo Yan smiled slightly upon hearing this and spoke frankly.

"Your Excellency the Duke has a keen eye. I am indeed not just after money... In fact, that is just a secondary goal."

After pondering for a moment, he turned his gaze to the night outside the window, his eyes deep and long.

"I finally set foot on the homeland of the Colin family with my father's ashes and last wishes. Here, in addition to witnessing endless prosperity, I also saw many things that made me worried."

"What impressed me most was that in just five hundred years, the quality of the imperial gold coins had dropped so much... I even thought the gold coins in those people's hands were fake."

The expression on Andre's face froze for a moment when he heard this.

Of course he knew what Luo Yan was referring to, but he didn't feel comfortable commenting further.

Every year, the Royal Mint would quietly mix some other metals into the gold coins, and "adding water" had long been a routine operation. Perhaps this was unacceptable in the eyes of the Colin family, but in his eyes, there was nothing to be surprised about, let alone mention.

After all, it was not gold that backed the empire's gold coins, but the empire's invincible fleet and unshakable imperial power.

Of course, Andre also knew that this model was unsustainable. After all, the purity of gold has a threshold. It is impossible for a gold coin to have no gold at all. The Senate has been troubled by this issue more than once.

Ultimately, the empire's colonial system is far behind the present era.

Long ago, when colonies and vassal states were still underdeveloped, the empire's forefathers designed the post-war order of the Second Era. The Holy City could feed the entire empire's population with just the right to mint gold coins, and even liberate them from the land and make them decent citizens.

However, if serfs were liberated without major changes in productivity and living standards, the job of serfdom would not disappear out of thin air, but would simply be transferred from the empire to vassal states and colonies.

As time went by, the colonies did not develop much due to the war with Hell, but the vassal states of the Empire developed gradually because they were far behind.

Those nobles not only planted grapes, they also started making wine, and gradually their wine became better than that of the nobles in the empire itself.

Not just brewing, but other manufactured goods, from furniture to textiles to the empire's most crucial technology - steam turbines for ocean-going freighters.

The goods produced by these vassal states were continuously transported to the empire, even forming a "reverse dumping" on the empire. Moreover, they imported raw materials and finished products at the same time, plundering the empire's gold.

The empire had long been unable to make ends meet with the gold coins it exported. Faced with the continuous flow of goods from vassal states and colonies, it could only make some adjustments to the gold content of the coins.

However, Andre still believed that this was just a superficial itch, far from a real pain. After all, at least for now, the Empire's fleet was still very capable, and no vassal state dared to refuse to recognize their gold coins.

Moreover, the Empire also has some ways to balance trade payments - such as tricking the nobles of vassal states into going to the Empire to learn magic, using priests to control the estates of vassal states, and adventurer guilds, etc.

Although these are "small tricks" and cannot change the overall situation, they can still maintain the good days ahead.

Seeing the expression on Andre's face, Luo Yan knew that he was a smart man, so he happily said the words that he had already prepared for smart people.

"If we want to completely solve this problem, we must improve the outdated rules. If we don't change the rules of trade, then we have to change the rules of production... We have to reverse the surplus that our vassal states have had with us over the past five hundred years and make the gold that has flowed out flow back to the Holy City."

Andre frowned slightly, his curiosity fully aroused, and asked, "Oh? What's your plan, Your Highness?"

Luo Yan smiled slightly and laid out his plan.

"The Bailu District is a test field. I plan to use the cheap syrup produced in the Janna Continent to complete the 'large-scale production' of white sugar and rum on the land in the suburbs of the Holy City. This is the advanced experience I learned from the Kingdom of Gutaf. The lizardman nobles there found that as long as the logistics can keep up, the denser the industrial workshops are built, the higher the efficiency... This is true for both production efficiency and the utilization rate of raw materials, and this will ultimately infinitely reduce the cost of finished products."

“They call it, industrialization.”

"Industrialization..." Andre muttered the word silently, and a hint of enlightenment appeared in his eyes. Although there were still many things that confused him, he roughly knew what His Highness Colin was going to do.

"That's right!"

Luo Yan did not stop and continued to describe the blueprint that was being laid out in an excited tone - or the pie that was almost ready.

"…The rum and sugar products produced by large-scale industry will be dumped to the entire Whirlpool Sea coast at extremely low prices through the ports controlled by the Castellón family! We can drive the products of the vassal states out of the kitchens of the imperial people in an instant!"

"It's not just rum and sugar products. The test field in Bailu District is just the beginning! As long as this path works, we can quickly promote this model to various industries!"

"We don't even need to promote it ourselves. As long as the people of the empire see that this path is feasible, they will naturally participate in this wave of 'industrialization'!"

"In this way, the Empire's manufacturing industry will prosper again, and the Holy City's market will once again be filled with goods made in the Empire! And all the gold that the Empire's vassal states have snatched from us over the past five hundred years will flow back to the Holy City!"

After a pause, he softened his tone, resumed his gentlemanly demeanor, and said with a smile.

"As for why we chose sugar and rum, it's mainly because they are closely related to the lives of the people of the empire and the interests of the Janna continent."

Andre listened to the last part carefully and almost forgot to breathe. He took a breath slowly only when he was about to hold his breath.

Even though his family background supported him, he couldn't help but feel a little excited.

Although the Castellón family is already very rich, who would complain that they have too much cake and eat too much cake?

What's more -

This is also for the prosperity of the empire and the prosperity of the descendants of the Castellón family!
However, this duke is not like those captains and sailors who can't move at the sight of a little gold, nor is he General Hamelton who doesn't feel sorry for spending the emperor's money.

He did not express his opinion immediately, but just smiled, leaned back in his chair, and spoke meaningfully.

"Your Highness, the blueprint you showed me is indeed very tempting, especially for the Castellón family...it is even more tempting than the Knights Templar. I am honored that you chose us."

After a pause, he continued.

"But with all due respect, too much of this is based on assumptions... It's not enough to just say it, you have to let me see it and believe it can be achieved."

It is not easy to obtain a barony from the outskirts of the Holy City, even for Prince Colin who owns a continent overseas.

After all, this is a collaboration between the Castellón family and the Colin family, unlike a "public fundraising project" like the Knights Templar.

As the head of the Castellón family, he had to first see if the prince's methods were worth his further investment.

Luo Yan smiled slightly, his expression calm, as if everything was under control.

"Then please wait and see."

(End of this chapter)