Wizard Earl

Chapter 260 The Mad "Rhine Project"

According to an annual survey report compiled by the Rune City Hall, nearly half of the industrial products processed by factories of all sizes in Rune are sold to the New World through the channels of the East Hoy Company. Furthermore, more than 80 percent of the various mineral raw materials and other products mined by the East Hoy Company in the New World are sold to various parts of the Empire through Rune's distributors.

The fact that Rune became the largest commercial center on the western coast of the Empire and even along the entire Storm Ocean was largely due to the East Hoy Company of the New World. Conversely, the East Hoy Company's current influence in the New World was also inseparable from Rune's support. This is also an important reason why Mr. Decilio chose to land in Rune. The close and interdependent relationship between the two sides absolutely requires regular close interaction and visits to maintain their relationship.

According to Martinez's steward's letter, dozens of merchant guilds, including the Valencia Merchant Guild and the Seville Merchant Guild, which are major merchants in Rune, are expected to jointly book the most luxurious Imperial Feast in Rune City on the third day after De Sciglio's arrival in Rune to hold a welcome banquet for De Sciglio's arrival!

Butler Martinez meant that Connor, as the first in line to the Ferguson family, should visit Mr. De Sciglio, the elder, as a representative of the Ferguson family. In Butler Martinez's words, it was to strengthen the historical friendship between the two families. But Connor also understood that his trip was actually to give a gift to Uncle De Sciglio!

After all, apart from the income from a few shops, farms and estates in Frosinone, the Ferguson family, which is now gradually declining, relies on the distribution of East Hoy Company's ore within the city of Frosinone arranged by De Sciglio. The Ferguson family can earn about four thousand gold pounds from this every year!

Looking at the Imperial Bank draft for 1,000 gold pounds attached to the letter, Connor's face showed a hint of surprise. He knew the Ferguson family's financial situation very well. After a year of business, plus the imperial rewards for hereditary nobles, the annual cost should be around 8,000 gold pounds. Old Ferguson's ordinary extravagant lifestyle alone would cost 3,000 gold pounds a year!

The remaining uncles and elders in his family would cost around three thousand gold pounds. As for the remaining two thousand gold pounds, he couldn't save any more. One thousand five hundred of them had to be distributed to the small knightly order in the family, and the last five hundred gold pounds were used to pay the wages of the family's hired artisans and servants. He simply couldn't save any money at the end of the year.

It's already quite a sum of money that the old butler Martinez is giving him a thousand pounds to use to curry favor with Mr. De Sciglio; he probably scraped it together by selling off some family shop in Frosinone.

Although the Ferguson and Ranieri families are related, the Ferguson family is now in decline and has long lost its former glory, while the Ranieri family, after producing a figure like De Sciglio, has become incredibly wealthy from the substantial benefits they receive from the East Hoy every year. For Mr. De Sciglio to share a piece of the pie with the Ferguson family out of consideration for their past relationship is already quite generous. The Ferguson family naturally understands that they must reciprocate, otherwise, without the support of mutual benefits, their past relationship will eventually be worn away.

Looking at the check for a thousand gold pounds in his hand, Connor thought for a moment, then a bitter smile appeared on his lips. A thousand gold pounds was by no means a small amount in the Kaman Empire; it could easily support the annual municipal expenses of a small city. Although Connor did not know De Sciglio's specific position in the East Hoy Company, given that De Sciglio could represent the entire East Hoy Company's senior management in reporting to the shareholders' meeting, his Uncle De Sciglio was definitely a big shot in the East Hoy Company!

Given their status, wealth, and the size of the East Hoy Company in the New World, even if you sent them a thousand gold scrolls directly, they might not even notice them or accept them! As for sending gifts, a thousand gold scrolls seem like a lot, but in reality, there aren't many things that can be bought with them!

With a wry smile and a shake of his head, Connor put the list of a thousand gold coins into his wallet. The butler Martinez's letter hadn't mentioned what Uncle De Sciglio liked, so he had to find out and cater to his tastes. If he didn't have enough money, he'd have to use his own to make up the difference. After all, half of the Ferguson family's income depended on Uncle De Sciglio's word, and he absolutely had to make sure Uncle De Sciglio was satisfied!

After carefully reading through the old butler Martinez's letter, Connor's eyes were drawn to the name East Hoy Company on the letter. As a member of the history department at Green University, Connor was very familiar with the origins of East Hoy Company.

After Emperor Raul ushered in a new era for the Kaman Empire, he actively developed maritime and industrial industries. In the fifth year of his reign, the Kaman Empire's fleet discovered a new continent, a continent no smaller than the one on which the Kaman Empire was located. When this new continent was discovered, it already had a primitive civilization. The original inhabitants of the new continent called themselves the Hoy people, so people called the new continent the Hoy Continent. Compared with the Kaman Empire, the Hoy people's civilization was still relatively backward, and they still lived in tribal units.

The New World was rich in resources, and because the Hoy people's level of civilization was relatively low, their pursuit of material things was also low. Most of the Hoy continent's mineral resources remained unexploited. The discovery of this resource-rich New World was undoubtedly a cause for celebration for the Kaman Empire, which was increasingly valuing industry and commerce. For the Kaman Empire, which had just undergone Raul's reforms and was growing increasingly powerful, the New World was like a voluptuous, beautiful woman appearing naked before them, alluring and irresistible. After carefully assessing the Hoy people's strength, the Kaman Empire's Minister of Military Affairs, Reinkel, immediately submitted a top-secret "Rhine Plan" to Emperor Raul.

According to the declassified information released by the Kaman Empire Archives ten years ago, the "Rhine Project" was an absolutely insane plan for that era. This plan, meticulously prepared by the then Minister of Military Affairs, Reinkel, was essentially to relinquish sovereignty over a portion of the disputed territory with the Kingdom of Persis and the Odin Empire in exchange for reaching a friendly treaty with Odin and Persis. Then, the plan would involve drawing 150,000 troops from the four most elite legions deployed on the borders between the Kaman Empire and Persis and Odin to defend against invasions from the Kingdom of Persis and the Odin Empire, and launching an expedition to attempt to conquer the continent of Hoy.

(End of this chapter)