Chapter 21

The mansion was noisy early in the morning.

Employees were also busy earlier than usual, looking out the window, there were dozens of wagons parked by customers on a straight road leading from the front door to the main building.

I was staring at the scenery outside the window, and someone called me.

"Florentia."

It was Clerivan dressed in a cool navy blue tunic today.

"Larane just said that the most valuable property for a merchant is 'trust'."

"Yapp?."

I forgot for a moment.

I was taking classes now.

To take classes without exceptions on a day like today, was truly a Clerivan style.

"What do you think?"

As I looked at myself farther, Clerivan asked again.

What do you think?

"I think it's correct."

A trustworthy customer for a trader is life-saving.

And it was certainly an important asset because it wasn't readily available.

"Then, does Florentia agree with Larane's opinion? The most valuable property for a trader is a trusted business partner?"

"Hmm. That's not it. The answer I've been thinking of is similar, but a little different."

"This is Florentia's turn, so can you tell me the answer to your homework?"

I got surprised and scratched my cheek.

There is no fixed answer to this problem.

Each person has different values.

"I think the most valuable property for a merchant is 'people'."

It may be stereotypical, but I think this is the correct answer.

"After all, everything is done by people. Any important decision or difficult choice is made by people."

As I watched my father work this time, I felt refreshed.

As before, the coroi textile business had been badly damaged and caused quite a blow to Lombardy.

Of course, for Lombardy, the loss was at a level that could be quickly recovered, but there was a bigger loss.

It was the credit of those who believed in the name of top Lombardy and bought the coroi fabric for the first time.

My grandfather compensated for all the damage he suffered from unsold fabrics, in Lombardy's name, and that caused more damage to the family.

But this time I intervened. However, I am not an expert in textiles, so I only changed one thing.

Changing the person in charge of leading the business from Viese to my father.

There was only one change that caused a tremendous change.

"And the more a merchant earns more and more money, the more he can't do all the work alone. So, wouldn't the person whom I can trust and entrust to me become more precious?"

In fact, it wasn't just commerce. The same was true for the Emperor and Lombardy.

The Emperor made an academy until he got the money he didn't have and made the people of the Imperial family marry the influential nobles.

It is to make their side thoroughly. The same was the reason why my grandfather was so keen on collecting talent.

In addition, my grandfather runs a scholarship system in which talented people are created by bringing outstanding talents to Lombardy.

All of these investments are ultimately meant to win people.

So I thought to walk a similar path.

The only difference between my grandfather and me was the probability.

The probability that the talented people who have been invested will not be able to fulfill their roles, and the probability that they will not become Lombardy's people.

Since the scholarship system was not a slave contract, there were quite a few people who finished their studies and worked for families other than Lombardy.

Grandpa doesn't have much to say about it, but every time he does, he'll feel pretty sick.

But I am different.

The people I will make friends with and invest in are those who will play a tremendous role in the future.

Besides, I know exactly what they want and what they need, so when the time comes they will be my people.

Neither Lombardy nor the Second Prince, but mine.

The faces of the people to be recruited floated before my eyes.

It was only a pity that the radius of action was still limited, so I could not reach all of them.

I sighed inside and asked, looking at the first person I would make my own.

"What do you think, Mr. Clerivan?"

The commercial genius who started empty-handed in just a few years and created one of the best companies in the empire, Clerivan Pellets I will persuade and recruit him.

I showed the smile of a cute and smart child, a kind of recruitment appeal.

"That's a good idea."

"Hehehe. Thank you."

He wants to teach someone smart, cute, polite and can learn quickly.

"Hmm."

Just as expected.

The right corner of Clerivan's mouth lifted, covered his mouth with his fist, and coughed, loosening up.

As if to focus on class again, Clerivan turned to the blackboard and suddenly shaken his hand and said.

"Then, will it be like this today? I will finish it early than usual "