Berserk, Total War: Second Son of Nobles

Chapter 268 Disintegration of the Andrew Chamber of Commerce System

"Sir, how could you do this?"

In a room that was luxuriously decorated and filled with various collections, an elderly and well-dressed butler was advising a young man sitting at a desk.

"We're already giving him enough face by doing this. I've been here for a month and I still don't know who is the person in charge in Mont-de-Marsan." said the young man, shaking the wine glass in his hand.

"But you are the president of the Andrew Chamber of Commerce, communicating with the governor who is appointed by the king and is also an earl. If the other party gets angry, we will be making an enemy for no reason." Seeing this, the butler advised earnestly.

"Making enemies? There have been so many people who want to harm me recently. Do those chambers of commerce have a rival? What about the governor? Which normal official doesn't stay in Wendam and enjoy life?"

"Even if they are nobles, look at the nobles in Mondemarsan. After they owed money to our Chamber of Commerce, they didn't pass the bill I issued?"

"Also, even if John was appointed by the king, what does it matter? Haven't I paid enough money to those noble ministers in Wendam these months? If he dares to touch me, then all the dignitaries in Wendam will oppose it. Then even the king will have to consider whether it is a problem of his employing people!"

At this point, as the current president of the Andrew Chamber of Commerce, Andrew couldn't help but reveal a smile. This feeling of being in control of everything made him feel like he was the favored son of God in the entire Mont de Marsan, or even the entire Midland.

As the fourth son of the former president, Andrew had no right of inheritance. As a result, the plague killed the former president and several brothers, leaving only Andrew and his eldest brother alive.

Then, Hoss led his army to the border. In order to curry favor with the nobles of Windham, Andrew's eldest brother volunteered to be in charge of the logistics of the army. Then he was hit by a stray arrow and lost his life in a rout.

Naturally, Andrew inherited the entire Chamber of Commerce. This gain made him feel ecstatic, even overshadowing the sadness caused by the death of his brother, which was better than nothing.

After taking office, Andrew changed the name of the Chamber of Commerce to his own name, completely adjusted the policies of the previous president, and began to monopolize other industries by violent means. Relying on the strong foundation of the Chamber of Commerce and the surrounding chambers of commerce being tortured by the plague, Andrew quickly completed the monopoly of food and daily necessities.

From this moment on, Andrew believed that he was favored by God. After all, there was no better reason to explain his good luck than this.

In his opinion, his power would sooner or later extend beyond Mondemasan, slowly take root in the entire southwest region, and then influence the policies of the Midland country. And he, Andrew, would become an emerging power on par with the powerful people of Wendam.

Perhaps by then, the royal family might give him a title and marry a beautiful princess to the rising Andrew, which was a wish that the Andrew family had never been able to fulfill in all the generations.

Just as he was fantasizing about intervening in the Hundred Years War between Mitra and Yoda, the butler's words woke him up from his imagination:

"What do you want to do next? The Governor has requested that the price of grain be reduced to one silver coin per pound. The deadline has passed. If the price is not reduced, I'm afraid the situation will be even more unfavorable to us."

"He dares!"

Andrew slapped the table and then started talking:

"Mont-de-Marsan is a free city. Even if he manages it, he can only manage taxes. There is no reason for him to interfere in our local business activities."

"Moreover, according to recent developments, he has no intention of escalating the conflict. Instead, he has appointed a few civilians to set up some kind of wartime patrol, intending to use the Mondemasans to rule the Mondemasans."

"So, he can't attack us directly now for some reasons. We have to use this time to keep putting pressure on us and win over allies so that those people in Wendam can be impeached collectively. Then, Governor John, who is trapped both internally and externally, will have no choice but to bow to us."

"It's decided. Raise the price of all grain to 5 silver coins per pound. Let him see what a Chamber of Commerce monopoly is!"

Andrew spoke of the plan confidently, and the butler next to him could only sigh. Having dealt with such a talented young master, he could only take things as they come.

A day later, John, who received today's grain price, looked at the numbers on the paper and fell into deep thought, while Jacques next to him said after reading it:

"Sir, why don't we just kill this Andrew right away?"

"What did you notice?" John asked, looking at Jacques.

"Um... I mean, just like dealing with the gangs before, arrest them all first, and then charge them with treason."

"No, no, no..." John shook his head and said:

"The gangster is dead, but the president of a chamber of commerce is still a major taxpayer in Mondemarsan. If he dies without clear reasons, other chambers of commerce in Mondemarsan will definitely be suspicious of me and will be afraid that they will be killed, which will become an obstacle to my expedition to Lana."

“Let me ask you, if you want to prune a plant, what do you need first?”

"Pruning plants?" Jacques didn't know why John asked this, but he answered anyway:

“Cut the leaves first?”

"Wrong, I had to find the right pair of scissors first, so I chose you." John answered and continued to explain:

"Although you have the identity of Mondemarsan, you are already very unfamiliar with it because you haven't been back for a few years. In order to live a better life, you must rely on a powerful person. I am attracted by your identity as a Mondemarsan and the skills you learned on the battlefield. You have also shown your loyalty to me, so I let you participate in these things."

"Even if you did something wrong, those powerful people wouldn't say much. After all, I didn't violate anything. These things were all done by you, so they will only focus on you."

At this point, John asked Jacques:

"So, are you still going to work for me? You should know that the conflict will definitely get bigger and bigger, and someone might try to assassinate you by then."

Without any hesitation, Jacques replied immediately:

"Sir, I chose all these paths. I have no regrets. I will do whatever you ask me to do."

"Good job, I've been waiting for you to say this." John turned around and said:

"Then send someone to find Andrew and tell him I want to talk to him about the food issue."

After Jacques left, John ordered the White Wolf Knight next to him:

"Tell those Issu merchants that they can ship in grain now. The price is one silver coin per pound. They will take as much as they can."