Kingdombuilding: All My Inventions Are Novelty

In a fine house in one of Brambleford’s neighborhoods, the old steward was sharing today’s Brambleford Daily with Kevin.

"Cement roads? Are those the ones we saw in the industrial district?" Kevin asked.

He was originally a merchant from Eldora, but after investing all his savings into opening five soap factories in Brambleford, he bought a house and applied for Brambleford residency.

Brambleford’s regulations allowed anyone who invested 100,000 caps of silver to apply for local residency, and Kevin had taken advantage of this opportunity.

At first, he had some doubts, but after Brambleford began producing glass and mirrors, he saw the advantage of living here. Every morning, he could queue at the merchant guild to buy the mirrors and glass being sold that day.

He would then resell these goods for a profit. After a winter, he had earned quite a bit, and he had become comfortable with his new identity as a Brambleford resident.

"Yes, these roads will be solid! But if you fall on them, it might break your bones." The steward said with a nervous laugh. He’d fallen last time while going to buy supplies, and the pain still lingered.

Kevin’s eyes sparkled. Though cement roads were hard, once they dried, they would be perfect for carts and people to travel on. They would be ideal for transporting goods.

If the entire city of Brambleford were paved with cement roads, the landscape would drastically change. There would be no more mud-filled streets whenever it rained.

That thought excited him.

"What else did it say?" He asked, eager for more details.

The steward continued. "It says that the government will recruit strong laborers for the road construction and will pay them wages."

Kevin’s eyes lit up. "This is a great money-making opportunity! With the whole of Brambleford under construction, they must need plenty of money. Since we’ve settled in Brambleford, it’s the right place to be; there’s always a way to make money here. Let’s go visit Sir Baldwin and ask him about this."

At the Brambleford Government Office

Simon and Baldwin were discussing the road construction. During the winter, it was impossible to work on the roads since the cement would freeze. As a result, the construction in Dunmere had paused. Simon wasn’t able to come up with a method to prevent the cement from freezing.

But now that the weather was warming, the municipal project was ready to proceed.

The appearance of a city is crucial for attracting wealthy merchants from other areas. Creating a comfortable living environment is the key to drawing the wealthy to settle, a principle that has never changed throughout history.

Therefore, Simon placed great importance on transforming Brambleford City as part of his commercial development plan.

"Sir Baldwin, a merchant named Kevin, wishes to meet with you." A servant came in to report.

"Kevin?" Baldwin raised an eyebrow. "My Lord, you speak of him, and here he is. Looks like a lot of sharp-minded merchants are showing up."

"You know him?" Simon asked.

"Yes, this Kevin is an Eldora merchant who applied for residency here last year. I personally issued his residency certificate." Baldwin replied.

"Ah, good. This is a great start. I hope more merchants will apply for residency here in the future." Simon smiled.

This policy was similar to investment immigration, a method many modern countries used to attract capital and boost their economies.

Simon nodded and said. "Let him in. Maybe he’s here for something other than the road project."

A moment later, Kevin entered the government office and immediately bowed to both Simon and Baldwin. "Greetings, Your Highness, and Baldwin."

"Don’t stand on ceremony, Kevin. I was just discussing the road project with Baldwin. I assume you’re here about that?" Simon asked directly.

Kevin hesitated, then smiled. "Indeed, Your Highness. You truly have a keen mind. I came today to ask if we merchants can participate in the construction of the roads here in Brambleford."

Simon and Baldwin exchanged a glance before Simon replied. "You can, but there are conditions."

Kevin’s heart sank. Simon had built a reputation as a shrewd businessman, and he wasn’t sure what the prince would require. Still, he said. "Please, Your Highness, tell me what the conditions are."

"There are two conditions," Simon said. "First, the laborers you hire must be from Brambleford’s local populace. Second, the materials needed for the construction must be sourced locally. If you agree to these terms, you may participate in the road and underground pipe construction."

"Buying materials locally will save on transportation costs, and hiring local labor is no problem, as I’ve already settled here in Brambleford," Kevin replied quickly.

Seeing his eagerness, Simon said. "Good. I’ll be releasing the construction segments soon, and you can choose which ones you’d like to bid on."

Kevin was delighted and thanked Simon profusely before leaving.

Baldwin watched him go and then said. "My Lord, this is an excellent opportunity. We should cultivate more merchants like Kevin. It will encourage others to settle here in Brambleford."

"You’re right. But we should also develop a pool of construction merchants from the local population." Simon replied.

"That could work, but the common folk don’t have the silver to buy materials or hire workers," Baldwin said.

Simon smiled. "That’s not a big problem. If they don’t have money, we can lend it to them."

Baldwin waved his hand, laughing. "My Lord, this is a joke, right? Since when does the government lend money to the people?"

Simon answered with a grin. "I’m serious. Do you remember where the silver notes used by the merchants come from?"

"From the Fletcher family’s pawnshop," Baldwin replied.

Simon nodded. "I’ve heard the Fletcher family is the richest merchant family in Bristol City, and their pawnshops are everywhere in the Eldorian Empire. I envy them. Why don’t we establish a government-run pawnshop here in Brambleford? We could lend money to the people and help them start their businesses."

Baldwin fell silent, thinking deeply. After a moment, he said. "My Lord, with all due respect, my limited understanding tells me that pawnshops are based on gold and silver. You issue as much silver as you have. Our treasury is far from full."

"This isn’t a problem for the pawnshop’s foundation," Simon replied confidently. "If we need more, we’ll just issue more. Let’s establish Brambleford’s first bank while we’re at it."

Baldwin was stunned. He had never heard such a bold proposal. Simon was determined to push forward with his ideas.

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