episode_0138

I entrusted the gift for Her Imperial Highness to Elizabeth, and after deliberating with the staff about what clothes to publicize widely, we decided to distribute the production methods for two items first.

Those were the bra and the girdle.

The bra was selected because it has insanely high demand but doesn’t leave much profit, and the girdle was selected because it takes up a terrible amount of time, but even if we don’t make it, it still generates a lot of profit.

Other clothes were excluded from consideration because it seemed more profitable for us to hold onto them for now.

There were no objections, so the issue of determining the distribution target was resolved in less than 20 minutes.

The real problem that troubled us was none other than “How to share the production methods with others.”

If we were simply going to spread the production methods, we could use newspapers or booklets, anything would do.

If we only think about spreading the production methods, it’s the most efficient method, and the reach is wide enough to cover the entire empire.

However, if we use newspapers or booklets, there’s a problem that master tailors hired by wealthy capitalists or families will also learn the production methods.

Wealthy families who hire personal tailors are not common, so that’s not a big problem, but wealthy capitalists could use their money and manpower to ruin small businesses, so I didn’t feel good about the production methods flowing into those hands without any filters.

Who knows, those sly bastards like Devonshire might curse us to our faces but secretly copy us behind our backs to make money.

I didn’t want to spoon-feed them such a terrible thing with my own hands.

It might seem like there’s no solution then, but there was only one way to share the production methods with small businesses while also acting as a filter.

That was the guild.

We only encounter the term “guild” in novels, so it feels quite fantastical, but it’s actually a very labor-intensive organization.

Because while it’s called a guild, its character is a mix of cartel, labor union, and cooperative.

Roughly looking at what they do, it includes things like gathering people in the same industry to monopolize technology, old-timers in the same industry building camaraderie, crushing anyone outside the guild who infringes on their territory, and exploiting newcomers entering the industry under the name of “apprenticeship.”

Of course, I’m exaggerating, making it seem like a wicked organization, but it did fulfill its role in the past.

It sometimes acts as a cartel, but it also serves as a labor union and a cooperative.

It was also an organization that allowed for minimal management of artisans and businesses in times of insufficient consumption power or administrative power, and it was also a means for commoners to exert pressure on lords or the state, so it wasn’t all bad.

Even recently, even though large capitalists who can ignore existing businesses and stir up the market are appearing one after another, guilds have been helping small-scale artisans stay afloat.

So, the perfect organization to spread production methods to small businesses was the guild.

People who can’t be compared to guilds were supporting me from behind, and the atelier could handle everything from recruitment to design to technology development on its own, so I had put it in a corner of my mind and forgotten about it, but Walter, who had some job-seeking experience, mentioned the guild, so I could barely recall it.

As soon as I thought of the good method of the guild, I packed up the designs and documents and set off for the seamstress guild.

“Is this it?”

“It says Seamstress Guild on the sign.”

“Ah, right.”

I was able to arrive in front of the guild building with about an hour left until lunchtime.

“The guild is located in quite an expensive building…”

I thought it would be a slightly shabby and small-scale gathering of small businesses, but the guild was located in a larger-than-expected building closer to the center.

It would have been good if they were desperate for even the smallest opportunity, but it wasn’t bad that they were in such decent and solid condition.

It means that many artisans and businesses are following the guild.

It meant that if I could communicate well with the guild, I could easily spread the designs.

“Let’s go in.”

After confirming that Emily had gotten out of the carriage with the basket following me, I gave Emily a wink and charged straight into the guild building.

“Excuse me.”

As soon as I entered the guild building, as if to prove that the guild’s interior was just as decent as its exterior, I immediately saw several employees and artisans bustling around, engaged in various conversations.

“Oh my~ What brings you here, sir?”

I nodded, pleased with the good first impression, and as I slowly looked around the interior, a teenage boy who looked like a errand boy approached me with a slightly servile posture, bowing deeply to greet me.

“Is this the Seamstress Guild?”

“Yes! That’s right! We also serve as the Tailors’ Guild!”

“I see.”

Even though I clearly read the sign and came in, the errand boy showed the attitude of a greedy merchant seen in novels, making me wonder if I had mistaken the guild for a moment. When I asked the errand boy, he shook his head vigorously, confirming that I had not made a mistake.

“Are you here to find a craftsman to commission, sir?”

“That’s not it, I’d like to meet the guild master.”

“Then, did you make an appointment?”

“No, I just came without one.”

“Hmm… Then it seems difficult for you to meet the guild master…”

“Hmm…”

I narrowed my eyes and lightly stroked my chin, staring intently at the errand boy.

It’s my fault for coming without an appointment, but there’s no way for me to contact them first in the first place.

I don’t want to just make an appointment and go back, but it’s a bit much to force my way through.

“What’s your name?”

“…O, Oliver.”

“Oliver, not a bad name.”

As I found out the errand boy’s name, I rummaged through my coat, taking out two shiny silver coins from the leather pouch hanging inside.

“Oliver, hold out your hand for a moment.”

“Yes?”

Then, bending down, I dropped the silver coins onto Oliver’s hand, which he had hesitantly extended, and whispered softly into Oliver’s ear while directly curling his fingers to prevent him from dropping the coins.

“Go to the guild master or the deputy guild master right now and say, ‘Baron Howard, the second son of the Hume family, has come to see the guild master.’ Dispose of the small pebbles in your hand as you see fit, Oliver.”

“Pebbles? Uh… Eh?!”

Oliver frowned at the word “pebbles” and slightly opened his hand, but as soon as he saw the glimmer of the radiant silver coins, his eyes widened and he stared blankly at me with his mouth slightly open.

Three days’ worth of wages had been deposited as a tip all at once, and it was clear that he was out of his mind.

“Do you understand?”

“Ah, I understand! Leave it to me!”

As I patted the shoulder of Oliver, who had a dazed expression with a languid smile, the clever Oliver clutched the silver coins tightly in his arms and headed straight for the guild master’s room as I had instructed.

“G, Guild Master! Someone from the Hume family! Baron Howard has come! He wants to see the Guild Master!”

Oliver threw open the door to the guild master’s room without knocking, and entered the room as he was, almost exactly repeating what I had told him to say in a voice loud enough to echo throughout the guild.

“Oliver, what nonsense are you spouting from this morning?”

“I’m telling you, a real noble has come!”

“Ha, why would a noble come to such a humble place? Especially Howard? That man who is currently favored by His Majesty the Emperor? Did you drink something?”

“Ah, come out and see! You won’t know until you come out!”

“Hey! Hey!”

And the brief commotion that followed ended with Oliver dragging the guild master out after he couldn’t stand it any longer.

“Haa… Oliver, you! You want to be severely punis…ed…?”

The middle-aged guild master, who had been yelling at Oliver for forcibly dragging him out, ran his hand through his hair. But when he made eye contact with me, who was quietly watching the scene at the entrance, his face turned pale as if he had seen a grim reaper, and he froze.

“Are you the guild master?”

“C, cough… Aren’t you Howard, the hottest tailor in the capital these days? I am Gilbert Taylor, the head of the cooperative guild of seamstresses and tailors.”

The guild master, who belatedly came to his senses at my question, put on a fake smile and greeted me with a slight nod.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Haha~ It’s truly an honor to meet you as well, but what brings a noble to such a humble place?”

Although it wasn’t openly expressed, the subtly prickly and hostile attitude was evident in his tone and expression.

From their perspective, I was also a wealthy capitalist who was stirring up the market, so it couldn’t be helped.

And since I have a conscience, I had no intention of denying it.

“I came because I wanted to collaborate with the artisans affiliated with the guild.”

“Work? You seem to be operating well without a guild… What kind of collaboration are you trying to do with us…?”

Not a commission, but a collaboration.

The guild master’s eyes darted around busily to figure out what I was up to.

“Recently, our atelier has been doing so well that I’m worried because there are not enough people but too much work to handle.”

“So, are you saying you need manpower?”

“No, that’s a problem we’ll solve ourselves. If you have a conscience, you shouldn’t be poaching people from the guild, right?”

“Haha, for someone who says that, your actions seem quite bold?”

“Well, that’s just an inevitable move in the early stages of the business. Anyway, today I’m not here to confront you, but to share our work.”

“Th, the word is…”

The guild master’s momentum subsided at the words “share work.”

The suspicious gaze was still there, but I could feel a very faint sense of anticipation arising.

“Well… I can’t say for sure here, but if we have a good conversation, there might be something we can offer on our end, such as work or some… know-how.”

“!”

When I subtly mentioned that we might leak some of our designs or technology.

The guild master shuddered and swallowed hard, grabbing Oliver who was next to him.

“O, Oliver! Immediately take the, guest to the drawing room! No, I’ll do that, you, you bring the best refreshments in the guild… No, just sweep everything in!”

“Y, yes!”

“Duke Howard? Would you mind continuing the conversation in the drawing room?”

“Hmm~”

I stared intently at the guild master, who suddenly changed his attitude as if flipping his hand.

The quick judgment to bend at the right time wasn’t bad in itself.

It just felt a little ugly because it was too blatant.

“Of course.”

Still, he didn’t seem like a fool who would miss out on profit because of his pride, so I nodded lightly.

“Then, this way please!”

“Hmm.”

Then, unlike before, when he was slightly cocky, the guild master, who had become very polite, bowed and began to lead the way to the drawing room.

I smiled in satisfaction and slowly followed behind him.

I haven’t had a proper conversation yet, but I definitely felt that he was someone I could have a good conversation with.