Chapter 712 – 712. Proxy Mansion Management (2)
“I refuse.”
“… May I ask why?”
After long consideration, the merchant calmly asked the reason for Eunhyeon’s refusal.
For one thing, he’s also a profit-seeking trader.
He had made this kind of business proposal to others more than once or twice, and he had in mind from the beginning that things would not work out easily.
Moreover, the merchant knows that Eun-hyeon is not an ordinary person as he just entered a noble family as a son-in-law.
Putting together the rumors and stories that have been heard so far, Eun-hyeon is quite a resourceful man as a businessman.
“First of all, the first problem is the facility problem.”
“Isn’t there room for a new racecourse? We have been looking for places suitable for racecourses in advance, but…”
In fact, the merchant presented the candidate sites in advance and considered securing a place for the racecourse as the first goal and starting point while negotiating with the ducal family.
“No. The racecourse itself is not too much of a burden on our part either. Armitas territory has many workers specialized in the construction field.”
“Yes.”
The merchant agreed with Eunhyeon.
The first reason the merchant suggested setting up a racecourse in the Armitas territory is that the current Fernias kingdom has a more mobile population than the capital city of Pernin, so it is full of vitality.
This estate, which has the advantage of being able to attract many guests, is one of the best conditions for a racetrack to be established.
The second reason is the excellent construction technology possessed by this estate.
A city inhabited by Dwarves who specialize in crafting and constructing things in the Armitas Territory.
They have stronger ships than ordinary human builders, and they complete construction at a faster rate.
The construction skills of the Dwarves were desperately needed to build a large facility like a racetrack.
“The problem is not the racetrack. What do you need to run the game?”
“Aside from the facilities, aren’t they the managers who will be in charge of running the racecourse? And… Ah.”
The merchant belatedly noticed what Eunhyeon had pointed out.
The operation of the racetrack itself is not a big problem.
Basic operating know-how and methods are expected to be gained little by little through training and actual operation, and even if there are creaks and setbacks at first, they will gradually improve over time.
However, there are bound to be problems that cannot be resolved over time.
That is exactly what the profession belongs to.
“… Horses and riders.”
“You’re right. Not only that, but the horses that will run in the race don’t just want to be here.”
Horses that compete in races need constant maintenance.
The need for stables with nutritious feed and an environment is also emerging so that they can always maintain their best condition and grow more than they do now.
And the more the number of horses participating in this increases, the more the budget invested will surely go into more than double that of opening the racecourse itself.
“How many horses did you have in mind?”
“One… About 40…”
“It’s too little. You should have thought of at least 200 of them.”
Even if a horse race is held at a cycle of about once a week, the event itself is consumed too quickly with about 40 horses.
“That, so many… ?”
“The race itself should also be graded, and among many horses, the horses with the highest performance should be collected and placed, and the race should be conducted, and the fastest horse should be selected, and the composition should be organized at maximum intervals of about a year. Otherwise, the speed at which the content itself called horse racing will be consumed is too fast, and the public will lose interest.”
“…”
The merchant was troubled.
He just focused on creating and activating the content itself called horse racing.
The scale was too small, as I was thinking of the minimum amount of time and money required to establish a race with a minimum budget.
Eun-hyeon was thinking about how to keep the horse racing content as long as possible to extract money.
One year later, people wonder which of the 200 horses that competed will win the championship and have the title of fastest horse.
As he imagined it in his head, the fire of excitement was gradually kindled in the merchant’s heart with curiosity and anticipation.
“Uh…”
Erin, who had been quietly listening to the conversation between the two, tilted her head at her curiosity.
‘This is rather than refusal…’
Rather than rejecting the racetrack business proposal brought by the merchant, it seemed to contain the intention of pointing out and supplementing the shortcomings.
In fact, the merchant who heard the refusal was more motivated than before.
“See you later! Then!”
The back of the merchant who bowed down to say hello and rushed out was very energetic.
“Whoa.”
After the interview with the many people who visited the duke’s family, Eun-hyeon leaned back in the chair and let out a small sigh.
It was a break to welcome after dealing with all the civil complaints and business proposals pouring in in about three hours.
“Master. It is black tea.”
“Ah, thank you.”
Eunhyun grabbed the teacup set on one side of his desk and moved the warm black tea into his mouth.
It is a wonderful taste that relieves the exhausted mind and body from work with a rich fragrance.
“Just before… Will you really accept the merchant’s offer?”
While taking a break, Lily asked cautiously.
“Well. What’s left depends on how the merchant prepares again.”
With the enthusiasm of the merchants, the population of Armitas, and the technology of the dwarves, it didn’t seem that impossible.
“I am… Honestly, I hope the master won’t accept it.”
“Huh?”
Erin, who was drinking tea with Eunhyeon, looked at Lily in surprise.
She’s always been Lily, who wasn’t very dissatisfied with what Eun-hyeon or her other wives were doing, but this time around, she didn’t show much sympathy.
“… It’s a gamble.”
“It doesn’t.”
Eunhyun smiled bitterly and did not deny Lily’s words.
Horse racing is a sport in which several horses are placed on a starting line and ranked in order of arrival in a race in which they cross a certain distance quickly and then cross the finish line.
Customers who visit the racecourse predict the ranking and bet money, so someone wins money and someone loses money.
No matter what you wrap it up as, the basic operation of horse racing is gambling.
“…”
Erin also carefully sipped the tea, watching Lily.
Lily hates gambling.
She doesn’t just hate it, she hates it and despises it.
Her family was ruined by her father’s addiction to gambling.
“Sure, gambling is bad, but horse racing isn’t all that bad.”
“…”
The fact that she couldn’t calm down despite Eun-hyeon’s persuasion showed how much she hated gambling.
“In the first place, the bad thing about gambling is that it doesn’t just plunge people into abyss in an instant;
“… Yes.”
The biggest problem is that it is not easy for people to endure and control the process of falling into hell.
“For now, I will limit the amount I can bet on the horse race itself to a level that will not be a problem in my daily life. The amount you are thinking of… I think it will be about 10 fairy tales.”
If you limit the amount of a simple meal, that alone will be a good deterrent.
“I want you to enjoy horse racing as an entertainment concept that you can enjoy purely, not as a gamble where you risk your life.”
That’s what Eunhyeon thinks of horse racing.
The merchant who actually made the proposal was also close to what he suggested because he wanted to see the fierce competition of racehorses who purely enjoy racing.
“If Master thinks so…”
Lily reluctantly nodded her head.
In fact, we know very well that what is bad is that it is only other people’s malicious intentions that bring a person’s life to ruin, and gambling is just a means.
Still, the reason why I can’t really like it is probably because I have painful memories of gambling.
When Lily was forced to accept the story of the racetrack, her mood softened.
“Okay then, since you’ve rested enough, shall we start working again?”
“Huh. Let’s hurry up and go home! I want to see Ilayna.”
Erin, who had grown accustomed to observing Ileina’s appearance lately, ignited her desire to leave work early.
◆ ◆ ◆
As the sun began to set, I finished all the paperwork piled up.
The reception of the guests who had applied for interviews was almost finished, and now, when the only thing left to do was leave, another person who was not on the schedule came.
“Sorry for being busy.”
“…”
Erin, who had been secretly liking her since she finally left work, looked at him and frowned.
It was Runan, the head of Heilangdan, who specialized in collecting information under Eunhyeon.
The reason Erin harbors her ill feelings toward Runan, with whom she has had an uncomfortable relationship before, is not because of the remnants of her past, but because she has interfered with her own work.
“Are you okay. What’s the matter?”
Soon after, Eunhyeon asked Runan.
The fact that Runan, who usually communicates through the crystal ball, came to the ducal family mansion to meet Eun-hyeon in this way implied that he had a very important business.
“Have some tea.”
“Thank you.”
After sitting down, Runan quenched his thirst with the black tea Lily had made and immediately talked about the topic.
“Have you ever heard of a place called Ephrate?”
“Ephrathe?”
When the story of the specific place came out, Eun-hyeon searched for her memory.
“Know. It’s a territory located near Tyrnis.”
“Other names are also called ‘Land of Pleasure’.”
“… A land of pleasure?”
Erin tilted her head.
Runan explained to Erin, who did not have much knowledge about other places.
“It is a city famous for its nightlife. And… It is also a territory with many spearmen.”
“… Ah.”
Erin was well aware of what ‘changgwan’ meant.
Leaving behind Erin’s uncomfortable gaze, Runan continued.
“So? What about Ephrate?”
“I got intelligence that the devil might be lurking there.”
Upon hearing the word devil, Eunhyun’s forehead narrowed at once.
Realizing how important the agenda was, Erin and Lily erased their uncomfortable expressions and took the matter seriously.
The problem with the devil was an urgent agenda for Eunhyeon and her wives to solve anytime, anywhere.
“… It’s true?”
“There is no clear evidence, but… I got the rumor itself.”
“What do you think?”
“At least it seems credible.”
Most of the rumors of demons spreading all over the continent are often just rumors.
The main job of the Black Wands was to gather all the rumors of demons spread throughout the kingdom of Pernias and to determine whether they were true or not.
Since Runan, who is in charge of such work, is a story that guarantees some credibility, she seemed to need to at least move.
“This is a report of the information gathered so far.”
“Indeed.”
Eunhyeon received the bundles of papers Lunan had brought.
“Okay. Please do your best in the future.”
“I will.”
Runan delivered only his own business and quickly left the mansion.
Immediately, Eun-hyeon, who was skimming through the first part of the report, felt the eyes of her two wives.
“Shall we go home?”
However, the reason why the two wives were staring blankly at Eun-hyeon was not purely because they were looking forward to her return from work.
“Hyunah.”
Erin grabbed Eunhyun’s arm as she got up from her seat and took care of the report Runan gave her.
She put on an infinitely serious expression and asked Eunhyeon.
“That place called Ephrate. Do I have to go?”
“I have to go. If the devil really lurks there, that alone is a big problem.”
“No! No way! I’d rather go alone!”
“… What?”
Erin’s strangely firm assertion was so sudden that Eunhyeon was taken aback.
“I am of the same opinion. Master. I can’t send my master to a place like that.”
Lily, who had once worked in the brothel when she was a slave, knew what it was like.
Most of the prostitutes who sell themselves in the brothel are those who committed the wrong crime and fell into the status of slaves, or their lives were twisted and fell to the bottom of hell.
The only way for them to break free from their slavery and unravel their twisted lives is to appeal to rich customers to buy them for themselves.
Although she did not work as a prostitute, Lily, knowing that the women there were different from other women, could not send Eun-hyeon to such a place.
Eun-hyeon basically treats people with a very frugal outfit and attitude, but she has a pretty good looks and outfit, so it’s easy for women to like her.
Eun-hyeon puts her foot on the street of pleasure?
She naturally imagined the appearance of the women in Changgwan who would cling to Eunhyeon, saying that she would try to fix her twisted life and her misfortunes.
Lily and Erin, who could never see it, had to convince Eun-hyeon of her.
‘The best way…’
Lily communicated with Illyana straight through her dedicated line, which only her wives had.
