Game Opportunities Become Reality Episode 130
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Game Opportunities Become Reality Episode 130
32. The Madman Appears (5)
The Panther 1.0, a Vanguard suit sold by my own Lawrence Mage Tower, is known to have 5% lower output than the Vanguard equipment made by the Royal Magic Tower.
However, this was a deliberate reduction in output despite having sufficient technology it was made to look less marketable in order to obtain the King's permission to produce Vanguard equipment more easily.
Since the Royal Magic Tower under the royal family was the highest earner among existing Vanguard manufacturers, it was an unavoidable choice.
Thanks to that, I was permitted to enter the Vanguard industry under the condition that, despite having 5% lower performance, it must not be sold too cheaply.
Performance is a full 5% lower, and we're selling it at a price similar to other makers?
The battlefield is a place where people pour fortunes into even a 1% improvement in survivability.
So those in the industry judged that the Lawrence Mage Tower's Vanguard would never sell.
[With the Ruin/Downfall of the House Anahaim Ducal, Vanguard equipment makers have been restructured into a three-way race: the royal family, House Heins Ducal, and House Lawrence Ducal.]
[The Panther 1.0 from Lawrence Mage Tower, surging in sales!]
[The Panther 1.0 from Lawrence Mage Tower is recording sales on par with the Lion 2nd Generation, the Royal Magic Tower's Vanguard equipment, which is #1 in domestic sales.]
But defying everyone's expectations, the Lawrence Mage Tower's Panther 1.0 sold like hotcakes even with 5% lower performance.
The reason was that instead of output, they strengthened convenience in other areas, and that succeeded in catching the users' attention.
In particular, its easy portability and distinctive flexibility became the identity representing the Panther series, earning the support of many Knights.
It's this popular even with lower output than rivals what would happen if the Panther had output similar to the Royal Magic Tower or the Heins Mage Tower?
[Lawrence Mage Tower announces Panther 1.5. Finally, even the output that lagged behind other models has been fixed. All convenience features remain the same, but output has been upgraded. The price has risen slightly to match the Royal Magic Tower's 2nd generation product.]
As a result, the Lawrence Mage Tower came to monopolize the Vanguard equipment orders of the Kingdom of Rhinehearts.
Naturally, the Royal Magic Tower and the Heins Mage Tower fell into a state of emergency, and as the industry's landscape flipped, I was summoned to the Royal Palace.
"You're asking me to raise the price of the Panther 1.5?"
I received a request from the King, who is one month away from retirement, to raise the price of the Panther 1.5.
At my question, he nodded.
"At this rate, the domestic Vanguard industry will become monopolized. As you know, monopoly in an industry is poison that limits development."
"But wouldn't the development teams of the Royal Magic Tower and the Heins Mage Tower only feel a sense of crisis after being pushed back in competition like this? I think I've actually added fuel to the competition."
Whether he had already let go of much of his lingering attachment to the Second Prince, or whether he simply couldn't show displeasure while making a difficult request, I felt no particular ill will in the King's eyes as he looked at me.
"Isn't that only true when there's a degree of competition? Looking at this month's contract figures, compared to last month, the Royal Magic Tower's sales dropped by 60% and the Heins Mage Tower's by 90%, while the Lawrence Mage Tower surged by over 150%. At this rate, they'll be crushed before they can even compete."
It was data that forced the King to step in.
The royal family cannot afford to let go of the military industry, even to maintain their power.
There's no benefit in cutting ties with them.
If I'm careless, I could face sanctions.
Even in capitalist societies, the state intervenes left and right to protect industries and the Kingdom of Rhinehearts is a feudal state, after all.
If anything, it's more severe here, not less.
"Understood. I'll raise the price by 10%."
With the same output but a 10% higher price, competitiveness will certainly drop significantly.
But just as many people paid full price even for 5% lower performance, those who want it will still seek it out.
"Hoo, thank you."
The King, apparently satisfied with that much, let out a small sigh.
But no matter how loyal a subject I am, if I give something up, I should get something in return.
I had no intention of backing down with just one-sided concessions.
If I'm going to absorb losses, I should gain equivalent profits in other areas.
"Then, would you allow me to export Vanguard equipment and core components?"
"So you mean to make up for reduced domestic sales by increasing revenue through exports?"
"It's something every major Mage Tower does."
It's only because technologically powerful nations are clustered on the Defteron Continent, which the Kingdom of Rhinehearts belongs to, that there are quite a few countries worldwide that can't produce Vanguard equipment on their own.
In fact, the fact that the Kingdom of Rhinehearts had as many as four Vanguard equipment manufacturers before the Ruin of the Anahaim Ducal house was unusual.
Even the Croysen Empire, the Kingdom of Rhinehearts' rival nation, barely holds just two Vanguard makers.
In other words, I was asking for permission to export to countries that can't produce Vanguard equipment.
At that, the King thought it over for a moment.
But that deliberation didn't last long...
"Fine. I'll allow it."
Because Rhinehearts' Vanguards don't wield much power in the international market.
I smiled and bowed my head in gratitude.
"And on this occasion, I'll positively consider the Lawrence Ducal house's participation in Metal Fortress. Given the technical prowess of your Mage Tower, it should be a perfectly reasonable measure."
"Oh, I look forward to the good news."
Metal Fortress is a Heaven-Piercing Fortress manufacturing maker created by the union of prominent Mage Towers within the Kingdom of Rhinehearts.
I had been steadily sounding out participation since the fall of the Anahaim Ducal house, a participating family in Metal Fortress.
With the King going this far, it's practically confirmed.
In truth, Metal Fortress is little more than a stepping stone.
A stepping stone to acquire the Justification/Cause to eventually produce Heaven-Piercing Fortresses on our own.
"How is Princess Diana doing?"
Just as the business was concluded and I was about to rise from my seat after formal pleasantries
The King asked me that.
The well-being of Princess Diana, which the Crown Prince had practically shoved onto me.
At that, I let out a hollow laugh.
"She's doing so well it's a problem."
"Oh?"
As a father before a King, his love for his children runs deep, and for him, Princess Diana must be a sore finger.
But was my words unexpected?
He showed considerable interest.
"She's been spending her own money generously to improve the welfare of the people in the Lawrence domain. Just recently, she even established a foundation and is building orphanages and schools on a large scale."
"Haha, that's just like her."
* * *
A black eagle wearing a silver crown embroidered on a pure white background.
That banner, symbolizing the holy Lawrence Ducal house of the Kingdom of Rhinehearts, decorates every corner of the city.
Marinkov City, the first city of the Lawrence domain, is a massive city with a population of five million.
Originally a logistics-focused commercial city without any notable major industry, it rapidly industrialized after Duke Lawrence received Marinkov upon becoming Marquis, and has now transformed into an excellent military industry city.
"Life has gotten better since Duke Lawrence came to Marinkov."
"Right. Jobs increased, basic wages went up, and he even lowered taxes."
"And welfare benefits have grown too, right? They expanded the public clinics so you can get treated cheaply when sick, and for households struggling to make ends meet, they even support minimum living costs."
"Exactly, it's no wonder Lady Ibril, whom the Duke supported, became the Saintess."
"And did you hear what he said when lowering the tax rate? He said that if you create an environment where the domain's people can prosper, tax revenue will increase even with lower rates."
"He's a true noble of this era! His mindset is different, perhaps because he's self-made! If every noble in our country were like our Lord, the Republic believers would vanish entirely, wouldn't they?"
Since Marinkov was originally a city belonging to the King's domain, it wasn't a place where commoners struggled to survive as harshly as in other provincial domains.
But with the commoner-friendly Adrian becoming Lord, the domain's people were truly experiencing a new world.
"..."
And watching the domain's people praising Adrian like that while sipping tea at a cafe was none other than Princess Diana, who was walking the streets disguised with a concealing artifact.
She was currently serving as a welfare advisor for the Lawrence domain.
At the domain people's gilding of him, Princess Diana thought of Adrian.
"He's certainly open-minded. Is it because he grew up without enjoying the privileges of nobility?"
She took a leisurely stroll around the city, taking in the sights and listening to people's stories.
"This time, the Lord is supposedly tripling the number of administrators."
"Why?"
"He said they're setting up counters to handle the domain residents' complaints for each district. Apparently it's a measure to look after the people's livelihoods."
Adrian communicated with people via SNS whenever he had free time, and if there were necessary policies, he accepted and implemented them right away.
Since there wasn't a single domain resident of the Lawrence domain who didn't follow Adrian's SNS, news about policies spread quickly.
People from other countries and other domains envied Adrian's domain residents, and this unknowingly became a source of national pride that boosted their self-esteem.
"I heard the Lord is looking for domain residents to relocate to Ophelia Island."
"Ophelia Island? The one in the Sea of Silence?"
"Yeah. He received the island as a gift for rescuing the princess of the Kingdom of Roberto this time."
"Hmm, if it's the Lord, I'm sure he'd take good care of the migrants... but it's such a remote island..."
"I'm thinking of applying. The Lord isn't the kind of person to sacrifice his people for no reason."
"That's true."
These factors piled up, and the domain residents' trust in their Lord pierced the heavens he became an object of faith even greater than the King.
Watching her domain residents like that, Princess Diana thought.
'Crown Prince Michael is smart, but he won't easily earn this kind of popular support. He's too pragmatic and calculates gains and losses too much. But Duke Lawrence is different. He's someone who knows how to embrace the weak.'
Adrian spends a lot of time on personal training, yet he still carves out time even from sleep to care for the people's welfare.
Although most of the administrative work was handled by the deputy lord, a hired professional administrator, it was ultimately Adrian who set the big picture.
A figure as capable as the Crown Prince, yet one who knows how to embrace the weak.
And who delivers merciless judgment upon enemies and criminals.
That was Princess Diana's assessment of Adrian.
'What if Adrian El, Duke of Lawrence, became King?'
Was it because she had seen Adrian up close from right beside him?
It was only natural for her to have such thoughts.
A dangerous idea that could plunge the Kingdom of Rhinehearts back into war.
But when she thought about what was truly for the future of this country, her conviction only grew stronger.
And before long, a situation would arise that would once again give a glimpse of Adrian's competence...
[Lawrence Mage Tower signs contract to supply 3,000 sets of Vanguard equipment to the Kingdom of Roberto.]
[Lawrence Mage Tower signs contract to supply 2,000 sets of Vanguard equipment to Lyseth Island.]
[Lawrence Mage Tower signs contract to supply 2,000 Force Engines, core Vanguard equipment, to the Kingdom of Guy.]
[Lawrence Mage Tower signs contract to supply 1,000 Force Engines to the Prius Republic.]
[Lawrence Mage Tower signs contract to supply 1,000 Force Engines to the Kingdom of Zeon.]
[Explosive popularity. Mass production of Lawrence Mage Tower's export-version Force Engines and Vanguard equipment drives prices down. More orders are expected to flood in.]
Because he had showcased his incredible business acumen to the entire world.
This was a situation that could only be described as beyond capable utterly insane.