The Goal is to be Self-made

“Cocoba. I need it. A lot.”

It was poor imperial language.

Count Bellot was leisurely drinking tea when a merchant came directly to his manor, saying he wanted to buy Cocoba.

The County of Bellot was regarded as one of the Empire’s representative cocoba producers along with Etzel Duchy, so it was not surprising that its reputation spread to foreign countries.

For that, there were many cases where merchants came to the County to ask for supplies of cocoba.

But he doesn’t look….

Count Bellot glanced up and down the merchant’s figure.

Aside from being a foreigner, his attire was quite bizarre.

“Where’s the merchant from?”

“Across the sea. Cappadonian. I like Cocoba.”

“Cappadonia? It’s the first time I’ve heard of it.”

However, there were various countries beyond the sea, so it was inevitable that it sounded unfamiliar.

“Anyway, you’ve come at the wrong time. Currently, the crops in other places are not good, so orders are pouring in on our side. It’s hard to distribute it overseas because it is already difficult to take care of all the domestic orders.”

Count Bellot said arrogantly.

Recently, their competitor, Etzel’s cocoba harvest was not very good, so orders were rushed towards Bellot.

It was a huge opportunity for Bellot, who was always behind Etzel and stood in second place in sales.

Count Bellot did not miss this opportunity and actively expanded its business partners.

If they advanced one more step ahead, they could have made a huge profit by raising the price of cocoba, but the cocoba business was a long-term family business. Rather, he opted to lower the price of cocoba to attract the clients from Etzel’s side, one by one, toward his.

So far, he had been able to form verbal contracts with some clients.

“Though you came from afar, I’m sorry.”

“I really want to buy it. The Cocoba. I brought a lot of money.”

“Sorry, even if you say that, we have already decided to deliver it to another place…”

“100 gold.”

Before Count Bellot could refuse flatly, the merchant opened his mouth.

“100 gold per kilogram.”

It was an unconventional price.

Originally, cocoba was priced at about 80 gold per kilogram. In addition, it was now sold for 70 gold per kilogram because 10 gold was cut to find new customers.

But now, it costed 30 gold more per kilogram!

If 1 kilogram is 30 gold more in cost, then…?

If considering the units sold, they would see huge profits.

It was too much money to refuse right away for long-term reasons.

Let’s-, let’s calm down first.

Count Bellot stablised himself and straightened his posture.

If he let his joy show, the other party might notice that he had bid an overly high price and lower the price.

He had to pretend to be as nonchalant as possible.

But contrary to that thought, Count Bellot’s lips were already twitching up uncontrollably.

“Oh, well, since you’re insisting, I’ll try to arrange it and give you as much as possible. How much are you planning to buy?”

“Fifteen thousand kilograms.”

“Fif- fifteen thousand??!”

That’s about the amount of production for one entire year at the Bellot.

Except for the Cocoba which had already been delivered, they would have to put in all the mentioned quantities in order to meet the order.

“Are you sure you have the ability to pay that much…?”

“I have a check. It’s from the Imperial Bank. A sure guarantee.”

The merchant took out a checkbook from his pocket. It was a golden checkbook issued by the Empire only to people with good reputations. It meant this man’s wealth was enormous.

Count Bellot opened his eyes and looked at the merchant.

This ridiculously dressed man who didn’t look the part at all was an immensely wealthy merchant.

“Write a contract. The down payment is 10%.”

The merchant wrote a check on the spot and handed it to Count Bellot.

The Count, who had been in the business for many years, recognised immediately that the check handed to him was authentic.

His hand trembled as he received the check.

“How long. You need to prepare? Cocoba. Fifteen thousand.”

Count Bellot came to his senses at the merchant’s calm question.

Before the man could have the thought that he had been ripped off, the Earl would have to hand it to him as soon as possible.

“A fortnight, no, just wait for a week!”

The Count said urgently, worrying the merchant might change his mind. Upon hearing the answer, a satisfied smile hung on the merchant’s face.

“Okay. I’ll wait. A week.”

❈❈❈

“I’ve bought all the cocoba from Bellot.”

“Good job. Now that there are no more cocoba in the empire, all orders will come to our side. Therefore, let’s unpack the quantity we’ve bought from Bellot. The price will be set at 130 gold per kilogram.”

It’s a lot more expensive than usual, but no one would be able to refuse, for they wouldn’t be able to buy cocoba anywhere else.

This is why monopoly is so scary.

However, the administrator was concerned.

“If the raw material price suddenly jumps, the chocolate will also become expensive. Then fewer people will buy chocolate, and eventually, the raw material cocoba…”

“Do you think so?”

“Is not it?”

“It would be true if the commoners were buying it. But only the nobles can afford chocolate and eat it, right?”

“Yes. Because it is so expensive, it is difficult for commoners to get their hands on chocolate.”

“That’s the point. It’s a luxury snack that can only be consumed by wealthy aristocrats, and the more expensive it gets, the more popular it becomes.”

It was an indirect way of bragging that ‘I’m eating such an expensive thing without any problem’.

It was obvious that everyone would be buying chocolates to show off their wealth in a discreet way.

Later on, chocolate would appear as a refreshment during teatime of the nobles.

The decline in cocoba yield was both a crisis and an opportunity.

“You’ll see. The order volume will only increase, it will never decrease.”

“Is that so…..”

The administrator nodded, still puzzled.

He was worried because they had spent a lot of money at once buying cocoba from Bellot.

He was concerned that if cocoba orders did not pour in soon, they would be forgotten and would be at a huge loss.

“And the cocoba’s flesh. It also tasted pretty good… I want to sell it somehow.”

In one cocoba fruit, the percentage of the flesh was bigger than that of the seeds.

Yet we’re throwing it all away.

It’s too bad.

At this time of the year, the weather was really nice. Wouldn’t the flesh taste best at this point?

“But as I said, there is a problem in distribution.”

“You can sell processed flesh instead of raw flesh.”

“Flesh through being processed?”

“Yes. Dry the flesh and make it into a snack…”

In her head, she recalled a snack she ate often in Korea.

People who went on overseas trips used to buy sweet treats of dried mangoes.

Wouldn’t it be possible for cocoba flesh to be processed that way?

There was also a way to make it with jam, but sugar was also quite valuable here.

Dried cocoba would be the better option.

She only knew of it, but she had no idea how such a snack was made. It didn’t matter anyway.

Because she had the Skills!

[!] Under the influence of the Perfect Design (Legendary) skill, great ideas run wild in your head!

[!] Start designing <Recipe Dried Cocoba Snacks>.

[!] Consumes 300 energy.

As soon as the skill was activated, her hands began to move freely.

At first, she was perplexed and didn’t know what to do, but now she just naturally left it to the movements.

The administrator’s mouth slowly gaped as her hand filled the paper without rest.

The production method was not that complicated.

As for the ingredients, only cocoba flesh was enough.

Eventually she handed out the recipe, full of letters and illustrations, to the administrator.

“Here. Let’s make it like this.”

Just as the administrator nodded with a baffled face, the door to the Grand Duchess’ private office opened and Nisha entered.

“Madame.”

She looked rather troubled.

“Is there a matter?”

“About that… a man came from the capital.”

“The capital?”

“Yes…It’s Madame’s father…”

Her brows furowed at the word ‘father’.

Because she ignored the letters he sent every time, the Duke of Basel decided to come to the Grand Duchy himself?

She didn’t know that he was such a free man. It seemed like he just had too much time on his hands.

But the name that came out of Nisha’s mouth belonged to someone else, who she had never thought of.

“Count Hill is leading his men and encamping in front of the Grand Duchy!”

“…Count Hill?”

Isaac Hill.

He was the third husband of Violet’s mother, Lady Adeline, and the second stepfather of Violet.

That person’s here.