Gourmet Emperor: Master Of Culinary World 17 Big Plan

From a servant, I know my father is in his study room. After I arrive there I knock on the door for entry permission.

"Get in" a heavy tone come from inside.

"Good morning father" I greet him after I open the door and enter his study room. I see my father sit behind the desk that full of doc.u.ments.

"Good morning Henry, but actually it's almost noon" he laughed

I only can smile wryly when hearing what he said. I can get here earlier if not for that morning activity you know.

"Seems you already recover and work hard last night huh? That's good"

"Ugh, yeah it's seems so, but how do you know, father?"

He laughs again and pointing at the neck. d.a.m.n! That bites marks that Claire left there. I feel my face suddenly hot

"Hahaha…Don't be shy like that. I also ever being youth like you before, so I can understand that. It's better you do that with them than going to a brothel and do it with an unknown woman which maybe have a disease with her. Ugh, I don't want to imagine that, besides they are all fine young girl, don't you agree?"

"Yes father, you're right"

"Too bad you can't marry them now. If you want to marry them, that can be done after you married your fiancée first, or else you can take them as mistress now. It's common for n.o.bles to have some mistress before they have a formal wife"

"I'll take attention for that father"

"Good. Sit down here, I know you come not just for greet right? You have something you want to talk with me"

"Father is wise, indeed I have something to talk with you"

I pull a chair and sit in front of him.

"So, what do you want to talk about? I can see you have many things to talk with me. Go ahead, I'm all your ears"

"First, for our financial crisis, I think I have some solutions for that"

"Really? Tell me about that"

"Okay, our source of income is from taxes that collected from our people. Since the taxes not in form of money but the product that people make, we must sell it before getting some money"

"That's right"

"Most of our taxes in form of agricultural and farm product. Since we only take 50% from the production, let say from 1000 kilos grain produced, we get 500 kilos. n.o.bles with bigger territory will able to produce more and take more taxes, let say 2000 kilos and with 60% tax, they will get 1200 kilos. If we sell our 500 kilos for 1 silver each, we get 500 silver coin. If they sell 2 kilos for 1 silver they already have 600 silver coins. Father, if you only have 1 silver, which one will you choose? 1 silver for 1 kilos or 1 silver for 2 kilos?"

"1 silver for 2 kilos of course"

"Bingo, that makes our product doesn't have the buyer. If we follow their price, 1 silver for 2 kilos, we only get 250 silver. it's 350 silver difference between them, which make them only richer but we only poorer"

My father nodded hearing my explanation.

"But you have a solution for this right?"

"I do. We should change the base product into other product which sells for more silver. for example, grapes. If we only sell grapes as fresh fruit, the yield is not much. But if we turn the grape into wine, we can sell it for more silver than grape"

My father stunned hearing my explanation

"That's…that's reasonable. Why I never thought about that before? Henry! Your solution is good! What else?"

"We can also produce a product that can be sold for a high price in the market, like salt"

"Henry…Don't tell me…you know how to make salt?"

"I do father, in fact, this is the fastest way to solve our financial crisis, but I need your full support on this"

"You got it!"

"Alright, I'll explain in detail later. Now about my fiancée…"

"What about her? Do you want to marry her as soon as possible? Hahaha"

"it's not like that father. She and her father will come, we must welcome them in the proper way, right? Moreover, they are from n.o.bles in the higher rank than us"

"Yeah, you're right. So?"

"We currently have not much money to spend to entertain guest. But at least we must hold a banquet to welcome them, yes?"

"Yeah"

"Father, can you trust me to arrange the banquet? I will not disappoint you, I promise"

"Okay, if you want to. I believe in my son, you'll never disappoint me. What else?"

"That identification stone … can I take a look?"

"Oh? This one?" my father put his hand in his pocket and pulls out a white stone.

"You know how to use it? Face out to use to other and face in to use on self"

"yes. Can I have a look?"

"Keep it. It's yours. Maybe that stone will be more useful in your hand" my father handed me the stone.

"Really father?" I almost didn't believe what I've heard.

"Of course. It's really pitiful that your talent has no chance to develop. But you know our financial unable to enroll you in the magic academy in the capital. Otherwise, maybe you can be a great magician"

"It's alright father, maybe by self-learned I can also develop my talent in magic"

My father sighed before speaking

"I do not doubt you but learning magic is very hard otherwise there will many magician roaming in our country. Great magician's ability to manipulate nature, grand magician able to manipulate nature and s.p.a.ce, and grandmaster magician able to manipulate nature, s.p.a.ce and time. And all that three rank of magician only on our hand's finger on the number"

"Oh I not thinking to be that kind of magician father, only if I can use this talent for practical use like make fire for the stove maybe"

"hahaha, it's still a not easy feat to do my son, but I must praise your realistic vision. Okay, now tell me about that salt making in details. What do you need?"

"First, I need trusted manpower in considerable amount and some and lumberjack and carpenter with them. This salt making process shall not be leaked to other people or else, we can't get profit from it"

"Hmmm. You're right. I ask your uncle, Joseph to a.s.sist you. He and his people are from your mother's clan, surely trustworthy person for this job. What else?"

"I need iron equipment. Not the usual equipment so need to be made first, also equipment for terraforming land"

"Fine, make the drawing and I will tell our blacksmiths to make it"

"I need that to be made as soon as possible, father"

"No problem!"

So I tell my father the detail of salt making processing. For the long term is make the salt fields near the sh.o.r.e and use sunlight to evaporate the seawater and collecting the salt layer after that. And for the short term is cooking the sea water. Yeah, cooking the sea water, because will use firewood to boil and evaporate the sea water. It's a tiresome effort but also faster gain than waiting the sun evaporates the sea water. That's why I also need terraforming tools for this long-term salt making process. The carpenter will make a temporary settlement there with the wood provided by the lumberjack. The Lumberjacks also have responsibility for providing firewood to cook the sea water.

After hearing my detailed explanation, my father laughs with a satisfied expression.

"Hahaha, good! Very good! Madelaine, our son has grown into such fine young man. You should proud of him in heaven"

Madelaine is the name of my late mother. My father really loves her for still remember her until now.

"Son, when you want to run this plan?"

"The sooner is the better father. I can go with half equipment first and you can the rest later"

"Alright, you can go 2 days from now. I also urge our blacksmiths to work days and night to finish it. Do you need something else besides that equipment and labor?"

"Thank you father, if possible I want to read the doc.u.ment about our agricultural, farm and mining production."

"I'll prepare that, you can pick those after lunch. What else you need to say? If you have nothing else, go see your sister. She will glad to see you healthy again"

"That's my intention father. Please excuse me"

After bid goodbye, I'm leaving my father's study room to see my sister.