Chapter 607: The Red Book
by xennovelCapitalism.
As the name suggests, it refers to a social system rooted in wealth.
It recognizes private property, and each member of society moves with the profit motive, maintaining and advancing the society.
In short, it was an economic system dominated by capital.
Though the origins of capitalism go back centuries, its golden era is now. Naturally, capitalism covered all aspects of society like air and water.
Oliver was no exception to this.
“What are you talking about, Child, Greedy Bag?”
Oliver held the FRP-105 baton given by Joe, questioning Child and Big Mouth.
Revolution, ruling class, chains, labor—he couldn’t comprehend any of it.
Incidentally, the baton had the phrases ‘Diligence, Hard Work, and Honesty’ engraved in red, just like the Red Book in Child’s hand.
“We, we won’t give in!”
Child-First shouted as he took a step forward. To be exact, Second, Third, Force, and Big Mouth had taken a step back.
“Bastards.”
First cursed while Forest seriously whispered to Oliver.
“Now’s the time. Hit First on the head.”
“What?”
Oliver asked back in surprise. Though he reflexively accepted the baton Joe handed over, he hadn’t thought about using it to strike.
“It’s the rule. When a protest breaks out, it must be crushed with blood.”
“Don’t lie, old man!”
First shouted angrily.
At that moment, Joe intervened.
“It may not be a rule, but it’s commonplace to suppress protests with violence.”
Surprisingly, Joe was serious.
Oliver shook his head.
“No, I accepted it because you gave it to me, but I don’t intend to hit anyone. Just striking them out of the blue seems wrong.”
“Which is why you’re meant to use the baton. Usually, they would shoot.”
“My goodness.”
“Gasp.”
First, Second, Third, Force, and Big Mouth were all shocked.
However, it was indeed true. While Randa’s approach to protests (beating with a baton) might seem harsh, Randa still kept a line.
That’s because outside of Randa, responses were even more intense.
For instance, they might hire gunmen to shoot the protest leaders, set their homes on fire, or if the protests got too intense, they would spend a lot of money hiring Pinkman to spray them with Gatling guns.
According to the logic of capitalism, this was cheaper than conceding to the workers’ demands.
“In comparison, Randa is more considerate, opting not to shoot workers and instead using this special baton.”
Forest displayed the FRP-105 baton used to suppress workers.
At first glance, it seemed like a simple baton, but it was covered in rubber to minimize external injuries while only delivering pain, making it a worker-friendly suppression tool. It was a bestseller among many factory owners.
“Since workers’ bodies are their assets, if they get injured, they end up on the streets. In a way, it’s considerate.”
“So, hitting with it isn’t unjust violence but rather an act of consideration.”
“Hoo…”
“Don’t be swayed.”
First yelled at Oliver, who seemed to be persuaded by Forest and Joe’s words.
After the commotion settled down, Forest calmed everyone down and spoke.
“Phew… Let’s stop joking around now.”
“You weren’t serious?”
“When things get serious, it’s usual to cover it up with a joke. That’s how adults converse. Besides, isn’t the purpose of this meeting more important?”
Indeed, Oliver, Forest, Marie, Joe, Child, and Big Mouth had gathered in this meeting room for an important discussion.
The topic was what business the Redevelopment Union should pursue next and how that business should be run.
Forest, who oversaw all the operations, was the first to speak.
“Honestly, I don’t even know why we need to hold a meeting over something like this.”
“About how to run the business?”
“Yes, that. What’s the purpose of the business from the start?”
“To create jobs.”
“No! It’s to make money. And do you know what you must do to make money?”
Oliver shrugged.
“Hire workers as cheaply as possible.”
“Revolution! Revolution!!”
“Make the ruling class tremble before the revolution!”
“Unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains! You have a world to win!!”
“Labor! Alienation! Exploitation!”
“Grrrr!”
Just as at the beginning, Child and Big Mouth shouted again, and Joe politely handed the FRP-105 baton to Oliver.
When Oliver refused to accept it this time, Forest tried to persuade him.
“It’s not just for my own benefit.”
“Lies, old man.”
“It’s a lie, but it also aligns with your goals.”
“My goals?”
“Yes, to create jobs, right?”
“Yes.”
“To create more jobs, you need to pay workers only the minimum wage.”
“Why?”
“Let’s say you pay one worker 10 Randa a week.”
“Yes.”
“Then you can hire only one worker, right?”
“Yes.”
“But if you pay one worker 5 Randa a week, you can hire two workers. That creates two jobs.”
“Oh.”
“And if you pay 3 Randa a week, you can hire three people and a child, meaning you provide jobs for three adults and one child.”
“Ohhh.”
“Madness.”
Child, who was listening to the conversation between Forest and Oliver, was genuinely shocked. What shocked him more was that most workers didn’t even earn 10 Randa a week.
“Don’t criticize me too much. Even at that pay, there are plenty of people willing to work. It’s a reasonable price according to supply and demand.”
“So, revolution really is the only answer?”
As Child seriously pondered this, Oliver raised his hand. He had a question.
“What is it?”
“Aren’t you paying your employees relatively high wages? The restaurant staff, I mean.”
“Restaurant staff aren’t just people who carry food; they are skilled workers, with their manners and sense. It’s only right to pay them properly to maintain the standard of service.”
Forest, a former restaurant worker, argued.
“Besides, considering the nature of my job, I’m paying them fairly. It even includes hazard pay.”
“Exactly!”
First shouted, holding up the Red Book after hearing Forest’s words. Some letters were written on the book’s cover. Red Scu-
“-What’s exactly?”
“Wages, working hours, treatment. If you improve them, productivity increases.”
“Oh.”
“Don’t listen to that, it’s nonsense.”
“Grrrr. Want to see what a dog really is?”
“Everyone, please don’t fight.”
Oliver, holding the FRP-105 baton reflexively, made a plea. Forest and Third immediately stopped fighting. It seemed their hearts were in the right place.
Before things could escalate into a full-blown fight, First, regaining his composure, logically presented his argument.
Just as Forest pays better to maintain the restaurant’s service standards, he argued Oliver’s new business should increase wages and reduce working hours to boost the workers’ motivation, which would directly impact productivity.
“Look at Bean City. The Dark Wizard Association there guarantees high wages and rest time, producing high-quality products. If you increase motivation, it leads to profit. It’s worth trying.”
First and Force, who had interacted with Dark Wizards in Bean City, made a pretty convincing argument.
At first, it had seemed like they were just there to explore Dark Magic items, but it turned out that First and Force were more interested in the process of making those items and the system that maintained that process.
This was good news. It meant Child’s interests were shifting to a higher level, signifying growth in the Child.
Oliver wanted to keep this learning in mind and later record it in the Child Observation Diary after the meeting was over. However, he needed to focus on the ongoing meeting for now.
“What do you think?”
Having heard First and Force’s explanation, Oliver quietly asked Marie and Joe, who were watching the meeting.
He asked because he found First and Force’s argument reasonable and wanted to hear the opinions of Marie and Joe, who were directors of the Redevelopment Union.
Joe was the first to speak.
“I think First and Force’s opinion has merit.”
“Right!”
“But just because it has merit doesn’t guarantee it will necessarily work out that way.”
“No, it won’t!”
“On the other hand, if you pay only the minimum wage, you’re guaranteed at least basic labor. The key to business is reducing variables.”
Joe, who had recently gathered his savings and started attending night school, spoke quite convincingly. This drew criticism from Child-Second.
“Are you qualified to say that?”
Child-Second questioned if Joe, who had lived in the X-District slums, was qualified to say such a thing. However, Joe just shrugged, saying he was merely offering his opinion as a director of the Redevelopment Union.
In fact, Joe bore no ill will. He was merely offering a reasonable opinion based on the way the world worked.
“How about you, Marie?”
“I just want to follow the director’s will.”
As usual, Marie cautiously expressed her intention not to burden Oliver, and so she offered advice.
“However, I also think that what First and Force said makes sense. People are more motivated in stable environments rather than unstable ones, after all.”
This time, even Joe and Forest did not oppose. Though they didn’t say it directly, they seemed to recognize Marie’s abilities, who had once led a fairly large Order.
“Above all, I think it’s better to try this early on. If a problem arises in the early stages, it can be fixed, but if you start late and run into trouble, it’s difficult to fix.”
Unlike in the past when she showed blind faith in Oliver, Marie now backed her opinions with logical reasons.
How should I put it? She looked very stable. Even though she had settled down after coming to Randa, she seemed even more stable recently.
She had achieved astonishing results to the point that she even left a proxy in charge of the Gallos branch of The Selectors and visited Oliver. Oliver gazed at Marie intently.
“Director? Is there something you want to say…?”
“No, I just think what you said makes a lot of sense. Indeed, trying it out and making changes later won’t be too late.”
“You’ve already made up your mind.”
Forest, understanding Oliver’s intentions through the flow of conversation, commented.
Child seemed to feel the same way, as First, Second, Third, Force, and Big Mouth clapped their hands together.
“Hooray!”
“We increased wages and reduced work hours.”
“Our victory!”
“Sniff, sniff…!”
“Grrrr…”
“Wait? The workers mentioned here are human beings, right?”
Oliver poured cold water on Child and Big Mouth’s celebration, and Child and Big Mouth looked at Oliver with eyes filled with contempt and disgust, as if asking if he was serious.
“I was just joking.”
Though Oliver joked according to the saying that a good manager has a sense of humor, Child and Big Mouth did not withdraw their contemptuous and disgusted stares. It seemed quite challenging.
“Forest, was it not funny?”
“Hmm, I think not joking is also an option.”
“Not acceptable.”
“Oh, why?”
“Then what’s the point of me reading humor books for an hour before bed every night?”
“Oh, who knows? Though you seem to lack talent.”
“I do have a talent for humor. I’m putting in the effort too.”
“No, no, no.”
Forest denied Oliver three times.
This was quite a shocking reaction. Oliver asked Joe.
“Joe.”
“Yes!?”
“Do I… have a sense of humor…?”
Oliver couldn’t finish his question. Even Joe, who had been calm in most situations, showed noticeable anxiety, nervously wiping his face.
That was enough of an answer, and Oliver felt hurt.
“Marie-”
“-Stop bothering the nice lady!”
Forest shouted, teaching Oliver that sometimes it takes courage to give up.
“And a manager doesn’t need humor; they need vision. In that sense, I ask, what exactly is this new business? Since the X-District redevelopment is past its midpoint, a new business is indeed necessary.”
Gathering his composure after being emotionally wounded, Oliver answered.
“I’m thinking of doing a business that modifies the Filgarett project.”
“Filgarett?”
Forest asked back in amazement. Although Oliver was currently focusing on bringing Dark Magic out into the light, it still felt a bit early for this particular business.
After all, business is all about image. Various debates had surrounded the Filgarett project, and at its core, it was seen as part of the drug industry, or at least the public perceived it that way.
As proof, one of the conditions for The Selectors to settle in Randa was to stop the production of Filgarett gifts.
“No, it’s a business that modifies the Filgarett project.”
“Go into more detail.”
Forest’s expression changed to that of a businessman as he asked.
“Do you remember when Third extracted Druid knowledge from an Enjoyment body?”
Forest nodded. How could he forget? Just as they were about to develop the X-District, the Enjoyment Druids had settled there to obstruct them.
In fact, it was more than obstruction—they had tried to take the entire project. Everything could’ve fallen apart before it even started. However, Oliver single-handedly resolved the entire situation.
In just half a day.
“There was all kinds of knowledge stored there—Druid’s training methods, rituals, ways to cultivate both body and mind, and how to make the herbal products used by Druids.”
“I’m listening.”
“Among the herbs grown by Druids, there’s one that stabilizes the mind and body. It’s quite popular among politicians, businessmen, and artists. So much so that it’s classified as medicine, not drugs. What if we produce, process, and sell that?”
“I understand what you’re getting at, but how?”
Forest raised a very reasonable question.
Like many other plants, herbs grown by Druids were worth a lot of money. Plenty of people tried to steal them to grow them themselves.
However, such cases were extremely rare for two main reasons.
The first reason was that Druids were too strong, making it almost impossible to steal their herbs.
The second reason was that even if you stole the herbs, you couldn’t grow them without the power of Nature and the specialized cultivation method.
“Surely you didn’t obtain seeds?”
“No, instead, I acquired something similar.”
Upon Oliver’s request, Big Mouth pulled out a box containing herbal seeds received from Bean City.
“Grrrr!”
These were looted by pirates and specially acquired from the eastern lands. The ones who assigned the task were none other than the Druids, or rather the Reformist Druids who currently unified the Druid faction.
They advocated using nature for humanity’s benefit. Unlike the Traditionalists who worshipped nature, they were more radical and more responsible compared to the reckless pleasures prioritized by Enjoyment.
“And they were friendly with Edward X.”
Oliver continued explaining.
“It seems that the Druids aren’t only interested in their own plants but also in the flora of other countries. The note in that box mentioned that the Druids ordered it specifically for research purposes.”
Oliver pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and showed it. This eastern plant was expected to produce effects similar to the Druid’s calming herbs if slightly modified.
“Expected? Doesn’t that mean it’s not certain?”
“Yes, which is why it’s worth trying.”
“Dave, I don’t doubt your ability or talent, but do you know how to modify plants? It’s a delicate process that takes a lot of time and money.”
“So I’m going to try it my way.”
“Your way?”
“Yes, with Dark Magic. Like Filgarett.”
It was then that Forest realized what Oliver was getting at.
He intended to apply the process used to make Filgarett, where emotions are mixed into finely cut tobacco leaves, to cultivating herbs.
It was a simple but genius idea that most people wouldn’t even think of.
This approach was only possible if one could handle both the power of Nature and Dark Magic, and throughout history, only one person had ever existed with such abilities.
In that sense, it was a crazy idea.
“Surely, the Druids won’t just stand by.”
“The power of Druids doesn’t come with a patent, does it?”
Forest felt as if he had been hit by a hammer repeatedly.
Technically, Oliver wasn’t wrong. There were no patents on the Druid’s power or their herbs.
Even without patents, it was never an issue. Although considering everything, it was easy to foresee the headaches that could arise, especially given the growing camaraderie between the Druids and the royal family.
“I trust in your abilities, Forest.”
“Thanks for trusting me, but if you trust me any more, I’ll have no time to sleep.”
“Then let’s do away with sleep altogether.”
Forest’s eyes snapped open at Oliver’s bold suggestion, reminiscent of Columbus’s egg, and the Child placed their hands on Forest’s shoulders as if treating him like a comrade.
Forest called Oliver.
“You’re joking, right?”
“Of course, I have a few other businesses in mind, but it’s best to stop here for today.”
“Dave, look me in the eyes.”
“Well done, everyone… Huh? A bird?”
“Stop changing the subject.”
“No, it really is a bird.”
Oliver pointed to a pigeon sitting right on the conference room window.
The pigeon was swifter and more wild-looking than an ordinary pigeon. Its beak was red, and a faint aura of blood magic emanated from its body.
Oliver thought he knew who owned this pigeon. It belonged to Elizabeth Unner, the current head of the Bathory Family.
Elizabeth was Bathory’s disciple and daughter, and now she was also helping Oliver.
In the past, she had expressed her willingness to align with Oliver, promising to support him as much as she could. It seemed she intended to keep that promise by providing information from within the Tower of Magic.
Oliver approached the pigeon.
Flap, flap.
Oliver expected the pigeon, which had been mentally controlled by blood magic, wouldn’t fly away, but as he got closer, it started to panic. Oliver asked Joe to grab the pigeon instead.
“There’s a note tied to its leg.”
Joe checked the pigeon and confirmed its condition while speaking.
Joe brought the note directly to Oliver, and Oliver unfolded it to read.
“What does it say?”
“It seems the Tower of Magic wants me to clean up the Contaminated Zone within F-District.”