Raising the Northern Grand Duchy as a Max-Level All-Master
Chapter 132

132. Mech Knight Pluto (2)

Currently, the biggest problem facing the North, specifically the Renslet Duchy, was that there were no problems.

The threats of savages, the bitter cold, disease, and starvation had all been eliminated.

Now, the North was as safe as any other region of Arcadia, with its greatest dangers being little more than wild beasts, bandits, goblins.

As a result, both income and population had risen naturally.

People had more leisure in their lives, but there weren’t enough outlets for them to spend their newfound time and wealth.

How bad was it? They were importing porcelain from the East, less beautiful and more fragile than our ceramics, and calling it a luxury item.

“If we leave things as they are, the internal system will rot. Inflation, which we’ve just managed to control, could spiral out of hand.”

They say maintaining a conquest is harder than achieving it.

While airships and automatons were vital, internal governance was just as crucial.

“We need to build some soft power.”

“Soft power? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Ah, it’s about winning with culture.”

“??”

“Cultural victory! You know, like that legendary ‘You all know what this is!’ moment at an opening ceremony.”

“Opening ceremony? What…?”

The solution to Renslet’s current issue was simple: provide healthy, constructive ways for people to spend their money and time.

And nothing drains money more efficiently than fandoms.

“After we finish eating, inform the staff to prepare the golden carriage for departure. Tell Sir Balzac we’ll be leaving soon.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’ll be heading to the High Tower next week.”

“So suddenly?”

“My priorities have shifted.”

Mary’s expression betrayed her surprise at my sudden decisiveness.

“What about the magic engines, airships, and Pluto?”

“The designs are complete. From here on out, it’s just a matter of manpower and time. I can supervise periodically for inspections, but there shouldn’t be any major issues.”

“…But still—”

She glanced around the dining hall.

Inside, Renslet’s mages and magi-engineers, all involved in the production of airships and magic engines, were enjoying their meals.

Understanding her concern, I elaborated.

“Our mages and magi-engineers are exceptionally skilled. As long as they have the designs, they can handle most tasks on their own. If any issues arise, they can contact me via magic communication.” Ṝã𝐍ồβÊS

The core components of the project had already been addressed.

“Thanks to my max-level crafting expertise, I don’t even need research and development.”

All that remained was execution—mass production of the magic engines and airships.

The prototype automaton, Pluto, didn’t need to be mass-produced immediately.

“We’re only building about 20 units of Pluto for now. That hardly qualifies as mass production.”

Although the automaton’s magic engine was compact and required relatively few White Serpent scales, it wasn’t something I could recklessly dedicate resources to.

The more critical focus was on airships, factories, and large-scale power-generating magic engines.

And as mentioned, this was a matter of time and manpower—there was little more I could personally do to expedite it.

The necessary expertise, experience, and engineering skillsets had to be developed on-site by the workers themselves.

“Wait…? If you could leave so easily, why haven’t you visited the High Tower before now?”

Arina, her face still masked as Mary’s, suddenly narrowed her eyes at me with a sharp question.

“Well…”

Because you came here before I could decide to visit?

“…I told you, my priorities shifted. As much as I’d like to stay here to see everything through, there’s a more urgent matter elsewhere.”

“…”

Her gray eyes still held a trace of suspicion, but I avoided her gaze and rose from my seat.

“Mary, good work today. Finish relaying my instructions, and then take the rest of the day off.”

“Pardon? It’s only evening.”

Mary blinked at me as if I’d just said something absurd.

At Arad Shipyard, overtime and even overnight shifts were common as we raced against the clock.

“Sometimes, it’s good to have days like this.”

“…Are you feeling unwell?”

“I’m perfectly healthy.”

In any case, there was no longer anything pressing for me to handle here directly.

“This is a cliché! The ultimate trope of cultural heroism in another world!”

Before I knew it, my thoughts had shifted to the issues brewing in the High Tower.

“...You’re planning to make something again, aren’t you?”

“Exactly.”

“And what would that be…?”

“Hmm… how about comics?”

“Comics? What’s that?”

“It’s about time we added some comics to the Arad Post. Oh! Didn’t you say Arad Entertainment hasn’t been very busy lately?”

Whether she understood or not, I continued speaking my mind.

“Yes, portrait sales haven’t been doing as well as they used to…”

“Tell them they’re about to get busy again.”

“?”

Mary still didn’t seem to fully grasp what I meant, her brow furrowed in confusion. Ignoring her, I glanced back toward the hangar where the Colossal Automaton Pluto stood.

There was a perfect source of inspiration for fandom culture sitting right there.

***

In no time, I arrived at the High Tower from Count Jin’s territory, riding the golden carriage.

The moment I reached the group’s headquarters in the High Tower’s industrial district, I skipped the welcome ceremonies and dove straight into work.

Upon arrival, I summoned the executives of Arad Entertainment and Arad Media.

“This,” I said, presenting my creations, “is your new goldmine.”

Before the gathered executives, I unveiled a series of items I had made during the journey here.

First among them was a 30-centimeter robot figurine.

“That’s an unfamiliar knight’s armor…”

The executives, including Director Teo, didn’t recognize it as a robot.

After all, in this world, the very concept of robots was alien.

“Well, technically, calling it knight’s armor isn’t wrong. It’s a Mobile Suit… no, a Knight Suit Pluto, to be precise.”

Their interpretation wasn’t entirely inaccurate; a massive magical exosuit piloted by a knight could arguably be described as armor more than a robot.

“This is something boys will love.”

“Agreed. Even I, as an adult, can’t help but be drawn to it—my heart’s racing just looking at it. Kids are going to go crazy for this.”

Director Teo and the other executives gazed at the Pluto toy with starry eyes.

Since plastic wasn’t available in this era, I had crafted the figurine from wood and metal. While durable, it was also quite heavy—meaning it would be expensive.

“Not enough ways to spend money, so they’re resorting to gambling and drinking? You’ll regret saying that soon enough.”

Of course, this project wouldn’t be limited to the North.

This was going to be a continent-wide endeavor.

“I made the right call spreading industrialization to the Empire and the United Kingdoms.”

The Empire had officially entered its industrial age, and the United Kingdoms would follow shortly.

Before long, similar societal changes would occur in those regions as they had in Renslet.

Sure, the Empire and the United Kingdoms had some cultural outlets like literature, theater, and gladiatorial arenas. But to someone like me—who came from the modern world—those offerings felt rather limited.

“With all the spending on the war, airship production, and research, this comes at just the right time.”

The industrialization of Arcadia wasn’t just a boon for them—it was my ultimate goal.

Having a large population and ample resources doesn’t automatically make a market attractive. Earth’s Africa is a prime example of this principle.

“Industrialization means the birth of a consumer class with stable jobs and incomes.”

If Renslet were to industrialize alone, it would be a dangerous move.

The sheer volume of goods and currency it would produce could overwhelm the economy and lead to collapse.

“Thanks to the Crown Prince’s oversight as labor inspector, this world’s working conditions are only slightly harsher than those in Earth’s China or Mexico. They’re better off than laborers during Earth’s Industrial Revolution. In other words, the Empire now has a large, financially capable consumer class.”

The Empire was now both a production hub and a lucrative consumer market.

Clink, clink.

The sound of coins dropping rang in my mind like music.

Rustle, rustle.

It was soon joined by the imagined sound of counting stacks of paper bills.

Once the executives had finished admiring the Pluto figurine, I turned my attention to one of the summoned individuals.

“Arad Post.”

“Yes, this is Petro, president of Arad Media.”

Petro, the editor-in-chief of Arad Post and president of Arad Media, was one of the most prominent executives in the group.

“How are things going?”

“If you’re asking about the Arad Post, things are fantastic. We’re close to making daily newspaper publication a reality.”

“Let’s hold off on daily papers until the magic communication network and road expansions are complete. In the meantime, focus on training more reporters.”

“Yes, sir.”

Renslet’s transportation and communication infrastructure were still far from fully developed. For now, publishing the Arad Post every three days—like the Empire’s Bishop Times—was the most effective approach.

Even this frequency provided Renslet’s people with a newfound joy in keeping up with the world.

“Starting next week, Arad Post will include this as an insert,” I said, handing a thick booklet to Petro, the head of Arad Media.

“What is this…?”

“It’s content to give the people of Renslet a fresh source of entertainment.”

“But producing such detailed and colorful illustrations will be difficult to print,” Petro replied, flipping through the booklet.

“I’ll provide the printing techniques we use for currency production. Don’t worry about that.”

“Wait… You’re saying this booklet is worth that level of investment…?”

“It’s not a booklet—it’s comics! And call them that from now on. Also, increase the ad rates for the pages featuring the comics to three times the current rate.”

“T-Three times?! Isn’t that excessive?”

“That’s the minimum to cover the cost of color printing.”

“…Are these comics really such a big deal?”

“When has anything I’ve done not been a big deal?”

“I-I apologize!” Petro stammered, clearly overwhelmed.

Satisfied, I turned to another executive I’d summoned.

“Arad Entertainment, step forward.”

“Yes, this is Kanu, president of Arad Entertainment,” said the man, stepping up.

“You’ll want to take a close look at this. The artists working under Arad Entertainment will need to finish this project.”

Kanu, a former Northern painter turned executive, wasn’t just skilled at art—he also had a keen business sense, which had earned him his position.

“Whoa…!”

Kanu’s eyes widened as he examined the booklet. His focus was sharp, his artistic instincts clearly ignited.

Unlike Petro, who still looked confused, Kanu seemed to grasp the potential almost immediately.

“It’s just storyboards for now. I’ve only done rough sketches, and I quickly added colors for the first chapter. The rest is just outlined.”

“This is a rough sketch?!”

“But I’ve detailed the settings and the plot, so it should be enough to work with.”

Kanu’s jaw dropped at the quality of the roughs.

I wasn’t surprised—I had max-level drawing skills, so even a rushed sketch would look professional.

With the first chapter complete and a fully developed setting and plot guide provided, I felt my part was done.

“This book is now officially Arad Entertainment’s. Make copies and get started.”

“Yes, understood!”

“No need to overthink it—just follow what’s there. If any issues come up, contact me directly through my magic communication line.”

Realizing he now had my full attention, Kanu gulped nervously.

“Oh, one more thing.”

“Yes? Yes!”

“There’s something called the merchandise business.”

“You mean this toy?” Kanu said, gesturing to the Pluto figurine.

“That’s part of it, but I don’t plan to stop at toys.”

“Then… what else?”

“If you’ve looked at the comic, you’ve probably noticed. The protagonist eats certain foods, wears specific clothes, and uses unique weapons and armor…”

“!!”

“You get what I mean?”

“But I’m the president of Entertainment, not someone who handles clothing or equipment production…”

“You’re not drawing the comics yourself, right? Leave that to the artists. As president, you’ll oversee approvals and ensure quality.”

“Oh!”

“As for your main job, it’s simple: visit our factories and coordinate with them to produce merchandise. That’s what the president of Arad Entertainment should focus on.”

“O-Of course!”

Something monumental was beginning to stir in the North—a new wind carrying change was blowing, one that would sweep across all of Arcadia.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.