Chapter 73

Chapter 73:  Acquisition of the Factory (3)

After acquiring Luton Textiles.

The very first thing I did was simple.

To visit the factory I had taken over.

The factory's location was fairly close to Old Luton.

Since it was a run-down factory, it was only natural that it was situated near a deteriorated area.

So, when I rode the carriage about twenty minutes from the hotel,

a factory on the outskirts of the city came into view.

Normally, there would at least be a diner or small shops near a factory,

but this one stood completely alone, which made it look terribly forlorn.

‘There must be about twenty employees.’

Thinking that, I stepped down from the hotel carriage.

With my hands clasped behind my back, I strolled in leisurely, and already there was a man standing in front of the building who looked like the factory manager.

“Welcome, Director Roger of the Foundation.”

For the head of an old factory, he had a surprisingly youthful air.

He looked to be in his late twenties.

“Lady Freya instructed us to hand everything over to you with the utmost care.”

“I see. Then, would you kindly give me a slow tour of the factory?”

“Yes, please follow me.”

He led me and began showing me the inside of the factory first.

The textile machines were lined up in rows, and pre-woven Rumor fabric stock was piled up.

As expected, since there were no reliable buyers, they remained as dead inventory.

Because of that, the atmosphere among the staff was also quite unsettled.

The newcomers were working hard to run the machines, but the older, more senior workers mostly just sat around smoking.

Even though Nord was clearly enjoying an economic boom,

there were still dark places like this hidden underneath.

“The atmosphere is unsettled.”

“Yes, well… it's difficult to deal with the inventory…”

The young factory manager gave an awkward smile as he guided me to the office.

But that place was even more of a sight than the factory itself.

On top of the desk sat a basket, plainly set out.

Inside it were various folders and office supplies.

As if someone were about to move out at any moment.

“Is the office relocating or something?”

“Ah, well… actually, everyone is preparing to transfer to another job.”

Transfer.

At that word, I furrowed my brow.

I had just arrived at the factory, and now the senior office staff were leaving? It was absurd.

“What do you mean by that? Why would anyone leave a perfectly fine job all of a sudden?”

“Well…”

The young factory manager hesitated with an uncomfortable look.

Then, facing my chilling gaze, he finally opened his mouth.

“It seems that Lady Freya introduced the senior employees to other factories owned by the Luton family.”

She sold the factory, and quietly siphoned off the key personnel.

At that, I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

‘Right, so she wasn’t going to give it up for free.’

“And so I ended up becoming the temporary factory manager without even realizing it.”

“So all of them just left their boxes like that and went off somewhere?”

In response to my question, the young manager pointed outside with his finger.

“They’re probably all outside the factory having a beer. A final farewell before leaving, you could say.”

It was currently lunchtime.

Drinking in broad daylight—clearly, they had every intention of leaving for good.

Freya was, after all, a formidable strategist of the Grand Duke’s House.

She wouldn’t just hand over her trusted subordinates to someone who could easily become a competitor.

Even I, in her position, would have handed over the factory but held onto the key personnel separately.

“I should go take a look.”

However—

I couldn’t allow myself to be shaken by something like this.

“This might be the perfect chance. If I persuade them well enough, they might just stay.”

I strolled leisurely toward the back of the factory.

And there, I came face-to-face with a group of older middle-aged men gathered on a bench.

“Nice to meet you all. I’m Roger, the new owner of the factory.”

The factory workers glanced at me and gave a half-hearted nod.

As if to say I wasn’t worth paying much attention to.

“Ah, is that so.”

“Nice to meet you. We’re the foremen of Luton Textiles.”

But I knew.

It wasn’t because they were cold-hearted or selfish that they were being curt with me.

‘They’ve probably already decided to leave, and they don’t want to form new attachments.’

“I heard from the factory manager. You’re preparing to transfer to other workplaces.”

“That’s right. We’ve worked under Lady Freya all our lives, and she recommended the move this time.”

There wasn’t anything particularly wrong with that.

It was simply a matter of professional courtesy between the seller and the buyer.

Still, I needed these people.

If I hired new workers, they wouldn’t be able to pick up the new Rumor weaving techniques set to be developed within a few months.

It would take forever to train people who didn’t even have the basics.

But if I could win over these men in front of me, I could start producing clothing for the Erian Foundation in just a few weeks.

“Would it be alright if I asked what terms were offered for the transfer?”

At the rather bold question, the foremen made uncomfortable faces.

Normally, when someone said they were transferring jobs, most factory owners just treated them like shadows.

They were likely used to being seen as replaceable tools, easy to find anywhere.

“Why would you ask something like that…”

“Well, I plan to offer better terms to convince you to stay.”

At my straightforward response, the foremen all glanced at each other.

As if they weren’t sure whether this, too, was another test from the eldest daughter.

‘In truth, they probably don’t want to leave the factory either.’

Leaving a place they’d worked at their entire lives, and having to adjust to a new factory where they’d be outsiders—it would be extremely difficult.

They were just afraid of betraying the Grand Duke’s daughter.

“Well, you see, we decided to transfer after careful consideration.”

“That’s right. We all had our grievances, so we figured it was time to move.”

But judging by their expressions, they were now struggling to come up with what those grievances actually were.

They were only just beginning to try and find flaws in the place they had spent decades calling home.

“The factory is just too far from the city.”

“That’s right. For folks like us without a carriage, commuting’s a real struggle.”

After racking their brains, the middle-aged men finally pointed out something external to the factory itself.

They hastily brought up the hardship of commuting, claiming it was a real pain for them.

But—

Even at their complaints about things outside the factory, I kept a calm expression.

“So, you needed a commuter carriage—.”

At my meaningful smile, they all looked puzzled at once.

Then, the moment they heard my next proposal, their mouths dropped open.

“In that case, from now on, I’ll provide daily carriage service for your commute to and from the factory.”

A discomfort they’d never dared to mention, out of fear of the Grand Duke’s House name for decades…

Now, a new owner they’d met less than five minutes ago was solving it on the spot.

“I’ll also provide breakfast at Mother’s Table in Old Luton. The place is near the factory—perhaps you’ve tried it at least once?”

“O-oh, sure… We go there from time to time. Though without a carriage, we’re always short on time…”

Members of a factory producing non-mainstream textiles.

Their upper management was part of the most powerful noble family on the continent.

Fully aware of their position, they clearly weren’t used to such generous treatment.

“After you finish breakfast, you can stop by the Erian Hotel for a cup of coffee. Of course, there’ll be a staff discount.”

I pulled a business card from the inner pocket of my jacket.

And the moment I handed it over to the middle-aged men—

One of them widened his eyes and pointed at the black lion emblem printed on the card.

“Wait, I heard the new owner was a hotelier… So it’s the Erian Hotel…!!”

“The one everyone’s been talking about these days?”

Their eyes toward me changed all at once.

But this was only the beginning.

“I know what you're worried about. You're all concerned about the pressure from the Grand Duke’s House if you reject the job offers, aren’t you?”

I knew all too well how to deal with people hungry for recognition.

“But do you truly think Freya will look after you just because you accepted the offer?”

First, I poked at the long-standing void they carried inside.

“I mean, will they really value older workers from a rundown factory?”

At my blatantly rude remark, the middle-aged men all visibly frowned.

One of them, in particular—a foreman who seemed to have a tougher personality—started pointing a finger at me.

“What’s that supposed to mean…? You saying we’re too old to be of use?”

“For someone trying to persuade us, you sure are rude…!!”

But that was merely the knock on the door—just a way to stir their emotions.

The real persuasion was only just beginning.

“When did I ever say you were too old to be of use?”

I calmly clasped my hands behind my back.

Then, with the same gentle smile I used back when I served my former lord, I said—

“Sending craftsmen who’ve spent their whole lives mastering one trade to an entirely different kind of factory—it’s simply not respectful.”

The next step after stirring someone’s heart was empathy.

“Every factory has its own factions and territorial behavior. Even if you transfer to a larger factory, you’ll find yourselves struggling with internal issues.”

They didn’t argue. Perhaps they agreed with that point.

Their faces said: Fine, let’s hear what else you’ve got.

“There’s no way the Grand Duke’s daughter is unaware of this. After all, when she was younger, she worked in factory administration by order of His Grace the Grand Duke.”

I lightly revealed the black lion pin on my tie.

As if to say that I, too, understood the Grand Duke’s House well—because I once served as its secretary.

“A true superior ensures their people work in roles suited to their abilities.”

I naturally took a seat on the edge of the bench.

“The fact that she overlooked such a basic responsibility—means she doesn’t truly value you.”

Then, tossing a handful of pistachios into my mouth, I added,

“But our Erian Foundation is different.”

I gestured toward the Luton Textiles building.

From the outside, it looked like an old, unremarkable factory.

But, as one would expect from a building constructed by the Luton family, it exuded a unique and classic charm.

“This Luton Textiles will become one of the founding enterprises of our foundation.”

Founding enterprise.

It meant the highest honor a company could receive under a noble house.

There was no way the factory workers didn’t know what that implied.

That this aging place they’d been working in could become the centerpiece of an entire group.

“This old place, a founding enterprise…? Sounds a bit humble.”

“Yeah, really.”

A few of them still looked skeptical.

To those men, I calmly asked,

“Have there ever been any accidents or breakdowns here?”

“……?”

Surprised by the sudden question, a few of them tilted their heads, thinking.

Then, the eldest among them—a white-haired old man—answered in their stead.

“Of course not. Luton Textiles hasn’t had a single accident since the day it was founded.”

I looked at him with quiet satisfaction.

Because in the old man’s eyes, I could see a clear determination not to leave the factory.

A lifetime of memories spent in this place shimmered behind his gaze.

“You’re absolutely right. It was built using high-quality machines and materials from the very beginning.”

In response to the look in his eyes, I uncrossed my hands behind my back.

Then, I brushed my hand along the outer wall of the old building and said,

“This place isn’t outdated. It’s the home of artisans, steeped in long-standing tradition.”

The workers quietly watched me, having heard themselves called artisans.

The skepticism on their faces had softened—just a little.

They looked at me as if I were a familiar nephew.

“You’re working hard.”

The elderly man chuckled and gave a small nod.

But of course, that didn’t mean he was ready to entrust his future to a man he’d just met for the first time.

Rather, it seemed he was simply reassured that the man standing before him would take good care of the place they were leaving behind.

“Still, it puts my mind at ease, hearing you speak like that.”

“That’s right. We might not be able to cancel our transfers, but we’ll make sure to properly train the remaining staff before we go.”

They all stood up and expressed their gratitude to me.

I exchanged handshakes with each of them, sharing a sense of reluctant farewell.

“It’s a shame, but I’m just grateful you’d do even that much.”

The young factory manager who had guided me to the foremen quietly watched me as I let them go without a fuss.

Then, after I’d bid them farewell and turned to leave, he quietly asked,

“You’re just going to let them go?”

He too knew just how important the foremen were.

“I never intended to keep them. People with a lot to lose tend to follow their superiors’ orders.”

“Then…”

“Yes, if you just say a few words like that, they’ll at least take the handover seriously.”

For workers who’d spent so long at one place, a sudden transfer wouldn’t give them time to prepare properly.

Offering them this little sense of dignity—this reassurance—was good for both sides.

“The Grand Duke’s daughter probably arranged a carriage for them?”

“Yes, I believe it’s scheduled to arrive around noon.”

I nodded quietly.

And as I watched those who would never return again, I braced myself for a heavy-hearted first day of acquisition.

But then, the next day.

「―――――」

“……?”

When I returned to check how the factory was running,

for some reason, the foremen who had left were standing at the entrance again.

“What the…”

I was so startled, even my typically sharp eyes went wide as I approached them.

The middle-aged man greeted me with an awkward smile.

「Welcome back, Director!!」

Even the elderly man, who had been so loyal to Freya, was beaming.

“Didn’t you all leave…?”

At my question, they responded with cheerful smiles.

And I knew well what kind of moment brought out that sort of smile.

It was the kind of expression people wore when their backs were warm, and their stomachs were full—when they felt content.

“Well… on the way back, we happened to meet two benefactors.”

Two benefactors.

At those words, I tilted my head like a black fox.

“Benefactors…?”

The once-gruff factory workers now wore warm expressions, like kind uncles and grandfathers.

“Yes. We never expected you’d care for us so much, Director.”

“To have sent such generous people our way… it was truly touching…!!”

‘What in the world is going on here…?’

Tip: Tap/click the left or right side of the screen to go to previous/next chapter.