Imperial Crown.

Chapter 260 Dedicated to Our Dear Father

"Master, the reports from Kuman and Fili have also arrived."

In the morning, Fiona pushed open the door of Ray's office and placed a pile of documents on the desk.

At this moment, the desk was already filled with various documents. Raven did not look up. "You came just in time. The left side is the part I sorted out. You can help me take half of the ones on the right side."

"Yes, Baron." Fiona sat down and began to help Raven sort out all the data.

These are the income and expenditure reports of various industries and the summary of tax revenues from various regions since the start of the competition. They have already been preliminarily reviewed and counted, and Raven is mainly doing some integration.

The two of them were busy from morning to noon, and it was almost lunch time before they finally sorted out all the data.

Raven stretched and said generously, "What do you want to eat? Just order whatever you want. I'll treat you!"

The data during this period is really encouraging.

As the competition entered the second half, the momentum grew and the excitement increased. Although the number of matches decreased, the amount of betting increased.

In the first two months, a total of more than 9 gold coins were withdrawn, and in the last two months, this figure increased again, reaching 13.

As the most mainstream beverage of this era, wine, its sales volume exceeded Raven's expectations.

According to statistics, in the past four months, more than 4 bottles of Angel's Tears were consumed in Raven's territory alone.

If it were not for production capacity constraints, this figure would be even higher.

You know, in previous years, Eagle Town produced only more than 10000 bottles of Angel's Tears a year.

Anticipating that the competition would lead to a surge in demand for Angel's Tears, Raven expanded the production scale in advance and mobilized twice the number of additional staff.

But even so, on the 13th day after the competition began, more than 3000 bottles of stock in Eagle Town were sold out.

In order to ensure the supply, Raven had to temporarily recall a batch of Angel's Tears that were originally prepared for sale, and expand the production capacity again. Now the Riverside Workshop has completely become the production base of Angel's Tears.

More than 300 bottles can be produced every day and are immediately put on the market once they are produced, but there is still a shortage of supply.

Raven had to adopt a rationing system - giving different quotas to each industry and selling them while stocks last.

Production capacity cannot be expanded in a short period of time.

In fact, the biggest limitation is not the Angel's Tears wine itself, but its packaging.

The reason why it can be sold at a high price of 2.88 gold coins, in addition to its taste, is also due to the packaging described by Raven and designed by Denise. At least in the Nordic province, it is fashionable, noble and elegant.

But in this era, no matter how smart Raven is, it is impossible for him to design an automatic production line from scratch. Every piece of packaging is woven by hand by female textile workers.

A skilled female worker can weave 5-8 packages a day. Originally, the 10 female workers in the factory were fully capable of doing the job, but the new demand was for more than 300 packages a day, which almost increased the demand sixfold.

To this end, Raven built a separate factory for them and began to expand the staff, increasing the number to nearly 100, thus solving the packaging crisis.

Raven thought about improving efficiency through division of labor and cooperation on the assembly line, but the problem is that embroidery work is not like screwing in screws, it requires technical skills.

Moreover, women of this era were basically all illiterate, so it was quite difficult to make them understand division of labor and cooperation and to cooperate skillfully.

Raven tried for two days and only got a bunch of unusable garbage, so he had to change back to the previous form of each person being responsible for their own work.

The hot sales of Angel's Tears are a microcosm of the surge in consumption in Raven Territory during this period. Basically every industry has been expanding wildly in the past four months.

For example, the Paramount Hall temporarily added a floor, which was opened three months after the start of the competition and was still packed; the number of employees in the Crystal Palace increased several times, most of whom were girls from outside the city; and the Wallace Hotel even had to build an additional kitchen specifically for cooking takeout due to the expansion of its takeout business.

Even so, it was still unable to fully satisfy the needs of the nobles and businessmen, so that various copycat brands sprang up like mushrooms after a rain in the territory.

Eagle Town has the Crystal Palace, Shining Gold Town has a Crystal Club, and Snow Maple Town has the Crystal Love; they can’t learn to build the Wallace Hotel, but they can still build the Lion King’s Pride, so there are taverns like the Tiger King’s Pride, the Leopard King’s Pride, and the Elvis King’s Pride.

At first glance they seem to be in the same series, but in fact they are not adjacent at all.

Raven's attitude was to turn a blind eye, as long as the matter didn't go too far and cause any vicious incidents.

After all, imitation is the beginning of innovation, which is also part of driving the economy.

"The final data is out." Fiona said seriously: "After deducting various costs, the direct income is 177352 gold coins; and the second quarter tax revenue is 22576 gold coins."

In previous years, the second quarter was the peak consumption season, and the tax collection was around 5000-7000 gold coins. This time it roughly tripled.

With these, the amount of Raven's small treasury has expanded again, and has reached 77 gold coins in one fell swoop, just one step away from 100 million!
However, Fiona is no longer the same as she was two or three years ago. Although she is quite happy, she is not blinded by it: "After all, events like the competition are not normal. The amount of consumption will probably fall sharply in the future."

"The industries that have expanded as a result of this will probably be hit to a considerable extent, and the number of unemployed people will surge... I'm afraid it will be a mess."

This is indeed a very realistic consideration.

Raven nodded approvingly, "So what are you going to do?"

Fiona had obviously thought about this question. As soon as Raven asked, she immediately said, "We can make the competition an annual event. That way, with expectations for next year, each business will have a reason to keep the staff."

"Well, that's a solution, but there's a problem." Raven analyzed, "The reason why this conference was so successful is not only because of the Sky Eagle platform, but also because it was high enough and had enough gimmicks. It was the first time in hundreds of years in Nord Province that the two major earl families and the marquis of the capital participated."

"If we hold it again next year right after this year's event, I'm afraid not only will the scale be far less than this time and fail to achieve the effect you want, but the value of the competition itself will also be completely diluted."

Fiona nodded slowly, accepting Raven's words, bit her lip and asked, "So what you mean is..."

Raven did not answer directly, but asked: "How is the progress of the batch of things I asked the forge to produce?"

"The production is basically completed." Fiona said.

"Tell Petty to put it on the Skyhawk platform, and also put it on sale in our stores." Raven said confidently, "This will be enough to maintain the popularity for at least another two months."

"So...what about two months later?" Fiona asked.

"You'll know then."

Fiona didn't understand what Raven meant, but the master's decisions were always wrong, so she immediately followed his instructions and released the batch of products that Raven mentioned.

They are statues of people about 7 inches tall, or about 18 centimeters. They are all popular players in the arena, such as Gul'dan, Akori, Eric, Savanna, etc. Their respective battle records are engraved on the bases.

The price of each statue varies depending on the material.

The iron one costs 2.99 gold coins; the silver one costs 8.99 gold coins; the gold one costs 29.99 gold coins.

There is also the distinguished Mist Heavy Iron commemorative model, which is sold in limited quantities and costs 299 gold coins each.

Of course, it is not pure metal casting, it is basically wood wrapped with a thin layer of metal.

In Fiona's opinion, this price is no different from robbery.

But she didn't expect that these small statues would become so popular once they were on the market, especially the silver statues, which sold the best, with more than 200 copies sold on the first day.

Some people also expressed on the Tianying platform that they hope to be able to customize their own portraits.

Raven soon issued a new statement, saying that he could accept customized personal portraits, but not customize products that were already on sale.

What happened next stunned Fiona, who had witnessed it all from the beginning.

Many nobles who had already left returned to the Eagle Territory in order to cast their own statues; others who stayed here were asked by other close nobles to purchase them on their behalf.

Many people buy portraits in sets, and the most popular set is the top 16 set of this tournament.

Even some nobles and wealthy businessmen would spend money almost as much as the portrait itself to buy the right to jump the queue!

In response, Raven acted calm. Although the scene was tense, it was not beyond his expectations.

To him, this was a simple math problem.

The influence of this competition is huge, covering the Nord Province and its surrounding areas. There are no less than 10 people who pay attention to it and have a certain purchasing power. Among these 10 people, there doesn't need to be too many, even if 1/10 are deep enthusiasts and 1/100 are fanatical enthusiasts, it is enough to support a huge market.

In addition to the portraits, Raven also launched other products related to the players, such as the same rapier used by Gul'dan and the same wave blade greatsword used by Akori.

The material is ordinary fine steel, and there is no enchantment. Only the appearance is restored one-to-one, but the price is three times that of weapons of the same quality.

Through the promotion of the Sky Eagle platform and taking advantage of the enthusiasm of spectators, the liveliness of Eagle Town has declined, but it is still within an acceptable range.

A secondary and even tertiary scalper market has even emerged around these products. The prices of some rare items, such as portraits with movable and removable joints and armor, have been driven up to 3 or even 5 times the original price!
Every morning, long lines form before the stores selling these tournament-related products open.

At first, the residents of Eagle Town felt it was new, but as time went on, they got used to it and continued their daily lives as usual.

Time slowly transitioned from September to October. The weather gradually became cooler. The dew in the grass in the early morning became colder, and the leaves of the willow trees along the road gradually began to turn yellow.

Early that morning, Hoyaz walked through the morning mist, passed through the Shining Gold Town, and returned to the Eagle Town.

"These guys are really too idle." Heyaz glanced at the servants of the nobles who were queuing on the street and muttered twice.

But when he saw the silver statue of Simon placed in the glass of the counter, a hint of desire flashed in his eyes.

That was Simon's heroic posture during the competition, with his feet slightly apart and his sword in a plow position, as if he was about to stab the sword into the enemy's throat.

Awesome!
He rubbed the purse at his waist, swallowed his saliva, and finally sighed and walked away in annoyance.

I went all the way back to the orphanage, climbed over the back wall, and as soon as I got back to the dormitory, two people surrounded me.

"How's it going? Did you find out?" Lennon asked anxiously.

"It looks like he's been gone for most of the night. Why are you in such a hurry?" Banks rolled his eyes at him and poured a glass of water and handed it to Hoyaz.

After drinking three glasses of water, Hojaz finally caught his breath: "I found out." Lennon and Banks almost squeezed to Hojaz's side at the same time: "What did they say?"

Banks is tall and thin, wears gold-rimmed glasses, and has a somewhat sinister temperament; Lennon is tall and strong, worthy of the nickname "Rhino".

Once, Hoyaz was blackmailed by Banks. It was under the guidance of Raven that he found Lennon and took back the silver coins left to him by his mother.

After that, the three "troublemakers" were assigned to the same dormitory.

As the saying goes, there is no friendship without fighting. The hatred between adolescent children does not last long. After two years of training and living together, their relationship has become quite harmonious. It is not an exaggeration to say that they are wearing the same pants.

Hoyaz sighed, "If it is made of first-level black iron ore, it will cost at least 500 gold coins."

"How much? 500?" Lennon's voice suddenly rose: "Why is it so expensive?"

"An Eagle Feather Sword made of second-level material, Mist Heavy Iron, costs less than 900 gold coins!"

Hoyaz spread his hands and said, "I asked that too, but Bowell told me that the swords sold outside are not made of pure misty iron, but are mixed with a lot of other things; and ours is a special order, so we have to pay extra."

Lennon looked at Banks and said, "Hey, you always say you are a descendant of nobility. What do you think?"

"I am a descendant of aristocracy, not a blacksmith. What do you think of this?" Banks pushed his gold-rimmed glasses: "...But, since it was Bowell who said it, it should be right in all likelihood."

"How much money do you have left?"

"I still have 61 gold coins and 52 silver coins." Hoyaz immediately took out the purse hidden under the bed.

"I have 55 gold coins and 27 silver coins here." Lennon also took out his own purse: "Banks, you said last time that you saved 70 coins. The three of us together only have a little over 3 gold coins."

"Actually, I still have a little left here..." Banks frowned, moved an oil painting on the wall, and took out a small box: "There are still 84 gold coins here."

"Where did you get this from?" Lennon's eyes widened.

Without waiting for Banks to answer, Hoyaz said, "During the finals, Banks bet with his own money."

"How do you know?" Banks was also stunned.

"I was also going to place a bet, but when I saw you, I stopped." Hoyaz said, "After all, it's quite risky. I'm just leaving a backup for our plan."

Banks smiled and said, "Boy, have you become wiser after being taught by your father? The nickname 'Two-Headed Snake' is not in vain!"

Although the extra money is a small surprise, even with this added in, it’s still more than half short!
"Otherwise, we can settle for the next best thing and order a sword mixed with star iron? That thing should be cheaper, right?" Lennon suggested, "Besides, father probably won't care how much the gift we give is worth."

"No."

"no!"

Hoyaz and Banks denied it almost at the same time. The two looked at each other, and Banks spoke first: "It's true that father won't care, but nobles value face. A sword made of first-class materials is already the bottom line. If it is a cheap one mixed with star iron, how can he hold his head up in front of other nobles?"

"What should we do?" Lennon said anxiously, "This won't work, that won't work. Are we going to kidnap Bowell?"

"I have an idea." Hoyaz licked his lips.

The other two came over and asked, "What's the solution?"

"Raise money!" Hoyaz pounded his palm and said, "This gift is for my father. If we raise money with other classmates, we will definitely get it."

Banks' eyes lit up.

In this competition, since Banks' vision was relatively accurate, many orphans placed a few rounds of bets with Banks with a trial mentality, and they should have some money in their hands.

But the problem is, how can we make them pay money willingly and how can we make people believe that this is not a means for them to make money?

Hoyaz had also thought of this problem and had already prepared a response: "Show them the design drawings. Also, wasn't there a businessman who came to sell something called 'classmate yearbook' a while ago? He should still be here. Let's buy two copies and write down the names of the donors. When the time comes, give one copy along with the gift to our father and keep the other copy."

"That's a great idea!" Lennon clapped his hands. "If we rank by donation amount, the three of us will definitely be at the top, and Father will be able to see us at a glance!"

Banks thought for a moment and realized that Lennon had misunderstood: "No, the amount cannot be written on the donation list."

Lennon looked puzzled.

Banks continued to explain, "Other people definitely don't have as much money as the three of us. If we specify the amount, many people may simply not donate. After all, there are so many donors. If father doesn't see their names, won't we get all the benefits?"

"But this was planned by us after all!" Lennon said with dissatisfaction: "Why should we be treated the same as them?"

"Don't worry." Hoyaz smiled. "So what if you don't remember the amount? We are the ones who raised the money. If we write our three names at the front, who can snatch them and change them?"

Lennon scratched his ear and finally uttered, "You two are the bad guys!"

Although he said so, Lennon was the most motivated. He went out directly to find the businessman. In just an hour, he came back with two thick cowhide-covered notebooks.

Hoyaz and Banks first wrote the names of the three people in two notebooks, and then split up into two groups to start fundraising.

Banks is of noble birth, has the best eloquence, and looks very attractive with his gold-rimmed glasses. He is specifically responsible for raising funds on the girls' side. Hoyaz looks harmless and has no record of bullying others, so he is specifically in charge of the boys' side.

Things went quite smoothly. In just 5 days, almost all the orphans participated in the donation. Some donated 1 or 2 gold coins, while some donated a dozen or dozens of silver coins. More than 200 orphans donated a total of 297.63 gold coins. With the money they had in hand, there were a total of 568.58 gold coins!

"Great!" Lennon almost jumped up with excitement: "Now, in addition to the sword, I can also get a good scabbard!"

That night, for insurance purposes, the three of them worked together and delivered a deposit of 250 gold coins to Bowell.

Delivery would take no more than 20 days, and when the news spread, all the orphans began to look forward to it.

The process was not so smooth. Occasionally, Bowell would order the gray dwarves of his own race to come and complain that the deposit had been used up and asked them to pay a little in advance. At the beginning, several people gave 30 gold coins.

When they came the second time, Hoytes and Banks were skeptical, but based on Lennon's advice, they still gave 2 gold coins.

By the third time, even Lennon realized something was wrong and refused to give any more money.

As expected, on the day of delivery, Bowell's eyes widened and he refused to admit that he had received the first two payments of 50 gold coins. The three of them had to pay the balance of 250 gold coins.

Fortunately, the customized sword was delivered on time. Hoyaz took the sword back and showed it to the orphans, and they all said it was worth the money.

At noon that day, Hoyaz, Banks and Lennon came to Eagle Castle with swords.

At this time, Raven had just returned from the military camp and was chatting with Volaf. When he saw the three people coming over, he was immediately curious: "What's going on? Is there something wrong in the orphanage?"

The three of them looked at each other and knelt on one knee. Hoyaz held up a long box and said loudly, "Father, this is our gift for you!"

Volaf stepped forward, took the long box, and handed it to Raven.

The three orphans watched nervously as Raven raised his hand and opened the box.

Raven glanced over and raised his eyebrows.

This is a sword about 4 feet long. It hums when it is drawn out of the scabbard, and it is obviously carefully made.

The sword is pitch black and its shape is that of a classic aristocratic sword. It is slender and elegant, and only slightly thicker than a rapier.

Three words are engraved on the hilt:
"Father's Sword"

Below the hilt, on the blade, is a line of text carved and then filled with gold lacquer:
"To our dear father."

Raven smiled, and Volaf beside him said, "Baron, the seeds you planted have finally grown into fruit."

"Yes." Raven sheathed the sword and hung it on his belt. "This sword made of black iron ore is not cheap. Where did you get so much money?"

"We made this money from betting at the competition!" Hoyaz held up a notebook. "And it's not just from the three of us. This is a gift from all of us orphans to you!"

The notebook was passed to Raven by Volaf. When he opened it, he saw many familiar names on the list.

When he turned to the total amount, Raven was slightly startled. Volaf next to him shouted, "568 gold coins!?"

"Actually, it didn't cost that much, just 550 gold coins in total." Hoyaz told the truth.

Raven glanced at Volaf and said, "I understand your kindness, but please don't buy me such expensive gifts again."

"Have you eaten yet?"

"I've eaten!" Banks said.

"No!" Lennon spoke almost at the same time.

Unable to help but smile, Raven said, "Then come eat something with me."

The lunch was very sumptuous, but the three boys were not focused on the food - it was so exciting to have a meal with their father!

While eating, Raven would ask them about their daily lives. Although Lennon was under the gazes of Hoyaz and Banks, he still told a lot of jokes that the orphans usually told in private, but Raven didn't care much and just laughed it off.

After all, when he was in the orphanage, he spoke and acted much dirtier than these kids.

After the meal, the three boys left Eagle Castle.

Lennon looked very happy and even hopped as he walked, but when he looked back, he saw that Hoytes looked calm and Banks had a frown on his face.

"What happened to you two? Did you eat something bad?" Lennon asked.

Shaking his head, Banks recalled Volav's expression and reaction, gritting his teeth:

"…We were tricked by Bowell!"

(End of this chapter)