Kingdombuilding: All My Inventions Are Novelty

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”Ah!”

Several startled cries rang through the chamber.

The singing girls hurriedly grabbed their clothes to cover themselves, their faces turning red with embarrassment.

In the middle of the room, Elin stood holding a bra, examining it with a satisfied smile. Hearing the commotion, she turned toward the doorway.

When she saw Prince Simon, she immediately stretched out her free hand to block his view, pretending to scold him.

”My Lord, why didn’t you ask Kobe to inform me of your return? Now you’ve seen something you shouldn’t have!”

Simon turned his head away, deliberately avoiding looking at the embarrassed singing girls.

In the Eldorian Empire, men enjoyed considerable authority over women. As a prince, he could easily have dismissed Elin’s embarrassment as unimportant.

But Simon came from another world, one where respecting his wife was a matter of principle. Elin was not merely his consort; she was his family.

”Seeing something by accident is hardly a crime,” he replied with a smile. ”Besides, I had no idea you were busy with such an interesting project.”

Elin rolled her eyes at him.

”Interesting? My Lord, you make it sound as though I’ve been doing something shameful!”

She turned toward the singing girls and instructed them to put on their clothes before leaving the chamber.

Once they were alone, she faced Simon again.

”My Lord, you were away in Ashenford for half a month. I had little to occupy my time, so I decided to experiment with some things described in the books.”

She raised the bra in her hand, looking rather pleased with herself.

Simon’s eyes brightened.

”How did the experiment go?”

Elin immediately became serious. Whenever she discussed something she had studied, she seemed to transform into a dedicated scholar.

”The singing girls say these garments are much more comfortable than the traditional chest wraps. The undergarments are especially useful because they provide better coverage and make it easier to move around.”

Simon nodded approvingly.

Excellent!

He had endured enough discomfort since arriving in the Eldorian Empire. The people here had no proper concept of underwear, and he had long wished to change that.

At last, someone had turned the idea into a practical product.

In the Eldorian Empire, undergarments as Simon understood them simply did not exist. Both men and women commonly wore open-crotch trousers beneath their outer garments, a custom intended to make using the toilet more convenient.

Some women went even further, wearing no trousers at all beneath their skirts.

Although the practice seemed strange to Simon, it was perfectly ordinary to the people of this era. Similar customs existed in many parts of the world.

Changing such habits would not be easy.

But Simon had never believed that an unfamiliar custom should remain untouched simply because people had grown accustomed to it.

”Good! Very good!” he exclaimed. ”Now that we know these garments are practical, the next step is to sell them.”

”Sell them?”

Elin stared at the underwear in her hand, her cheeks growing red.

”My Lord, are you serious? How can we sell something like this? People will laugh at us!”

Simon smiled.

He understood her concern. In the Eldorian Empire, where even discussing such garments openly would make many people uncomfortable, introducing them into the marketplace would undoubtedly attract attention.

However, he saw an opportunity where Elin saw embarrassment.

A product did not need to be familiar to everyone before it could become profitable. Sometimes, all it took was for someone to demonstrate why people needed it.

”Think about it,” he said. ”The singing girls have already told you that these garments are comfortable. You’ve tested them yourself and found them useful. Doesn’t that prove they have value?”

Elin hesitated before nodding.

That was precisely why she had been so interested in the project.

The books had described the benefits of wearing proper undergarments, and her experiments had confirmed some of those claims. They provided better coverage, offered support, and made certain activities more comfortable.

Nevertheless, she remained worried.

”My Lord, even if they’re useful, people might ridicule us for selling them. If word spreads that the princess is making such things, won’t it damage your reputation?”

Simon had anticipated this objection.

He gently placed an arm around her slender waist.

”Then you don’t have to sell them publicly yourself. Why not establish a women’s clothing shop? Only women would be permitted inside, and male customers could be turned away.”

Elin blinked.

A woman’s clothing shop?

The more she considered the idea, the more reasonable it sounded.

Such a shop would give women a private place to purchase clothing without feeling embarrassed. It would also allow them to examine different designs and choose what suited them best.

Most importantly, it would separate the business from the public activities of the prince’s administration.

”My Lord, that’s a wonderful idea!”

Her earlier hesitation disappeared, replaced by excitement.

”If we open a shop like that, women can buy these garments without worrying about being watched by men. We could also sell other kinds of women’s clothing!”

Simon nodded.

”Exactly. You can decide what to sell and how to manage the business. I won’t interfere with the details.”

He paused before adding, ”But remember, the goal isn’t simply to sell something once. We need to make people understand its advantages. If the garments are comfortable, practical, and reasonably priced, satisfied customers will eventually recommend them to others.”

This was the foundation of a successful business.

A merchant could make money by selling products people already wanted, but the greatest opportunities sometimes came from introducing people to products they had never considered purchasing.

Simon had seen this principle demonstrated countless times in his previous life.

Take diamonds, for example.

Their commercial value was not determined by their physical properties alone. Marketing, controlled supply, social expectations, and the association between diamonds and romantic love had helped turn them into highly desirable gifts.

The lesson was simple: a product’s success depended not only on what it was, but also on how people perceived it.

Of course, Simon had no intention of building his business on empty promises. The underwear had genuine practical advantages, and those advantages would be the foundation of its success.

The same principle applied to other products he planned to introduce.

Every new industry created profit opportunities, but it also generated employment and encouraged improvements in manufacturing.

A women’s clothing business would require tailors, weavers, shopkeepers, and suppliers. As demand grew, textile workshops would have reasons to increase production, improve their techniques, and train more workers.

One seemingly insignificant product could therefore contribute to the development of an entire industry.

Elin listened carefully, her eyes shining.

”My Lord, you’re right! If the shop succeeds, I can help you earn more silver.”

She was genuinely delighted.

Brambleford had changed dramatically over the past few years. Workshops were expanding, merchants were arriving, and people were finding new ways to earn a living.

Everyone seemed to have something meaningful to do.

Everyone except her.

As Simon’s consort, she enjoyed a comfortable life in the castle, but she did not want to spend her days sitting idly while the rest of the domain prospered.

The atmosphere in Brambleford was completely different from what she had known in the Eldorian Empire.

There, traditions had held society in place for generations. Here, Simon constantly introduced new ideas and encouraged people to turn them into reality.

For Elin, the opportunity to establish her own business was more than a chance to make money.

It was an opportunity to contribute.

She could already imagine the shop, the garments displayed on shelves, and women arriving to purchase items they had never seen before.

The thought made her smile.

Then, as the excitement gradually settled, another concern rose in her heart.

”My Lord...”

Her voice became softer.

Simon looked at her.

”What is it?”

Elin hesitated before asking, ”Will you be leaving on another long journey after returning from Ashenford?”

Simon paused.

He studied her face and quickly understood what she was really asking.

Elin lowered her head, embarrassed that he had seen through her so easily.

She had come alone from the Eldorian Empire to Brambleford, leaving behind the familiar surroundings of her former life. Although she was now the prince’s consort, the unfamiliar environment sometimes made her feel insecure.

Whenever Simon was beside her, those worries seemed to disappear.

But when he left for distant territories, she could not help wondering how long he would be gone or when she would see him again.

She had no intention of restricting his movements. She knew better than anyone that Simon had responsibilities extending far beyond the castle.

Still, she missed him whenever he was away.

Simon gently took her hand.

”No,” he said warmly. ”I won’t be going anywhere for a while. We’ll spend the New Year together here in Brambleford.”

Elin raised her head.

”Really?”

”Really.”

A relieved smile spread across her face.

Simon looked at her for a moment, feeling a warmth that was difficult to describe.

Unknowingly, he had already spent nearly three years in this world.

When he first arrived, everything had seemed temporary. He had been a stranger in an unfamiliar land, struggling to survive and establish himself.

Now, his domain was flourishing. His plans were gradually becoming a reality, and he had people he could trust.

Most importantly, he had a family.

In his previous life, Simon had been an orphan. He had known what it meant to face the world alone, without a home to return to or family members waiting for him.

Here, things were different.

Elin was waiting for him.

The castle was his home.

And Brambleford was becoming the foundation of a future he genuinely wanted to protect.

He had worked hard to bring his domain to this point, and he would work even harder to ensure that its prosperity continued.

For himself.

For Elin.

And for the family they were building together.

Elin gently squeezed his hand.

She had met many men during her life in the Eldorian Empire, but Simon was different from all of them.

He did not simply expect her to remain obedient and silent. He listened to her ideas, trusted her judgment, and gave her opportunities to do things she had never imagined possible.

Even a matter as embarrassing as underwear had become an opportunity for her to establish a business of her own.

To Elin, that meant more than she could easily express.

For a moment, the two stood quietly together, enjoying their reunion.

Then a loud voice suddenly broke the peaceful atmosphere.

”My Lord! Good news!”

Simon turned toward the doorway.

”Roland?”

He looked surprised.

Before he could ask anything else, Elin explained, ”Steward Roland returned two days ago. He said he had discovered a copper mine.”

”A copper mine?”

Simon immediately straightened.

His expression changed from relaxed contentment to keen interest.

Copper!

This was excellent news.

The copper deposits discovered in his domain so far had been limited, and the known reserves had not been sufficient to meet his growing industrial needs. As a result, he had relied heavily on cast iron when producing his cannons.

Cast iron artillery had its uses, but Simon understood that he could not rely on it for everything.

Copper and its alloys were valuable materials for a rapidly developing industrial power.

Bronze, for instance, had long been used to manufacture cannons. Depending on the design and production methods, bronze artillery could offer advantages in casting and durability.

But that was only the beginning.

Copper was also essential for electrical applications, machinery, pipes, tools, and countless other products. As Brambleford’s industries expanded, demand for the metal would only increase.

There was another benefit that particularly interested Simon.

Copper sheathing could protect the wooden hulls of sailing warships from marine organisms and help reduce certain forms of deterioration. With proper maintenance and installation, it could extend a vessel’s useful service life.

For a domain whose future increasingly depended on maritime trade and naval power, that advantage was significant.

Simon had already invested considerable resources in expanding his fleet. Every improvement that made his ships more durable and reliable could save money over the long term.

And if Roland had truly discovered a substantial copper deposit, Simon might finally have access to a more dependable domestic supply.

He turned toward the doorway again.

”Where is Roland now?”

”Waiting outside, my Lord,” Elin replied.

Simon nodded.

”Bring him in immediately!”

A moment later, the door opened.

Roland entered with an expression that suggested he had been waiting impatiently to deliver his news.

He bowed to Simon.

”My Lord, I have returned from the northern hills with an important discovery.”

Simon studied him expectantly.

”Tell me everything. Where is the mine, how extensive is the deposit, and have you confirmed that the ore can be extracted profitably?”

Roland’s expression became serious.

”My Lord, the location is remote, but the initial signs are promising. We found copper-bearing rock in several places, and the deposit appears to extend beyond the first exposed section.”

Simon’s eyes narrowed with interest.

Several exposed sections could indicate a larger mineral deposit, although only proper surveys and test mining would establish its true size.

He would need more information before making any major investment.

”How far is it from the nearest settlement?” he asked.

”Far enough that transporting the ore will require planning. We will also need workers, tools, and a proper road if we intend to operate the mine on a large scale.”

Simon nodded slowly.

Those were manageable problems.

Finding a deposit was only the first step. To turn it into a valuable resource, he would need to establish extraction operations, assess the ore’s quality, calculate transportation costs, and determine how much copper could realistically be produced.

Still, the discovery offered enormous potential.

If the mine proved as promising as Roland believed, it could reduce Brambleford’s dependence on imported copper and support several of Simon’s long-term projects.

He leaned forward.

”Roland, arrange for an experienced mining team to inspect the site. I want a proper assessment of the deposit, the quality of the ore, and the cost of transporting it.”

”Yes, my Lord!”

”And make sure the location is kept secure. Until we know what we have found, there is no need to spread the news unnecessarily.”

Roland bowed again.

Simon rose from his seat, his thoughts already racing ahead.

The women’s clothing business could wait a little longer.

A copper mine might prove far more consequential for Brambleford’s future.

After all, a prosperous domain required more than money. It needed the raw materials to build its workshops, manufacture its weapons, strengthen its fleet, and expand its industries.

If Roland’s discovery proved genuine, Brambleford might have taken another important step toward becoming a power that could no longer be ignored.

Simon looked at the steward.

”Take me through everything you discovered. I want to know exactly what we’re dealing with.”

Roland nodded.

”Of course, my Lord. I have prepared a report.”

As he began explaining the journey and the initial findings, Simon listened carefully.

A/N: Hope you enjoy the Chapter. Please vote and send in your gifts. I really appreciate you all for reading this far. Thank you.