Chapter 84 Planning
Jiang You hadn't forgotten that she and Andre had formed a solid partnership, and now, with the royal seal of approval, she was considered one of the king's followers. Baron Lothar, on the other hand, was still just someone the king wanted to win over.
Trying to win him over meant they hadn't yet succeeded, so the two sides weren't strictly speaking on the same side. If Baron Lothar made a mistake before being successfully won over, he could still be dealt with by the King. Furthermore, Baron Lothar's daughter, far away in the capital, wasn't necessarily a complete representative of the Baron himself.
Heidi wanted to give her restaurant business in the capital to Takumi Yuu. From the perspective of repaying a debt of gratitude by curing her illness, it seemed perfectly acceptable. However, Takumi Yuu, a newcomer to the modern world, wasn't sure what the nobles in the capital would interpret. She didn't want to be inexplicably assigned to a hostile faction without her knowledge.
Whether it's taking over Heidi's restaurant in the capital or moving into the magic academy, before wading into the muddy waters of the capital, one must discuss it clearly with Andre, a local who is familiar with the nobles and the situation. This is the correct use of a partner.
——Well, maybe she still needs to wave Andre's banner.
After dinner, Jiangyou sent away the reluctant magicians, made an appointment with Heidi to do morning exercises together the next morning, and then took Andre back to the wooden house they rented.
The security of this kind of outdoor camping site is almost non-existent, so they just rented a two-story building. At night, Jiangyou sleeps upstairs and the knight guards downstairs, which will greatly improve the safety.
"What's wrong?" Andre asked as he was obediently led by Jiangyou back to the cabin.
When Little Bone saw the small wooden house, he did not run around in and out of the house in surprise. Instead, he closed the doors and windows as soon as he entered the house. It was obvious that he had something important to discuss with him.
Sure enough, Jiangyou took out the silver business card of the restaurant from his skull and told him again about Heidi's wish to give the restaurant to him in the afternoon and her concerns.
Andrei pondered for a moment. "You're right. The waters of the capital are deep, with various factions fighting openly and covertly. To run a business in the capital, even a restaurant, it's not enough to just be a skilled chef."
"Many businesses are outposts and spies set up by foreign nobles in the capital. They make money from these shops while keeping an eye on any movement in the capital and sending messages to their masters at any time.
"Under these circumstances, if the restaurant isn't doing well, it'll likely go bankrupt at best. The real danger is that if it's doing too well and impacts the interests of these people, they'll rally against it and join forces to suppress it. Not only will business in the capital be affected, but even the main store in Eston West City, and even personal safety, will be threatened."
"Ah, this..." After hearing this, Jiang You's bones turned even paler, "It's true that it's hard to get a bargain, free things are the most expensive!
"Actually, there's no need to worry too much." Andrei touched his chin. "If you really want to do business in the capital, it's easy. You can partner with Heidi. The restaurant doesn't need to change ownership. It will still be Baron Lothar's business, managed by Heidi. You just need to teach the chefs a few new dishes and then stay home and earn the money.
"If you don't want to give up your reputation, you can also spread the word... Say you're designing dishes for the restaurant and providing technical guidance. If other nobles come to you in the future, you can accept their requests, give them some recipes, and extort a large sum of money from them. This way, they will all benefit equally, and not only will they not become your enemies, but they will also become your patrons."
The fire in Jiang You's eyes grew brighter as he listened: "Hey hey! That's right!"
This mode of operation is similar to that of the branch in Witch's Forest. The only difference is that Jiangyou can hide deeper, intervene less, and act as a completely anonymous boss.
Generally speaking, a restaurant can keep customers coming back with just one or two signature dishes that are thoroughly executed, thoroughly refined, and exquisitely executed. Even if the nobility are picky, introducing one or two new dishes annually is perfectly sufficient. It's rare to find a restaurant like the main restaurant where the menu changes daily, tailored to the artist's whims.
This way, it wouldn't matter if Takumi was away from the capital year-round. She only needed to teach the chefs how to cook from the start. Heidi's restaurant would employ only experienced chefs, who would learn dishes even faster than Meili and Nasha. Takumi wouldn't have to worry about anything else; the restaurant would naturally have professional managers. They'd served the nobility year-round, knowing how to tell the difference between the best and the worst. They had a thorough understanding of the capital's dynamics and knew who not to offend.
Andrei laughed. "Even if I didn't tell you, you'd have figured out this business model soon. Or perhaps you've already figured it out, but you're worried that your status as a baron of the Lothar family alone won't be enough to suppress the evil spirits in the capital..."
Andre stroked his chin again, looking at her with interest. "You want me to join Heidi's restaurant as a formal partner. I'm a newly acquired viscount, and a favorite of His Majesty the King. Those nobles are unsure of my background, so they'll be hesitant."
"Hehehe~" Jiang You rubbed his palm bones and smiled like a fox stealing fish. "We really are in sync! So what do you think? Want to form a partnership?"
No one knew what Jiangyou's inherent 'universal magic language translation instinct' had translated this idiom into. Andrei coughed lightly and said with a look of full energy: "Alright."
Heidi currently doesn't know Andre's true identity, so the specific details of their cooperation need to be discussed later. The two decided to go to the royal capital first and see what the situation is.
The restaurant's location, the number of chefs, the dishes it specializes in, and the surrounding competitors... There is so much information to be collected, and jumping to conclusions too early before fully grasping this information may lead to wrong judgments.
"Are all barons this wealthy these days? Or does it have something to do with the location of their territory...?"
"It has something to do with the location of the territory," Andre said. "A title only determines the size of the territory, while the prosperity of the territory depends entirely on the will of the king who bestows the title. An earl in a desert region will be much poorer than a baron who controls an important seaport. No matter how large a territory is, if it is burdened with poor soil, a poor location, and a harsh natural environment, it will be difficult for the lord to achieve success.
"Baron Lothar's ancestors had made great contributions, and they obtained a good territory from the Delman royal family. Although it is close to the border, it has unique seaport resources. The Huntington Duchy attaches great importance to maritime transportation, and a large amount of materials must be imported from the hot south. Control of a seaport means control of a large amount of wealth. Not to mention that Baron Lothar's territory has an entire coastline, three or four large and small seaports, and countless fishing villages. His income is also among the highest among the nobles of the Huntington Duchy.
"However, Baron Lothar's expenses must also be substantial. Rumors say he maintains a naval fleet."
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