Official Representative of Horns Bay
Translator: Cinder Translations
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Old Ford, the head of the Council of Affairs, and Cecil, the head of the Intelligence Department, sat on the sofa in Paul's office. On the lord's desk, several resumes were laid out, and Paul was holding one, studying it carefully.
Old Ford said, "Lord Grayman, these are a few candidates we recommend to you. Please make the final decision."
The purpose of their visit today was to select an official representative for Alden Town stationed in Horns Bay, to strengthen the ties with the official levels of various countries in Horns Bay.
After the route to Horns Bay was opened, the connection between the Northwest Bay and Horns Bay primarily relied on civilian merchants. So far, only one envoy from the Horns Bay Alliance—Marquis Foster's eldest son—had come over to purchase weapons. On the other hand, no one from Alden Town, apart from Quik, who commanded the first voyage of the Southern Star to Horns Bay, had represented the town there; it was all up to the merchants to fend for themselves.
While enterprises under the control of the Council of Affairs had sent people to Horns Bay, it still fell under the realm of civilian matters.
Currently, Alden Town had an urgent need for Horns Bay, such as purchasing or leasing a piece of land to provide a landing spot, supply station, and shelter for their merchants affected by the war in Horns Bay. Since they planned to send mercenaries to Horns Bay, it would be best to construct a fortress as a military base there. It was at this moment that Paul realized he did not have a sufficiently influential figure as his representative in Horns Bay.
Given that the civil servants selected through examinations by the Council of Affairs had mostly never been to Horns Bay, the council suggested that Paul select a representative from among the civilian trade practitioners.
"Jerrod John?"
"My lord, he is our ceramics factory's business representative in Horns Bay. He is well-acquainted with the upper echelons of the Horns Bay Alliance, and the nobles there really love our porcelain."
"Uh… he's a bit too old. If he has to run around between countries frequently, it might be too taxing for him. How about this… Steve Paredes?"
"My lord, he is from the shipyard in Frand Port, stationed in Horns Bay to recruit talent."
"Then he should be quite familiar with the shipbuilding industry there, and talent recruitment is also very important. Let's not remove him."
Paul examined several resumes but wasn't satisfied until he picked up the last one.
"Friedrich Liszt?"
"Oh, my lord, this gentleman is the business representative of Todd Shipping in Horns Bay. Todd Shipping has extensive shipping operations, and he frequently travels between the countries of Horns Bay due to business."
Paul looked at the resume and raised an eyebrow, "Hmm, this one seems good. He appears familiar with the officials, local powers, and various social classes in Horns Bay, and he is young and capable."
Old Ford and Cecil exchanged glances; this was the final candidate, and the lord seemed pleased. It looked like he would be the one.
Paul asked, "I just wonder what Mr. Liszt's attitude towards Alden Town is?"
Cecil replied, "I'm not sure about his attitude towards Alden Town, but he holds you, Lord Grayman, in high regard."
"Oh? How so?" Paul became interested, a smile creeping onto his face. Ha, it turns out I have a fan!
Cecil explained, "We investigated his correspondence with friends and found that Mr. Liszt has been studying your various economic measures over the years, such as the support policies for industry and commerce, tax system reforms, especially the establishment of the customs union and the creation of a unified market. He praises you greatly, expressing extreme admiration in his words. He even wrote a book summarizing his insights on your policies and is currently asking a friend in Alden to find a printing house to publish it. The title is yet to be determined, but some alternatives are Tariffs, Markets, and Government Intervention, Stages in the Rise of Underdeveloped Economies, and Political Economy of..."
Before Cecil could finish, he and Old Ford noticed that the lord's previously relaxed brows suddenly twitched violently.
The atmosphere in the office became quite strange.
"This book hasn't started printing yet, has it?" Paul wore a strange smile, but his tone was ominous.
"Uh…" Cecil was unsure which sensitive area he had touched on in the lord's heart, stammering, "It shouldn't have started. The latest information I received is that the book is still under review—this was your personal regulation, that any publication must be reviewed before printing. However…"
"But what?"
"Since it doesn't involve any specific sensitive technical information or any statements against you—plus it's heavily praising you—I think the review will pass quickly."
"Is the content of this book very detailed?"
Cecil thought for a moment and replied, "It's said to be several hundred pages thick, with rich details and substantial data—though all are publicly available information."
Paul sighed heavily, then said firmly, "Immediately halt the review of this book."
"Allow it to be published directly?"
"No! Send the manuscript to me. I want to see for myself what Mr. Liszt has written."
Cecil responded, "Understood."
Old Ford hesitantly asked, "Then, Lord Grayman, should we… should we control this Friedrich Liszt? Or just…"
He made a slicing motion with his hand.
Although Old Ford didn't quite understand why Paul reacted so strongly, Liszt must have touched on some taboo of the lord's.
After seeing Old Ford's gesture, Paul felt a bit speechless. When would his subordinates stop thinking in that "Game of Thrones" way, always ready to kill and annihilate?
Could we be a bit more civilized?
Paul shook his head and instructed, "I am very interested in this Friedrich Liszt. He will be our official representative in Horns Bay for the time being."
Huh? Old Ford and Cecil were both surprised. The lord's reaction earlier seemed as if Liszt had stolen his underwear; how could he suddenly assign him such an important role?
"I believe he is a talent, someone who enjoys delving deeply into the essence of society and the economy. Such a person should certainly be utilized for our purposes. It's too much of a waste for him to just serve as a business representative in a civilian company."
Paul explained to Old Ford and Cecil why he viewed Liszt differently.
"However, I hope he can come back to the Northwest Bay to meet me. I have a lot to discuss with him… ah, never mind, the situation in Horns Bay is so chaotic that he'll have plenty to do once he becomes my representative; returning once will take up a lot of time."
After thinking for a moment, Paul said, "Let's do this: I'll write him a long letter. Ford, Cecil!"
He looked at the two and commanded, "You must send people to assist him, support him, and ensure he faithfully executes my orders."
(End of the Chapter)
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