'Well, Mother, that's great news.'
"Yes, here are the 2 gold coins you earned."
Jack turned the 2 coins between his fingers.
For context, handmaids like Seraphina earned 1 gold coin per month. That was the standard for high nobility to pay for help.
The lower class mostly lived on copper coins, so earning 1 gold coin a month was considered extremely wealthy compared to everyone else.
'A small production earned 2 gold coins for a week's worth.'
Jack sat there staring into space as he imagined how much he could make if he could ramp up production.
Lady Genevieve tapped Jack on the head.
"Did you also know, Sanctorium offered 50 gold coins for exclusive rights. And they want to increase the price by 20 times per box."
Jack's ears perked at the information. Then a chuckle followed.
"Yes, that's good information to have, but if we can get it into circulation in all four kingdoms. We could earn 5x the amount of gold they offered in a month."
"Jack, my darling boy. Earning that much gold brings attention."
Jack continued to shuffle the coins between his hands before he suddenly stopped. He looked up at his mother with a smile.
"That won't matter. We will create a company, and it will appear as if you and Father created it. The only ones who will know the truth will be the ones who live here.
It will all be my money, with a percentage given back to the family for materials and compensation. It won't be tied back to me."
This idea wasn't Jack's. The system suggested it shortly after he developed his first invention.
"Then I think we should get more workers and a bigger workshop. That way we can increase production..."
Jack cut her off abruptly. "And help the citizens in the process."
"Yes, of course. You're starting to sound like your father."
--
After enough time had passed, Jack had leveled up from the daily quests.
'System, let's get strength to 30, vitality to 30, and the rest into magic.'
[Do you wish to use 22 Stat Points?]
[YES] or [NO]
'Yes'
[Status Update.]
Jack Kaiser: Level 4 (100/800)
Class: Lightning Mage (Rank 6)
Strength: 30
Stamina: 20
Agility: 20
Vitality: 30
Endurance: 20
Magic: 30
Mana: 300
HP: 225
Skill Points:5
Stat Points: 0
Reputation Points: 37
Magic Talent Rank: S
Martial Talent Rank: S
Affinity: Lightning
Blessings: Draven's Pendant
Skills: Scan (level 5), Polearm Mastery (level 5: 44%), Thundershock (level 1: 10%), Spear Toss (level 4), Lightning Steps (level 1), Lightning's Embrace (level 1), Lightning Shock (Level 1), Mana Regeneration (MAX), HP Regeneration (level 1)
[Quest 1] | learn who tried to kill you. Reward:??
'Mhmmm.... That question is really bothering me. When will I learn anything about that?'
[Talk to your family.]
'Yeah, I guess. I just assumed they would avoid the question. But they also don't have the answer.'
Jack paused as he looked at the system again.
'Wait, my HP went up by a good bit. 15 points per stat point, it looks like.'
Jack was smiling at the small bit of progress he had made so far.
"Young Master, are you alright?" Seraphina said as she walked over to Jack, noticing a big smile on his face as he handed out matches to the citizens.
"Hehe... I have the next invention that we're going to make."
The moment Jack said those words, Seraphina's face broke into a smile. Unlike most nobles, Jack genuinely wanted to help people, and this brought a smile to Seraphina's face.
'"And what would they be, Young Master?"
"Before I tell you, I need you to do me 2 favors."
"Of course, Young Master."
"I need you to gather some of the red rocks in storage. We have work to do today. And I was hoping you could send someone to take a head count of this city. I want to know exactly how many people live here."
Seraphina looked puzzled at this request. She could understand Jack wanting to do something. However, when she counted people, she didn't see a purpose in it.
After a short second of thinking, Seraphina left to retrieve the red rocks Jack asked for.
Seraphina returned with the red rocks and asked Jack what they were used for.
"You'll see by tomorrow."
Analyze.
[Emberstone.]
[A mineral with a deep red hue. Can be refined into a substance for everyday use.]
Alright, so I bought the process in the reputation store. Can you explain how I'm supposed to do it?
[Yes, Jack.]
[Step 1. Grind the rock into small chunks using a millstone.]
[Step 2. Soak the chunks in clean water to reduce the impurities.]
[Step 3. Skim any impurities that float to the surface.]
[Step 4. Pass the mixture through a tight cloth to reduce particles.]
[Step 5. Boil the water until reddish crystals form at the edges.]
[Step 6. Spread the crystallized material under the sun until it dries.]
[Step 7. Once dry, grind again to get smaller particles.]
[WARNING.]
[Proper storage ensures that the material won't reabsorb moisture.]
"This is a lot more work than I thought. But the taste will be worth it."
"Young Master, will this be as good as the matches?"
"Even better. I'll eventually let you taste it when it's done."
Seraphina looked at Jack like he was crazy. All she heard was that Jack was going to let her eat a rock.
He inwardly rejoiced. Having been born into a family with their hands in so many honey lots gave Jack an easy time to experiment.
Jack followed the instructions and started grinding the Emberstone. After some time, he was ready to boil the water.
"Seraphina, I need you to boil this mixture until red crystals form at the edges."
Once completed, he placed the crystals in the sun.
"Now, Seraphina, we let them sit until they dry. We'll check on them later and grind it again."
"Of course, Young Master," Seraphina said.
As the day went on, Jack collected the dry material and grinded it again.
"Looks like we have enough for 35 bottles of Embersalt. Let's bottle this up, and we'll try it tomorrow."