Chapter 51
**Acacia Point of View**
"So you are just a poor little metalsmith and make simple weapons."
"That's right, Milady."
"Hmm, where do you make them? Do you have your own workshop?"
"Just a small cave behind the cloud mountain. It cannot be called a workshop but just a tiny place." I suppressed the smile that wanted to break out.
He really prepared himself for every question I might ask him. A cunning man; not less, also a mysterious one.
"Cloud mountain?" I turned to Eelk in question.
"The largest mountain in the mountain range behind the city is called the cloud mountain. It is not far away from here, Milady. By foot, it takes a day and a half to reach." Ah, I remember it now. Wasn't it the mountain with wide expanse?
From the top of the tower of treasure palace, I saw the mountain before. Unlike other mountains of the range, this particular mountain was nearly barren and only has stone with no vegetation at all.
"Mister Aguelli, where you get metal ore from?" I asked as I realized something.
This man, although he is pretty talented in handling metals and a shrewd trader, somehow I feel a little familiarity when I look at him.
He is not a simple man!
Mister Vulcan Aguelli, that was what he said his name was. When Eelk checked his background, he found out that he was a poor alone man who makes few weapons and sell them every now and then in free market.
His family was poor and died many years ago and it seems that he now has no one close to him now.
"Metal ore -" Although he did not show it out, I can tell that he did not expect me to be thorough with my evaluation.
"You are just a poor man so it is given that you cannot afford to purchase metal ore to a huge quantity. Looking at the pile of weapons you made, not only was the quality of the metal good but to quantity must've not been small either. A 'just a poor man' like you could get his hands on such ore. How?" Putting my hand on the table before me, I started drumming it with my fingers as I waited for his answer.
Clearly he was startled by my question. "Mister Aguelli, I need truth so we can take this conversation further and see if we can make a deal that would profit both of us." He looked sharply at me and by how his eyes narrowed at me pointedly, It felt like I knew this gaze from somewhere.
How disturbing!
A moment later, he collected his composure and decided to tell the truth. "The cloud mountain; I extract a small amount every time I needed."
Ah ha! I knew it! I was only thinking about bicycles and the metal source walked to me by itself.
"So the cloud mountain is actually full of metal ore." I mumbled to myself and then looked back at Aguelli, "And no one knows about it?" Mister Aguelli shook his head.
"Mining metal from that mountain is not too easy as the ore is too deep into the core. People think it was just a normal infertile land with nothing but stone and sand makes it easy for me to mine a little alone every time."
That's interesting!
A mine that can produce such good metal. Not bad.
"Mister Aguelli, do you want to continue extracting the ore from the mountain secretly in future?" I asked, finding a way to land the conversation on the main track.
He looked completely perturbed when he heard me. I could see his hesitation and can tell he doesn't know how exactly to answer me.
"You see Mister Aguelli, Oudad provice belongs to me. That makes it clear that it's natural resources also belong to me. I shall not waste your time and give you two options." Seeing that he was listening to me carefully, I continued.
"One, since I found out that the cloud mountain has a ore vein, I take it and use it for myself and you will be left with nothing from here forth. Two, nonetheless, I take back the resource that belongs to me but if you work for me, you will have a stable employment under me. I give you a week time to think about it and give me your answer."
"What kind of employment are you referring to, Milady?" He contemplated.
"I have a plan to start a business that is related to what you usually do. Refining and modeling of metals. However, you would be making according to the model I give you. I got a bunch of workers to work on it and you will be the supervisor." Saying, I stood up and asked Eelk to escort Aguelli out after I told the later that he can have a week time to think and get back to me with an answer.
Once he left, I returned back to the main hall and saw that all the arrangements I asked for has been nearly done.
Since Azar wants to tag along no matter what, I asked him to make arrangements on the first floor of the palace to make it into an office.
With several rooms and meeting halls, I instructed the structure of how the arrangements should be and Azar took over from there.
The refining and modeling of metals cannot be done here but a business has many departments other than producing good. Azar has been also working on getting a huge workshop in the mountains for the production while this office shall have the departments of accounting, finance, marketing, design and administration.
I was responsible of designing because only I know how bicycles and similar small vehicles work. For the other departments and employees, I've asked Eelk to look into few poor people and fugitives with considerable amount of knowledge and ability.
When you become the source of their life, fugitives and poor people tend to become loyal to you. That is usual unless something untoward happened.
But this person, Vulcan Aguelli, he has skills and knowledge but I feel like he has some deep secrets and cannot be easily trusted.
I have nothing to do with his secrets but my instincts tell me that I cannot put my trust on him. However, since he will only be a supervisor, I can just ask Eelk to keep a close eye on him.
While I let Azar prepare office area and workshop for production, the few family household heads who vowed to be an ally and support me with tourism management in Oudad went on to build a union in each district and establish an officially authorized management.
Other than the seven families who were going to be the presidents of respective district Union, the other families were helping them in the matter of Union until I get them into some other management.
Other than very good tourism, I realized Oudad has good mineral ores too. Although I shall using them to my own business, I have been thinking of other ways to attract more visitors to the province.
The climate here is very much pleasant to have a walk and stroll around. Not only that, everything around was covered with vegetation which is soothing to eyes and heart.
Only, if this aspect can be made more prominent, then it will be better.
"Milady," Leto, the head housekeeper bowed and brought in a plate of fruits cut in small pieces. I was in my newly furnished office cabin on the first floor along with my son beside me thinking how to make it big here when Leto knocked softly and walked in.
"Ah Mrs. Leto." She placed the plate on the table in front of me. Biting a small piece of local fruit, I stopped Leto from leaving.
"Yes, Milady."
"Leto, you have been living here from a very time yes?"
"That's right, Milady."
"Then you must know many locals here."
"Nearly."
"Have you heard of someone called, Vulcan Aguelli?"
"Yes Milady. Although I have never met that person till now, I heard his name several times in the market area. He frequents to the free market streets according to what I heard." So he really is from this area.
Then why do I feel like his whole standing is a mere setup?
Although there were proofs that support his claim, my intuition was hardly wrong. These days, my senses even increased towards these things.
"Alright. Thank you, Mrs. Leto. Right, have you got someone to make the bottles I asked for?" A few months later, Igses will no longer need to drink breast milk so I asked Mrs. Leto to have someone make milk bottles by giving a detailed description of how they should be.
Although they don't have plastic here which is good; they still have good material with which safe milk bottles can be made. I can even squeeze some breast milk and keep it aside to give him when we will be public place and I cannot feed him directly.
"I have. They shall produce the first bottle in fortnight." I nodded and she left after that.
Soon a guard came in saying Mister Aguelli is requesting to meet me. I asked him to bring him in while I smiled inwardly.
Not even a day passed and he already came up with an answer.
Vulcan Aguelli, who exactly are you?
**~*~*~*~*~*~
Hello Sweeties,
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