032 New Beginnings (1)
In June 1822, the Dutch royal family transferred the property rights of the former lord ‘Baron Roan Ritterkirk’ of the southern part of Rotterdam with the conferment of the title of Baron Lietterkirk to Yi Hwan.
As a result, Lee Hwan joined the ranks of a new aristocrat and enlisted with him in the ‘Royal Rifle’, a unit under the direct control of the King of the Netherlands.
Currently, no one knew more about cartridge rifles than Lee Hwan, and no one could use strategic tactics using firearms.
Thus, Lee Hwan was assigned to the Royal Rifle’s staff of 3,000 members.
The Royal Rifle Company’s general commander and commander was appointed Richard Benheren, who would later be appointed head of the military, commanding rifle units in the entire army, including the Royal Rifle.
After receiving the title, Lee Hwan went through a simple enlistment process and established the ‘Royal Rifle Staff Department’ in Ritterkirk.
The Royal Rifle Staff Department is a military institution that researches combat and tactical operation using rifles, and was intended to be used as a means for Lee Hwan to serve as a merchant.
Although he was ordained of nobility, nothing changed.
He only owns a small castle in Ritterkirk, a few empty ranches, and the present-day factory.
Janne Baront, who was a nobleman in the Literkirk area in the past, was appointed as Lee Hwan’s lieutenant and baron’s attendant.
Even a noble with just a name, the king gave him the name himself, meaning that he had given him the closest aides.
Janne Baront, a middle-aged woman in her late 40s, has a strong sense of responsibility and was deeply associated with the Ben Heren Guild.
Ben-Heren’s influence was also a big factor in his willingness to accept Lee Hwan’s lieutenant position.
“Baron Roan Ritterkirk died at the age of 20. The family had a high reputation as a war hero in the past, but their hands were scarce and their only descendant, Roan, died when Roan passed away. Even Roan was never married.”
“Wasn’t there anyone among the collateral blood relatives?”
“There was none. Well, even so, the disappearance of a baron doesn’t mean what will happen to the local government, so the central government doesn’t really care.”
“It’s a sad thing to say.”
“It’s a sad character, but not much is known about him. He made a lot of money in commerce, was the head of an industrial guild in England, and there have been many myths, but no one knows the exact status of his fortune.”
Nobility in the 19th century was literally just people from the upper classes, and privately owned land only had ownership of the land.
The disappearance of such a baron will not cause the local government to lose its organizational power.
Perhaps because of that, the local government was just bored, even though a new person was born who would use the province’s name as a surname.
Whether it was or not, it didn’t matter.
“Anyway, I have been given the land, so I don’t have to worry about the price of the land in the future.”
“Idle farms belonging to the estates are sometimes used as places for shepherds to feed their sheep. Are you planning to clear it?”
“No, we will build a factory.”
“I don’t think the residents would like to build a factory.”
In the past, Dutch weavers, who could not overcome the tyranny of Philip II, moved to England and made wool fashionable.
As a result, a gentry class emerged and a new elite group was formed, but on the contrary, poor farmers outside the fence lost their jobs and became street vagrants.
Perhaps Lee Hwan’s plant site conversion could follow the path of the first enclosure movement in this area.
However, Lee Hwan was convinced that his decision now would one day make the area one of the most livable cities around Rotterdam.
“If I had been the man who covered the entire Rietterkirk region, I would have swept away all the farmland and created industrial and commercial areas. However, I don’t have the strength to do that, so I’m just trying to industrialize the East Stellar Company area.”
“Will industry make more money than agriculture or livestock?”
“Can’t you see that I became a nobleman with a single gun?”
“Hmm.”
Cartridge rifles today are more than just a single rifle.
In a nutshell, it is the same principle as Lee Hwan riding a motorcycle alone while others are riding horses.
Industry is like that.
If innovation is added to productivity, there is no other means of achieving regional development faster than that.
“It is more profitable to buy food after collecting gold by selling excellent weapons and products than by farming. In this day and age.”
“okay. My thoughts were short.”
In order to survive in industrialization, no matter what kind of business you are running, you have to run for the purpose of increasing production.
However, if you look at the estates owned by East Stella today, they did not have enough intellectual power to increase production by farming.
In addition to repeated flooding and damp conditions, the population was not too large to obtain a large amount of crops.
So, what better option than farming?
“It is good in many ways to run a factory and squeeze the maximum output, while still producing high-quality products. For the region and for the company.”
“Well sir.”
After going down to headquarters.
Lee Hwan immediately moved the headquarters of the East Stella Company to the former baron’s castle.
He had the idea to ‘East Stellarize’ the Rietterkirk area by building a large corporate group based on this castle and establishing industrial and commercial areas around it.
In the future, it was decided to move all office work offices of the company to the castle and build an employee apartment based on solid ground near the castle.
I came down with all those sketches in my head, so I bought cement and iron in bulk.
We decided to stay in the original factory area until it was completed, and relocate when the interior remodeling of the castle was completed.
With such a lengthy plan, Yanne draws a line to Lee Hwan that he must take care of the company while completing Ben-Heren’s first mission.
“You must clearly study the strategy and tactics of the infantry. You know that.”
“Sure. You’ll be using strategies you’ve never heard of or seen before.”
“Ugh! I look forward to it.”
Lee Hwan decided to select 100 of the 200 who followed him and raise them as instructors.
Because training your soldiers better than anything else would be the only way to achieve victory later on the battlefield.
“Choose 100 people who can set an example for others. We will train the soldiers by familiarizing them with the ‘manual’ to be completed in the future and mastering them.”
“Are you a teacher? A manual for new strategic tactics?”
“yes that’s right.”
Since the teaching culture of military organizations had been handed down for quite some time, it was not a very fresh system.
However, the details of the manual that Lee Hwan thought were completely different.
It was like a kind of encyclopedia that covered everything from theories for training sharpshooters to practice, knowledge of firearms, and basic knowledge of survival and first aid.
“There are a lot of things to have, but let’s start with the system for strategy and tactics.”
“Then when do you plan to start working?”
“When? I have to do it now.”
Lee Hwan started to make a mark in the history of Europe as well as the Netherlands.
***
Inside the underground warehouse of a tavern in Brussels, southern Netherlands.
Before the establishment of the unified dynasty, this was the place where merchants from the south of the Netherlands used to gather and chat.
“… … Ben-Heren’s life is really tough.”
“Nothing is going to happen because of that bastard Ritterkirk.”
“By the way, you went up to the rank of nobility with one rifle. I never dreamed it would happen.”
Although the merchants grumbled, Congressman Lak Haboman, who sat on the steps of the basement warehouse, did not say anything for 30 minutes.
Then the merchants asked him.
“Senator Haboman, please say something.”
“Ugh.”
“It looks like the Dutch royal family is now operating the fleet. Damn, I guess those pirates got a justification because they touched the Benheren fleet. Now I’m only going to call the northerners’ boats.”
Haboman slowly nodded his head.
“Hey, that cartridge rifle thing is a real treat. Michael Easterfield, who made it, is no ordinary person.”
“It’s a monster. Seeing the king fall in love at first sight and act as if he’s going to get everything out of the liver and gallbladder.”
“… … By the way, why did the king grant Roan Ritterkirk’s estate to him? I wonder about that.”
“Well, having at least one nobleman in the Senate is advantageous to strengthening the royal power, isn’t it? Yes, I am only a constitutional monarch.”
“I’m more worried about Michael Easterfield being sealed to Baron Ritterkirk than the scoundrels of the North are making money.”
“Anyway, what would you be proud of having inherited the surnames of those filthy bastards who ate with witches?”
“That’s what I mean. If it was common sense to strengthen the kingship, shouldn’t the surname of the Leterkirk family, which had been attached to the Jews for generations, not be granted? I’d rather give you a new last name.”
“Hmm, does that mean that again?”
“Anyway, keep an eye on him. He’s going to have an accident someday.”
“Well, no matter what, we can’t sell politics. He inherited the city of Ritterkirk, where he was a Gentile and a Jew.”
Lark Haboman sipping wine again.
This time he asked the merchants.
“How was the deal with the German businessman the other day?”
“I am disappointed.”
“shit… … . So what about Asian entrepreneurs?”
“I think arms imports are possible there, but I can’t say for sure when that will happen.”
“… … damn it If that happens, things get messed up.”
“Well, they wouldn’t even have known that cartridge rifles were being developed. We didn’t even know about it until the full-scale mass production.”
“Damn it, Ben-Herren, he’s been a fox again, and things got messed up. We’ll have to find a workaround.”
Lark Haboman was deep in thought.
Then, as if thinking of a trick, he slapped his knee.
“By the way, didn’t you say that there was a kite in the German Confederation or Austria?”
“Well, yes, I guess.”
“If we cannot carry out our will for independence, let’s push the royal family to maintain it. Then, if the German Confederation or Austria support our independence, wouldn’t it be a very natural picture of an alliance?”
“But if that happens, foreign interference… … .”
“We must do our part when France is crooked. Otherwise, it is clear that we will have to go through those tough times again.”
“… … It cannot be.”
“So, whatever means may be used, our will for independence must be firmly enforced. Do you know?”
“Yeah, of course.”
After listening to Rach Haboman’s Japanese speech, the merchants looked a little more stable than before.
Now they even exchanged jokes.
“By the way, I don’t know what the hell is going on. An Asian kid from all over the world will develop a new weapon and release it right away.”
“Aren’t you going to make a new cannon and release it right away?”
“Haha, then the Netherlands eats Europe, so what?”
“Ah, I hope it will be like that.”
“Does that mean we should get down on our knees in front of him?”
“If that is the case. But will that ever happen? He is no god.”
“Haha, that’s right. Besides, as long as Britain holds out, the Netherlands will never eat Europe.”
The night of the merchants only went deep.