Hellhounds of Providence

Sowing Seeds

Margaret gazed out the carriage window and complimented, "I know I've said this before, but it's truly amazing what you've managed to do in such a short amount of time, Countess." Lucina and Margaret were riding in a carriage that was making its way through the renewed streets of Solfin on a warm spring day. Fall and winter came and went with spring bringing new life and a new beginning for the city as the once worn-out cobblestone streets littered with potholes were being steadily redone, starting with the main streets before branching out into the side streets that wove through Solfin. Wooden scaffolding surrounded the various crumbling sections of the city's outer wall as it underwent repairs. And the waterway that allowed the Helker to weave through the city was getting the first proper maintenance it had received in years.

"There's still a lot to do," Lucina admitted as she too looked out at her city. Immediately after taking control of Solfin, Lucina got to work revitalizing the city by hiring up any able-bodied person who didn't have a job with her priority being those in the slums outside the walls. Money wasn't a concern since she had plenty from the work she did with Olivia years ago, the reward money for fighting in the war, and all the assets Baron Rolf had been extorting out of merchants over the years. "Thankfully, I was able to start Chimera Public Works before winter hit so a good groundwork could be made. Now, we'll need to see how things go as the weather warms up." Chimera Public Works was a business directly controlled by Lucina that she was using to not only rebuild but also invest in Solfin. All the poor and destitute she hired were given proper jobs and wages which allowed them to integrate back into the economy and help start bringing life back to Solfin.

"You're already meeting the schedule we talked about last time, so this summer should be a bright one." Using Margaret's upbringing and years of experience as a merchant, Lucina hired her as an advisor to help her navigate handling Chimera Public Works. Margaret and Jeremy's combined knowledge and guidance were able to help things run smoothly through the winter to the point that the people didn't look miserable while walking the streets. Lucina also ended the unfairly hiked taxes and fees on the merchants Baron Rolf didn't like which started to bring them back to Solfin once word spread of his death. This would cause her profits to take an immediate hit but was essential to the long-term growth Solfin needed to get back on its feet. "Food imports will still cut into the budget until the farms get back into shape but I'll be sure to apply a generous discount until they do."

"How kind." The catch for getting Margaret on board was to make Trent the sole merchant group tied to Chimera Public Works and to prioritize them for any trade deals going forward for the next five years. Even though she was only seventeen, Margaret already had the guile of a true merchant. "Even without that clause, I still would have used Trent since I'm used to working with your group."

"A guaranteed deal in writing is much better than one based on emotion," Margaret explained with a businessman's smile. "That's not to say I doubt you, Countess, it's just that I can't let my personal feelings 'guarantee' business dealings."

"I feel bad for your husband, then," Lucina joked. It was a year ago while Lucina was still at war when Margaret's father married her to the son of another rising merchant group to merge them into Trent. "Even if it's not much different for arranged noble marriages, I don't think I'd like my wife talking about me like a trade deal."

"It's just a part of being an heir," Margaret said while giving a shrug. "It's better to marry like this so that hormones don't get in the way of business later."

"Hormones?" Lucina asked while tilting her head to the side.

"...Oh." Margaret realized that Lucina had no idea what she was talking about since most noble children already knew about hormones, but Lucina was fighting a war when she normally would have learned about them. She did the best she could to recall what her tutor told her about the topic, "Hormones are cracks in our souls that make us act in ways that can be counterintuitive to what we want."