Chapter 32
Chapter 32. I Released Cola in Nortaris! (2)
The inside of the auction house was already packed with people.
An interior so spacious that shouting 'yahoo' would echo—yet there wasn't a single spot to step.
Bankers, businessmen, or representatives from merchant associations, each interested in the legacy Polar Sun left behind.
Penelope was the only noble personally present and seated.
Since she even came wearing a red, flashy dress, countless glances poured toward her.
"Damn it... Why of all times..."
"So that... was really true."
"Today's a bust... If I'd known..."
"...As long as it doesn't overlap..."
As expected, the murmuring grew louder, but now was the time to focus on the auction.
Penelope squeezed through the gaps in the crowd and sat in an auction seat.
"What's with the sudden business cards... anyway?"
Even sitting down and thinking about it again, she couldn't understand.
Surely stories about the Cola factory had leaked out...
Of course, she'd been quite active recently and had shown the fearsome side of the Rosemores against Blyton, but...
"Hmm, is that it?"
Anyone with a bit of sense would know the Rosemores moved not for Penelope's sake but for the family's prestige...
Could it be that social circles had been ostracizing Penelope all this time without even that much awareness?
There was no time to fall into deep contemplation.
"We will now begin the auction for Polar Sun Corporation asset liquidation. I trust everyone is familiar with the procedures, so we'll move straight to the first item."
The auctioneer started the auction without even a second's deviation from the scheduled time.
"Lot number 1, a lemonade manufacturing plant. Please refer to the catalog for detailed specifications. The starting bid is 300 Crowns! We'll take bids!"
What, what?
Does it normally proceed this quickly?
Penelope, who had barely caught her breath, hurriedly examined the materials she'd prepared.
"Let's see... Lot number 1..."
The lemonade plant in question was one of Polar Sun's main production facilities located in the New Industrial District.
The starting price was 300 Crowns, but this was far below the estimated value.
They deliberately lowered the starting price to ignite fierce competition.
If proper competition took hold, it could easily surpass several thousand Crowns.
"It's pie in the sky..."
Meanwhile, most of Penelope's assets were tied up, invested in the Cola factory.
Forget several thousand Crowns—she didn't even have the starting price of 300 Crowns on hand, so she lost interest.
She examined the auction catalog to see if there were any other items worth picking up.
"These are at least buyable."
It seemed possible to snag unused raw materials at bargain prices with her current budget.
Sugar, bottle caps, oranges—things like that.
Jurgen had been worrying lately about rising sugar prices anyway.
Especially the sugar—the storage condition was good and the quantity sufficient.
If luck followed, she might be able to take it at a tidy discount.
As Penelope examined the auction list, she raised her head, feeling the surroundings were strangely quiet.
Something was off.
She'd thought the moment the auctioneer's crisp voice rang through the hall, excitement would whoosh ignite.
After all, it's an auction—competition, desire, the heat of battle, things like that.
"...?"
But silence flowed.
Silence so deep you could hear the clock's second hand.
"...What?"
The auction participants in front weren't focused on the auction at all but kept glancing backward.
What is it?
Did Blyton come back from the dead or something?
Penelope, who snuck a glance over her shoulder while pretending to flip her hair, was once again flustered.
"Ahem."
"Hmm..."
The auction participants sitting in the back rows turned their gazes away and feigned ignorance as if completely uninterested in the auction.
While everyone was quiet, someone suddenly approached the auctioneer and whispered along with a note.
The auctioneer tilted his head as if baffled, then spoke.
"Uh... I apologize. There was an error. Lot number 1, lemonade manufacturing plant. We will correct the starting price to 100 Crowns. We apologize for the confusion. Starting bid, 100 Crowns!"
It's an auction anyway, so does lowering the starting price even matter?
Penelope seemed to understand why the auctioneer showed that reaction.
"100 Crowns, anyone?"
But the hall remained silent enough to hear the clock's second hand.
What? Is everyone completely uninterested in that item?
"...That's really an absurd price though..."
Why isn't anyone bidding?
Penelope glanced around, then showed uncharacteristic timidity as she raised her paddle.
"100 Crowns. I bid."
The feeling was like 'If no one's going to buy it... can I just take it...?'
"100 Crowns! We have 100 Crowns! One! 100 Crowns, two! 100 Crowns, three! Sold to number 47! Congratulations!"
Penelope blinked her eyes.
At first she blinked slowly, then gradually faster as she recognized reality.
No one bid higher.
In other words, Penelope won.
Won?
For only 100 Crowns?
'Is this even okay?'
This is a factory in the New Industrial District close to the port and cargo station, isn't it?
It was one of Polar Sun's main lemonade production facilities, wasn't it?
Even excluding the factory and equipment, the land value alone would easily exceed 1,000 Crowns, wouldn't it?
Is there some serious defect with the item?
Are there debts, collateral, or ownership issues tangled up with it?
But if we trace back to the truth, that wasn't the case.
'Ugh! What a waste!'
'That for 100 Crowns...'
'I wanted to buy it too!!!'
'Of all times, P.R. had to show up!'
Those gathered at this Chamber of Commerce auction house were money demons who came to 'rationally' buy 'good items.'
Normally, when good items come out at good prices, it's natural to fight tooth and nail.
However, those gathered here had encountered gossip circulating through social circles—in Britannian terms, a 'memorandum.'
[Notification of Gray Council Decision Regarding Polar Sun and P.R.]
—Blyton, who antagonized P.R., 'processed as suicide.'
—Chairman Marcus to preferentially yield Polar Sun's legacy to P.R.
—Other council members eyeing said legacy agreed to suspend related plans for 30 days.
—P.R.'s position requires reevaluation. Incompetent image may be intentional performance. (Uncertain)
—Need to reconsider the possibility that Penelope indirectly exercised influence over Gray Council. (Very uncertain)
A matter the entire Gray Council agreed upon.
At least in this Chamber of Commerce auction house, there was no one who would ignore that tacit agreement.
Money is important, but more precious than life?
"Next is lot number 2! Suburban Old Brewery District lot! Starting bid 40 Crowns!"
"Oh?"
Penelope brightened.
That place was near the abandoned factory Jurgen bought from Serena.
Even considering it was an old industrial district, 40 Crowns was a bargain among bargains compared to the land area.
This time too, Penelope gauged the room and sneakily raised her paddle.
"40 Crowns. I bid."
"50 Crowns... Oof oof... Who are you people?"
"Oh my! Friend! Please stay still!"
"We're trying to help, trying to help!"
There was a small disturbance in the middle...
"40 Crowns! We have 40 Crowns! One! 40 Crowns, two! 40 Crowns, three! Sold to number 47! Congratulations!"
"Sold to number 47! Congratulations!"
"Number 47 sold, congratulations!"
"Number 47, congratulations!"
"Congratulations!"
Penelope successfully completed her auction house debut.
After about an hour of debuting, what she held in her hands were...
—New Industrial District lemonade manufacturing plant.
—Old industrial district brewery lot.
—Large warehouse near Nortaris Central Station.
—200 tons of sugar.
This was the achievement accomplished with a measly 250 Crowns.
***
People rejoice when fortune follows.
However, when too great a fortune follows, one simply becomes dazed.
Penelope, who had overcome early morning drowsiness hoping to snag something cheaply out of regret, was in exactly that state.
It felt like succeeding at an unreasonable quest she'd experienced during her university days: 'Hey, I'll give you 5 pence, so go to the shop and buy 5 rubies and lapis lazuli for catalysts. And leave the change behind.'
"For 250 Crowns?"
"That's what I'm saying."
"All of it?"
"That's what she says..."
Even Jurgen couldn't help but be astonished at this miraculous arithmetic.
It didn't make sense by common standards.
Though the worldview and concept of prices differ, when converting 1 Crown to won, the approximate equivalent is about 1 million won.
For easy calculation, remove two zeros and add 'hundred million.'
In other words, 250 Crowns is about 250 million won.
About the price of Serena's beloved car, the Caliburn Model J, which was involved in an unfortunate incident.
Not a small amount of money, but not particularly impressive in business.
Right now, even 'Cola Factory No. 1' alone was scheduled to have 1,500 Crowns invested after deducting this and that.
This was despite receiving the factory from Serena at a cheap price and maximizing reuse of existing equipment.
Conversely, it meant she pulled off an absurd miracle with that 'chump change.'
"I didn't know Miss Penelope's capabilities were so remarkable."
"Me neither..."
"Whatever the detailed circumstances. Well done, Miss Penelope."
Elegant noble lady Penelope is always thirsty for praise.
Penelope's ears perked up hearing Jurgen's admiration.
"Well, when I get serious, this is the level I'm at."
Firmly suppressing the corners of her mouth while pretending to be nonchalant, she summarized the significance of today's harvest.
First, the lemonade factory.
"The New Industrial District is close to both the port and cargo station. Rather than rewriting the proposal, how about moving the factory?"
"The blueprints have already gone in and foundation work has started, you see. We can put out Factory No. 2 under better conditions than now."
Next, the lot in the same brewery district as Factory No. 1.
"The warehouse problem is immediately solved. This works out well since I was worried about it."
"I bought it because it seemed to be right next door. You know how much I got it for? 40 Crowns, 40 Crowns."
Next, the large warehouse near Nortaris Central Station.
"Oho, it should be excellent as an intermediate distribution base."
"Since it's right next to the station, distribution throughout the North will become convenient too."
Lastly, even sugar, the main raw material for Cola.
"Oh, and I bought sugar too. 1 Crown per 10 tons."
"Ohhh...! Well done, well done!"
With a mere 250 Crowns, she'd captured the trinity of manufacturing, distribution, and storage.
All that remained now was for Serena to quickly finish manufacturing the production equipment.
"But really, why was I so lucky?"
The incident where Penelope learns about the rumors concerning herself and becomes dejected saying 'I'm tainted by the mafia...' would come a bit later.
***
At that time, at the Renoir Workshop.
Serena was directing the manufacturing of Cola production equipment at the forefront.
"Miss Serena! Take it easy! Haven't you only been catnapping for three days already?"
"There's plenty of time until the deadline."
The team members tried to dissuade their team leader, Serena.
The young lady had been obsessively immersed in work for the past few days without proper sleep.
As if possessed.
They understood that sentiment.
The commission she'd received this time contained innovation that any Mechanical Engineer would want to design and manufacture at least once.
Advanced equipment that progressed the existing beverage production system by two stages.
They handle steel and machinery but are beings with passion hotter than a furnace in their hearts.
Isn't that what a Mechanical Engineer is?
But it was too excessive, even excessively so.
She'd seemed to grind her body down since the design phase, and upon entering the production phase, she'd practically set up house in the workshop.
It wasn't simply giving instructions.
Wearing work clothes, gripping a wrench, getting grease on her face, rolling on-site together with team members.
Everyone was on edge wondering what would happen if the already delicate young lady suddenly collapsed.
"If you insist, how about you give us instructions and at least close your eyes for a moment..."
"No. I'll do a bit more. I can do it."
Serena shook her head and wiped sweat with her sleeve.
As grease smeared, her face became a bit more grimy.
"I'm the on-site supervisor, aren't I? What happens if the field commander leaves their post on the battlefield?"
But to the team members, even that appearance seemed beautiful enough to have a halo.
"Miss..."
"Sniff... When did she grow so dignified..."
"If the young lady is stepping up like that, we can't slack off! All-nighter again today!"
"Waaaah!!!!"
Not the kind of manager who gestures at subordinates while personally slacking off, but a true manager.
Isn't this exactly the aspect of a true superior worthy of inheriting the Renoir Viscountcy?
'As quickly as possible! With the highest quality possible! This much isn't enough!'
Separate from the burning enthusiasm of the team members...
Serena's reason for overworking was different.
Actually, she hadn't intended to go this far from the start.
Even though she'd made a bad impression on Senior Jurgen, whom she'd mistaken for a commoner, hadn't she roughly paid compensation with the factory and Caliburn?
Originally, what Serena feared was Jurgen's side more than Penelope.
As for Penelope...
She just thought of her as someone born into a great family? With connections through family influence? A noble lady with a nasty personality? Something like that.
She'd thought 'If you look at ability alone excluding family, isn't she not much different from me?'
So she occasionally challenged her, tried to match up to her, things like that.
That was until she heard news about Penelope in the social circles' memorandum.
Penelope had her life threatened by a mafia boss who was a business competitor.
She repelled him through a show of force, and afterward even drove the boss to suicide.
Not satisfied with that, she even exercised influence over the Gray Council, Nortaris's mafia organization, to devour Polar Sun's legacy.
Penelope, who'd been mocked with the derogatory nickname of useless flower.
Even Serena had somewhat looked down on her, but she was actually...
A fearsome noble living at the heart of dark struggles and schemes.
"I must... move up the schedule...!"
Along with Serena's struggle stemming from survival instinct...
Deadline shortened from 60 days to 20 days.
Y&P Trading Company's Cola Factory No. 1.
Grand opening!