(Klaus's Pov)
After settling in the old estate, I implemented my plans.
I hired some mages to construct the required buildings for my restaurants and factories. As for the furniture and tools I hired some carpenters and blacksmiths. Most of the work wasn't complex, so they completed their tasks easily.
I hired a few cooks, guards, and key personnel for maintenance. They had to sign confidential magic contracts. They can't divulge anything they learned during their work under me. They can leave the employment but still wouldn't be able to tell my secrets.
Not all my employees needed to sign it but the ones that did get a few perks over others.
For the factories to work properly a lot of ingredients are required. I can't grow them and produce the end products. It's too much hassle. So I bought the ingredients required.
The only farm is the honey farm. I accidentally found a honeycomb. I discovered that people usually don't pay attention to it because of the bees. Many monsters roam the forest and if those annoying bees hunt the people they could directly fall into the monster's hands.
Fear of monsters kept the people from obtaining many resources, especially products like honey which would have bees protecting it.
So I established my own honey farm.
For sugar, sugarcanes are available. Many would just grind the juice out and drink. Though it would taste sweet the people lack filtration which reduces the taste.
Since I needed sea water for salt, I bought all land except for the restaurants, adjacent to the sea. There would be a pipe that naturally lets the seawater enter the salt factory.
Using the wine factory, I produced fruit wines for nobles and grain wine for commoners.
I finally established all that need and restaurants started the work.
To start all these at the same time, I depleted more than three-quarters of the money my father gave me. Though much money disappeared, I didn't fret. I was sure that the money would return with a lot of profits.
As time passed, it is said that my choices were correct.
My restaurants spread to various cities and towns in the archduchy. I could have spread beyond that but I reined myself. I'm not powerful to spread as I like.
Though this was for restaurants, my products for sale through merchants made a lot of profit.
Except for the archduchy, I gave exclusive rights for sale to some chambers of commerce.
Five years went by, the profits took to the skies.
As the profits started I introduced various food items that won't go bad for days. As salt production vamped up, I started to sell canned salted food. Not only this but instant noodles, biscuits, and such made an entrance.
With my salt factories, salt's value decreased, at least in the archduchy many can afford salt better than others.
These items that can stay good for longer days slowly started to become the standard rations of the military in the archduchy. The soldiers are also happy as they no longer needed to eat sour food or go hungry when the food spoils.
My personal wealth reached a quarter of my family's wealth. I even paid back the money my father loaned me.
My next category was the lifestyle. I wanted to introduce soaps, shampoos, perfumes, and such.
This world has soaps but I wouldn't call them soaps.
I even made prototypes but before I could implement the production the dreaded date has arrived.
My fifteenth birthday came and my future will be revealed.
I dreaded this day because, from the novels I read, a system chooses someone downtrodden in that world. The chosen one would be in trouble or would be considered a waste because of lack of any good talent.
---
While I was dreading what would happen during the ceremony I heard my father speak, "Klaus, it seems they are ready".
I readied myself and walked towards the priest. Oh yes, this ceremony would be done by a priest in a temple. The one we were in is the temple of life.
After I arrived the priest started the process and a few moments later he announced, "Mage".
My family cheered for me. Most of my family members are knights though there were a few who became mages in the past but the number is small.
They were happy as mages are the one who normally would do research and makes the progress of the empire a reality. Though others would be involved the name would usually go to the mages who would make the most of it as this world is magic oriented.
Even if one day one makes a train, magic would be needed for the train to run. The blacksmiths are required to make parts and engineers are required to draw blueprints and they would be the usual ones who would come up with the idea. Even with that, without magic, nothing would come to fruition.
This was the problem at this moment. What I dreaded became true. My potential for magic is abysmal.
--
Name: Klaus Von Emsier
Age: 15
Race: Human
Class: Mage
Element Affinity: None
Attack: 6
Defense: 5
Intelligence: 12
Mana: 120
Magical Attack: 11
Magical Defense: 9
Vitality: 8
Charm: 8
Luck: 3
Skills: Touch of Gluttony, Will of Gluttony, Touch of Sloth, Will of Sloth
Sin Points: 86,000
--
When people go through the ceremony they would awaken but they wouldn't get a status page like games but because of the system I already had one.
With that, I was able to see my waste of magic talent. I don't have any element affinity. This means I could only use mana in my spells. In the initial stages, they may be said to be useful but at later stages, they are worth nothing without elemental power.
Many mages because of this couldn't proceed to the next stages of power.
The stages start with Apprentice Mage, Beginner Mage, Intermediate Mage, Advanced Mage, and so on.
This is also recorded in terms of Tier. The tiers start at zero. An apprentice mage is considered a Tier-0 mage. The highest recorded is Tier-6 in either knights or mages.
At that stage, no one would try to pull wool over your eyes. Only stupid ones would be brave enough to do that.
My life is decided. I would only reach Tier-1, if lucky enough I could reach Tier-2.
Though the power is differentiated into Tiers there are four levels for each tier. Low-level, Mid-level, High-level, and Peak-level. If luck favors me I could reach Low-level Tier-2 but with only three as luck stats, I don't think I would reach such a high stage.
I'm surprised at how my business is going. With only 3 as Luck, I never thought that I would earn such an amount.
If the system wouldn't wake up, that would be the stage I would be struck for life. Moreover, I fear that my business would also take deep dive.
I hope that the system wakes up as soon as possible.