Chapter 107: Chapter 106: Shocking! The Princess and the Evil Dragon’s Shady Deal

On the way to the Zog Factory, the merchants of the Northern Domain sat in their carriage, laughing triumphantly.

"You really called it. To think you could see that even that little chit is short on cash," one merchant said, fawning over the one who had been leading the conversation.

He stroked a ring made of some unknown gemstone, its translucent crimson seeming to hold the blood and sweat of countless people.

The Industrial Revolution was a time of savage, unchecked growth.

On one hand, productivity skyrocketed. New inventions that improved every aspect of life appeared almost daily, nurturing the seeds of a new social structure.

On the other hand, in an era without large-scale wars, severe famines, or major pandemics, the average lifespan still managed to drop significantly.

’We can never repay the King’s kindness.’

"Of course. How old is she? She can’t hide anything. I’ve crossed more bridges than she’s ever seen roads. I knew what she was thinking with a single glance,"

the fat merchant said, immensely pleased with himself.

"Absolutely! Could you teach us how you figured it out? We’re not as sharp as you; we don’t have that kind of skill."

Hearing such high praise, the fat merchant’s eyes crinkled into thin slits as he grinned.

"Oh, it’s nothing special. I’ve simply been around the block a few more times in the world of business."

This false modesty was the classic opening move for a good old-fashioned boast.

He continued, "At first, when I heard she was going to eliminate the bandits, I wasn’t quite sure if she was trying to accomplish something real or was just brazen enough to want a piece of the action. A Lord, after all, isn’t she just the biggest... well, you know?"

The unspeakable could never be spoken aloud. Never mind that the men in the carriage were all smiles and flattery right now.

They were only on the same side for the moment. Who knew what they were really plotting? Each of them was just waiting for a chance to get some leverage on him.

"Then she gave that speech on the execution platform, and I finally got it. The Northern Domain is too small for her. She doesn’t plan on staying long. She wants to head somewhere more central, and to do that, you think she doesn’t need money?

"If she wants money, how is she going to make any by letting workers clock in for only eight hours? Livestock should be worked to the bone, nonstop! That reptile playing civilized with his little bow tie can’t give her what she needs.

"So who can give it to her?"

"We can, of course! Her Ladyship only gets a cut when we make a profit!"

The others in the carriage chimed in in agreement, followed by a chorus of exaggerated laughter.

No one was really sure what they were all laughing about, but laughing along in these situations made one seem like part of the group.

The carriage slowly came to a stop. They had arrived at the Zog Factory.

The fat merchant took the lead, bringing several of his peers down from the carriage. They followed Figxin, ready to "uphold justice."

The Factory was still under construction; the whole area was one big construction site.

Groups of Beastmen and a few Zor led large crews of workers from the Northern Domain, constructing the factory buildings.

Beside them, wooden barracks served as temporary housing for the workers and also contained two fully assembled production lines.

Those two assembly lines weren’t in official operation yet; instead, they served as training tools for the workers.

These assembly lines weren’t particularly high-tech. Many steps required human involvement, so every station required training to ensure product quality.

It was all about standardized production.

All the workers were trained by goblin instructors. At first, nobody trusted these "notorious" teachers.

But after a few days with them, the workers discovered that their own intelligence was closer to the stereotype of a goblin than the goblins themselves were.

Though the merchants swaggered arrogantly, they stayed close behind Figxin as they cut across the construction site, making a beeline for the wooden barracks.

And they didn’t forget to point and criticize along the way.

"Look at that, just look! Letting humans mix with Beastmen and Zor... It’s unnatural! Utterly unnatural!"

"Look, over there, the one in the white helmet."

A merchant pointed to a Zor on the site who was wearing a different-colored helmet and holding no tools.

"Isn’t that a foreman? And a Zor, at that! We use our own people. If someone slacks off, we just give them a lashing with a whip. But using a Zor... I can’t imagine how vicious he must be. My heart aches for these workers. It’s pure slavery!"

"Exactly! It just goes to show what a kind heart you have, sir. You can’t bear to see people suffer. A sweatshop like this ought to be shut down immediately!"

The Zor safety officer gave the people pointing and chattering about him a baffled look.

"Do you know these people?" he asked the young worker next to him, who looked to be just over ten years old.

Given the economic and production situation in the Northern Domain, completely abolishing child labor was unrealistic.

If they refused to hire children, the locals themselves would protest, as the kids would just end up drifting into other factories anyway.

So, the Zog Group hired child laborers for light duties they could handle. They were kept out of hazardous areas, their workloads were limited, and they were even offered classes, creating a kind of work-study program.

If the children could learn more knowledge and skills, the value they could generate would far exceed that of one or two child laborers who weren’t even as tall as a shovel.

Ordinary workers at the factory got lunch, while children were also provided a free breakfast.

Zog wasn’t short on cash. He wasn’t about to start pinching pennies when it came to the children’s meals.

"I know them. I started working in that fat guy’s factory when I was six," the child answered.

"So you know what they’re here for?"

"Definitely to cause trouble. When you do business in Winter City, you either give him a cut or he runs you out of town."

"Trouble!"

The Zor grew agitated. ’A rare, sanctioned opportunity to get his hands dirty, and here he was stuck playing safety officer, watching people climb to high places without safety ropes a thousand times a day.’

It was like this crew thought being safe was for cowards.

「Inside the wooden barracks.」

Zog was using his own claws as a welding torch, welding the assembly line for fun.

Assembling a life-sized model.

The goblin who was supposed to be in charge of this task watched with utter disgust, eyeing the hideous welds Zog was making with his claws.

’He was furious but didn’t dare say a word.’

"Zog, I’ve come to uphold justice!" Figxin’s voice rang out.

"What justice?"

Zog asked while trying to fix the weld he’d just made. Even he had to admit it was ugly.

He picked at it with a claw, but accidentally used a little too much force and tore a hole right through the joint.

He heard the goblin behind him let out a gasp so sharp it sounded like he was about to faint.

"Go on, you tell him. What justice?" Figxin gestured for the merchants to speak.

"You’re engaging in malicious competition! You’re destroying the market!" a merchant said, looking righteously indignant.

"How am I being malicious?"

"You actually gave the workers a raise! And days off! Is there no justice? Is there no law? What are honest businessmen like us supposed to do?"

"Alright," Figxin stopped the merchant. "You tell me, what should be done?"

"First, shut down his factory! Confiscate all the money—eighty percent for you, twenty for us. Then, parade him through the streets so people can see the consequences of maliciously raising wages! And then..."

"Was I asking you?" Figxin interrupted irritably. "Zog, what do you want to do?"

The merchants’ expressions first showed confusion, then turned to shock, and finally became terrified.

The Lord was actually in cahoots with this dragon!

’Doesn’t she want to make money?’

Across from them, Zog broke into a bright, cheerful smile.

A short while later, the merchants, stripped clean of all their valuables, stood on an assembly line, surrounded by workers who had once been in their factories.

"The first team-building event for the Zog Group’s Northern Factory One will now begin."

Zog announced, using the Amplification Technique.

"Everyone form an orderly line, no pushing. Everyone will get a turn. This activity will last for at least 16 hours. Every day.

"First, go to the entrance and get a whip. When the assembly line starts, if any of these gentlemen make a mistake, you whip them. Is that clear?"

"I have a question!" someone in the crowd raised their hand. "Can we get thicker whips?"

"Trust me, a thin whip is faster and hurts more when you strike."

Zog had thought the workers would be too timid to be truly cruel.

"No, I’m afraid if it’s too fast, they’ll pass out, and the people behind won’t get a turn. We could add some small barbs to a thicker whip. It’ll hurt, but they won’t pass out."

"Excellent, excellent! You really know how to have fun. In that case, Priest!" Zog summoned the Beastman Priest. "If anyone collapses, heal them. Make sure they can work the full 16 hours."

Before long, joyful screams began to echo from within the factory building.

「A few hours later.」

The fat merchant wiped the sweat from his forehead. His back stung painfully, but he didn’t dare stop what his hands were doing.

He had already flashed through his entire life twice, wondering why this day still wasn’t over.

Fortunately, he had grown accustomed to the rhythm of the assembly line and hadn’t felt the sting of the whip for some time.

However, just then, Zog walked in.

"What’s going on? Why has it gotten quiet?"

"They’re not making any mistakes."

"You’re all still too nice. If they have enough energy to not make mistakes, it just means the KPI isn’t high enough. Next time, just come and get me directly."

Zog said as he walked to the assembly line’s control console. Cranking a lever, he announced with a friendly smile, "Get ready, everyone. I’m speeding things up!"