The Reincarnated Villainous Young Master's Guide to Happiness

Chapter 25: Khartier

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Edited by: bafflinghaze

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Unlike many of the regions in the Rhine Empire, the Benedick Marquisdom wasn't very rich in land or lumber. Their soil wasn't fertile, and they could not rely on agriculture to feed their citizens.

Instead, they thrived through other means.

It may have been due to good fortune, but the Benedick Family, who descended from a long line of merchants, originally amassed their influence from trade.

Ironically, an occupation once looked down upon later became a core power of the Empire.

Their riches grew and the people under the Marquis Family prospered through the various mines within their territory.

The Empire's jewel trade belonged to them solely and no one else. With the jewel trade came craftsmen in need of materials for their work. Soon, many other types of artisans turned their eyes to the only region with so much wealth beneath its feet and set up shop.

In time, the Benedick Family's monopoly on the luxury market developed throughout the Western Lands, which in turn created power and leverage in society, which then, resulted in a further monopoly on the trade schools.

Craftsmen Institutes built themselves overnight within their territory, and the ones who received the greater bargain were the Marquis Family, for even if the schools were scattered across the territory, the Benedicks partnered with these schools solely to poach students.

With unlimited resources (courtesy of the Marquis Family and their millions of mines), a potential future for a respectable career, a rise in status, and even the promise of being masters in a craft, these desirable benefits made the acceptance rate of the Craftsmen Institutes even lower than the Noble Academy.

Students needed to be prepared for a competitive student body, and expulsions were a common occurrence.

After all, the schools had to hold true to their motto:

Quantity never mattered when in search of quality for the sake of luxury.

"But who the fuck is Leroy Pierrot?!"

At present, however, these same schools—known to look down on the lacking and unqualified are now frantically searching the archives for the identity of one Leroy Pierrot—the mysterious up-and-coming Master Jeweler.

Either way, it was useless to continue looking for Pierrot's identity. Whatever plans these Craftsmen Institutes had for the Master Jeweler, it was too late to stop him from establishing himself within the Empire's luxury market.

Today was the day for the grand opening of Khartier.

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A crowd of people stood in front of a plain-looking shop, waiting for the owner to open its doors.

On top of the shop, written in large, black bold letters, was the name Khartier, the new jewelry house in the famous Carnelian Street of Leisure City.

This was the Capital of Luxury for the rich, the powerful, the collectors, and the eccentric.

It was also the pride and joy of the Benedick Legacy.

The shop stood out, but not necessarily in a good way. Compared to the sparkling and grand jewelry houses lining the street, it was homely.

"This looks like a bookstore," someone finally said. This person didn't give two shits, but the crowd appreciated their honesty, for they also thought the shop looked like a bookstore.