A Treacherous Courtier Manages the Empire Well

59 – Television Business

Rasheed and I got along exceptionally well.

To be precise, should we say we got along like a house on fire?

“They are exchange students.”

“Our exchange students.”

We exchanged students with each other. The top talents handpicked by Rasheed ended up as students at Matop, and I, in turn, sent my own handpicked bright minds to learn sorcery at Karamba.

And from then on, we fiercely competed while also cooperating with each other.

“I want to learn about fertilizers.”

“That’s not possible.”

“Why not?”

“You know as well as I do, right? The Golden Plains require fertilizers for farming. The moment that knowledge is passed on, Karamba becomes self-sufficient in food production. And if that happens, the Sultan might reconsider his position. Right now, the Sultan has taken a step back in response to your actions, but it’s not a complete surrender, is it?”

“There’s nothing to say. Fine. Let’s move on. But it seems we need to increase the fertilizer imports. It has become crucial on a large scale for the cultivation of spices and medicinal herbs.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem. Instead of increasing fertilizer production, supply us with spices and herbs as a priority in return for increasing the fertilizer production.”

“That’s only natural, isn’t it? And one more thing. It seems necessary to expand the market size of the Elond Viscountcy. I’ll invest in this.”

“What do you want in return?”

“The merchants in the Elond Viscountcy often complain about the lack of accommodation. Increase the lodging facilities. Since I’m expanding the market, you should expand the lodgings.”

“That seems necessary. Understood. Let’s expand them.”

Like a game of Tikiktaka. When Rasheed took charge of the trade issues with Aylam, it felt like a breakthrough was made. The exhausting and irritating times of watching each other and restraining each other were over, and Dongamba, the Elond Viscountcy, and the Portu Commercial City began to develop at a dazzling pace.

“Spices here! Much cheaper and better quality!”

Rasheed was no fool.

By significantly expanding the area for spice cultivation, he solved the problem of supply not meeting demand and made a fortune.

Furthermore, the herbal industry was also revolutionary.

The doctors from the Crescent Moon Triangle that I brought in were processing the imported herbs on a large scale to produce medicine, greatly improving medical efficiency.

Is that all?

“Lord Landor.”

“What is it?”

“It’s about the Arcane Engine. Just making it out of metal already boasts considerable magical power, but using mithril would significantly enhance its efficiency.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Furthermore, it would be advisable to import adamantium. When used to make alloys, it offers a wide range of applications. Oriharcon is needed for medical device production.”

“Understood. Let Rasheed know about this.”

The rare metals business was also a highly profitable field. Rashid was striving to regain market dominance stolen from carbonated drinks, air conditioners, and refrigerators, and he was certainly succeeding.

Quietly, quietly.

Rashid started taking our money.

Every time I met him, his self-satisfied expression was so obvious it was almost comical.

But from my perspective, it was just cute.

“How’s the progress on the Teleport Tower construction?”

“We’ve erected one in the Golden Plains. It serves as a relay station connecting to Lord Elond’s Teleport Tower.”

“Good. And?”

“One in Dagamba. And one in Crescent Trijunction.”

“Have the permits been approved?”

“It seems the Sultan has left it all to Rashid and has completely washed his hands of it. Thanks to Prince Rashid, the permits were easily obtained.”

Prince Rashid had also recognized the power of broadcasting. After the Teleport Tower was built, I sold Rashid the broadcasting rights for some channels based in Karamba for a hefty sum, which ultimately led to the permits being granted.

Anyway.

The Teleport Tower was built.

“Teleport Station connection complete.”

“Image, sound transmission band confirmed.”

“Ready to begin broadcasting!”

After confirming that there were no technical issues, I began selling new magical products made by Illusion Company, a fantasy gem manufacturer, in Karamba.

These magical items had sound and image reception and playback functions, named after television and radio.

Isn’t it a sight to behold Rashid raking in the gold?

And so, the two new products we launched soon began to generate explosive reactions.

Cider, refrigerators, air conditioners – they were on par with them, or perhaps even more powerful.

Five months ago.

“The new movie is doing well?”

“Randor!”

MacGuffin.

The movie production company I founded.

After the initial success of the first three movies, MacGuffin continued to produce entertaining films. Most of them not only crossed the break-even point but also made a considerable profit, attracting playwrights and directors from all over the country, further fueling the momentum of MacGuffin’s success.

“It’s all thanks to you, Randor. The circus performers are unexpectedly doing well.”

I gazed at the bustling movie set. The circus performers, who had once played jesters, were now excelling as actors and stuntmen. The jester, who used to ride lions in the circus, was delivering lines with utmost seriousness.

“What kind of movie is that?”

“It’s an adventure film. Adventure films are quite popular these days. It’s about a warrior facing monsters in the Green Hell.”

“Must be because they’re circus performers. They’re really talented.”

It looked intriguing at first glance. I chuckled as I watched the set a bit more before gathering the various directors and producers who were the lifeblood of MacGuffin.

“We should try making a new type of film.”

“What do you mean?”

“A series of feature films.”

I explained the concept of dramas.

“Rather than movies, short video segments with continuous storylines that air every day.”

“Will they be shown in theaters?”

“No? With this.”

I showed the directors a small television set.

“It receives image information from the teleport tower. This fantasy stone has a small reception-only teleportation magic circle engraved on it. When the broadcasting station airs the content you shoot, it will simultaneously appear on all these machines.”

Everyone’s eyes widened at my words.

Perhaps because they were gentlemen who made a living in show business. They quickly seemed to grasp what I was talking about.

“This is interesting. You mean people who can’t come to the cinema for some reason can watch our show through this?”

“Exactly. We need a new format of storytelling tailored to this platform. That’s what I just explained. I’ve named it a drama. How about it?”

The directors looked at each other, exchanged various opinions, and soon nodded.

“We’ll give it a try.”

I smiled at their words.

“Excellent. I’ll decide on the story.”

Karamba and Ailam. A drama with content that people from both countries can enjoy.

One idea crossed my mind as I thought about it.

“Let’s go with a monster theme.”

“A monster theme?”

“Writing a story about a man who hunts terrifying monsters. Sometimes he runs from incredibly powerful monsters he can’t defeat. Other times, he hunts down evil monsters that harm people. Along the way, he falls in love with a lady. That’s the kind of story about a monster hunter we’ll write. The makeup and special effects teams might have a hard time, but there’s a good chance it’ll be well-received.”

This is a fantasy world.

Orcs, dragons, and elves naturally coexist here.

Since all sorts of monsters threaten humans, a story about hunting monsters would naturally appeal to many people.

The directors seemed to agree with my words.

“We’ll start shooting once. A story about hunting monsters… That sounds intriguing, doesn’t it?”

“We’ll gather writers to collect stories about monsters.”

“Not now. Get in touch with the circus troupe and talk to them about special makeup. I heard the circus troupe once did a show where they used illusion magic to mimic monsters.”

Things progressed steadily.

And a few months later, filming began, and not long after, the first episode of the drama aired. I watched the content on television with Karia, Karl Hanson, Selene, and Emperor Hisin Adran.

And this was how we all felt after watching the first episode of the drama.

“So, what about the next episode?”

“Interesting. The giant demon bear introduced in Episode 1 actually troubled the nomads of the Rimnakal Plains. A story about hunting that? Sounds exciting.”

“The makeup was very eerie, wasn’t it? It seemed no different from a real monster. How did they do it?”

“The circus troupe’s illusion magician collaborated with Illusion Company to create special makeup. Luckily, it worked out well.”

The reactions were truly explosive. Selene, Karl Hanson, and Karia kept asking about the next episode, and I returned to the Meggafinn after promoting to watch it on television.

“How was the response to the first episode? Our ambitious project.”

“It was enjoyable. Truly.”

“So?”

“Broadcast it. Let’s proceed.”

This was a story from a few months ago.

And now, back to the present.

I started selling televisions and radios on a large scale, using them as a promotional tool for the first drama produced by Meggafinn.

I aired the first episode of ＜Monster Hunter＞ on the streets.

Naturally.

“No!!! So what’s next?”

“It’s unbelievable that such vivid monsters exist in the world!”

“Where should I watch the next episode?”

The public’s reaction was not much different from what Karia, Karl Hansen, and Selene had shown.

In the market, on the streets. The merchants of the Merchant Guild held drama screenings through television for everyone to see, and towards those swept away by the first episode of the drama, the merchants shouted out their sales pitches.

“Do you want to see the next episode?”

“Oh! Of course!”

“You can watch it every Wednesday and Sunday on Channel 3! With this magical box! If you just buy a television, you can watch it from the comfort of your home! Just imagine! Sitting comfortably on your couch at home, sipping a soda, watching the drama!!”

Well.

The next was as expected.

“Lord Randor.”

“Speak.”

“This is insane. Just f***ing insane. It’s crazy.”

From Noble mtl dot com

“Huhuhuhu.”

“Kikikikiki.”

Karl Hansen and I burst into laughter as we looked at the pile of coins.

It was a planned jackpot.

Television and radio started selling like crazy from day one, and the sales kept increasing without decreasing.

Incredible amounts of coins kept pouring in, and every time we saw that, we couldn’t help but laugh.

And of course, it didn’t stop there.

“Let’s try a music broadcast.”

“Music?”

There are many singers in the Portu Commercial City, right?

“Oh. There are plenty.”

“Bring some of the good singers and have them sing on the radio. Pay them handsomely.”

“Is that a good idea?”

“Proceed!”

Music. Talk shows. The radio also started to increase in sales as word spread.

Large factories for producing television and radio came in, creating numerous job opportunities.

The teleport tower?

It had turned into a broadcasting station altogether.

“The next episode of Monster Hunter!”

“Just finished filming!”

“Start the broadcast! And increase the elixir supply at the main teleport magic circle to ensure smooth teleportation! Right now!!!”

Every day, a huge amount of television and radio were being connected to the teleport station, making the station staff move as if their feet were on fire.

It was a huge hit.

Not even three months had passed.

People who didn’t know about television and radio were no longer to be found, having disappeared from both the western and eastern continents combined.

“We need to build a few more teleport towers. In Karamba and Ailam.”

“I will submit the construction request.”

“Alright. Karl Hansen. And one more thing.”

“What is it?”

“The soccer field. Are you working on that?”

“Of course. The aquatic team and the human team. Both are being organized.”

“I see… You’re doing a great job.”

I smiled greedily.

Television was now firmly established in people’s minds.

All that was left was to expand the content.

With humans enhanced by magic and sorcery, and the transcendent physical abilities of the aquatic beings, fantasy soccer was poised to captivate the eyes and hearts of the people as the next spectacle.