Infinite Reincarnation – Arthur Hurt - Chapter 203



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Infinite Reincarnation – Arthur Hurt Chapter 203

36-Class conflict

Arthur at that moment wholeheartedly agreed with Johnson Cordelli’s opinion.

When Johnson Cordelli visited, he expressed his opposition, thinking that the treatment and conditions at the Ignaqua plant were so good that there would be no reason for a strike, but when he faced this situation, he realized that he had overlooked one fact.

That humans are creatures that betray.

At Arthur’s smile, the Olloh factory manager felt ashamed, as if he had not been able to properly discipline his subordinates.

Arthur spoke calmly to him.

“Are there any among them who have paid war bonds or war donations?”

“Uh… … I don’t know.”

“Investigate this and reflect it in your performance evaluation. Patriots deserve to be treated accordingly.”

“Then what about the employees’ complaints… … .”

“Let’s leave that for now.”

Arthur did not tell them to ignore it, but instead withheld his response for the time being. That alone showed that Arthur, the factory owner, was different from other factory owners in his words and actions.

But that was not what he was aiming for. His real intention was to select those who had paid war bonds or wartime donations and have them reflected in their personnel evaluations.

Since Ignacua makes a lot of money, they can raise their salaries? No, no. They’re only giving more money to patriots.

The workers at the Ignacua factory will be divided into patriots and non-patriots, and this division will lead to hidden competition or conflict.

And what is aimed at through such conflict is precisely a frame shift.

The idea is that since the Ignaqua factory is making a lot of money, shouldn’t they be paid a little more? So they’re turning their attention to who deserves more money.

This transition will be more natural given that Arthur, the factory owner, is a patriot who donates Ignaqua’s profits as compensation. The logic that it is not strange for a patriot to take care of another patriot will naturally emerge.

If it doesn’t come out, Arthur can just say something later as he passes by. Isn’t it the nature of subordinates to take seriously and act on the careless words of their superiors?

And if, as Johnson Cordelli says, the strike is really a conspiracy, there will be a movement to resist this division and frame-shifting.

Arthur went back after laying the groundwork, but he received a request for an interview with Count Stan, perhaps because of Johnson Cordelli. He has a lot to discuss with Arthur?

“Prices are rising so much that the nobles are becoming increasingly dissatisfied.”

The first thing Count Stan mentioned was the discontent of the nobles.

“Is that so?”

“Isn’t that the time to be saying that? Do you know who is at the center of that discontent?”

“Uh… … Me?”

Count Stan nodded as Arthur pointed to himself.

Arthur’s mouth watered at the answer. Well, it was quite expected.

“Perhaps those who are dissatisfied are the ones who converted the consent form into bonds?”

Count Stan nodded. The scheme of selling bonds in exchange for receiving collateral and causing inflation was originally a scheme that would not have been strange if the nobles who received the bonds joined hands to hang Arthur.

However, such discontent was suppressed in the name of the post-war reconstruction project called the North-South Transverse Railway. In fact, it has achieved results.

But such achievements rather cracked the patience of the nobles. Ah… … If only there had been more money converted into bonds, then I could have forked over the North-South railway project… … .

If the interest rate on the bonds had been high, it would have been possible to sell them to secure funds, but since that was not the case, selling the bonds would have actually resulted in a loss.

There were three reactions from the nobles who felt the loss of opportunity cost by converting the posthumous collateral agreement into a bond.

Either they blame their own foolishness, or they resent Arthur’s wickedness in converting them into bonds, or both.

What could be said for sure was that the aggro that had been dispersed through elaborate strategies was slowly turning towards Arthur.

“So what are you going to do?”

“Isn’t that too calm? Among those who are dissatisfied, there are also some of our neutral nobles.”

“Um… … . I’m sorry for unintentionally causing conflict within the faction.”

“Don’t say anything else.”

“Hmm. If the nobles want to punish me, I have no choice but to take the punishment.”

“Tsk. Is that all?”

“But isn’t there another way?”

But Arthur wasn’t too worried. As for Ignaqua, and the plan to increase gunpowder production, the king would probably step in and stop it.

Even if the nobles worked together, the maximum was to be cautious, and that was what Arthur wanted. If you tell him to rest, he should rest. It’s not like he doesn’t have money to live off of.

Count Stan, who guessed where Arthur’s composure came from, narrowed his eyebrows and said.

“No matter how important the national affairs are, you shouldn’t be too reckless.”

“I’ve never really gone out before. I’m afraid that if someone hears, they’ll misunderstand.”

But Count Stan did not seem to believe Arthur’s words. He was the kind of man who had the audacity to switch to republicanism after getting into trouble with the crown prince.

“I’ll let you know if there’s anything unusual, so don’t make excuses and just stay quiet.”

“That is not difficult. Thank you, Count.”

“Then let’s do that… … Do you know that there’s something strange going on with the workers these days?”

“Did Count Cordelli come to visit?”

“That’s right.”

Arthur nodded and relayed the conversation he had with Count Cordelli to Count Stan.

“Hmm. According to the Count Cordeli, you are on the side of the workers… … .”

“If you really want to be fair, I would say it’s on the side of rationality. I think it’s less damaging to take preemptive measures to prevent a strike than to tolerate one. Didn’t you also join the neutral faction in pursuit of rationality?”

If we interpret Arthur’s words, it seems reasonable to think that Arthur himself is right, not Viscount Cordelli, and that a reasonable Earl of Stan should take Arthur’s side.

But Count Stan did not easily accept Arthur’s logic.

“Man is an animal that never knows satisfaction.”

“You are concerned that workers’ demands will continue to rise.”

“okay.”

“But isn’t that natural?”

“Natural?”

“Surely you don’t think that the commoners will be satisfied with strengthening the People’s Assembly based on republicanism?”

“… … .”

Count Stan looked as if he had been hit in the back of the head with a rock, and Arthur was like, Huh? Really? You’ve never thought about that?

Arthur said with a sense of bewilderment.

“Did you think that the common people would be satisfied with the benefit they received by expanding their rights?”

At Arthur’s words, Count Stan blushed. It seemed that he was ashamed of his own complacency.

“Do you think differently?”

“Didn’t the Count himself say it? Man is an animal that never knows satisfaction.”

“Ahem!”

“If I were them, I would be proud that they have reached that level of negotiating power and influence.”

“hmm.”

“Or, you could switch to the noble faction right now… … .”

“That won’t do.”

Count Stan’s thoughts on the nobles were resolute.

“The aristocracy doesn’t know what moderation means.”

“In moderation?”

“There are many among the nobles who fear the voices of the common people being raised. Many of them think that clubs alone are not enough.”

It’s incredible that Count Stan, who helped suppress the strike by using the hired thug, Johnson Cordelli, during the last great strike, is thinking like this…

Arthur, although curious, had no intention of digging into the reason behind it.

It was human to show compassion at the scene where parents who had lost their children were crying out loud, and to frown at them, asking why they were crying and making a fuss here. It was human to have conflicting thoughts about an event or object.

There were words that were a bit more penetrating to my ears.

“Are you saying that if clubs alone are not enough, then guns should be used?”

“It’s embarrassing, but that’s true.”

Count Stan explained that the trigger was the great strike 25 years ago. It was not a great strike, but it only occurred in some industrial areas of St. Scala, but it was the first organized strike and was a great shock to the aristocratic capitalists at the time.

The point is that many of those who suffered at the time were nobles. Count Stan almost perished, so most of those who were not so lucky ended up as fallen nobles. And the result was the weakening of the nobles.

“That’s why some people believe that such strikes were instigated by the common bourgeoisie.”

“Is that true?”

“I don’t know. But I remember that at the time, there was considerable dissatisfaction among the bourgeoisie who were excluded from the development of industrial complexes.”

As industrialization expanded the influence of the common bourgeoisie, the nobles felt that they should also have the factories and enterprises that were their foundation. So they negotiated with the former king, who was the king at the time.

Having paid a considerable price and received concessions, they dreamed of transforming into an industrial aristocracy. They wanted to get on board with the industrialization that the previous king had made a national trend.

In this process, the nobles who dreamed of becoming industrial aristocrats were filled with the idea of ​​chasing out the common class, or more precisely the bourgeoisie, who dared to recklessly thrust their forks into the industrial zone and sucking up the sweet honey of the industrial zone… … but the result was a great strike and destruction like a dog.

Considering the circumstances of that time, Count Stan was very lucky.

Arthur, who had always wondered how a mere mercenary gangster businessman like Johnson Cordelli could become a quasi-noble just by suppressing a strike, felt that his doubts were somewhat resolved after hearing these stories. It seemed that the situation was much more dangerous than he had thought.

“But why doesn’t Your Majesty have any doubts?”

Arthur asked. Yes, it was understandable that the bourgeoisie, who had been excluded from the investment in industrial areas at the time, could be dissatisfied. But wasn’t it true that they were not the only ones who had a stake in it?

“I think His Majesty the King’s power would have been strengthened considerably because of that… … right?”

“… … Yes. That’s true.”

It was natural, as many nobles at the time had been ‘saved’ by the former king.

“But at that time, no one dared to doubt the former king. No one could have imagined that His Majesty the former king would plan a strike that would damage national power, and the royal bailout at that time was clearly a policy that favored the nobles.”

It may be seen now as a point of view that divides and rules, but at the time, there was an atmosphere in which no one dared doubt the royal family.

“Isn’t this encouraging conflict between the commoners and the nobles?”

“The nobles’ position is that such a level of imperialism is quite acceptable. Even if there were no commoners, the kingdom has been divided into royalists and nobles since the past. What the radical nobles I mentioned want is a return to that time.”

So, you’re saying that they don’t like it when commoners stick forks into their dining tables.

“Do you also wish to return to that past, Count Stan?”

In response to Arthur’s question, Count Stan sighed deeply with a tired expression.

“Ha. It might have been like that in the past, but… … .”

Not now. Arthur seemed to know why.

“I understand that His Majesty the King of Rai was quite the womanizer when he was younger?”

“Even so, you knew the extent of it. Even though you spread rumors, you did not shirk your responsibilities or duties as the heir to the throne.”

Although he pursued a strong royal authority, it was not a big problem. Even if there was a problem, it was completely acceptable from Count Stan’s perspective.

But the crown prince… … it was doubtful whether he was even interested in state affairs other than his love affairs.