British hegemon

Chapter 65 Dublin Chamber of Commerce

Having finalized the issue of strategic supplies, Roger changed into some lighter clothes and instructed Marne and Olaf that the Seawolf should stay on the isolated island for rest and recuperation until he returned before setting sail again.

Then, along with the bald man, the ponytail man, and the black dog, Jeffrey set off south towards Dublin.

When traveling with a wealthy merchant, comfort and pomp are essential, so Baldy, Ponytail, and Black Dog all enjoyed the same treatment, riding horses just like Jeffrey's three guards.

Roger and Jeffrey then boarded the absolutely luxurious four-wheeled carriage, whose seats were covered with cowhide and whose windows were inlaid with stained glass.

About twenty miles south of Skylis is Ireland’s largest and most important port city.

More than four hundred years ago, the Vikings who invaded the island of Ireland built Longford Castle in the Irish Gulf. Later, the Anglo-Normans came to rule Ireland, and the castle gradually expanded and evolved into a city. The locals called this place "Blackpool," and in Gaelic it was "Dublin."

One hundred years ago, King John of England ordered the construction of Dublin Castle to house the gold and silver treasures that the English royal family had plundered from the island of Ireland.

This place became the residence of the English governor and the center of English rule over the entire island of Ireland.

The northern suburbs of Dublin.

Roger alighted from the carriage and stood on a high hill overlooking the entire city of Dublin.

Dublin boasts an ideal geographical location, easy to defend and difficult to attack. It is close to the sea, has a beautiful natural bay, and connects to the River Liffey, providing direct access to both the Irish interior and the west coast of Britain.

The magnificent castle, located in the heart of Dublin, is rectangular with four corner towers. It is surrounded by high walls, has a drawbridge at the main entrance, and the central castle hall was likely the residence of the English governor and the royal residence in Ireland.

Under centuries of English rule, Dublin developed into clusters of neighborhoods, built outer city walls, and expanded its boundaries north of the River Lefèvre and beyond the walls. Churches, cathedrals, and other buildings began to emerge in the area.

In the early days of English rule, ordinary Irish natives were not allowed to live within the city walls of Dublin. As a result, market towns and villages were able to develop outside the city walls of Dublin, forming large settlements with populations of tens of thousands.

It was a huge city, at least in the eyes of people of this era, like Jeffrey next to me, whose smug expression was hard to hide.

"...Last year I bought another shop in the city, and I also own one-fifth of the largest free market outside the city. Once your refined salt supply is sufficient and stable, I will use the new shop in the city to sell your refined salt exclusively. I've already thought of a name for it: Salt Platinum, exclusively for the enjoyment of nobles and wealthy merchants."

Roger knew that his secret-recipe salt would be sold through this Anglo-Irish merchant to nobles and wealthy merchants in Ireland, England, and even France and Germany, who would earn far greater profits than he did.

There's nothing I can do; my starting point is too low. Perhaps I can talk to Baron John again when I get back and use his slightly wider network of contacts to find some end-user markets.

All of that is still a long way off. Roger is more concerned with how to persuade the Irish merchants who lent money to Milk House Manor to agree to extend the loan period and to lend more money.

Then we'll see if we can recruit another group of skilled workers from big cities to return to Arron Island.

That's right, Roger needs talent because he knows he's not one of those time-traveling geniuses who can turn into encyclopedias at any moment. Even if he wants to implement some reforms and innovations, he needs to be able to build upon the work of others.

As we boarded the carriage and continued our journey closer to Dublin, the city appeared magnificent from the hilltop. However, once the carriage entered the free market outside Dublin's outer city, the sense of awe I felt was completely dispelled by the stench that wafted into the carriage.

Roger thought his nasal cavity had adapted to the strong "smell of the times," but he realized he was wrong. As he got closer to the city, the unmistakable smell in his nasal cavity became stronger and stronger.

No wonder European perfumes are world-renowned; it turns out they were forced into this situation.

Inside the carriage, Jeffrey pulled a delicate enamel bottle from his sleeve, sniffed it, and then offered it to Roger. Roger refused, but Jeffrey put it back in his sleeve, smiling as he said, "Although I don't like it, it's the kind of atmosphere only a bustling city can exude."

Roger nodded slightly in agreement, noting that no major city in any country throughout history has been able to fundamentally solve the problem of urban waste.

Even in large Eastern countries at the same latitude, the problem of urban waste is very serious (Note 1).

The carriage traveled through the bustling, chaotic free market town, past long queues of people paying the city's entrance tax, and, with the city guards bowing slightly in greeting, swaggered into Dublin, its six long tails trailing behind it.

"How impressive!" This must be the words that the bald man with a ponytail and the black dog, who were entering the big city for the first time, wanted to shout at this moment, because their swaying buttocks on the horse's back were getting a little restless.

"It's the same everywhere, money is God." These were Roger's thoughts as he sat in the carriage. Those city guards who were so arrogant in front of ordinary people were nothing but lapdogs in front of the powerful and wealthy.

Lord Jeffrey and his guards simply looked on as if it were nothing out of the ordinary.

Dublin, Ireland's largest city and political, economic, and cultural center, had many guilds. Sailors, craftsmen, hunters, farmers, monks, beggars, executioners, and others all had their own guilds. The largest and most powerful of these was the Merchant Guild, sometimes called the Merchant Alliance, which consisted of several guilds.

Merchants were wealthy, especially in a commercially prosperous place like Dublin, so the guild had its own permanent institutions, organizational structure, and industry rules. The highest leader of the guild was called the guild head, who was an Irish earl who had lost his territory and was willing to serve as his henchman.

The guild was divided into several industry guilds, and members were merchants within those industries who paid membership fees.

Roger's uncle, Mr. Jeffrey, was the president of the Wool Guild. He was also an important member of several other guilds, such as the Wine Guild, the Mining Guild, and the Textile Guild. In short, as long as he paid the high fees on time every year, he could join as many guilds as he wanted.

In addition to his guild influence, Jeffrey was also a member of the Dublin City Council and a jury member in the Commercial Court (Note 2).

To be able to serve as the president of the wool guild in Ireland, a wool-producing region, and to hold a position in the courts and parliament of Dublin, Jeffrey must have had an extraordinary background and powerful connections.

The support of the English nobility was one factor, but another was that he came from a merchant family and had extensive connections.

This is the capital he takes for granted when enjoying privileges.

The Dublin Chamber of Commerce's offices were located in Dublin's inner city, in Dublin Castle, a place rented from the English at a high price because it was the safest place in all of Ireland.

Of course, this does not include threats from the English.