ARC 2: THE FOUNDATIONS OF INDUSTRY
CHAPTER 22: THE CANDLE BUSINESS
Adrian had always believed that a successful business was built by solving problems people were already willing to pay to have solved.
Soap had been his first opportunity.
Candles would be his second.
However, before investing money, he needed to understand the market.
Three days after his discussion with Elena, she arrived at the workshop carrying a small notebook.
“I have the information you requested.”
Adrian cleared a space on his desk.
“Let’s hear it.”
Elena opened the notebook.
“Westbrook has approximately twenty-seven shops that regularly sell candles. There are also inns, workshops, taverns and wealthy households that purchase them in larger quantities.”
“How many candles do they purchase?”
“That depends on the establishment. Some shops purchase fifty or sixty every week. Larger establishments purchase considerably more.”
Adrian nodded.
“What about prices?”
“Ordinary candles sell for between two and four copper coins, depending on size and quality.”
“How is the quality?”
Elena smiled.
“You’re asking the wrong person.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve spent years listening to merchants complain about candles.”
She explained that many locally produced candles had inconsistent thickness. Some burned too quickly, while others produced unpleasant smoke.
Adrian picked up his notebook.
“Then we have an opportunity.”
Elena watched him write.
“How exactly do you intend to improve them?”
“First, we need to identify the materials available locally.”
He explained that candle production could use different types of wax and fats.
The challenge would be selecting materials that were affordable, readily available and suitable for producing consistent candles.
He didn’t want to manufacture an expensive product that only wealthy households could afford.
Instead, he planned to produce several varieties.
A basic household candle.
A better-quality candle for shops and inns.
And eventually, a premium variety for wealthy customers.
Elena seemed impressed.
“You’re already thinking about different markets.”
“Different customers have different budgets.”
“That sounds like something my father would say.”
Adrian laughed.
“Perhaps your father and I agree on something.”
They arranged to purchase small quantities of available materials for testing.
Adrian also instructed Thomas to prepare a separate section of the workshop for the new product.
He didn’t want candle production interfering with soap manufacturing.
By evening, the first materials had arrived.
Adrian examined them carefully.
The quality varied.
Some were suitable for testing, while others would require additional processing.
He wrote down the observations.
Thomas approached.
“Are we making candles now?”
“Not yet.”
“Why not?”
“Because making something once doesn’t mean we know how to manufacture it properly.”
Thomas scratched his head.
“Sometimes I think you make simple things unnecessarily complicated.”
Adrian smiled.
“That’s because you only see the product. I see everything required to produce it consistently.”
He returned to his notes.
The next few days would be dedicated to experimentation.
If the results were promising, Westbrook would soon have another locally manufactured product.
And Adrian’s business would take its first step beyond soap.
CHAPTER 23: A BETTER WAY TO MANUFACTURE
The first candle samples were disappointing.
Some were too soft.
Others burned unevenly.
A few had visible imperfections that made them unsuitable for sale.
Thomas examined the rejected samples.
“Are we throwing all of these away?”
“Not necessarily. Some can be reprocessed.”
Adrian picked up a candle and inspected its surface.
“The problem is consistency.”
He had expected difficulties.
Even with his knowledge from Earth, he couldn’t simply introduce modern manufacturing standards into a world without modern equipment.
He needed to adapt.
The materials available in Eldoria were different, the tools were limited, and the workers had no experience with the process he wanted to establish.
He spent the next several days studying the available materials and adjusting the production method.
He also designed a simple moulding arrangement.
Instead of shaping every candle individually, workers would use moulds to produce several at once.
Gareth was once again responsible for manufacturing the metal components.
When Adrian presented the design, the blacksmith stared at it.
“Another strange invention?”
“Another useful one.”
Gareth laughed.
“At this point, I’m beginning to think you were born in a workshop.”
“Maybe I was.”
The equipment took several days to complete.
Meanwhile, Adrian continued testing different combinations of materials.
He paid particular attention to burning performance, consistency and appearance.
Eventually, the results improved.
The candles maintained their shape, burned more evenly and looked considerably better than the samples available in the market.
Adrian placed three finished candles on the table.
Thomas examined them.
“These look expensive.”
“They aren’t meant to be expensive.”
“Then why do they look better than the others?”
“Because quality doesn’t always require an unreasonable price.”
Adrian arranged for a small trial production.
The first batch contained fifty candles.
He inspected every piece before approving it.
Elena arrived just as the workers were packaging the products.
“Are these the new candles?”
“Yes.”
She picked one up.
“They look impressive.”
“Don’t judge them by appearance. We still need customers to test them.”
Elena smiled.
“I know someone who might be interested.”
“Who?”
“The owner of the Golden Stag Inn. He purchases candles in large quantities.”
Adrian considered the suggestion.
“Arrange a meeting.”
Elena nodded.
Then she looked at the production room.
“You’ve changed this place considerably.”
“We’re still getting started.”
“Do you ever stop thinking about expansion?”
Adrian looked at the candles.
“No.”
He paused.
“There’s too much to build.”
CHAPTER 24: THE FIRST FACTORY
The candle trial was successful.
The owner of the Golden Stag Inn purchased twenty candles for testing.
After using them for several evenings, he returned with another order.
He wanted one hundred.
Adrian accepted.
However, the order exposed a problem.
The existing workshop was becoming crowded.
Soap production occupied most of the available space, while the candle equipment required its own working area.
Workers were constantly moving materials from one section to another.
It was inefficient.
Adrian stood outside the building, examining the surrounding properties.
He needed a larger location.
Not simply another storage room.
A proper production facility.
He discussed the matter with Elena.
“I’ve found a building near the western road.”
“How large?”
“Almost three times the size of our current workshop.”
“That sounds expensive.”
“It is.”
Elena examined the figures he had prepared.
The building required repairs, additional equipment and improvements to its storage areas.
There would also be expenses associated with transportation and security.
“How much capital do you have available?”
Adrian gave her the figure.
Elena frowned.
“You don’t have enough.”
“I know.”
“Then what do you intend to do?”
“Negotiate.”
She laughed.
“With whom?”
“The owner.”
The following morning, Adrian visited the property.
It belonged to an elderly merchant who had stopped operating his manufacturing business several years earlier.
The building was structurally sound but had been neglected.
Its roof needed repairs, several windows were broken, and the storage area required cleaning.
The owner initially demanded a considerable amount.
Adrian refused.
He explained the repairs he would have to finance and offered a lower price for a long-term rental agreement.
After several rounds of negotiation, they reached an agreement.
Adrian secured the building with an initial payment and a manageable monthly rent.
When Thomas heard the news, he nearly dropped the ledger he was holding.
“We’re moving?”
“Yes.”
“To that enormous building?”
“That’s the plan.”
Peter looked equally surprised.
“Does this mean we’ll be employing more people?”
“Eventually.”
Adrian walked through the empty production floor.
He imagined separate sections for raw materials, processing, inspection, packaging and finished goods.
The building was not a factory by the standards of his previous world.
But compared with the small workshop where he had started, it represented enormous progress.
He turned towards his workers.
“Listen carefully. We’re not simply moving to a larger building.”
They gathered around him.
“We’re changing the way we operate. Everyone will have clear responsibilities. Every product will be inspected, every expense recorded and every worker paid according to an agreed arrangement.”
Thomas nodded.
Adrian continued.
“This place will be the foundation of something much larger.”
He looked across the empty room.
“One day, we’ll build facilities that can produce hundreds of times more than this.”
Nobody spoke.
They couldn’t fully understand what he imagined.
But they understood one thing.
Their employer was serious.
And his ambitions were growing.
CHAPTER 25: WORKERS AND WAGES
Moving into the new building required more workers.
Adrian initially planned to employ ten additional people.
However, he quickly discovered that finding suitable workers was more difficult than expected.
Some applicants had no experience.
Others demanded wages that the business couldn’t afford.
A few simply wanted temporary employment.
Adrian decided to conduct interviews.
He sat behind a wooden desk while Thomas recorded the names of applicants.
The first applicant was a young man named Samuel.
He had worked in a local workshop for several months.
“What can you do?” Adrian asked.
“I can carry materials, clean equipment and assist with production.”
“Can you read?”
“A little.”
“Can you write?”
Samuel shook his head.
Adrian made a note.
The second applicant was a woman named Sarah.
She had previously worked in a merchant’s warehouse.
“I handled inventory and recorded deliveries,” she explained.
Adrian looked up.
“Can you calculate quantities and expenses?”
“Yes.”
“How quickly can you learn a new system?”
Sarah smiled.
“That depends on how well it’s explained.”
“I think we’ll get along.”
He hired her to assist Thomas with inventory and production records.
Over the next few days, several more workers were employed.
Adrian introduced a basic employment arrangement.
Workers received agreed daily or weekly wages, depending on their responsibilities.
They were also given regular working hours and clearly defined duties.
He made it clear that wages would not be withheld because of ordinary production mistakes.
However, repeated carelessness and deliberate damage would have consequences.
Thomas watched as Adrian explained the arrangement.
“Why are you making everything so formal?”
“Because people should understand what they’re agreeing to.”
“But we’re only a small business.”
“That’s exactly why we need proper organisation.”
Adrian also introduced simple training sessions.
New workers learned how materials were handled, how equipment was maintained and how finished products were inspected.
Sarah proved particularly useful.
Within days, she had reorganised the inventory records.
She also discovered that several materials were being used faster than the production figures suggested.
Adrian investigated.
The problem was poor measurement during preparation.
He corrected the process and thanked her.
“Good work.”
Sarah smiled.
“Thank you, sir.”
Adrian returned to his desk.
He had begun to realise that machinery alone wouldn’t build an industrial enterprise.
He needed capable people.
Workers who understood their responsibilities.
Supervisors who could manage production.
And eventually, engineers who could design equipment beyond anything currently available in Eldoria.
That evening, he examined the workforce records.
The factory was still small.
But it was beginning to resemble a proper business.
And for Adrian, that was progress.
CHAPTER 26: A MERCHANT’S INVITATION
The invitation arrived on a rainy afternoon.
A servant wearing expensive clothing entered the factory and asked to speak with Adrian.
“Are you Adrian Vale?”
“Yes.”
The servant presented a sealed letter.
“I have been instructed to deliver this personally.”
Adrian opened it.
The letter contained an invitation to a private business gathering organised by Frederick Voss.
Several influential merchants would be attending.
Adrian read it twice.
Thomas leaned closer.
“What’s it about?”
“A meeting.”
“With whom?”
“People who probably have more money than sense.”
Thomas laughed.
Adrian folded the letter.
He knew Frederick wouldn’t invite him without a reason.
The head of the Voss family had already attempted to secure ownership of his manufacturing methods.
Perhaps this was another attempt.
Or perhaps Frederick had recognised that Adrian’s business was becoming too valuable to ignore.
That evening, Elena visited.
“You received my father’s invitation.”
Adrian nodded.
“Did you know about it?”
“I helped arrange it.”
“Why?”
Elena took a seat.
“My father wants you to meet several merchants. Some operate businesses outside Westbrook.”
Adrian considered the invitation.
“What does he want from me?”
“An opportunity to discuss expansion.”
“That sounds familiar.”
Elena smiled.
“This time, he may be more willing to negotiate.”
Adrian looked at her.
“Has he changed his mind about ownership?”
“Not entirely.”
“Then what has changed?”
“Your position.”
Adrian remained silent.
Elena continued.
“When my father first met you, he considered you a talented young craftsman with an interesting product. Now you own a profitable manufacturing business, employ several workers and have begun expanding into another industry.”
She paused.
“You’re becoming someone he cannot easily ignore.”
Adrian leaned back.
That was precisely what he had expected.
Success changed how people treated you.
The same merchants who once dismissed him were now interested in his business.
But interest was not friendship.
And an invitation was not necessarily an act of goodwill.
“When is the gathering?”
“Three days from now.”
“I’ll attend.”
Elena smiled.
“Good.”
As she stood to leave, Adrian asked one final question.
“Will Lucien Blackthorn be there?”
Her expression changed.
“Yes.”
Adrian nodded slowly.
“Then I suppose it’ll be an interesting evening.”
After Elena left, he returned to his office.
He opened his notebook and wrote down the names of the merchants he already knew.
Frederick Voss.
Lucien Blackthorn.
Several others whose businesses operated across the region.
He didn’t know what would happen at the gathering.
But he intended to learn as much as possible.
Adrian closed the notebook.
His business was growing.
His influence was increasing.
And the people who once considered him insignificant were beginning to pay attention.
Unfortunately, some of them were not interested in becoming his partners.
They wanted to become his masters.