I Became A Black Merchant In Another World-Chapter 225: Consumption Tax and Accountants (4)

"Are you doing this for the money?"

If someone like your boss or acquaintance says such a thing, there's a 99% chance that person is a bloodsucker, worse than a dog, trying to suck your life dry.

They always throw around words like "passion pay," "unpaid overtime," and "weekend and holiday work" with no hesitation.

"Because they lack logic, they try to suppress with nonsense like that."

But the reason I'm trying to establish a university now isn't to make money.

“A person must think long term.”

The reason we scrape together every bit of money we can and focus on saving isn't just because of the present. It’s to prepare for any unforeseen event—whether I fall ill and have to be hospitalized a year or five years from now, or if an accident happens.

The business I’m running also needs to be something I can continue to profit from 10, 100 years down the line.

Otherwise, the latecomers will dare to surpass me.

Though, from a market or national perspective, that may be seen as healthy competition, from my point of view, it would only result in my life being at risk.

"But, the professors' salaries and various research funding expenses are too high compared to the low tuition fees. Running the university would cause a huge deficit for the Rothschild family finances."

Modern universities get huge revenues from research projects, national funding, and other support, apart from tuition fees.

But medieval universities only had donations and tuition fees as their income.

The Rothschild University I’m trying to set up is the same.

"On top of that, for the poor students who pass the exams, I plan to provide full scholarships, dormitories, meals, and textbooks. A university like this won’t exist anywhere in Tuscany, let alone the entire Albanian continent."

In university admissions, there are special quotas for selecting students from poor or rural families.

I’m not looking for students who can pay tuition. What I need are talented individuals who will pledge loyalty to our family after graduation.

I want to attract those who, through hardship, succeed and change their lives because of my help—recruits for our side.

But...

‘Will the aristocrats accept this system if our university becomes famous later?’

Once they see the admissions process is unfair, they’ll start slandering me, calling the Rothschild Baron someone who denies the social class system.

For the aristocrats, it’ll look like their children have been denied spots due to fraudulent admissions.

"Sebastian, when have we ever followed the crowd? We’ve come this far by walking paths others wouldn’t dare."

I created a coin market with tulips, then predicted a real estate crash to profit with quick stock trades.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

I couldn’t manage a full-scale colonial expansion, so I economically enslaved the Maasai Alliance, all using tactics unknown to the people of Tuscany.

"I didn’t set up a university just to make money, did I?"

Sebastian frowned and shook his head.

“We’re training elite talents loyal to the Rothschild family, and training accountants to dominate the economy of Tuscany.”

Forget everything else—what’s the scariest thing modern corporations fear? It’s audits.

Of course, I’ve hired countless accountants and prepared backup plans...

But if the financial regulators start getting aggressive, they could slap a massive fine that could ruin the entire company.

Eventually, we’ll do the same.

‘Not just for corporations, but for the nobles who hold land as well.’

"And the people who will truly be loyal to me are those who succeeded thanks to our family."

Admiral Yi Sun-sin was known for his incredible loyalty, which shocked even the Confucian kingdom of Joseon, where offering one’s life for the king was considered normal.

Though his family wasn’t poor, his life was filled with adversity, and he endured numerous setbacks and poverty in his lifetime, much more than many others who lived their lives trampled upon by society.

‘I suppose they’re in a similar category.’

Of course, none of the talents I recruit will be like Admiral Yi Sun-sin.

"They are people who wouldn’t have made it to where they are without me. They know very well that if I were to let go, they’d go back to their former poverty."

Once someone has lived in a large house, it’s impossible to accept living in a smaller one afterward.

Once a person has experienced benefits, they cannot return to their former hard life.

Furthermore, after studying at our university, those who enjoy a professional career—will they ever accept going back to their old life?

Or, to avoid going back, would they do anything, even dirty deeds?

It’s common sense that politicians, in any era, sell their conscience and pocket backhanders.

I believe that for the benefit of our family, they’d do anything.

“After four more years of waiting, we’ll have a few more loyal subordinates every year. Are you really worried about the money going into the university?”

If you want to grow a big farm, you first have to buy a lot of seeds to plant in the fields.

Otherwise, the land will just sit idle.

“And after thinking it over, we’ll also need a system to help the children of the orphans and employees of the business enter the university. How about we create a preparatory school to help them acquire the basic knowledge needed for university?”

In modern times, we have elementary, middle, and high schools, but in the past, there were preparatory programs before entering university.

Even military academies had similar preparatory schools for young cadets.

Instead of compulsory education, a preparatory school is essential.

“The first intake for the preparatory school and the university can be filled however I want. No one will say anything because it’s my university. I’ll take the promising ones from our young staff and orphans.”

Since it’s my university, the first year will go the way I want.

Once our school’s reputation spreads next year, we can conduct proper entrance exams from then on.

"We’ll announce the entrance exams for Rothschild University nationwide."

The news about the Rothschild University entrance exams quickly spread across the country.

Without the printing press, word-of-mouth would have been the only way, but now, with the technology to print bibles, the announcement reached every major city in the country within just two weeks.

“The Rothschild Baron is recruiting students for a new university?”

There were people who could and couldn’t read, but those who could began reading the announcement aloud.

“For the accounting and technical departments, students who pass the exams will receive full scholarships, living expenses, dormitories, and textbooks for four years. There are no restrictions on social status. Apply now!”

Even though the accounting and technical departments didn’t exist in this world, the conditions were still incredibly enticing.

In a world where survival is a struggle, full scholarships, living expenses, and dormitories for free—what could be better?

"Graduates will be hired with positions under the Rothschild Baron’s family. This university has received the official approval of His Majesty the Emperor of Tuscany. Apply now. Detailed descriptions of the accounting and technical departments can be found below."

There were also descriptions for the typical departments like law and theology, but people’s attention was mostly caught by the unusual accounting and technical departments.

Those who taught merchants’ bookkeeping and auditors or craftsmen and alchemists—things unheard of in the Tuscany Empire’s normal understanding of academia.

“The Rothschild Baron is doing something strange.”

“Other than law and theology, he’s opening departments like accounting and technical studies?”

At tonight’s gathering, the strange departments of accounting and technical studies would likely be the main subject of gossip.

But some poor yet smart individuals didn’t let this opportunity slip by.

Ollio, a poor peasant from the city of Pepeiro, decided to head to the Rothschild Barony.

After all, whether he died here or there, a miserable life was all that awaited him.

“Even if things get complicated, what’s the worst that could happen?”