October 4, 1799
The Duke's home, since the founding of the former colony, served as the colonial headquarters of the former Pelargir Company. Now it continues to serve Valorium as the headquarters of the Allied States. The small castle, stood on top of a hill in Twenty-One, easily visible to the surrounding inhabitants. The Board of Directors gathered again for its quarterly meeting to report to the Duke on the activities of the company.
The current topic, an issue regarding the security of the western and southern borders. Even before their separation from Eluvatar, hostile native tribes raided inhabitants along the frontier.
“These natives are leading a campaign to push us back,” said General Zeitev Yakovlev. He took a puff of his cigar. Since the opening of trade to all nations, he was pleased he could, not only, easily get his favorite cigars from his homeland, but cheaper too.
“How much have we suffered?” asked the Duke. The Duke sat at the head of the long, conference table. Even though there are only 5 members of the Board, the table could seat 10. To his right was the General. To his left was Prince Rhett.
Prince Rhett, of the Bustos, Director of Commerce, also younger brother to Duke Christopher chimed in. “Our losses are minimal as we have very few assets that far out. But they are encroaching closer and closer to our operations. They disrupt our operations by hitting our logistics. They have yet to successfully raid an operation to date.” His head for numbers served him well while making sure that every gold the company spent, counted. Anything that added more golds to the net profit was desirable.
General Yakovlev nodded with approval, easing smoke into the air above him from his mouth. It was his men that protected all operations of the Allied States. Carolin Katrin Meinhardt, Director of Resources, sitting to the right of the General acknowledged Prince Rhett's answer.
“So, how is this an issue?” The Duke looked slightly confused.
Princess Riley, of the Bustos, Director of Public Relations, the sister and youngest of the three siblings added, “It's the residents that are filing complaints. We claim those lands as ours, charge them rent so they expect the same security afforded to them closer to the coast.” In the 1700s, it may have been usual that a woman held a job, much less, such a high ranking position. Their grandfather always reminded his family, that skill and ability mattered in the end, not their appearance or sex.
“They left civilized society to live in the Wild Lands. What did they expect?” Even more confused on how this was a problem for the Allied States to deal with.
As Director of Public Relations, she, not only dealt with foreign nations but, foreign and local companies, and the inhabitants of the Allied States. Princess Riley's empathy allowed her to excel with interpersonal relationships, however, her solutions were not always good for the company's bottom line. “While yes it may be the Wild Lands, it's a part of Valorium and people expect to be under the protection of the Allied States.”
The Chairperson quickly interjected. “There are plenty of areas they can have our protection. When we offered opportunities in the frontier, it was at these towns, farms, and mines. Not in the middle of some random forest by themselves.”
Princess Riley was very aware of this detail. “And, I explain that every time but they see it as our excuse to not spend golds.”
Carolin Meinhardt leans in a bit. “Quite frankly, it's not entirely out of our means. Enlarge the military and increase their workload.”
The General raised his eyebrows in approval at the suggestion of expanding his Office, then let out a small snort at the comment of having the workload increased. The other Directors gave small smiles.
Meinhardt continued, “This will increase operating costs, certainly. The long term benefits would be in our favor. Better security would allow our operations to expand more freely. Less logistic disruptions. More people would move out there. They too will assist in defending their homes, as they do now. In the end, our labor pool along the frontier will grow. That is our limiting factor, isn't it?” The Directors saw where she was going with this line of thinking. Meinhardt started working for the company as a quartermaster of one of the company's warehouses. Her ability to maintain accurate inventories and excellent organizational skills caught the attention of Prince Rhett and he suggested her to the Lord to be given the responsibility of doing the same, for all assets of the company.
Prince Rhett saw golds flash before his eyes. “We'll have to invest in development, on top of the security. If we can secure our claims, the costs will be offset by the rent and expansion of our operations. In the long run, we'll see returns on our investments. These natives stand in the way of progress. And if you think about it, they started it. Really.”
