A large map of Eorzea lay spread on the desk, with small ceramic markers dotting various points on the map, mostly based around Thanalan and La Noscea. On the left side of the desk was a large stack of letters. On the right, a ledger. Soft, warm light illuminated the office as Nero Lazarov pursed his lips in study of the map, alternating his gaze between it and a letter in his hand. A previously empty notebook laying on the right side of the map had been filled with notes; personal thoughts, plans, addendums, everything that the smuggler was keeping track of in his grand scheme. The smuggler sighed and brushed a hand through his hair; the chronometer on the wall indicated that it was early morning. Nero had been up all night organising his plans, and now it was time for a review.
The latest letter from Arturieaux indicated that the manufacturing was slow but steady, and the Duskwight was not complaining; the plan for keeping such a large operation under wraps was the arcanist's idea, after all. The key to keeping the plan quiet was to make the act of tracing the lines extremely complex and convoluted; they would contract ten separate companies, who would contract ten more, who would contract even more suppliers. The supply line was chaotic, like a tangled ball of rope or twine, and even Nero had trouble keeping it all together, though at the end as long as the steel and the ceruleum came in, it mattered not. As far as anyone involved was concerned, they were all making a profit. And since every company was only involved with making one type of part, and those parts were passing through so many transactions, no lowly accountant would be diligent enough to put all the pieces together enough to have any evidence.
Construction, however, would be deliberately slow. The purpose was twofold: one, to maintain the veil of secrecy, and two, to lessen the immediate demand for gil this project required. Nero's smuggling operation had ceased to become adequate, and with hesitation the smuggler had begun to probe certain areas looking for wealthy investors. He knew that some of the nobles in Ul'dah held a vested interest in seeing the power balance shift. With a silver tongue and some deception, several mining companies had invested in Dyna-Forte, Nero's front company, under the impression that he--or rather, Sebastian Redgrave--was constructing experimental magitek drilling technology. The investments made by those companies would keep his operations aloft for a while, but it was a temporary fix. More gil needed to be made, whether it be from trading profits or investors.
He put the letter from Arturieaux away and opened the next one. This was another curious specimen; a letter inviting Sebastian Redgrave to join the "Rhotano League", a planned conglomerate of Lominsan trading companies. It was a monopoly in everything but name, as such a theorised organisation would hold undisputed control over the routes of the Rhotano Sea and the Indigo Deep, perhaps even as far as the Sea of Ash. This kind of endeavour had the support of the Bloody Executioners written all over it; though Hyllfyr ostensibly followed the command of Merlwyb and the Maelstrom, the Executioners longed for an opportunity to metaphorically punch the Admiral in the nose. This "Rhotano League" would cause seaborne profits to sink--Nero's lip curled at the small pun--for all companies except those with the League. The Executioners and free pirates in their current state rivaled the Lominsan armada in terms of naval strength, and if they truly were heading the Rhotano League, Hyllfyr would have the economic base of power with which to oust the Maelstrom, or at least break any authority it might have.
Or, the worst case scenario happens and civil war would break out.
The implications were....interesting, to say the least.
The most pressing issue, perhaps, was how to respond to the destruction of his warehouse. Clearly, Nero's distraction was not working; he needed the focus to return to Ul'dah, and keep the eyes away from Limsa Lominsa. Yet, if Nero unleashed Scythe too early, that would do nothing but cause chaos and bloodshed, and if Scythe failed in turning the political pressure against the Syndicate, then the heat would return to Limsa Lominsa. Simply put, if Nero reacted at all to the bombing, the chances of it turning against him increased. Direct retaliation was not an option, but neither was taking losses like the contents of that warehouse.
A reorganisation was in order. It would be expensive, but in the long run if it worked, it would pay off. Nero scribbled a note to start planning for a rotation of goods in warehouses. Some of his underworld associates might be interested in participating; already in his head the general idea was forming. Every moon, sell certain properties and repurchase others. Move the goods accordingly. Hopefully such movement would be mobile enough that if another warehouses was targeted, it could be pinned as Ul'dahn sabotage, taking the heat off of the smuggler.
Nero sighed again. Really, he was relying on Roen for this. Hopefully she was gathering allies and punching holes in the Syndicate's network.
As if recoiling from his own thoughts, Nero shoved all his thoughts of the paladin away as he pulled up several sheets of parchment to begin writing letters.
The chronometer ticked silently as the night went on.
The latest letter from Arturieaux indicated that the manufacturing was slow but steady, and the Duskwight was not complaining; the plan for keeping such a large operation under wraps was the arcanist's idea, after all. The key to keeping the plan quiet was to make the act of tracing the lines extremely complex and convoluted; they would contract ten separate companies, who would contract ten more, who would contract even more suppliers. The supply line was chaotic, like a tangled ball of rope or twine, and even Nero had trouble keeping it all together, though at the end as long as the steel and the ceruleum came in, it mattered not. As far as anyone involved was concerned, they were all making a profit. And since every company was only involved with making one type of part, and those parts were passing through so many transactions, no lowly accountant would be diligent enough to put all the pieces together enough to have any evidence.
Construction, however, would be deliberately slow. The purpose was twofold: one, to maintain the veil of secrecy, and two, to lessen the immediate demand for gil this project required. Nero's smuggling operation had ceased to become adequate, and with hesitation the smuggler had begun to probe certain areas looking for wealthy investors. He knew that some of the nobles in Ul'dah held a vested interest in seeing the power balance shift. With a silver tongue and some deception, several mining companies had invested in Dyna-Forte, Nero's front company, under the impression that he--or rather, Sebastian Redgrave--was constructing experimental magitek drilling technology. The investments made by those companies would keep his operations aloft for a while, but it was a temporary fix. More gil needed to be made, whether it be from trading profits or investors.
He put the letter from Arturieaux away and opened the next one. This was another curious specimen; a letter inviting Sebastian Redgrave to join the "Rhotano League", a planned conglomerate of Lominsan trading companies. It was a monopoly in everything but name, as such a theorised organisation would hold undisputed control over the routes of the Rhotano Sea and the Indigo Deep, perhaps even as far as the Sea of Ash. This kind of endeavour had the support of the Bloody Executioners written all over it; though Hyllfyr ostensibly followed the command of Merlwyb and the Maelstrom, the Executioners longed for an opportunity to metaphorically punch the Admiral in the nose. This "Rhotano League" would cause seaborne profits to sink--Nero's lip curled at the small pun--for all companies except those with the League. The Executioners and free pirates in their current state rivaled the Lominsan armada in terms of naval strength, and if they truly were heading the Rhotano League, Hyllfyr would have the economic base of power with which to oust the Maelstrom, or at least break any authority it might have.
Or, the worst case scenario happens and civil war would break out.
The implications were....interesting, to say the least.
The most pressing issue, perhaps, was how to respond to the destruction of his warehouse. Clearly, Nero's distraction was not working; he needed the focus to return to Ul'dah, and keep the eyes away from Limsa Lominsa. Yet, if Nero unleashed Scythe too early, that would do nothing but cause chaos and bloodshed, and if Scythe failed in turning the political pressure against the Syndicate, then the heat would return to Limsa Lominsa. Simply put, if Nero reacted at all to the bombing, the chances of it turning against him increased. Direct retaliation was not an option, but neither was taking losses like the contents of that warehouse.
A reorganisation was in order. It would be expensive, but in the long run if it worked, it would pay off. Nero scribbled a note to start planning for a rotation of goods in warehouses. Some of his underworld associates might be interested in participating; already in his head the general idea was forming. Every moon, sell certain properties and repurchase others. Move the goods accordingly. Hopefully such movement would be mobile enough that if another warehouses was targeted, it could be pinned as Ul'dahn sabotage, taking the heat off of the smuggler.
Nero sighed again. Really, he was relying on Roen for this. Hopefully she was gathering allies and punching holes in the Syndicate's network.
As if recoiling from his own thoughts, Nero shoved all his thoughts of the paladin away as he pulled up several sheets of parchment to begin writing letters.
The chronometer ticked silently as the night went on.
