Chương 16: The Industrial License

The next morning, Arthur woke up feeling refreshed. The much needed sleep had swept away all the tiredness and fatigue he accumulated from the previous day. After he quickly freshened up, his breakfast was already prepared. During the meal, his mother informed him that his father had already left to visit a friend who owned a shop to discuss renting the place. Arthur inwardly hoped his father would successfully secure a location.

Once that matter was settled, he would have to make a trip to Inner Sector B to purchase the necessary Blacksmithy related utilities and tools. He only hoped this expenditure would not take too heavy a toll on his current capital. Before he could even finish his breakfast, his father and brother walked into the house.

"I found a small shop two streets away from here. It is a moderate sized shop; I believe it will be enough to work in," his father said.

"I have already paid the advance and the first month's rent, so you just go and check it out. Your brother knows the place."

"Brother, can we go right now? It is just a short walking distance," Geoffrey eagerly asked.

"Do you want me to take some time off from work to help settle the place?" Richard asked.

"Father, I will take care of the work. You should just take a week off to rest. Stay in the house and enjoy a proper break," Arthur advised. Since they could currently manage the family's expenditures without issue, it was the perfect time for his father to take time off from work. A proper rest would definitely improve his health.

"That is okay, son. You two work together. If I take time off from work right now, someone else will simply occupy my position," his father replied. Afterward, he left the house and walked directly towards the Factory District. Arthur did not insist further. He naturally understood his father's position. Although they possessed some Credits and were currently enjoying a better life, acting like wealthy people would only put their family in danger.

Until he managed to earn a steady stream of wealth, Arthur lacked the courage to stop his father from working. He had to establish his own business first. After finishing their breakfast, Arthur and Geoffrey headed out to inspect the shop. The location was merely two streets away, and Arthur was very familiar with these streets. When he was a child, he would often roam this area to play. Compared to Arthur's initial expectations, the shop's condition was quite good. It possessed a functioning shutter door.

Pushing the door open revealed an empty room spanning 500 square feet. The interior was clean and completely vacant. Now that the shop was confirmed, Arthur naturally needed to purchase the necessary utilities and tools. However, he severely lacked knowledge regarding this matter. After some thought, he decided to ask Bathory to see if he could obtain any useful information, even though the skeleton was completely incapable of communication.

If he failed to get any answers, he would simply have to figure things out one by one. He immediately summoned Bathory and asked what exact tools were required to start working. However, absolute silence was the only response he received. Since he could not obtain any information from his summon, Arthur felt it would be best to directly visit a utility shop. He would just purchase the necessary tools one by one, relying on the basic knowledge he possessed regarding Blacksmithy.

Arthur exited the rented shop together with his brother. Since Geoffrey had taken a few days off from his apprentice work at the potion shop, he stubbornly insisted on tagging along! Naturally, Arthur did not refuse him. The duo quickly hailed a taxi and swiftly traveled towards Inner Sector B! Since Arthur did not possess any knowledge regarding where these tools were actually sold, he decisively chose to drop off on the exact same street as the Mawman Materials Shop!

That street was incredibly famous for housing a multitude of other shops, such as weapons, assorted materials, cookhouses, and many more! This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. He inwardly guessed he would at least find a utility shop that sold the tools used in smithies. Just as he expected, there were plenty of those shops available! After taking a look around, Arthur and Geoffrey selected a moderately fancy looking shop.

Arthur only intended to buy medium quality products, strictly because he still needed to purchase a large amount of materials as well! The moment they stepped into the shop, a saleswoman immediately walked up to greet them!

"Welcome to the Bruchmann Utility Shop. What would you like to purchase? We possess all kinds of tools of exceptionally fine quality," she swiftly recited her standard welcoming speech.

"Ma'am, do you happen to sell Blacksmith related tools, such as an anvil, a furnace, and other related equipment?" Arthur asked.

"Of course we sell fine quality Blacksmithy tools, esteemed sir! We even offer a fully packaged tool kit. Would you like to take a look?" the saleswoman asked. Arthur inwardly breathed a massive sigh of relief when he heard the mention of a packaged tool kit! He simply could not afford the time to ask around for items one by one. Furthermore, he absolutely could not keep running back here to purchase more tools if the skeleton suddenly stopped working due to a lack of equipment!

If such a terrible situation were to happen, figuring out exactly which tool the skeleton desperately needed would be an absolute nightmare. However, directly purchasing a comprehensive tool kit with all the necessary tools included would unquestionably solve a massive amount of issues! However, he first needed to know the exact price of this tool kit! If it turned out to be too expensive, he would be forced to buy selective tools and work with those instead.

The saleswoman led them into a brand new section of the shop. There, Arthur could see different types of strange tools and artifacts neatly showcased! A large number of people were also leisurely browsing through the items. Among the displays, Arthur noticed a lot of familiar protective gear that he used to see on the toxic miners back in the Outer Sector. After navigating through yet another room, they finally arrived at the area where the packaged tool kits were proudly displayed!

"Here you can clearly see the different types of tools that are included in the kit, as well as the exact quality of the products! Currently, we have three different grades of tools available: Low, Medium, and High grade. Which one would you like to purchase?" she said, pointing directly towards the showcased tools. Arthur could see the different types of tools on display, including bellows, an anvil, tongs, punches, a set hammer, and so on! There was a total of more than 20 items!

Arthur was deeply satisfied with these tools and decisively chose to buy a Medium quality packaged tool kit. He immediately asked for the price.

"The Medium quality Blacksmithy Tool Kit costs a total of 28, 000 Credits," the saleswoman respectfully replied.

"I will take the Medium quality tool kit," Arthur decided without hesitation. This level of equipment would be more than enough for now! If he successfully earned a larger fortune through this venture, he would naturally return to purchase the High quality tools!

"Very well. May I take a look at your Blacksmithy License? I will prepare the bill right after," the saleswoman politely requested. Hearing the sudden mention of a License, Arthur was completely caught off guard!

"I do not possess any License, ma'am. I am actually just about to establish my Forging Shop," Arthur quickly explained.

"Oh, is that so? Unfortunately, we strictly require an Industrial License to process this transaction. Furthermore, even if we were to sell you the tools right now, you will eventually need a License to legally sell your products to the public. Therefore, I highly recommend applying for a License before making any final decisions. From what I know, obtaining an Industrial License is an incredibly difficult and lengthy process!"

When Arthur heard the lady explain about the license, he felt like a giant, invisible wall had just dropped right in front of him. He had a bad feeling that getting this license was going to take a very long time and be a huge headache.

"Can I still buy the tool kit without a license?" Arthur asked.

"Well, yes, you technically can," she answered.

"But it is really a good idea to get your license first. Sometimes, people never manage to get one. If that happens, all the tools they bought become a total waste of money! Do you still want to buy it now?" she warned him gently. Hearing this made that invisible wall in front of Arthur feel even taller and harder to climb. Is getting a license really that hard? Arthur wondered to himself. If he thought about it carefully, the saleswoman's words indeed made sense.

Even if he successfully forged the swords, he still needed a License to sell them. Otherwise, they would only be considered black market goods. Selling such items was against the law, and doing so would put his family in danger. He had to handle this licensing matter very seriously; otherwise, it would only end up bringing harm to his own family. With that thought in mind, Arthur exited the shop after gathering the necessary details on exactly where to apply for a License.

It was located at the Industrial Regulations Head Office! Similar to the Awakening Head Office, it was an institution that operated directly under the union government. Without any delay, Arthur and Geoffrey immediately hailed a taxi. They swiftly traveled towards Sector A to properly apply for an Industrial License!