Life in Augsburg remained hectic. In fact, no matter how far Laszlo traveled, messengers would pour in from all corners of the map, bringing a seemingly endless stream of administrative duties.
Even though he had significantly lightened his burden through optimized division of labor, there was no escaping the fact that his domains were simply too vast. There was always a mountain of affairs requiring his final decision or, at the very least, his guidance. Unable to endure sitting in a study toiling all day, Laszlo chose to give himself a break and take a walk through Augsburg.
Georg Fugger, the Royal Merchant, volunteered to act as the Emperor's guide. Considering the Emperor's longstanding interest in industry and various types of factories, Georg took him directly to the Fugger family's textile mill in the city.
The sign at the entrance still read "Ulrich Fugger & Brothers," but the true manager was Barbara, the mother of the three Fugger brothers. Laszlo soon met this shrewd, wise elderly lady, along with a child of twelve or thirteen standing by her side.
"Noble Majesty, the Fugger family welcomes your arrival."
"Lady Barbara, it's been a few years since we last met, hasn't it? You look as spirited as ever. My minister, Ulrich, tells me you've kept the family textile business in perfect order. While in Augsburg, I thought I'd take the chance to personally inspect the advanced management of the Fugger workshops."
Laszlo did not mention Jakob the Elder; he still felt a sense of regret regarding the deceased former Finance Minister. Ulrich's business acumen was decent, but his pursuit of profit was a bit too aggressive, and he lacked his father's vision and depth. As a tool, Ulrich was sufficient, but it was difficult for him to perform a greater function.
Consequently, from the moment they met, Laszlo's attention was fixed on the child behind the old lady. He was the youngest and most beloved of the three brothers, named Jakob after his father—often called Jakob the Younger or Jakob II.
As the Fugger name echoed through history, when people spoke of "Jakob Fugger," no one would think of the father; all attention would be focused on this dazzling commercial genius. By investing in emperors, balancing industry with finance, and actively funding charities, he would amass staggering wealth and prestige, elevating the Fuggers to incredible heights. Their family bank would once control the Imperial treasury and the Papal coffers, leading people to dub it the "Central Bank of Europe."
However, this titan—destined to overshadow all contemporary merchants—was currently just a green youth. Seeing him in a simple black robe, clutching a finely bound *Bible* from the Royal Printing House, Laszlo felt a wave of confusion. He looked like a wealthy son working hard to join the Church, not a future merchant prince.
"Thank you for your concern. If you are interested in our factory, I shall show you around," Lady Barbara said, pleasantly surprised and gratified by the Emperor's visit.
"And this child is Jakob the Younger, I presume?" Laszlo looked kindly at the teenager, who was eyeing him with curiosity.
"Yes, he is the youngest in the family."
"It seems you don't intend for him to follow his brothers into the family business?"
Though he didn't know the specifics, the talent-hungry Laszlo wasn't about to watch a clear prodigy discard commerce for the Church. If his intelligence could be used by the House of Habsburg, it would surely create more wealth for Austria. As for the Church? That path was too narrow and the competition too fierce—where was the future in that?
Barbara sensed the Emperor's special interest. Suppressing her surprise, she explained, "This was an arrangement set by my husband. Ulrich and Georg manage the family assets while serving you. Young Jakob has a gift for learning, so we intend for him to enter university and then join the Church."
"I think I have a better place for him," Laszlo finally interjected. A future richest man in Europe was standing before him talking about becoming a priest; he simply couldn't stand by and watch.
"You mean..."
"Let him join my court. As my page, I will provide him with the most suitable education. In the future, he will serve me and my heirs. This is an honor the Fugger family has earned."
Laszlo's court was already the largest and most luxurious in Europe. Its high entry barrier often frustrated nobles who wished to send their children there. Becoming an Imperial courtier meant constant opportunities for rewards and promotion, and even serving as a domestic servant offered a chance to be dispatched to public office as an extension of the Emperor's power.
At the very least, it meant a comfortable life with a "golden rice bowl" as long as one avoided major mistakes. Among the domestic staff, the position of page was highly sought after, especially given the precedent of former pages becoming governors or joining the Privy Council. Pages usually came from prominent families or were the children of veteran officials with outstanding contributions. Once dispatched, they often served as high-ranking bailiffs; they were essentially the core inner circle alongside the Court Advisory Group.
While neither group was as important as the "Outer Court"—the Austrian Privy Council—a significant number of Council officials were recruited from these two inner circles. This honor now fell upon the Fugger family. Not only Barbara, but even the Royal Merchant Georg, who was accompanying them, felt ecstatic.
"Thank you for your grace, Majesty."
Barbara patted Jakob's shoulder, giving him an encouraging look. The boy, his face flushed with excitement, immediately swore fealty to the Emperor, becoming a member of the vast court. Though he was a bit nervous about the Emperor seemingly wanting him to give up his clerical ambitions, the thrill of the future kept his spirits high.
Behind them, Wolfgang, Stefan, and the other attendants personally selected by the Emperor saw their new colleague was just a child and breathed a sigh of relief.
The Austrian Court Academy, founded by Guarino the Younger, had officially begun recruiting the children of nobles from the Empire and Hungary. Some wealthy merchants managed to place their children there through massive donations, alongside exceptionally bright students from modest backgrounds. The professor implemented an educational method entirely different from church schools or private tutors, aiming to cultivate elites with a sense of social responsibility who could govern states, run businesses, or support the Church.
The Emperor viewed it as a training ground for future courtiers, seemingly intending to use this small, specialized school to mass-produce loyal attendants. Recently, the Emperor had begun bringing in even more young people, which placed considerable competitive pressure on the established courtiers. Fortunately, these newcomers were young and lacked experience, posing no immediate threat to their status. Wolfgang and the others, who were no longer young, were now hoping for appointments; after years of service, it was time for them to be dispatched so they could make room for the new generation.
Laszlo, however, was oblivious to their anxiety. He was currently trying to expand the Inner Court to balance the growing Austrian bureaucracy and curb the natural tendencies toward corruption and maladministration. To do this, he needed to collect as many talents as possible. He had no intention of letting go of the attendants currently by his side; on top of the surveillance mechanism built by the Foreign Minister's spy network, Laszlo needed a group that more directly represented his authority.
Without realizing it, he had become like a Sultan, favoring talented young boys—though the Muslims played a "stranger" game, while his own preferences remained normal. With the final Fugger brother recruited, the family was now fully tethered to the Habsburg war chariot. No one found anything wrong with this.
Afterward, Laszlo conducted a serious tour of the textile factory, only to be left deeply disappointed.
The so-called "factory" was actually just a massive warehouse. The Fuggers used their vast trade network to purchase flax from all over Southern Germany and beyond, and imported cotton from Crete and Cyprus through Venice. These materials were transported to Augsburg for storage and the initial stages of processing, such as preparing flax bundles for spinning.
The materials were then distributed to domestic workshops across the city. Once the city's spinners, weavers, and dyers finished their work, the Fuggers monopolized the buy-back of the finished products. The materials sent out returned to the warehouse as finished goods, ready for distribution across Southern Germany.
Because flax is more complex to process than wool or cotton, the Augsburg textile guild divided the work into eight or nine distinct stages. A tenth of the city's workforce was involved, maximizing efficiency. Later, skilled workers under the Fuggers improved the process by blending wool, flax, and cotton, which boosted productivity and quality. By avoiding the cutthroat high-end wool markets of Italy, Burgundy, and England, the Fugger textile business remained relatively insulated from the Flemish textile revival.
Losses were inevitable, of course. Even different types of textiles compete for market share when prices fluctuate. After the masterstroke of inciting the English Civil War to suppress England's wool industry, the masters of the Burgundian textile industry used a price war to nearly crush the Italian wool industry led by Florence. Florence survived by pivoting to imitation cheap fabrics, while the Genoese gave up on wool entirely, partnering with Prince Maximilian of Milan and King Christopher of Dauphiné to replace wool with silk industries from Como and Lyon.
New Flemish cloth flooded the European mid-range market at lower prices than ever before, and Southern German textiles were caught in the crossfire between the Low Countries and Italy. Fortunately, regional demand remained strong enough that the Fuggers didn't suffer severe losses—besides, they never expected to make their real fortune from the ancestral textile trade anyway.
The Fugger model of controlling upstream raw materials and downstream distribution gave Laszlo some inspiration, but not much. To play that game, one needed massive capital and a commercial network, then control over the guilds, and finally the ability to crush rivals in a trade war. The time and money required, not to mention the risks, were significant.
Laszlo was wary of competing with the people for profit to that extent. Europe was not the East; a monarch's monopoly on commerce would provoke fierce resistance. If he forced the guilds into submission, the industry might simply vanish from the city, causing even greater discontent. He wanted to support and control the burgher class, not destroy them. It was better to leave such work to merchants.
Laszlo's gaze drifted toward Georg. *Well, a Royal Merchant is still a merchant, isn't he?* How to replicate advanced management in Austria and which industries to apply it to remained a topic for deep discussion.
Leaving the factory and wandering the city a bit longer, Laszlo eventually encountered a crowd of messengers looking for him.
Christopher and Charles—the father-in-law and son-in-law duo—had arrived in Augsburg together, their grand entourages causing a stir in the city. A messenger from Burgundy brought the latest news: the Duke of Guelders had finally died. Burgundy had officially annexed his territory and was busy mopping up the remaining resistance.
Shortly after, a representative from the Teutonic Knights brought news from the North. The Grand Master would have to miss the meeting because King Bolesław of Poland had also died. Poland was in total chaos, and the Knights were looking for an opportunity to intervene.
Hearing this, Laszlo merely let out a soft sigh. He knew this turbulent era was reaching its crescendo; the true age of chaos was fast approaching.