Connections

Victor had the illusion that he was facing not a boy of twelve or thirteen, but a seasoned noble.

"I'm sorry, I misspoke." Victor took a deep breath and nodded gently at Colin.

"Then do you agree to my proposal, or do you not?" Colin smiled faintly, bent down to pick up the teacup on the table, and took a sip.

"Do you have a specific plan?" Victor asked earnestly, his tone unconsciously changing.

"Nobles are nobles, and commoners are commoners. Within the Will City Grain Association, those nobles collude with wealthy merchants. Wealthy merchants without surnames possess vast fortunes and live respectable lives. Yet, Lifetime Knights like yourself, former members of the Gale Knight Order, Transcendants, are forced to sell their property due to financial hardship. I believe this is unfair, and the Empire's nobles are shamed by it."

"My plan is for you to scout out some Empire Knights who are in financial straits like yourself, and together we will establish a grain company. Then, with your respectable status, we will borrow money from the Empire Bank. We will forcefully intervene in the Will City Grain Association. As for the nobles within the Grain Association, we will maintain a respectful distance. As for the wealthy merchants, we can simply eliminate them all."

A smile spread across Colin's face, and he took another sip of black tea.

"As expected of a noble, even at this age." Victor looked at Colin seriously, his mind already calculating.

The Empire is the Emperor's Empire, yet it is also the Empire of the nobles. The Empire's laws overwhelmingly favor the nobles. Wealthy merchants, to some extent, can only depend on nobles.

Therefore, doing business often depends not on money or talent, but on bloodline and connections. If an Empire prince wants to do business, without him lifting a finger, wealth will pour in.

A Lifetime Knight who once served in the Knight Order and shed blood for the Empire already carries some weight. What if there were several more?

To be able to use one's noble status to utter high-sounding words and conduct business like a robbery – that is the way of nobles.

Respectable, elegant, composed, and cunning.

"Good." Victor agreed without much thought.

"A wise decision." Colin smiled slightly, then raised his teacup in a toast. Knight Victor was startled for a moment, then raised his teacup and clinked it with Colin's.

"To a fruitful partnership!"

What followed proceeded extremely smoothly. In Marquis Kent's territory, many Lifetime Knights appear every year, many of whom served in regular knight orders and survived to retire. A considerable number of them also ended up in Will City.

Knight Victor, through the connections he accumulated from his service in the Gale Knight Order, contacted some of his seniors who also served in the Gale Knight Order. Including himself, a total of five Empire Lifetime Knights joined Colin's plan.

Although most of these individuals retired due to old age. As Transcendants, they were considered the lower tier. However, as Empire Lifetime Knights who had shed blood for the Empire.

Moreover, due to their service in the Gale Knight Order, they possessed extensive connections within the Order, having mentored many juniors.

Their combined influence when standing together was absolutely not to be underestimated.

With the connections in place, the remaining element was money.

On the morning of August 1st.

It was a rare cloudy day, bringing a pleasant coolness. The wheat harvest outside Will City was imminent. The rise in wheat prices this year was greatly beneficial to the commoners within the city and the farmers in the countryside, bringing smiles to the faces of everyone in Will City.

Brian's status within the school had significantly improved. The impact of his defeat in the competition against Colin had been lessened.

Today, Colin had requested leave from school and stayed home. Linda had already left for work. Although Colin had previously persuaded Linda to be a full-time noble lady, to attend parties and concerts, she had refused.

Being thrifty, she would not allow herself to be idle.

In the living room, Colin held a cup of original Duke Black Tea, with Linda's homemade cookies placed beside him. He was reading a knight novel called "Charlemagne's Travels" to pass the time.

Knight novels in this world were all the same. Every protagonist was of noble birth, their family in decline, and after a series of great adventures, they would eventually marry a princess or a Grand Duke's daughter.

"Are all these authors taught by the same master? Aren't there any novel stories?" Colin, after reading halfway, couldn't help but put the book down.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door.

"Mr. Colin. It's me, Rhode."

Colin stood up, holding the armrest, tidied his appearance slightly, and then went to the door to open it. Rhode stood at the door, wearing a round hat, extremely humble.

Upon seeing Colin, Rhode took off his hat, placed it over his chest, and bowed to Colin.

"Please come in, Rhode." Colin took out guest slippers and placed them down.

"Thank you, Mr. Colin." Rhode remained humble.

After entering the living room, Colin asked Rhode to sit down first. He then went to the second-floor bedroom, carried a wooden box down, and placed it on the floor.

"Another disciple of my teacher is also currently producing Basic Strength Potions, and his skill is above mine. He asked me to sell them to Mr. George together, so the quantity this time is quite astonishing." Colin opened the wooden box. Inside, twenty Basic Strength Potions were neatly arranged, their blood-red magical light reflecting each other, interweaving to form the color of gold coins.

Rhode was surprised for a moment, but quickly regained his composure. He then stood up, bowed humbly to Colin, and apologized, "Mr. Colin, the volume you've supplied this time is truly unexpected. I apologize for not bringing enough gold coins."

"It's alright, we can settle next time. However, let me remind you, my supply will be even greater next month." Colin nodded understandingly.

"Alright." Rhode still held his hat over his chest, bending slightly.

"Also, I have a personal letter. Please take it back to Mr. George." Colin opened his jacket, took out an exquisite envelope from his inner pocket, and handed it to Rhode.

"Certainly." Rhode reached out, took the letter, held it carefully, and turned to leave.

Shortly after, Rhode returned from outside with materials for next month's thirty units and one hundred gold coins. He carefully took out the twenty Basic Strength Potions and sealed them in the wooden box he had brought. After that, he bid farewell to Colin and left the Russell family, carrying the wooden box.

Setting aside the debt owed to George Magic Shop for now.

Each potion sold for eight gold coins, so twenty potions amounted to one hundred and sixty gold coins. Next month, Colin would supply thirty Basic Strength Potions, valued at two hundred and forty gold coins, totaling four hundred gold coins.

This sum was not only enough to fulfill his promise of three hundred gold coins to Knight Victor, but also left him with an extra hundred gold coins. After saving a bit more money, he should buy a villa with a stable. And hire a butler, maids, manservants, and a coachman.