Business

Victor neither confirmed nor denied Vitri's words.

"Your trading company flatters us. Our Golden Sunflower Territory is still only a barony, certainly no match for a viscountcy. It would be best not to spread such words around."

"Of course, of course. Lord Victor is indeed humble and practical. These words came from my mouth and entered your ears; they certainly will not be passed on," Vitri said nervously.

"There is no need for this, President Vitri. You are too polite. Just call me Victor. Since I happened to meet you here, I wanted to see whether the trading company has any distinctive goods this time that I might need," Victor asked.

"I heard that Golden Sunflower Territory exchanged for a piece of land in the Northlands. Lord Victor must have come to develop the territory. In that case, there are indeed two suitable things I can recommend to you." As he spoke, Vitri led Victor to a nearby warehouse.

The warehouse was large, covering more than two hundred square meters by estimation. Although it contained a great deal of merchandise, it did not look cluttered. Everything was stacked neatly.

Vitri pointed at a large pile of boards and said, "These are Light Yew Wood Boards. They are sturdy, yet twenty percent lighter than ordinary yew wood. They retain heat well, though they are less waterproof, so they are unsuitable for ship decks. But they are excellent as construction materials. Victor, you will definitely need them."

Victor touched them and inspected them carefully before calling out to Number 1 in his mind, Help me examine these.

"Victor, these boards are indeed highly suitable for construction. Their lighter weight can also save labor time, so you can purchase them in large quantities," Number 1 replied.

Victor showed a troubled expression. "To be honest, President Vitri, I truly need this kind of board. But as you know, reclaiming wilderness involves all sorts of work, and there are many places to spend money. Transporting these boards here surely makes them quite valuable. What price are they?"

"Lord Victor, rest assured. Our trading company does not do business at a loss. Only a small number of precious goods are transported over long distances. Most ordinary goods are purchased locally and then resold by us. This Light Yew Wood happens to be a specialty of Durham County, located upstream along the Great Fish River. The Great Fish River flows out from the Frost Fury Mountains, passes through Durham County and North York County, and enters the sea. Your territory should be nearby. We merely serve as intermediaries; the actual transaction remains between you and the local nobles of Durham County. As for the price, our trading company charges five percent of the total price as an intermediary fee. You can negotiate the rest yourself. The noble family in question happens to have a representative in Brook City right now, and I can introduce you later," Vitri explained with a smile.

This trading company's philosophy is truly unusual. It makes its money as an intermediary. Outsiders do not usually have an easy time doing that kind of business, Victor thought.

"Then I will have to trouble you, President Vitri. Please introduce me," Victor said with a smile.

Soon afterward, Vitri invited Victor to share his carriage, and they arrived at a residential district within the city. Only nobles were permitted to live there.

The carriage stopped before a house, a delicate three-story building that carried a strong sense of age.

Two guards came out of the house. Vitri stepped forward to greet them, and the two allowed him through the door. Vitri then gestured for Victor to follow.

After entering the house and going up to the second floor, they found a reception room directly ahead. Someone was already waiting there.

A man in a deep black hunting outfit sat there. Though he was seated, it was obvious that he had an extremely tall build. His face looked young, and he seemed to be only around twenty.

"Good day, Lord Macut. Look who I have brought," Vitri said as he invited Victor forward.

"This is Baron Victor from Golden Sunflower Territory in eastern Bole County. He wishes to discuss a business deal with Black Pine Territory."

Upon hearing this, the man immediately stood up. He was indeed extremely tall, around 2.2 meters by estimation. "Greetings, Baron Victor. I am Macut Blackpine, heir to the Black Pine Viscountcy."

As he spoke, he extended his hand and shook Victor's. "Lord Victor, please sit. President Vitri said earlier that he could help us secure a Light Yew Wood deal. I did not expect it to happen so quickly."

"Just call me Victor. We are about the same age. I come from Bole County, and this time I answered Count Colt's call to head north and develop new lands. I exchanged for a piece of territory in North York County and greatly need materials like Light Yew Wood. I would like to ask how the price should be calculated," Victor said with a smile.

"I see. Light Yew Wood is indeed very suitable as a construction material, but if you intend to build a fortress or castle in the Northlands, I would not recommend using it. You can use Count Colt's Iron Birch Wood instead. It is exceptionally suitable for load-bearing structures," Macut said.

"As for Light Yew Wood, our territory has many forests, and our logging costs are very low. Normally, only labor costs need to be paid. Since it will be used as construction material, there is no need to process it. We can send the raw logs directly at one copper coin per log, but you will need to send people to collect them from our territory."

"In that case, how about I make a suggestion?" Victor said.

"Please."

"As far as I know, the Great Fish River is broad and flows relatively slowly. There should be no terrain such as waterfalls along the route. Why not have Black Pine Territory bind the logs together into rafts and release them downstream from upstream? Send people to guard them along the way, and we will receive them downstream. The price will be one copper coin per log, and for every hundred logs, I will add one Silver Coin. I am willing to spend three hundred Gold Coins to purchase logs."

"Your method is indeed unusual, but it sounds quite feasible. If it succeeds, Black Pine Territory's timber business will be able to transport goods outward on a large scale at extremely low cost. We are very willing to make this deal with Golden Sunflower Territory," Macut said happily.

An old method from my previous life. This was how ancient Chinese raft guilds floated timber downstream. It was only that this world's path of civilization had developed somewhat strangely. On top of that, all kinds of magical plants meant supplies were not scarce; even serfs rarely starved to death. That was why some ways of thinking had become so unenterprising and rigid, Victor found himself thinking.

Afterward, the three of them ate lunch together there. During the meal, Macut also introduced Victor to much of the Northlands' local customs.

"Victor, you are among the earliest nobles to come develop new lands, and that is a good thing. The reason the Northlands were able to send troops this time was because we abandoned some of the outer outposts, allowing us to gather our forces and head south. The Barbarians probably have not reacted yet. If you arrive at your territory now, you can still rely on the old outposts for construction and defense. If you wait until after a winter, those outposts may already have been destroyed or occupied by the Barbarians. Those who arrive later will have to pay quite a price," Macut said with a smile.

"I have always had a question. Logically speaking, the Northern Frontier nobles currently hold a great advantage in their war against the Barbarians and have occupied much land. Why would they give it up so easily? Even if the Barbarians have truly united, the Northern Frontier Allied Army would still be capable of resisting them," Victor asked.

"These past few years, we have indeed fought smoothly, but in reality, we are nearly unable to hold on ourselves. Bria County is in the rear, so its territory has not expanded much. But Durham County and North York County have both nearly doubled in size. The farthest salient has already reached the Shattered Ice River, another great river on the Northern Barrens. The front-line outposts are defended separately by each family. For example, the outpost our family garrisons is more than five hundred kilometers from Black Pine Territory, and there is no way to use water transport to replenish personnel and supplies. The annual cost of transporting provisions alone is enormous. Large Barbarian armies may not be able to break through the defensive lines, but small groups cannot be stopped. Developing the land we have already occupied is also very difficult." Macut sighed.

"Everyone has long wanted to abandon part of the territory and reduce the pressure, but these outposts are important. If we abandon them, many territories already under construction may be affected. So at first, we hoped that nobles from the interior would come support us. Later, it became a hope that interior nobles would directly participate in development and help us share the burden. That is why everyone was willing to answer Count Colt's call this time. The nobles of Durham County wanted to reduce their pressure, the nobles of Bria County wanted to gain southern lands through warfare, but no one really knows what Count Colt of North York intends to do," Macut continued.

This tall, cold-faced handsome man was even more talkative than I expected, Victor thought.

"I am also very curious. Roughly how much land has been put up to attract settlers this time? As far as I know, in eastern Bole County alone, no fewer than five noble families have come to participate in this development. They are all quite powerful," Victor asked directly.

"I do not know the exact land area. Each family reported its land together to Count Colt, and his family handled the outside negotiations. Our family has offered more than half of our occupied land, roughly over seven hundred square kilometers."

Hearing this, Victor quickly interrupted Macut.

"Then how much land does Black Pine Territory have now? Are you truly willing to give up so much land? Will you not regret it?"

"Why would we? It is all barren grassland. Even sheep have to keep moving while grazing, so who would care about it? Black Pine Territory's original land covered more than eight hundred square kilometers. Including the land retained from expansion, it should total more than thirteen hundred. It sounds large, but it is normal for frontier nobles to have vast territories. The population of our territory may not even compare to that of a barony in the central regions," Macut said mockingly.

He then went on at length about other aspects of the territory. Victor quickly compiled the following territorial panel from the information.

Territory Data

Name: Black Pine Territory

Population: 31,779

Area: 1,316.212 square kilometers

Towns: 1

Villages: 10 villages + 7 farms + 8 ranches

Military Strength: 1,500 troops (including 500 Light Cavalry, 600 spearmen, and 400 archers)

Public Support: ? (probably only 40–50)

Main Industries: Agriculture, animal husbandry, logging

Annual Income: 2,000 Gold Coins

Annual Expenditure: Estimated at around 1,900 Gold Coins (calculated based on the territory's military strength)

Infrastructure:

Castle: A sturdy stone castle with defensive towers and a moat.

Farmland: Fertile land, mainly growing wheat, barley, and vegetables.

Ranches: Grasslands raising cattle, sheep, and horses.

Dock: A very small inland river dock, rarely passed by merchant caravans.

Victor had Number 1 save this territorial data panel for convenient future reference.

"Victor, you brought quite a few troops this time, but I suggest you avoid dividing your forces as much as possible. Build around the old outposts. Winter is actually not much of a problem, at most a little colder. As long as the houses are built and supplies are sufficient, nothing should go wrong. The real difficulty will come after spring. The heavily damaged Barbarians will certainly head south to raid, and that will be the wave of trouble you must face," Macut advised.

"Yes, Lord Victor. Do you still need to purchase supplies? As one of our premium clients, we can offer prices attractive enough to move you," Vitri interjected at once.

"All right, Vitri. Once I arrive at the territory, if there are indeed supplies I lack, I will send someone to find you," Victor said with a nod. He did not mind building a good relationship with the Gorn Trading Company.

"You will not need to come here. The trading company in Northwind City has also been established, and I will be heading there soon. If you need anything afterward, simply send someone to Northwind City," Vitri said, patting his chest.

"Oh, congratulations. It seems President Vitri will be responsible for the trading company's business throughout the Northlands. I remember you were previously planning to go to the eastern counties, were you not?" Victor asked.

"Our trading company believes that the Northlands will become a key region of the Grand Duchy of Vera over the next few years. Nobles and resources from across the duchy will flow here, and there will be tremendous business opportunities. So I voluntarily applied to come here," Vitri said proudly.

Merchants truly have well-informed sources. There are probably no fewer than dozens of noble families heading north this time, involving the migration of hundreds of thousands of people. The forces being mobilized alone amount to at least two or three legions. "Then, Vitri, I would like to place a private order with you. Use your merchant intelligence network to obtain the list of nobles heading north this time and all sorts of information about them. One Gold Coin for each baronial family, two for each viscount, and three for each count. What do you think?" Victor asked directly.

"I could not ask for more. Our trading company already sells information. Lord Victor need not spend so much money. You are a premium client, so as long as you subscribe to this type of information from us, we will provide it to you regularly. You only need to pay ten Gold Coins in information fees each year," Vitri explained.

This Gorn Trading Company's philosophy is quite advanced. It seems I should find time to learn more about it, Victor thought. Naturally, he agreed.

The meal ended with both host and guests thoroughly pleased. After lunch, Victor returned to the camp near the docks outside the city, recorded the day's events, and had Number 1 create a file on the Gorn Trading Company for future intelligence gathering.

The next morning, Victor went to the Gorn Trading Company and handed over forty Gold Coins as the intermediary fee and information subscription fee. Vitri was naturally beaming with joy and personally saw Victor off.

Victor then went directly to Macut and paid him half the deposit, one hundred and fifty Gold Coins. Macut greatly thanked Victor for his trust and said that he would immediately depart for his territory. When the time came, he would personally deliver the first batch of logs and the agreement contract to Victor.