Business

Victor heard Vitry's words and gave no definitive answer.

"Your guild is too kind. Our Golden Sunflower Territory is still just a barony; it's certainly not comparable to a viscounty. It's best not to spread such talk around."

"Of course, of course. Lord Victor is indeed modest and pragmatic. These words are spoken between us and will stay between us; they certainly won't be spread," Vitry said, full of trepidation.

"There's no need for that. Guild Master Vitry is too polite. Just call me Victor. Since I've run into you here, I was hoping to see if your guild has any unique goods that might be useful to me," Victor asked.

"I heard the Golden Sunflower Territory acquired some land in the north. Lord Victor must be here to develop the territory. That being said, there are indeed two suitable items I can introduce to you." With that, Vitry led Victor to a nearby storeroom.

The storeroom was large, estimated to be over 200 square meters. Although many goods were stored there, it didn't appear cluttered; everything was neatly stacked.

Vitry pointed to a large stack of wooden boards and said, "It's these, Light Yew Wood Boards. They are sturdy but about twenty percent lighter than regular yew wood. They have good insulation but poor waterproofing, so they aren't suitable for ship decks. However, they are excellent for construction materials. Victor, you will definitely need them."

Victor touched them and observed them closely, then mentally called out to Number 1 for a check.

"Victor, these boards are indeed very suitable for construction. Furthermore, because they are lightweight, they can save labor time, allowing for large-scale procurement," Number 1 replied.

Victor's expression showed difficulty. "To be honest, Guild Master Vitry, I do need these boards. But you know that pioneering work involves many aspects, and there are many expenses. These boards will surely be costly to transport. May I ask for the price?"

"Lord Victor, please rest assured. Our guild does not engage in unprofitable business. Only a few precious items are transported over long distances. Most regular goods are procured locally, and we then resell them. These Light Yew Boards are a specialty of Durham County, located upstream of the Great Fish River. The Great Fish River flows from the Frost Fury Mountains, passes through Durham County and North York County, and then flows into the sea. Your territory is likely nearby. We are merely intermediaries. The transaction will be between you and the local nobles of Durham County. As for the price, our guild charges a five percent commission on the total price. You can negotiate the rest. Conveniently, that noble family currently has a representative in Brook City, and I can introduce you later," Vitry explained with a smile.

This guild's philosophy is truly unusual. Doing business as an intermediary must be difficult for outsiders, Victor thought.

"Then I'll trouble you, Guild Master Vitry, to make the introduction," Victor said with a smile.

Afterward, Vitry invited Victor to share a carriage, and they traveled to a residential area within the city, where only nobles were permitted to live.

The carriage stopped in front of a house, a three-story building with an exquisite design that exuded a sense of history.

Two guards emerged from the house. Vitry greeted them, and they allowed him to enter. Vitry then gestured for Victor to follow.

Entering the house and ascending to the second floor, they were met with a reception room where someone was already waiting.

A man dressed in a dark hunting outfit was seated there. Even while sitting, it was evident he was very tall. His face appeared young, seemingly no older than twenty.

"Lord Macut, greetings. See who I've brought," Vitry said, inviting Victor forward.

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

Upon hearing this, the man immediately stood up. He was indeed very tall, estimated to be around 2.2 meters. "Hello, Baron Victor. I am Macut Blackpine, the heir to the Viscountcy of Black Pine Territory."

He then extended his hand and shook Victor's. "Lord Victor, please have a seat. Guild Master Vitry mentioned he could help us with the Light Yew Wood business, and I didn't expect it to happen so quickly."

"Just call me Victor. We're about the same age. I'm from Bole County. This time, I'm responding to Count Colt's call to develop the north. I've acquired a territory in North York County and desperately need materials like Light Yew Wood. I'd like to inquire about the pricing," Victor said with a smile.

"I see. Light Yew Wood is indeed very suitable as a building material. However, if you are building a fortress or castle in the north, I don't recommend using Light Yew Wood. You could use Count Colt's Iron Birch Wood, which is excellent for load-bearing structures," Macut said.

"As for these Light Yew Boards, our territory's forests have plenty, and our felling costs are very low. A normal labor fee will suffice. Since it's for building materials, there's no need for further processing. We'll deliver them as raw logs, priced at 1 copper coin per log. However, you'll need to send people to our territory to pick them up."

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

"Please, go ahead."

"As far as I know, the Great Fish River is wide and flows gently, with no waterfalls or similar terrain along its course. Why doesn't Black Pine Territory bundle these logs together to form rafts and release them downstream from upstream? We can have people guard them along the way, and we'll receive them downstream. One log costs 1 copper coin, and for every 100 logs, we add 1 silver coin. I am willing to purchase 300 gold coins worth of logs."

"The method you've described is indeed unique and sounds very feasible. If successful, our Black Pine Territory's timber business can transport wood outwards on a large scale at a very low cost. We are very willing to do this business with the Golden Sunflower Territory," Macut said happily.

Old wisdom for new times. It's like the raft-building methods of ancient China, except this world's civilization developed differently. Coupled with various magical plants, resources aren't scarce, and even serfs rarely starve, which leads to some minds being unadventurous and rigid, Victor thought to himself.

Afterward, the three of them had lunch together. During the meal, Macut also introduced Victor to much of the local customs and culture of the north.

"Victor, you're one of the earliest pioneering nobles to arrive, which is a good thing. The reason the north could dispatch troops this time was by abandoning some outer strongholds to gather forces to move south. The Barbarians probably haven't reacted yet. Now that you've reached your territory, you can build and defend using the old strongholds. If you came after a winter, those strongholds might have already been destroyed and occupied by the Barbarians. Those who come later will have to pay a considerable price," Macut said with a smile.

"I've always had a question. Logically speaking, the northern nobles have achieved great advantages in their battles against the Barbarians and have occupied a lot of land. Why did they give it up so easily this time? Even if the Barbarians did unite, the allied forces of the northern nobles should have been able to fight them," Victor inquired.

"We've had smooth sailing for the past few years, but in reality, we were barely holding on. Bria County, being in the rear, hasn't expanded much, but Durham County and North York County have both more than doubled in size. The furthest salient has reached the Shattered Ice River (another major river in the Northern Barrens). The frontline strongholds are defended individually by each family. For example, our family's garrisoned outpost is over 500 kilometers from Black Pine Territory, and we can't transport personnel and supplies by water. The cost of just transporting supplies annually is enormous. The main Barbarian forces might not be able to break through the defenses, but they can't be stopped by small groups. Developing the occupied land is also very difficult," Macut sighed.

"Everyone has long wanted to abandon some territory to reduce the pressure, but these strongholds are important. If abandoned, many already developed territories could be affected. So, initially, we hoped nobles from the interior would support us, and later, we hoped nobles from the interior would directly participate in pioneering and help us share the burden. That's why everyone was willing to respond to Count Colt's call this time. The nobles of Durham County wanted to reduce pressure, the nobles of Bria County wanted to gain southern territories through warfare, and as for Count Colt of North York, we don't quite understand his motives," Macut continued.

This tall, cold, handsome guy is more talkative than I expected, Victor thought.

"I'm also very curious. How much land is being offered to attract pioneers this time? As far as I know, in our Bole County alone, at least five noble families are participating in this pioneering effort, and they are basically all powerful figures," Victor directly raised his question.

"I don't know the specific land area. All families reported their land to Count Colt, and he negotiates with outsiders. Our family is offering more than half of our occupied land, about 700 square kilometers."

Upon hearing this, Victor quickly interrupted Macut.

"How much land does Black Pine Territory currently have? Are you willing to give up so much land? Won't you regret it?"

"Why would we? It's all just wasteland. We have to constantly move the sheep when grazing. Who would care? Our Black Pine Territory originally had over 800 square kilometers, plus the land acquired through expansion, it should add up to over 1300. It sounds large, but it's normal for border nobles to have large territories. Our population might be less than that of a single baron in the central regions," Macut said self-deprecatingly.

He then rambled on, introducing other aspects of his territory. Victor quickly compiled the territory's status panel based on this information.

Territory Data

Name: Black Pine Territory

Population: 31,779

Area: 1316.212 sq km

Towns: 1

Villages: 10 + 7 Farms + 8 Pastures

Army Size: 1500 (including 500 Light Cavalry, 600 Spearmen, and 400 Archers)

Public Morale: ? (Likely 40-50)

Major Industries: Agriculture, animal husbandry, logging.

Annual Income: 2,000 gold coins.

Annual Expenses: Estimated around 1,900 (calculated based on the territory's troop strength).

Infrastructure:

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

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

Pasture: Grasslands for raising cattle, sheep, and horses.

Wharf: A very small inland river wharf, with few merchant caravans passing through.

Victor had Number 1 save these territory data panels for future reference.

"Victor, you've brought a considerable number of troops this time, but I suggest you avoid splitting them up. Focus your construction efforts around your original stronghold. Winter isn't too bad; it'll just be cold. As long as you have housing built and sufficient supplies, there won't be any major issues. The real challenge will come in the spring when the heavily damaged Barbarians will surely raid south. That will be the true test for you," Macut advised.

"Yes, Lord Victor, do you need to procure any supplies? As one of our high-priority clients, we can offer you prices that will surely tempt you," Vitelli seized the opportunity.

"Alright, Vitelli. Once I reach my territory, if I find myself lacking any specific supplies, I will send someone to find you," Victor nodded. He didn't mind fostering a good relationship with the Gorn Trading Company.

"There's no need to come all the way here. We've also established a branch in Northwind City, and I'll be heading there shortly. If you need anything later, you can just send someone to Northwind City," Vitelli said, patting his chest.

"Oh, congratulations! President Vitelli, it seems you'll be in charge of the entire northern region's trade. I recall you were planning to go to the eastern counties before?" Victor inquired.

"Our company believes that the northern region will become a key area for the Grand Duchy of Vera in the coming years. Nobles and resources from the entire duchy will be funneled here. There's immense potential for business here, so I proactively applied to come," Vitelli said proudly.

"Merchants certainly have their ears to the ground. It's estimated that dozens of nobles are heading north this time, involving the migration of hundreds of thousands of people, and the troop mobilization alone will be at least two to three legions. How about this, Vitelli? I'd like to place a private order with you. I'll use your merchant network to get me a list of the nobles heading north and various information. 1 gold coin per Baron family, 2 gold coins per Viscount, and 3 per Count. What do you say?" Victor asked directly.

"I would be delighted. Our company already deals in information brokering. Lord Victor, you don't need to spend so much. As a high-priority client, if you subscribe to this type of information from us, we will provide it to you regularly. An annual information fee of 10 gold coins will suffice," Vitelli explained.

This Gorn Trading Company has a very forward-thinking philosophy. It seems I'll need to understand them better when I have the time, Victor thought. Nevertheless, he naturally agreed.

The meal concluded with both parties pleased. Afterward, Victor returned to his encampment near the wharf outside the city, recorded the day's events, and had Number 1 create a file for the Gorn Trading Company to facilitate future information gathering.

The next morning, Victor went to the Gorn Trading Company and paid 40 gold coins as a brokerage fee and information subscription fee. Vitelli was overjoyed and personally saw Victor off.

Following that, Victor went directly to Macut and paid him half the deposit, 150 gold coins. Macut expressed his gratitude for Victor's trust and stated that he would depart immediately for his territory and personally deliver the first batch of logs and the contract agreement to Victor.