Rendezvous

That afternoon, Victor waited at the docks. Near evening, the fleet from Golden Sunflower Territory finally arrived. Fortunately, they had met Blue Rose Territory's fleet along the way and traveled together to Brook City.

Victor personally went to greet the fleet.

"James, you didn't puke your guts out this time, did you?" Victor teased. The last time they had marched with the army, James had suffered terribly from seasickness, clutching a bucket all day.

"Respected Baron, I, James, didn't get seasick this time. I didn't embarrass you," James said with a grin.

"Impressive, James. You really have grown," Victor said with a smile.

"Alright, James, have your men moor the ships and arrange those staying behind. Everyone else can disembark and rest. I've already bought food and wine, so let everyone relax properly tonight," Victor continued.

"Yes, Baron," James said with a smile.

Victor turned to Santos as well. "You've worked hard, Santos. Tell our brothers to get a good rest today too. We'll set out again tomorrow morning."

"Yes, Lord Victor." Santos saluted.

"Powell, don't leave yet. Call over the guide sailor. I have some things to ask him," Victor said to Powell, the caravan steward standing nearby.

Powell nodded and saluted before turning to find the sailor.

Afterward, Victor arranged for Santos and James to lead everyone to the Temporary Camp. He also prepared food for the people remaining aboard the ships, then sat down with Powell and the sailor he had brought over to talk.

"According to the original itinerary, we still have two days before reaching Northwind City. After resting there, we'll head east directly into the sea, which will take one day. Then we'll sail north along the coastline for another three days to reach my territory. Jack, Powell, do you think we can arrive on schedule?"

Jack, the guide sailor sent by Blue Rose Territory, replied, "Steward Powell must often travel the route to Northwind City, so he definitely knows it better than I do. My previous ship traveled with the merchant fleet from Iron Birch Territory, mostly heading south to Sunset Peninsula. Our ship was somewhat special, though. We went north all the way to Sunset Peninsula to trade with the Barbarians there, so I'm more familiar with the route after entering the sea. At this time of year, the winds on the sea blow from the north, so we may arrive faster than planned. But our fleet consists of riverboats, so we should still control our speed just in case. There are many hidden reefs along the coast. As long as you follow closely behind my ship, there shouldn't be much of a problem."

Powell added, "I've traveled the route from here to Northwind City for three years. There won't be much issue with the timing. Iron Birch Territory manages its waterways and docks very well, with patrols always stationed along the route. We'll arrive on time without trouble."

Victor nodded. "Jack, you used to work in the merchant fleet of Iron Birch Territory. Why did you leave? The pay should have been fairly good."

"My lord, a year and a half ago, in spring, we made a trip to Sunset Peninsula and discovered that the Barbarians there had been defeated by another Barbarian force coming from the north. They were unwilling to trade with us and only wanted to rob us. Later, our ship was attacked as well. It was heavily damaged, and the captain died in battle. We barely made it back to port, but the ship couldn't be repaired. There were no new ships, and the other vessels were already fully staffed. We suffered many casualties, so they simply dismissed all of us. Fortunately, they gave us severance pay. I followed a southbound fleet to Suffolk County in the east to make a living, then Blue Rose Territory recruited me and sent me to serve under you," Jack explained.

Victor nodded.

"Jack, do you know anything about the mouth of the Great Fish River? Can ships enter the Great Fish River from there? It seems to pass right through my territory."

"Sorry, my lord, but we've never entered the Great Fish River. Every time we traveled to Sunset Peninsula, we saved time by not sailing along the coastline. Instead, we followed an explored route directly there, passing right over the mouth of the Great Fish River. I truly don't know the hydrological conditions there."

"It's fine, Jack. I was only asking," Victor replied.

"It seems I can investigate the hydrological conditions of the Great Fish River within my territory later," Victor thought, directly instructing Number 1 to add the task to the log.

"From the looks of it, our journey hasn't been delayed. I'll have to rely on you two going forward as well. By the way, will nine days be enough for the return trip?" Victor asked.

"There's enough time. We'll be traveling downstream on the return journey, and the ships will be empty. I think it will only take eight days," Powell said. Jack nodded beside him in agreement.

"Fine. Safety comes first in everything. On the return trip, Powell, lead the fleet well. Jack, you're very experienced. As long as you work hard, I won't treat you poorly. This time, you'll serve as the fleet's second-in-command, and I'll give you the same pay as your former captain."

"Thank you, my lord, but I was only a boatswain before. I may not be capable of handling this position." Jack was both delighted and uneasy.

"You can learn. Besides, inland navigation is nothing compared to sailing at sea. I'm planning to establish an ocean-going fleet in the future, and I'll need to rely on you then," Victor reassured him.

"Thank you for your trust, Baron. I will do everything in my power," Jack said firmly.

"Come to think of it, the captain of my Cavalry is also named Jack. One of you is on land, the other on water. I hope both of you will earn merits, and I certainly won't be stingy with rewards," Victor said.

"Alright, you've both worked hard these past few days. Go to bed early tonight and recover yourselves. There's still a difficult journey ahead." Victor sent the two men back to rest.

Afterward, Victor considered his recent work arrangements. Once he confirmed that nothing had been overlooked, he went out to inspect the camp and check on the soldiers and immigrants.

He also reassured everyone that they were already more than halfway through the journey and success was within reach.

Then Victor returned to his tent and prepared to rest.

At that moment, someone suddenly came to see him. It was James.

"James, what brings you to see me so late?" Victor asked.

"It's like this, Victor. You know I'm the second son of my family, and I originally had no hope of inheriting a title. But my father secured this opportunity for me, giving me a chance to become a baron." James paused.

"But you know that even so, my father can't provide me with much support. This time, I've already brought all my troops, as well as some of the immigrants. On the next voyage, the supplies and the remaining immigrants will all be in place.

And Victor, you're different from me. You've already inherited your title, and you're developing territory for your family. You'll certainly receive much more support than I will. So I was thinking that we should still be able to make one more voyage before winter. This time, I plan to have my fleet return to Golden Sunflower Territory together with yours and help you transport a shipment. What do you think?" James revealed his purpose.

"That's wonderful. You've solved a huge problem for me, James." Victor was very pleased. This truly resolved many issues. The ships had limited carrying capacity, and before the year's end, he had only planned to transport two thousand immigrants, eight hundred soldiers and their equipment, and enough supplies to survive the winter. With Blue Rose's fleet, the supplies they could bring over would be enough to double, greatly speeding up subsequent development.

"James, thank you for your help. I won't waste words on it. If you encounter any difficulties developing your territory later, just tell me directly. I'll do everything I can to help you successfully receive your title," Victor promised James.

"I believe you, Victor. Don't worry, if I run into any problems, I'll definitely come find you. If you become a count someday, my baronial title might still depend on you," James said with a smile.

Victor laughed as well. In this world, high-ranking nobles had the right to confer titles upon lower-ranking nobles. Counts could confer baronies, marquises could confer viscountcies and anything below, dukes could confer countships and anything below, while kings could confer duchies and anything below. All such titles would be recognized by the Noble Council.

To confer a barony required merit equivalent to wiping out an enemy regiment. A viscountcy required the destruction of an entire legion. To become a count, one had to destroy three legions and win a major victory in a campaign. If Count Colt's achievements in this Civil War were calculated, they were barely enough to grant him a countship. However, the credit had to be shared among the other Northern Frontier nobles. Although Count Colt had ceded much of his northern territory this time, through exchanges and transferred titles, he had acquired one viscounty and one barony each in the central and eastern regions. They could either remain as exclaves or be given to children other than his eldest son.

Basically, in this Civil War, the powerful viscounts of the Northlands had all obtained a barony in either the central or eastern regions. It could serve as an expansion of their power, or as a reserve force that would allow their families to rise again if the Northlands could no longer hold out.

Victor and James spoke for a while longer, then wished each other good night and went to rest.

Early the next morning, as Victor's fleet prepared to set sail, Vitri arrived at the docks from the city.

"Lord Victor, I heard you were leaving this morning, so I hurried over to see you off. Look, I also brought several carts of fruit. These are specialties of Bria County. They aren't worth much, so let everyone have some," Vitri said, pointing at the carts of fruit his servants had pulled over.

"Chairman Vitri, you're too generous. How much are these fruits? I'll pay for them," Victor said as he had people carry the fruit aboard the ships.

"You are a major customer of our trading company. A little fruit is nothing. We'll still have to ask you to support our trading company's business in the future," Vitri quickly said.

"What business does the Gorn Trading Company have that needs my help? My territory hasn't even begun construction yet," Victor asked.

"The method of transporting timber that you discussed with Lord Macut before—after internal discussions, our trading company believes it can greatly improve timber transportation efficiency while lowering costs. However, as Blackwater River is the waterway hub of the Grand Duchy of Vera, it isn't suited to this kind of timber transport. We plan to begin with the Great Fish River. We'll build docks at its mouth. Once timber from upstream arrives at the river mouth in rafts, we can load it directly onto seagoing vessels and transport it to the Scorching Sun Islands or the East Sea Alliance. Those places developed early and have a great demand for shipbuilding, so they lack large timber. Here in the Northlands, near the Frost Fury Mountains, there are vast Black Forests, largely uninhabited and full of all kinds of high-quality timber. Our trading company believes this business has great potential, so we are discussing it with the nobles on the south bank of the Great Fish River to develop it together," Vitri explained.

After hearing this, Victor thought, The Gorn Trading Company's thinking is quite flexible. The moment they see a good method, they can extend it into new possibilities. But for now, this is only an idea. After all, much of the land on the south bank isn't controlled by Northern Frontier nobles, and there are quite a few Barbarian Tribes wandering between the south and north banks. Still, I can use the Gorn Trading Company's strength to complete a hydrological survey of the Great Fish River. As for future expansion, I can advance toward the river mouth. If I can establish a sufficiently powerful inland fleet on the Great Fish River, it could become an impassable barrier against the Barbarians moving south.

Victor quickly shook his head. He was daydreaming again. He had not even seen his territory yet, and he was already dreaming about an inland fleet.

Victor hurriedly said to Vitri, "The Gorn Trading Company's idea is highly feasible, but we don't fully control the south bank of the Great Fish River, and we know nothing about the hydrological conditions at its mouth. How about this? I suggest we proceed step by step. I happen to have an old captain who has traveled to Sunset Peninsula. When the time comes, we can organize a team together to explore the hydrological conditions at the river mouth. We'll contribute jointly and share the information."

Vitri understood Victor's meaning. "Of course, Lord Victor. We merchants enjoy cooperation. That is how business can be done better and last longer."

Before long, Victor's fleet set sail.

"I will visit your territory later. Please take care," Vitri said, waving goodbye to Victor.

Victor also waved from the stern. Once they were far from the docks, he summoned Powell and Jack and had them introduce the conditions along the coast.

They sailed like this for two days.

At last, they reached the largest city of their journey: Northwind City in North York County.

They rested there for one night. During that time, Victor found an opportunity to enter the city. He had originally wanted to see Alex, but the steward of Iron Birch Territory informed him that Alex had not yet returned, and Count Colt was not in the city either.

He had no choice but to abandon the idea of meeting them. Then he made a deal with the steward who had received him, purchasing a batch of iron birch logs as construction materials for his territory. Iron birch was highly suitable for structural supports and reinforcements in buildings. Combined with the light teak he had purchased, Victor was confident he could build an exceptionally sturdy fortification.

After paying the deposit, Victor left Northwind City. The Iron Birch Family would deliver the timber later through their merchant caravans.

After briefly docking to purchase a batch of food, the ships continued east along the river. A day and a half later, they reached the river mouth.

It was already evening. The sun set behind them as the fleet slowly moored near a sandbar at the river mouth. After Jack confirmed that there were no hidden reefs, he directed the fleet to drop anchor and rest for the night.

This world had not yet developed nautical techniques that relied on constellations to determine direction. At sea, they could only rely on old captains' experience and routes that followed the coastline.