Agreement

Vitri was a little surprised by Victor's speed, but he readily admitted Victor's guess. "Yes, after the relentless efforts of the Royal Navy, we have finally discovered a safe shipping route. From now on, the east and west banks of Tears of God will no longer be difficult to communicate with. Fast ships will only take less than 3 days to connect with each other. Compared to the previous route along the coastline, which took more than ten days, the communication efficiency has greatly improved."

"This means the Raine Kingdom will change its expansion strategy, focusing mainly on the west?" Victor asked.

"Not entirely. Even with the new route, it's still not convenient to project power across the inland sea. However, with the discovery of this route, exchanges between the east and west banks will definitely become more frequent. Since the Raine Kingdom can influence the Grand Duchy of Vera on the opposite shore, the Grand Duchy of Vera and the East Sea Alliance on the east bank can also influence the Raine Kingdom."

"The kingdom believes it's better to act first than to wait. Overthrowing the Grand Duke Silver Maple is just one part of the action. The kingdom needs a foothold. Whether or not the Grand Duchy of Vera can be taken is not important. What's important is to eliminate the negative impact that frequent exchanges between the east and west coasts might have on the Raine Kingdom."

Victor understood the Raine Kingdom's considerations. "So, the Raine Kingdom might not invest too much strength. Even if they can't take the Grand Duchy of Vera, they can use this to attract the attention of the Fas Kingdom and the chaotic lands, and there's a possibility of making breakthroughs in those two directions."

Vitri clapped his hands.

"Victor, you are indeed sharp. Lord Alex was right, you are a suitable candidate. Let me reintroduce myself: I am Vitri Yellowgrass, the head of the Grand Duchy of Vera branch of the Gorn Trading Company, and also a member of the Raine Kingdom's Nightingale."

"A secret agent directly under the kingdom? You're revealing yourself to me like this. Aren't you afraid I'll report you to Grand Duke Silver Maple?"

"Victor, you jest. What can Grand Duke Silver Maple give you, a Viscount title? Does he dare to openly challenge our Raine Kingdom? He would likely suppress the matter tacitly and deal with it secretly. On the other hand, you would be in a difficult position with both sides. And what can our Raine Kingdom give you? The Grand Duchy of Vera currently has an area of less than 400,000 square kilometers and a population of over 17 million. The Raine Kingdom will divide it into three provinces and reserve one ducal title, three marquis titles, and six count titles. As long as you achieve enough merit, you will have the opportunity to become a Count of the Raine Kingdom. A Marquis might not be out of reach either, especially since the Golden Sunflower Family has extensive connections and strong influence, with the support of many Viscount and Baron families behind them."

"Not to mention the East Sea Alliance's 600,000 square kilometers of land and over 30 million people. It may seem unattainable now, but if the Raine Kingdom successfully takes the Grand Duchy of Vera, it is very likely that they will invest more strength on the east bank. With the original power of the Grand Duchy of Vera, they cannot defeat the East Sea Alliance, but what about with the Raine Kingdom? What kind of status and power could you gain by then, seizing the opportunity of the general trend!"

"Think about it. You are still young and should have greater ambitions. What is a Viscount title? With the power of the Golden Sunflower Family, it's not difficult to achieve, but can that be considered your achievement? However, Counts and Marquises are different. Once successful, you will leave your name in the history of this land."

Vitri spoke these words with great emotion, trying to persuade Victor with his moving tone. If Victor hadn't lived two lives, he might have already bowed down and followed the Raine Kingdom's orders as gospel.

But Victor was different; his ambition was even bolder than Vitri imagined.

Victor directly interrupted Vitri. "Esteemed Vitri, I agree to support the Raine Kingdom. What will I gain, or rather, what support can the Raine Kingdom give me now? Don't try to dismiss me with just the contents of these two cargo ships."

Vitri was stunned for a moment, not expecting Victor to be so straightforward. But he quickly replied, "The value of these two ships of goods is considerable, and the weapons they bring are extraordinary. It is already quite generous for you, please don't be too greedy."

"Of course, they are all good things, and enough to satisfy the appetite of our Two Rivers Territory. But you chose me not just for our Two Rivers Territory or the Golden Sunflower Territory, right? What about our two branch Baron families? My maternal grandfather's Viscount Edelweiss? And our long-standing staunch allies? Families like Baron Black Oil Pine, Viscount Blue Rose, and Viscount Bitter Bamboo. I can't drag them all into this for just this little bit."

Vitri wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Then, Victor, what do you mean?"

"I am also willing to support the Raine Kingdom, and I am willing to negotiate, but you need to pay more?"

And so, the two began to haggle. It wasn't until 12 midnight, after 5 hours, that Victor and Vitri, in their capacities as Baron of Golden Sunflower and Branch President of the Gorn Trading Company, drafted an agreement.

The contents were as follows:

I. The Gorn Trading Company shall provide an annual interest-free loan of 3,000 gold coins to the Two Rivers Territory, to be repaid over 20 years.

II. The Gorn Trading Company shall annually provide 5 cargo ships of no less than 300 tons for the Two Rivers Territory to use, with a loan period of no less than 6 months per year.

III. The Gorn Trading Company shall provide at least 3,000 serfs to the Two Rivers Territory annually, of which 1,000 will be gratuitously gifted, and the remaining 2,000 will be paid at market price.

IV. The Two Rivers Territory shall provide land to the Gorn Trading Company for the transit and stationing of the company's goods.

V. The Two Rivers Territory must purchase goods from the Gorn Trading Company annually with 1,500 gold coins.

VI. The Gorn Trading Company shall provide channels for the Two Rivers Territory's goods, with a commission not exceeding 30%.

VII. The Two Rivers Territory needs to cooperate with the Gorn Trading Company's actions, dispatching no less than 500 standing troops when necessary, at most once a year.

VIII. Supplementary agreement content shall take effect only with the signatures of both parties.

The content of the agreement was simple. Both Victor and Vitri believed that it was not appropriate to stipulate too many obligations for both parties at this stage. Vitri gave the greatest permission within his authority, and Victor directly proposed that he could send troops to assist the Gorn Trading Company's actions. The agreement was confidential, known only to the two of them, and no one else could modify or terminate it.

Vitri held the signed agreement and said, "Victor, I have given you the best terms within my authority. You must remember this. If you become successful in the future, don't forget me."

"Don't worry, Vitri. If I achieve success in the future and become a noble of Count rank or above, I will do my best to help you become a true independent noble, with all my might." After all, a Count could enfeoff Barons, so Victor could enfeoff Vitri as a Baron if necessary.

"Then, happy cooperation."

"Happy cooperation."