War Exploits

This level and scale of "trophy" is unique in the foreseeable future; there will be no other supplier. It's an absolute seller's market!

Seeing Black freeze instantly, a flicker of panic and calculation in his eyes, Karl felt even more certain of his judgment and confidence.

He softened his tone, leaned back slightly, appearing more composed, but the weight of his words was heavier than before:

"Mr. Black, we're all sensible people, so there's no need to spell things out. I know that you, or rather the people behind you, desperately need this shipment of 'goods'."

"Otherwise, you wouldn't have traveled thousands of miles with such a large caravan and 'sincerity' to my border region, which has just emerged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood, when the war had just ended, the Northern Territory were not yet fully open, and the northern border was still dangerous."

He paused, his gaze seemingly penetrating the walls to see the carriages laden with heads:

"The price will be set as I said. I believe that for those who truly need it and understand its value, its significance and what it can buy are far more than the price I set. What do you think?"

In the still chilly side room of early spring, a fine layer of cold sweat had seeped from Black's forehead.

Karl's words were so precise, hitting him, or rather, the Earl Eisenberg behind him, right where it hurt the most!

The Blackstone Pass, where Earl Eisenberg was stationed, was an important gateway to the northeast of the kingdom. However, it collapsed almost without a fight and quickly fell into enemy hands in the early stages of the Sauron invasion.

Although there are many objective reasons, this has left an extremely large and indelible stain on his already less-than-honorable military career, which relied heavily on the support of his family's power.

There was great criticism of this from both the government and the public.

Meanwhile, Earl Rochefort, also in the Northern Territory, is enjoying immense prestige due to the resounding victory his troops in Carnford have achieved, and is being lavishly praised by the royal family.

In comparison, Earl Eisenberg's situation was even more awkward and dangerous.

If he cannot produce any decent, publicly acclaimed "military achievements" to offset the guilt of losing territory and consolidate his position, then...

His political enemies in the Royal Capital, the elders and other nobles who were already dissatisfied with the Eisenberg Family's growing power, would not let go of this excellent opportunity to impeach him and would surely launch a joint attack.

Although the current regent, Empress Dowager Katerina, is the Earl Eisenberg's biological daughter and will undoubtedly try her best to protect her father, if the pressure from public opinion is too great, the evidence is conclusive, and the Earl Eisenberg has accomplished nothing, it will be difficult for the Empress Dowager to completely disregard legal principles and public opinion and forcibly protect him.

In that case, Earl Eisenberg would likely face being stripped of some of his lands, demoted, or even more serious political persecution.

This astonishing number of Sauron heads from Carnford, especially the nearly three hundred heads of Berserker most elite of the Sauron berserkers, was like a political lifeline falling from the sky for Earl Eisenberg!

With his abilities, he could easily manipulate the situation to attribute these victories to one of his own "surprise troops" or "guerrilla forces behind enemy lines," or even to the "fierce resistance" before the fall of Blackstone Pass!

As long as these heads can be reported "reasonably," it can greatly offset his guilt for losing territory, and may even turn him into a "tragic hero" who "though he lost a strategic pass, he inflicted heavy damage on the enemy"!

Their political value and significance in saving the family's fate far outweigh the commercial value of these heads themselves! What does paying a few more gold coins matter for that?

Thinking this through, Black knew that all his performances and all his bargaining were pale and powerless in the face of Karl's keen observation and absolute monopoly on the supply.

He smiled wryly, took out a clean white silk handkerchief, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and finally, as if shedding all pretense, sighed helplessly and gave in:

"My Lord... you truly have... insightful vision and profound understanding. Alright! The price will be as you say! Berserker heads, fifty gold coins each; regular soldier heads, ten gold coins each."

Seeing Black finally give in, Karl secretly breathed a sigh of relief and a more genuine smile appeared on his face, "Very good, Mr. Black, it's a pleasure doing business with you. I believe this deal is beneficial to both of us."

Once the price is agreed upon, the next step is to determine the specific settlement method.

Based on the unit price proposed by Karl, the total value of these 2,300 heads was over 20,500 gold coins, an enormous sum that would move any nobleman.

Black rubbed his hands together, a shrewd smile on his face, and began to bargain. "My Lord, to be honest, we have indeed prepared enough gold coins for this trip, but paying such a large sum of cash at once will put a lot of pressure on our caravan's cash flow."

"Moreover, as you can see, we have also brought a large number of high-quality livestock this time, including strong Northern Territory warhorses, oxen that can plow fields and pull carts, and sheep that can produce wool and meat. These are all assets that you urgently need to build your territory."

"How about this, we use some of the livestock to offset the corresponding gold coins? This might be more valuable to you than gold coins alone."

After a moment's thought, Karl agreed to Black's proposal.

He did need gold coins to pay military salaries, purchase scarce supplies, and carry out infrastructure construction.

But for Carnford, which was in dire need of rebuilding, living, breathing "means of production" that could continuously generate value, especially high-quality warhorses that could instantly enhance the army's mobility and impact, and draft horses used for reclaiming wasteland and developing agriculture, were far more strategically significant and long-term in value than cold metal piled up in warehouses.

With these livestock, agriculture and animal husbandry could begin, and the army's combat effectiveness could be substantially improved.