Supply and Demand

"Yes, the specific deduction method and valuation will be assessed and negotiated by my steward, Mr. Edgar, and your professionals. The principle is fairness and reasonableness. I want healthy, fertile, and high-quality livestock, not inferior goods." Karl made the principle clear.

Edgar immediately stepped forward and, together with the veterinarian and appraiser brought by Black, carefully assessed and valued the livestock's breed, age, and health condition.

After a tense evaluation and negotiation, the final transaction plan was determined: Black would pay 18,000 gold coins in cash, and the remaining difference would be offset by goods.

This includes twenty fine Northern Territory warhorses, which average over 1.5 meters in shoulder height, are well-proportioned, and muscular, making them rare and excellent steeds. On the market, such a well-trained warhorse is worth around forty gold coins.

In addition, there are thirty draft horses. These horses are also tall, but lack impact power. Their main advantage is their endurance, making them ideal for plowing fields and hauling goods.

There are also fifty dairy cows, most of which are females in their reproductive years, and several robust bulls for breeding. This herd will become the cornerstone of Carnford's agricultural development.

And five hundred sheep, almost all of them ewes that can continuously produce wool and lambs, with only a small number of rams used for breeding.

Karl planned to use this to develop animal husbandry; wool could be used to make clothes, sheep's milk and mutton could improve the diet of his subjects, and sheepskin would also be useful.

This outcome satisfied both parties.

Karl received much-needed cash and strategic supplies, especially warhorses and draft horses, which money could not buy quickly.

Black saved a significant amount of cash and successfully obtained the "goods".

What followed was a tense but orderly handover process. Black's men carried chests of heavy, gleaming gold coins to the castle's treasury, where Edgar's personally selected and absolutely loyal financial personnel opened, counted, and verified the purity of each chest.

Meanwhile, Karl's soldiers were responsible for carefully carrying out the "goods" wrapped in burlap from the basement and loading them into the wagon cargo boxes that Black had brought, which were covered tightly with thick canvas.

The entire process was conducted under the joint supervision of both parties, in a serious yet efficient atmosphere.

After a long time, the handover was finally completed.

Black bowed respectfully to Karl in farewell, and with his caravan, escorting the wagons laden with "spoils of war," he slowly drove out of Carnford's outer city, down the mountain road, and gradually disappeared on the distant horizon.

The onlookers, both civilians and soldiers, watched them leave without harboring much suspicion.

After all, the caravan arrived with a large number of cattle, sheep and horses, and left with no livestock. It was just considered a successful livestock trade. Who would have thought that the seemingly ordinary carriages were carrying "proof" that could cause political turmoil in the Royal Capital?

In the castle's storerooms, gold coins were piled up like mountains; on the meadows outside the castle, newly arrived livestock neighed.

Karl also received a valuable sum of start-up capital and the resources needed for development; while Earl Eisenberg, far away in the Royal Capital, was about to obtain the "illustrious military achievements" he had always dreamed of, enough to wash away his stains and solidify his position.

A mutually beneficial transaction has come to a successful conclusion.

The only one that might be "injured" is probably the Goldflower Kingdom's court, far away in the Royal Capital, which is about to pay rewards for these "out-of-nothing" great achievements and bear the subtle changes in the political landscape.

But what does all of this have to do with Carnford in the Northern Territory?

Edgar stood beside Karl, the two of them on the castle terrace, watching the caravan carrying the special "cargo" slowly disappear into the dust in the distance.

Edgar sighed softly, his tone carrying a hint of worldly wisdom. "My lord, these merchants are, in the end, nothing more than middlemen. The real buyers behind their willingness to risk coming to the Northern Territory to purchase this kind of 'hard currency' are probably some powerful Count on the border who desperately need 'military achievements' to embellish their image and solidify their position."

He did not mention Earl Eisenberg's name, but they both knew it.

Karl smiled calmly and waved his hand gently, "There's no need to spell it out since everyone already knows. In fact, I should thank them. Business is all about supply and demand; someone has to buy for someone to sell."

"It is precisely because they have this shady demand that our blood-stained 'goods' can fetch a good price. If they had no demand, wouldn't our war have been fought in vain? Where would we get this life-saving money?"

Edgar chuckled upon hearing this, shook his head, and his initial sentimentality was replaced by a pragmatic attitude.

"Alright," Karl's smile faded, his gaze sharpening and focusing as he turned to Edgar. "Enough of the small talk. Right now, our biggest headache—funding—has finally been temporarily alleviated. This money must be used wisely."

He immediately began outlining the next key tasks. "First, the livestock industry must be established immediately! The cattle and sheep left by Black are more valuable than gold coins. You will personally take charge, select reliable and knowledgeable personnel, and set up a livestock farm as soon as possible."

"Those cows and ewes need to be carefully raised to ensure they can give birth and produce milk successfully. Cow and sheep milk can supplement nutrition, meat can improve their diet, and most importantly, wool is a crucial raw material for making winter clothing and even developing the textile industry in the future."

Then, he thought of the warhorses, "Those twenty Northern Territory warhorses should be handed over to Lyon immediately to reinforce the cavalry. We urgently need to improve our mobility. In addition, those horses left by the caravan that are more suitable for carrying loads and plowing should not be left in the military camp. They should all be assigned to the reclamation teams and transport teams in the Tunbao."

He emphasized, "I know we don't lack manpower now, but with animal power, the efficiency of reclaiming wasteland can be multiplied. The faster we reclaim, the more fields we can cultivate before the end of spring planting. With more fields, our plan to distribute land to our people and achieve food self-sufficiency can be realized more quickly. It's all interconnected."

Edgar memorized Karl's instructions and solemnly replied, "Understood, sir! I will take care of it immediately. I will submit the plans for depositing funds and distributing livestock to you before sunrise tomorrow."