The meeting lasted from morning until afternoon. Karl's body and that of the half-dwarf named Jupiter had long since been dragged away, but the air still carried a faint scent of blood.
That did nothing to dampen the merchants' enthusiasm.
After all, Lord Raven had given them far too many orders!
Stone, timber, quicklime, construction tools; live pigs, beef cattle, ewes, hens, baking soda, salt, cheap alcohol; roses, jasmine, violets, mint; longswords, shields, spears, leather armor, crossbows...
Contract after contract flew before Lord Raven, while stacks of gold coins flew into the merchants' pockets, putting smiles on everyone's faces.
Normally, Shining Gold Town's annual trade amounted to around five thousand gold coins, and the merchants present accounted for roughly forty-five percent of it.
Lord Raven had provided them with orders worth nearly twelve hundred gold coins in one stroke—almost half their usual annual turnover.
What was more, the alcohol Lord Raven was supplying was Angel's Tear!
Although each merchant was subject to a quota, it was still Angel's Tear—the fine wine enjoyed only by a select few nobles!
For a time, in the merchants' eyes, Lord Raven was no longer a lord. He was practically a walking, human-shaped gold mine.
"Now that the official business is finished, let's discuss my personal needs." Lord Raven's gaze fell on Fili, who had been sitting in attendance the entire time. "Twenty Tier One Demon Cores, plus two sets of large alchemical equipment. Can you get them?"
The newly appointed chairman was a portly man with an exceptionally conspicuous horseshoe-shaped bald spot. Perhaps he had grown fat with middle age. He was not especially obese, but his belly was perfectly round, and rolls of fat hung from both cheeks.
He never spoke without smiling, and when he did smile, his golden front teeth showed. "Of course, no problem. As for the Demon Cores, what attributes would you like?"
"Any attribute will do," Lord Raven said. "Ideally, a few of each kind."
Fili calculated mentally for a while before saying cautiously, "The alchemical equipment is easy enough. The market price is eighty-three gold coins per set, and they can arrive by the beginning of next month at the latest. But the Demon Cores are harder to price, and I can't guarantee the delivery time."
Lord Raven asked, "Oh? Why is that?"
"It's like this, Lord Baron." Fili explained, "Demon Cores usually come from within magical beasts. As you know, most of the magical beasts in Nord Province were exterminated decades ago. Nowadays, large numbers of wild magical beasts only gather in the Bloody Highlands, so the supply is unstable, and the market price fluctuates considerably."
"Take the common fire-attribute Demon Cores, for example. A Tier One core costs about three gold coins. A dark-attribute one, however, may cost eight or nine, or even more."
"Oh, I see." Lord Raven nodded. "In that case, estimate each Tier One Demon Core at four gold coins. Including the deposit for the alchemical equipment, that comes to one hundred and twenty-three gold coins."
Once this batch of gold coins had been distributed, Lord Raven had only a little over forty coins left at his side.
But the money was not being spent for nothing. Every order would generate taxes, some of which would eventually flow back into Lord Raven's pocket.
Moreover, once a large amount of gold was put into circulation, the massive flow of goods would bring plenty of transient residents to Shining Gold Town, further stimulating its economic vitality.
Gold left in a warehouse was merely gold. Only money that was spent truly counted as money.
"All right!" Lord Raven clapped his hands. "It's getting late, so I won't keep everyone for dinner. Your guilds must pay close attention to the goods. As long as the quality is up to standard, I won't cheat you of your money."
The merchants rose together and bowed. "Your will shall be carried out, Lord Baron!"
The merchants trickled away. Lord Raven rolled his neck twice. "Ugh, I'm exhausted!"
Work like dealing with merchants should not have fallen to Lord Raven, but he truly had no one else available.
"Then, my lord, shall I help you find a few women...?" Eric asked.
Lord Raven teased, "Well, well. I never realized you had the makings of a court jester."
Eric's old face reddened. "This..."
"I'm only teasing." Lord Raven patted him on the shoulder. "I'll give you all two days off later. Go relax."
"But before that, we still need to discuss something important."
"The map!"
At Lord Raven's command, Eric hurriedly took the map stored in the administrative hall from Simon and spread it across the table.
"What is this?!" Lord Raven was stunned.
"A map, my lord." Eric was baffled.
"Damn..." Lord Raven sucked air through his teeth. "Are you sure Viscount John didn't leave a fake here just to make things difficult for me?"
Eric scratched his head. "He wouldn't do that, my lord. This is the most standard map there is. Most armies use this kind too."
Lord Raven restrained the urge to curse aloud and continued complaining inwardly.
Standard? You call this piece of junk standard!?
The lines twisted all over the place. Drawing a box and calling it a building was one thing. No elevation differences, no contour lines—those could be understood. At least it marked east, west, north, and south...
But it did not even have a scale. Wasn't that going too far!?
On the map of Shining Gold Town, the administrative hall occupied nearly a fifth of the area. Since when had Shining Gold Town become so small!?
And the four large gates were drawn with such striking clarity. If Lord Raven had not just walked through them himself, he would have thought they were as grand as the Arc de Triomphe!
"Forget it. We'll make do..." Lord Raven let out a long sigh. "How many private soldiers do you think we should leave here?"
Eric said, "According to the previous arrangement, the western entrance leading to Snow Maple Territory requires at least one ten-man squad. The southern entrance needs five men, the eastern one three, and the northern entrance connects to Eagle Town, so it does not need to be guarded."
"But we only have twenty-two men in total!" Lord Raven said with a bitter smile. "You can't expect me to become a lord without a single subordinate, can you?"
He rubbed his chin. "Here's what we'll do. At every entrance except the one connecting to Shining Gold Town, station two men, rotating between day and night shifts. Then assign four men to patrol the town during the day. That way, we'll only need to leave sixteen men here."
Even with the most extreme reductions, they could only spare six men. Lord Raven scratched his head hard. "Ugh, we don't have enough people!"
At least for now, the Empire was peaceful enough. Although Nord Province had bandits and thieves, no gang had yet dared openly attack a noble's territory.
Of course, the fierce bandits of the Bloody Highlands were an exception. But if those bandits really came, merely stationing soldiers at the entrances would not be enough—Shining Gold Town had no walls, only a low wooden palisade around the outer perimeter.
Eric studied Lord Raven's expression and cautiously suggested, "Although I agree with reducing the numbers, the soldiers guarding the entrances are not only responsible for security. They also collect the city gate tax. If there are too few of them, congestion may result."
"The city gate tax..." Lord Raven slowly nodded. "Abolish it."
Eric said, "Lord Baron, the city gate tax brings in twenty or thirty gold coins every year. If you're worried about manpower, we can hire idle locals to guard the four gates. Snow Maple Territory did the same before."
"No!" Lord Raven immediately rejected Eric's suggestion. "Do exactly as I said!"
Having spent many years in Monen City, Lord Raven knew all the tricks involved far too well.
The city gate tax was five copper coins per person. Twenty or thirty gold coins a year meant five or six tens of thousands of people entering the city annually.
To the soldiers guarding the gates, that meant fifty or sixty thousand fat sheep.
The authorities set the tax at five copper coins, but the soldiers at the gates dared to charge eight. If someone was in a hurry, they would find all kinds of ways to extort money.
A family member was sick and needed a doctor? Fine, the city gate tax had been temporarily raised to fifty copper coins today. Enter if you wanted.
A large shipment of fresh vegetables and fruit wanted to enter the city?
Oh, sorry. Who knew what contraband you might be hiding in your carriage? Wait outside first. We'll inspect it in a couple of days, and if there's no problem, we'll definitely let you in!
You want us to inspect it first? Well... fifty silver coins? All right, all right. Why didn't you say so earlier? Go on in.
Things like this were extremely common. Sometimes, over the course of a year, the money extorted by the gate guards exceeded the city gate tax itself!
Lord Raven was abolishing the city gate tax and using his private soldiers to guard the gates so that, before they were corrupted by money, he could establish free entry and exit as a custom in Shining Gold Town and eliminate all those former abuses.
After all, money did not disappear. Once the city gate tax was abolished, Shining Gold Town would attract more transient residents than before. As long as the town's development kept improving, they would eventually spend their money elsewhere.
After Lord Raven explained his thoughts to Eric, the latter said admiringly, "My lord, your thinking is truly far-sighted!"
"You make it sound as though you understood it." Lord Raven teased him with a laugh.
Eric's old face reddened because he genuinely had not understood.
"All right, we've more or less finished the serious business. It's time to relax." Lord Raven stuffed a gold coin into Eric's hand. "We've all been exhausted lately. I'll give you two days off. First arrange the guard and shift schedules, then notify the personal guards to come over. I'm giving them all a bonus!"
Eric accepted the coin with a smile. "Yes, my lord!"
Taking out the box of silver coins he had prepared in advance, Lord Raven sat upright in the conference room.
The private soldiers entered one by one, confused at first, then left joyfully, satisfied smiles spread across their faces.
Two silver coins each was enough to let them enjoy themselves for several days.
The last to enter was Simon. He accepted the silver coins and was about to salute, but Lord Raven stopped him. "All right, no need to be so formal. You deserve this money."
"Lord Baron, I only did what I was supposed to do." Simon was happy, but also somewhat embarrassed.
"You did your work well, so rewarding you is what I'm supposed to do." Lord Raven patted him on the shoulder. "Take off your armor later and go look around town. Relax properly and broaden your horizons. Don't blush every time you speak!"
"Yes!" Simon smacked his fist against his chest and still gave a military salute.
"You..." Lord Raven laughed helplessly. "All right, go have fun. Don't waste time here."
Simon left. Lord Raven casually took out a bottle of Angel's Tear and had just poured himself a cup when Simon pushed the door open and returned.
"Lord Baron, Chairman Fili requests an audience."
"He came quickly." Lord Raven drained the wine in his cup, turned it upside down, and set it down. "Let him in."
Fili entered the conference room and immediately saw the half-case of Angel's Tear in the corner. He secretly swallowed.
The taste of that fine wine was truly unforgettable.
He cautiously raised his eyes. "Lord Baron, I came to give you a gift."
But Lord Raven acted as though he had not heard him. With one hand resting on the windowsill, he stood by the window and looked down upon the territory he had just reclaimed. "Shining Gold Town really is a fine place."
Compared with the desolation of Eagle Territory, Shining Gold Town was visibly prosperous. Its broad streets were wide enough for three carriages to travel side by side, and the ground was paved with massive slabs of bluestone.
Along both sides of the streets stood row upon row of shops: clothing stores, jewelry stores, barbershops, and general stores. Their storefronts were clean and presentable, and their signs came in all sorts of styles. Clearly, the owners had put considerable thought into them.
"Chairman Fili, as a local merchant, have you ever wondered why a prosperous place like Shining Gold Town emerged on the outskirts of Nord Province?"
At this question, Fili's breath caught. "Lord Baron, I've never considered that question."
Lord Raven came over, put an arm around his shoulder, and pulled him toward the window. Then he whispered into his ear, "The answer is right in front of us."
Fili glanced at the hand resting on his shoulder and swallowed, a thin sheen of cold sweat appearing on his forehead.
He remembered clearly that Lord Raven had used that very hand to casually slit Karl's throat!
Overcome by fear, he focused more intently than ever, directing his gaze toward the bustling street.
It was already dusk, but the streets were still packed. People walked in groups of three or five, laughing and chatting. They streamed into the shops on either side, then emerged from time to time with smiles on their faces.
Each trip in and out brought some change. Perhaps they had gained a basket of bread or a jug of wine, or perhaps a hat had appeared on their heads, or they had changed into a new pair of shoes or a new suit of clothes.
"My lord... all I can see... is a lot of... people?"
"Exactly. That is the answer!" Lord Raven tightened his grip on Fili's shoulder and listed the facts like a family treasure. "Shining Gold Town has 3,237 registered residents. The number of freemen is no lower than the number of registered residents. More than two hundred people enter this place every day on average. In total, its permanent population is probably no lower than ten thousand."
"It is precisely because there are so many people, especially transient residents, constantly bringing in money and goods from every direction that Shining Gold Town is so prosperous!"
"They work, earn money, and then spend it. The money they spend becomes someone else's income, which is used to buy their products. That is the most fundamental logic of commercial activity!"
Lord Raven's magnetic voice seemed to possess a certain magic, elevating Fili's thoughts to a height he had never reached before.
The explanation might not have been entirely accurate, but to Fili, it felt like clouds parting to reveal the sun. The world unfolded before him in a completely new way. He suddenly understood. "I think I understand, Lord Baron! That is why you refused to let us offer a discount! You're truly wise. Compared with you, I'm as stupid as a groundhog in a field!"
"Don't sell yourself short, Chairman Fili." Lord Raven's voice was like a demon's whisper, slowly seeping into Fili's heart. "In my eyes, your ability, temperament, and character all far surpass Karl's."
"But why was he able to become chairman of Shining Gold Town's merchant guild, while you could only serve as a foil? Why did no one else dare come, while you were the one who brought me the deeds to Karl and Jupiter's shops?"
Karl's eyes immediately widened. The gift he had brought this time really was five property deeds, but he had never mentioned that to anyone outside.
How had Lord Baron known?
"You're a local of Shining Gold Town, aren't you?" Lord Raven asked.
"Yes, my lord!" Fili hurriedly answered. "My parents were traveling merchants. They later settled in Shining Gold Town, and I inherited the family's shop."
"That explains it." Lord Raven smiled faintly. "Many times, you fail to understand a problem not because you lack intelligence, but because your perspective is too narrow."
"How was Karl able to control Shining Gold Town's merchant guild? Because he had the Fox Family behind him. His predecessor, Chairman White, had the Luke Family supporting him."
Fili suddenly understood. "The merchants in the guild refused to operate Fili's shops jointly because they feared retaliation from the Fox Family. That's why they had me bring these five deeds to you!?"
Just as Lord Raven had said, Fili had been thinking only about the immediate benefits.
In Fili's view, Lord Raven handing the shops over to the guild for joint operation was essentially a gesture of goodwill toward the guild. It did not mean he was truly willing to do so. By proactively handing over the five deeds, the new chairman was giving up the guild's interests and declaring his loyalty to the Griffith Family.
In this world, merchants were not serfs, but they had little status. To nobles, they were cattle and sheep in a pasture, ready to be slaughtered for meat at any time.
To avoid being devoured completely, the best method Fili could think of was to curry favor with his master.
But after Lord Raven's guidance, he finally understood.
The other merchants feared retaliation from the Fox Family, so they did not dare accept the five deeds.
By doing this, he had not been currying favor at all. Instead, he had dumped the blame on Lord Raven!
The instant he imagined Lord Raven's calm, smiling expression as he killed people, cold sweat poured down Fili's half-bald head. His legs gave way, and he collapsed to the floor with a thud. Tears mixed with sweat as he slapped his own face and cried, "Lord Baron, spare my life—"
"Stop wailing." Lord Raven looked at the empty crook of his arm with helpless amusement, then bent down and picked up the case from the floor. "I never said I didn't want it."
"My lord... what are you saying!?" Fili stopped crying, his eyes filled with confusion.
Why, despite knowing it was a trap, was Lord Raven still willing to take it upon himself?
"I am a noble—a baron of the Empire!" Lord Raven declared emphatically. "The Fox Family can retaliate against you with assassination or robbery, but against me, they cannot and do not dare use such methods."
Fili still did not understand. The Fox Family was a count's family, while Lord Raven was only a baron! The difference was not merely two ranks of nobility. Their wealth, strength, and status were worlds apart.
"You're not a noble, so of course you don't understand. You don't need to understand, either." Lord Raven looked at him and said earnestly, "You only need to know that our interests are aligned."
"The more prosperous Shining Gold Town becomes, the more the guild earns, the more you earn, and the more tax revenue I receive."
"As long as you don't betray that goal, you can remain chairman of the merchant guild for as long as you like."
This time, Fili understood.
He immediately pointed to the heavens and swore, "I, Fili, swear before the Lord of Light! From this day forward, I will be the hound guarding your money pouch and will serve you with all my heart. The Shining Gold Merchant Guild will fully cooperate with your decisions!"
"Get up." Lord Raven spoke teasingly. "Stop kneeling everywhere from now on. You're already a man of several decades—how can you be so timid?"
"Well... I've never been very brave." Fili used the windowsill to pull himself up, then smiled obsequiously. "And I'm easily swayed. This time, those damned people egged me on, so I came to deliver the documents to you."
Lord Raven smiled in realization. "No wonder they call you 'Floppy-Eared Rabbit.' It seems names can be wrong, but nicknames never are."
"Still, being easily swayed isn't entirely bad. Put negatively, it means you're a pushover; put positively, it means you know how to take advice."
At this, Lord Raven shook his head and clicked his tongue. "What a pity. Touching people's interests is far harder than touching their souls."
Fili said with some embarrassment, "My lord, I... don't understand."
"If you don't understand, think about it yourself! This isn't a school." Lord Raven chuckled. "Once you figure it out, you won't keep being a pushover."
"I will certainly remember Lord Baron's teachings!" Fili bowed respectfully. "Then, my lord, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
Fili turned to leave. The moment he turned his head away, the smile vanished from his face.
I finally escaped that ordeal!
"Wait."
Lord Raven's voice rang out, and Fili's heart clenched again. He swallowed, hurriedly plastered a smile on his face, and turned back. "What else do you require?"
A wine bottle came flying straight at him. Fili quickly caught it with both hands, his fat face instantly blooming like a chrysanthemum.
It was an entire bottle of Angel's Tear!
"Thank you for the reward, Lord Raven!"
"I saw you staring at it from the beginning." Lord Raven waved his hand. "Go on!"
Fili hugged the Angel's Tear and hummed a little tune as he left the administrative hall. He walked more than halfway down the street, then turned into an empty alley. Only after confirming that the hall could not see him did he let out a long breath and slide down the wall to sit on the ground.
"Damn it, that scared me half to death. How can anyone be so terrifying...?"
From the moment he entered the room until the moment he left, the entire conversation had been within the Baron's design.
He was a wealthy merchant worth several thousand gold coins, a man nearing fifty, yet a twenty-year-old had completely played him.
Baron Raven... was he really only twenty?
That control over human hearts, precise grasp of human affairs, and high-altitude insight into things made Fili feel deeply inferior.
Could it be... even my going to find him was within his calculations?!
"Impossible, absolutely impossible! No one can calculate to this extent."
Fili opened Angel's Tear, took a shallow sip, and sighed, "They all say Baron Raven has a lowly background, acts despicably, and has base character. Now it seems that's purely groundless rumor, probably spread by those nobles themselves to intentionally disparage him."
"Still, Lord Baron's foundation is shallow, or else he wouldn't put in such great effort to rope me in using the methods of human affairs."
Slowly steadying his breathing, Fili's eyes gradually cleared.
There was nothing bad about being roped in; in this world, only people with utility value deserved to live.
I didn't expect... a brutal and greedy wolf to die, only for a shrewd and ruthless lion to come in his place.
Fili thought with burning eyes.
The latter had a far-reaching vision and would never, like the former, hole up in a muddy ditch to scrape meat from the mouths of small fry like them. Following behind them, they could instead eat the scraps that fell down.
"But since I've gotten onto this chariot, I have to figure out a way to tie myself down a bit more firmly."
Today he had flattered the horse's hoof, so he definitely needed to carefully find his footing and flatter properly once again.
"Right, Little Bee." Fili's eyes lit up. The lord said, there are wrongly taken names, but no wrongly called nicknames!
"If that's the case then..."
Before you continue