Exchange

The two returned indoors. Some things were not suitable for public discussion.

"Uncle Croy, my warhorses... aren't from the Northern Lands. Besides that, I also deal in weapons, armor, and people."

"Warhorses from the south are more expensive, and the west is too far away. Did these come from even farther north? The price is certainly cheap, but if the people in the Royal Capital find out you're shipping embargoed goods like weapons and armor over there, they'll skin you alive. The monasteries will definitely lose their tempers too. It won't be easy."

Croy stroked his chin in thought. Hatred was hatred, but business was business.

Quite a few people in the Northern Lands traded with the Barbarians. If you had the means to bring back warhorses, plenty of people would welcome you.

But shipping weapons and armor in the other direction was a little taboo. Without some important figure backing you, it would be dangerous.

Derek spoke up at the right moment, cutting him off. "I sell weapons and armor too. I only want people, food, and ore. That shouldn't be difficult, should it?"

"I can understand the source of your warhorses, but where did your weapons and armor come from?"

"The south. A few... accidents. Our trade routes overlap somewhat, so..."

Derek was vague, but Croy did not press him.

With this sort of business, secrecy was only natural.

"Then there's no problem. There are plenty of people selling weapons in the Northern Lands already. One more won't make a difference. From now on, I'll buy all my weapons through you, as long as your prices aren't higher than market rates."

Croy was remarkably straightforward. Buying was buying, no matter where he bought from. He could even use his connections to help Derek open up some markets.

As the Banner Captain of Count Perez's Knight Order, Croy's status was far from low.

Derek thanked him again. With Croy's promise, many things could now be handled step by step.

That evening, the two feasted and drank at Croy Manor. During the meal, Croy revealed plenty of information.

As one of the great nobles of the Northern Lands, Count Perez not only held a noble title but also served as one of the kingdom's senior officials in the region.

He had access to a great deal of information here. For example, several great nobles had begun stockpiling war supplies, and even Count Perez was expanding the ranks of his Knight Order.

Of course, the pace was not particularly fast, which suggested there was no immediate urgency in the short term.

This information was extremely useful to Derek.

The next day, he left behind a contact location and departed.

When he returned to Watch City, he placed orders for Iron Ore and pig iron with several merchant guilds.

The Blacksmith Shop in the city had completely become an outpost. There was very little actual business.

It was responsible for smelting ore, moving resources, stationing a squad of soldiers, and taking on small mercenary jobs.

It expanded their connections and built their reputation.

Derek came by often. Sometimes he left Simon there, and other times he personally oversaw the place, dealing with matters that were not urgent.

Inspired by Adrian, he had become much bolder in his actions.

He even paid a Visit to the Goat Merchant Guild and arranged for them to purchase a batch of goods on his behalf.

Unfortunately, Steward Vincent was absent. Otherwise, he could have taken the opportunity to discuss even more business.

After making the rounds and spending ten days away, Derek returned to the Mountain Base once more.

When he noticed several unfamiliar slaves, he immediately asked Little Tru, who had remained behind, "Loyd came by?"

After being thoroughly put in his place by Derek, Little Tru now followed him with absolute devotion.

Not only did he help train newcomers, but he also handled some simple management tasks.

"Yes. I heard they ran into a group of fat sheep who tried to sneak through without following the rules. Loyd caught them, and these slaves were the goods."

"How many people?"

Derek saw a batch of unfamiliar faces helping out at the Blacksmith Shop as well, so he asked.

"Twenty-two. I heard some escaped. Otherwise, there would have been at least fifty slaves."

"A slave caravan? It really is a pity some got away."

Derek guessed their identity. These slave traders were relatively rare in the Northern Lands and more common in the south.

Little Tru took the opportunity to offer his advice. "Loyd's men said they want five Gold Coins for each slave this time. They're trained slaves, not raw slaves. They say they cost more than ten Gold Coins each in the south."

Derek did not particularly care about five Gold Coins. Even in the Northern Lands, a healthy adult slave cost six or seven Gold Coins on the market.

But Loyd had no way to sell them himself. The captives from his previous raids, the raw slaves, had been valued at one Gold Coin each.

With such a sudden price increase, Derek had to consider whether there was another reason behind it.

"Three Gold Coins each. Tell Loyd's men that if they don't agree, they can take everyone away. Also, if he agrees, give him a little compensation. Lower the price of weapons slightly, or give him some as a gift. You decide."

He had to dispel any other thoughts Loyd might have and make it clear that only he set the prices. That was the rule.

But he could not leave people feeling slighted either. A bit of compensation from elsewhere would certainly not make up for the loss, but it showed his attitude.

Opening the Panel, Derek began selecting the newly appeared portraits.

They were all slaves, especially the new arrivals. Most of them had already appeared on it.

That showed their obedience was not bad and that they had developed a certain degree of loyalty.

After all, Derek's businesses were highly profitable. He certainly would not skimp on the people working for him.

Even slaves had to eat and drink their fill before they could work, didn't they?

They were all his property.

Of course, whips and blades were indispensable as well. The proper way was to balance favor with authority.

He quickly passed over the newly arrived slaves. These people still needed time to prove their loyalty.

He focused on the previous raw slaves instead: the Caravan captives, the Mountain Folk captives, and a few unlucky people who had fallen into Loyd's hands for various reasons.

Among the roughly thirty slaves, five or six had remained on the Panel for a long time.

Clearly, they had accepted their fate and formed a basic level of loyalty.

Derek took his attendants on a circuit of the camp, occasionally picking out a slave and questioning them one by one.

"Take up weapons and fight for me. Earn military merit, and I will grant you freedom. Or work here until you die?"

Clearly, compared to being slaves for the rest of their lives, everyone chose to take a gamble.

For the time being, Derek would not let these slaves take on any other duties.

He would keep them all at his side—training, fighting, grinding away their unruly tempers. Only after long-term habits built loyalty could they be assigned other positions.

He could also keep them under watch at all times. If anyone suddenly disappeared from the Panel, he could respond immediately.

He also had to consider what others might think. Giving a slave an opportunity was one thing, but it was impossible to grant them the same treatment as the freeborn from the very beginning.

Otherwise, people's hearts would drift apart.

If slaves escaped their misery, or at least gained hope, they might even soon become overseers.

That would serve as an enormous example to the remaining slaves.

Several portraits appeared on the Panel at once, gradually becoming clearer.

"Everyone, look carefully. Work hard and remain loyal, and I will grant you the chance for freedom—perhaps even the chance to rise in life and make a fortune. Otherwise... grow old and die here."

Derek took the opportunity to spread the message and raise morale.