Footsteps sounded in the corridor outside the door. The group immediately fell silent and rose to their feet.
Soon, the servants opened the door, and a black-haired young man entered the room.
He was handsome, his features sharp and chiseled. Upon seeing them, he smiled and nodded.
"Greetings. I am the lord of this land. You may call me William. Are you all maritime merchants?"
Josh, Ken, and Jeremiah exchanged glances. They were a pirate, an engineer, and a speculator—none of them was a maritime merchant.
The three bowed together. "Yes, we are."
"Excellent. I am currently gathering maritime merchants." William clapped his hands, sat down in an armchair, and gestured for them to take their seats. "What goods do you gentlemen trade in? Do you have any empty ships? I hope to transport some grain to the Northern Territory."
The Northern Territory?
The news surprised them. Ken and Jeremiah exchanged another glance before Ken spoke first. "My lord, why would you transport grain to the Northern Territory? Our ship has just returned from there. Due to the threat of the White Calamity, the lords there have fallen into conflict. The place is already in utter chaos, with refugees everywhere."
"That is precisely why I wish to transport grain there." William looked deeply pained. "When I think of those poor refugees still suffering in the Northern Territory, I simply cannot stand by and do nothing. I want to send over some grain first, to alleviate the famine there, however little."
The group was taken aback. They looked at one another, utterly at a loss for words.
The Duchy of Tis was quite far from the Northern Territory. Those refugees could not possibly spill over here, no matter what happened.
Moreover, this "prince" wanted to send grain over, rather than bring