"Milord, this Mr. Gatsby must have made quite a fortune!" Antrechi blurted out as he flipped through the contract in his hands. "The reason these materials commanded such high unit prices in previous years was that crossing the Gallop Plains required relying on Beastmen, Barbarians, and the border nobles of the Northwest Territory. Now, not only can they pass through your territory, but he conducted this business behind your back. He could probably pocket sixty or seventy thousand Gold Coins himself!"
For perishable goods like Magic Plants, transportation costs could even exceed the price of the raw materials themselves. In the past, whether they passed through the Basin's few Teleportation Portals or crossed the endless plains, the raw materials would acquire an enormous markup.
But now, Landen was vigorously building infrastructure across the plains. Hindukush's high-value products could be shipped directly from Iowa's Teleportation Portal to every corner of the land.
As for bulk goods, they could travel through the plains and Frost-Wolf Forest by Canal and reach Dragon Tooth City within a month. It could be said that Landen had offset most of Gatsby's costs, leaving him enough room for sixty or seventy percent profit.
Landen nodded. "Yes, you're right. Right now, the territory needs Gold Coins more than ever. A great many projects are waiting for investment. From east to west, from south to north, roads, bridges, castles, and Workshops stretching thousands of kilometers all need to be built. I can have the Great Magic Fairy complete a main road, but more roads and industries will need investment."
"This Gatsby is practically using your authority to line his own pockets!" Antrechi sounded thoroughly indignant, but inwardly, he was uncertain as well. Faced with such immense profits, he did not know whether he himself could hold firm.
"Yes, but