The nations and regions on the Galentea Continent that currently possessed naval fleets still fought using the traditional method of boarding warfare. It was just like the powerful naval fleet of the Forde Commercial Alliance that Lorist had seen during his student days in
Unfortunately, Lorist's black powder experiments had ended in failure, otherwise he could have at least forged bronze cannons and ushered in the age of great sailing battleships. In his previous life as the manager of an arts and crafts factory, he was no stranger to the famous sailing battleships of the Age of Exploration — he had built over a dozen models himself. But without cannons, these battleships could only serve as merchant vessels in this other world.
Still, drawing on his experience from building sailing battleship models in his previous life, Lorist designed a three-masted sailing warship that relied primarily on long-range attack, emphasizing speed and agility. As for the methods of long-range attack, both war chariots' steel crossbows and catapults could be mounted aboard the warship. The goal was to avoid boarding engagements entirely — defeating the enemy through kite tactics and cat-and-mouse maneuvers was the superior approach to naval warfare.
"Alright, let's start by building one according to my design to test the results. When it comes to long-range attack, if our
"Yes, my Lord…"
After leaving the shipyard, Lorist returned to Maplewood Manor and spent three intimate days with Irena. He doted on his silly little brat of a son before making his unhurried way back to Rock Fortress.
Before he could even soak in a bath to wash away the dust of the road, Schwart came in to report that Princess Silvia had arrived for a visit. With no other choice, Lorist washed his face, changed into fresh clothes, and went out to receive his guest.
Princess Silvia had brought only a single maid and wore a look of barely contained fury. The moment she saw Lorist, she launched into a torrent of complaints. After listening for a good while, Lorist quickly pieced together what had happened. The crux of the matter was that negotiations between Princess Silvia and Fatty had broken down. Princess Silvia considered it utterly absurd that Fatty had demanded a ransom of three cows per soldier from a Border Defense regiment — it was nothing short of daylight robbery.
Lorist smiled gently. "Since Her Highness the Princess has graced us with her presence, as the lord, I must at least give the beautiful princess some face. How about this: a single border soldier's ransom is one cow. A squad leader's is ten, a company commander's is a hundred, and a battalion commander's is a thousand. As for Viscount Christopher, you can decide on his. Will that work?"
That was indeed a generous discount, reducing the price by almost two-thirds. Princess Silvia looked at Lorist, and a sudden blush colored her cheeks. She lowered her head and said shyly, "Thank you, Brother Locke..."
Lorist didn't think much of needing to be polite about it. This was something he and Fatty had long discussed—one playing the good cop, the other the bad cop. The final move was to give Grand Duke Fisablen some face, making him owe the Norton Family a favor. Now that Princess Silvia had come personally, it was even better; this favor was a substantial one. As for Princess Silvia calling him "Brother Locke," they had grown familiar during his escort of her back home, so such a form of address wasn't strange.
Right now, Lorist was eager to send Princess Silvia on her way. He wanted to go take a bath and then visit Miss Tressti to see his daughter. After being away for over a month, he genuinely missed her. He had no intention of delving into Princess Silvia's girlish feelings. Although she was the most beautiful girl he had ever met and the goddess in the heart of Count Kenmais, Lorist was a man who had lived two lives. Not only was his mental age far greater, but his current status alone made him eight years her senior. In his heart, he merely saw Princess Silvia as a very cute and lively girl next door.
However, once the ransom price was settled, Princess Silvia did not take her leave. Instead, she chatted aimlessly about various topics for a long time. Growing a bit impatient, Lorist asked with a smile, "Your Highness. Is there something else you wish to discuss? Please, speak plainly. If it is within my power to help, I will certainly do my best."
Only then did Princess Silvia heave a long sigh of relief. "Brother Locke. Actually, my visit this time isn't just about the ransom. I also want to ask if you would be willing to sell a batch of weapons and equipment to the Border Defense Corps?"
"Hm?" Lorist was taken aback. He hadn't anticipated this request from Princess Silvia. He pondered for a moment, then raised his head to look at her. "As a friend, I hope you can tell me why you've come to our family to purchase weapons and equipment..."
Princess Silvia's expression turned aggrieved. "Originally, all the weapons and equipment needed by the Border Defense Corps were provided free of charge by the Kingdom of Iberia. My grandfather and the King had an agreement where one-third of the output from all two iron mines in Iberia would be forged into iron-clad weapons by the royal armory and supplied to the Border Defense Corps.
The kingdom leased these two iron mines, vital to the nation's lifeline, to the Wesia Commerce Guild for thirty years. While the Wesia Commerce Guild stated they acknowledged the agreement between my grandfather and the King, they were only willing to provide one-third of the iron ore output, not the forged weapons and equipment, because that wasn't clearly written in the agreement...
When I came to your family, the Wesia Commerce Guild had just sent us a notice. They said they needed to replace all their mining equipment, which would take two years. So they are willing to compensate our loss with Gold Fordes. But what we need isn't gold coins—it's weapons and equipment.
The primary enemies of the Border Defense Corps soldiers were the grass barbarian cavalry of the northeastern great steppe. In the past, the weapons and equipment supplied by the Kingdom's armory were of poor quality and suffered heavy wear, but at least replacements could keep up. Now, with the iron mines gone and no more weapons and equipment forthcoming, after just a few small-scale engagements the soldiers of the Border Defense Corps would be facing those savage barbarian riders with broken blades and battered weapons in hand.
"So, Brother Locke. Please, for the sake of the Border Defense Corps being just like your Norton Family in guarding the borders of the former Empire, lend us a hand. Sell the weapons and equipment your family produces to the Border Defense Corps, and the Fasaburen family and the soldiers of the Border Defense Corps will remember the Norton Family's kindness..."
"The Wesia Commerce Guild?" Lorist didn't answer Princess Silvia's question about whether he would sell weapons and equipment. Instead, his attention was drawn to the Wesia Commerce Guild she had mentioned. "Strange. How did the Wesia Commerce Guild extend its reach into the Kingdom of Iberia?"
"Brother Locke, you know about the Wesia Commerce Guild? Oh right, you said you studied in Morant City in your youth—you must know this Wesia Commerce Guild quite well?" Princess Silvia had sharp ears and caught Lorist's muttered words to himself.
Lorist nodded. "Yes, I've heard of the Wesia Commerce Guild, though I don't really know much about it. Even though I spent ten years in Morant City. The Wesia Commerce Guild is one of the seven great guilds under the Forde Commercial Alliance, ranked in the top three. Such a guild giant sits high above, with no intersection in our lives as mercenaries scraping by in Morant City back then. Still, the Wesia Commerce Guild is the most renowned producer of premium weapons and equipment."
"You know the Michike Fine Steel Chain Mail, don't you? It's hailed as the number one defensive gear in the world, produced in the Kingdom of Temanda, but the selling rights for the twenty-odd suits produced each year are entirely in the hands of the Wesia Commerce Guild. You could say the Wesia Commerce Guild is the largest weapons and equipment manufacturer on the Galentea Continent..."
"No wonder..." Princess Silvia suddenly understood. "When we received the Wesia Commerce Guild's notice about replacing their mining equipment, our Family Knights were furious. They believed the Wesia Commerce Guild was deceiving us and demanded we send troops to teach them a lesson. But my grandfather just smiled bitterly and shook his head, refusing their request. He only said that the Wesia Commerce Guild is one of the seven giants of the Forde Commercial Alliance and not to be trifled with. If relations soured, the trade across the Eastern Wasteland Province and the Muye Prairie Province would be cut off, causing a devastating impact on the people's livelihood..."
Lorist smiled but said nothing. Don't let the fact that Grand Duke Fasaburen controlled two provinces and commanded a Border Defense Army of over seventy thousand men fool you—his true strength might not even match the Kemmers family. The territories of those two provinces were nothing but grasslands, without a single mining resource to their name. Even if they wanted to grow grain, they would first need to invest huge sums in water conservancy infrastructure. To put it bluntly, they couldn't even produce a clay pot without traveling merchants bringing one in, and all they had to offer was cattle and sheep, hides and dairy products.
Now, the Snow Salt Trading Company under Count Kemmers's leadership wasn't just selling snow salt anymore. They also bulk-ordered large quantities of daily necessities and miscellaneous goods from the Norton Family. And the dumping ground was precisely the Eastern Wasteland Province and Muye Prairie Province controlled by Grand Duke Fasaburen. Don't dismiss these daily necessities as trivial and miscellaneous—what they had going for them was sheer volume. Over the course of a year, even with just a ten percent profit share in the Snow Salt Trading Company, the Norton Family could still earn an extra two to three thousand Gold Fordes.
If it weren't for Grand Duke Fasaburen being a third-rank Great Swordmaster with formidable strength and a loyal elite Border Defense Army renowned far and wide, the Kingdom of Iberia would never have been established in the first place. In Lorist's view, dealing with Grand Duke Fasaburen was actually the simplest matter—all he had to do was seal off the borders of those two provinces within the Kingdom of Iberia and strictly prohibit all commercial activity, and within two to three years, the Border Defense Corps would collapse without a fight.
"Big Brother Lorist, you still haven't said whether you'll sell weapons and equipment to our family or not…" Princess Silvia pressed impatiently.
"I can sell them, but I'm worried your family can't afford them…" Lorist said with a wry smile.
"Our family has money—we can scrape together a few hundred thousand Gold Fordes easily enough." Princess Silvia was not at all pleased by the implication.
Lorist shook his head. "It's not that I look down on a few hundred thousand Gold Fordes—the problem is that sum might not even be enough to fully equip a single regiment."
"What? It's that expensive?" Princess Silvia was somewhat dazed.
"It's not a question of expensive or not, but whether the price is worth it. Your Highness, you don't really understand the weapons and equipment trade. Tell you what—tomorrow noon I'll be holding a banquet to welcome your Highness to Rock Fortress. After the banquet, I'll lay out all the equipment models we have for sale so your family can take their pick. With Viscount Christophe present, you won't need to worry about us deliberately jacking up the prices—he's a true expert," Lorist said.
"I'm sorry, Big Brother Lorist—I really don't know much about weapons and equipment. I didn't mean to offend you just now, please forgive me. I'll take my leave now, and I'll see you tomorrow." Princess Silvia lowered her head.
"Don't worry about it. Don't take it to heart. See you tomorrow." Lorist waved his hand magnanimously.
After walking a few steps, she turned back. "Thank you, Big Brother Lorist. You're a good person…"
"Hm?" Lorist was baffled. Why had he just been handed a good-person card out of nowhere?
The next day, after a grand welcoming banquet, Lorist escorted Princess Celia and her entourage to the second-floor great hall, where the walls were lined with an array of armor and weaponry.
"Princess Celia, Great Swordmaster Shinti, Viscount Kristof — every style of armor and weapon that our family has available for sale is displayed here for your selection. However, the prices listed below these items are our internal rates, reserved for our allies. If you were to purchase from us, the price would be marked up by twenty percent. Even so, it's already very favorable," Lorist said bluntly.
"Ah! A hundred gold Forde per set — isn't that the standard-issue equipment of Count Kemess's family army?" Princess Celia was quite startled. She had passed through the Kemess family's territory this time and had been deeply impressed by their soldiers in their gleaming silver standard armor. At the time, she had only thought it looked impressive — she never imagined a single set would cost so much.
Count Kemess nodded: "Yes, Your Highness, that is indeed the standard-issue equipment of our family army. I purchased mine from Rock at this very same price."
"Uncle Kris, you once told me that the iron armor His Majesty provided to us was only worth around ten gold Forde. Why are the weapons and equipment sold by the Norton family so expensive?" Princess Celia was quite frustrated. It seemed Lorist hadn't been exaggerating — the family's few hundred thousand gold Forde wouldn't even be enough to fully equip a single legion.
Viscount Kristof smiled bitterly. As a man of discerning eyes, he could naturally tell the quality of these weapons and equipment: "Your Highness, every set of armor here from Count Norton is a masterpiece of superior craftsmanship with exceptional defensive capabilities. The iron armor His Majesty once provided to the border defense corps is nothing but garbage compared to this. Let me put it this way — that iron armor's defensive power is only marginally better than the leather armor our family produces, and a soldier could wear through one in a single year. But the armor here surpasses it in every respect by a wide margin. With proper care, it could even be passed down to your children and grandchildren — perfectly suitable as a family heirloom."
Great Swordmaster Shinti also nodded in agreement with Viscount Kristof's words.
"But our family doesn't have that many gold coins…" Princess Celia hesitated.
"Please take a look at this set of standard-issue equipment." Lorist deftly guided everyone before a set of plainly styled standard armor: "This armor was originally designed for scout light cavalry. It comes with matching throwing weapons, a longsword, and a spear. It would be an excellent fit for your family's border defense corps rangers. The price is only sixty-five gold Forde — don't let the fact that it's the lowest-priced armor here fool you. In truth, its defensive capability is quite good as well. Compared to the famous former Imperial White Lion Legion's standard armor beside it, it falls short by only twenty percent in defensive power. I believe that should be more than sufficient for the border defense corps soldiers to handle the barbarian cavalry. If you're short on gold coins, I have another suggestion — you can compensate with cattle and sheep. What do you think, Your Highness?"
"Excellent, let's compensate with cattle and sheep then. If the numbers aren't enough, I can lead troops to the northeastern grasslands to seize some more!" Viscount Kristof was so excited that he agreed before Princess Celia even had a chance to speak.
Three days later, Princess Celia, having reached an agreement, set off on her return journey under the escort of Great Swordmaster Cindy, Viscount Kristof, and three thousand border defense corps soldiers who had been released ahead of time. The remaining twelve thousand prisoners of war would be outfitted with the standard-issue equipment purchased from the Norton Family and sent back in batches once the cattle and sheep were delivered.
"Damn it, Locke, have you lost your mind?"
"Viscount Kristof said he'd lead troops to the northeastern grasslands and raid those barbarian tribes for their cattle and sheep." Lorist said lazily.
"Uh..." Fatty Shi was stunned for a moment. He hadn't expected the Fisaburen Family to have this card up their sleeve. "Even if they manage to steal them back, where are we going to find enough manpower to herd all those cattle and sheep!"
"It's fine. The agreement covers five years, so it only comes to around four hundred thousand head per year. Each year, we keep the best few tens of thousands, slaughter half the rest to make jerky, and sell the other half on our family's territory. It should be used up quickly enough — after all, our family already has close to eight hundred thousand people, and the demand for fresh beef and mutton is quite substantial. As for the herding population, I've already worked that out with them. They'll provide us with one thousand households — nearly five thousand herdsmen — with each household offsetting ten head of cattle. We'll establish a town in the western part of the Northland and settle those herdsmen there. That should be more than enough to manage four to five hundred thousand head of cattle and sheep."
What Lorist said made perfect sense. Fatty Shi had nothing left to say and turned to leave.
"Go on out and close the door — I'm going to catch a nap. I'm exhausted." Lorist propped both feet up on the desk, ready to doze off right there in his chair.
"THUD!!!"
...(To be continued.)