Among this batch of slaves was also a special group of small families — relatives of the pirates who had been captured from the former Black Tiger Pirates.
As long as no catastrophic upheaval occurred, the possibility of their betrayal had been reduced to an infinitesimal level.
"The accumulation of capital really is fastest through bloody plunder!"
Among the supplies, there was also a special portion — a batch of spoils that Leylin had personally set aside. This included crude white sugar seized from Mermaid Island, along with a number of other items that would be difficult to liquidate.
After these several pirate operations, the basic conditions for establishing two production lines were all in place, and they could now move on to trial production.
If they had followed the old approach — having the clan invest capital, then slowly purchasing slaves and experimenting with techniques — they probably wouldn't even have been able to get started!
"No matter what form production takes, plunder is always its essence..."
Leylin sighed. "It's a pity that once Marquis Louis's forces have been eliminated, piracy can no longer be used. After all, such behavior will earn universal hostility and hatred..."
Destruction and plunder were the quickest ways to breed hatred, but they were also the most immediately effective — making them hard for anyone to give up. That Leylin could make this decision spoke to his brilliant foresight.
Endless piracy would ultimately cause this entire sea region to be completely abandoned by merchants. Only vigorous development of trade was the true source of wealth, and this was precisely why Leylin was establishing the white sugar and fish floss trade.
Of course, this did not mean Leylin intended to disband the pirate fleet.
In fact, he had long since mapped out the Crimson Tiger's future path: no longer engaging in piracy directly, but rather sitting back and splitting the spoils — collecting protection fees and providing escort services.
The essence of it was a shift from overt exploitation to covert exploitation.
Leylin's ambition was vast! To achieve this, he would first need to become the ruler of the entire outer seas — or at the very least, the ruler of the underworld — holding the power to set the rules!
In essence, this was the rise of sea power! If managed well, it might even develop into the prototype of a maritime great power!
Leylin did not reject formidable worldly power. On the contrary, he was now doing everything he could to prepare for it.
Because in this world, gods needed the faith of mortals. Especially for those newly ascended gods, a stable foundation of faith and one's own base of supporters were simply too important — they were the very bulwark that prevented one's divine kingdom from falling!
The gods looked far ahead. Leylin could not compete with those established gods for followers — that would only lead to a terrifying divine war!
His solution was to carve out a new territory of his own, grow the population, and earn faith.
Three ships slowly departed the harbor under the gaze of Jacob and his entourage. Leylin clapped his hands together and smiled at Jacob. "All right! From here on out, everything depends on us. How are things on your end?"
Jacob perked up immediately. "Please, follow me!"
He led Leylin to a small storehouse within the camp. Jacob pulled open the wooden door, and a wave of sea salt and fishy brine hit them head-on.
Inside stood row upon row of wooden racks. A large quantity of fish floss had been sealed inside ceramic jars, each one tightly closed.
"Following the method you taught us, Master, the fish floss we've produced can be kept for over a month. And with this additional sealing technique for storage, we estimate it can last more than half a year…"
Jacob's voice carried a note of excitement. "That's more than enough time to sell the fish floss inland…"
"Mm! The key is to sell in volume at low margins!" Leylin nodded.
The production of fish floss was no refined craft — the real priorities were scale and industrialization, driving down costs.
But even so, the number of people who could actually afford it was limited. At the very least, Leylin had zero expectations from the farmers and tenant laborers in those villages and towns.
Squeezing any real profit out of them was next to impossible — they'd consider themselves fortunate just to have black bread on the table.
Leylin's sales targets were those large cities. The artisans, the free citizens within them, along with the countless adventurers and mercenaries — they were the consumer base he had in mind.
In the World of the
It didn't need to be much. If he could just win over a few coastal cities, the profits alone would be enough to make Leylin grin in his sleep.
"As for the purification of raw sugar, since we're missing the dissolving solution and activated charcoal you mentioned, we've only managed to stockpile a batch of raw materials for now…"
Jacob then led Leylin to another storehouse. Under dry, sealed conditions, large quantities of white sugar were piled together, though some of it had turned yellowish or even blackish in color.
This was raw sugar. It still carried a slight bitterness, but even that modest sweetness was a decent treat for minor nobles.
However, since this was ultimately an outer island region, despite the protective measures taken, the ambient humidity in the air was already causing much of the sugar to clump and harden.
"The current raw sugar doesn't matter too much — it still needs to go through another processing stage anyway. But the refined white sugar we produce afterward will have to be handled with care!"
In truth, this was the greatest source of wealth Leylin had claimed for himself.
Fish floss needed to be sold at thin margins with high volume, expanding production. But the technology for refining white sugar could be kept secret. That way, both a high-end market and a low-end market would be captured. If everything ran smoothly, it could even bring prosperity to the Faolan family for centuries!
Leylin had no small ambitions for this place.
In his plans, this would become the most important port on Faolan Island — perhaps even the core of the entire island!
Of course, until these two trades had developed, Leylin kept every last detail buried deep in his heart.
Seizing an island directly in the outer seas might have seemed more convenient and safer on the surface, but Leylin rejected that approach.
The single most critical issue was that of the fief!
In theory, all territories in the outer seas of the Danbless Kingdom naturally belonged to the king. Seizing uncharted land meant forfeiting the kingdom's protection — and might even invite hostility!
Without a noble fief, without temples, churches, or priests, what did that mean in the outer seas?
Terrifying diseases could not be cured with divine magic, and could only be endured. One also had to face savage natives and brutal climates.
Moreover, in the deep waters lurked countless horrifying monsters, some powerful enough to slaughter an entire small island!
The number of deaths each year from exploring the outer seas was a figure staggering enough to make one tremble.
Therefore, as a tract of already-cultivated land with a fine port, a population, and a church infrastructure in place, it was only natural that Viscount Dim had set his sights on it.
However, Leylin had long since claimed Faolan Island as his own — which meant that poor viscount was doomed to tragedy.
"Jacob, pass along my orders: give the slaves an extra meal tonight. Tomorrow, begin intensive training immediately. Select the skilled craftsmen for production duty. The rest are to expand the camp. In short, keep them busy!"
The method for making fish floss was exceedingly simple, but Leylin intended to keep the white sugar refining technology secret for a few years. As the trade expanded, it would inevitably attract more and more attention, and eventually he would have to exchange the technology for something. But the profits it could generate in the meantime were tremendous.
As for those craftsmen, Leylin planned to keep them under strict control — even setting aside a separate residential area to monitor them.
On this stretch of land, Leylin was the undisputed master. Once he made a decision, it was carried out without the slightest hesitation.
When Baron Fajonas arrived, this was the scene of bustling activity that greeted him.
"A camp this large, with this many slaves — it must have cost at least several thousand gold coins!"
Baron Fajonas walked through the streets in disbelief, carefully examining the entire camp. The ground was perfectly leveled, and spaces for shops, blacksmiths, and fabric stores had been specifically set aside on both sides. It was clear that Leylin had put considerable thought into his planning and was building this place as a proper small town.
"Yes, sir! To build this camp and purchase all these slaves, I'm afraid the profits from our entire port for several months had to be funneled into it..."
Ryan's eyes held shock as well. Especially upon seeing so many slaves managed in such orderly fashion by Leylin, an indescribable light flickered through his gaze.
Only he, as the head steward, knew just how troublesome it was to tame these native slaves!
His young master had accomplished all of this — he truly was the gods' favored child, a gift from the God of Knowledge to his most devout follower.
At the thought of this, Ryan couldn't help but slowly begin to pray.
But all of this was merely the beginning. When Baron Fajonas and Ryan saw the finished product Leylin had spoken of, they were plunged into even greater astonishment.
"Is... is this really cane sugar?"
Gazing at those crystal-white cubes, snow-bright and mirror-shiny, Baron Fajonas picked up a sugar cube in disbelief.
That transparent luster immediately and deeply stunned him. "It's... it's exquisite, almost like crystal — it's a work of art!"
Baron Fajonas murmured as he placed the sugar cube into his mouth. Immediately, a pure sweetness exploded across his palate.
That overwhelming sensation of sweetness left Baron Fajonas so moved he was speechless.
"I'm certain..." After a long moment, Baron Fajonas finally let out a slow, deep breath. "These sugar cubes will become a luxury that countless nobles will dream of. Without them, how much brilliance would those lavish banquets lose..."
"You're absolutely right, Father!" Standing nearby, a smile appeared on Leylin's face.