Chapter 243 - 18: Grain Trade 3
Chapter 243: Chapter 18: Grain Trade 3
These weren’t popular in the Frank Kingdom, but they were quite common in the southern Tilia Kingdom. The most famous example was the Tilia Royal Family’s Rainbow Fields.
Magic Seeds were a rarity in the Frank Kingdom. Even if Viscount Luke wanted to get his hands on some, it would be quite a hassle.
Of course, they weren’t impossible to acquire. If they were, Viscount Luke wouldn’t have said what he did.
Clearly, Viscount Luke wanted to repeat their old deal: have Robson train soldiers while he acted as the middleman.
Unfortunately for Luke, the Robson of today was not about to let the Viscount swallow all the profits for himself.
Robson planned to shelve this particular skill for now, a form of scarcity marketing.
Although he was now the public face of the southern faction in the four future northeastern provinces, as had been said before, who could guarantee what would happen a year from now?
Securing one’s position required certain tactics. When facing a complex political landscape, it was always better to have more cards up your sleeve.
"It’s a little over six thousand now, and that number will certainly grow. To be honest, I imagine my reputation has reached the point where Count Kirif himself might extend an invitation.
The Count’s army will probably be here soon..." Robson said, his words intended to make Viscount Luke give up on the idea entirely. Having learned a great deal recently, he now understood the extent of Earl Kifri’s power.
Sure enough, upon hearing Robson’s words, Viscount Luke’s face fell. His interest in continuing the conversation clearly waned.
"Let’s drop the matter of the army. However, Viscount, you might consider this batch of goods I brought to the Royal Capital," Robson said, pulling a beast hide from his Space Ring.
Although the hide had been processed, the crude workmanship made it obvious that it was part of a batch of goods from the Beastman Empire.
"A pelt?" Viscount Luke took it and placed it in his hands, rubbing it carefully.
"Not bad. A top-quality snow-mountain beast hide. How many of these do you have?" Viscount Luke looked at Baron Robson. As a competent merchant, Viscount Luke’s philosophy was to never let a single business opportunity pass him by.
’The soldier business... he’d let it go.’ In truth, Viscount Luke knew he couldn’t have monopolized that business for long. Robson’s own network of connections was now stronger than his.
"How many, you ask... That depends on how much grain the Guterres Commerce Association has in stock..." Robson said.
"If they’re all of this quality... however much you need, we have."
"Of course, they won’t all be of this quality, but I guarantee the rest aren’t far off," Robson said.
These were the very hides Robson had brought back from the battlefield. He had originally planned to wait for buyers to come to him, but with one major event after another unfolding in the Royal Capital, no one had the time to inquire about the price of furs. Left with no other choice, Robson had to take the initiative.
Viscount Luke nodded.
"Alright then. One pelt for ten kilograms of wheat. How does that sound?" Viscount Luke quoted a price.
"Now, don’t be too quick to object. You must have heard that in a few days, the King will convene the Kingdom Council and declare a national state of emergency...
Grain is hard to come by these days," Viscount Luke said.
Although he was mentally prepared, Robson still drew a sharp breath upon hearing it.
He was, of course, aware of the state of emergency; Marquis Oscillate had returned to the Royal Capital for this very reason. In fact, the only reason the kingdom hadn’t declared it yet was to give the new nobles, who were about to be granted their fiefs, a fighting chance.
"Twenty-five kilograms. I have dozens of cartloads, hundreds of fine pelts.
Don’t try to scare me. Wheat is precious, but are you saying these pelts aren’t?
The Guterres Family just recently shipped in a batch of grain from the Tilia Kingdom," Robson said.
Hearing this, Viscount Luke fell briefly silent. ’The Guterres Family brought in a shipment of grain from the Tilia Kingdom... how does Robson know about that? How am I supposed to haggle now?’
Commerce was all about exploiting an information gap to make a profit. Viscount Luke, of course, had no idea that Robson had pieced this together from his recent correspondence, especially his letters with Earl Kifri.
"Eighteen kilograms... I can’t go any higher," Viscount Luke said after a long moment of thought.
"Twenty-five kilograms is non-negotiable. In exchange, I can give you first priority in handling my future spoils of war from the eastern front. How about that?" Robson offered.
"My apologies. It’s not that I don’t trust you, Viscount, but it’s difficult for me to report such a... hypothetical matter to my superiors," Viscount Luke said with a smile.
Robson understood. ’He doesn’t believe I’ll have much success on the eastern front.’ After all, Viscount Luke wasn’t going to the eastern front, and he couldn’t personally go inspect things for himself.
"What if I offer five hundred Gold Coins as collateral?" Robson said.
Robson had to use his Gold Coins sparingly right now. He only had a little over three thousand, and a portion of that had come from Valentino’s support.
As far as Robson was concerned, the future maintenance of his army and the development of his territory would all have to come out of his own pocket. Adding up all the expenses, this money wouldn’t last him three months.
Upon hearing this, Viscount Luke fell into contemplation.
"Twenty-two kilograms. And for every ten pelts, we’ll throw in a bag of northern rye and kale seeds."
"Deal!"