Chapter 75

Upon arriving at Blue Port, what I did was, as before, come out under the pretext of a civilian inspection to observe the lives of commoners or serfs.

The sea breeze brushed against my ears, seagulls flew overhead in search of food, and the quiet yet impressive sound of waves filled the air.

Beneath the clear blue sky, the vast blue sea stretched endlessly, and at the dock where many ships could anchor, enormous ships lined up, almost as large as small mountains.

At the dock next to me, countless sailors were taking their cargo off their ships and loading them onto carts or carriages.

“Just four more hours of work and this month’s job will be done. Everyone has worked hard!”

“Captain, does that mean we can have fun with the women?!”

“I’ll let the ship owner know and definitely bring back the money! Hurry up, men of the sea! The women who admire your passion and masculinity are waiting!!”

“Long live the captain!!”

Merchants were waging a war without drawing swords, thoroughly expanding their profits.

“Sir, these are the finest furs from the Northern Alliance. You’re asking for only two gold coins per piece…”

“Really, then are you asking for three coins each?”

“How about two and a half gold coins per piece instead? In return, we will only supply furs to the Alt trading company.”

“Can it be paid with wheat or grains? The market prices will be based on your side.”

“Of course.”

While listening to these two, I approached like a novice executive of a trading company unfamiliar with this place and asked them.

“What kind of trade are you conducting?”

Upon hearing my words, one of the merchants answered dismissively.

“I don’t know how long you’ve been here, but you don’t seem to know much. It’s a barter trade of leather and food.”

“Bartering? Isn’t that an uncivilized method only primitive people used? Food or leather can rot or go unsold, so is it necessary to bring them in through barter…?”

“Maybe that’s the case elsewhere, but it’s different here. The northern bears are short of food, so they buy everything that’s available, and while it takes a bit of time for the leather made by the Northern Alliance to sell out completely… Just selling half of the leather I just received will yield a huge profit.”

“Is that so? Then may I ask another question?”

Upon hearing my words, the merchant waved his hand dismissively.

“The answer I just gave, I too had a time when I knew nothing like you… but I no longer feel the need to answer your questions. Time is money, and haven’t you already wasted time because of you?”

So, to gain even a little more honest information from the man who had finished speaking, I handed him a pouch of silver coins that I had at my waist.

“Sir, could you spare just a bit more time…?”

Upon hearing me call him sir, he checked the pouch and, smiling, said,

“Alright, since the transaction is already over and I can’t leave until the cargo of leather is unloaded from that ship… I will allocate some time for you.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Then, I continued the conversation with the merchant whom I had called sir.

Even in the meantime, the merchant kept boasting about sharing what he considered ‘premium information’ with me…

Each time the gentleman opened his mouth, I had to pay, and as a result, I ended up spending about three gold coins to secure information from him.

However, just as before, I was able to obtain information worth more than the money I invested.

**

To conclude, this city was a transportation hub connecting the Northern Alliance, Britanya, and Elaline, and leveraging its geographical features, it was a port specialized in exporting food, salt, and sugar from Croilet.

So, the merchant I spoke with yesterday said this about Blue Port.

“Blueport is wealthier and more powerful than the Count’s territory of 40,000 inhabitants.”

However, that merchant also said,

“Nevertheless, most of the really big trades remain at the ‘trade hub’, with absolutely no food, drink, or entertainment for those types, so it can’t develop.”

Thus, to resolve this issue, I ordered the influential figures here to assemble as soon as I returned home, and I spent the night formulating countermeasures.

And when I entered the meeting room where the influential figures gathered, my head was spinning from a sleepless night, but everyone presented the image of a port city focused on commerce.

On their aging arms, fat was more noticeable than muscle, they wore black silk garments symbolizing merchants, and rings adorned with gold and various jewels decorated their hands.

Upon my entrance, an elderly man sitting closest to me in a seat designated for me represented them and greeted me.

“I am Golden Port, representing Zone 1 of Blueport. It is an honor to meet Your Excellency, who is also known as a prominent merchant.”

“Thank you for responding to my summons.”

“Whenever Your Excellency calls, I will rush to you.”

“Such obvious flattery aside, however, I prepared a small gift for you all as a reward for coming as soon as I called.”

Upon hearing those words, the local dignitaries sat down with bewildered expressions.

I leisurely watched them while sipping the black tea in front of me, and shortly after, the door opened, and a cart filled with snacks was brought in.

Next, the maid pulling the cart quietly placed ice cream in front of me and all the dignitaries before leaving.

They seemed so flustered by the unfamiliar treat that they didn’t even think of using a spoon.

For them, I took the initiative and picked up a spoon to eat the ice cream as a model.

Seeing me eat, the dignitaries trembled slightly as if thinking that it was safe, cautiously picking up spoons to put the ice cream into their mouths.

And all the dignitaries exclaimed in unison.

“Such a sweet and delicious food exists!! Sweeter than sugar, softer than a woman’s skin!”

“Moreover, look at this color! Whiter than sweaters made of milk or the finest wool. I’ve lived for 60 years, but I’ve never experienced such luxury. No, I doubt even His Majesty the Emperor could have savored this.”

“Yes, District Head of Zone 3. To think it melts in your mouth, cooling you down immediately… It’s a taste like a dream.”

Seeing them, I smiled and said.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it. Although the cost of making a cup of ice cream is about five silver coins, surely I can’t do less for those who will work for me. If you want more, just ring the bell and I’ll bring you more. And let me ask you.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

“Does this fit as a noble’s food?”

Upon hearing my words, the dignitaries seemed not to understand the meaning and merely stared blankly at each other’s faces without giving any answers.

So, to stimulate the inferiority complex they held toward the nobility, I opened my mouth.

“To put it another way, do you think this could appear at a noble banquet?”

“It can definitely be served. It’s a new dessert that can satisfy their luxurious mouths and eyes, Your Excellency.”

“Then imagine this. While you listen to the music of the orchestra you play for the nobles, imagine the abundance of eating luxurious foods and ice cream. Furthermore, the envious expressions of the low nobility who, poorer than you, cannot indulge in such luxury…”

As I finished speaking, the local dignitaries started smiling broadly, their mouths stretching to ear-to-ear grins, as if they were ‘soldiers at a military event witnessing an idol group’.

In their minds, they were already envisioning themselves enjoying ice cream that even titled nobles in this city, Blue Port, would struggle to eat while enjoying elegant music and culture.

It was inevitable that the low nobility, who usually looked down on them just because they were ‘merchants’, were now gnashing their teeth while wishing to enter that space.

And I clapped my hands and said.

“I’ll be honest. If you do not wish to live your life harboring inferiority, enjoy high-class culture in a place where you can directly suppress them. There, you will have the opportunity to meet high-ranking nobles who are targets of the Northern Alliance or Britanya, who sometimes you might find it hard to even look at in town, and with that, you will be able to make larger-scale transactions. Furthermore, by associating with the nobles who live in high places, one day, you too will be able to obtain ‘the same dignity’ as them.”

Upon hearing my words, one of the dignitaries immediately slammed the table as soon as I finished.

“If we acquire such dignity, surely the ‘nobles of the Northern Alliance’ who are ‘blood is not noble but rich’ will undoubtedly come to seek us, the beautiful source of culture… After all, if they don’t follow trends, they won’t survive. In that case, we can conduct transactions under much better conditions than now! Also, we can keep them around for as long as possible while waiting for them to offer better terms. Sometimes, we can even make them tired of trading to lower their prices.”

“Exactly. So, I want to make this city a ‘cultural city’ and ‘tourism city’ that many people aspire to, along with you. And if you follow me, I will ensure that all of you here will not envy the target merchants. So follow me.”

Upon hearing my words, the dignitaries looked at me with eager eyes, filled with ‘desire for honor’ and ‘greed for money’, and spoke in unison.

“Is there any doubt? As long as Your Excellency does not abandon us, we will follow you to the end. To Croilet…!!”

However, the speaker’s words were cut off, and suddenly a messenger entered the meeting room, kneeling and reporting to me.

“Reporting! Residents are trembling in fear as the sea suddenly turns white about 2 kilometers ahead!”

….. The sea turned white; what in the world could cause that to happen?

Thinking this, I spurred my horse to rush to the scene of the incident as quickly as possible.