HCB Chapter 124 Transaction Successful
Chapter 124 Transaction Successful
Spring 1447
Winter, the symbol of death and the end, has ended, and people on earth have begun their activities for the new year.
Unlike the previous spring battles between Midlan and Yoda, the entire Yoda camp fell into a strange silence due to the capture of Yoda's noble Adam. Midlan's scouts could only confirm that Yoda's soldiers were still stationed in the camp, and they knew no other information.
As for Midland, since they didn't know how the other side would react, and they had Adam as a hostage, they already had the upper hand and didn't need to test it anymore, because the Yoda people on the opposite side would definitely come to negotiate no matter how reluctant they were, unless Adam could break free of the chains and run barefoot back to Yoda from Franche-Comté.
In this peaceful era, John also boarded the Sea Wolf and, under the leadership of an Issu merchant, led a small fleet of eight ships to the island he wanted to buy.
"You see, sir, if what those Issu merchants said is true, then this island will be connected to our southern Grant Islands and North Port in the east, forming a new route. In this way, our caravans can transport goods from western Midland to North Port by sea, and we can even buy better ships through their shipyards."
In the captain's room, Simon was telling John about the benefits of buying the island. John listened carefully, thought about it for a long time, and then said:
"Then how do we deal with the pirates at sea? Our fleet can only control the waters south of Grant at the moment. Beyond here, it's beyond our control."
"I've considered this," Simon said, pulling out a map.
"This shows the current military ports of Midland. Although Le Havre is the only military port in the north of Midland, if a military port is built on that island, it will be enough to support the entire route."
Listening to Simon's endless explanation, John thought it would be better to go and see the island first.
After three days and two nights of sailing, at noon one day, the outline of land appeared in the distant ocean. As the outline became clearer, an island with no end in sight appeared in front of the fleet.
"Wow, it's quite big. It looks like we can build something on it." Looking at the large island in front of him, John felt that this deal was still feasible.
On the island, in addition to the dense forest, there is also a port that can accommodate dozens of large ships, and a castle standing on the top of the mountain.
Under the guidance of the Isu soldiers at the harbor, John's fleet slowly sailed into the port. After parking the ship, John and his party got off the ship. Immediately, a group of people came from the opposite side, led by a handsome, middle-aged black-haired man with extraordinary appearance. Judging from his clothes, he looked like a noble.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Roderick, the son of Duke Is and the third heir to the Principality of Is." Roderick said as he approached John and extended his hand to show his good will.
"I'm John, Count of Midrand-Franche-Comté. It's an honor to meet the descendant of the Son of the Sea." John said after shaking hands with Roderick. Before going there, John learned some about the customs of Is. As a country of ocean adventurers, the Dukes of Is were all called Sons of the Sea. In other words, if a descendant of a duke wants to become a noble, then sailing is something he must master when he reaches adulthood.
Sure enough, after listening to John, Roderick began to praise him from inside to outside. Although I don’t know whether he was sincere or just flattering for business, at least the beginning was good.
After exchanging pleasantries, the two men headed for the castle on the mountain. On the way, Roderick introduced John to the situation of the island.
"This island is about 200 square kilometers. Except for the hill where the castle is located, the rest of the island is flat land and dense forests. In addition to a castle and a dock, there are some manors I manage and a town where the Isu people live. In addition to the Isu soldiers and their families, there are also a large number of serfs living here, with a total number of more than . They are responsible for agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry, fishery and some manual labor in workshops. If you want to buy this island, except for the Isu people who need to leave, the remaining serfs will all belong to you."
After listening to Roderick's introduction, John felt that the island was quite good and he could buy it if the price was right.
A banquet had been prepared in the castle to welcome John's arrival. In the candlelit hall, Roderick sat in the lord's seat and John sat on his right. As the banquet began, the waiters began to serve the dishes. However, unlike Midland, the waiters did not serve the dishes in order according to time, but put the dishes on the table at the same time. Fortunately, John's dining table was big enough, otherwise it would not be able to accommodate all the dishes.
Seeing John's embarrassment, Roderick said awkwardly:
"I'm really sorry. I wanted to follow the Midland way of serving the dish, but the preparation was not sufficient. Please don't blame me."
After hearing Roderick say this, John felt that there was a hint of flattery in his words. He was just buying an island, so why was it so necessary?
However, John's thoughts immediately turned to the food in Ys. Generally speaking, the main dishes in Ys, Barden, Midland, and Yoda are similar, which are nothing more than steak with bread, salad with thick soup, and finally some dessert. However, the people of Ys have their own unique secret recipes for cooking seafood and rabbit meat, and paired with special sauces made by the people of Ys. The food tastes fresher than what John ate in Midland. John speculated that this might be because of the addition of seaweed.
After enjoying lunch, the two sides began to negotiate on matters related to the sale of the island.
"So, Earl John, how much are you offering for this island?" Roderick asked first.
Hearing this, John smiled and said:
"This island is yours, of course you made the first offer."
"Then I will obey your command." Roderick thought for a while and then said a number:
"."
After hearing the numbers he revealed, John thought for a while and said:
"I need to discuss this price with my assistant."
Then he motioned Simon to come over and whispered in his ear:
“Is the price this person mentioned appropriate?”
Simon then said: "I think his price, how should I put it, according to the current construction of the island and the resources on his island, the price he sold it for is even a bit low."
"Ah?" John couldn't help but be a little confused. In his opinion, the people of Is were all profiteers. John was ready to bargain, but they told me that the price was too low.
But seeing Simon's determined eyes, John thought carefully and finally made up his mind and said:
"Okay, but in addition to the evacuation of the Yisu people, all the buildings on the island must belong to me."
"Deal! Let's sign the contract."
The moment John agreed, Roderick immediately ordered someone to bring the contract to John. After reading it, John gave it to Simon to check carefully. After confirming that it was correct, he signed his name with a feather pen.
"Then I will order people to move out of here quickly. You go back and prepare the money. I will let the ships of Ys follow you to transport the gold coins back to Ys." After saying this, Roderick left the castle and prepared to evacuate.
John, under the guidance of the local Yisu people, began to visit the local natural and cultural scenery. John was also happy to see the scenery of the new territory.
While John was enjoying himself, undercurrents were surging in Windham in the distance. Although Count Milo had tried his best to suppress some of the voices of opposition, more rumors about John continued to circulate in the king's ears, changing every day.
"I also want to see what Governor John, whom I have rarely met, is doing. Well, let's do this. Order Governor John to come to Windham to answer the king's questions." The king said this out of the blue during a meeting, which made the local nobles present secretly delighted and the court nobles couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
"John, please don't get into any trouble." Count Milo muttered to himself while mixed in the crowd.