"Growing potatoes and peppers, training the Norscans as subordinates, building stone walls, building the Temple of Ersun and the Abbey of Sarak, developing hunting and logging, so Lord Rhodes did all of this in a year?"

In the Blackhammer Castle Ballroom, the butler Muros and the new nobleman Laheim chatted about the past of Blackhammer Castle, which was actually what happened during the year.

"Yes, and in addition, he persuaded the residents to stay and spend the night of the evil moon together. Moreover, he was the first person to slaughter a manticore lion on his own. ”

Muros introduced, pride leaping across his face.

But Laheim is not so sensational, he has just arrived in this castle, and he has only one side of the relationship with Rode, and he has no special feelings for Black Hammer Castle. For him, this castle is just a temporary residence for refuge, once the crisis in Errengrad is resolved, he still has to go back, after all, it is his home, his business, career is there, if he is not worried about his own life, as a nobleman of Erengrad, he will definitely not come to the wilderness of Black Hammer Castle.

"It's true, but if it were me, I wouldn't spend the money on building the temple, that would be a waste of money, especially in a place like yours where the finances are not so lenient. ”

Laheim drank a little wine and "pointed out". This made Muros very uncomfortable.

"No, you don't know the situation of Black Hammer Fort at all, let alone the situation of Lord Rhodes, Black Hammer Fort can have today, Lord Rhodes can have today, it depends on the blessings of the gods, he is the chosen choice of the gods...... Without the protection of the bear god, the castle would have been leveled by the beastmen. So, the temple is a must. Even the construction of roads can be put aside, but the work of the temple cannot be put aside first. ”

Muros said sternly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I really don't know anything about the situation here. Okay, but I still have a suggestion. ”

"Your Excellency, please speak. ”

Although the old butler was a little upset by what he said just now, he still maintained his etiquette.

"The mine has been expanded, and I estimate that we will have our first pot of gold by next spring at the latest. I intend to use the funds to open up new shipping routes. ”

Laheim swore that he was very confident, because here, even the old butler didn't seem to know much about economics and trade, maybe the lord of Rhodes knew some, but he wasn't, and the ghost knew that this unreliable lord spent much more time outside than at home.

"Open up new routes, open up routes to where?"

Muros asked, pouring Raheim a glass of wine in front of him. Crystal clear wine is just two-thirds of the way to the glass, which is also one of the etiquettes among the aristocracy. Although Muros himself is not, he still understands something.

"Empire, I don't think the turbulent situation in Erengrad will get better for a while, and the north is the territory of the Norscans, and there is no business to do with the barbarians, you can't always rely on a single dragon city, the size of the dragon city is too small, even if it has a population of more than 30,000, but the dwarves don't need a lot of things, that city is almost self-sufficient. So, I'm going to expand trade with the Empire. Our goods can't always be shipped to Nord Collar, they have to be shipped farther away, so that the profit can be doubled or even more. ”

Taking the glass, Raheim smiled and said—

"For example, if you import kyanite from the dwarves, it may be expensive in Kislev, but in the Empire, it is even more expensive, and if you go to the Tyrells in the south, or in the Arabi region, it will be sky-high. What I mean by this is that this commodity with a northern character must be shipped to the southern country, at least far from the Talon Sea trade circle, in order to be more profitable. Otherwise, we are also middlemen and do not get much benefit. My idea was to build a large road that would lead directly to the open sea, which was the Kisslev Bay, and to transport goods from the open sea docks to the rest of the empire. ”

"I can pay for the construction of the road, and if Rhodes doesn't let me pay in full, I can work with him again. Including the outer harbor terminal, that is the most important opportunity for development. Despite its location in the barren north, Blackhammer Fort is close to the open sea, which is the greatest advantage you must take advantage of. The cost of building a road to the open sea pier and expanding the pier at the same time will not be able to be saved, and the future benefits will be unimaginable. You've always envied Heidelberg and the Ring next door, but I can say with certainty that once built according to my vision, Blackhammer will soon surpass them. Do you know how Errengrad developed? It is because of that unique port advantage? Ports will give a city a new lease of life. ”

Laheim said.

"Sounds good, but when Lord Rhodes returns, you can discuss it with him personally. ”

Muros replied with a smile.

As he spoke, he poured another glass of wine for the aristocratic investor. March Chinese

Laheim, on the other hand, put his hand on top of the glass, indicating that he didn't want to.

He continued—

"Also, the town is still growing too slowly, and I couldn't agree more with Lord Rhodes' approach, but with all due respect, he has plenty of opportunities to make this one richer. ”

"Still a lot of opportunities?"

Muros asked curiously.

"Well, a lot...... For example, here, I don't see any merchants from outside the empire, and the market is buying and selling very ordinary goods, even if it is an ice pepper, it is only exported to the northern dwarves. ”

"At this stage, Black Hammer Fort can only do this, we don't have many things to produce, and trade is naturally very scarce. ”

"No, no, no. Who says that trade must depend on production? The role of the market is no longer to sell what you produce, but the real role of the market is to circulate. Yes, circulation, do you know what it means?"

Laheim said thoughtfully. You could see the confused expression on Muros's face, and now, he really didn't understand what the nobleman wanted to say.

"Well, let me explain to you, the market, it's the transit point for all the goods, where people trade, get what they want, remember, it's anything, as long as they think it's valuable, they pay for it, and the goods circulate. In a port city, customs revenue is a very important fiscal revenue, you can strictly control the goods, but at the same time, if you want to expand the scale of trade and get more tax revenue, then you can also turn a blind eye to the incoming and outgoing goods. Like Errengrad, do you think the city is clean? Do you think the ports there are all about the right goods? No, there's something shady in there. The mayors and the big nobles have control over these resources, and you'll have to find them if you want to clear the level. So, the income comes, as long as the thing is still manageable. ”

Raheim said with a wink.

Now Muros understood, "You mean the 'black market'?"

"No, no, the black market is too dangerous, it's just smuggling. With the conditions of Black Hammer Castle, it is completely possible to expand the existing trade scale and truly revitalize the entire market. ”

"No, smuggling is too dangerous......"

"What's in danger? What are you afraid of? Ice Queen?"

Raheim asked.

"There's a risk, isn't it?"

Muros returned.

"No kidding, Blackhammer Keep is located on the northern frontier, and it's a town that has been almost forgotten, and the Beastmen don't care about the queen's attack, do you think she'll take care of your smuggling? It's so far away from the capital city of Kislev that the queen might have forgotten about you at all. So, be bold and explore the market, as long as you control it properly, it will soon develop. Let some people get the sweetness first, and they will bring more people to trade here. All I have to do is charge a fee for passing boats and convoys, and this part of the income will be far greater than the income from logging and hunting. ”

Raheim's brow jumped, and he smiled and continued—

"Of course, I will invest part of the expansion of this market, the wharf, and the expansion of the commercial road, and when the time comes, I will also take a part of the profits. I'm a businessman, you know, I don't do anything that doesn't make a profit. ”

Laheim was blunt.

"I'll tell him when Rhodes comes back. ”

Muros said.