When you are free, you can do nothing for a whole month, and when you are busy, you can also be in a tense state every day. For more than a week, Rhodes has been in this state of intense official duties.

Because Alves is only the general manager, the chief designer is still Rod himself. The establishment of a sewer patrol team, a food inspection team, and urban planning are all top-level designs, all of which are dependent on themselves, and when the plan is finally put in place, they can easily hand it over to Alves and other subordinates to maintain.

What's more, in such a tense and hectic state, his wife Caroline is not even around...... The development of Black Hammer Castle led to the development of Heidelberg next door, which made Caroline's affairs increase a lot unconsciously. As a result, there is less time to come to Blackhammer Fort to be intimate with Rod. The so-called siege theory is like this, and you get bored of being with someone every day. After being separated for a long time, it seems that I have missed it again...... That's how troublesome people are...... Rod lay in his chair and sighed as he looked up to the sky.

At this moment, the footsteps of the attendants sounded outside the door again.

"My lord, a prince of Tyrells has asked to see you. He claimed to be the richest slave trader in Tyrrel, the most brilliant inventor, and the most ......"

"Tell me where he is?"

Rhodes didn't want to hear about that mess of titles and titles. If you are a big merchant from the empire or from Bretonnia, you should really listen to those titles, because they are officially recognized, and you can't talk nonsense, otherwise there will be political danger. But from Tyrell, and it sounds like the Prince of the Frontier, those titles are negligible. Because most of the border princes are bandits who stand on their own, and they can call themselves green-skinned terminators and nezumi nemesis by killing a litter of greenskins or ratmen. But in fact, their territory may be the size of a village.

However, this does not mean that these people are of little value, at least, they have traveled thousands of miles from the border prince, and his fleet must also have excellent quality, otherwise it is impossible to cross the vast ocean. The wind and waves of the open sea are not comparable to those of the inland sea, and all kinds of dangerous creatures are also unheard of by those who live in the inland sea. At the same time, what comes from the southern border may also be lacking in the north. So Rod summoned the "richest slave trader" of the Tyrells.

A few minutes later, in the halls of Blackhammer Keep, Rhodes met the Tyrell merchant from afar. As soon as they met, Rhodes was attracted by the other party's "fashionable" temperament. This "big businessman" who came from afar looks the same as himself, a middle-aged uncle, but the other party belongs to the Mediterranean Sea and has a beer belly...... A smooth hair on the top of the head, sparse short hair distributed around the skull, a standard Mediterranean hairstyle. The body is a little fat, especially the fat belly, which seems to be puffed up and hangs around the waist. No matter how much you decorate it with clothes, you still can't cover the bulging belly.

He wore sunglasses and a small mustache, and before he could wait for the introduction of his entourage, he couldn't wait to introduce himself.

"Lord Rhodes, my name is Mosioodore Hiram Vlarr, from the southern city-state of Tyrrell. The greatest inventor of all time, slave trader, master engineer, and arms dealer ......"

Rhodes tries to repeat his name, only to find that his tongue is knotted after pronouncing the entire list of names...... So just call him Vlaar...... As for the latter titles...... It's a......

"Well, I'm Rhodes, and it's a pleasure to meet you, Your Excellency. ”

With a friendly smile, Rod replied lightly.

"Ah...... I have long heard that Lord Rhodes has an extraordinary temperament, handsome and majestic, and when I see it today, it is indeed so. ”

Vlaar said, taking off his sunglasses. Only then did Rhodes see his eyes clearly, like two black grapes sandwiched between the flesh, and he could barely see it when he laughed...... This fat body doesn't know what kind of nourishing life he lives in the south. Let's go slightly

"I heard that Your Excellency has brought the latest products, and you want to negotiate a deal with me?"

Rod laughed and went straight to the point. This kind of polite talk is still less to say, and it is really tiresome to say such useless nonsense every day. Rhodes still likes to have one thing to say, and two to say, maybe it's because he has been dealing with northerners for a long time, and his temperament has gradually become straightforward.

"My lord, it's really refreshing, and I like to deal with cheerful people. Uh-huh, yes. The latest product! is definitely the latest. This thing doesn't even have an empire yet. ”

The merchant said with a smile.

But the more he did this, the more Rod felt cheated...... He didn't even have an empire yet, so why did this guy go all the way to the north of Kislev to sell it to himself? Could it be that no one wanted his things, or that the price was too high to be practical? Although it was only a one-word conversation for the first time, Rhodes was already deeply suspicious of the medicine sold in the gourd.

"What's that?"

Rod asked.

"Good thing, though, it's too heavy, too big to carry in. Can the lord move and take a look at the docks?"

Vlaar replied with a grin.

"No problem, you lead the way. Just don't take me into the water. ”

Rod joked, but there was something in his words that the people on the side could hear clearly.

Half an hour later, Rhodes and his entourage came to the outer harbor area located at the mouth of the Dongquan River. It's still a desolate place, with only a makeshift dock as a docking point, and most ships go to Blackhammer or head straight to the Inner Harbour, which is the Old Town with a dense cluster of small docks. However, Vlaar's ship was obviously a big ship, and it was already very bold for an ocean-going class ship to dare to sail to the river port. Further down the river is in danger of running aground.

And the best of the trade items seems to have been wiped as new for a long time, waiting for the inspection of the new owner, and in general, as long as anyone wants to buy her, it is her new owner. And she is a large heavy weapon.

"Vlar Repeater!"

The big businessman Vlaar proudly introduced. Rod only felt a crow fly overhead...... This guy is really superb...... Even if you sell yourself, even the weapon is named after you, it's ......

But being cheeky is being cheeky, and Rhodes still has to test this thing well. Maybe it really works. Blackhammer now has melee units and cavalry units are developing, but they lack ranged weapons, especially ranged heavy weapons. Due to the Empire's firearms blockade, it was difficult to buy artillery and muskets made in the regular arsenals of the Empire. And what is sold in the black market is either ridiculously expensive or of poor quality. It's better to buy a musket directly from the dwarves in Dulong City.