Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

Chapter 763: Domain Trade Plans

CH763 Domain Trade Plans

***

Alex looked towards his wives and then at Milton.

He rested his interlocked hands on the table.

“We cannot allow this to continue,” he said. “According to the limited data we have, almost—if not all—of the citizens within our domain have their livelihoods tied to the mines. If we do not secure fair value for their ores, then it is no different from denying them the bare minimum they deserve for their labour.

“This is not even about giving them a better life. It is about giving them the life they have already earned through their efforts. Never mind the former—we have no right to call ourselves their leaders if we cannot even accomplish the latter.”

“Effective immediately, cease all trade and exchanges with the Stronghold,” Alex ordered.

“Sir Count, are you certain about this? The Stronghold—”

Milton attempted to caution him, but Alex cut him off.

“There is no other way. Men like Viscount Dunhill and Marquis Bramford are predators. Show them even the slightest hint of weakness, and they will descend upon you and strip you of everything you have. The only way to have any chance of survival is to stand your ground.

“It is already too late to sit down and negotiate a fair arrangement with them. Never mind the Marquis—even the Viscount likely views the Frontier March as part of his and the Stronghold’s sphere of responsibility. He does not see this place as an independent domain outside his authority—not to mention that such authority should be beyond his station in the first place.

“Since he views this territory as subordinate to the Stronghold, he sees no reason to purchase anything from us. In his eyes, he merely needs to take what he wants while providing enough rations to keep his ‘workers’ alive and productive.

“You need a bold statement to shake a mindset like that,” Alex said.

He paused before fixing Milton with a firm gaze.

“I will say this again, Milton. I am not like the other domain lords you have served.

“I do not care about Viscount Dunhill’s opinions, nor do I fear Marquis Bramford.

“The Viscount is a lower-ranking noble. He is obligated to respect my arrangements.

“As for the Marquis, I am an Honour Count and a Pioneer Knight of His Imperial Majesty, Emperor James Piccard XIII. He would do well to think twice before moving against me.”

‘And if he dares to play any tricks, I would like to see for myself the strength of a Marquis,’ Alex added inwardly.

He was confident in both the strength of his armed forces and the top-tier combat power required to hold off a Marquis.

Saul was a Saint-ranked combatant. That alone spoke volumes.

Alex doubted the Marquis could boast an expert of that calibre.

Notwithstanding, it was a card Alex preferred not to reveal. Even if the Marquis lacked a Saint-ranked expert, he likely possessed combatants at the Combat Master—or Veteran—level.

Yet, not counting the four Combat Masters from the former BattleBane, Fortuna itself had at least four people capable of reaching the Combat Master level, even if only temporarily.

As for military strength, by the time his thousand-strong force had fully assembled, and the group’s force multipliers—the Silver Wolf Guard’s Rune Tattoos, the Providence Army Tokens, the Link Spells, the crossbows, and countless other advantages—were brought into play, the Marquis would find himself facing a very difficult opponent.

And that was assuming this hypothetical conflict occurred before Alex completed construction of the Interplanar Gate and returned to Pangea to restock supplies and gather reinforcements.

“Sir Count, forgive me for saying this, but even if you are capable of resisting the Marquis, that does not mean the people of this domain can do the same,” Milton said.

“Something as simple as a dispute between the two of you could have disastrous consequences for us.”

Alex’s eyes flashed.

A powerful aura descended upon Milton.

“You still do not understand, Milton,” he said. “You and the people of this domain are now my people. And I am very protective of my people. At the very least, I have never allowed my actions to bring unwanted consequences upon those under my protection.

“I intend to point my blade towards the north and, if necessary, towards the near south as well. However, I will not do any of that without first establishing a strong foundation here.”

“By the time I am finished, the domain will be capable of defending itself from threats both to the north and the south, even without my direct presence,” Alex said confidently.

Without waiting for Milton’s response, Alex turned to Eleanore.

“This falls under your purview. What do you suggest?” he asked.

“If we are ceasing the ore-for-food exchanges with the Stronghold, then our first priority must be establishing trade elsewhere for the ore.

“I suggest trading the ore for currency with the various territories of the north-east outside the Stronghold’s influence and beyond the Bramford Marquisate. In particular, I believe Baron Corbin’s harbour, as well as Maple Town just north-west of our crossing point on the Rotbark River, would be good places to start,” Eleanore proposed.

“However, be warned that in order to make such trade attractive to those settlements, we will likely have to sell below market value. I estimate somewhere between fifty and seventy percent of market price,” she added cautiously.

“That’s fine. It would still be night and day compared to what the domain currently receives from the Stronghold,” Alex nodded. “Besides, it helps us capture market share. If those domains use up their ore reserves and later manage to resell any surplus at a profit, they’ll return to us for more.”

“I wouldn’t be so optimistic, Alex.” Eleanore shook her head. “Don’t forget that when we passed through the various settlements and domains, most of the domain lords had already given up on any meaningful expansion. I doubt they will take the kind of risks necessary to create the demand you’re hoping for.”

“What this initial round of sales should accomplish is generating a large amount of currency that we can inject into the domain’s economy and use to stimulate short-term growth.

“After that, we will need alternative methods to expand our reach and explore new markets. Perhaps we will need to reach out to our friends across the Rotbark River—or even beyond the empire itself,” she added.

She gave Alex a meaningful look.

Alex immediately understood what she was implying.

She was suggesting that they take advantage of his Spatial solutions to move the ore beyond the confines of the north-east and into more prosperous and receptive markets.

***