69: Blackstone's Operation

"That's right, three gold coins per ton. A uniform price, fair to all!"

"You buy grain from me at two gold coins per ton and turn around to sell it for three. President Field, you really know how to do business."

"Hahahaha!"

Seeing Renn's slight anger, Field said with a smile:

"Baron Renn, the purchase price is naturally cheaper. Otherwise, how would we make a profit? There are costs from acquisition to storage, transportation, and sale. Selling at three gold coins per ton doesn't leave us with much profit."

"Three thousand tons of grain, nine thousand gold coins!"

Renn finally saw the power of the grain and Slave trade; just like that, it cost him nearly twenty thousand gold coins.

If it weren't for the small fortune he made from the spatial ring, Renn wouldn't have been able to afford this price.

"Does Your Excellency Renn need anything else?"

"Don't you need some supernatural items?"

"Magic potions, Enchanted Equipment, magical creations, magic plants, or other items containing magic power—as long as Your Excellency Renn needs them, our Salak Merchant Guild has everything."

Ordinary items didn't yield much profit; only selling supernatural items brought huge gains. Field saw that Renn's strength was extraordinary and that he was generous, spending twenty thousand gold coins in one go, so he took the opportunity to hawk supernatural items.

Renn had enough cultivation resources in his spatial ring, so he declined Field's offer.

"No thank you, President Field!"

"My family treasury only had this many gold coins, and they've all been emptied by you, President Field. Where would I get more gold coins to buy those things?"

Both parties agreed on the transaction. After Renn paid Field a deposit of one thousand gold coins, Field left.

Before leaving, Renn told Field that if there were children under fourteen among the Slaves, he was willing to buy them at thirty silver coins per person, provided the number did not exceed five thousand.

Watching the departing fleet, Renn thought to himself that he must form a merchant group in the future; he couldn't let these profiteers take a single cent of his money.

In this transaction, Renn was in a completely weak position, without even the qualification to bargain. If you didn't pay the price, they simply wouldn't sell.

"These gold coins really can't be saved!"

Thinking of the tens of thousands of gold coins in his spatial ring, one third was gone in a single trade. Two more and it would be all spent.

Renn also had to set aside some for the territory's operations, so the actual liquid capital he could spend wasn't much.

"If only there were a gold mine!"

...Blackstone Territory, Blackstone Fortress.

Viscount Black Stone Clarkson was elegantly savoring the fine wine in his glass.

"The royals and nobles on the Golden Plains really know how to live!"

"This Elf's Dream truly has an endless aftertaste. It's much more palatable than the Raging Flame Heart of Rage Bear Fortress!"

The fine wine in his hand had traveled across thousands of mountains and rivers from the kingdom's capital, the Golden City of Saint Stratos, to the Blackstone Territory. This one glass was worth ten gold coins, and a whole bottle of Elf's Dream was worth a hundred.

Although expensive, Clarkson felt it was worth it.

Blackstone Territory had a large blackstone ore mine. Blackstone can serve as fuel, essential for both heating and smelting metal. Just by selling blackstone ore, Blackstone Territory can earn tens of thousands of gold coins every year.

"Master, you called for me?"

A black-armored knight came before Clarkson. This man was named Joey, the Knight Commander of Blackstone Territory, a powerful high-level Silver Knight.

"Joey, you're here!"

Clarkson drained the wine in his glass and then set it down.

"What has our little baron friend to the north been up to lately?"

The "little friend" Clarkson spoke of was Renn. Clarkson was 39 this year, while Renn was 20; in his eyes, Renn was just a child.

"During this time, the Red River Territory has been organizing people to restore farmland. There should also be some projects in Red River Town, but our people dare not get too close, so we haven't gathered much intelligence."

"The Red River Territory's cavalry has been patrolling. Fortunately, their numbers are too small; otherwise, our scouts wouldn't even be able to enter the Red River Territory."

Clarkson frowned and said:

"Restoring farmland... that little fellow not only knows how to fight but also how to govern a territory!"

"That brainless fellow Bode actually sired a good son."

Clarkson felt a bit jealous of his former rival, but thinking that the man was already dead, much of the anger in his heart dissipated.

"I took more than half of the Red River Territory's population, and with the losses from the Fel Orcs war, there are hardly any people left in their territory. What can a bunch of old, weak, women, and children do?"

"If it weren't for that old fellow Sena's favoritism in giving that kid three thousand men, the Red River Territory would want to restore farmland? In their dreams."

Thinking of Sena's warning to him at the time, Clarkson felt a surge of irritation. If not for the other's protection, he could have completely crushed the Derrick Family this time.

"There are only a few days left until September. The harvest season is coming!"

"As soon as the harvest season arrives, those foreign races in the wilderness become restless, staring at the farmland every day, wanting to pillage."

"Joey, lead the Iron Regiment to drive those foreign races away. Remember to drive them north. Send a little gift to our little friend and let him have a rich harvest season."

Clarkson remembered that Renn had only recruited about two hundred men from the Border Defense Army. This force was enough to guard the castle, but far from enough to guard the entire territory.

"Understood, my master!"

Joey immediately understood Clarkson's intentions and began to prepare upon his return.

After Joey left, Clarkson thought about his gains over the past few months and laughed wantonly.

"Hahahahahaha!"

During that trip to the Red River Territory more than two months ago, he had taken thousands of people to supplement the Blackstone Territory and had also snatched a lot of grain and various supplies, making a huge profit.

The reinforcements Clarkson brought had never once faced the Fel Orcs head-on, so there were almost no losses.

Meanwhile, their Blackstone Family's blood rival, the Derrick Family, had been completely wiped out facing the Fel Orcs. More importantly, the family members were also killed by the Fel Orcs until only one remained.

The Magic Wolf Knights who once dominated the Red River Valley and brought humiliation to the Blackstone Family were also annihilated under the blades of the Fel Orcs.

Finally, before leaving, Clarkson had dealt a fatal blow to the Red River Territory, draining its last remaining vitality.

Clarkson believed that no matter how capable that kid Renn was, it would be impossible to restore the Red River Territory without several decades.

And he certainly wouldn't give Renn decades to recover. Clarkson was confident he could completely ruin the Derrick Family within four or five years, making the family disappear from the Rage Bear Territory.

He walked slowly to a portrait of a middle-aged man who bore some resemblance to Clarkson.

Clarkson poured himself another glass of Elf's Dream.

"Father, that detestable Derrick Family, that uneducated wild wolf, is finally finished. I will use the wild wolf's blood to wash away the family's shame."

The fragrance of the Elf's Dream and Clarkson's joyful laughter echoed in the room.

As Clarkson's order was issued, Joey led the Blackstone Family's elite Iron Regiment and began to expel the foreign races around the Blackstone Territory.

Goblin tribes, Kobold tribes, and other foreign races in the wilderness were driven out by the Iron Regiment and began to migrate northward.

A large number of small foreign tribes gradually approached the lands of the Red River Territory.