Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 323 Buying a Boat to Go East
How would a respectable Mrs. Venetta react if she were awakened in the middle of the night to find that her two daughters had disappeared?

Just can't imagine.

In the past, the Venetians commonly dealt with such situations using daggers coated with highly poison.

In recent years, the methods have become more civilized, and the poisoned daggers have been replaced with spring-loaded guns hidden under cloaks.

Putting himself in her shoes, Winters asked himself, what if some scoundrel dared to kidnap Ella?
After thinking it over, Winters felt exceptionally relieved after repeatedly confirming with Anna that she had no brother.

In short, he had no desire to meet Mr. Leo.

However, considering that Mr. Leo had come to Iron Peak with his adoptive father, Winters had a vague feeling that Mrs. Navarre's attitude might have softened.

Winters had only met Mrs. Navarre a few times and could not even remember Mrs. Navarre's face clearly, only that she was a very gentle, kind, and friendly lady.

The situation... might not be so bad?

Whether he sticks his neck out or not, he'll still get stabbed. Winters dragged it out as long as he could, and finally had to bite the bullet and meet with Mr. Leo.

The meeting was very private, taking place around the fireplace in a small living room, with only Winters, Antonio, and Leo present, because Winters thought Leo wanted to talk about "family matters".

But soon, the atmosphere became serious and formal.

The reason is simple—Leo wasn't there to find Mrs. Navarre's daughter at all, and he didn't mention Anna's matter at all.

"Your Excellency the Protector of the People," Mr. Leo said formally and directly, setting the tone for the entire conversation: "Could you provide me with the tariff collection standards for Iron Peak County?"

People are usually unable to respond immediately when faced with a sudden question, especially one that is completely unrelated to their topic.

In order to keep the conversation going, most people will subconsciously utter a single syllable:

"what?"

Or "Hmm?"

Or perhaps "what?"

This is a normal human reaction, and it's also why many people, even if they've clearly heard the question, still ask the other person to repeat it.

However, this performance also means that they are at a disadvantage in negotiations.

Although Winters didn't understand what Mr. Leo was talking about at all, he had a unique way of dealing with such situations.

He remained silent, calmly staring into the other man's eyes, waiting for Leo to offer an explanation.

Leo had no intention of continuing the standoff, and he readily explained his purpose: "Our company has a shipment of wool that we want to transport back to Veneta via Iron Peak County."

……

Wool, a walking white gold mine, is Palatine's largest export commodity.

Compared to the wool trade, horse trading became a tasteless little business.

Many, many years ago, it was the merchants of the Piedmont region (note: now a province) who first started the wool trade.

Merchants from the foothills traveled great distances and endured hardships to reach Palatul, first buying wool from the herders and then purchasing timber from the nobles to build boats. Finally, they sailed their large boats, laden with wool, eastward down the Jinliu River, all the way to the Inner Sea, and returned to the foothills.

The wool would be sent to textile workshops. The ships would be dismantled and sold as timber.

After calculating their profits and paying off their debts, the merchants took their capital and set off for Plato again, embarking on a new year's journey.

This cyclical trade, known as "buying boats to go east," saw countless merchants traveling between [Platau and the foothills] day after day, year after year.

The continuous supply of wool fed the wool textile industry in the foothills, and the prosperity of the wool textile industry generated even more demand for wool.

During the era when Venetia's commercial city-states such as Oceania and Hundred Flowers City monopolized inland sea trade, the cities in the foothills earned their first fortune through the wool textile industry and continued to accumulate wealth in the days that followed.

Interestingly, because the entrepot trade was firmly controlled by the Venetians, merchants in the piedmont region had to find alternative ways to expand and strengthen their businesses.

Left with no other choice, the merchants of the mountain frontier pioneered a development path that combined "manufactured handicrafts with commerce".

They were often both workshop owners and traders. Moreover, because they shared a common enemy, the merchants of the foothills were far more united than those of the city-states of Venetia.

However, given the vast difference in size, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Piedmont will continue to be suppressed by the city-states of Venetia, remaining stuck in its perpetual second-place position.

However, the goddess of fate gave the land in front of the mountain an opportunity. The city-states of Venetia, entering the golden age, seemed to think they were invincible. Then, the city-states unanimously initiated a resolution—to fight for supremacy.

The city-states of Venetia were locked in constant warfare, and fortress defense technology advanced rapidly during this period, while the foothills ushered in a beautiful spring.

When the city-state war ended, the victors—the esteemed Republic of Aquamarine—were shocked to discover that the once timid merchants of the foothills had transformed into giant sharks, tearing away most of the inland sea trade that the Veneta merchants had previously monopolized.

The city-states of Venetta declined, while the piedmont officially entered its golden age.

At that time—that is, half a century ago—the Duchy of the Foothills was the richest land in the entire empire, the most dazzling diamond on the emperor's scepter.

In terms of area, the Duchy of the Piedmont is negligible. Yet this small delta provides one-third to one-half of the Empire's annual tax revenue.

However, the story that follows is well-known.

The Sovereignty War broke out, and this time it was the foothills—that is, the United Provinces Republic—that were turned into a wasteland.

The century-long accumulation of resources by the people of the mountain frontier was entirely transformed into fuel for war.

What were the city-states of Venetta doing at the same time?
A: The Venetians were just watching and made a windfall.

To escape the war, large numbers of commoners and nobles from the United Provinces fled to Venetta with their families—bringing with them wealth, technology, and manpower.

While Ned Smith and the Butcher Duke were locked in a bloody tug-of-war across the United Provinces, the wool textile industry in Venetta flourished.

The saying among the United Provinces that "every time the United Provinces fought a war, Vineta became incredibly wealthy" refers to this period of history.

In conclusion, after the end of the Sovereignty War, the wool textile industry was no longer a monopoly of the United Provinces, and the newly established Republic of Venetia was able to share the limelight with the United Provinces.

The rivalry between Venetta and the United Provinces, a contest between comrades and enemies, continues to this day.

……

What does all of this have to do with Winters?
Actually, there is a connection.

Besides sales channels and looms, another major bottleneck restricting the wool textile industry is raw material – wool.

Without wool, the looms would stop turning; without wool, the weavers would starve.

The practice of buying wool by boat has evolved far beyond its original form of "peddlers buying wool by weight from herders." Competition has driven the development of business models, and wealthy wool merchants are no longer limited to buying wool; they are now investing in sheep flocks and even buying pastures.

Even so, the Venetians and the United Provinces still fight tooth and nail over wool every year.

Wool was continuously transported from the plateau to the shores of the inland sea, where it was transformed into fabric and sold throughout the continent.

Fine wines, precious metals, steel, and handicrafts flowed into Palatine in a steady stream, going against the flow of wool.

If the Cynas Alliance is a giant, then the [Ember River/Running River], which carries the wool trade, is both the giant's arteries and veins.

However, this is where the problem lies: the alliance's lifeline has been severed.

After the bloody night at Kings' Castle, Alpad's military government occupied the "Jiangbei Province" in northwestern Palatour, while the remaining land south and northeast of the Jinliu River was controlled by the Second Republic.

After several rounds of attack and defense, neither side was able to break through the Jinliu River.

As the proverb says, "When the city gate catches fire, the fish in the moat will suffer."

The Second and Third Republics faced each other across the river, but the Venetian wool textile merchants were in dire straits.

The wool trade is different from other businesses. If crop prices fall, plantation owners can switch to other crops or stop growing them altogether; if bottles and jars don't sell well, workshops can stop producing them.

But wool won't work.

Sheep don't care who wins or loses; they just eat grass, grow wool, and bleat. As long as they don't die, sheep will grow wool.

Some of last year's wool hasn't been shipped back to China yet. Because shipping on the Jinliu River has been completely shut down, this year's wool is all stuck in Palatine.

When the new wool season arrives next summer, there won't even be a place to store the wool.

No, it's more likely that the Venetta wool textile industry won't even last until next year.

“Since we can’t travel by water,” Winters asked Mr. Leo for the first time, “can’t we travel by land?”

“You’ve hit the nail on the head.” Leo’s eyes widened slightly, he paused for a moment, and turned to look at Antonio. “General, I would appreciate it if you could explain.”

António sighed: "The Paratu territories bordering the United Provinces and Veneta are controlled by the Second Republic, which has a strong pro-United Provinces bias."

“That’s the most infuriating thing,” Mr. Leo said quipped. “It’s the Palatine who are fighting, but only the Venetians are injured.”

“You mean…” Winters gathered his thoughts: “The Second Republic has imposed some kind of trade embargo, and wool destined for Veneta is being intercepted in Palatour, while wool destined for the United Provinces can travel by land without hindrance?”

“That’s right,” Mr. Leo nodded.

"Why not just confiscate your wool?" Winters frowned slightly.

“We have to do a good job of maintaining appearances,” Mr. Leo chuckled self-deprecatingly. “In my opinion, our colleagues in the United Provinces are waiting for this.”

"What are you waiting for?"

“Wait until we surrender,” Mr. Leo said casually, “wait until we beg them to sell us our share of the flock.”

Seeing that Winters didn't quite understand, Leo patiently explained, "The wool business is very risky. Shearing costs money, transportation costs money, and raising sheep costs money. Land can be put up for sale, but if the sheep die, you can only sell the meat. Therefore, it is said that [a family with millions in wealth does not count if it has wool].

Rather than letting the sheep scare them away with a major epidemic and losing everything, it's better to sell the sheep shares and recoup the funds. The gentlemen of the United Provinces aren't in a hurry; time is on their side, they can wait patiently.

Winters' brow furrowed further: "But what help can Iron Peak County offer given its location? It's the southwesternmost point of Palatour, separated from Veneta by the entire Palatour."

“The caravans transporting wool need to enter through the buffer zone, please allow us to. As for the rest, you don’t need to worry about it.” Mr. Leo smiled politely: “It’s all been cleared.”

"They've already connected?" Winters wondered.

The shortest route from Tiefeng County to Vineta is to head east along a "small" road, passing through Baishan County and Bianjiang County, exiting Xinkendi, then crossing Beilu Province, and finally arriving at Vineta.

Alternatively, you can take the main road, heading north out of Tiefeng County, through Vone County and Fengshi City, and then through Xilin Province and Northeast Province, which will also lead you to Vineta.

But no matter which route you take, it will have to cross the entire Republic of Palatour to open up a passage.
However, another word in Leo's words suddenly jolted Winters awake—"buffer zone".

The buffer zone refers to the uninhabited area of ​​100 kilometers west of the border of Palatour. Further west lies the territory of the Hed tribes.

Winters felt a chill run down his spine. He tried to stand up abruptly, but instead remained seated: "You want to enter through the buffer zone? Where did you get this wool from?"

Winters discerned a range of emotions in Mr. Leo's plump face: curiosity, admiration, worry...

Leo met Winters' gaze, his smile growing even brighter: "It came from the place you're thinking of."

If any company commander dared to speak like that, Winters would have kicked him with his boot. He really wanted to grab Leo by the collar and force him to explain himself.
However, for many reasons, his physical movements were limited to leaning back slightly, resting against the back of the chair, and squinting at Leo.

"You're also smuggling wool from the Heds?" Winters bluntly asked.

“Besides the Paratul, who else in the world is better at raising sheep?” Mr. Leo stopped smiling and became respectful and restrained. “Besides, Venetta never imposed a trade embargo on the Hed tribes, so how can it be considered smuggling? Last year’s wool is currently stored in the warehouses of the Kings’ Castle. It’s not cost-effective to move it directly, and it would also alarm the gentlemen of the United Provinces.”

“Buy wool from the Heds,” Winters retorted. “Wouldn’t transporting it be easier?”

“Let me explain—a significant portion of this year’s wool is still on the sheep.” Leo finally revealed the tip of the iceberg of his plan: “If possible, it would be more cost-effective to move the sheep.”

Winters blinked: "You may not know, but I burned down the meadows for at least a hundred miles west of Iron Peak County."

Mr. Leo remained unfazed: "It's alright. Shearing should be done in the summer, and the grass will grow back by then."

Winters considered it briefly. Since Leo claimed to have made the necessary connections, there wasn't much he needed to do; he simply had to let the sheep enter the country.

He had no reason to refuse to help the Venetians and, incidentally, to curry favor with Madame Navarre.

"Is it just wool?" Winters waved his hand, a smile appearing on his face for the first time. "Then let's skip the customs duties and transit taxes. We'll agree on a time and place, and I'll send people to build a pontoon bridge to help the caravan cross the river."

Mr. Leo gave a strange smile: "No, you'd better provide the tariff standards. Because... you'll understand then."

……

……

Winters neither saw the wool nor sheared it. Mr. Leo was merely there to scout ahead; the mouse pulling the wedge—the big one was at the back.

However, the chubby Mr. Leo did indeed solve a problem for Winters.

The problem of the old man, the wolf, the sheep, and the turnip.

[One chapter returned, one chapter still owed]
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(End of this chapter)