Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 358 The Deal (Part 2)

Upon hearing the White Lion's new title, Winters immediately became interested: "Didn't the White Lion call himself the Legislator? When did he become the King?"

"It always has!" the unfamiliar archer replied righteously.

Winters smiled. "How should I address you?"

“This is [Tuha], the messenger of the White Lion King.” The unfamiliar archer introduced another archer first, and then introduced himself: “As for me, Your Excellency Batu may call me [Skylark].

Winterstan calmly sized up Lark: of medium build, around fifty years old; graying temples, deep-set eyes; his skin was wrinkled from loss of elasticity, and his emaciated body could not support the wide Hart-style robe.

The ten knuckles were of uniform thickness, quite different from the other archer's knuckles, which were swollen and twisted from years of high-intensity use of bows, arrows, swords, and spears.

This was the first time he had seen an "Allianceman" serving as an archer in the Red River Tribe. While curious, he was also somewhat uncomfortable: "Judging from your accent, you're from Monta? How long have you been serving the White Lions?"

The old lark smiled and said, "I am the White Lion King's man. I have served him ever since the White Lion King accepted me."

Seeing the other party's posture, Winters knew he wouldn't get any valuable information out of him, so he simply gave up asking.

He yawned and poured himself a bowl of mare's milk: "If all of White Lion's men were as shrewd as you, dealing with them would be troublesome."

“If the Paratu people were as wise and friendly as Lord Batu, dealing with the Paratu would be much easier for the Chihe tribe,” Yun Que replied neither servilely nor arrogantly. “Your Excellency, let’s get back to the main matter. What have you thought of the White Lion King’s proposal?”

Lark received a casual reply: "Still considering it."

……

Captives, trade, and iron ore—these were Winters' three objectives in his visit to the Red River Tribe. Of these, Winters was most concerned with capturing prisoners, while the White Lion was most concerned with trade.

On the surface, the Republic of Palatour imposed a severe blockade on the Hed tribes, leaving the smaller Hed tribes so poor that they couldn't even afford iron arrowheads.

However, the chaos that Winters witnessed firsthand was enough to prove that there had always been clandestine trade between the wasteland and Palatour, and that some people were making a fortune from it.

Winters never asked the White Lion the question, "Why did you let me go in the first place?"

He believed that the reason the white lion didn't kill him was more because it didn't want to hurt Erlun and the little lion's feelings, rather than because it was considering any long-term interests.

As for letting him go unconditionally, judging from the details revealed in White Lion's words, Father Red made a considerable effort.

However, once he took control of Tiefeng County, he had to prioritize the consideration of interests.

White Lion wanted Iron Peak County to become a window for the Red River Tribe to exchange goods with the outside world, and he had even made preliminary preparations:
The little lion had traveled between the territory of the Red River tribe and the Iron Peak County many times and had long ago scouted out a route.
The return of the "slaves" by the Chihe tribe was an attempt to see if the vehicles transporting the "slaves" could pass through, and that the wagons fully loaded with goods could also pass through in the future.

Even if the hard requirements are met, White Lion still needs to solve the problem of two "people".

First, the Teldenans.

The territory of the Teldun tribe lies between Iron Peak County and Red River County, an insurmountable obstacle, a formidable thorn in their side. Therefore, if the White Lion and Winters want to do business, the fire-gatherer must first give his approval.

Will the person warming themselves by the fire show leniency?

I don't know, because he's dead.

The problem with Teldun was solved... but not completely.

Although the tiger was dead, a flock of vultures emerged from its carcass.

The vultures were uncontrollable and ate anything. The Teldenans lost their recognized leader and the bridle that had bound them.

Scattered diplomatic exchanges might be able to pass through covertly. However, once a fixed trade route is established, it will inevitably attract large numbers of starving vultures.

Besides the threat from the Teltowns, the White Lions also need the consent of another person—Winters Parateau Champion Iron Peak County Tribune Montagne.

Ultimately, a deal can only be made if both parties are willing... at least most of the time.

Tiefeng County needed funds, horses, and buyers for ironware. Logically speaking, trading with Chihe Prefecture should be a mutually beneficial thing.

Winters delayed giving a reply because of the conditions proposed by the Red River tribe.

White Lion did not participate in the negotiations personally, but instead assigned several archers to negotiate with Winters.

Iron Peak County, lacking both knowledgeable and visible "official," had to rely on Winters to handle the situation alone.

The archers of the Chihe tribe only offered two vague conditions:

First, the White Lion only trades with Batu, and Batu only trades with the White Lion;
Secondly, the White Lion can send troops to protect traveling caravans from being plundered, and Iron Peak County needs to pay a portion of the goods as tribute.

If Winters agrees, the Red River tribe will send its first caravan to Iron Peak County before spring.

……

“The White Lion King specifically instructed,” Lark stood respectfully before Winters’ table, “that he wants no equivalent value for the goods carried by the first caravan, but rather as a token of gratitude for your protection of Prince Lion Cub and Princess Erlun in Qingqiu. In addition, the White Lion King has also selected a thousand fine horses—also as a token of gratitude.”

"Oh?" Winters asked with interest, "So, if I don't agree, will I still get the gift?"

“Of course not.” Lark said without changing his expression: “Whether or not a consensus can be reached, the White Lion King will not take back his gift.”

Winters gestured for the two archers to sit down and said with a smile, "The Herd people swear an oath, upholding the principle that 'a warrior's word is like an arrow shot,' never to go back on their word, and they rarely agree on terms in great detail. We Veneta people are the opposite; we like to clarify all the details beforehand..."

……

[Time rewinds to the night before the hunt in Qingqiu]
“The first condition is easy to understand.” Anna peeked out from behind the easel: “You can’t bypass the White Lion and sell things directly to the commoners of the Red River Tribe. In exchange, the White Lion won’t do business with the Iron Peak County merchants without going through you.”

Winters secretly stretched his legs, which were getting a little sore from standing.

"To put it bluntly, White Lion wants to become a monopoly importer and exporter, monopolizing the profits from trade. In exchange, he also supports you obtaining the monopoly rights." Anna noticed Winters's subtle movements and scolded him angrily, "Don't move!"

"It's like you provide me with valuable advice, and I model for you?" Winters complained under his breath, "But where am I going to get the money to buy goods from the Red River Tribe?"

"It's very simple. If other people need it, you can just resell it."

Winters countered, "What if other people don't need it?"

“Why not just not import them?” Anna replied with a smile.

Winters thought to himself: Lion's goods are not something you can just give up.

Anna's graphite strips rustled on the paper: "Monopoly means power, but the source of power is not in obtaining profits, but in distributing them. Suppose you monopolize the supply of goods, then you can demand deposits from all buyers, or even prepayment."

Winters pondered: "Distributing profits? Distributing spoils? For the White Lion, monopoly also means power."

Anna continued, "Mom always said that the Venetians have a bad reputation because they always try to seize monopoly rights, and they will stop at nothing to do so, including bribery, violence, and malicious price-cutting."

Winters protested: "You're a Veneta too."

“Only half,” Anna blinked. Winters asked, “Can we agree to the first condition?”

“It’s not over yet.” Anna put down the graphite strip: “The terms are too broad, and there are many details that need to be clarified. Is the White Lion’s exclusive right limited to the Red River Tribe, or to the entire Hed Wasteland?”

Anna walked up to Winters: "The first clause also contains a hidden provision. If you promise to guarantee White Lion's monopoly, you will also bear the responsibility of 'investigating smuggling.' What will you do if Iron Peak merchants bypass you and White Lion to secretly sell goods to the people of Red River? Have you thought it through?"

Winters fell into deep thought.

“There’s one more crucial question,” Anna said, placing her hands on Winters’ shoulders. “Who can guarantee the treaty’s enforceability?”

……

[Let's rewind to the present]
When Winters said that the "details should be clarified in advance," Lark's cheek twitched slightly.

The more ambiguous the terms of a contract, the more advantageous it is for the stronger party. Between the Chihe tribe and the Tiefeng county, the Chihe tribe is clearly the more powerful entity.

Yun Que calmly took a sip of milk wine, ready to hear what kind of nonsense this young man had to say.

Then... he saw the other person solemnly take out a piece of parchment filled with writing from his bosom.

……

The heated debate lasted from the afternoon until late at night, and it only covered the first clause of the agreement.

The "representative of the Red River Tribe," Hibari, and the "representative of Winters," Winters, exchanged views extensively and reached a beneficial consensus on matters such as the [delivery location], [negotiation method], and [taxation].

There are also some key points, such as both sides clarifying that "monopoly trade" is limited to the areas actually controlled by Winters.

Winters argued his case and also retained the right to sell goods to the Hed tribe outside of the Chihe tribe.

When the treaty was finally written down, Winters smiled and said, "I believe this will be a mutually beneficial agreement."

Dry-mouthed and exhausted, the lark sipped ice water, muttering to itself.

There is no force that can guarantee that both parties will fulfill their obligations under the agreement. If either party feels they are at a disadvantage, they can simply overturn the agreement. Of course, this is mutually beneficial.

“Now, there’s only one thing left to resolve,” Winters said casually. “Who will protect the route?”

Yun Que was starting to feel the strain; his eyelids were drooping, and he couldn't concentrate. He was already over fifty, and his stamina was no match for his opponent's: "Your Excellency Batu, it's getting late. How about we continue tomorrow?"

Winters poured Lark a glass of wine and sincerely encouraged him, "It's not too late. Today is still today until dawn. Don't leave today's problems for tomorrow."

“Alright…” Yun Que forced himself to stay alert, ready to turn the tide: “You know, according to the route currently determined, the traveling carts and horses will definitely pass through the Terdun tribe’s pastures. The Terdun people are as cunning as wolves and as greedy as vultures; they will never let go of the meat that is right in front of them.”

Skylark cleared his throat: "Therefore, the only thing that can protect the safety of people and vehicles is force. And the only person who can provide this force is the White Lion King!"

After speaking, Lark stared intently at Winters, afraid of missing any subtle changes in his expression.

The threat from the Teldun people was real, and the Iron Peak County rebels lacked the swift and mobile force of the Hart's light cavalry. Even if they wanted to protect the trade routes themselves, they were powerless to do so.

The inability to ensure the safety of trade routes was the Achilles' heel of the Iron Peak rebels. Lark firmly believed that seizing this point was equivalent to seizing the ball in their game.

“In the end, force decides everything. If you don’t pay tribute, you’ll bleed.” Yun Que thought to himself, looking at the young man in front of him with a mixture of admiration and regret: “No matter how much benefit you gain beforehand, you still can’t escape the ‘blood tribute’ in the end.”

Winters hesitated, “Gonkin…it’s really hard to hear.”

“A fee or a deposit, either is fine,” Yun Que said generously. “If you don’t mind, you can also call it a tax—a security tax.”

Winters: "What if we pay this fee and still can't guarantee safety?"

Skylark: "The Red River Tribe will be responsible for recovering any caravan that pays the security tax and is robbed. If the tax cannot be recovered, compensation will be paid at the original price."

Winters: "What if someone dies?"

Lark: "We can agree on a compensation amount in advance. How much to compensate for the death of a person, how much to compensate for the death of a horse, how much to compensate for the loss of a large cart."

Lark had already prepared a detailed plan, including a compensation scheme, the location of the post station, and how to deter the Teldens. He patiently explained it to Batu, trying his best to dispel the other party's doubts.

Winters listened attentively, taking notes and occasionally asking questions.

After hearing the other party's entire plan, Winters gently tapped his knee: "Having said so much, how much cargo are you prepared to receive as payment?"

Lark cleared his throat, held up three fingers, and put one down: "One-third."

Winters raised an eyebrow: "One-third? We might as well not use you!"

“If there is no protection,” Lark said calmly, “I’m afraid not just a third, but half of the caravans will be unable to return.”

Winters smiled amicably: "Are you threatening me?"

"It's just stating the facts." Hibari bowed slightly. "Batu."

"Looks like you've got me cornered, huh?" Winters sighed helplessly.

Lark showed no sign of pride: "Mutual benefit."

“But there’s a problem here.” Winters rested his chin on his hand and asked calmly, “The White Lion’s men will not only protect my caravan, but also the Red River tribe’s caravan. Even if I don’t pay them, the White Lion will still send troops.”

The lark was prepared.

He frowned slightly, as if deep in thought. After a moment, he tentatively asked, "Batu's words make sense. How about this—for all carriages traveling between Tiefeng County and Chihe Tribe, the White Lion King will only charge one-quarter of the tribute. Of that, we will give you another one-quarter as a share. What do you think?"

Winters smiled: "Mutual benefit?"

“Yes.” Lark bowed his head. “Mutual benefit.”

Winters clapped his hands and laughed, and Lark laughed along with him.

“Your suggestion is good.” Winters suddenly stopped smiling and took out a piece of parchment from his pocket: “However, I have a more mutually beneficial suggestion.”

The parchment contained a map, sketched in a few strokes: the Jinliu River, the Golden Peak Mountains, and the Shade Mountains. The Chihe Tribe was marked on the north bank of the Jinliu River, while Tiefeng County was located at the bottom of the map, right next to the Golden Peak Mountains.

Winters pointed to the map and casually drew a line: "The White Lions control the Jinliu River, and I control the area south of the Jinliu River. We each control half. Let's be frank, Mr. Lark. If the Red River tribe sends troops to protect the trade route for five years, the former territory of the Teldun tribe will probably all belong to you. If the White Lions really want to seize territory, then send troops to fight. As for the plan to use the wind to sail... I'm sorry, I'm not willing to help without compensation."

Yun Que instantly felt all the blood rush to her head, and she demanded in a shrill voice, "South of the Jinliu River? What makes you think you can guarantee the safety of the trade routes south of the Jinliu River?"

“That’s no trouble for King White Lion.” Winters, of course, wouldn’t tell Lark about his secret agreement with Taichi. He placed the notes he had just copied on the table: “If anything goes wrong, we will compensate you at the price you just set.”

Exhausted and furious, Lark suddenly stood up, then everything went black before he fainted. His last thought before passing out was: "Damn Veneta people!"

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(End of this chapter)