I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 368 Selling Minicia
Looking at Kassani, Chris fell into deep thought once again.

He suddenly had an idea.

A whimsical, magical idea that may or may not work.

It's perfectly normal for the Leterians to want saltpeter; they're not stupid. Knights are the present, while firearms are clearly the future.

The Leterian Empire also recognized the bright future of firearms; the feudal knight system had clearly reached its end at their level.

The Leterians fought against the Bohemians for many years, giving them ample opportunity to experience the power of firearms firsthand. Is their current backwardness in firearms development due to their perception that firearms are ineffective?
No.

Judging from the current strategy of the Leterian army's invasion of Minicia, Chris personally leans towards the idea that they may be forced into it... they don't have a stable source of nitrates.

It is highly likely that the Raitelia Empire currently relies entirely on smuggling for its saltpeter.

This might explain why their army had a low proportion of musketeers and artillerymen.

Chris's idea was to sell his saltpeter technology to the Retalians in exchange for the Minician lands they currently occupied.

The idea struck him as somewhat absurd.

Nitrogen technology is one of the cornerstones of Bagnia's new army's powerful firepower. It is a core secret, and it is being sold to potential enemies, or even those with whom they have just fought.
This sounds like aiding the enemy!

But Chris's mind was racing, and cold rationality quickly overwhelmed the initial sense of absurdity. He rapidly assessed the feasibility of the idea and... the true extent of the threat it posed to Bagnia.

First, there are technological barriers and time lags; saltpeter technology is not something that can be achieved overnight.

It requires specific soil conditions, such as soil containing nitrates, a carefully designed composting formula, such as a mixture of human and animal excrement, wood ash, and lime for fermentation, a complex leaching tank and nitrate boiling process, and a strict management process.

Even if Retelia obtained the technical blueprints and key points, and even sent people to Bagnia, with Chris having them teach them step by step, the Retelians still needed time to conduct localization experiments, find suitable sites, and train specialized craftsmen and farmers.

The process from learning to actual output is by no means something that can be completed in a few months. It may take one or two years or even longer to cultivate a saltpeter field that can produce a stable and considerable output.

During this period, Bagnia's advantage in firearms will only snowball thanks to its mature technology and ever-expanding production scale... If Chris can take control of Guano Island, the gap in nitrate production between the two sides will only widen to a level that the Retalians cannot imagine.

By the time Reteria had a basic grasp of saltpeter technology, Bagnia's musketeers were likely already fully equipped with more advanced flintlock muskets, and even experimental models of rifled muskets had been developed. The range, accuracy, and power of their artillery were also vastly different from what they had been before.

The time difference is Chris's biggest safety valve.

Secondly, there is the issue of resource endowment and cost. Saltpeter production requires a large amount of human and land resources, making it essentially a labor-intensive and land-intensive industry.

Reteria is a traditional feudal knightly empire whose economic foundation is manor serfdom. The large-scale promotion of saltpeter production means that a large amount of labor will be drawn from agriculture, occupying valuable arable land or pastures.

This was a huge economic shock and political obstacle for the noble lords who relied on grain production and the breeding of warhorses.

Meanwhile, in the Kingdom of Bagnia, under Chris's leadership, deeper land reforms and agricultural technology innovations are being implemented, such as crop rotation and new crops, which are improving agricultural productivity.

At the same time, Chris is also using policy guidance and new thinking brought by "players" to more efficiently organize and mobilize labor resources for specialized production, such as establishing a dedicated "nitrate commune".

In terms of cost control and efficiency in nitrate production, Reteria will be difficult to match in the short term.

Then, in terms of strategic landscape, Chris plans to use the saltpeter technology to exchange for the Minesian lands currently occupied by the Retalians. This is not just a substitute for ransom, but a complete reshuffling of the strategic landscape.

Once the Retelians accept the deal, it means they are relinquishing their military presence and political claims in the southern Minissia province of Chivelevka.

Bagnia will gain control of the provinces of Chivelevka and Tavitsky, and possibly even the province of Dur, without bloodshed, thus completely eliminating the threat from the rear and pushing the border northward into Greater Minicia.

Even if the Leterians acquired the technology of saltpeter production, the saltpeter they initially produced would inevitably be used first to fill their huge gaps and rebuild their outdated firearms forces.

This process was lengthy and extremely costly. By the time they were able to expand outwards, Bagnia had already assimilated the newly acquired territories and, relying on more advanced firearms, a more robust bastion system, and a more efficient mobilization mechanism, had established an impregnable defensive depth.

Therefore, after careful consideration, Chris felt that exchanging a piece of "future potential" that required time and huge investment to realize for a piece of land with real strategic value, and pushing potential threats away and locking them into a controllable range, was a very worthwhile deal.

At the same time, Chris felt that selling the saltpeter technology might also create conflict within Reteria.

Those who mastered the technology of saltpeter production were likely emerging factory owners loyal to the royal family or specific classes influenced by the saltpeter field policy, which would inevitably create a conflict of interest with the old nobility who relied on traditional land and the power of knights.

The modernization of gunpowder in Retalia is highly likely to be accompanied by more intense internal struggles, weakening the country's overall strength.

At the same time, Chris has complete control over the "version" of the technology.

He can sell the basic version of the nitrate field technology, but retain the more advanced composting formula, purification process, or the synthetic nitrate technology that is about to be developed. Bagnia's technological advantage will be maintained in the long term.

Finally, the Leterians acquired the saltpeter field technology, which provided them with a stable, but initially limited, source of saltpeter. So, which country was most threatened by them?
It's definitely not the Kingdom of Bagnia.

Chris thought about it and realized that the Bohemian Empire might be worried about this.

Therefore, Chris concluded that exchanging a saltpeter technology for land is a very worthwhile deal now and in the not-too-distant future.

This undoubtedly relieved the pressure on the Kingdom of Bagnia within Minicia, allowing Chris to handle the problem of the Kingdom of Minicia's army more calmly.

Even if the Retalians acquire the technology of nitrate fields, in the foreseeable future, at least five to ten years, the substantial military threat it poses to the Kingdom of Bagnia will be far less than the risk they currently face from occupying the strategic location in southern Minissia.

This kind of business is viable.

……

Lord Casani felt as if he were walking on clouds, each step light yet carrying an unreal heaviness.

Sitting in the carriage, he held his son's hand tightly. Edmund barely regained consciousness after the Bagnian medics performed simple hemostasis and bandaging.

At this moment, he was being attended to by two loyal servants of the Hohenzollern family in the carriage, who were checking his injuries to ensure that the family heir would not die.

Cassani was worried about his son's injury.

However, Chris's young yet unfathomable face, and his earth-shattering proposal, lingered in Cassani's mind like a cold ghost.

Saltpeter technology in exchange for land.

This is simply unheard of!

Lord Casani had lived half his life, experiencing countless court intrigues and diplomatic negotiations, and never imagined that a "farming" technique could be compared to the empire's territory.

This Prince Bagnia is either a madman or... a devil who foresees the future!
Kasani dared not think too deeply, but instinctively urged the team to speed up.

This news must be reported to His Highness Seba immediately. This has gone far beyond the scope of ransom negotiations and may even overturn the Empire's strategic plan to invade Minicia!

When Lord Cassani and his entourage stumbled and returned to the Reteria camp, it was already dawn.

Even after a night, the camp was still filled with the oppressive atmosphere of defeat and the painful groans of the wounded. Cassani had no time to rest or arrange for his son to receive better treatment immediately. He simply instructed his servants and the army doctor to take good care of Edmund before heading straight to Prince Seba's command tent.

The knights guarding outside the tent recognized the lord. Seeing his anxious expression and robes covered in dew and mud, they knew something serious must have happened and immediately reported it.

Prince Seba slept for less than two hours inside the military tent.

The immense pressure and future plans made it difficult for him to sleep. At this moment, he was lying fully clothed on his cot, his brows furrowed, in a light sleep state, half-asleep and half-awake.

When Seba was awakened by his bodyguards, his eyes were bloodshot, and he was clearly annoyed by being disturbed.

"Lord Casani, he's back?"

Seba sat up and rubbed his throbbing temples.

"So fast? Did the Bagnians reject our terms outright?"

His voice was hoarse, carrying a hint of foreboding. If Chris refused, it meant the worst-case scenario... the other side didn't care about those eight thousand warhorses at all, and was determined to cripple Leteria's field combat capabilities.

"Your Highness."

The guard whispered.
"Lord Cassani has returned, bringing with him Sir Edmund, but the lord's expression is extremely...strange. He says there is a matter of utmost urgency, concerning the fate of the nation, that requires his immediate audience with you."

"You brought Edmund back?"

Seba was taken aback; this was good news, at least it showed that Chris was extending a goodwill.
"Let him in!" Lord Casani practically rushed into the tent, not even having time for the proper noble greeting, his voice trembling with urgency and exhaustion.
“Your Highness, Your Highness, Chris of Bagnia…he…he proposed a…a…”

Seeing Lord Cassani's almost distraught and incoherent state, Seba's initial relief at Edmund's rescue vanished instantly, replaced by a chilling premonition.

He suddenly stood up, wide awake, and said sternly.

"Calm down, Lord. What did he say? Did he reject our terms?"

"No...it's not a rejection..."

Lord Casani took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his racing heart, but the shock and disbelief in his eyes remained intense.

"He...he agreed to the ransom of eight thousand warhorses, and he also agreed to a one-month delivery period..."

Seba frowned even more deeply.

"You agreed? Then why are you like this..."

"But!" Lord Cassani's voice suddenly rose, carrying a sharp, apocalyptic tone, "He proposed a... another unbelievable deal. He said the Kingdom of Bagnia was willing to sell us their core 'Salt Field' technology!"

"Saltwater field? What saltwater field?"

Seba didn't react for a moment; the word was unfamiliar and strange to him.

"Saltpeter, Your Highness, is the key to making gunpowder...saltpeter!"

Lord Casani practically roared, gesturing excitedly with his hands as he tried to explain this concept that had overturned his understanding.

Chris said they had a technology that allowed them to 'grow' and 'produce' saltpeter on their own land, just like growing crops, without relying on natural mineral deposits. He said... "With this technology, we can produce gunpowder ourselves in a continuous stream!"

Like a bolt from the blue!

"What did you say!?"

Prince Seba's eyes widened suddenly, his bloodshot eyeballs almost bulging out.

He rushed to Cassani and grabbed the old lord's shoulders with such force that Cassani cried out in pain.

"Grow...grow saltpeter? That's impossible, absurd, a complete fantasy!"

Seba's voice was distorted by extreme shock and instinctive doubt.

"Salt is a mineral deep within the earth, a gift from God. How could it possibly be grown?! Kasani, have you been deceived by them? Or are you just too tired and hallucinating?!"

"Your Highness, it is absolutely true!"

Lord Casani, enduring the sharp pain in his shoulder, urgently tried to explain.

"He described it in great detail! It requires specific soil, a complex composting formula, and processes like leaching and nitrate boiling. It sounds... it doesn't sound like it was made up out of thin air!"
And…and he said that if we accepted this technology, he was willing to exchange it for all the land we currently occupy in Minicia, and the strongholds we hold in the Civelevka province!”

boom!
Seba felt as if his brain had been struck hard by a heavy hammer, buzzing and completely blank.

He instinctively released Kasani, staggered back two steps, and bumped into the folding table behind him. The water glass on the table was knocked over, and the cold liquid soaked his trouser leg, but he didn't notice.

Using a technology that can "grow" saltpeter... in exchange for land?

The significance of this transaction itself was like a raging hurricane, instantly sweeping through all of Seba's understanding.

If this is true... if the Bagnians really possessed this miraculous ability to turn lead into gold...

What does that mean?
This means that the biggest bottleneck restricting the modernization of the army, which the Retalian Empire has long dreamed of, will be completely broken: the limitation on the source of saltpeter.

No longer will we have to put up with the whims of Bohemian smugglers, no longer will we have to act as someone else's henchmen for a vague and uncertain overseas nitrate island. The Empire's musketeers and artillery will be able to be truly built up on a large scale, possessing firepower that is no less than that of any powerful nation!
And the price... was merely giving up a piece of land belonging to Minicia that they had already planned to evacuate from, or that they were temporarily unable to defend?

This...this is simply the devil's temptation!
Seba's breathing became incredibly heavy, his heart pounding wildly in his chest, almost as if it would burst out of his chest. He felt a chill all over his body, yet also an indescribable heat.

After the initial shock came a tidal wave of ecstasy, greed, doubt, and deep fear.

Seba's first thought was to plunder, but he immediately dismissed the idea... As a defeated man, he lacked the confidence to lead his army to defeat the Bagnians.

"Did he...did he produce any evidence? Did he show any?"

Seba's voice was dry and hoarse, with a tremor he himself was unaware of.

“Your Highness, it is impossible to display the saltpeter field in person here, because it is located within Bagnia.”

Kasani shook his head.

"But Chris described it very specifically, and he promised that if we agreed to the initial intention, he could immediately send technicians with samples and basic information to demonstrate and negotiate the details."

His Highness Chris added that the value of this technology far surpasses that of money or land; it is the key to the future!

Prince Seba fell silent. If the salt fields truly existed, he admitted that they were indeed the key to the future.

He gripped the table, his knuckles turning white from the effort. The command tent was deathly silent, save for the heavy breathing of the two men and the growing commotion of the waking army outside.

Seba needed time to process this news that could change the fate of the empire.

Abandoning the northern lands of Minicia? This would mean that the huge military expenditures invested in the early stages, the blood of fallen soldiers, and the desire of some nobles for land would all go to waste, creating immense political pressure.

But how did they obtain the saltpeter technology?
This could be the cornerstone for the Reteria Empire to overcome its strategic disadvantage in Bohemia and truly become a top-tier power in the coming decades or even centuries.

What about the risks?
What if it's a scam? Could Chris have left a fatal trap in the technology?
Or is the technology fake, just a ploy to trick them into withdrawing their troops?

But what if it's true?

If they miss this opportunity, Leytelia may be forever stuck outside the threshold of the gunpowder age.

"Kasani..."

Seba's voice was low and hoarse, carrying an unprecedented solemnity.

"Are you sure Edmund's injuries were treated by the Bagnians? And what medicine did they use?"

Kasani was taken aback, not understanding why the prince would suddenly ask this, but he still answered honestly.

"Yes, Your Highness, they used clean bandages and a yellow powder. Edmund said it worked very well to stop the bleeding and reduced the pain considerably. I saw it with my own eyes; their medics were very skilled."

Seba's gaze deepened. The efficiency, professionalism, and even resource-intensive treatment capabilities displayed by the Bagnians—capable of "wasting" resources on ordinary wounded soldiers—were themselves a signal.

They seem to possess some kind of systematic knowledge that transcends current understanding, which undoubtedly adds a layer of credibility to the authenticity of "nitrate technology".

Secondly, compared to the fraudulent king of the Kingdom of Minicia, Prince Chris of the Kingdom of Bagnia was undoubtedly more trustworthy.

Upon arriving here, Seba suddenly recalled the almost absurd intelligence he had received from an imperial scout: that within the Kingdom of Bagnia, there existed a colossal steel beast capable of carrying a great many things.

"Summon all generals of earl rank and above, as well as the court's chief alchemist and engineers... immediately!"

Seba suddenly raised his head, his eyes flashing with determination. His previous fatigue and hesitation vanished, replaced by an excitement and solemnity in the face of a historic choice.

“Tell them to put aside all other matters. We have something ten thousand times more important to discuss than the ransom for the warhorses or the saltpeter mines of Minicia. It concerns the rise and fall of the empire!”

Seba looked at Lord Cassani and said, word by word.

"Before the meeting begins, Lord, have me recount every single word you said during your meeting with Chris, especially every detail about that 'salt field,' exactly as it was, without missing a single word. Write it down, immediately!"

The light of dawn shone through the gaps in the tent, falling on Prince Seba's unusually pale face, which was made pale by shock, ecstasy, and immense pressure.

(End of this chapter)