Chapter 311 311-Flourishing Prosperity
"Alright, that's all I have to say. Please feel free to go," Howard concluded as they returned to Nok.
His vassals, along with their troops, dispersed back to their respective domains.
Howard turned to Golan beside him, a slight smile on his face.
"They were all criticizing Lemok's incompetence earlier, yet I did not heed their advice to dissolve the alliance treaty with Lemok. Do you know why?"
Golan, reining in his hunting horse, felt the animal rear up slightly under the tension of the bridle.
Dressed in a leather armor with iron leg guards and distinctive iron shoulder plates, it was evident that Golan had his own approach to battlefield attire.
Hearing Howard's question, Golan speculated, "Could it be because of Count Edward's involvement that you chose not to cancel the alliance with Lemok?"
Howard looked deeply at Golan, surprised.
He had not expected Golan to understand the situation, yet his answer was unexpectedly accurate.
Before disbanding the troops, Howard had distributed a sum of money to the soldiers.
It was not a large amount, just 50 gold coins, but it served as a small reward for their efforts.
This campaign had been prolonged, and this was a token of appreciation from Howard.
At dusk, Howard, seated wearily in his chair, received a visit from Rolf.
Despite his exhaustion, Howard felt it was only proper to meet the Marquis, especially since Rolf had made the effort to come in person.
Thus, they convened in the drawing room.
Rolf informed Howard that the fleet was currently off the northern coast and was expected to make landfall within a few days.
Howard, lifting his wine glass, toasted with Rolf to celebrate the news.
Rolf, sipping his wine, shared, "Our planned landing site is Istan.
According to our reports, it's still an indigenous area, untouched by other nobles.
We have an opportunity to make Istan our territory in the New World!"
Howard's eyes sparkled with interest.
"Do you mean we transport people from our domains who wish to go to the New World to Istan for free, hoping that one day Istan will become our actual territory?"
Rolf nodded in agreement.
However, Howard pondered over a potential issue, "But what if one day Istan grows from a base to a large city with over 1000 residents? Who among us would be the lord of Istan then?"
Without hesitation, Rolf replied, "That would be me, of course. Didn't you see I invested the most?"
Deciding to set aside the dispute for now, Howard changed the subject to Antonio's voyage.
Rolf reported the journey had been smooth, and when passing through the Strait of Gibraltar, Antonio's uncle coincidentally encountered their fleet with his merchant ships and exchanged greetings.
Just then, Nora entered, announcing, "Lord Howard, it's time for dinner."
Howard invited Rolf to join him for the meal, and Rolf accepted the invitation.
At the long table, Howard and Rolf indulged in drinking, their competitive spirits rising as they engaged in a bout of finger-guessing games to accompany their drinks.
Rolf brought up the Governor of Venice, mentioning a recent embargo imposed by him, which had affected Rolf's trade interests.
Howard suggested, "Then let's impose an embargo on him too, to show we're not to be trifled with."
Rolf, buoyed by the alcohol, slammed the table emphatically, exclaiming, "Yes! Let that nouveau riche see the true style of the old nobility!" Howard inwardly mused that he himself was not from old nobility, and even genuine old nobility wouldn't necessarily conduct business in such a manner.
However, he voiced no dissent, simply echoing Rolf's sentiments.
Two months later, the knight's combat arena and heavy infantry training ground at Fernsouth Castle were completed.
Howard, accompanied by his military minister Resarite, inspected them and was pleased with the work.
The construction of the castle walls, a larger project, was still ongoing but was expected to be completed by the following week.
Howard praised Vettel for his supervisory role, rewarding him with 20 gold coins, and also commended his seal minister Bosiden for his orderly coordination, bestowing upon him 10 gold coins.
A week later, the walls of Fernsouth Castle were formally completed.
Howard, riding alongside Golan, inspected the castle walls.
He felt a surge of satisfaction, perceiving Fernsouth Castle as an impregnable steel fortress.
The trade missions from the New World gradually brought in profits.
Rolf handed Howard a tenth of the dividends, and Howard experienced an unimaginable wealth.
No wonder people said the New World was dripping with riches; Howard's firsthand experience confirmed it.
The so-called tariffs were just a fraction of the real earnings; the true money-making aspect was in trade.
As time progressed, three months passed, and Duke Jiakai gradually let his guard down against Howard, believing that Howard truly had no intentions against him.
Consequently, he invited Howard to a banquet at his castle.
Accompanied by Golan, Howard went and met Duke Jiakai's old friend, the Duke of Savoy, as well as Jiakai's other vassals.
The Duke of Savoy was a frail old man, but the family crest he bore signified his extraordinary status.
Count Verona, a capable young man, held unique views on how to enhance the trade of his domain.
However, during the banquet, Count Verona fell ill and vomited blood, causing a stir among the maids who rushed him to a physician.
The situation at the banquet escalated when the Governor of Milan, who had traveled a great distance to attend, openly rebuked Duke Jiakai Lyon for his dishonesty, nearly turning the event into chaos.
According to the Governor, Lyon had previously placed a commercial order with Milan, but after the goods were delivered, Lyon refused to pay, using the excuse that he never received them.
This incident caused ripples among the attendees; some nobles listened intently, others continued to drink and chat with friends, but the major businessmen present all turned ashen, paying keen attention to the matter.
Duke Lyon's response to the accusation was poor.
He neither explained nor apologized, simply ordering his guards to escort the Governor of Milan out of the castle.
According to Lyon himself, he hadn't expected the Governor of Milan to be someone who harbored grudges.
After the incident, the Governor had once remarked, "Never mind, let's consider it a misunderstanding," leading Lyon to lower his guard.
Thus, Lyon had invited the Governor to the banquet, hoping to add prestige to the event.
However, he hadn't anticipated the Governor's delayed retribution.
The Governor, seemingly following the adage 'revenge is a dish best served cold,' unleashed his pent-up anger at the banquet, leaving Duke Lyon disgraced.
Gradually, the merchants began to leave the scene.
The situation spiraled out of control, and Lyon's complexion grew increasingly grim.
But as a stubborn noble, he was infuriated by the merchants' lack of respect.
Pointing at the figures of the departing prominent businessmen, he cursed loudly, causing the smaller merchants, who had initially planned to stay quiet and unnoticed, to also leave, unable to save face.
The banquet, therefore, grew quieter midway through.
Howard, observing Lyon's expression, calculated his next moves while continuously drinking, showcasing his impressive tolerance for alcohol.
This display earned him admiring glances from several feudal nobles.
The day after the banquet, regions including Milan, Aragon, and Provence imposed an embargo on Duke Jiakai, tipping Lyon's finances into the red and forcing him to cut expenditures at his castle.
When Portia relayed this news to Howard, he sensed an opportunity.
Howard approached Rolf to discuss the idea of usurping the duke's title.
Rolf, however, rejected the proposal.
Perplexed, Howard suggested, "If I declare war on Lyon, you could form an alliance with me in advance and help me in battle. We're partners in the New World venture, I trust you'd support me."
Rolf explained his reasoning: if he helped Howard in the war and Howard won, the title would undoubtedly go to the initiator of the war – Howard.
That would mean Rolf, as a marquis, would become Howard's vassal, a situation Rolf was unwilling to accept.
If Rolf didn't support Howard, he would have to fulfill his feudal obligation to fight for Duke Jiakai against Howard – leading to a direct conflict between the two on the battlefield, which would benefit neither party.
Understanding Rolf's perspective, Howard shifted his strategy, suggesting, "Let's see if we can take over the territory of the Governor of Pisa, or, as you said, assess the neighboring Counts of Luka and Sicily to see who is weaker and target them."
Rolf, uninterested in this line of discussion, left without further comment.
Two months later, Howard identified a vulnerability in Count Luka's defenses.
He declared war on Count Luka and, after winning the battle, acquired Luka's countship.
Howard now held two count titles and could also be referred to as an honorary marquis.
Meanwhile, the volume of trade goods from the New World steadily increased.
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