Chapter 285: What Matters Is That We Have Arrived!

Of course, listening to Ma Kesi's account, Gervas's focus lay on the dispute between the two princes, not on Storm Domain's rising fame.

Essentially, as a transmigrator, Gervas quite enjoyed playing the pig to eat the tiger.

Therefore, gaining fame too early, in his view, was not a particularly good thing.

Instead, the princes' dispute, combined with the intelligence the system provided today about the Erwangzi Sect's envoy coming to summon him.

Then he would have to treat it with even greater caution.

"Lord Ma Kesi, has the dispute between the First Prince and the Second Prince really reached such a white-hot stage? Does Your Majesty not intervene?"

Ma Kesi was stunned; he had not expected Gervas's focus to be here.

However, now that Gervas's Magic Fan and single-barrel telescope had proven him to be a noble with great potential.

Ma Kesi carefully glanced around; the servants had already been arranged to leave the living room.

"Viscount Gervas, these matters are normally not easy to discuss, but since you and Marquis Mi Xiu are friends, I will tell you in secret! You must absolutely not speak of this outside!"

Gervas nodded, and Ma Kesi began to speak in a low voice.

"Now, our King Your Majesty's health has been declining day by day; he could not even sustain himself until the end of that day's banquet."

"Therefore, regarding the dispute between the two princes, Your Majesty no longer has the energy to manage it!"

"And this also signifies that we have now reached the critical moment for the throne succession."

"Although the Second Prince is not the heir by order of succession, he stands behind a powerful Hou Jue family and has also received the support of many people."

"Of course, most nobles still hope that His Highness the First Prince will inherit the throne; after all, succession by order is the kingdom's rule!"

"Moreover, everyone worries that if the Second Prince succeeds, he will surely then thank his maternal Hou Jue family; in that case, the interests of other families will surely suffer losses in the future."

"Therefore, the Royal Capital is truly surging with undercurrents!"

Having spoken, Ma Kesi stopped there.

However, even so, Gervas knew the dangers within.

From ancient times to the present, struggles for the throne have always been the most dangerous.

If things go wrong, heads will roll in droves.

Fortunately, for nobles like them who possess their own domains, actually, as long as they are not drawn into the vortex, there should be no major problems.

"Lord Gervas, let us continue discussing the Magic Fan and the single-barrel telescope!"

"This time I have brought one hundred and twenty-three orders for single-barrel telescopes! As for the Magic Electric Fan, there are likewise fifty-five; I wonder, Viscount Gervas, how much stock do you have of the single-barrel telescope and the Magic Fan??"

"Lord Ma Kesi, for the Magic Fan, there are currently fifteen units in stock; as for the single-barrel telescope, it still requires queuing as last time!"

"Of course, I have here a new model of single-barrel telescope!"

Speaking thus, Gervas took out the silver single-barrel telescope.

"This... this is also a single-barrel telescope?" Ma Kesi's eyes could not help but brighten.

Compared to brass, people naturally prefer silver and gold.

After all, besides aesthetic appearance, the monetary value attributes of the three also determine aesthetic preference.

And this silver single-barrel telescope also features fine gold threads outlining it, carrying beauty within its luxury.

One could say the level of appreciation shoots straight up!

"Viscount Gervas, this single-barrel telescope is simply too beautiful! Compared to it, the brass telescope is like something commoners use! I wonder what its price is?"

"Fifteen gold coins!"

Previously, Gervas had wanted to set the price at ten gold coins.

But thinking that this was already an advanced model, those willing to buy it were masters who did not lack gold coins.

On such people, not earning a bit more would simply be leaving money on the table.

Therefore, this price, tripled, was not unreasonable.

Indeed, Ma Kesi immediately nodded. "Fifteen gold coins each is not expensive. Viscount Gervas, how many do you have here? I think if I bring them back to the Royal Capital, they will surely spark a rush among the nobles!"

"This quantity is even smaller; currently, there are only five units in stock, and in the short term, production is only five units per month!"

"Only five? That is far too few! Viscount Gervas, you might as well abandon the brass telescope and focus entirely on producing silver telescopes."

"No! Lord Ma Kesi, the brass telescope is the foundation; although the gold coins earned cannot compare to the silver telescope, for many minor nobles, it is far more cost-effective!"

"And the silver telescope, for minor nobles, is far too expensive in price; therefore, I do not wish to cut off minor nobles' hope of purchasing a telescope just for the sake of making money!"

"This..." Ma Kesi stood in deep respect.

He truly did not expect that Gervas would possess such character.

To be unwilling to abandon the lower-profit brass telescope simply to care for minor nobles.

"Of course, Lord Ma Kesi, I will recruit more craftsmen as soon as possible to ensure that telescope production continues to increase in the future!"

Seeing the look in Ma Kesi's eyes, Gervas knew the other party believed his nonsense.

Actually, continuing to produce brass telescopes was merely because Gervas did not want to abandon the low-end market.

And for the silver telescope, he would simply learn a lesson from hunger marketing to push the reputation of the single-barrel telescope to another level.

Consider it for the Storm Domain brand effect.

Do not underestimate the brand effect.

In a world where technology and laws are backward, the benefits of the brand effect are actually even more obvious than in his previous life.

The best example is the Tulip Merchant Guild.

Not to mention buying and selling goods, just sending items.

Actually, many caravans are also willing to do such things.

But the nobles of this world only trust the Tulip Merchant Guild.

It is precisely because the Tulip Merchant Guild has long accumulated a reliable reputation.

No matter what goods are sent, there is no need to worry about loss.

And even if it were truly lost, the Tulip Trading House would take full responsibility.

So, this is the effect of a brand and a reputation!

Gervas, as a transmigrator, also wanted to build such a brand.

Of course, his focus was not on reputation, but on luxury goods.

Like some brands from his past life, once they carried the luxury label.

Liberation shoes, plastic handbags, and large farming straw hats would, thanks to the brand's endorsement, directly command a premium of hundreds or even thousands of times.

What was most eye-opening was that people still flocked to them.

So, Gervas also wanted to build such a brand.

If successful, gold coins would roll in from then on.

"My lord Gervas, you are truly a noble unlike any other!"

Afterwards, Gervas and Ma Kesi began the formal exchange.

This time, Ma Kesi brought a total payment of one thousand one hundred and sixty-five gold coins.

Orders were placed for one hundred and twenty-three monocular telescopes and fifty-five magic fans.

As for the delivery method, aside from limited stock, everything else would be produced in batches, with one batch delivered every half month.

In addition, Gervas's five silver monocular telescopes were also to be taken back to the capital by Ma Kesi.

Two of them were to be given to Hou Jue Marshal Mi Xiusi and Vice-Commander Adeli respectively.

As for the other three, they were samples.

To let other great nobles see whether they wanted to change their orders.

If they wished to upgrade their original brass telescope orders to silver telescopes, that was also possible.

They would only need to pay extra and then have enough patience to wait.

Of course, according to Ma Kesi, the great nobles would basically not change their orders.

Because they did not lack such a small amount of money; what they lacked was the patience to wait.

Therefore, it was highly likely that besides the brass telescopes, they would specifically purchase a silver telescope as well.

To this, Gervas naturally had no objection.

And while Gervas and Ma Kesi were conversing happily, neither of them knew that on the Kingdom Road at the northwestern border of Storm Territory, a group of forty or fifty people was resting.

This group was different from ordinary merchant caravans; there were hardly any carriages, only fully armed elite knights.

Among them, several knights emitted a faint, formidable aura, at least reaching the Silver Knight realm.

"Have those Ma Kesi fellows not left yet?"

"Yes, my lord Steward! By the way, my lord Steward, do you think that little noble might have already been bribed by the First Prince?"

"Hmph! I hope not. Of course, for such a little noble, whether he has or not is not important!"

"What matters is that we have arrived, so he must obediently listen and then obediently hand over the treasure favored by our Second Prince!"

"Yes! My lord Steward, you are right!"