Chapter 511: Trade Is the Kindling!

"You're joking, this isn't a condition at all, is it?"

It's practically no different from giving them another round of benefits.

The price of beast hides at the border—even though they hadn't been there themselves, they knew it was definitely several times cheaper than in the heartland.

So, if Gervas really sold these supplies to them at half the heartland's price,

then they definitely wouldn't be losing out.

Even if they didn't keep it for themselves, just reselling it would surely have plenty of buyers.

Moreover, Gervas only required one-fifth of the payment to be offset against these supplies, which wasn't actually a large amount.

……

And the next situation was easy to imagine—a group of minor nobles couldn't wait to strike a deal with Gervas.

Gervas didn't delay either, immediately having Andrew summon the steward, and began drafting the contract in front of everyone.

For example, Gervas promised to purchase all the nobles' grain at a premium of no less than thirty percent above the current market price.

And the nobles had to guarantee the quality of the grain produced, couldn't sell it to others during this period, and one-fifth of the payment could be replaced by Gervas with supplies.

As for the types of supplies, Gervas would provide a list, and the nobles could choose themselves.

In short, as long as it reached one-fifth of the payment, there was no problem.

And the price of the supplies was calculated at half the heartland's current market price for these minor nobles, with a guarantee that the quality would absolutely not be inferior to goods on the market.

Just like that, both parties itemized a long list of rules and regulations in detail, and finally, with neither side having any objections, they signed the cooperation contract.

And the term of this contract was tentatively set at five years.

During this period, unless encountering force majeure factors—such as the territory being attacked, or the family being destroyed—no one was allowed to breach the contract for any reason.

Otherwise, they would have to pay a penalty exceeding five times the previous year's payment.

And upon receiving this contract, the group of minor nobles immediately prepared to leave in high spirits.

Before leaving, Pat even slapped his chest toward Gervas, guaranteeing that from now on the Pat family and the Gael family would be true allies.

If the Gael family had any problems, he, Pat, would absolutely not stand by idly.

Gervas naturally nodded with a smile, then saw off Viscount Pat.

They all needed to go back and prepare to take stock of the grain, because Gervas had already informed them.

Once he returned to his territory, he would immediately dispatch a team to come purchase this year's grain.

Gervas's plan was to transport the grain back to Stormridge before the bitter winter cold descended completely.

Of course, even so, steady overland travel probably wouldn't work either.

Because the weather was getting colder and colder, according to Knight Mi Gen and the others' estimates, in no more than half a month, snow would also begin to fall in the South.

By then the roads would be muddy, the weather freezing cold—walking would be difficult, let alone transporting goods.

However, Gervas had never intended to transport grain by land at all.

"Gervas, actually if you had signed the contract with Viscount Pat and the others at the normal price, they would have agreed too!"

After Pat and the others left, Andrew finally couldn't help but speak up.

Although there was no hint of complaint in his words, there was some heartache.

Although among those nobles, there were also his, Andrew's, good friends.

But even brothers settle accounts clearly—matters of trade and business certainly couldn't be mixed with feelings.

Gervas had long anticipated that his father would worry. "Father, even if I raised the price by thirty percent, compared to the border, I'd still be making a killing."

"If you don't believe it, go ask Viscount Mil and Viscount Ian and the others."

Mil and the others immediately nodded upon hearing this. "Baron Andrew, Gervas is right. Under normal circumstances, the grain price in the South is also ten copper coins."

"In fact, in the border regions the price would be even higher!"

Andrew was still not reassured. "Gervas, I do understand the grain price difference in the South, but the East heartland is far from the South. If you add in transportation and losses, the price advantage probably wouldn't be that great, would it?"

"Father, if it's transported overland, the price advantage is naturally not that great—at most it's just earning some hard-earned money!"

"But what if we switch to sea transport? What do you think?"

"Sea transport?" Andrew was stunned.

If it was sea transport, then there really was money to be made.

He had heard that those great noble families relied on sea transport to rake in gold every day.

But was sea transport something just anyone could do?

Not to mention the storms, the sea beasts in the ocean were the nightmare of all sea vessels.

So, without a large sea vessel equipped with a Sea God Stone, the cargo would probably be no different from throwing it into the water—money down the drain.

"Father! I have sea vessels, and five of them at that—all sea vessels with Sea God Stones. Among these vessels, one I was lucky to pick up at the seaside, and the others were captured from pirates!"

Gervas could of course anticipate what Andrew was thinking, so without waiting for him to ask, he directly informed him of the situation.

"Gervas, you have sea vessels, and five of them at that!" Before Andrew could say anything, Ernst, this big brother, was already so shocked his jaw was about to drop.

Even for a viscount family, being able to own one or two sea vessels would already make it a top-tier existence among viscount families.

Yet Gervas actually had five.

Although he was now an earl, this earl title had only just been granted—this was too lucky!

"That's right, Ernst, otherwise I wouldn't have thought about purchasing grain at a premium!"

"Also, Father, didn't I agree with Pat and the others that one-fifth of the payment would be offset with supplies?"

"Those supplies are worth nothing at the border, but in the heartland they can triple or quadruple in price, or more."

"For example, ordinary rabbit hides might be four or five copper coins a piece at the border, but in the heartland they cost over thirty copper coins."

"Even if I offset them at half price, I'd still earn ten copper coins more than at the border!"

"And I believe that once Viscount Pat and the others taste the sweetness, in the future they will definitely want more than just one-fifth in supplies!"

"They might even demand one-half, all of it, or even supplies worth more than the payment!"

"That way, from now on I won't even need to spend gold coins to trade away their grain!"

It turned out Gervas's premium was nothing but a hook.

The real point, besides purchasing grain, was to use the territory's specialty goods to trade with Viscount Patt and the others.

Although the Tulip Trading House would also purchase supplies within its own territory.

But the price was far too low — just as he said, a qualified rabbit pelt went for only five copper coins.

Yet with one flip of the hand, they could mark it up fivefold.

Although the Tulip Trading House had powerful sales channels that made cashing out easy.

But if Gervas did not want to remain forever the bottom-most supplier, to be leek-harvested by the Tulip Trading House.

Then he had to change.

So, seizing this opportunity, he wanted to start with Viscount Patt and the others.

And his greatest advantage was the sea ships — this eastern border lay by the sea, making it a very suitable trade route as well.

Once Patt and the others tasted the sweetness, this trade could grow ever larger from then on.

One day, when Storm Territory's goods had stable sales channels, Gervas would be able to build an even more enormous trade network.

Farming — that was only the foundation.

For a territory to truly rise, trade was the accelerant!