Starting as the Baron of the Lonely Island

Duane had expected Freddy to threaten and intimidate him. He’d even considered that the man might get angry and start a fight just to save face.

But he never imagined that after coming to Black Forest Island with such fanfare, the man was only here to talk business.

He found it rather baffling.

"Are you serious, Viscount?"

"The matter of you sending your men to assassinate me has yet to be resolved," he asked, "and you’ve come to talk business?"

Duane gestured to the warships on the sea. "To talk with me, while bringing a dozen warships?"

"If I truly intended to attack your Black Forest Island, do you think I would need this many warships?"

Freddy said scornfully, "Are you looking down on me, or do you think too highly of yourself?"

As he spoke, he turned to face the sea. "My apologies. It’s not that I look down on you; I’m simply stating a fact."

Duane admitted the man was speaking the truth, but he refused to follow his conversational lead.

"The fact is, we are in a state of hostility," he stressed.

Freddy turned back around. "I did not order Garrot to assassinate you. It was all his own initiative. When I return, he will receive the punishment he deserves."

"Of course, as his master, I will take the responsibility that falls to me. However, that doesn’t mean there’s no possibility of cooperation between us."

Duane was slightly surprised.

Everyone said that Freddy had an aggressive personality and was vengeful over the slightest grievance. Duane had assumed he was an impulsive man who didn’t think before he acted.

’But now, it seemed the man was actually very calm?’

In reality, if everything were normal in the Scorching Wind Territory, Freddy would never be having this conversation with Duane.

He would have been more likely to find a few pirate crews to raid Black Forest Island periodically, ensuring Duane’s long-term suffering.

"So, what do you say?"

Duane pondered. ’If I do business with Freddy, it’ll give me a legitimate reason to send my men over there when I want to assassinate Baron Torre in the future.’

’However, grain and oak are resources I’m in desperate need of right now. It’s impossible to sell them in large quantities.’

"I apologize, but Black Forest Island’s grain production isn’t very high, so I don’t have much to sell. Oak is a critical resource for developing my Territory, so I can’t sell it in large quantities, either."

Freddy let out a dry laugh.

He had heard from some of the returning merchant ships about the tax policies Duane had implemented on Black Forest Island.

"You don’t need to give up so much profit for your subjects. Even if the commoners don’t have much grain, they’ll find a way to survive."

Freddy’s words were ruthless. "Just restore the original tax rates, and you’ll gain an extra three to four million pounds of grain. With two harvests a year, that’s at least six or seven million pounds."

"Selling all that grain to me is far better than handing it out to your subjects!"

Duane calculated in his head.

’Right now, I collect about 6.7 million pounds of grain per year.’

’Of that amount, after subtracting the three to four hundred thousand pounds my own people consume, as well as covering a potential deficit of over a million pounds within the Territory...’

’...the most I can sell externally is only four million pounds.’

’Of course, that’s based on last year’s situation, without expanding the cultivated land.’

’Although the newly cultivated fields are rent-free for the first year, so I won’t get more grain, it also means I no longer need to prepare as large of a reserve for my subjects.’

’All things considered, I can sell about five million pounds, which is a far cry from the six or seven million he’s talking about.’

So, Duane still shook his head.

"I apologize, but Black Forest Island doesn’t have that much grain available for external sale."

He smiled and said, "However, our two kingdoms have reached an agreement. You can simply purchase from the Silent Shore. They have an abundance of grain."

Freddy shot him a look that said he didn’t need the reminder. The main reason he wanted to buy from Black Forest Island was that it would be cheap.

Right now, everyone was eyeing his Secret Realm, trying by any means necessary to get a slice of the pie.

Even if he could buy it, the grain would surely be exorbitantly priced.

"Baron, the Silent Sea may be peaceful, but the waters are still plagued by pirates."

Freddy gestured toward his warships. "You’ve seen the scale of my Navy. Cooperate with me, and I can guarantee that on the shipping lanes from Black Forest Island to Scorching Wind Territory, no pirate will dare to harass you!"

Duane’s eyes narrowed, his relaxed expression fading slightly. "Your Excellency, that sounds like a threat."

"Hahaha, you misunderstand. At such a sensitive time, why would I possibly threaten you?"

Freddy feigned a look of confusion. "I’m helping you clear the pirates from this sea, easing the pressure on your shipping security. I’m helping you. You can’t accuse me of wrongdoing!"

’Duane sneered inwardly.’

The man’s words were pleasant enough, but in reality, these pirates were either his own men from the Scorching Wind Territory in disguise or were being secretly supported by Viscount Freddy.

If Duane refused to do business, the viscount would likely have pirates harass Black Forest Island from time to time.

This was a classic case of using strong ships and powerful cannons to blast open the doors of commerce.

Duane spread his hands. "The most I can sell you is three million pounds of grain per year, at a price of 250 Gold Coins per million pounds."

Freddy’s brow twitched. He was pleased that Duane had changed his tune, but he wasn’t happy with the quantity being offered.

"What do you need that much grain for?"

He didn’t understand. "If you can’t eat it all, it will just rot!"

Duane revealed a piece of information. "Count Kais will be investing in Black Forest Island. I’ll soon be welcoming a large number of laborers, and they will need to consume a lot of grain."

Telling him this was to let him know that he wasn’t just the Baron of the Lonely Island; he had backing.

’Moreover, Viscount Freddy must be aware of the strength of Count Kais’s Navy.’

And just like that, as soon as the words were spoken, Freddy’s expression turned more serious. He had no desire to clash with Count Kais at sea; the losses would be immense.

"Three million pounds it is, then!"

He changed his tune as well. "So, what about the oak?"

Duane shook his head. "That’s not for sale."

He didn’t close the door completely. "However, whether it’s grain or wood, if you need it, I can purchase it from the Silent Shore on your behalf. Of course, in return, you’ll need to pay me a fee."

’Acting as a purchasing agent... he’d be happy to make a little money on the side.’

’Besides, the Pruck Kingdom hadn’t ceased trade with the Akutas Kingdom, so his actions wouldn’t be illegal.’

Freddy stroked the scar on his face as he mulled over the words, a smile gradually spreading across his face.

"Then it’s settled. If the need arises, I will find you."

The atmosphere between the two men instantly relaxed.

Duane couldn’t resist asking, "I heard that your Territory’s Secret Realm contains a rare ore called Meteorite Iron?"

Freddy’s expression darkened once more. "What, you want a share of the development rights to the Secret Realm, too? Duane, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Don’t go looking for trouble!"

"See? You’ve misunderstood me again!"

Duane hadn’t even considered it.

In fact, neither King Eric nor the others had ever considered giving Duane partial mining rights.

"I just hope that if I need some in the future, I can purchase it from you at a favorable price."

"What, you have Star Realm Warriors among your subordinates as well?"

Weapons forged from Meteorite Iron were generally used by Star Realm Warriors.

Duane shook his head. "Not at the moment."

"Then we’ll talk when you actually have a Star Realm Warrior."

At this, he couldn’t help but recall Duane’s list of demands for compensation, and he let out a cold snort.

"For one so young, you have quite an appetite! Five thousand Gold Coins, three warships, and forty thousand Slaves... Aren’t you afraid you’ll bite off more than you can chew?"

Duane smiled. "My father taught me from a young age that it’s always good to eat more."

The conversation between the two was somewhat contradictory.

They were clearly enemies, yet they were discussing cooperation.

They were clearly discussing cooperation, yet they still seemed like enemies.

In truth, the explanation was simple: everything stemmed from self-interest.

Freddy wanted cheaper Basic resources and, at the same time, wanted to avoid being backed into a corner, so he was leaving a door open with Duane.

Duane, for his part, wanted to avoid being targeted by the viscount, while also creating a legitimate reason to send people to the Scorching Wind Territory to facilitate future operations.

Of course, this also opened a new channel for purchasing Meteorite Iron and allowed him to earn a bit of money. What was there not to like?

As the two were talking, four ships appeared on the sea in the distance, flying the Sail Banner.

"This is bad, Baron! There’s a fleet of warships on the sea up ahead!"

There was a knock on Baron Jick’s door.

He shot to his feet and hurried out onto the deck.

"Those are Freddy’s ships. What’s that fellow doing at Black Forest Island?"

Jick’s expression changed drastically. "He wouldn’t fly into a rage, go to Black Forest Island, and kill Duane to vent his anger, would he?"

"Baron, what should we do?" a subordinate asked apprehensively.

Jick’s brow furrowed. He had also noticed the flag of the Akutas Kingdom.

"Prince Howard doesn’t want war to break out between the two kingdoms, so they probably won’t do anything to Duane."

He analyzed the situation quickly. "Have the other three ships stay here. We’ll go over!"