Chapter 134: Installment Payment
During the autumn harvest, Black Forest Island welcomed an unprecedentedly powerful tool—four threshing machines.
Although these powerful tools were few in number and currently only used in the Baron’s fields, the people operating them were the island’s own residents.
Through them, word gradually spread to all the residents of the island.
Some people even dropped what they were doing and came specifically to the edge of the Baron’s rice fields to watch.
When they heard the roaring sound and saw how easily the grains were threshed and fell into the wooden bins, they were stunned.
With a machine like this, a family wouldn’t just be able to handle ten acres of land; they could easily harvest twenty or even thirty!
In Duane’s eyes, the threshing machine was an obsolete piece of technology, but to them, it was like a divine weapon.
Watching the farmers harvesting the Baron’s rice and working the machine’s pedals, some onlookers wished they could just push them aside and have a go themselves.
They were sure they could pedal even faster.
Duane noticed their eager gazes during his inspection, but he had no intention of giving the machines away for free.
He had already offered the farmers significant benefits. If he simply gave everything away for free, it would not only devalue the items but also give the people no ambition once their bellies were full.
Therefore, he established two plans.
The first was rental.
His people could pay with grain, money, labor, or other goods in exchange for the right to use a machine for several days.
The second was purchase.
His people could buy a threshing machine individually, or several families could pool their money to purchase one.
If they still couldn’t afford it, they could make a thirty percent down payment and pay off the remaining seventy percent over two to three years.
As a benefit to the people of Black Forest Island, Duane set the price of each threshing machine at 50 Silver Coins.
Furthermore, he charged no interest for those who chose to pay in installments.
With these policies in place, a large number of people on the island immediately emerged, wanting to purchase a threshing machine.
Most of them chose to partner with a few other families to buy a machine on an installment plan, and they would help each other during the harvest to finish their work sooner.
Only those who had been with Duane from the beginning, like Kaelon, Raymond, and Julian, who were more financially secure, purchased one on their own.
With so many orders flooding in at once, the blacksmith and carpenter felt immense pressure. They were sure they would have no rest in the coming year.
While everyone was busy, Duane boarded a ship setting out to sea.
Two cargo ships raised their sails and gradually left the harbor.
One was Heck’s ship, piloted by his first mate, Mackenzie, which sailed in the lead.
The other, a prize ship Duane had captured, was captained by Heck himself, along with a few experienced sailors.
According to Heck, the Silent Sea was calm, with no strong winds or high waves. He reasoned that splitting Black Forest Island’s trainee sailors between the two ships to learn from the experienced crew on a real voyage would be far more effective than just practicing in the waters near the harbor.
Sailing the seas was risky, but if Duane was too afraid of potential dangers to press forward, then he could forget about growing his power and contending for maritime supremacy.
"Baron, you really should have brought your threshing machines!"
Heck was still in awe of the miraculous threshing machine; it was hard for him to imagine that such a thing could come from Black Forest Island.
"Grant Province has vast, fertile lands. If you sold your threshing machines there, you would surely make a fortune!"
Duane smiled and shook his head. "These machines aren’t suitable for harvesting wheat."
"Grant Province has plenty of rice paddies, too."
Heck quickly countered, "Of course, that’s your prerogative. But if you ever decide to sell the threshing machines, please contact me first. I’ll even sell them for you without taking a commission!"
Selling other goods meant facing competition, but a novel invention like the threshing machine was one-of-a-kind.
He could definitely use them to make a name for his fleet.
Duane kept smiling, neither agreeing nor refusing.
’I have no plans to sell them anytime soon,’ Duane thought. ’Besides, the design is easy to replicate. Once I sell a few, others could just take them apart, figure out how they work, and make their own copies. The market would be saturated before I knew it.’
’As a minor baron, I don’t yet have the power to protect my own patents and rights across different territories.’
’Of course, even if I did sell them, my own people would handle it. I wouldn’t let Heck do it for me.’
’Unless he were to join Black Forest Island, that is.’
This was his second time entering the Silent Sea, and it was just as placid as his first.
What little wind and waves they encountered were well within safe limits.
Six days later, at noon on the last day of November, Duane arrived safely in Silent Harbor.
The harbor was bustling with ships coming and going, just as it had been the last time he passed through.
Duane raised the flag of the Brian Clan and, by virtue of his rank as a Baron, docked at the pier reserved for the Nobility.
Although the docking fee of four Gold Coins a day was steep, it allowed him to bypass the long queues and save a great deal of time.
"Well then, Baron, until we meet again!"
Heck took off his hat and bowed to Duane. He still needed to go to the main docks to help Mackenzie and the others unload their cargo.
"Thank you for your help. Please extend my thanks to Mackenzie and the others as well."
Duane said with a smile, "And please, remember my invitation. You are always welcome on Black Forest Island."
"Thank you for your trust in us," Heck said happily. "Once we’ve dealt with this cargo, we’ll discuss it with our families. Perhaps by the time you return from the Royal Capital, we’ll be your men."
They were indeed concerned about the relationship between Black Forest Island and the Starfall Islands, but they figured there wouldn’t be much risk as long as the Kingdom was involved.
Of course, what ultimately convinced them to take the risk was the awe inspired by the threshing machines.
In their eyes, as long as Duane could sell such a powerful invention, it was guaranteed to attract a massive amount of business.
That was why they had shifted from a wait-and-see attitude to being willing to take the gamble.
Now, they just needed to go home and discuss it amongst themselves before making a final decision.
Duane couldn’t tell if they were just being polite, so he didn’t press the matter.
He had extended the invitation twice, and that was enough. If they weren’t willing, there was no need to be pushy.
After seeing off Heck and his men, Duane quickly set his own plans in motion.
"Michele, go rent a horse and take my letter of introduction to Count Kais’s Castle."
He handed him the letter, along with a Gold Coin.
"Yes, Baron."
Michele took the letter, disembarked, and hurried toward the city.
He didn’t know the location of the Count’s Castle, but that wasn’t a problem—he could simply ask a local for directions.
According to Duane’s plan, he would visit the Count’s Castle the following morning.
This gave him plenty of time to attend to his own appearance.
It wasn’t that Duane was overly concerned about the meeting itself; it was simply that several days at sea had left him smelling rather unpleasant.
After all, he had been traveling on a cargo ship, not a passenger liner.
Even though this ship from the Starfall Islands was decent enough to have two separate cabins, the environment was still quite primitive. Most of the men were quartered together, and the sanitation, food, and drink were all subpar.
Duane planned to purchase an ocean-faring passenger ship of his own, but only after he had a trustworthy captain to command it.
That way, when he traveled overseas for business in the future and was formally welcomed by his hosts, he wouldn’t arrive reeking and make himself a laughingstock.
Sea Cliff Castle.
This was the name of Earl Kais Kennedy’s castle.
It sat atop a hundred-meter-high peak. The mountain was steep, and its many sharp, jagged rocks, which looked as if they had been carved by knife and axe, formed a natural barrier, making the castle easy to defend and difficult to assault.
Michele rode his horse to the foot of the mountain. Gazing up at the magnificent structure on the summit, his heart filled with boundless awe.
’I wonder if the Baron’s castle will be this magnificent when it’s finished,’ he thought.
With this thought, he urged his horse forward.
Ahead, a wide, winding stone road led to the summit, where it was watched over by six Guards.
"Halt!"
The Guard Captain stepped forward, shouting, "State your name and your purpose!"
Michele quickly dismounted, stated his identity and purpose, and then produced the letter from within his coat.
"This is a formal request for an audience from my master, Baron Duane Brian. I hope you will deliver it to his lordship, the Earl!"
He spoke very politely.
"Black Forest Island... Baron Duane?"
The Guard Captain took the letter, casting a surprised glance at Michele before looking down at the missive in his hand.
As a gatekeeper for the Earl’s Family, he was required to be familiar with all the nobles of the Kingdom, great and small.
So he didn’t doubt the legitimacy of the Baron’s title, he was just surprised. ’How did he actually manage to get off that island?’ But that wasn’t his place to ask.
Since the man had brought a letter bearing the Baron’s seal and had presented a formal request, he was a guest.
"I will take your letter up to the castle,"
the Guard Captain replied politely. "You may wait in the room over there. It may be some time before you receive a reply from his lordship, the Earl."
"Of course, thank you!" Michele said gratefully.
With that, the Guard Captain immediately led a horse out from the side and galloped up the mountain path.