Chapter 44 Business Negotiations II

I apologize for making you come all the way here. (Almis)

No, please. Theres no way I could make a prominent clan of the Rosyth Kingdom go out of their way. Ains says cheerfully.

He purposely came all the way here after I sent him a letter telling him Ill be inquiring about things I wanted to buy a week later.

Its getting late so please stay the night. Well be having a great feast, country-style! (Almis)

Then I shall take you up on your offer. We leave the negotiations for tomorrow. (Ains)

At this nights dinner

I first introduced everyone by seating order. First is me at the seat of honor, at the second seat is Tetra, and at the third seat is Ains.

Its normally the guest who should sit at the seat of honor but its one of those things that tend to happen if one is the feudal lord.

The next seats are occupied by Ron, Roswald, Gram, Soyon, and then Lulu. Theres really no deep meaning in the order.

And lastly would be Bolus, is what I wanted to say but hes currently at a border fort under a new assignment. So, this time hes absent.

Now, for the very important dinner menu!

First is the staple, white bread. I dare say this is the most delicious bread in this world today. We also prepared salt and honey, though I think everyone would probably go for the honey.

Next, are the appetizers which will start with the salad. We have vegetables from the Ars Territory, vegetables and mushrooms from the mountains and some olive. Its supplemented with fish caught from the river and snail boiled in salt water. Though I wont be eating any of it.

Next is the main course. We will have a fat pig we slaughtered just for the occasion. Its a pig meat dish.

They eat a lot of pigs in this region. I was told the teats and womb of a virgin female pig were particularly exquisite. Although they say that, it doesnt sound particularly delicious to me.

I guess its just a matter of taste around these parts.

Next is dessert - fruits, particularly grapes and such. Unfortunately, I wasnt able to prepare sugar so I couldnt make some pudding. I wanted to wow everyone after all.

Last is the most important - drinks. Specifically, the spirits.

I feel bad for Ains but Im gonna have him taste test it for me. Will it be well received as expected?

CoughcoughAh, I apologize. This liquoris quite strong, yes? Though, it looks just like wine (Ains)

Theyre called spirits. How are they? (Almis)

Ains answers as he slowly drinks the liquor.

If you could have known it beforehand that it would be strong thenHaahh, this throat burning-like sensation might become a habit. Just thatit seems like you could get drunk immediately even though youve only drank a few. Ill have to take note of this By the way, this one would be? (Ains)

Although I cant reserve that much, if its just a little then you can go and sell them. Lets talk about it tomorrow. (Almis)

Ains lowers his head as an apology as I said so.

By the way, has the Dragon Damascus Sword proven useful? (Ains)

Hmmwell (Almis)

I havent been able to use it that muchI primarily use a spear after all. I guess the only time I used it was when I cut King Ferrums head off, huh? Im the type who believes some things are better left unsaid so

By the way, what kind of place is the Cretian Peninsula? If you dont mind, could you please tell me about it? (Almis)

I forcibly change the topic a little. But its true that Im interested. We spent who knows how many years secluded in the forest after all so were a little uninformed about the area.

The Cretian Peninsula, is it? Well, the climate is about the same as the Adernia Peninsula. The number of city-states in the peninsula exceed a hundred and each of them repeatedly make and break war and alliances with each other. (Ains)

I see. Its pretty much the same as the Adernia Peninsula.

Well, yes, for the most part. The difference is each city-state is enclosed and protected by stone walls. Furthermore, should an external enemy invade the peninsula, each city-state would immediately cease all hostilities with each other and unite to repel the enemy. (Ains)

Its been a hundred years since the northern part of the Adernia Peninsula was dominated by the Gauls. Despite that, the southern states have remained in constant state of war. (Almis)

Theres a place called Gaul further up north the Adernia Peninsula. The Rozel Kingdom, a Kingdom of the Gauls, has begun its invasion of the Adernia Peninsula.

It already seized the northern half of the peninsula and is continuing its advance southwards. Furthermore, the three kingdoms being pressured by the Rozel Kingdom - the De Morgal Kingdom, the Gillbed Kingdom, and the Fardam Kingdom are forced to move southwards. And in the south, is our Rosyth Kingdom meaning my territory is also under threat.

Its a collision course, huh.

Should the various countries of South Adernia cooperate, then they would probably be able to push the Rozel Kingdom back. Well, its probably impossible.

By the way, Lord Almis, where did you learn the Cretian language? (Ains)

From Tetra. Shes half-Cretian after all. (Almis) Although before that, I relied on the divine protection.

Really?May I inquire the name of your mother? (Ains)

Tetra assents to Ains inquiry.

Shes goes by the name Helena. I was told it was love at first sight with my father when she traveled here to the Ars Territory. (Tetra)

Madame Helena, is it? (Ains)

Ains drinks liquor as he mutters Helena, Helena.

All I can imagine, when I hear about Cretia, is a very advanced countrybut does it currently have a foreign enemy? (Almis)

Cretian city walls are all made of stone. Only a few countries could achieve that in the Adernia peninsula.

Even though they have that much technological strength, I wonder if they would still have anything like external enemies?

Yes, of course. Theres a lot aiming their sights on very wealthy Cretia. Most notable of them all are the Persis Empire and Povenia. (Ains)

Persis Empire? Povenia?

Ive never heard of them, huh. More importantly, where are they located?

I cant imagine it as anything but located even farther than Cretia.

Povenia is just a stones throw away from the Adernia Peninsula. Do you know that theres an island called Trisqueria a little south of the peninsula? Povenia is just a little farther south of that island. (Ains)

Ains drinks more liquor.

Theyve been doing international maritime trade in the Tethys Sea since long ago. They havent been very pleased with us Cretians taking away that trading. Were always at war, you know? Well, were in the process of making the Tethys Sea our sea right now, anyway. (Ains)

The liquor seems to have made Ains drunk as he continued to bad mouth Povenia.

How about the Persis Empire? (Almis)

The Persis Empire isa huge country to the east of Cretia. These fellows are a really greedy bunch, you see. They invaded Cretia twice, you know. The first with 200,000 men, the second with around 300,000. Well, theyre just numbers anyway. (Ains)

200,000 and 300,000

The Rosyth Kingdom cant even compare in scale.

Naturally, thats probably not even the whole army. They should have 10,000 men-strong divisions stationed somewhere their vast border regions. The whole army would probably number around 400,000, no?

Even if all the tribes of the Rosyth Kingdom cooperate, we wont be able to assemble anything more than 50,000 personnel. You cant win no matter how hard you try.

But its a country even farther than the Cretian Peninsula so there probably wont be any chances that well be affected. Keep calm, keep calm.

But its amazing, yes? How did you win against a 300,000-strong great army? (Almis)

Hahaha, We Cretians have the God of War on our side after all! (Ains)

Ains mood got better as he told more stories about the Cretian-Persis Wars. Hes completely drunk. He kept on drinking until he passed out at the banquet.

Ughmy head (Ains)

Are you all right? Shall I bring you water? (Almis)

PleaseHahhah, I apologize. Ive drunk too much (Ains)

Ains smiles bitterly.

Then, about the spirits (Ains)

I cant guarantee a lot of them but I can probably have you sell just a few. (Almis)

For the meantime, we are discussing about the price and the transaction volume. With this, the amount of ways I can secure foreign goods have increased by one.

Then lets move on, what were the goods that you would like to request? (Ains)

Horses. I want about 300 of them. (Almis)

300 horses, yes?That would benoI would be able to prepare them. Its just

Ains seems to hesitate.

300 horses would be about 1200 gold coins. Would you be able to prepare such a big amount of money? Plus, if you consider the maintenance costs (Ains)

If you think about it a gold coin will intuitively be worth around a 1,000,000 yen. Therefore, that would be around 1,200,000,000 yen worth of goods from a Japanese persons perspective.

Naturally, you wont be able to prepare this amount of money with just the income of the Ars Territory. The pasture is full of clovers so I dont think its going to be a problem.

Sir Ains, I know I was just the chief of a small village not too long ago. However, what am I right now? (Almis)

You are now the lord of a big clan contesting the first or second place in the Rosyth Kingdom. (Ains)

Thats right.

Success like mine doesnt come as fast like mine even at a global scale.

At present, my territory is in the process of promoting a system of mass producing paper. Soon, well be able to produce immense quantities of paper. (Almis)

What are you trying to say? (Ains)

I would like to know if we could pay by loan payments, as opposed to lump-sum.

Ains crosses his arms, seemingly troubled as he heard my question.

150 gold coins per year. If you pay me that for 25 years then I will accept. (Ains)

That would be about 2550 gold in interest, huhThats about twice the principal loan.

Thats stupid.

You might say, but I really need the horses as soon as possible. Theres no other way.

Do you have a place to keep them? (Ains)

Yes, somewhat. (Almis)

From the start, the Norfolk Four Course System wont work without the animals.

By the way, what would you be using them for? (Ains)

Plowing farm lands, transporting luggage, organizing the knights A lot of things. (Almis)

Im thinking of adopting a system of loaning horses to the farmers. Of course, itll cost everytime I lend one. You could say that itll be a kind of tax.

Generally, Ill trouble the farmers around the palace. In exchange, Ill give them preferential right to utilize the horses.

Furthermore, when the horse gives birth, the first foal would have to be returned to the Ars Clan while they could keep the succeeding foals.

The baby horses the Ars Clan received will then be looked after until they grow to a certain extent after which theyll be entrusted to another farmer.

Its a plan to slowly introduce the Norfolk Four Course system as well as propagate horses. Just like that, theyll probably grow several times.

Naturally, you can also gather up and use them as cavalry or cart horses in emergencies.

Would you also need caretaker slaves? Ill sell them for cheap, if you buy them together. (Ains)

No, Ill make do with Lia. (Almis)

Come to think of it, Lia has already served her purpose. Soyon has mastered how to raise up horses after all. There should be no problems if I make that girl oversee the horse rearing. Thats why I dont need slaves anymore.

Lia ended up taking care of Roswald after she completed her job and got freed from slavery. Shes completely become a housewife. A child would come sometime soon too.

But since I want to form a cavalry corpsI want people who can ride horses. Doesnt matter if theyre mercenaries or battle slaves. I need about 50. (Almis)

At present, there are only thirty people who can decently ride horses. Plus there wont be problems with assembling about 20 promising and experienced people in Bolus group.

If I need to make about 100 cavalry then Ill need 50 more. I need to compensate for the difference somehow.

Hmmm, Mercenaries are rigid, yes? I can introduce you to some, but I dont know If they would be willing to go to the Adernia PeninsulaAs expected, battle slaves would be preferable. Actually, we had a skirmish against the Germanis people a month ago and some slaves who could ride horses got listed in the market. (Ains)

Then Ill be taking battle slaves, yes?

Battle slaves are easy to manage.

Its pricy in itself, but once you buy them, you wont have to pay them any more wages.

Understood. Then it would be 50 battle slavesIt would be 75 gold coins. Shall I add them to the 25-year contract? (Ains)

No, Ill pay for them lump-sum. (Almis)

Adding 75 gold coins to the loan contract would be somewhat

Then Ill be excusing myself. (Ains)

Ains lowers his head then exits the room.

As he leaves, he turns his back and says:

Should you need weapons, please dont hesitate to call for me immediately.

Always the businessman, huh.

Authors Note:

For some reason, I felt like its fine not to change Garia (Gaul) the Latin term Garria (Gallia) kinda sounds lame.