Chapter 444: Buying Influence
In the end, everyone agrees that the supply ships coming from the Western Federation will make two trips per year, totaling forty shipments annually.
Henwell takes the lion’s share with twenty shipments, since these supplies are officially designated for the Paladin squad.
Though everyone knows these are smuggled goods from the Western Federation, personal interests still take a backseat to the kingdom’s welfare.
The remaining twenty shipments are divided into four shares. South Regions’ noble speaker Wist and Duke Kolen each receive five shipments.
The eldest princess Dilina gets five shipments as well, this is a benefit Fred managed to secure for his wife and son.
The final five shipments are split between Southeast Commander Roderick and Obian.
Of course, Fred also fought for this on behalf of his close brother Obian. With the backing of the mercenary king, no one dares refuse.
Obian, as part of the eldest princess’s faction and her temporary head of guards, is seen as her representative.
Since Obian can’t be excluded from such matters, everyone agrees to share the spoils.
Moreover, Obian is now a Grand Knight, which means his viscount family has gained solid status.
Although he’s still a centurion of the Golden Guard Knights, rumors circulate that he may soon be promoted to deputy legion commander.
King Baleqi of Ika consistently promotes new talent, and he particularly values someone like Obian, who rose from commoner roots.
Plus, as a close aide to the eldest princess, Obian’s promotion seems more than just speculation.
So, everyone shows goodwill toward this rising noble.
Mainly because Roderick doesn’t oppose it, no one objects. After all, it’s his share of the profits.
As for Roderick himself, he’s certainly not against it. The openly acknowledged smuggling fleet belongs to Henwell.
But Roderick still holds a ten percent stake in a secret smuggling fleet discussed earlier on a ship in Peace Haven.
Though Henwell’s covert smuggling fleet only makes ten trips a year, the value of those goods far exceeds that of the openly acknowledged smuggled supplies.
Roderick is already the top military and political leader in the Southeast, but he still wants to build more allies in Golden Capital.
He is indeed an ally of Henwell, and he understands Henwell’s capabilities all too well.
Roderick is certain Henwell won’t stop here. If the benefits Roderick provides aren’t enough to satisfy Henwell’s ambition to expand westward, Henwell will not hesitate to launch an offensive in that direction.
When that time comes, Roderick will have to face the military might of Peace Haven himself.
Based on his current intelligence on Peace Haven, he knows that his eight legions simply cannot withstand Henwell’s assault.
He will need support from the kingdom. Cultivating good relations with top commanders like Obian, a star officer in the knights, will bring many advantages.
Moreover, the openly acknowledged smuggling fleet isn’t simply divided among everyone.
Unlike the straightforward ten percent share Henwell gives him, joining this requires actual cash investment.
Each shipment is worth one hundred thousand gold coins, and everyone must contribute funds proportional to their share.
Henwell then uses this money to purchase extraordinary materials from the Western Federation in the name of the church Paladins.
Even so, the profits are several times the investment each year.
No one wants to turn down money, and everyone welcomes more deals like this.
Annual profits of a million gold coins already allow them to accomplish a great deal.
Such a huge business leaves the usually low-profile Obian stunned.
While admiring his eldest son’s prowess, Obian begins to worry about his own finances.
From the subtle conversations, Obian understands the enormous benefits of this cooperation.
But he has only recently become a noble and lacks his eldest son’s knack for making money.
Even with his wife managing the household and rewards from the king and eldest princess, he barely has tens of thousands of gold coins.
Holding shares equivalent to two and a half shipments means he must come up with two hundred and fifty thousand gold coins annually.
For Obian, now a viscount still living in a knight’s manor without even a castle, this is an astronomical sum.
He knows Henwell will surely handle the matter, but as a father, he doesn’t want his eldest son to bear the financial burden.
Most importantly, he fears exposing their connection to Henwell. This is not yet the time for father and son to acknowledge each other.
After wrapping up the business talks, Henwell begins discussing the missions he might undertake.
As a Paladin, he obviously can’t just sit idle.
Once the Veil Organization reaches out to him, he’ll have to start playing the double agent role.
Henwell definitely won’t be fighting only within the Kingdom of Vorry.
If he’s tasked with pursuing enemies inside Ika’s territory, he’ll need official cooperation from the Ika Kingdom.
Even with orders from King Baleqi, the local forces might not fully cooperate.
Having the support of local power brokers would make Henwell’s act much more convincing, and who knows, he might even pull off some high-level, clever maneuvers.
In the past, some might have secretly tried to sabotage him.
But now, with Henwell’s big cooperative deal promising millions in annual profits, everyone will be wholeheartedly assisting him.
Besides, those involved have other motives.
The Veil, a long-standing troublemaker on the Abandoned Continent, has collaborated with many major nobles.
That inevitably means the Veil Organization holds some dirt on them.
Though these terror groups’ evidence can be denied and lack credibility, the negative impact remains.
So if Henwell manages to wipe out Veil strongholds, he could seize some incriminating proof.
Being on good terms with Henwell then opens up opportunities for maneuvering.
As collaborators, Henwell might “accidentally” destroy some evidence.
If you invests money, you might even obtain dirt on some rivals.
Even if you can’t bring them down, you can gain a considerable advantage.
What they want aligns with Henwell’s own goals.
Eradicating Veil bases greatly aids establishing his intelligence network and bribing or controlling certain nobles.
With enough intelligence, he can set up far more sophisticated schemes.
Henwell excels at warfare, but that doesn’t mean he’s eager to start wars.
The military is the ultimate political tool, best used before war breaks out.
Once war is declared, it often yields more benefits than diplomacy, but it’s also a ravenous money pit.
War brings gains, but the costs are high.
Overall, it’s not the most cost-effective strategy.
So the army serves as an anchor while other methods chip away at neighbors and plant spies.
When the time is right and the situation is favorable, the military delivers the final decisive blow.
That’s the smartest approach.