The Lord Of Blood Hill

At Prince Obilian’s signal, Duaili speaks up. “So, we lease you two ports. What are you offering in return?”

Henwell stretches out his hand. “First, tell me your asking price.”

The group murmurs among themselves for a moment, exchanging some secretive merchant guild gestures.

“Each port rents for one million gold coins per year, no troops allowed. Shipbuilding and sailor hiring are on Lumir. You only pay the money.”

“Also, all goods sent from Peace Haven must undergo our random inspections. Our Lumir merchant guild will purchase Peace Haven goods at a 20% discount. We take over trade taxes from both ports, and our guild gets tax exemption for trade within Peace Haven...”

Henwell listens patiently to the list of demands. “Is that all?”

Duaili shakes his head. “For now. If we have more when signing the formal contract, we’ll add them in.”

Henwell nods lightly and raises his hand to sketch on the map.

Duaili looks puzzled. “Lord Henwell, are you planning land transport routes? That’s unnecessary. We have mature trade routes that are fast enough.”

Henwell looks up in surprise. “No, I’m outlining the route for my southern army!”

“My forces will split into three attack fronts. One pushes toward Holy Lake City, forcing your troops to reinforce there. Another secures river crossings, building defensive forts to suppress your naval reinforcements. The last front, I’ll personally lead, sweeping through your Eastern Territory, breaking your field armies and splitting your cities one by one.”

Obilian’s voice turns grave. “Sir, are you joking?”

Henwell drops his smile and glares coldly. “Aren’t you the ones joking with me first?”

Duaili retorts, “Sir, this is a business deal. We give prices, you can negotiate!”

Henwell ignores him, staring at Obilian. “Your Highness, they treat this like a business. Do you? Did you forget what I said? This isn’t a trade, it’s political cooperation!”

“What? Are you a businessman now? Do you think just trading will get you the throne?”

“If that’s the case, I don’t know whether to underestimate you or the Kingdom of Lumir.”

The Lumir nobles rise to protest, but Obilian raises a hand to stop them. “Enough! Isn’t this embarrassing enough?”

Obilian frowns and asks Henwell, “Alright then, it’s your turn. Let’s see what a skilled politician like you has to offer!”

Henwell replies, “One million gold coins per port, per year in rent.”

Duaili’s eyes widen. “That’s it?”

Henwell nods. “The rest is your family’s gain, a full standard legion’s worth of equipment.”

Duaili scoffs, “That’s it? What do we need that for? We have our own armories!”

Henwell rolls his eyes. “What nonsense! If Count Lierul hears you, he’ll doubt your ability as heir! The Dienbos family is about to become the marquis guarding this region, you desperately need a fully equipped standing legion.”

“Only I can provide a complete legion’s equipment, all supplied as a unit, with top-quality materials and craftsmanship.”

“Previously, Peace Haven’s arms traderequired state approval for foreign sales. That’s the agreement I made with neighboring countries to prevent a flood of weapons destabilizing their lands.”

“Tell me, apart from me, where else can you get such a large quantity of finely crafted, fully outfitted military gear?”

“You should know, the standard legion equipment I sell is meant for elite units.”

“Never mind whether your small workshops can produce such quality, the value of a single legion’s worth of arms is a million gold coins—surely that satisfies your family’s needs?”

Seeing Duaili fall silent, Henwell points nearby. “Those not involved, go rest. The rest is between me and Your Highness.”

Then Henwell turns to Pawari. “I’m giving you three spots for advanced training in the Western Federation! Once you reach the border trade zone, show my letter and someone will escort you into the Federation. Upon arrival, with my token, you’ll be received and arranged for.”

“As for your other requests, that comes at a different price.”

Pawari asks, “If you don’t give my father a legion’s equipment, how am I supposed to convince him?”

Henwell waves his hand. “That’s your problem. I only provide the benefits, you figure out how to get it done! Of course, if your father agrees to let me station a small force at the port, I might throw in a full legion’s worth of gear.”

Pawari immediately falls silent; he dares not agree right away.

Henwell gestures toward the resting area. “You’ve made your demands, go rest. But before you go, a warning. Don’t take my money and then fail to deliver. Once you reach the Western Federation, you’ll understand what it means that I’m a Paladin.”

“I can send you there, but I can just as easily let you die there.”

“So, you better manage my ports well. I don’t want to come back and find them seized or messed with. If that happens, I’ll send your head to your father!”

Hearing this, Pawari falls silent for a moment before replying, “I’ll handle it.”

After Pawari leaves, Obilian asks curiously, “Is training in the Western Federation really that appealing to Pawari?”

Henwell chuckles. “From what I know, your royal family has a few spots left. You might want to ask your father for one, you’ll soon find out the price.”

Obilian shakes his head. “Forget it. My combat talent isn’t great. Just making it to Grand Knight in this life is already a stretch.”

“There’s one more thing. I understand why you want a port in East Bay, to ship goods to the two eastern kingdoms. But why a port in South Bay? What use do you have for that? It’s even farther from your trade routes.”

Henwell pours himself some wine. “I was born inland, but I’ve always had a heart drawn to the sea. I want to explore it. Someday, I hope to captain a ship, sailing across the vast ocean, taking in the breathtaking expanse.”

“I have a feeling there are plenty of islands out there, maybe even continents!”

“So, I’m preparing an exploration fleet in advance. When I retire, I’ll go bask in the sun on some undiscovered island.”

Obilian smiles but doesn’t press further.

To him, this sounds like Henwell’s polite excuse.

He doesn’t believe Henwell would spend so much—millions in gold every year—just for adventure or island hunting.