Chapter 98 : Chapter 98
Chapter 98. If It Can't Be Done, Make It Happen (2)
As expected, it wasn't easy.
I visited a total of three cities and castles centered around Vinchih, but failed to get permission from the lords to purchase food.
“Hmm. The Billem Caravan? I've never heard that name before. Come back another time.”
“Unfortunately, you're too late. Our domain already has a caravan we do business with.”
“The lord said he does not wish to meet anyone today.”
I couldn't even meet the lords in person.
The best I could do was meet with the treasurer without being treated poorly, only to hear their refusal.
It was a moment that made me realize anew just how high and mighty the nobles in this world were.
‘At this rate, I should have waited until the Billem Meatball became more famous before trying to make a move.’
In the end, the reason I couldn't easily meet even a treasurer, let alone a lord, was because the caravan's name value was too small.
For that reason, I couldn't help but have such thoughts.
However, given my situation where I didn't know when my identity would be revealed, I had to handle this matter quickly.
Only then could I access even slightly more advanced information and achieve results with my intelligence activities.
‘It can't be helped. I can only hope for a reversal at the remaining three places.’
If I failed to persuade the remaining three places as well, I would have to use other means.
Of course, I had a countermeasure prepared for that as well.
Otherwise, I wouldn't have been going on about the soldier's spirit of ‘If it can't be done, make it happen.’
In any case, using that measure was for later, and I arrived at the fourth domain.
It was Jengin, a small castle owned by the Tyrkollu family.
The wide rye fields spreading outside the castle made it look like it had a decent food production.
However, the three places I had visited before also had quite impressive farmlands.
They were certainly no less than Jengin Castle, and some were even better.
‘In the end, if I can't secure a contract, it's all just a pie in the sky.’
For that reason, I approached Jengin Castle, determined to succeed in persuading them this time.
Just then, a guard blocked my path.
“Who goes there!”
“I am the Caravan Leader of the Billem Caravan, here at Jengin Castle to do business. May I enter?”
“The Billem Caravan? I've heard that name somewhere……. First, present your pass.”
I handed over the pass as requested by the guard.
In the meantime, another guard who was guarding the gate with him looked over the members of the Billem Caravan.
He examined not only the appearance of Ronda, Darien, and Gaspar, who were disguised as mercenaries, but also the cart behind them.
For reference, the current members of the Billem Caravan present were not just me and the three 1-star knights.
In addition, I had hired a small mercenary group of four, and the three caravan employees selected last time were also with us.
It was a measure to have the appearance of a reasonably sized caravan.
Whether this worked or not, the guard let our party into the castle without pointing out any particular problems.
It was a natural result, as the passes were also perfectly forged.
Thus, after instructing the caravan employees to find an inn, I immediately headed towards the lord's mansion.
When the mansion came into view, Ronda spoke.
“Do you think we'll be able to meet the lord today?”
“Well. We'll have to hope for some good luck.”
Finally arriving at the mansion, our party had to face a guard once again.
“Who are you?”
“I am the Caravan Leader of the Billem Caravan. I have come to make a good proposal to the lord.”
“Sigh. Another caravan. How tiresome. Anyway, go in. The lord will be waiting.”
Our party couldn't help but be surprised by what the guard said as he gestured for us to enter quickly.
This was because it was the first time we had been so readily let into a mansion.
It was standard for them to conduct the identity check again, which had been done at the castle gate.
Even if our identities were verified that way, we would either kill time waiting indefinitely or barely meet the treasurer before being turned away.
But not only were we entering the mansion without going through a complicated procedure, but the lord was waiting for us.
I wondered what this meant.
However, I was soon able to understand what it meant.
This was because, upon entering the mansion, I discovered other caravans with a similar appearance to our party.
Counting them roughly, besides our party, there were three more caravans present.
‘Caravans gathered like this……. It seems there was a problem with the caravan that was previously doing business here.’
Otherwise, there was no way caravans would be gathered like this.
That was right.
This was a meeting arranged by the lord of this place, whose business with the existing caravan had been cut off for some reason, to find a new caravan.
And as if to support this fact, the next situation unfolded.
Creak.
The door of the room where I was waiting with the other caravans suddenly opened, and a man who appeared to be the butler of this mansion emerged.
Moreover,
“Next.”
As the butler uttered this single word and turned around, one of the caravans standing near the door scurried after him.
It was obvious they were moving because it was their turn to negotiate.
However, the three knights with me seemed not to have fully grasped the current situation yet.
Gaspar asked, half in doubt.
“What is this situation?”
“A negotiation situation.”
I briefly added an explanation of what the current situation was.
After hearing the explanation, Darien spoke.
“Then we should also prepare our negotiation card. Since there will be at least three competitors.”
“That's right. We need a negotiation card.”
I replied, thinking about the negotiation cards I could play in this situation.
As expected, there was only one card I could play.
Adjusting the profit-sharing ratio.
Fortunately, I had obtained specific information on the average profit-sharing ratio a caravan proposes to a lord.
The average was for the caravan to take 25% of the net profit, excluding transportation fees, storage fees, and other incidental costs.
‘In that case…… we should demand just about that much of a profit-sharing ratio.’
While I was thinking.
The next caravan moved to meet the lord.
***
A short while later.
Finally, our party was able to face the lord.
The elderly lord was an old man who looked stubborn at a glance.
But as if to prove he was a former knight, his build was not ordinary.
His gaze was also very sharp.
While I was quietly observing the lord.
The treasurer standing next to the lord opened his mouth.
“State who you are and where you are from!”
I lowered my eyes in accordance with etiquette and knelt on one knee as I answered.
“I am Horge Arce, the Caravan Leader of the Billem Caravan, which primarily does business in Vinchih.”
As I introduced myself with a pseudonym, the treasurer reacted.
“Wait? Where did you say?”
“The Billem Caravan.”
“By any chance, are you the ones who made the Billem Meatball?”
“You know of the Billem Meatball? That's right. We made it. We have currently expanded our business from Vinchih to Alan, Gerna, and Julias.”
“Ooh.”
The treasurer's eyes lit up upon hearing my answer.
It seemed he really knew of the Billem Meatball.
‘Julias, where we opened a branch recently, is close to Jengin Castle, but I didn't know the rumor had spread this far.’
For me, this was naturally good news.
If they knew of the Billem Meatball, it would be possible to have a conversation with a sense of inner familiarity.
Sure enough.
The treasurer approached the lord and muttered something in a small voice.
It seemed he was explaining about the Billem Meatball.
The lord, who had heard the full explanation, also had his eyes light up.
At this point, I became curious as to why they were showing so much interest in the Billem Meatball.
Fortunately, I was able to find out the reason as the lord, who had kept his mouth shut until now, finally spoke.
“Not long ago, I heard there was a food that was popular among the commoners throughout the Empire, so I inquired about it and tried it once.”
“Our lord is a person who cares for his people like this.”
“For something commoners eat, it had a considerable taste. The texture of the meat that crumbled softly and the heat contained within. The sweet yet savory brown sauce that enveloped everything.”
“Our lord is a person who has no prejudice against the food of his people like this.”
“Yes. It was quite an excellent dish. Its name was the Billem Meatball. And to hear that you all made it, I feel a sense of gladness for some reason.”
“Our lord is a person who does not spare his praise even for his people like this.”
Strictly speaking, the Billem Caravan was not the lord's people, but I conveyed my thanks by bowing my head.
The lord watched this with satisfaction and then asked me.
“So. You want to buy food from our domain?”
The lord asked as if he would approve the deal right away, hiding his previous stubbornness.
But this was a trick.
“Our lord does not wish to sell the food harvested through the blood and sweat of his people for a cheap price. Billem Caravan, state your specific profit-sharing ratio.”
The fact that the treasurer immediately followed up the lord's words and said this was proof of that.
‘He could have just asked himself…….’
I thought that handling things in such a complicated way was very noble-like.
Moreover, since the lord was an old noble, he seemed to have a more conservative side.
Although, of course, there were also progressive cases like me, who had become an old man and even been possessed.
In any case, it was now time to answer the lord's question.
“The Billem Caravan will arrange for all funds, excluding 8% of the net profit, to be returned to the people of the domain.”
In other words, it meant that I would take 8% of the net profit and concede the remaining 92% to the lord.
For that reason, not only the treasurer who heard my proposal, but even the lord's eyes went wide in surprise.
This was because the most favorable profit-sharing ratio offered until just a moment ago was 18%.
But to offer 8%, which was less than half of that.
Everyone present couldn't help but be surprised.
It was to the point where they wondered if it would even be possible to cover the labor costs.
But I, the one who had made such an outrageous statement, had a very calm expression.
It was only natural, as I had a clear reason for making such a statement.