Chapter 508: The Fleet
Recently, Edward found himself in dire need of money.
After the battle, he disbanded the mercenary group, and together with Howard, they had a remaining force of 3768 troops.
The subsequent siege was a tedious affair; Howard and Edward had no intentions of launching a forceful assault, thus prolonging the standoff.
A month later, Howard sent Vettel to meet with Rolf to inquire about the estimated time needed to build the fleet.
Upon hearing the query, Vettel couldn’t help but laugh heartily.
"My lord, shipbuilding is not like conscripting soldiers; it can’t be rushed. Considering the number of ships Rolf mentioned, even at a fast pace, it would take at least a year or two."
Howard pouted slightly, "I can’t wait that long. The New World trade is booming; am I supposed to waste time in the Mediterranean? Think of a way to acquire a fleet more quickly."
Vettel thought to himself that ships were not like swords; they couldn’t just be acquired in batches – sometimes it took over a year to build a single warship.
Nevertheless, under Howard’s urging, Vettel suggested, "Perhaps we could directly purchase ships from other lords? But if a lord has built ships, they surely have plans for them. Selling them to you seems unlikely. I don’t think buying ships is feasible, my lord."
Howard bit his lip in frustration and instructed Vettel, "For the same ships that cost about ten or so gold coins to build, let’s offer to buy them for twenty or more. If we raise the price high enough, some lord is bound to be tempted. Contact Count Luka and Count Sicily; I’ve heard they have many ships."
Vettel set off to carry out the orders, but as he rode away from the siege camp, he couldn’t help but think: Lord Howard is truly a unique character, his thoughts are beyond our comprehension.