At the tail of the Autumnal Twilight, Neverwinter welcomed a long-awaited guest.
It was Margaery, the businesswoman.
For this friend who was the first to come to his door and brought rich rewards to the struggling Border Town, Roland gave her the highest standard of courtesy. Not only did the First Army welcome her with cannons, he also personally went to Shallow Beach and took her into the castle.
"You're too kind, Your Majesty," Margaery said with a smile. "I'm just an ordinary businesswoman."
"Without your help, the Western Region wouldn't have developed to what it is today," Roland replied casually. "Neverwinter will never betray our friendship."
Whether it was the initial purchase of a large amount of food or the subsequent renting of many ships to transport refugees, they were all completed with the help of Margaery's Chamber of Commerce. Even Theo being able to gain a foothold in the old King's City was inseparable from Margaret's connections and support. Although these were not provided for free, Roland was very clear that many things could not be achieved with money alone.
"It's my honor to be called a friend by you," Margaery said with a slight bow. "This time, in addition to fulfilling the perfume contract, I also brought you a new business opportunity." She pointed behind her. "They are the most prominent businessmen in the Fjords and are very interested in your steam sailing plan."
"Really?" Roland smiled. "Please introduce them to me later."
According to his usual practice, when dealing with businessmen, he talked while eating. After entering the reception hall, the long table was filled with all kinds of delicious food, and these overseas guests seemed to be very satisfied that they did not have to eat fish. In addition, noble etiquette was not popular in the Fjords, so they tried to control themselves at first and behaved as elegantly as possible. After a few glasses of wine, the atmosphere became more and more lively, and the imitation etiquette was all forgotten.
Roland did not mind at all. Compared with the cumbersome dining rules in the palace, he preferred a lively dining environment.
As they chatted, he gained a general understanding of the visiting merchant group. In addition to Gammon and Marleen, the two businessmen from Crescent Moon Bay who first visited Border Town, there were also Chambers of Commerce from Sunset Island and Shallow Water City. The two islands, one in the south and the other in the north, were next to Crescent Moon Bay, forming a closely connected trade circle.
As the original settlement of the Fjords, the three islands were not large, but their population and strength were among the top in the Fjords. The competition between them was also quite fierce, which could be seen from the size of the other two fleets. Each of the ships docked at the port of Shallow Water City was a large three-masted ship, each of which could carry nearly 300 people and the same weight of cargo. The price of such a ship was already close to 5,000 Golden Dragon, not including the sailors. Obviously, these two chambers of commerce did not want to fall behind Crescent Moon Bay in the fight for face and strength.
When the dessert was served, it meant that the talks would officially begin.
"I heard from Margaery that you all want to buy a steam engine?"
"Yes, Your Majesty." Nibelung, the person in charge of the Shallow Water City Chamber of Commerce, was the first to speak. "But not only the steam engine, we also want the steam ship you sold to Crescent Moon Bay."
"I heard that the renovation fee you offered was 1,800 Golden Dragon Stones? The Sunset Island is willing to add two hundred more to rebuild five ships at the price of two thousand Golden Dragon. "Atiyer, a merchant from the Sunset Island, was not willing to be left behind." The Chamber of Commerce can pay half of the deposit first. "
Obviously, they were referring to the steam paddle steamers that Crescent Moon Bay had purchased a year ago. For Roland, this was a technology that was about to be eliminated. He could use this batch of orders to train workers and earn a lot of money at the same time. It was a very cost-effective deal.
"It takes two to three months to modify one paddle steamer, and about a year to modify five paddle steamers. If you can accept it, Barov, the director of City Hall, will sign the contract with you."
"No problem at all, but Sunset Island has a small request." Atiyeh cleared his throat. "We hope that you can use the craftsmen of the Fjords to complete the ship modification."
"What do you mean?" Roland raised his eyebrows.
"Just like the steam engine factory in Crescent Moon Bay, we will provide you with a group of craftsmen. The ships they modify will be used by Sunset Island first. When the ten-year period is over, they will be free to choose whether to stay or leave."
"The Shallow Water City also hopes to sign the contract in this way," Nibelung echoed. "The five sailboats are only the first batch of orders. If you can agree to our request, at least five ships will be modified every year."
So that's how it is, Roland thought. So this is a big deal that will last for ten years, and the annual transaction price is as high as ten thousand gold royals, and after ten years, they will get the detailed modification method, so that they won't always be under the control of others.
But the fact was that he did not care about spreading this method at all. Compared with the steam turbine under development and the three-rise steam engine that had been put into production, the paddle steamer was obviously behind the times.
The original purpose of signing the ten-year contract with Crescent Moon Bay was to let the craftsmen adapt to life in the Western Region, so that they would not be willing to return to the Fjords and eventually become a member of Neverwinter, not to prevent the leakage of technology.
Technology without the industrial foundation was nothing more than a beautiful castle in the air.
Thinking of this, Roland knocked on the table. "There's no problem in principle, but we may be able to make some changes in the details, such as changing the ten-year period to five years …"
Speaking of this, the two merchants' faces showed obvious joy. For them, it was naturally a better choice to master the technology of steam ship modification earlier.
"As long as the Shallow Water City and the Sunset Island are willing to keep the craftsmen in the Western Region, I can give you a 20% discount on the price. What do you think?"
"This …"
The two suddenly hesitated. After all, it was not so easy to train craftsmen. They could shorten the ten-year period by hundreds of people and save 2,000 Golden Dragons every year. They were not sure whether this deal was worthwhile at the moment.
"Your Majesty, can I discuss it with the other people of the Chamber of Commerce before giving you an answer?" Nibelung said.
"Of course." Roland made a gesture to let him go.
"Please allow me to leave for the time being." Atiyer followed and left the reception hall.
"So …" He looked at Gammon and Marleen. "The purpose of your trip doesn't seem to be the steamship?"
Just as the two Chambers of Commerce were competing to talk about business, the expression of the representative of Crescent Moon Bay had been very calm. Occasionally, when he spoke, he talked about the past transactions with Border Town. It felt like they were not here to talk about business, but to chat about daily life … This kind of emotional behavior naturally aroused Roland's curiosity.
"No, Your Majesty, we also came for the steamship." Gammon took a sip of white wine. "But not the wooden paddle steamer. Crescent Moon Bay wants an indestructible steel ship that can split the wind and waves — the one you built for Lord Thunder. "
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