"In that case, the Wood Elves need more ores, ironware, rations, and wood? Hmm … There's also amber. "Ryan listened to the wood elves' requests, then summarized all of them.
"Yes, we need more amber and ores, but the most important thing is still rations and ironware." Forest Lord Dairina was anxious when she saw Laing not relenting. She emphasized, "The price can be negotiated."
Dairina told Laing that the famous Shadow Vile Beasts had appeared in the Azeroth Forest this winter. The Orc army, led by the infamous Sanctuary-realm Orc King "Shadow Vile" Mogul, gathered thousands of Orcs and attempted to approach the Oak of Time, which was also known as the World Tree.
Aisley and the Orcs engaged in a tough battle. Some forest lands changed hands and turned into ashes. The bitter tug-of-war made the Wood Elves suffer. In the cold winter, the Treants and Dryads fell into a deep slumber. The Forest Lord and his wife died in the fire. This was the weakest time of the forest, and the Wood Elves could only rely on themselves.
The large amount of resources obtained from Laing and the exquisite armor made by the Dwarves were put to great use. Even though the Wood Elves were unwilling to admit it, the Wood Elven armor made by Vaal Anvil was far inferior to the exquisite armor and various Rune Weapons made by the Dwarves. The continuous trade of rations ensured that the Wood Elves did not starve to death due to the lack of rations during the winter. It preserved the vitality of the Wood Elves during the tough battle.
Finally, the ice and snow melted, and the creatures were reborn. Forest Lord Ao Laing was finally reborn from the Oak of Time. When he discovered the tragedy of the forest, Ao Laing blew the horn of the Hunter God Kunos.
The Wild Hunt had begun!
After paying a heavy price, the Shadow Vile Beasts were defeated. Shadow Vile Mogul was defeated by the famous Wood Elven hero, Forest Lord Aralos, and escaped with injuries.
The war had ended, leaving behind a large area of decayed forests, countless Orc corpses, and Wood Elves. Even the King of the Forest, Ao Laing, had to admit that trade with the Humans was useful and necessary. Otherwise, Aosley would need 20 to 30 years to recover from the war.
The Lord of the Woodland, Dayrina, had come with the goodwill of the King of the Forest, Laing. She hoped to expand the construction of the trading post in Laing's territory and obtain more urgently needed resources.
Laing thought to himself that the wood elves were a bunch of fellows who didn't know how to farm. They were particular about living in harmony with nature, so it was no wonder they were always short on food and wood. There were almost no ores in the forest, so they were completely dependent on Laing.
Coughing, Laing smiled and said, "Your Excellency Dai Lina, it's not that I don't want to help you, but as you can see, our workshop's output is limited. The orders are all lined up until winter. As for food, I will discuss it with the Duke and think of a way. I have a lot of ores that can satisfy your needs."
"Can't you increase the production?" Dai Lina took a deep breath, and the Woodland Lord said in a negotiating tone, "I understand your difficulties, but the forest really needs enough exquisite armor and weapons made by the Dwarves. The Vaal Anvil Forest was severely damaged by the Shadow Ravens, and the ores in the forest were all depleted a few hundred years ago. There's also a shortage of food. Many of our compatriots are starving, and many places have to ration food."
"Increasing production requires time. Friends of the Forest, we will try our best." Laing nodded and said, "We have always had a pleasant cooperation. Please tell the King of the Forest to give us more time."
"Please don't worry, Your Excellency Laing. Our King also wants me to tell you that you are the only trading partner Aisley has outside the forest. Those greedy and deceitful knights have been completely wiped out by us. Aisley won't believe a single word they say." Dai Lina raised her head proudly.
The Woodland Lord brought hundreds of troops from the forest this time. They escorted the dozens of carriages of dwarven products, food, and ores that were recently ordered and left, leaving behind a large amount of wood elven wine, magical jewelry, exquisite handmade products, precious wood elven medicine, and pottery. Some of these things were snatched up by the merchants of the nearby duchies, and even the southern kingdoms and Empire.
"No wonder Duke Kasvann of Parawon is jealous of me." Laing complained to his steward Kasenberg on the way back, "Just the trade with the wood elves alone can bring me thousands of crowns in tax every year. The wood elven medicine is even more priceless."
Kasenberg put his hands behind his back, straightened his back, and walked half a step behind Laing. His face was full of sincerity and admiration. "The wood elves are isolated from the rest of the world. My Baron, it is your glory and prestige that allowed the wood elves to come out of the forest and trade with us."
"The most important thing is still power, Kasenberg," Laing said with a smile, "Do you think the wood elves didn't want to increase their trade before? It is obvious that they also know that I defeated the Great Demon Nurgle. Power is the only way to measure whether we can increase our trade and cooperation. I first gained their trust, which is very important. Then I showed my power, which is also very important. "
"Indeed, but I believe that this is still related to your personal charm. As far as I know, Sir François also tried to contact the wood elves, but the pointy-eared elves rudely rejected the idea of trade. They insisted that the forest is rich in resources and is self-sufficient. There is no need to trade with the Duke." Kasenberg said seriously, "So I still believe that the Baron is special. Both dwarves and elves are willing to come into contact with the Baron."
"Arrange the things the wood elves need as soon as possible. I remember that Winford has a lot of food. It shouldn't be difficult to trade some with Sir François. It is time for the dwarves' workshop to expand production. Also, about the tower in the castle …" The summer sun was very bright, and Kasenberg was soon sweating. However, Laing was wearing a full set of Baron attire and didn't show any signs of being hot. He gave orders one by one, and the Baron's exuberant energy surprised his subordinates.
"Miss Veronica's Wizard Tower is still laying the foundation. Only the first floor has been built …" Kasenberg took out his booklet and said.
"I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about the tower built in the valley behind the castle." Laing shook his head. In the middle of summer, the air was dry and hot. His lungs felt dry after a few breaths.
"That tower? I'm sorry, my Baron, because you haven't named it yet. " Only then did Kasenberg realize what Laing was talking about. "That tower will be completed in three months at most, but … Can I say something? My Baron? "
"Go ahead." Laing turned around, and the two found a place under the shade of a tree. Along the way, almost all the serfs greeted the Baron with great enthusiasm.
"We've already expended a lot of manpower, resources, and energy to build this tower, but … My baron, you're not a spellcaster. Why did you build such a masterless tower?" Katzenberg finally found an opportunity to ask the question that had been bothering him for a long time.
"The tower will have a master, my dear Kasenberg." Laing's expression didn't change. "What you need to do is to build the tower. After that, it will bring us more benefits than money."
"I understand. Then the tower is not prepared for Miss Teresa?" Kasenberg nodded to show that he understood.
"Yes, it's not prepared for Teresa either." Laing reached out and stroked the bark of the tree. "As long as you know what you are doing."
The benefits that the Lake Fairy's tower could bring to Laing's territory were definitely worth it. Among other things, Laing knew that the high elves' Horus White Tower in Ossouin could bring a lot of benefits to the high elves. The benefits were so great that it made people's hair stand on end.
The crops near the Horus White Tower could ripen six to ten times a year.
Cheating! There was no justice! This was what the Lake Fairy told Laing. At that time, Laing was stunned.
Katzenberg accepted the order and left, leaving Leon alone in the shade to ponder. He was thinking about what he should do in the future. After years of hard work, he was only a baron. If he wanted to be promoted to an earl, he would have to make two great contributions, but he was still a distance away from that.
The road ahead was still very long. No one in the original body had faced so many threats in their childhood. He couldn't destroy the Green Skin, Chaos, and Undead like the Barbarians because he was the guardian of Order. Bloody conquest could please Khorasan and Tzeentch, but it would consume the precious power of mortals.
…
Time passed quickly in the territory. It was early October, and the tower was finally completed.
The tower was built with a total of six floors and about 25 meters tall. Laing didn't care about the cost and strictly followed the Lake Fairy's design plan. The interior of the tower was decorated with the most expensive materials and luxurious furniture. The tower was built in a small valley behind Laing's castle. One could only reach the tower through a corridor that extended from the castle wall. Since the tower was built, the valley had undergone some changes. A large number of trees covered the area, and thick fog rose from the valley, making it difficult for ordinary people to see the whole picture.
Laing listed this area as a forbidden area, and no one was allowed to enter. In fact, ordinary people couldn't enter this place either. They would lose their sense of direction in the thick fog and find themselves back at the same place after circling around. Some unwelcome visitors would disappear forever.
Since the day the tower was built, the serfs of Baron Jean were pleasantly surprised to find that the crops in the fields were growing well. The output had increased by nearly 50%, and the water in the rivers and wells had become clearer. Divine power lingered in the Baron Jean's territory, and the whispers of the Goddess resounded in the hearts of the people.
Many knights and pilgrims of the Holy Grail began to come to the Baron Jean's territory to seek guidance from the Lake Fairy.
The lady was very generous. Even though only a small portion of them had received a reply, they were still overjoyed. Expeditionary knights began to appear in the baron's territory. The baron had to spend a lot of time and effort to receive them.
In early October, Lily's Day, which was the birthday of the Lake Fairy, a grand celebration was held in the Baron Jean's territory to celebrate the glory and faith that the Lake Fairy had brought to the Knight King. Laing opened the warehouse and took out the old grain from the warehouse to let the serfs have a full meal. "Cheer, my people, this is a gift from the Lady!"
"Thank you, Lady! Praise the Lady! " The serfs lined up to receive the food benefits. Among them, there was enough black bread. With the household registration, each person could also receive a sweet biscuit, a glass of cider or ale, and a piece of roast meat.
The serfs' lives were getting better and better. At the same time, Laing constantly emphasized that everything was a gift from the Lady.
The Baron's piety and generosity were almost fanatically loved by the serfs. The court musicians and bards invited from Winford played the lyre and sang the story of Laing. The glory of the Holy Grail made the serfs and the knights who were eager to make a name for themselves drunk.
In the Dark Age, Laing's territory became a pure land.
The celebration of the Lake Fairy's birthday went from morning to afternoon, and then to night. The grand occasion in the town made the Baron very happy. At this time, a big merchant came with even better news.
It was Hadrian, the president of the Luigi Chamber of Commerce. This rich merchant from the Southern Kingdom had completely shifted his business focus to Marlinburg and Laing's territory. Investing in the dwarven workshop made him a lot of money. More importantly, there was a direct outlet for the mines in Hadrian's hands. The internalization of the trade not only greatly reduced the cost of the merchant, but also greatly increased the sales of his goods by cooperating with Laing.
"Happy holidays, my baron. This year's mithril has been shipped here by sea. His Excellency Duke Bordro has been very friendly to us." Hadrian was wearing a brand-new silk suit, and he smiled at Leon.
"Very well. Thank you for coming in person, Mr. Hadrian." Laing shook hands with his business partner. "How's business recently?"
"It's not so good, my Baron." Hadrian looked at the celebrating crowd and smiled bitterly. "Whether it's the Hatchet Pass or Palawon, they're both imposing tariffs on goods from the Empire. The two dukes must be so poor that they only know how to bully poor merchants like us and take away our meager profits."
"It's normal for the tariffs to be high at these two passes. After all, the duchy of Montfort and Palawon are both small and barren. Most of their income depends on tariffs." Laing stood in the air outside the castle, looking at the noisy town. Suddenly, the Baron said with malice, "The two dukes must be feeling bad about being chased by Duke Schultz, right?"
"Hehehe …" Hadrian laughed evilly. "It's not good. At least as far as I know, ever since Duke Schultz found out that Duke Montfort and Duke Palawon were not on good terms with Duke Laing, Duke Schultz sanctioned them. Now, the caravans of Marlin Castle trade more with the duchy of Connet and Bordro by sea instead of land."
"The more they don't travel by land, the lower their income. The lower their income, the more tariffs they have to pay. The higher the tariffs, the less the merchants of Marlin Castle will travel by land. This is a vicious cycle." Laing nodded. The Baron was also thinking about the consequences. If this continued, the biggest possibility would be war.
Marlin Castle was under the protection of the Empire. Laing did not want to see a civil war between humans, but sometimes it was necessary to show off one's strength.
"Laing, my champion." The Baron was still thinking about the cause and effect when the voice of the Goddess of the Lake suddenly sounded in his mind. "Come to me, come to my tower."
"My Lady?"
"Yes, my champion, Laing. Today is my birthday. Come, come to my tower." The Goddess of the Lake's gentle voice continued to whisper in Laing's mind. "My champion, come here."
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