King
Chapter 900 - 900 93 Big Deal

900: Chapter 93, Big Deal 900: Chapter 93, Big Deal Mountain Domain, with ship after ship of immigrants arriving, the previously inconspicuous “Bear Port” also started bustling with activity.

Behind every peculiar name, there is often a legendary tale.

“Bear Port” is located at the mouth of the Great Canal, earning its name because a bear contributed significantly to the digging of the canal.

“Captain Gul, what business do you have with me?”

As he sized up the visitor, Jose had an ominous premonition.

As an important partner of the domain, in recent days, Gul’s fleet had helped transport tens of thousands of immigrants.

For the Mountain Domain, where land abounded but people were scarce, population was the most precious wealth.

An influx of tens of thousands of immigrants meant that the domain could cultivate an additional several hundred thousand acres of fertile land.

On the Continent of Aslante, there was no crisis of aging, and Mountain Domain was not short of livestock.

Even if the proportion of young and strong men among the immigrants was low, halving the figures still represented substantial wealth.

“Mr.

Jose, it is said that the Church Fleet will soon enter the southeastern coast, so the seas will likely not be calm in the near future.

For the safety of the fleet and to be responsible for our clients, in the upcoming period we need to observe the situation.

Regarding the transport mission, you may choose to postpone or terminate the contract.

The penalties can be deducted from the subsequent payments of this transportation.”

Captain Gul said, wincing with distress.

The transport missions for Mountain Domain were not lucrative, accepting this job was mainly under the flag of Master Hudson, ensuring unobstructed passage through Alpha Kingdom’s waters, without unnecessary trouble from short-sighted individuals.

Transporting immigrants might not be very profitable, but the ships were empty when heading to New Harbor.

At this moment, the grasslands were short of various strategic materials, and carrying any goods there would yield a handsome return.

One transport mission could reap profits twice over – a definite win.

Alas, plans cannot keep up with changes; the Church Fleet had sailed north.

To survive on the high seas, one must keep their eyes wide open.

The disputes between Alpha Kingdom and the Clergy were not for minor figures like them to meddle in.

Getting involved carelessly would only result in total annihilation.

After a slight hesitation, Jose nodded and said, “Then let’s postpone!

Forget the penalty fees, the Church Fleet’s northern advance is beyond our control.

We can continue with the contract once the situation stabilizes.”

Cooperation is not a one-time affair; they cannot push things to an extreme.

Maritime transport might seem extremely profitable, but the risks involved are equally substantial, leading to the possibility of complete loss.

For fleets under the command of Major Nobles, there were far fewer tolls along the way, and safety was more secure, making the profits truly substantial.

For grassroots fleets like Gul’s, their daily operations were akin to walking on a knife’s edge.

A significant portion of the immense profits was used for bribes and smoothing relations.

The inability to sail for some time exerted significant pressure on the fleet since maintenance costs for the ships and daily bribes were unavoidable expenses.

After all, it was their Lord who had caused the issue, with others merely suffering undeserved calamity.

Being too calculative at this point would place them at a disadvantage.

“Thank you, Mr.

Jose, for your understanding.

Rest assured that as soon as the situation stabilizes, the fleet will complete the task at the earliest possible time!”

Captain Gul hastily promised.

Do business with Noble Lords is difficult, especially when facing Major Nobles with real power, who could force one to fulfill contracts, leaving no choice but to take risks at sea.

Waiving even the penalty fees; this was a clear gesture of consideration.

“There’s no need for formalities, Captain Gul.

I need to report this matter to Count.

I won’t hold you up any longer,” Jose said politely.

Being a steward is not easy – a myriad of trivial matters abound.

Especially with a large influx of refugees, administrative pressure increased significantly.

The Mountain Domain originally had a population of only three hundred and forty thousand, and in the recent period, almost seventy thousand refugees had been brought in, increasing the population by more than twenty percent.

Pausing the intake of refugees granted a respite to the lordship’s bureaucratic system.

Fortunately, Hudson had the foresight; before the war broke out on the continent, he began stockpiling food in large quantities.

When the war erupted, he seized the opportunity to sweep goods off the market while others had yet to react.

Regretfully, despite all efforts, they were still far from the final goal of one million tons.

As of now, the domain’s total food reserves were only six hundred and seventy thousand tons.

Although that seems like a large number, the consumption needs of the people, horses, and livestock of the domain cannot be ignored!

If a million immigrants surged in suddenly, the stockpile could be depleted within a year or two.

Of course, the domain was also generating its own sustenance.

With the current total food production of Mountain Domain, sustaining the consumption of four hundred and ten thousand individuals was certainly manageable.

Everything happened as Jose had anticipated, and in the following days, he received a succession of notices from various shipowners to suspend transportation.

The Church Fleet was still en route, yet it had already caused a significant impact on the development of Mountain Domain.

The southeastern coastal provinces, too, encountered trouble; almost overnight, sea trade was on the brink of extinction.

Cutting off one’s livelihood is akin to slaying a person’s parents.

Even the formidable Clergy could not be tolerated with such acts.

Driven by common interests, a large net was covertly spreading along the coast of Alpha Kingdom, targeting the Church Fleet.

…

Within the Capital, having received the news from his domain, Hudson could not help but mutter curses towards the higher echelons of the Clergy.

The current immigrant activity was essentially clandestine, strictly out of public view.