The witch thought I am a Demon God
Chapter 382 - 235 Purchase of Ships and Turin Law_2

Chapter 382: Chapter 235 Purchase of Ships and Turin Law_2

Just like the children beneath the Ravenna Church, the children here can merrily run and frolic in the streets, not returning home unless they’ve had the fun of getting themselves completely dirty and being scolded by their parents.

However, unlike the church-educated children who adore books, these children prefer social interactions and delight more in kites and pinwheels bought from street vendors.

One child even tossed his paper airplane, and under the expectant watch of his companions, it soared towards the ships in the Bohr River, circling several times and flying over several vessels, finally falling towards Ivita.

With a flick of his hand, Ivita produced a magical force of gravity to draw the paper airplane towards him. Even though magic was suppressed to a certain degree here, a task at this level was still something he could accomplish.

Ivita casually tossed the paper airplane again. It spiraled in mid-air and astonishingly landed on the head of an official who was beside the shore explaining the grand history of the Republic of Belisarius to newcomers.

The official felt his head and then turned to see Ivita. Instead of getting angry, he smiled at Ivita.

"Welcome to Belisarius!" he exclaimed.

On board the ship, Ivita asked, "So we’re to set off from this town? We recruit our captain and sailors, buy the ship, and go straight to Cross Island?"

"Yes," Tartax confirmed to Ivita, "If it’s for setting sail, this town would suffice."

"There is no need for a grand capital city."

"The populace of this town could perhaps surpass three hundred thousand."

At this, Ivita raised an eyebrow. The Hearthstone Witch and the other professionals also expressed surprise, while the ordinary people like the ship’s carpenter and cook didn’t pay much attention to this fact.

The Hearthstone Witch remarked, "It truly lives up to the reputation of a Republic with kingdom-level power."

"One of the models amongst the Three Republics, its name isn’t undeserved."

Tartax explained, "Allow me to introduce the Republic of Belisarius. Its homeland possesses a total area of only 33,000 square kilometers, which isn’t vast—just a fraction larger than the territories of Viscount Ambros’s Independent Country. But with both its permanent and floating populations, it amazingly has more than 15 million inhabitants!"

"Its population and number of professionals significantly exceed those of Ambros."

"And this doesn’t even include the population of Belisarius’s overseas territories and the sailors who spend years on sea. Some captains and sailors may have drifted away for decades without ever returning home unless their nation encounters difficulties and the National Big Bank issues a conscription order."

"The Republic of Belisarius possesses a tremendous amount of overseas territory, the area of which they can’t even keep track of. Most of it is seized or purchased. The aristocrats here are all wealthy merchants, and only the aristocrats have voting rights. Yet, these aristocratic merchants would rather organize a fleet to conquer overseas territories than willingly pay taxes to their supreme administrative and fiscal institution—the National Big Bank."

Ivita, sitting at the bow of the ship, raised an eyebrow at Tartax, "I thought a bank that owns a kingdom can easily collect taxes."

Tartax laughed, "Let me tell you a true story."

"Once, the National Big Bank of Belisarius ordered the aristocratic merchants within the Republic to check their business accounts, demanding them to make a one-time payment of several years’ owed commercial taxes."

"Yet, over the next half year, these merchants took out their family fortunes, and then assembled a fleet made up of a thousand warships and hired over twenty thousand mercenaries to seize an island occupied by the Selzhu Rome Empire, which worships the God of All Beasts."

"Having taken that island of 13,000 square kilometers into their control, they then sold the island along with the its sovereignty to the National Big Bank in a bundle so as to offset the commercial taxes they had been dodging before."

Laughing bitterly, Tartax explained, "Such is the merchant of the Republic. This Republic is different from the Florcana Republic and the Aristocratic Commercial Republic. They allow their merchants to monopolize businesses, so most of the merchants are true capitalists in the full sense."

"They are highly invasive and action-oriented."

All the professionals on the ship frowned, not having expected the merchants of Belisarius to be so ruthless.

They would rather risk their family wealth to wage a war and seize resources, than pay their taxes.

Impressed, the Hearthstone Witch sincerely admired, "This is a truly free world where the Wolf Kings fairly cooperate in pillaging everything, the weak are eliminated, and the strong are rewarded."

Ivita began to think, catching some useful information from Tartax’s conversation. "So, the aristocrats of the Republic of Belisarius are the major merchants. How many of them there are?"

Tartax thought for a moment. "The figure published last year was over three hundred and thirty thousand."

"Since one must have several fleets and a certain amount of wealth to be called an aristocrat, many fallen merchant families are forced to lose their aristocratic status."

"In other words, we have come to a world which values money and freedom above all."

"The good thing is, in order to preserve their crucial commercial hub’s atmosphere, they greatly prioritize order."

Tartax said, "The court system here is very developed, settling disputes with fists costs far more than settling them in the court."

"Murder is wanted here."

"Theft is considered as terrible as murder."

Ivita nodded, "You’re more familiar with this place than we are. You should lead us to where we can buy a ship and recruit a captain."

Tartax asked Ivita, "Are we going to buy a brand new ship or one sold second-hand?"

Ivita thought for a moment, knocking the side of their small boat with his finger. "What are the pros and cons of each?"

Tartax explained, "The price of a used ship would likely be half that of a new one. Although it’s cheaper, we lack the expertise and could be easily deceived. Some people have even sunk during storms due to rot in the second-hand ship’s keel."

Upon hearing this, Ivita immediately declared, "Then let us buy a new ship. We’re all new to sailing, there is no need to test ourselves in unfamiliar areas."

Tartax nodded, suggesting, "I recommend that you purchase a twin-mast caravel ship."

"Pirates prefer this type of ship for its speed and safety. It also carries a good load, which makes it popular with merchants."

"Most importantly, it can carry about eight 13-pound cannons."

Ivita turned towards Tartax in surprise, asking, "Cannons?"

"Is it possible that pirates and this Republic are armed with cannons? Why doesn’t Ambros have any?"

Tartax looked at Ivita in confusion, "Gunpowder weapons are a technology of the Republic of Belisarius, Florcana Republic and the Aristocratic Commercial Republic. They have always constrained its proliferation, and even though they deal with cannons, they are sold at a high price in limited quantity."

"Ambros could hardly afford it, and doesn’t need it either."

"As for the pirates, their cannons are plundered."

Ivita fell silent upon this, which was normal because cannons started to become popular during the peak of the medieval era, only that firearm technology did not.

The knight class in this world is so strong, it’s not something that mere gunpowder weapons can eliminate. Because of this, the various countries in the Magic Black Forest simply have no need to purchase large quantities of firearms.

However, at sea, since everyone is confined to ships, bombarding the enemy’s ship with cannons could be very advantageous.

Presumably, this is why the Three Republics held so firmly to cannon technology.

Ivita told the group, "Tartax, you take the Georunner and the two hunters to buy a ship."

"Be careful with thieves and don’t let someone rob you."

"Hearthstone Witch and I, along with the others, will recruit the captain and sailors."