On the way back to the warehouse from the guild hall, Art had a gloomy look on his face. Felix followed Art around with five selected caravan guards without saying a word.
Back at the warehouse, Salt and Ravenkenem were pacing back and forth in the warehouse courtyard. When Art came in, they gathered around to ask about the outcome of the meeting with the guild leader.
"Failed, the guild still does not allow us to sell southern goods in Lucerne for a long time, but under the pressure of the bishop, they are willing to buy the fifteen carts of goods we brought this time at a price." Art said to the several stewards who gathered around as he walked into the warehouse guest room.
"Is there no other way?" Salt frowned.
"I finally understand. The root of all this lies in the Dean family. The Dean family has completely controlled the eastern southern goods trade transportation route of the Count of Burgundy in recent years. Their power has been deeply embedded in every land of the eastern trade. As long as the Dean family says a word, the entire eastern southern goods market will lose a large amount of supply, so no city The southern goods guilds dare to offend the Dean family easily. This is why we are suppressed by the guilds. The Dean family has long given orders to the guilds along the way to control us. "
"How powerful is the Dean family?" After all, Salter is just a small businessman in the south of Provence, and he doesn't know much about the situation in the north.
Kenem is a businessman born and raised in the Earl of Burgundy. He knows the strength of the Dean family better than others. "Manager Salt, the Dean family has been engaged in southern goods trade fifty years ago. Their influence spreads all over the Earl of Burgundy, even in the western region of the Earl of Burgundy. Due to their influence, Baron Galvin's southern goods trade in the Western Region has been frequently harassed by the Dean family over the years. However, Baron Galvin is a noble after all, and the Eastern Front is the "golden river" for southern goods, so the Dean family has never openly invaded the southern goods market in the Western Territory. ”
As he said that, several people had already walked into the guest room. Art sat on an armchair and told the few attendants and stewards around him: "This trip to the north is considered a failure. But I have also found the source and breakthrough point of the problem. In a few days, I will return to the south and start counterattack."
Everyone didn’t know what the “countermeasure” in Art’s words was, but they didn’t ask in detail.
Matt continued: "I will arrange your recent tasks."
Everyone immediately focused on looking at Art.
"Sart, you have two things to do. First, the guild has promised to let go of our batch of southern goods, so you immediately go to various southern goods shops in the city to negotiate the sale of southern goods. Except for the goods left for our own shops, sell all the rest to me. The price will be according to the market price, not less than a copper coin. Second, after the southern goods are sold, You personally take four thousand pfennigs to Besançon to ask for a meeting with Count Baldwin, and deliver the coins to the Count's palace, saying that this is the surplus dividend of my caravan in the first half of the year. You must tactfully inform the Count of the current predicament of the caravan. In addition, I will write a letter to the Count, in which I will ask the Count to increase the number of patrol soldiers under the patrol officer's command."
"After completing these two things, you personally go to a tavern called the Beer Castle next to the church square in Besançon. The owner of that tavern is a friend of the sergeant major. You tell him that we are willing to pay him a monthly salary and hire him to find out the news about the palace for us, especially the palace's reaction to the south in the future... The information he found out will be sent to our shop in Lucesien for further delivery."
"My lord, I will definitely do these things well." Salt replied.
Matt turned his attention to Kenem, the shop steward, and said: "Kenem, the shops in Lucesen City should not encounter big problems. Since the guild has let us go, you should not be harassed there anymore, but now everything must be low-key and do not conflict with people in the guild. In addition, the monthly holy donation to the church cannot be cut off. What is your monthly salary now?"
"Ah, my lord?"
"Let me ask you how much salary Master Galvin originally paid you every month?"
"Seventy pfennigs per month, and all food and lodging are expenses from the public account of the shop."
This salary is also the salary of most shop stewards.
ifier down through your generosity.
"Kenem, do you have a wife and children in Sarpburg?"
"Sir, my wife, son and daughter are all staying in Sarpburg."
"Well, then I'll give you another secret mission."
Kenem listened attentively.
"I want Lucese's shop to be my eyes and ears in the North. From now on, while doing normal business and selling goods, the shop must inquire and collect all kinds of useful information for me. In recent times, you have mainly inquired about the palace's reaction to the south or all news related to us. You will also collect the news from Besancon."
"If it is general news, you collect it and record it in a book. Someone will come to pick it up regularly in the future. If it is urgent news, you send someone to a hotel called the Free Bison in the southern city of Tyniec. In addition, you go to Sir William every month to get a palace newspaper, and send it to the south together with the news collected in the north. The cost of delivering the news will be paid from the public account in the shop, and you just have to keep the account book."
"Okay, sir, I'll do my best."
"Raven, how are you doing with the caravan guard's inspection mission?" Art asked, looking at Raven, the deputy steward of the caravan and captain of the caravan, who was sitting at the end.
"Sir, we have completed the investigation. After investigation, the guards transferred from the army are fine. Most of the remaining caravan guards have innocent identities. There is circumstantial evidence and supporting evidence for this. There are two newly recruited guards whose identities are unknown. I have given them to I gave them a sum of money and dismissed them. "
"Okay, you must check carefully when recruiting guards in the future, and the guards must be strictly monitored. I will also give you a task in the next few days."
Lavin stood up and obeyed the order.
"In the past two days, you have taken a few smarter guards to the mines and construction sites around Lucese to recruit a group of strong miners and laborers, in the name of recruiting caravan guards. You are from the army, so you should be familiar with recruiting new recruits."
"It's my lord." Raven replied loudly.
�
"Sir Art, have you come to see Brother Ron again?" The monk already knew Art.
“Hello Brother Drake, thank you for taking care of my brother, God praises your kindness.” Art saluted the monk who was leaving.
"Saving God's people is what a monk should do, not to mention Sir Art is a friend of Bishop Olof."
At greeted the monk for a few more words, then turned to Felix and ordered: "Felix , you follow Brother Drake to the holy donation deacon of the monastery and bring our offerings to God." Felix took a Holy Cross purse containing five hundred pfennig coins and followed the monk who took care of Ron to hand over the holy donations to Serenkov Monastery. After all, Ron was seriously injured and needed to recuperate in the monastery for a long time. This was Art's feedback to the monastery for taking care of Ron, and he should be more careful in doing things after receiving money.
On the bed in the house, Ron had already heard Art's voice. He opened his eyes and struggled to sit up, but failed several times.
Matt stepped forward quickly and held Ron down to let him lie down.
"Ron, you're really destined to die. I was already thinking about how to explain it to your parents that night, but you just got through it. The deacon of the Holy Medical Clinic in the monastery said that you can't die."
A smile appeared on Ron's pale face.
"This time our trip to the north did not achieve the expected goal. We did not open the Northland Market, but we still sold this batch of goods."
"The group of men in black who assassinated us should be the killers sent by the Dean family. Next, I will go back to the south to counterattack the Dean family."
"You can rest peacefully in the monastery to recuperate. Kenem will come to visit you often. If you need anything, just ask Kenem directly. After your injury is completely healed, Kenem will arrange for you to return south to the valley." After speaking, Art gently opened the cotton bandage on Ron's arm and inspected Ron's injury.
· Art pointed at Jafar who was following behind him, and said to Ron: "This is brother Jafar, he saved us, and he is also protecting my safety during this time."
· Jafar stepped forward and nodded slightly to say hello to Ron, who was lying on the bed, and Ron also moved his head to signal.
"Okay, I'll be going south in a few days. You can rest easy and recover, and I'll wait for your return in the south."
Ron nodded in agreement, with tears twinkling in the corners of his eyes.
………
Three days later, Salt and Raven reported on the past few days in the warehouse room.
"Sir, with the help of Kenem, our goods were sold out in just half a day. Nowadays, there is a huge shortage of southern goods everywhere in the North. As soon as the guild ordered to lift the suppression of us, several southern goods shops came to us and asked to buy southern goods. This batch of southern goods made 43,200 pfennigs, excluding this period. We earned about 38,000 pfennigs from the caravan's own expenses and from providing services to the monasteries, churches, and guild leaders. In addition, we purchased some woolen goods and textiles that are abundant in the North on our return trip, especially grain. There is a huge demand for food in the war in the South, and if we can buy the grain in Provence, we can make a lot of money."
After hearing this, Art nodded and replied: "You can make the final decision on the purchase of goods for the caravan's return journey, but don't forget to purchase a batch of weapons, armor, and fine iron raw materials for casting weapons. In addition, you can take the horse herder to the mule and horse market to see if you can choose a few horses. Military horses suitable for domestication and fighting are better. "
"Okay, sir, I will arrange these things. I will talk about going to Besancon." Salter took out a lacquer-printed book from his arms and presented it to Art.
"This is the document for the expansion of the patrol issued by Lord Earl Baldwin from the Palace Minister of Security. Your achievements in suppressing bandits in the southern border some time ago made the Minister of Security very happy, so the Minister of Security allowed you to expand the patrol to twenty people. However, the palace (acted by Tyniec on behalf of) is only responsible for the armament, food and salary of ten soldiers. You can prepare the rest by yourself. In addition, I took it upon myself to bring a gift of three hundred pfennigs to the Minister of Public Security. Please forgive me.”
"Has Earl Baldwin had anything to say about us and the Dean family?"
Sart hesitated for a moment.
Matt saw Salt's hesitation and said: "It's okay, they are all our own people, and the Jafar brothers are trustworthy."
"The Earl only asked me to bring you one sentence - the Dean family is from Count Bernard's side."
Matt pondered for a moment, "Count Baldwin will secretly support us."
"That's it. You go to the city today to buy goods for the return trip, and we will start our return trip at noon tomorrow."
Lavin was the only one left in the room, and Art asked: "How is the recruitment going?"
"Sir, we spent two days visiting several mines and places where laborers gather around Lucesien, and recruited eight miners and twelve laborers. These people are basically alone, young and healthy, and have no burdens. Moreover, I have inquired about the details in detail when recruiting. They should all be reliable people."
"Why are there only eight miners?"
"Sir, miners are not as hardworking as workers. Most of the miners in the mines are slaves. The mine owners will not let the slaves be poached at will, let alone the young ones. And most of the free miners have families, so we only recruited eight."
"Yes! Sir, do you want to give these newly recruited young men some sticks and wooden spears as self-defense weapons?"
"Yes, each person will be given a stick for competition training, and then go to the city's competition ground to buy the eliminated ones."
"Yes, I'll do it right away."
At finished his instructions, he walked out of the guest room and went to the courtyard to find Felix and Jafar. "You two accompany me to the church. I want to say goodbye to Bishop Olof in person."
………
The twelfth day after arriving in Lucese, at the gate of the southern city.
"Brother Jafar, thank you for accompanying me as a guard during this period. If you want to join my army in the future, don't forget to come to me in Tyniec County. You can also wait for my bodyguard Ron to recover from his injury and go south together." Art said to Jafar who was bidding farewell at the city gate.
Jafar held a bulging money bag in his hand and stared at Art, "Sir Art, you are a good lord, I will go find you."
Okay, this is An agreement between you and me."
After saying this, Art got on his horse and took Felix, the caravan, and twenty newly recruited young men to escort more than a dozen carriages full of grain supplies and weapons and equipment, and embarked on the trade road back to the south...