CHAPTER 524: CHAPTER 502: NOT ONLY A COMMON ENEMY BUT ALSO SHARED INTERESTS

Louise walked into the tea room on the second floor and immediately noticed the dark-haired Kush youth with wheat-colored skin.

He looked about 1.7 meters tall, or perhaps shorter, because he wore thick-soled boots.

Standing by the window, this Saint’s Grandson Demon, renowned across the Thousand River Valley, was holding a filigree wave-patterned copper cup, dressed in a simple and unadorned half-cape priest’s robe, with a faint smile playing on his lips.

On the walnut wooden stool opposite him sat an elderly man, large-boned and white-haired, whom Louise had seen before beside Juanuo.

This should be Dean Ludvik.

When Louise saw Horn, Horn noticed Louise at the same time.

No matter how thick-skinned Horn was, he felt a bit awkward at that moment, as Louise’s identity was not just a business partner but also Jia Li’s mother.

Who would have thought this petite little girl was Jia Li’s mother?

How did such a little thing give birth to something so big?

Thinking of Jia Li’s tall stature and childish nature, and this little one’s child-like body with a mature mindset, it somehow started to make sense to him.

At the very least, Horn could be sure that Jia Li’s father was definitely not ordinary.

As Horn turned his head, Louise was the first to speak: "The timing is just right, since we plan to form an alliance, why don’t we discuss it now instead of dragging it out?"

"Now?" Horn was a bit taken aback; he did plan to settle the core disputes today, but that should have been after the dinner when there was sufficient time.

"You don’t want to put off discussing this until tomorrow’s meeting when so many people are present, right?" Louise leaned against the chair and sat on it, swinging her little legs in the air.

"Our common enemy is the Church, so we unite..." Horn was caught off guard and reflexively started spouting nonsense.

"We’ve heard enough clichés; what do you need? What can we provide? That’s what I want to hear."

Louise stood on the chair with an air of seniority, patting Horn on the shoulder: "Don’t be nervous, even though you and Jia Li... but we can discuss as equals, separately."

Horn glanced at Ludvik, who shrugged, indifferent.

Smoothing his hair, Horn put down the wine glass and simply dragged a chair over, bringing forward the conversation that was initially planned for after the dinner.

Collecting his thoughts, he first spoke to Ludvik:

"Dean Ludvik, have you ever wondered why people in Kasha County, despite being so oppressed, still insist on not falling out with the Church?"

"It’s because the Church is deeply rooted, and people can’t easily forget that tradition," Ludvik explained.

"That’s part of it, but fundamentally, it’s because the material basis is at play," Horn countered. "Dean Ludvik, let me ask you, Kasha County is a major agricultural county, mainly producing orchards, crops, and livestock. Am I right?"

Ludvik hesitated for a moment and then nodded.

"Your supporters are all small and affluent farmers, self-cultivators, and knight lords. Kasha County’s industry and commerce are not developed, primarily relying on agricultural output..."

Horn began analyzing for Ludvik.

Kasha County is different from Langsande County and Hotam County; it doesn’t have a large population, so the per capita land area isn’t small.

Due to the underdeveloped industry and commerce, with only Xiaochi City as a city, the industrial and commercial population isn’t much.

The agricultural products cannot be self-consumed and must be sold outside in exchange for necessary living supplies.

"Why was the Juanist Faction able to thrive in Kasha County?"

"It’s because Kasha County borders Falan and can sell grain and agricultural products to Falan, without completely relying on the Thousand River Valley Church."

"Why have your supporters suddenly stood by the Church, opposing a win-win combination?"

"It’s because the Falans can’t consume all of Kasha County’s grain output."

"If they fall out with the Church and other nobles in the Thousand River Valley, no one will buy their grain, and they won’t be able to buy enough living supplies, making it impossible to profit."

"They are afraid of truly angering the Church and fear falling in social status, which is why they oppose our union."

"Kasha County is hesitant and ambivalent because the internal interests are in constant tug-of-war."

Speaking until his mouth was dry, Horn took a sip of the red tea on the table before asking, "What do you think of what I said?"

"Of course, it is correct; we can all realize it, but how do we solve it?" For the first time, Ludvik opened his eyes, flashing an alarming brilliance.

Yet Horn showed no sign of fear. He drew a simple map on the table, marking the positions of Joan of Arc Castle, Red Copper Fortress, and Black Snake Bay.

"The solution is simple; what the Falans can’t consume can be transported to Black Snake Bay, right?" Pointing to the drawn map on the table, Horn heavily tapped twice on the position of the Red Copper Fortress.

"Black Snake Bay is nearly twice the size of the Thousand River Valley and has always had a big demand for grain, but previously there was the blockade of the Red Copper Fortress and the Church, so it always relied on smuggling.

Now that we’ve captured the Red Copper Fortress, the shipping route from Joan of Arc Castle to Black Snake Bay is unobstructed.

Through the Ibe River, grain from Langsande County and Kasha County can continuously flow into Black Snake Bay.

I can guarantee that Black Snake Bay’s market can absolutely consume the grain output of both our regions."

However, Louise skeptically asked, "But Black Snake Bay doesn’t have surplus gold pounds, does it? If grain is transported there, what will it be exchanged for?"

That was a big issue. The grain from Kasha County sold outside could be exchanged for gold pounds, but what could it be exchanged for if transported to Black Snake Bay?

"Who said you have no gold? You not only have it but also two types: one black gold and one white gold." With a snap of his fingers, the maid beside him brought out two silver trays from behind the curtain.

One was filled with black powder and the other with white powder.

"Pepper? Spices!" Louise instantly recognized the black powder, immediately thinking of Black Snake Bay’s specialty spices.

Spices are not just materials for making perfumes, but pepper, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg...

In this era of scarce condiments, these spices are almost equivalent to gold.

The Clove Corridor in the southern Falan Kingdom was originally just a barren land but rose to prominence through the trade of cloves.

This way, the grain yield of Langsande County and Kasha County is transported to Black Snake Bay to be exchanged for local spices, which are then sold to the Falan Kingdom through Kasha County.

Spices are not like the ubiquitous grain; within the Empire, they are undoubtedly a seller’s market in short supply.

Horn not only had access to official trade routes to the Falan Kingdom, which could offer more advantages, but they could even establish a Black Snake Bay Spice Company in the future.

By relying on issuing stocks and securities transactions to raise funds, early industrialization in Langsande County could be achieved.

"That might be a bit difficult." Louise instinctively patted her waist and thigh, realizing she hadn’t brought cigarette leaves or a pipe, clicked her tongue, "The spice trade has quotas within the Secret Faction, and right now, it’s controlled by a few southern Secret Factions."

"Isn’t resolving the grain issue one of the most important agendas for Black Snake Bay?" Ludvik, seeing the future potential, held firm too, "We’re not smuggling; we have shipping, and the distance is so close. Surely, there will be more grain than them."

"Use political correctness to pressure them. If they don’t want to hand over the quota, they’re essentially letting the brothers in Black Snake Bay starve," Horn suggested, "To make it more damaging to their reputation, you could question why the same spices can be exchanged for more grain with you, but they face famine."

Where did the missing grain go? Was it embezzled? Over the years, so many people have starved and died, what do they think?

We can also cooperate from this side, lowering grain prices, operating at a loss, first shattering their credibility, then acquiring and merging them..."

"Stop, stop, are you trying to watch Black Snake Bay descend into civil war?" Louise knocked on the table, stopping Horn’s idea, "Transferring quotas takes time and can’t swallow the grain of Kasha County all at once."

Horn and Ludvik exchanged glances, then sat back down at their seats.

"Hmm..." Horn pondered for a while, "Actually, we can provide loans and guarantee payments, but it won’t solve everything..."

"Don’t you still have the white gold? Where is the white gold? We don’t have anything like that here."

Louise extended her delicate fingers, pinching a small amount from the silver tray and rubbing it, causing an even finer powder to fall from her fingertips.

Sweat dripped down Horn’s forehead.

No wonder they say they approach witches physically; she looks small, but her physical strength is genuinely formidable.

"Try tasting it."

Seeing Louise’s skeptical gaze, Horn had to pinch a bit himself, sprinkle it into his mouth, and swallow it.

Only then did Louise place a little on her tongue and taste it, and the next second, her eyes lit up immediately.

"What is this?"