Pioneer Lord: A Leisurely Imperial Life

Chapter 313 Expanding the Land

Chapter 317 Expanding the Land

Should we get the royal families of both empires to take action?

Earl of Hanhai shook his head and rejected the proposal without even thinking about it.

He stared at Richard and said, "I've already interrogated them and found out that the Holy War Alliance has several contact points in your eastern territory. It's definitely easier for you to investigate than for me."

"If you join forces with me to investigate these people, both our families can claim credit with their respective royal families. What do you think?"

Richard understood.

The act of a kind-hearted lord reporting clues about a criminal gang to the empire is different from directly controlling or possessing some of the criminal facts.

It seems that even if this guy isn't a close confidant of the Demon Spirit Royal Family, he's at least a royalist, just like Benlang.

Indeed, if a lord wants to continue to advance in rank or receive generous rewards from the royal family, he must perform great deeds.

but...

"I'm sorry, Your Excellency, but I only want to do business and don't want to get involved in your affairs with the Holy War Alliance."

To achieve great merit?

Is this guy scared out of his wits?

He disguised himself as an adventurer to negotiate a deal at Hanhai Fortress because he didn't want to be too high-profile and attract Xingchen's attention. The other party even encouraged him to make a contribution.

impossible!

Earl of Hanhai was completely speechless.

This guy in front of me is so young, yet he has no interest in military achievements and only cares about that grain business. What is he thinking?

He asked helplessly, "Besides money, isn't there anything else you want?"

Richard smiled.

"Of course, for example, titles of nobility!"

If I have the chance in the future, I should raise my rank, at least to the rank of Marquis, so that when I see Earl of Benlang again, I can let him pay his respects first.

Ah!

Upon hearing Richard's words, Earl of Hanhai's eyes lit up!

That's right!

Everyone wants money, but as lords, there is something that will tempt them even more than money: honor!

Family or personal honor is something that money can't buy. Thinking of this, Earl Han Hai burst into laughter!

"How about this? If you're willing to help me, I can grant you an honorary title from the Demon Spirit Empire!"

Richard was suddenly startled!

Honorary title!?

Generous crab gift!

If I had known they were willing to offer such terms, why would I have bothered trying to acquire Hanshan Territory in the first place?

Just come to the Demon Spirit and find the Vast Ocean to get a piece of trash enclave!

Honorary titles were specifically granted to other empire lords. There was no lord-vassal relationship between them; they only represented a strong friendship between the lord and a high-ranking noble in the empire.

The key point is that honorary titles are also formal titles, only without fiefs. But once you have a title, getting a fief is easy.

pity...

"I'm sorry!" Richard shook his head firmly. "Like I said, I only want to make money, I don't care about anything else."

""

Earl of Hanhai could no longer hold back!

It's all about making money again!

He really wanted to bury this camel-like guy in gold coins!

He took a deep breath and forced the air that was rising in his throat back down.

"Fine, fine!" he said through gritted teeth, his tone impatient. "Then let's talk about food cooperation, is that alright?"

He figured it out; this guy really had nothing to do with the Holy War Alliance.

But this guy's combat power is terrifying.

Not only can it crush Lan Yue-level extraordinary beings, but it is also extremely stealthy and can even ignore magic-blocking arrays, making it comparable to a Saint-level expert.

Although he didn't know how the other person had managed to do that, he really didn't want to lose contact with them.

Even if you can't convince them to join you in fighting the Holy War Alliance, don't let them win you over. After all, he's in the Eastern Territory and could easily run into those guys.

unexpectedly...

Richard raised an eyebrow: "Cooperation? Didn't our talks fall apart?"

I don't want to play with you anymore!

These words made Earl Hanhai lose face.

He could now strongly sense the other party's sincerity in wanting to cooperate commercially, but it was his initial tacit approval of the Chief of the Guard's proposal to interrogate the other party that undermined the foundation of cooperation.

We drank that glass of wine, and the other party promised compensation, so the matter of the Guard Commander is considered closed, but we really couldn't reach an agreement on cooperation.

Why would anyone still do business with him now?

Earl of the Vast Ocean was truly at his wit's end.

Just as he was about to ask the young man if he was married, Richard suddenly laughed and said, "Actually, it's not that we can't cooperate, but you have to grant me an honorary title, as compensation from Hanhai Fortress for my sincerity, how about that?"

"If you're unwilling, I can try to cooperate with the Swamp Territory. As far as I know, the Swamp Family runs a large trading company, and they would certainly be happy to participate in the grain cooperation."

Although he already had the Crimson Sand Territory, he still really wanted the title of Demon Spirit, so that he could openly buy land here and set up a few teleportation points.

The count stared at him for a long while, then slowly nodded.

"Sure, but I need to know your true identity. Honorary titles aren't given out casually. I need to know who I'm dealing with."

""

Richard nodded as well.

Honorary titles require reporting to the royal family and are tied to one's family; moreover, once a business deal is finalized, one must indeed reveal their identity.

He straightened his robes and gave Earl Hanhai a standard noble salute.

"Richard Chiffon, hereditary viscount of the Star Empire, lord of Chiffon and the Rock Forest, owner of the Crimson Sand Territory, greets Your Excellency the Earl."

Earl of Hanhai was taken aback: "Chiffon? Never heard of it."

Such a remarkable person actually comes from an obscure place?

"You'll hear about it soon enough."

"Alright."

The other party's secrets were like thorns in the desert, and he no longer wanted to dwell on them, as long as it was beneficial to Han Hai.

Count Hanhai then led Richard to the study inside the castle.

The study was small, with a long table, two chairs, and a map of the Western Realm of Demon Spirits hanging on the wall.

The count sat down at one side of the table, gestured to the chair opposite him, and indicated that Richard should sit down.

What followed was a lengthy discussion of the transaction details, lasting several hours, with the count's butler taking notes as the two agreed on each item.

The deal was finalized:

Wheat: 30 million kilograms, at a price of one copper coin.

Finely milled wheat flour: 10 million kilograms, priced at two copper coins per unit.

Various jams: 300,000 bottles, each priced at ten copper coins.

Various pickled vegetables: 500,000 bottles, each priced at nine copper coins.

Fruit juice and wine: 100,000 bottles, 15 copper coins each.

Various spices: one million kilograms, at a price of fifty copper coins per spice.

Cooking oil: 500,000 bottles, 80 copper coins per bottle.

Mysterious Syrup: 1,000 jars, 30 silver coins each.

Magic Dust: 100 cans, 30 silver coins each.

A total of 15230 gold coins were converted!

If Chiffon Shop were to sell it at normal prices gradually, it would definitely be worth more than this.

For example, the jam comes in four flavors: lemon, blueberry, apple, and peach. The lemon and peach flavors are definitely more expensive than the apple and blueberry flavors.

Spices are the same; garlic, ginger, and spices like rosemary and thyme are sold together, with prices averaged out.

After all, Richard had to rely on the vast ocean to process the iridium garlic and ginger he wanted.

The count's eyelid twitched.

Although this place is a desert, the Vast Ocean Territory is a wealthy territory with several rare magical mines. Every year, it can earn thousands of gold coins just from selling the mines.

Taking out more than 15,000 yuan at once still made him feel the pinch.

But as painful as it was, he could still make the right choice.

Once the grain is in hand, it is sold directly to secondary wholesalers, who then distribute it to merchants in various territories of the Western Demon Realm.

There are people making money at every level, but the one who makes the most money is definitely the one at the source. Conservatively speaking, the profit can at least double!

Once we recoup some funds, we can continue to purchase more food from this guy.

After reaching an agreement, the two signed their names on the contract and affixed their family crests and gold seals, officially concluding the business agreement.

The count put away the contract, took out a piece of parchment with gold lettering from the drawer, quickly wrote it down, and pushed it in front of Richard.

"Just sign and stamp it, I'll have someone submit it, and it'll be approved within a month, then sent to your Starry Sky Royal Family."

Richard picked up the parchment and read it from beginning to end.

The content is simple: Viscount Richard Chiffon of the Star Empire, for his outstanding achievements, is hereby granted an honorary title by the Demon Spirit Empire as a sign of friendship between the two nations.

He had no fiefdom, no lordship, it was just a title, but that wasn't what Richard valued.

"My lord, besides hoping you can delay the report, I have another small request." Richard put down the parchment.

"explain."

"Although honorary titles don't come with land, could you grant me a piece of land in the Scorching Desert, land that even ghosts wouldn't want?"

The Scorching Desert is part of the Vast Sea Territory. Like the Chaotic Stone Forest, it is large but lacks water, making it unsuitable for cultivation.

Earl Hanhai asked, puzzled, "What do you need that place for?"

Richard laughed and said, "I plan to build a road in the future. After all, the desert is too hot, and I hope to provide caravans with a good transportation environment."

Earl of Hanhai thought for a moment, then drew out an area on the map, stretching from the east of Chisha Territory all the way to the west of Hanhai Territory.

A thin, straight line, less than five kilometers wide but over a hundred kilometers long, represents the distance between the two territories.

"No one wants the soldiers assigned to me in this place where there is no water. You can take it if you want."

If there were any development value, or if there were mineral resources underneath, there would be no activity until now.

Richard glanced at it and smiled.

"Thank you, Your Excellency."

【Congratulations!】

You have obtained a lifetime honorary title from the Demon Spirit Empire and acquired ownership of a portion of the Scorching Desert. Your farm area has increased by 582 square kilometers.

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