บท 48: Reforged Chapter 48: The Pearl Route (Part 1)
Duke was not surprised when the other party volunteered to meet him.
At the beginning of Duke's career as a mage, he was seen as a rising star with unlimited potential. Now, Duke showed signs of evolving from a fleeting comet to a more permanent force in the sky.
The biggest obstacle holding Duke back was the lack of financial support for his magical studies. However, when this restraint was lifted, Duke could become an immeasurable new power in Stormwind City.
His prestigious mage status allowed him to be above the noble forces, but it also meant that he couldn't devote much time to business endeavors.
So when Elizabeth Jones arrived, it was not just to discuss cooperation, but also to establish a deeper connection. Otherwise, she wouldn't have personally traveled to this desolate little island.
"Hello, Jones!" Duke was polite and reserved, neither too enthusiastic nor too distant.
Elizabeth Jones, a graceful woman in her thirties, initially assumed Duke would be easy to deal with due to his age. She quickly realized her mistake.
Duke was not a naive youngster who could be swayed by flattery.
So, Elizabeth decided to treat Duke as an equal and a potential business partner.
In a gentle, ladylike tone, she asked Duke, "May I inquire about the quality, quantity, and acquisition method of your pearls?"
Duke snapped his fingers, and the sound of splashing water echoed from the shore. The sudden appearance of murlocs startled both Jones and the newly hired sailors, who were nearly ready to fight.
It was murlocs, after all!
Their colorful fish-like bodies and strong limbs carried a giant shell towards Duke and Jones, placing it down in front of them. They bowed to Duke before returning to the sea with their peculiar gait.
Duke uttered strange sounds like "Oolagawo," and two arcane-illuminated hands appeared, startling Jones and the sailors once again.
Duke smiled as the mage hand opened the shell.
Under the morning light, the enormous shell filled with dazzling pearls nearly blinded Elizabeth Jones. In her eyes, she could already see countless beautiful and stunning new pearl jewelry designs.
The sailors whispered in awe.
"My goodness! Our employer, Lord Marcus, has actually subdued murlocs?!"
"Those crude, evil creatures that hunt nearby humans?"
Duke raised his hand, and the sailors' whispers abruptly ceased.
"Miss Jones, as you can see, I have studied the murloc language, and through certain means, I have taken control of three murloc tribes along the Northwestern Coast of Westfall. They will continuously collect valuable marine products like pearls, coral, and tortoiseshell for me."
...
Duke turned to the sailors and smiled, "Likewise, any ship with my mage sigil hanging from the bow is absolutely safe in the waters between Stormwind Harbor and here. Murlocs won't attack you; on the contrary, they'll protect you from other marine creatures. Of course, there are always risks at sea, and murlocs can't defend against powerful sea creatures beyond their capabilities."
For a moment, Jones and the sailors were filled with excitement.
Jones seemed reluctant as he picked up one pearl after another, examining them closely before finally breaking into a smile, "Well, Lord Marcus, shall we head back to Stormwind City and discuss further?"
"Sounds good."
Traveling by land from Stormwind City, heading south to Goldshire, then west through Sentinel Hill into Westfall, and finally reaching the northern shores would take a full week.
Traveling by sea, however, was much simpler. Departing from Stormwind Harbor and following the southwestern coastline, it would take only a day.
Waiting was boring, and in fact, in the cramped cabin on the ship, Duke and Elizabeth had basically reached a cooperation agreement.
It was a ten-year contract.
Starting now, Duke would guarantee an annual supply of no fewer than 1,000 pearls to Elizabeth * Jones' jewelry store. As a raw material supplier, Duke would receive 40% of the final sales price of the pearl jewelry, with the selling price to be agreed upon by both parties when Duke delivered the goods.
Upon delivery, Duke would hand over the goods and receive payment.
After Duke delivered the first batch of pearls, Elizabeth would pay an additional 10,000 gold coins to Duke as a signing bonus for obtaining exclusive sales rights to Duke's pearl route.
In the cabin, Elizabeth's attendant offered a toast of fine wine to symbolize their pleasant cooperation. Duke and Elizabeth clinked glasses, a sign of their successful partnership.
"Truth be told, Lord Marcus, I must remind you that I will earn more from this deal than you might think. If you were willing to accept post-sale settlement, with quarterly settlements, you could gain at least twice the wealth you have now."
Duke gently swirled the wine in his glass, allowing the aroma to waft into the air and taking a whiff, "For a merchant, pursuing greater profit is instinct. But I am a mage first and foremost, and only then the master of the pearl route."
"I understand your point. It is because we value different things that we can have such a pleasant cooperation."
"Indeed," Duke's smile was intriguing, "And by buying my pearls outright, you're taking on considerable risk. I can accept a lower price for that."
"Though I feel a bit apologetic, I must say, Lord Marcus, you possess a maturity that belies your age."
Nonsense! I'm a college student at heart...
Despite his inner grumbling, Duke felt a twinge of guilt. He didn't know how long Jones could profit from the pearl business. All he knew was that when the orcs came and Stormwind fell, Jones would likely suffer a significant loss.
Unfortunately, for the sake of Stormwind's future, Amen! Good luck!
With the help of Elizabeth * Jones, Duke's pearls quickly became a favorite among Stormwind's high society, and nearly the entire Stormwind aristocracy knew that Duke * Marcus had a goose that laid golden eggs.
And no one could interfere.
It's not that no noble had tried to get involved in the pearl route.
Their secretly dispatched fishing boats were all attacked by murlocs, suffering heavy casualties. Meanwhile, Duke claimed that those murlocs were not under his control and had nothing to do with him.
And so, Duke, with his enviable fortune, set foot on the steps of the Stormwind Royal Academy of Magic's library.
Faced with the librarian who informed him that there was a fee for copying every spell within the library, Duke simply said, "Please pack them up! I'll take all of the Earth Mage-level spells!"
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