บท 235: Merchant Ships

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

Before His Majesty the King's opinion had even arrived, the two major factions in the northwest bay couldn't wait to take action.

One of the Kent family's vassal territories, Biddeburg, was wedged right between the lands of Earl Melken and Viscount Johnston, making it an obvious target for the Anti-Kent Alliance. After formally breaking ties, the Melken and Johnston families immediately sent troops to besiege Biddeburg.

However, Biddeburg's defenses were incredibly robust, and the two families found it difficult to make headway. According to gathered intelligence, the Kent family had quickly assembled reinforcements and was rushing to the area.

Earl Parker promptly wrote to the other lords in the alliance, urging them to support the Melken and Johnston families at Biddeburg immediately.

...

"Biddeburg's lord is related to the Kent family by marriage, and Maltz Kent will undoubtedly send heavy troops to lift the siege. Our intelligence confirms this. We must seize this opportunity to engage them in a decisive battle at Biddeburg... to eliminate a significant portion of their forces... this will aid our side in controlling the future situation..."

Chief Secretary Bernard stood holding a letter, reading its contents in a clear voice. Opposite him sat Paul Grayman.

"This area's position is crucial. If it remains under the Kent family's control, they could use it as a springboard to invade the land between Biddeburg and the coastal bay, splitting our forces."

Hearing this, Paul's brows furrowed deeply.

The Chief Secretary continued reading: "Based on the known size of the enemy forces, I request that the Grayman and Garnard families immediately dispatch at least 1,000 soldiers to Biddeburg to join forces with other families and defeat the enemy."

"May God bless us!... That concludes it, my lord. The letter is signed by Earl Pryce Parker, and it appears to be written by him personally. Do you need to read it yourself?"

Paul rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. "No need, Bernard. Just put the letter away for now."

He disliked this feeling of being led by others. There was always a sense of being manipulated. However, as Earl Parker was the organizer of the entire alliance, his requests had to be taken seriously.

Sigh... I should hurry back to Alden Town and discuss this with the military leaders.

Paul was currently sitting in a room at the Port of Frand's office building. His visit to the port was to inspect the fleet equipped with new full-rigged merchant ships.

After establishing a solid cooperative relationship with the Foster family of Angle Bay, the Fosters gradually sent several batches of shipwrights, significantly increasing the shipyard's production capacity. It was no longer just a small shipyard that could only repair and build a few small paddle-sail boats.

With the craftsmen working overtime and the cooperation of the navy, the shipyard had built four larger merchant ships over the past few months. Compared to the few warships previously built, these merchant ships had been greatly improved for cargo transport. They were larger, had higher cargo capacity, and featured two masts on the deck. Unlike the previous full vertical sails, the main mast now had horizontal sails.

Paul kept two of these transport ships for his own use, while the other two were sold to the ship merchant, Mr. Bennett Todd.

Today was the day these four merchant ships were set to embark on their voyages. Paul's two ships were to carry a large amount of porcelain and printed books to Angle Bay, while Mr. Todd's two ships were loaded with canned goods and salt, destined for the southern port closest to the royal capital, Crystal Glare. They chose the same date for their respective maiden voyages.

Bernard took out his pocket watch and reminded Paul, "My lord, the merchant ships are about to depart. Shall we...?"

"Really? Let's head over there immediately."

From the window of the port office building, Paul could already see the dense crowd of well-wishers at the dock.

...

Upon seeing the lord's arrival, the crowd quickly made way. Paul, slightly excited, approached the merchant ships still docked. With these ships, his long-awaited overseas trade could finally begin.

Navy Commander Austin and ship merchant Bennett Todd were already waiting by the dock for his arrival.

Mr. Todd was the first to bow to him. "Honorable lord, these merchant ships you have built are truly captivating! Thank you, they are exactly what a ship merchant like me needs."

After the New Year, the government sent a business delegation to the royal capital. This delegation consisted of merchants from Alden and Byerldine, all of whom had previous cooperation with the lord's estate.

During their visit to the capital, the merchants did their utmost to promote their factories' products to the nobles of Crystal Glare. After much effort, canned goods and salt received the most orders, as the royal army was soon to march south to suppress the rebellion. Canned food, which is convenient, easy to store for long periods, and reasonably tasty, was naturally the first choice for military supplies.

Mr. Bennett Todd's two merchant ships were commissioned by other merchants to transport goods to the south by sea.

Paul waved his hand, "Not at all, I merely provided some ideas. The ships before us were painstakingly built by the shipyard's craftsmen. If you want to express gratitude, thank them."

Mr. Todd nodded repeatedly, knowing that this count before him had an unusual concern for the laborers.

A simple ceremony was held at the dock to bid farewell to the four merchant ships. Paul took the stage and reiterated the importance of overseas trade and the government's strong support for commercial and industrial activities.

After the ceremony, the four merchant ships set sail amidst farewells, leaving Frand Port and heading off into the distance.

As they left the dock, Austin and Paul walked together, discussing the newly established naval academy. Finally, Austin quietly asked, "Lord Grayman, will our navy have any opportunities to perform in the upcoming war?"

Paul thought for a moment. Although the Kent family's territory was mostly inland, the navy still had roles to play, such as landing sailors to act as infantry.

"Austin, we may face a shortage of troops in the short term. You can organize the fleet to patrol the Weis River continuously. Upon receiving any nearby land-based distress signals, immediately send sailors ashore to provide support. So, have your men intensify their firearm training."

Currently, the army could not strictly control the borders. If troops were sent to assist Earl Parker, the situation would become even more challenging. He needed a relatively "mobile" force to deal with sudden events.

(End of the Chapter)