Fantasy Lord: Starting with Daily Information

Chapter 104: Establishing Trade Routes, Earning More than Count Engel???

In the castle, a grand banquet was underway. April Neon provided an extravagant reception to thank Thor and his companions for rescuing the territory. He even brought out aged wine, and the group drank freely.

"Lord Thor, it's truly unbelievable. I never expected to find an alliance of nobles in the Northern Province," April Neon said as he raised his glass with a tone of appreciation. "I sincerely thank you."

"You’re too kind! It was a small effort," Thor replied with a smile, raising his glass as well.

"No, no, this is not just politeness. Without you, Lord Thor, and everyone else, my territory would have been overrun by those damn kobolds," April Neon said, shaking his head, his voice serious.

"Lord April Neon, you overpraise us. By the way, what do you plan to do next?" Thor asked casually, as if the thought had just occurred to him.

"Oh, my goddess, that is indeed a critical issue. Perhaps leaving would be the best choice, but I can’t abandon my land and my people. I must stay. Lord Thor, if I may be so bold, could you sell me some weapons?" April Neon sighed and looked at Thor with hopeful eyes.

"Baron April Neon, you wish to purchase weapons?" Thor's eyes lit up as he asked again.

"Yes, I need weapons. If my equipment had been better, those filthy kobolds wouldn't have breached the castle. I had planned to buy some, but the Habsburg Chamber of Commerce has raised the price of black iron armor to fifty gold coins and silver armor to five hundred. They might as well be robbing us!" April Neon said with a hint of frustration.

Indeed, he had intended to buy better equipment. His territory had over 8,000 residents, and if he could equip them properly, he would be able to resist even second-tier orcs. But the exorbitant prices had forced him to give up.

"Yes, the Habsburg Chamber of Commerce are indeed bloodsuckers. But my friend, if you need weapons, that's not a problem. Recently, we seized a batch of goblin weapons, though we did suffer some losses in the process," Thor said with a thoughtful expression.

"Lord Thor, is that true?" April Neon was pleasantly surprised and quickly added, "No, Lord Thor, I understand. Let’s settle on the Habsburg Chamber of Commerce's prices."

"My friend, you misunderstand. I have goblin leather armor, which I can sell for ten silver coins each. As for black iron armor, thirty gold coins per set should be enough. And if you need silver armor, I can provide some as well," Thor said, pretending to grit his teeth.

"Silver armor? Lord Thor, are you serious?" April Neon stood up in surprise, his face full of excitement.

"Of course. I wouldn’t joke about such matters. If you need it, I can have my trade caravan come to make the deal in a few days," Thor replied with a smile.

Thor wasn’t joking. With the ongoing clearing operations, Rachos Assad's trade caravan had begun expanding northward. Previously, their reach was limited to the Maine River Valley, but the minotaur attacks had devastated the trade routes there. It wasn’t until Thor and the Maine Alliance cleared the area that the routes were restored. As the Alliance continued to win battles, the trade routes expanded and became more stable. In just a month, trade had increased significantly, far surpassing previous levels.

"I was too forward! You must understand, this is truly surprising," April Neon said, apologizing for his earlier excitement.

"I understand, Lord April Neon. I will inform my people, and in ten days, my trade caravan will arrive to negotiate with you," Thor nodded.

"Thank you so much!" April Neon expressed his gratitude.

"No need to thank me. It’s just business," Thor said, raising his glass.

"No, I must thank you. Weapons are what I need most right now," April Neon said seriously.

Thor smiled and let the matter rest. The banquet continued, and the barons and lords exchanged pleasantries, making for a harmonious evening. The party lasted until late at night before everyone dispersed. April Neon arranged accommodations for his guests.

The next day, after April Neon bid them farewell, Thor and his group resumed their clearing operations. Over the past month, such scenes had become routine. As Thor's group cleared the area, they encountered many orcs and met numerous pioneering lords. The chaos in the Northern Province had driven many lords to flee, while others stayed behind. Their lands were not only their legacy but their hope, and few were willing to abandon them unless truly desperate.

As they crossed paths with these pioneering lords, the trade caravans of Thor’s Eagle Ridge followed in the footsteps of the Maine Alliance, spreading throughout the region. Compared to the overpriced goods of the Habsburg Chamber of Commerce, Thor’s caravans offered better prices and superior quality. Coupled with the Alliance's strength, a complete trade route was soon established, and the scale of trade continued to grow.

Rachos Assad had been smiling every day, and Thor's grin was even wider. The clearing missions earned them merit points, daily information brought new opportunities, and the construction of trade routes had made him the biggest winner.

For other lords, the risks were unpredictable, and gains were uncertain. Some had suffered significant losses, with one baron losing his entire army to a damaged third-tier orc tribe. Even the baron himself didn’t survive. Those lucky enough to escape unscathed were still facing mounting losses, and some had decided to give up.

But Thor faced no such problems. Thanks to his daily information reports, he could avoid all dangers, and his gains were almost guaranteed. In just three months, the Maine Alliance had cleared a vast portion of the Northern Province, and Thor’s merit points had risen to 500, just short of the requirement for a viscount title. Other lords had also earned about 300 merit points each. Such a haul would normally take years, if not decades, to accumulate.

In addition to merit points, the material gains were massive. Even the least fortunate lord had earned over 2,000 gold coins. The three barons had each earned about 3,000 gold coins, while Thor, not counting the profits from Rachos’ trade routes, had made over 5,000 gold coins.

And the trade routes were the real source of wealth. Over the past three months, the income from Rachos Assad’s trade routes had reached 2,300 gold coins, averaging nearly 800 gold coins a month. And this figure was expected to rise. If the Northern Province didn’t collapse or the war didn’t escalate, the monthly income could exceed 1,000 gold coins, translating to an annual income of 12,000 gold coins.

12,000 gold coins! Even Thor's father, Count Engel of Dresrosa, officially earned only about 10,000 gold coins a year from his territory. While the Dresrosa family, as an established noble house, certainly had other hidden revenues, Thor’s potential earnings were astounding. Many weaker earls probably earned no more than 10,000 gold coins annually. If Thor could stabilize his income, he would surpass numerous earls.

With such wealth, his territory would undoubtedly reach new heights of development. However, this all depended on the stability of the Northern Province and the absence of a full-scale orc war. Otherwise, his lands might be in jeopardy. Despite his advantages, there were limits to what Thor could control. Even with his golden finger, he couldn't change everything. All he could do was rapidly improve his strength.

Fortunately, his talents had significantly improved after signing the contract. Thor could clearly feel the progress in his training. In the past, practicing knight breathing techniques felt painfully slow. Even though he had abundant life force within him, absorbing it was difficult. But now, he could feel tangible progress every day. In less than four months, his life force had noticeably transformed. At this rate, he could break through to become a knight in less than a month.

This speed was previously unimaginable. Before, it would have taken him two or three years to become a knight, and reaching the rank of Gand Knight might have taken decades. As for Earth Knight, that had seemed out of reach entirely. Now, though, he was certain he could break through within a month, and even the barrier between Grand Knight and Earth Knight wouldn’t hold him back for long. Within five years, he would have a chance to reach the rank of Earth Knight.

As night fell, Thor finished his training and prepared to stand up. Suddenly, he sensed something and turned his gaze into the distance.

“What’s this?” His expression shifted with surprise before turning to joy. A powerful aura erupted near the camp where Ryan was stationed, as a vast amount of life force surged outward. Ryan’s energy began to grow rapidly.

Several figures appeared, and when they saw where the disturbance was coming from, their expressions grew complex. They all knew what had happened.

"Lord Thor is truly lucky," Baron Pape couldn't help but say.

"Indeed," Baron Valmy echoed, his expression just as complicated.

The others felt similarly. They had all witnessed Ryan’s talent and strength over the past months, but none of them expected him to break through to become a Grand Knight so quickly.