- Fantasy Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence
- FLDI Chapter 116
**Chapter 116: Entering Western Trade and Building New Trade Routes**
When Thor discovered that the territory contained a large iron mine and a Naur source, several ideas began to take shape in his mind.
The western region, compared to the east and north, was undeniably more prosperous. With more noble lords and pioneering leaders, integrating into the western trade network would truly establish their trade routes and bring in greater profits.
Previously, he hadn’t found the right opportunity. He was not a western lord, so barging in could have caused various issues, and he had shelved the idea. But with Tono’s arrival, everything changed.
Unlike Thor, Tono was an established western pioneer lord. Using Tono as a bridge to enter the western trade routes would be much smoother and avoid unnecessary trouble.
By tapping into the western trade, the potential profits were immense. Even without considering other items, the revenue from black iron and brass armor alone could be substantial—let alone the silver armor and potentially the low-level life potions he might soon be able to produce.
And it wouldn’t just be about the income. Leveraging Tono’s position could also help his brother’s territory grow. Although they had only recently reconnected, Thor could tell that Tono’s territory had reached a development bottleneck.
In the east, the entire Maine Valley only had about twenty pioneering leaders and noble lords, but around the Danube, there were over a hundred pioneering lords, with even more beyond. Developing further in such an environment was a challenging task, but building a trade route could help alleviate some of these issues.
However, Thor was aware that the ultimate decision rested with Tono and Babrus. If they weren’t interested, he wouldn’t press the issue. Establishing a presence in the west wasn’t urgent, as he still had plenty of territory to develop in the Maine Valley.
After he explained his idea, Thor looked to Tono and Babrus, awaiting their responses. They both fell into thoughtful silence. They weren’t fools—they understood the significance of Thor’s proposal. But they also knew that entering the trade market wasn’t a simple matter.
In the west, the trade routes were dominated by a few top-tier noble lords and the Habbs Trading Company. Entering this territory could potentially lead to conflict with powerful families. A misstep could result in serious problems.
Yet, the possibilities Thor presented were undeniably enticing. Establishing trade routes with silver armor and other high-value goods could easily multiply their income tenfold. With such wealth, they could expand their forces and enhance their chances of becoming Grand Knights.
After a long silence, Tono exchanged glances with Babrus and exhaled heavily.
“Thor, you may not know this, but the western trade routes are controlled by the Habbs Trading Company, along with the noble lords Spencer and Campbell. They also produce silver armor. If we enter the market too aggressively, it could cause conflict,” Tono said, his tone serious.
“I understand. But I’m not proposing that we compete with them directly,” Thor replied, shaking his head. “As I understand it, those lords rely on Loren City’s auction model, holding regular auctions to attract pioneering lords. We don’t need to follow that model.”
Tor then explained his vision: a roaming merchant approach like the one Rachos had developed in the east. Instead of holding auctions, they would bring goods directly to the lords’ territories, increasing prices to reflect the risk but avoiding the need for the lords to leave their domains.
Unlike the east, the west was much wealthier, meaning they could expect even greater returns. Hearing this, Tono and Babrus couldn’t help but beam with excitement.
“My brother, you’re a genius!” Tono exclaimed, his eyes glowing.
“Yes, Lord Thor, your idea is brilliant!” Babrus agreed, nodding. They understood the tremendous impact of even this slight adjustment. The potential profits could be enormous if they spread their network across the pioneering lords’ territories. With the silver armor opening doors, the operation would likely face minimal resistance.
“Brother, Lord Babrus, I suggest we form a trading company, with the three of us investing. We could assign knights for protection and split the profits evenly between our three families,” Thor proposed, a glint of satisfaction in his eye as he saw their excitement.
“Lord Thor, that’s too generous!” Babrus replied after a moment, shaking his head. “Since this was your idea, I can’t accept an equal share. Five percent for me is more than fair, and I’m willing to contribute one Grand Knight, two full knights, and ten apprentice knights for protection.”
“Yes, brother. You’re too kind. I’ll take five percent too. Without you, we’d still be selling raw ore, and we might not even have secured this territory,” Tono added with a smile.
Tono and Babrus were genuinely grateful and felt it would be unfair to take equal shares, given how much Thor had contributed to their success. In the end, after much insistence, they settled on Thor holding sixty-five percent of the company, Tono twelve percent, Babrus fifteen percent, and Rachos Assad with eight percent.
Thor certainly wouldn’t forget the one who helped him establish this new trade route. After all, he would rely on this person to expand their network in the west.
Rachos Assad would hold an eight percent share, and once Thor explained this to Tono and Babrus, they had no objections. Tono did, however, show a momentary flicker of surprise at the mention of Rachos’s surname.
It was only a minor reaction, though. After all, they hadn’t seized this land from an Assad family member, but from the Goatmen. Even if the current Count of Assad were to appear, he would have no grounds for complaint. And given that Thor trusted Rachos to manage the trade route, there was no reason to worry.
Rachos, in fact, held little affection for his siblings, so he didn’t mind any family affiliations. When he learned that Thor was planning to establish a trading company and expand into the western region, his face lit up with joy. Even with his share diluted, he felt nothing but excitement.
Rachos had spent enough time in the Northern Province to know that the west’s prosperity was leagues beyond that of the east and north. Even with a smaller percentage, his eight percent share promised more substantial returns. Moreover, his time with Thor had shown him the limitless possibilities ahead, and he was eager to follow this path—even if he had no share at all.
So, three days after his arrival, Rachos Assad began making preparations. Meanwhile, Thor, Tono, and Babrus started discussing how to divide the other assets in the territory.
They had previously agreed that the Naur harvest would belong to Thor for three years. Even though they had discovered a second Naur source, Tono and Babrus didn’t plan to renegotiate. They still intended for all Naur output over the next three years to go to Tor.
As for the large iron mine and copper mines, Thor would oversee the extraction, with profits divided accordingly. Thor would take 40%, with another 10% allocated as compensation for his goblins, who would be handling the mining operations. Tono would receive 20%, with Babrus receiving the remaining 20% as compensation for waiving his share of the Naur profits for three years.
The remaining resources from the territory would be split evenly among the three. These assets were considered spoils of war and weren’t included in the trading company’s division.
All three were pleased with this arrangement. Tono and Babrus even felt a bit guilty, as they believed they were getting a generous deal. Without Thor and his knights, they might have taken the land, but the cost would have been severe. Yet, Thor insisted on the arrangement, so they ultimately accepted.
Thor, on his part, cared little about these minor profits. He was more focused on the western trade route’s development. If successful, this trade network would yield far greater wealth. This division also allowed him to strengthen his relationship with Tono and Babrus, ensuring they understood that following him would bring ample rewards.
After the division, planning for the trade route proceeded smoothly. Tono and Babrus adhered closely to Thor’s guidance. And under Thor’s direction, one task after another was completed efficiently.
On the fifth day, Rachos Assad’s trading caravan set off. The new iron and copper mines weren’t yet operational, and the goblins hadn’t arrived to start mining. But the Eagle’s territory already had a wealth of armor, weapons, and even some silver armor, which Rachos had brought along to establish the initial trade route.
Recognizing the strength of the western lords, they provided Rachos with a formidable escort: three Grand Knights, twenty full knights, forty apprentice knights, and over three hundred reserve knights, arranged by Thor, Tono, and Babrus.
Thor even sent Raine to join the group. With his strength surpassing that of typical Grand Knights, Raine’s involvement also offered him an opportunity for further development through this venture.
This force was formidable enough to handle most pioneering lords in the western territories. Despite the perception of powerful lords being plentiful in the west, it was mostly an illusion. Only a small percentage of pioneering lords actually had Grand Knights in their ranks, and very few possessed the strength to rival Raine, who could defeat even a peak-level Tier 2 beast.
Thus, there was little reason to worry as they established the trade route. The only concern would be for the lords who might cross paths with this powerful caravan. With this level of force, they were set to carve out their path in the west with relative ease.
(End of Chapter)