Imperial Crown

It was an afternoon at the end of July, and the sun was high in the sky. Perhaps it was too hot, and the cicadas' chirping was feeble, but the chirping of birds became clearer.

In the study room of Eagle Castle, the windows were open, and the sunlight streamed in obliquely, creating an oblique square light spot.

At this moment, Raven was sitting on a lounge chair in the shadows, holding a fan in his hand, squinting his eyes slightly, looking at the sky outside the window in a daze, enjoying the tranquility of the summer afternoon.

The sky is clear blue, and the clouds float lazily, constantly changing shapes. At first it looks like a giant dragon, then suddenly it turns into a giant, and then it looks like a castle. The castle sprouts legs, and then it rolls into a ball of yuanxiao. .

call--

A gust of warm wind blew into the window, carrying the scent of jasmine, dispersing the somewhat dull air in the room. It also made Raven feel a little sleepy, and he couldn't help but yawn.

Xiaobai, who was curled up next to Raven's legs, seemed to be infected. He also raised his head and opened his mouth wide, and couldn't help but flap his wings.

Raven touched the top of Xiao Bai's head. The hippogryph narrowed its eyes slightly and turned its neck, rubbing against Raven's palm, obediently like a dog.

Letting go of his hand, Raven picked up the wine glass on the small table next to him and took a sip of Angel's Tears. The sweet and cold wine flowed into his throat, and he let out a pleasant sigh.

With only a semiconductor and a "chatterbox" missing, he looks like a retired old man.

But without semiconductors, someone can still tell stories.

Fiona sat on a chair, her light silver hair tied into a ball on the back of her head, revealing her smooth forehead. The glasses on the bridge of her nose were as thick as the bottom of a bottle, making her eyes look bright.

She was wearing a white shirt, a gray women's suit, and straight pencil pants. She had her legs together and a thick book on her lap.

Like a young kindergarten teacher telling stories in kindergarten.

She twirled a corner of the page and said in a steady and clear voice: "...this is how future generations will evaluate Keynes III."

"Surrounded by a motorcade and flowers, he drove into the royal capital of the Nicholas Empire, witnessed the demise of his lifelong enemy, and finally enjoyed his old age in the ruins of the enemy's country."

Raven's hand waving the fan stiffened: "Wait a minute, didn't Keynes III lose the Fourth Battle of Havalyan? Did I just miss a paragraph?"

Fiona shook her head: "No, Lord Baron."

Raven rubbed his chin: "What about 'driving into the royal capital of the Nicholas Empire surrounded by a motorcade and flowers'?"

"He was captured. The king's standards for offering prisoners are very high."

"...witnessed the demise of his lifelong enemy, Nicholas II of the Nicholas Empire, who died before him?"

"Yes. By the way, His Majesty Keynes III witnessed the famous coup, and Insa I came to the throne and founded the Insa Empire."

"..." Lei Wen was speechless for a long time, then shook his head and said, "What a loss!"

The last sentence is to enjoy his old age in the enemy's body, which means that Keynes III has been imprisoned and died in the Insa Empire.

It’s really powerful how a cultural person can harm others!

Raven stretched out, curled his feet slightly inward, and changed into a more comfortable position and slumped in the recliner: "Go on."

But not everyone can enjoy the leisure of summer and stay at home like Raven, listening to stories about the history of the empire.

For example, at this moment, Gul'dan and Hyde were walking side by side under the blazing sun.

Their meeting on the road cannot be said to be a coincidence.

Gul'dan, who was walking in front, deliberately slowed down, and Hyde also tacitly caught up.

Despite the fierce quarrel between the Fox family and the Slater family, the superficial harmony must always be maintained.

Moreover, the two of them knew each other's goals well, and they needed to blend them in advance to avoid being defeated by Raven's price.

According to Hyde's expectation, the two should have been discussing in the carriage at this time.

Unfortunately, after the meeting, Gul'dan showed a rather arrogant attitude, and sent someone to ask Hyde to meet him in his carriage in an almost commanding tone.

Whether it was because of personal pride or the reputation of the Slater family, Hyde would not agree to such a request.

And Gul'dan did this out of selfish motives.

In the previous wars, Raven was the one who stood out the most and gained the greatest benefits; the only one who received the title of Viscount was Hyde.

But Guldan is already in his thirties, and Raven and Hyde are only in their early twenties!

So it was okay not to meet, but when they did meet, the jealousy hidden deep in his heart drove him to make such a twisted move.

Conversation is necessary, but since neither one wants to go to the other's carriage, the only option is to ride side by side.

Hyde held his head high, riding a white war horse under his crotch, with short blond hair and a shining silver armor. He looked like a legendary paladin.

Gul'dan also raised his head and chest without hesitation. The dark enchanted plate armor matched his serious expression, which gave him a certain temperament.

Unfortunately, science in this world has not yet sprouted, and Gul'dan does not know the principle of black light absorption. After just riding with Hyde for a while, he was already sweating.

Originally, he wanted to pretend to be serious and force Hyde to speak first, but in this situation, Gul'dan couldn't help it anymore: "Hyde, does it feel good to officially become a noble? Unlike me, I need to wait for a while. Only then can we inherit the family business.”

Hearing that Gul'dan was showing off his identity as the earl's heir, Hyde said calmly: "I believe this won't take long. Mr. Gul'dan, you don't have to worry."

Before Gul'dan could react, Hyde immediately changed the subject: "This time, Mr. Gul'dan is also going to purchase granite."

Seeing that Hyde took the initiative to bring up the business, Gul'dan nodded: "The family castle needs to be expanded and maintained, so I will take this opportunity to come out and take a look around."

"The amount of goods I want is not small. If you want to build the Viscount Castle, you will only need more."

"Granite is in short supply right now. Raven is always an arrogant guy. If we come together, it will inevitably make his arrogance even more inflated and he will spend unnecessary money."

Hyde felt a hint of contempt in his heart.

If Raven is somewhat arrogant, Hyde admits it.

But arrogance is not one of Raven's traits. The one who is truly arrogant is Gul'dan himself. Perhaps because of this, he labels all those who are stronger than him and refuse to bow to him as "arrogant" Label.

However, Hyde did not intend to be Gul'dan's life mentor, but asked: "What do you mean?"

Gul'dan raised his voice: "Now that we have just experienced a war, Nord Province is infested with horse thieves and remnants of the Death Hand Order. Our two families can ensure the trade security of the Griffith family."

Nobles always hide half of what they say, and sometimes they need to understand it the other way around.

Hyde can understand Gul'dan's words. He wants to buy Raven's granite at a low price, otherwise he will send people to intercept the Griffith family's caravan. Anyway, the Nord province is in chaos now, so he can push it casually. Just give it to the horse thief.

But Hyde did not intend to do this: "I think the security of the Nord Province is very good. After all, it is governed by the Governor of Montreal, isn't it?"

"Hyde, Raven is just a little baron." Gul'dan's face was a little gloomy: "As a descendant of the earl family, you must take responsibility."

Hyde said: "Of course, as a noble, you must not only be responsible, but also have principles and maintain fairness and justice."

This was not just a rejection, but a clear intention to stand on Raven's side.

After being rejected one after another, Gul'dan looked solemn, and then suddenly smiled like a spring breeze: "Hyde, you have three lovers, one of them is your personal maid, serving you for eleven years, and her brother also received the title of knight. Woolen cloth."

Hyde's mouth twitched: "Gul'dan, this is not what a noble should say."

"I just envy you. It's quite hard to find such a loyal and caring maid. I heard that in the planning of your new castle, you even specially reserved a room for her." Gul'dan looked at his Finger smiled: "Tell me, what a pity it would be if she encountered an accident, was defiled, or lost her life, and could not live in the new castle!"

This was already a naked threat. Hyde frowned slightly: "... Raven was able to obtain so many benefits before, not just by luck. If you want to take advantage of him, do you think you are more powerful than the Earl of Montreal? ”

"You don't need to control it." Gul'dan looked at Hyde condescendingly and gave an ultimatum: "If you want to live your little life well, just control your mouth!"

Hyde clenched his fists, but finally said no more.

When Gul'dan saw this, he laughed, tightened the reins and let his horse run wildly.

Two days later.

Gul'dan and Hyde came to Eagle Keep, and Raven prepared a sumptuous banquet to entertain them.

The moment they saw the Level 2 Magician Certification Medal on Raven's chest, both Gul'dan and Hyde were stunned.

They didn't expect that Raven, who was only a first-level magician before, would be promoted to the second-level magician in just one year!

Especially Gul'dan, his sister Nancy is also a second-level magician, and has always been known as a genius, but even so, it took her three full years to advance from the first level to the second level!

Raven's talent was so good that it made him irritated.

Fortunately, both of them had seen the world, and they did not remain stunned for too long. They both congratulated each other, but Hyde's congratulations were more sincere, while Gul'dan's words were a little insincere.

After the greetings, Raven took the two of them to the table.

The banquet was of a very high standard, and it was a high-profile event, which also gave these two people enough face to represent the family. During this period, Gul'dan kept talking, commenting on the pros and cons of each dish. Of course, most of them were derogatory.

However, Hyde was uncharacteristically very quiet and quietly gave Raven a suggestive look.

Facing Raven, who was only one year older than him, Hyde felt somewhat envious and jealous.

But compared to Gul'dan, Hyde has one advantage, that is, he knows his own abilities and his father's vision is far beyond his, so when facing Raven, he also adheres to Earl Tyrone's teachings - make friends instead of enemies.

Seeing Hyde's eyes and matching Gul'dan's performance, Raven felt enlightened and made some preparations.

He was a little worried. He had just benefited from the Slater and Fox families. This time, it was not good to ask too high a price. But since Gul'dan came with bad intentions, Raven didn't have to worry about it. He had already begun to feel good about it. knife.

After finishing the dessert, Gul'dan said: "Baron Raven's hospitality is thoughtful, but Eagle Castle is too small after all. We have many people, so it is not convenient to interrupt us for too long. Let's just talk about business."

"I want two thousand granite stones."

In fact, the reason why Gul'dan appeared here was because of the instruction of the Count of Montreal. He was not only purchasing granite, but also wanted to take the opportunity to get closer to Raven.

Before departure, Montreal had specifically told Gul'dan to calm down his arrogance.

But the more this happened, the more rebellious Gul'dan became - why should a little Raven be taken so seriously?

If everything Raven obtained was just a matter of luck, Gul'dan would not be like this. He knew that Raven had gained his current status, power and reputation by virtue of his strength, so he was even more hostile to Raven.

I can't do it, why should you?

Hearing Gul'dan's words, Lei Wen clicked his tongue and said awkwardly: "This... is a bit difficult to handle. Two thousand pieces of granite is an output of one and a half months. Now the amount of granite is The schedule is already until August next year.”

Gul'dan looked dissatisfied: "Raven, don't forget how you obtained the Snow Maple Collar!"

Raven sneered in his heart. He and the Fox family could be said to have exchanged interests at that time, each getting what he needed. How come Gul'dan said it was like becoming a charity from the Fox family?

"Oh, speaking of this, I also want to thank the Count of Montreal."

"I try to change the order of the goods and try to deliver them earlier."

Raven lowered his head in thought.

Gul'dan smiled, turned his head and glanced at Hyde provocatively, thinking to himself, you are just too timid. Look, if you want to scare someone now, doesn't Raven still have to be obedient?

But Raven's next words made his smile freeze on his face.

"Then, what do you think about the end of July next year?"

Gul'dan's breathing became much heavier.

End of July? What’s the difference from August! ? Aren't you waiting for a year?

There was a trace of anger in his words: "Is this your attitude in repaying the Fox family?"

Raven explained: "I respect the Fox family very much and know that your family will not do anything that goes against the honor of the nobility. This is to preserve the reputation of your family."

"If you buy the granite in advance for free and spread the word, won't people say that the Fox family is bullying? I will never allow such a thing to happen!"

Gul'dan felt angry: "What's the price?"

Raven knocked on the table:

"You have to pay more."

According to today's market price, a piece of granite is sold for 17.6 gold coins, nearly three times more than before the war. Two thousand dollars is nearly 35,000 gold coins.

If I add more money, I don’t know how much it will cost!

Gul'dan finally came up with his " trump card " and cleared his throat: "Baron Raven, it is indeed worthy of praise to devote all your efforts to the development of the territory, but don't forget, no matter how good the goods are, they still need to be shipped out to be exchanged for money."

"Nord Province has not been peaceful recently."

Facing Gul'dan's threat, Raven smiled: "You really hit the point, so in order to ensure the safety of the goods, I am also somewhat prepared."

As he spoke, Raven suddenly whistled, and with the sound of flapping wings, Xiaobai's huge body stood on the open window.

Gul'dan took a breath: "Hippogryph?"

Then his eyes fell on Hyde.

Hippogryphs, especially those that can be ridden, are extremely rare. In the entire Nord province, only the Slater family is raising them on a large scale, but they should have been wiped out!

Where did Raven get it?

Hyde was also quite surprised: "Baron Raven, is this hippogryph...?"

"My mount, Xiaobai." Raven said with a smile: "I know the road is not peaceful now, but with Xiaobai here, I think I can completely avoid all kinds of troubles - are you right?"

This is of course a bluff. Raven himself would not leave a good lord alone to scout and guide the caravan, and he would not leave Xiaobai to others to ride.

In this era, having a flying mount is like owning a luxury car.

And Raven has always had a principle——

Neither the car nor the wife will be loaned out.

Although he didn't have a car or a wife in his previous life.

Gul'dan knew that a qualified hippogryph cavalry could detect the enemy's movements dozens of miles away, allowing the caravan to avoid them in advance.

The so-called trade routes are the lowest-cost and most cost-effective freight routes used by merchants. If you really see an ambush, you may have to take a detour. Although the cost is higher, it is better than being intercepted.

What's more, if the situation becomes urgent, the caravan can enter the town to temporarily camp and escape.

No matter how powerful Gul'dan was, he would not dare to allow his men to openly attack other lords' territories!

"...Very good, Raven, you are very good." Gul'dan gritted his teeth.

Raven said: "Thank you for your compliment. I am indeed very good."

Gul'dan was choked so much that he whispered: "Then tell me, how much money do you need before you are willing to sell the granite to me?"

Raven said slowly: "I'm not trying to shirk it, but as you know, granite is in short supply right now, and the order has been arranged."

"Viscount Titus of Cambri County, Viscount Lalune of Heathside County, and Viscount Lancaster of Lanshire are all waiting. In addition, there are..."

Gul'dan had a headache hearing the series of names, and he said impatiently: "Just tell me, if I want the spot goods within a month, how many gold coins will I need?"

The more anxious Gul'dan became, the calmer Raven became. He raised his fingers one by one: "Loss of work, compensation, loss of reputation, and mental damage for every noble family's censure..."

"Rough calculation, thirty point seventy-four gold coins will be enough. I will erase the fraction for you and get thirty gold coins per piece."

Two thousand pieces of granite, each priced at thirty gold coins, the total price is sixty thousand gold coins, which is nearly twice the market price!

Gul'dan's face flushed: "Raven, why don't you go and rob it!?"

"Oh, don't be so excited, Mr. Gul'dan." Raven spread his hands: "I'm not forcing you to take it now. You just need to order it in August next year according to the current market price. I promise to deliver it on time."

Gul'dan took a deep breath. If he was not only at the second level, he might not even be able to beat Eric. He would have taken action now!

Yes, he can indeed wait another year, but does the Fox family have to wait for the face?

The Earl family lives not only by strength, but also by showing that they have strength. This strength needs to be shown at all times and in all aspects.

The things used must be the most expensive and the best, and the same things must be obtained first.

Just like the Slater family, why did they have to arrange the Viscount position to Hyde?

This is also a kind of muscle show, showing that the Slater family has enough influence in the Nord Province and in the eyes of the royal family!

And Gul'dan, who happens to be the most arrogant and conceited person, will never allow the Fox family to fall behind.

After a little thought, Gul'dan was about to speak, and Hyde, who had been silent, suddenly interrupted: "In this case, I need 3,500 pieces of granite, which will be priced at 30 gold coins. Give me priority and pay in cash."

One hundred and five hundred gold coins.

Gul'dan glared at Hyde fiercely, but saw Hyde's innocent eyes. Gul'dan could only take a deep breath: "Thirty is thirty, two thousand."

"Okay." Raven nodded decisively: "Then the Fox family will be ranked after the Slater family."

Gul'dan was really angry, and his voice was a little broken: "Why?"

"Because Viscount Hyde wants a higher quantity of goods." Raven said: "When doing business, you have to say what merchants say. This is the practice of the continent."

"... Thirty-two gold coins." Gul'dan quoted the price again.

"Sorry, it's still not possible." Raven said.

Gul'dan's forehead was bulging with veins: "You said that business should be done in the way businessmen say. I bid higher than him, why can't I?"

"But Viscount Hyde's total price is higher." Raven said confidently: "He bid 100,050 gold coins, even if you bid 32, it's only 64,000."

Gul'dan was speechless, clenched his fist and said: "Then, 52 gold coins per piece, total price 110,000, cash payment!"

"Deal!" Raven clapped his hands, fearing that Gul'dan would regret it: "Come on, feed the young master a cake!"

"No, draw up a contract for Master Gul'dan!"

At this time, Gul'dan's slightly overheated brain gradually cooled down, and he felt something was wrong.

What did I do?

Buy granite at three times the market price?

You know, the premium of granite is now more than three times the usual price. He spent more than nine times the price to buy two thousand pieces of granite!

110,000 gold coins... You know, the Fox family's annual net revenue is only more than 300,000 gold coins!

If it were someone else, he might regret it on the spot and not be the sucker, but he was Gul'dan, the most face-saving Gul'dan, and he couldn't bring himself to do it no matter what!

So he could only sign the contract with a dark face, and even ignored Raven's retention, and got up and left immediately.

Bang——

Hearing the sound of the door being slammed, Raven looked at Hyde, and the two smiled at each other.

Hyde said: "I have helped you so much, can you give me a lower price? After all, my viscount's territory is newly built, and there is not much money to squander."

Raven shook his finger: "That won't work, thirty gold coins, not one less, but I can accept installment payment."

Hyde's face was a little gloomy. He did want to be friends with Raven, but Earl Tyrone also taught him that one-sided enthusiasm cannot be considered friendship. Raven's behavior was somewhat unkind.

With a pop, Raven opened a bottle of Angel's Tears and poured a glass for Hyde: "Although the price cannot be low, I can guarantee that you will receive the granite no later than Gul'dan."

"Oh?" Hyde's eyes lit up: "You said before that the output of granite is only more than a thousand pieces a month."

Raven's smile was meaningful: "If you don't do this, how can you raise the price?"

Yes, the method Raven used was the famous hunger marketing before the time travel.

Granite is a stone material after all. There is not much technical content in its collection. The production capacity can be exploded by piling up manpower.

But Raven will not do such a thing as killing the chicken to get the eggs.

There is always insufficient production capacity and there is always demand, so that the product can be sold at a high price!

"Then I will give you 50% of the payment first, and then settle the next payment after the goods arrive." Since Raven's concessions are enough, Hyde's grudges are gone.

"No problem." Raven's voice is relaxed and happy.

Gul'dan's 110,000 cash and Hyde's 50,000 deposit add up to 160,000 gold coins.

Anyone who suddenly receives so much money will be very happy, especially since Raven is short of gold coins and needs money in many places.

It's like completing a big order just after taking on a car loan. Not only can you pay off the car loan, but you can also have spare money to choose a house. It's as good as it is!

Picking up the wine glass and standing up, Hyde raised his glass to Raven from a distance: "You are really a natural aristocrat!"

Raven also raised his glass, then turned his head and looked out the window: "Hyde, what do you see?"

Hyde came forward and saw Gul'dan riding on his warhorse in a daze, and immediately smiled.

He felt as good as if he saw his self-important colleague being beaten by society!

Raven shook his glass: "This man is like a dog."

……