Chapter 302 - 299: Analyzing the Pros and Cons

The port Ronin wanted to build was, naturally, meant to be a commercial harbor or a transportation hub capable of docking numerous ships, not some small, ferry-like pier.

Building such a port would require an immense amount of wood, stone, and labor.

Although he was confident he could complete the construction relying solely on Wubei Territory’s own resources, the time frame would be incredibly long—anywhere from several years to a decade, or even several decades.

Furthermore, once completed, it would require a large team of experienced port administrators to operate and maintain it.

Previously, his plan had only been to find experienced artisans and identify a suitable location for a port in Wubei Territory.

But now, after hearing about the Dennis Clan’s predicament, it immediately occurred to him that he might be able to cooperate with them on the port’s construction.

After all, the Dennis Clan had been managing Sharp Horn City for more than just a year or two. At least three generations of their family had dealt with seaports.

If he could partner with the Dennis Clan, who already owned a port, the difficulty of building and managing Wubei Port would be drastically reduced.

"I encountered an assassination attempt on my way here."

Ronin shifted the topic away from Sharp Horn City and the Earl of Scream Island. "The targets of the assassination were Hammett’s lover and his son."

"Oh?"

Vitorino didn’t understand why Ronin had suddenly brought this up, so he could only look curious.

"What happened?"

Ronin then briefly recounted the incident.

Vitorino assumed Ronin was speaking on Hammett’s behalf and immediately promised to conduct a city-wide search for the members of the Wolf Slaying Mercenary Corps and bring them to justice.

Of course, this wasn’t why Ronin had brought it up. Vengeance was a matter for Hammett to handle himself.

"When I passed through Thorn Valley, I asked Baron Hammett for a favor."

He said, "I asked him to help me recruit some artisans in Sharp Horn City who know how to build ports."

Vitorino nodded slowly. At first, the matter didn’t seem particularly important. Recruiting workers was a common enough task, after all.

A moment later, however, he paused, asking in surprise, "Wubei Territory is going to build a port?"

Ronin spread his hands. "Why not?"

"Wubei Territory needs foreign trade. If I want to transport goods to sell on the shores of the Screaming Sea, I have to circle all the way around Wushan by land just to get here. That route is far too long."

"But if I had my own port, I could simply load up my goods, set sail northward from the harbor, and then head south across the Screaming Sea. I could not only reach the Royal Capital quickly but could even extend the route all the way to your territory, Sharp Horn City."

This was, in fact, only part of the shipping route.

Vitorino was inwardly astonished. He had to admit the shipping route Ronin had outlined was extremely valuable.

Moreover, Wubei Territory was backed by Wushan Castle. With his clan’s support, the place was very likely to prosper.

And if it also had its own seaport, Wubei Territory’s trade with the outside world would become even more convenient in the future.

But if that happened, it would inevitably impact the business of Dennis Port.

Just imagine: right now, if Pasture City, Splendid City, and the various Knight Manors want to sell goods in the region of the Royal Capital, they all have to pass through Sharp Horn City.

But if Wubei Territory had its own port, setting other cities aside, Pasture City would absolutely use it for trade.

As a result, the revenue of Dennis Port would decrease.

But Vitorino knew that if Ronin was determined to build a port, it would get built—even if he secretly forbade the artisans in Sharp Horn City from providing any help or support.

If all else failed, Ronin could just go to the Earl of Scream Island, who was known to be very enthusiastic about helping to build ports.

’Rather than let that happen, it’s better to consider investing now and sharing in the profits later.’

"Are you proposing a partnership, Count Ronin?" Vitorino asked, his smile returning.

"Of course!"

Ronin’s tone was decisive. "Baron Hammett may have lived in Sharp Horn City for many years and be familiar with Dennis Port, but he can’t compare to the Dennis Clan."

Vitorino nodded but didn’t agree immediately.

"Currently, aside from the trade across the Screaming Sea, there are also ships that bypass Wubei Territory, sailing south from the north to trade with the Villa Duchy. However, there’s a lack of viable ports along that route. If the seaport in Wubei Territory were built, it’s foreseeable that it would become a bustling hub."

He began by acknowledging the value of a port in Wubei, but then his tone shifted.

"But if the port in Wubei Territory is built, the cities north of Wushan Territory will undoubtedly choose to depart from your port rather than pass through Dennis Port in Sharp Horn City as they do now. This will inevitably harm the interests of my Dennis Clan."

Vitorino looked at Ronin, the same pleasant smile on his face.

"You’re asking me to risk harming the interests of the Dennis Clan to help you build a port. That is a difficult proposition, my Lord Count."

Ronin understood what he was implying.

’Construction on the port hasn’t even begun, and he’s already thinking about raising the price.’

"My dear Viscount, if you truly believe that, then I can only say you’re being shortsighted."

Ronin said seriously, "You hope Wushan Castle will intervene and help Sharp Horn City sign a peace treaty with the Earl of Scream Island, so he will stop blockading ships from Dennis Port.

"But an agreement on paper is ultimately not a long-term solution. Not only is it not very binding, but Dennis Port would likely still need to pay him additional fees."

’Peace has its price,’ Ronin estimated. Even if they signed a treaty, Dennis Port would probably still have to pay something like escort fees.

Vitorino was noncommittal.

To him, as long as the merchant ships of Dennis Port could sail north unhindered, his business would grow. Paying some protection money was an acceptable cost.

But Ronin continued, "To solve this problem for good and allow Sharp Horn City to trade with the Earl of Scream Island on equal footing, we need to put pressure on him at sea."

Vitorino narrowed his eyes, his brow furrowed.

"The fleet from Screaming Island is powerful. They’re a presence in many of the Kingdom’s ports. Even if your port is built, I’m afraid it would be very difficult to pose a threat to him."

"I don’t need to threaten his fleet."

Ronin said, "If he can blockade the ships from Dennis Port, then I can blockade his ships that bypass Wubei Territory on their way south to the Villa Duchy. For every one of your ships he intercepts, I’ll intercept three of his."

"Dennis Port’s trade volume is small; you can absorb a loss once or twice. But his trade, as you just said yourself, reaches many ports. If we hit him a few times, whether he can afford the financial loss is one thing, but the damage to his reputation and the perceived security of his routes is another matter entirely."

Vitorino’s index finger tapped rhythmically on his thigh—an unconscious habit when he was deep in thought.

’If the port in Wubei Territory is built and a fleet is established,’ he thought, ’they could form a defensive line in the north, just like the island chain the Earl of Scream Island uses among the archipelagos.’

’Of course, Ronin couldn’t use an official fleet to intercept ships from Screaming Island, but he could have them act as pirates.’

’Pirates on the high seas are a perfectly normal occurrence, after all.’

’As for where the pirates came from? Who could say?’

"Once passage to Dennis Port is unobstructed, even if cities in northern Wushan Territory like Pasture City no longer pass through your port, the many cities to the west and south of Sharp Horn City will certainly reconsider using Dennis Port."

Ronin elaborated, "Take my own Chishan Town, for instance. Every year, I transport iron ore from there to Wubei Territory. The capacity of horse-drawn carts is limited, so each shipment is small. But if I could use cargo ships to go from Dennis Port to Wubei Territory, you would make money, and I would save a great deal of time and effort."

This world, after all, didn’t have high-capacity transport vehicles like trucks.

Even using Magical Beasts for transport, the carrying capacity couldn’t compare to a cargo ship, and it was still restricted by the terrain along the route.

Sea transport was another matter entirely. It offered massive volume, low costs, and broad reach. As long as security could be guaranteed, it was an incredibly advantageous mode of transport for Ronin.

"Viscount Vitorino, do you still think that a port in Wubei Territory would harm the interests of the Dennis Clan?"