With ample wealth at his disposal, Howard’s decision to invest 500 gold coins in an already established mercenary group in exchange for a permanent waiver of recruitment fees was astute and highly economical.

He had inquired with various adventurers in Ferrara about the costs of setting up adventure groups and mercenary groups, learning that these organizations often face significant financial strain in their initial stages.

Howard estimated that Edward must have spent no less than 2000 gold coins to establish his mercenary group.

He viewed this move as a far-sighted and strategic decision, significantly raising his opinion of Edward.

Now, Edward possessed not only conscripted soldiers but also a flexible, on-call military force outside the regular feudal constraints.

This effectively solved the problem of the limited increase in the feudal noble’s conscripted soldiers, allowing Edward’s military plans to be more aggressive and bold in the future.

Duke Jiakai Lyon sent a message through Rolf, who met Howard three days later.

"It’s time to discuss official matters," Rolf began.

Howard nodded in agreement.

Rolf gave Howard a knowing look before asking, "Now that you’re married, Howard, what is your view on nobility?"

Howard internally scoffed at the question but, considering the Duke’s true intentions, reluctantly responded, "I believe a noble’s duty is to protect their own domain."

Rolf nodded, seemingly approving, and continued, "So, you mean to say that you have no interest in other people’s domains, correct?"

Howard inwardly chuckled at the Duke’s apparent fear of losing his title to him.

Outwardly, he replied to the Duke’s vassal, "Exactly. Right now, I just want to live a good life with my wife."

Rolf nodded again, shifting his position on the cushioned seat, and said, "Alright, those were the questions I was obliged to ask as a representative. Now that the Duke’s business is taken care of, let’s talk about something personal."

Howard understood the shift in conversation.

Rolf inquired about the remaining beast population in Ferrara.

Howard candidly replied that not many were left.

With the combined efforts of adventurers and conscripted soldiers, most of the forest had been explored, and except for some caves and dangerous areas, the exotic beast population had largely been eradicated.

Rolf confirmed this matched his own investigations and said, "Since these beast populations will eventually be hunted to extinction, we need to think about solutions at the source."

Howard, incredulous, asked, "You mean to…"

Rolf, confidently crossing his legs, said, "Since these exotic beasts were brought from the New World, even if we deplete them here, there are still more breeding there. If others have already started trading with the New World, why can’t we, the lords of the Mediterranean? "

"Howard, I have an idea. I want to assemble a fleet composed of many light escort ships, Mediterranean-island defense ships known for their excellence, and numerous transport vessels. We send people to the New World to hunt exotic beasts on-site, then have the ships escort the goods back to Ferrara to sell. By doing this, our wealth would be virtually endless!"

Golan, serving as a guard, was eavesdropping from the side.

Hearing Rolf’s ambitious plan, he choked in shock, coughing incessantly.

Nora, summoned by Howard to Ferrara for handling affairs, stood nearby, visibly startled and pale, excusing herself to leave the room.

A maid, who was refilling Rolf’s cup, dropped the coffee pot in fright, letting out a scream.

Howard stood up, surveying the room with a wry smile, and said to Rolf, "You see, your words have frightened my people."

Other maids quickly entered to tidy the room, while the startled maid stepped out to calm her nerves.

Rolf, noticing the commotion, pinched his nose and stood up, saying, "In that case, I won’t say too much today. I’ll visit again another time."

Howard nodded in agreement.

Five days later, Rolf came to see Howard again.

This time, Howard had Anna, Bosiden, and Vettel attend as listeners, with Nora and Golan standing guard.

As Rolf entered the council hall, Howard greeted him with a handshake, to which Rolf nodded.

Anna observed their interaction with confusion.

She thought to herself, "This doesn’t seem right.

Rolf is a dual-count of Romagna and Ferrara and a marquis of honor.

Yet our lord, Count Howard of Nok, is treated as an equal by Rolf.

Am I seeing things incorrectly?"

Bosiden took a deep breath, trying not to make his actions too noticeable.

He struggled to conceal his surprise, attempting to maintain dignity on behalf of Howard.

This was the first time Bosiden had witnessed a noble of marquis status, and he was profoundly astounded.

Vettel’s reaction was similar, but his eyes were fixed on Rolf’s luxurious attire.

As the finance minister, Vettel was already calculating the value of Rolf’s garment in his mind.

Nora and Golan respectfully bowed to Rolf, followed by Anna, Bosiden, and Vettel.

The formality of this meeting was significantly higher than their previous encounter.

Howard had summoned them to lend their insights on the matter at hand.

After two hours of discussion, Howard and his associates gradually came to agree with Rolf’s argument.

Howard asked, "What do you need me to do?"

Rolf replied, "Currently, Ferrara is the only port at our disposal, which isn’t ideal for future expansion. I’ve heard of your great abilities and believe annexing the surrounding nobility shouldn’t be too difficult for you. I hope you can expand your territory as much as possible, potentially adding one or two more port counties to our cooperative venture."

Bosiden interjected, "Excuse me, my lord, if I may. Does it have to be a county with a port? Would a single city suffice?"

Rolf explained that it wouldn’t be feasible; once trade with the New World commenced, there would be many confidential matters. If there were only one city within a county, secrets could easily leak.

Bosiden humbly acknowledged this reasoning.

Rolf had another rationale for this approach:

Ports, as time progressed, were no longer just a single city’s endeavor but required significant support from a county. Many ports nowadays thrived with the robust backing of their respective counties, rich in resources. For a city under baronial rule to develop a major port alone would be an enormous challenge.

Anna addressed Marquis Rolf, "Your Excellency, your reasoning is sound, but allow me to express a concern. Our lord currently holds only the title of Count of Nok. The expansion you’re suggesting, to acquire one or two more counties, seems rather ambitious. I’m worried it might draw attention from other nobles in the vicinity."

Rolf, unfazed by her concern, maintained a stern stance, leaving Anna internally exclaiming in confusion.

Vettel chimed in, "Marquis, even if we solve the issue of the ports, what about the cargo?"

Rolf explained, "Firstly, shipyards here need to commence construction. Once we have large-scale shipyards, the cost and speed of shipbuilding will be significantly reduced. Secondly, there’s the matter of financing the shipbuilding and other related activities after the ships are built."

Howard asked, "Rolf, do you already have a plan in mind?"

Rolf admitted he did, "I can cover all the shipbuilding costs myself, but you will need to handle the crew. Additionally, the transport ships we build must also be accompanied by military forces. You’ll be responsible for the troops sent to the New World to maintain order and settle new lands."

Howard thought of Edward’s troop, realizing he wasn’t short of manpower, and agreed to Rolf’s request, "Crew training is different from conscripted soldiers; that will need to be handled by you. But I can provide the troops for the New World."

After a moment’s consideration, Rolf replied, "Since you’re unwilling to take responsibility for the crew, you should contribute financially. 100 gold coins, not much. This amount can build eight escort ships and one transport ship. I’ll cover the expenses for the rest of the fleet."

Howard and Rolf shook hands, sealing their agreement, and Howard saw Rolf off as he departed.

A month later, Knight Lemok issued an ultimatum to his lord, Viscount Fernando, who rejected it, leading to war.

Knight Lemok sent a request for alliance to Howard, who agreed and sent over 3100 conscripted soldiers towards Viscount Fernando’s Thorn Castle.

In this battle, Count Edward also lent his support, contributing 1400 conscripted soldiers and a 2300-strong mercenary group.

Lemok’s village quickly fell, but since Knight Lemok had taken refuge in Anna’s domain early on, he was not captured and continued to fight.

Originally, Viscount Fernando had two allies, but upon hearing of Count Howard and Count Edward’s involvement, they made excuses and withdrew their support, leaving Fernando with only 1500 soldiers.

The battle lacked dramatic suspense; with an overwhelming force of 6800 troops against Fernando’s 1500, the war was nearing its end as soon as it began.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com