An agreement was quickly written up, marking the diplomatic ties between Jared's territory of Crivia and the Red Goblin Tribe of Ivaniba. Jared had prepared a draft before setting out, and Ivaniba accepted it without any objections. With that, the official diplomatic relationship was established.
"Let's get on with the Nightmare Stone trade. I feel like I'm going to faint," Ivaniba promptly requested the trade. They agreed to exchange the weight of the Nightmare Stones in iron and gold.
"Bring the iron and gold at once!" At Ivaniba's command, the Red Goblins busily moved to transport the gold and iron stored in their warehouse. There were quite a few underground mines within the Red Goblin territory where gold and iron were found. Jared even knew roughly where they were located.
Some might think, "Why not just drive out the goblins and take the land?" That's a naive thought. Ivaniba was a wise leader who had established relationships with many tribes based on his high intelligence and diplomatic skills.
He even had close ties with the Dark Elves on Tatar Island, a large island about a 30-minute boat ride away. The relationship was so close that they had a mutual defense treaty, meaning they would join forces against any threatening enemy. Attacking the Red Goblins without this prior knowledge would be a disaster.
The Dark Elves were known for their warlike nature and for using various magical engineering weapons.
However, thanks to his experiences in Paradiso, Jared had a clear understanding of the current state of the Red Goblins. Ivaniba was a wise ruler from the goblins' perspective, and contrary to the stereotype of goblins, he was a very intelligent figure. Turning the Red Goblins into enemies would be a foolish move.
Meanwhile, while the goblin transport team was preparing the gold and iron, Ivaniba was inspecting the Nightmare Stones Jared had brought. Each time he looked at them, he and the other goblins couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
"What a big and beautiful stone. It's truly a rare item worthy of being used as our common currency!"
"Wow, it really shines. There's no stone as beautiful as this in the world."
"Just thinking about polishing it makes my heart race, Your Majesty!"
The Red Goblins were all smiles. Ivaniba was so overjoyed that he even buried his face in the pile of stones. At that moment, Avila, with trembling hands, managed to calm himself and spoke to Jared in an excited voice.
"My lord, if we split the stones we brought and exchange them for the same weight in iron and gold, the profit will be enormous! Besides, the Nightmare Stones hold no real value for us, do they?"
"Not for us. But for the Red Goblins, they are used as currency."
"To think they were so close, yet we had no idea... I'm embarrassed, my lord." Avila blushed. In fact, for the past few decades, the Red Goblins had never ventured outside their territory. They lived very secluded lives, so unless someone deliberately looked into their world, it was natural not to know about it. Goblins were a race filled with prejudice and stereotypes as being insignificant and foolish. Avila's lack of knowledge was understandable, and it was no exception for the other vassals.
Avila's eyes sparkled as he asked, "My lord, does that mean the Nightmare Stones serve the same role for the Red Goblins as gold coins do for us?"
"Yes. Moreover, they are considered very rare items, used only by royalty or the upper class for decoration."
"You are truly wise! Where did you acquire such knowledge? I've heard many stories, but this is the first about the Red Goblins' currency!"
"What matters is not where I got it from, but the fact that we can both benefit from it now." Jared shifted the focus. The vassals all looked at Jared with admiration, but he remained calm.
Avila calculated the volume of Nightmare Stones in the transport carts they brought. He was curious about how much profit would be generated if they filled the same amount with iron and gold.
"From about 10 gold, we can earn over 4000 gold. With gold being more valuable than ever, this is truly an incredible profit..."
He couldn't believe it even after seeing it with his own eyes. With just one move, Jared turned the value of 10 gold into 4000 gold. The 10 gold calculation wasn't even the price of the Nightmare Stones but the maximum cost of collecting, packing, and transporting them.
"The lord becomes more intimidating. Just how much does he know? Can he see the future?"
"Since that day, he's completely changed. It's like he knows exactly how to lead our territory from start to finish."
Each vassal made their own judgment, sending looks of respect towards Jared. Meanwhile, they exchanged glances and put their hands to their mouths, signaling to keep today's events a secret.
The vassals present were Avila, Obren, and Rakis, key figures deeply involved in the internal affairs of the territory. They were loyal to Jared and trusted him greatly, so no one had any other thoughts.
Avila spoke on behalf of all the vassals, "My lord, I want to express my sincere respect. You show skills that seem to reach the divine realm. There is no one else like you on this continent."
"Isn't calling me a god going too far? There are many great people on this continent. But I will never forget the sincerity behind your praises." Jared nodded.
He felt proud and pleased that the knowledge from his past life was helping him so much in the present. During his years as a company employee, he never understood what it meant to "live the sweet life." But now, as a lord, he was experiencing it firsthand.
The deal with the Red Goblins was ultimately a trick using his exclusive knowledge. As long as it wasn't publicly known, Ivaniba would continue exchanging Nightmare Stones with him at the same rate. He could secretly enjoy the sweet rewards for a long time.
Thirty minutes later, a goblin transport team arrived with three large carts filled with refined iron and gold. Jared had already handed over the transport carts he had prepared to the goblins. There were three of them, just like the goblins'.
Ivaniba had the goblins hand over the carts filled with iron and gold to Jared. He reached out for a handshake and sincerely thanked him.
"I'm happy to have exchanged such good items. I hope we can engage in more trades now that we've established formal relations."
"Of course. Wise king of the goblins, I hope our friendship continues to grow stronger."
"We are always open. If you need help, just ask."
"Thank you."
And so, the trade ended. It was a mutually satisfying and pleasant transaction for both the lord and the goblin leader.
"..."
However, the vassals, who were third parties in this, were left in awe and amazement. Jared had succeeded in creating immense wealth with sharp insight and a bit of time investment. It was truly something that could be called Midas' Touch.
On the way back to our territory, the vassals were all smiles, looking at the carts filled with gold and iron. While I, the one who made this happen, maintained a calm expression, the vassals couldn't contain their joy.
As the vassals chatted about the Red Goblin tribe they had seen today, I led the way and discreetly called Rakis.
"Rakis."
"Yes, my lord."
"Are the workshops and forges directly managed by the territory running well?"
"Due to a lack of materials, we haven't been able to produce additional weapons, but we are consistently working on repairing and refining existing ones."
"Once we return to the territory, I have three tasks for you."
"Yes, please command me."
"Use all the refined iron obtained from the Red Goblins today to make swords, spears, and arrows. Leave none behind."
"Understood."
"And for the time being, send some of the security forces to collect as many Nightmare Stones as possible near the Nightmare Forest."
"I will follow your orders. Should we also control the area?"
"Don't make it a loud public control. If we draw unnecessary attention, information might leak outside."
"Understood. I will discreetly deploy forces around the area to prevent any external access. It would be best to completely block outsiders."
"Please do so. And lastly."
"Yes."
"Use half of the gold we secured today for recruiting soldiers. Focus on strengthening our forces."
"...My lord, if I may ask, are you preparing for war?"
Rakis's expression turned serious. In fact, with our current forces, we could maintain the territory's security and basic defense. But increasing the forces meant I had set a higher goal. Rakis seemed concerned about that.
"It's not for active warfare, but I intend to have a strong deterrent. The Mallorca territory is practically an enemy territory, and it's difficult to improve relations with them."
"So, you are considering the Mallorca territory."
"That territory has become a den of criminals, and being adjacent to ours, it will definitely have a negative impact."
"Yes, you are seeing it accurately."
"One day, we will have to go to war with them. Whether we go in, or they come to us."
I was envisioning both scenarios in my mind. The Mallorca territory had already become a hotbed of crime, with various criminal organizations flocking there, making it completely saturated. Criminal organizations inevitably extend their influence to expand their power. Compared to the Ronella territory, our territory, being relatively smaller and seemingly easier to target, could easily become their target.
I added with emphasis, "Going forward, half of the gold obtained from our exchanges with the Red Goblins will continue to be invested in the military. You, who are highly trusted by the soldiers and the people of the territory, will recruit soldiers on my behalf."
"Understood, my lord. I will select and recruit the best soldiers!"
"We need to secure as much available power as possible, even if it means pushing ourselves. Sir Rakis, I'm counting on you."
"Yes, I will do my utmost!"
With that, the conversation ended. Now that the territory's financial situation had somewhat improved, it seemed like the right time to increase our forces. Peace without strength can never last long.
"I'll invest the remaining half of the gold in expanding and improving the infrastructure around the Nightmare Forest."
I also decided on the use for the remaining gold. Commerce and military, a two-track approach. That was my plan. If I could turn our territory, located at the northern end of the continent, into a hub for monster hunters, the income would increase exponentially.
"Alright, I've laid the groundwork."
A satisfied smile naturally spread across my face. From sweeping up artifacts that Deluc had to the miraculous alchemy of turning stones into gold. Yesterday and today! It had been a truly eventful two days.