91 – Preparing for war against Maxburg (1)

There are many qualities that are essential to a feudal lord like me in Europia, but among them, only one can be selected as the most important.

The ability to protect the safety and interests of the people of the territory under his control.

If this is clearly established, feudal lords in the Middle Ages are tolerated as long as they do not commit immorality beyond imagining, such as taking their mother or daughter as their wife.

For this reason, even here, even if he sometimes steals the wife of his vassal for a legitimate price, or makes love with his male servant, he can maintain his position as lord.

However, if the lord fails to protect his territory, no matter how good and honorable he is, he will be abandoned.

Therefore, I will have to carry out a scheme to make Maxburg’s qualifications as a lord doubtful.

If you want to break through the board I play, you will have no political choice other than defeating me with war, Mr. Maxburg.

**

The port of Blueport, where dozens of large merchant ships are anchored, is noisy with the noise of numerous sailors and the noise of nobles and commoners who came out to buy goods bargaining on weekdays, holidays, and weekdays.

“Sir, buy this one. It is a colorful cloth from Spania. If you tailor a dress to her, she’ll be very happy. It’s a place where we deal directly with the upper house of Count Kreutel, but we are selling it specially for the elders.”

“No, this person!! Do you know very well what you will end up doing here if you carelessly mention the Count?”

“Don’t talk. My subordinate cursed at the Count a few days ago and came back as rice cake. In other territories, there are things that will buy you a drink if you curse at the lord, but here I was beaten and returned. I came to know all of that. Look at this color… it’s…”

“Ahem, ahem… Okay, take each one to the Felts’ mansion. The money will be paid by the butler.”

At the back of the wharf where the boat was docked, there was a stall selling food that I had set up.

Food stalls sold sandwiches and bread with fresh salted meat or herring on rye-wheat bread, as well as grilled herring.

“Come on, buy a sandwich made by His Excellency the Count! 2 fairy tales for 1! One sandwich with salted meat!!”

“How about seaweed soup with pickled herring? I put a lot of barley in it, so I’m full, and if I eat it with herring, the seasoning is perfect!”

“What! Rather than that, after all, blue port is herring. herring!! How about herring? Grilled herring is the best.”

“That’s good, but try sweets with sugar that can only be eaten cheaply at Blue Port. A box of 20 snacks and a silver coin!”

Even on paper, I could tell that it would be a very lively city, but as the saying goes, seeing it once is better than hearing it a hundred times.

After about 10 minutes, I started to see people with light skin and light blonde or brown hair, different from the people of Franchi and Elaine.

They were conversing in an English-like Britannian, all dressed in rags or out of proportion and fancy, as if boasting that they were pirates, and talking wildly.

“Ahoy!! A really prosperous port group, if you can hold on here for a little bit and rob a single merchant ship carrying sugar…”

“Stop it, Bingshin. Even the back-holes who were filmed by the Kreutel merchants won’t accept the deal. If the deal with the back-hole guys is cut off, we have to go to the North Sea as a group. You crazy bastard.”

“Ai… I was just talking, why are you arguing so much bro.”

“Do you keep telling the captain to clean the deck?”

“What, this bastard… the guy with the hot pants on the ice…”

Seeing those guys talking like that, I held out the sword with the family crest engraved on the handle next to me and said,

“I am Count Kreuttel. Where is the captain here?”

Then, the guys who had been chatting until just now looked at me with stiff expressions and answered politely.

“Your Excellency Count, hehehe… You can go inside here.”

“Thank you.”

“no. By the way, um… do you have any intention of hanging us all as pirates and killing us?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll forgive you this time because I called. Instead, the next time you say something like that, even as a joke…”

As I pretended to slit his neck with my thumb, Mark, who was following me, held his knife to the guy’s neck, drawing a small amount of blood.

“I’ll take the intestines out of his body. No, I’ll just torture you to the point of wanting to die. Find your family.”

**

Then, guided by the crew, I walked inside the cabin where the captain was waiting.

Seeing that there was no mold except for the part where the wall and bottom of the ship met, it was well-maintained, befitting a ship of top-notch pirates.

And when I went inside the cabin, there stood the admiral of the pirate fleet wearing fancy blue captain’s hats and clothes embroidered with gold thread on black fabric, and the captains in fancy clothes corresponding to them.

I quickly sat across from the captain and started talking.

“Yes, Captain. Seeing that you’ve come this far, you must have liked my plan.”

“Yes, I like it. Others in Britannia ask us not to plunder, but to protect only our shores and merchant ships, but His Excellency said that he would give us 100 gold coins per month for each of our ships, plus all the loot. If you see this and do not covet it, you are not a pirate.”

“You’re honest, I like it. Open up the map to Mark.”

At the same time as he said that, Mark opened a map with a rough outline of northern Europe.

Then, I began my explanation by dipping my quill into the black inkwell I had brought and drawing lines.

“But, as you well know, I am not a digger. So, of course, I want something from you. First of all, for the next three to six months, you will use the interpreter fleet to roam the coasts of the entire Maxburg territory and rob all ships with the flag that symbolizes the Maxburg family.”

“Yes, I understand. By the way, supply… where can I do it?”

“Blueport will provide all of your supplies. If you write down the items you want in a statement and send it to me, the treasurer of my estate will check it out and pay it.”

“Then, in fact, if you move your body, you will receive a huge income… I don’t know if we can believe this…”

I was caught in good conditions, but the act of trying to increase my ransom…

It’s really desirable, usually you can trust guys who take good care of their equipment and try to raise it while measuring the ransom like that.

In order to relieve their anxiety, we need to tell them about the clauses that are disadvantageous to them.

That’s how give and take is established.

“Okay, but instead, when you come within 3 days of the Blue Fort, you must raise a flag indicating that you belong to the allies. That way, merchant ships entering our territory will not be frightened.”

“Certainly, if the distance is less than three days, among the merchant ships in it, of course, there are ships going to Blueport and Brittany, and ships going to the north and Maxburg… I think it’s good to divide it like that.”

“Okay, and if there are pirates attacking merchant ships belonging to Creutel and the Northern Alliance, we have a duty to eliminate them. If you do this lazily, the contract will be terminated immediately, and the upper house of the Earl of Creutel will retaliate against you.”

Hearing those words, the captain began to tremble.

It was inevitable, because I have made the merchants and people of my territory, whether pirates or lords, pay as much as possible for those who harmed them.

A few months ago, a baron from another territory cut off sugar for 2 months for the crime of betraying our merchants and people.

As a result, he went bankrupt because he bought the sugar needed for the upcoming banquet at three times the price, crying and eating mustard from other lords.

Even a baron-level aristocrat pays this price, let alone a pirate who is not protected by the law…

The captain looked at me as if he was unfair and asked.

“Did you intend to entrust us with the defense of the coast and the containment of the Maxburgs in return for a large sum of money? This doesn’t pay off…”

“When a person speaks, you have to listen to the end. 200 gold coins and 200 kilos of sugar for each enemy caravel-class merchant ship, 300 gold coins and 250 kilos of sugar for each galley-class merchant ship. And for every 10 ships destroyed, 500 gold coins will be given as a bonus.”

“Is that true?”

“That’s right. And for the rest, please confirm the contract I offer you.”

And he read the contract in front of me and said.

“No, it’s not even long-distance trade, so you’re just sitting there for a month? we die! Then he contracts scurvy, his gums break down, and he bleeds out and dies. This scurvy is a disease that occurs when you stay on a boat for a long time…”

“Yes, it is a disease where the gums melt and bleed profusely. And a disease that gets better soon after getting off the ship. However, if not cured, a person will die.”

The biggest obstacle to opening the Age of Discovery was this scurvy.

A disease that starts with lethargic symptoms, gradually causes bleeding and gums to melt under the skin, and eventually causes death without being able to overcome even minor illnesses.

This disease probably plays a significant role in the Age of Exploration, in which many people died.

However, the cure was inexhaustibly simple, but from the point of view of those who do not know, it is a magic medicine that protects against tremendous manpower loss and fear of death, even if it is sold and bought.

That’s how I put the spleen medicine I made up to sell to the sailors in Europe from now on and said.

“If you eat one tablespoon of this every day, you will not get scurvy. I’ve already tested it on sinners, and it works well.”

Upon hearing that, the other officers, including the captain, opened their eyes, stared here and there, touched the medicine I had put on, and began to smell it.

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong…”

“No, no matter how many counts, would a count lie? And the one who lies in front of us about scurvy… I can’t tolerate it.”

“That’s right, there’s no business with captains and nabals and scurvy.”

Seeing those guys, I laughed and said,

“Even though it looks like this, it is quite expensive. It’s one silver coin for two months. However, I guarantee you that no one will die of scurvy if you take this medicine properly. Assuming that you take this medicine properly, if a sailor dies, I will compensate you with 50 gold coins per person.”

“… Are you really?”

“I swear by the name of Ciel von Kreuttel. And this is an offer only for you… .”

As I spoke in a quiet voice, the guys in front of me pricked up their ears and began to listen.

“As you already know, my territory is a place where serfs can become nobles, not semi-nobles, if they have the ability. And when I saw it, I think you guys can satisfy me enough. If you do that, I’ll let you enjoy riches and honor that you deserve. Like now Ahoy! From being a pirate who just walks around saying strange greetings, to becoming a nobleman who is respected and respected by everyone… . Of course, I will help your men find suitable land and wives to settle down in line with their dedication.”

Then the guys just rolled their eyes at each other, and no one answered me.

But “we are free spirits who don’t need that!” Seeing that I didn’t shout, if I show maximum trust for the next six months…

They will definitely come under me.

No, if I catch serial killers and thieves with stupid words and come under me, if I order an army officer and reduce my power, who won’t get in?

“Think about it, anyway, your fleet is under contract with me starting today. If you don’t have any complaints, make an effort and make the most of your wallet. I’ll give you money as much as you work, so be sure to… Cut off the seas of Maxburg’s territory and make their merchants starve.”