Episode 96: Trade negotiations
Familis and Princess Parvera agreed to export weapons from the Roccia region to the Hartaut country based on the Knight Nation's opinion, so the meeting will be about the amount to be paid for the quantity and type of weapons.
At this point, the negotiating partner and the room change.
Crown Prince Akin is the son of the old King Quercia III and the de facto administrator of the country. By the way, even though he is the crown prince, he is the child of an old king, so he is a middle-aged man in his fifties with a bitter look on his face.
Negotiations will take place in Crown Prince Akin's office.
"If you plan to continue using the product for a long time without replacing it, a bronze product is better than a steel product."
When I gave my sales pitch, Crown Prince Akin's expression turned even more bitter.
"I didn't know that bronze weapons were better than steel weapons, right?"
"Steel and bronze have different advantages. Steel has the hardness and sharpness to overcome half-baked metals. On the other hand, it requires specialized knowledge and technology to manufacture, and it is prone to rust and maintenance. Bronze, on the other hand, is inferior to steel, but it can be made as strong as iron by combining alloys.It is also resistant to rust and lasts a long time even when left in a warehouse.''
As I learned in world history in my previous life, there was a time when iron was called a ``base metal'' and was looked down upon because of its tendency to rust. The reason why rust-resistant copper, silver, and gold are still called ``precious metals'' today is a vestige of that era.
In fact, bronze does rust, but it only occurs on the surface, and it does not rust all the way to the inside like iron.
I explain the advantages of bronze, but Crown Prince Akin remains skeptical.
“Is bronze as strong as iron? Our country also uses copper and bronze weapons, but is it really that different?”
"The strength of pressed alloys changes dramatically depending on the type and composition of the metals mixed in."
“Bronze is an old material and I thought it would be inferior to steel, but is that not the case?”
“The fact that steel weapons are the best in terms of hardness is proven by the fact that the empire used them. However, bronze is an excellent material that can replace iron, and it has many advantages that steel does not have. That's why I recommend steel if you plan to use it up in the short term, and bronze if you plan to use it over the long term.''
When I showed my stance that it didn't matter which material the weapon was made from, Crown Prince Akin looked even more troubled.
"Short-term or long-term? Then bronze, then steel. Hmm..."
The number of weapons given to the soldiers is in the thousands. I can understand Crown Prince Akin's feelings of being cautious.
However, if you worry about it for too long, you will end up with nothing on hand.
Therefore, in order to resolve Crown Prince Akin's concerns, I decided to ask the family members present for their opinions.
"Familias 'Sir', a knight of the chivalry kingdom. May I ask what you think?"
When I asked in a princely tone, the family looked at me with suspicious eyes.
The more you look at me like that, the more I think my princely tone is unsuitable for my family.
When I momentarily lost my princely demeanor and made a genuine expression that said, ``It's fine, just say it quickly,'' the family looked somewhat relieved.
“Prince Milimos says this, but does Crown Prince Akin mind?”
"Oh! Of course! If you consider the reputation of a knight from a chivalrous country who can counter the empire's magic with just his body, it's nothing short of a masterpiece!"
Your attitude is quite different from when I was explaining it to you. Even though I was thinking that, I kept my expression calm.
Familis saw through my arrogant face and burst into laughter, and then began telling me his evaluation of steel and bronze.
"The weapons and armor given to the knights and soldiers of the chivalric kingdom are all made of steel. Their durability is unparalleled."
"Well then--"
"However, this is so that knights and soldiers can maintain their own weapons and finally learn that they are full-fledged people. During peacetime, there is a tendency to let your weapons and armor rust and that you cannot be placed upwind of knights and soldiers. This is because the weapons used by the police and vigilante groups, which have nothing to do with this trend, are mainly made of bronze.As Prince Milimos said, bronze is strong enough to be used as a weapon. This is because it lasts a long time even if you don’t take care of it properly.”
“Are you saying that even in the knightly kingdom, two types of iron and bronze are used?”
“Just as we change the tactics we use depending on the opponent we are fighting, we also change the materials of weapons as needed.”
Perhaps because the Family's words were a rehash of my explanation, Crown Prince Akin sank into agony.
Princess Palvera, who was present here, sent out a rescue boat.
"Familis. Don't be mean to me, why don't you tell me which material is the best weapon for the Heartaut country?"
"Princess Pulvera. As you say, you are choosing a weapon to protect your country. I don't think it's right for people from other countries to force a decision on one side."
"I guess so. At this rate, it looks like we won't be able to choose Prince Akin."
"The fact that he can't choose is Crown Prince Akin's problem. It's not something I can interfere with."
"Since you're in trouble like that, wouldn't it be right to help you?"
"No, princess. There is no way there is a crown prince who cannot make a single decision to purchase a weapon in the face of an approaching national crisis."
In front of the person concerned, the fearless familis' way of saying that he was truly a knight of a great nation of chivalry impressed me.
It may not have been motivated by such a blast, but Crown Prince Akin made the decision.
“Since it has not yet been decided that we will go to war with Ferocony, we will make it made of bronze with a view to long-term operation.”
"Okay. So, what kind of weapons and armor are you thinking about?"
"I would like to purchase swords and bows of a size that our soldiers are accustomed to using, as well as armor and shields that cover only the upper body."
"I'll leave the armor up to you. However, I know that the bow is a short bow, but is the sword a mounted sword? Or a one-handed sword? How big should the shield be?"
"The cavalry soldiers have both mounted swords and one-handed swords, and the infantry only have one-handed swords. Their shields are neither big nor small."
"Looking at the size of that gesture, it seems like a circular shield that can cover your face would be good. Just to confirm, you don't need a spear, right?"
"If we go to war with the Ferocony country, no matter where the main battlefield is, we'll be fighting in a land with forests. And in the woods, spears will become useless objects."
The basic method of using a spear is to use a spear, but since the trees in the forest get in the way and you can't form a dense unit, it loses its meaning. Also, because the spear is long, it tends to get caught on branches that have grown out while moving, causing delays in action.
In that case, we can predict how the Heartaut country would fight in the forest.
First, the light cavalry is responsible for keeping the enemy in check with mobile fire from short bows, while the infantry approaches the enemy using shields and forest trees as cover. Eventually, just as the infantry began to cut each other off in a melee of swords, the cavalry drew their mounted swords and charged in, disrupting the battle line. The infantry pushed forward through the chaotic front, and when the opponent's confusion began to clear up, the cavalry charged in again. That repetition.
If my predictions are correct, then the battles in the forest seem to be more like group battles, and even in group battles there are many one-on-one situations, rather than battles involving the use of troops.
I see. This is where I truly understood the idea of importing high-quality weapons from the Roccia region, as battles depend on individual ability.
And I was also able to guess what kind of weapon would be good for such a battle.
"Now, let's talk about the number and price of each weapon and armor..."
Negotiations between me, who wanted to sell a lot, and Crown Prince Akin, who wanted to keep the war costs down as much as possible, settled on a compromise where neither of us could win or lose.
Just when I thought we were done talking, Crown Prince Akin said to me with an apologetic look on his face.
“I would like half of the payment to be in the form of a loan.”
“Roccia region—no, the Nonette country lends money to your country?”
"It's embarrassing to say, but our main industries are nuts, fruits, and lumber from trees. Therefore, it is hard to say that we are wealthy."
When you think about it, the people of the Hartaut country had an abundance of fruits and nuts, making it easy for the people to live there, but they lacked enough export goods to make a fortune through trade with other countries.
In other countries, grain cultivation is the mainstream, and there is not much demand for nuts. Fruit can be sold as dried fruit, but since sweets are a luxury item, buyers and purchase quantities are scarce, so if an attempt is made to sell more and there is an oversupply, the price will collapse. Wood and its processed product, charcoal, are necessities for daily life, but there is no demand for them in Ferocony and other forested countries.
Those export items are popular in the Roccia region and are often imported, but the profits from exporting bronze and steel tools to Ferocony are higher.
That's when I thought about it, and then I remembered the fact that the Empire was taking a lot of effort to collect debts from my previous meeting with First Consul Funseroia.
If we continue to acknowledge the debt, it's possible that the Heartaut country will try to take us down or try to postpone the payment.
I thought about it for a while and came up with a way to pay for the weapon that wasn't a loan.
"Even though they don't have money, the country of Hartaut has literally mountains of supplies that the Roccia region needs. Charcoal for blacksmithing, lumber for construction, fresh fruits, sweet dried fruits, and candied fruits."
“People also buy aromatic herbs and wood products grown in the forest.”
I nod at the words that Crown Prince Akin has passed on to me and continue speaking.
"Would you like to barter these items with our weapons and armor?"
Crown Prince Akin seemed surprised by my proposal.
"It's a nice story, but if we were to pay for such a large amount of weapons and armor in physical form, it would be too huge, and the money for the people's use would disappear."
"No, no. I'm not asking you to pay it all at once. You decide how much you want to give us each year over several years. That's all you need."
"I see. Rather than borrowing in money, it will be in the form of debt in goods."
Crown Prince Akin crossed his arms and thought about it, accepting the proposal with such ease that it was unimaginable that he had been debating between steel and bronze.
“I ask that you please pay for the weapons and armor in the form of borrowed goods.”
"Now, let's decide how much you'll give us every year, and then figure out how many years it will take to pay it off."
We compared the approximate price we would sell and the amount of supplies that the Heartaut country could export each year, and once a general agreement was reached, we both shook hands and the negotiations came to an end.
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