“Baron Earlkvist, welcome, and thank you for coming today.”
“Thank you for personally greeting me, Mr. Benedict.”
“It is only natural for our company to offer the best hospitality, as we have been honored with a significant contract from you, Baron Earlkvist.”
Benedict’s idea of “the best hospitality” was evident in the tea served before Noein. As he sipped it, Noein thought to himself that this was likely made from the finest tea leaves in the kingdom.
Noein had noticed the upgrade in the quality of the tea since securing the contract for the wholesale of lapis lazuli. Even the tea that had been served before was of high quality, but after that contract, it had become even more refined, something Noein, a tea enthusiast, could easily recognize. It was a clear sign that the Miles Trading Company now regarded Noein as a guest worthy of the highest level of treatment.
Being treated so graciously didn’t make Noein feel bad, of course. With this in mind, he brought up the reason for his visit.
“I received notice that the item I requested had arrived, so I’ve come to collect it. I was so eager that I couldn’t wait and came without sending prior notice. Please forgive this childish reason for my sudden visit.”
Earlier in the year, after the winter had ended, Noein had requested the Miles Trading Company to procure a certain rare item for a new venture. Since the item was virtually unknown in the Kingdom of Lordberg, it had taken both time and money, but after about two months, news arrived that it had finally been secured.
For a noble and a valued customer like Noein, it was standard practice for him to send notice of his visit ahead of time. However, eager from the news, he had come without any prior arrangement.
“Not at all. We should apologize for the time it took to secure the item you requested.”
With a humble bow and a well-practiced smile, Noein’s apology was met with a courteous response from Benedict.
“That said, it’s an exceptional honor to have you here in person, rather than your usual attendant.”
“Since I know this request was a significant burden on you, I felt it was necessary to thank you in person.”
“No, no, it wasn’t… Well, it was a challenging job, but rewarding for a merchant,” Benedict replied, with a slight smile, acknowledging the difficulty of the task in a roundabout way.
Knowing full well that Benedict had put in great effort, Noein offered his thanks once more.
“Now, may I see the item?”
“Of course. Please, follow me.”
With Benedict leading the way, Noein left the meeting room and moved to the warehouse.
There, he found a large vat, about the size of a small bath, filled with soil. Plants were growing from the soil, with beans that seemed to be soybeans.
“So, this is it?”
“Yes, these are ‘soybeans,’ brought all the way from the eastern continent.”
“It must have been quite difficult to transport them alive, soil and all. Thank you for your hard work.”
“Not at all, it is simply a way for us to repay the favor we owe you, my lord.”
One of Noein’s new ventures for this year was to cultivate soybeans as a new crop in the Earlkvist barony.
Soybeans are part of the legume family, but they were almost unheard of in the southern part of the continent, including the Kingdom of Lordberg. They originate from the eastern continent.
In his childhood, Noein had read books on the eastern continent, including research and adventure stories. Based on that knowledge, he had decided to make soybeans part of his new venture.
“Now that the soybeans have arrived, I promised to tell you what I plan to do with them, didn’t I?”
“Yes, if it’s no trouble, I’d love to hear your plan, my lord, even from a humble merchant like myself.”
“Of course, I always keep my promises. Well, my idea is to produce oil from these soybeans.”
“Oil… Can you really extract oil from them?”
“Yes. The books I’ve read describe how oil can be extracted by crushing and pressing soybeans.”
In the southern regions of Lordberg, oil is produced from olives, but in the northern parts of the kingdom, where the climate makes olive cultivation difficult, animal fat or monster fat is commonly used.
However, these fats are prone to spoilage, and candles made from animal fat tend to have a strong odor.
If soybeans, which are resistant to cold and drought, could be grown to produce vegetable oil, it would become a unique product of the Earlkvist barony.
“If the production of soybean oil succeeds, I plan to sell much of it to the Miles Trading Company. I believe it could be a lucrative business for you as well.”
Since the barony would rely on the Miles Trading Company for large-scale distribution, Noein subtly hinted that “if you wait, you’ll profit from the distribution of soybean oil.”
“That would indeed be wonderful news. We would be further indebted to you, my lord.”
“Haha, well, when that time comes, I’d appreciate it if you could help me with another request.”
“If it’s for Baron Earlkvist, we’ll do everything in our power to assist.”
…
After inspecting the goods, they returned to the reception room to finalize the payment.
“The cost of the soybeans you ordered, as previously agreed, is 10,000 Rebro for the beans and the soil combined. As for transportation costs… that comes to 76,000 Rebro.”
Without any sign of surprise at the price Benedict quoted, Noein calmly responded, “Understood. Please, verify this,” and presented the prepared currency.
The procurement of these soybeans had been no simple task.
Since the Miles Trading Company’s reach only extended to the easternmost part of the kingdom, they had to arrange for another major trading company with an international transport network to handle the overseas delivery. The beans had been transported from a nation far east of the warring Pallas Empire.
Furthermore, the soybeans had to be transported alive, with the soil still intact. This meant they had effectively shipped a small farm.
It was no surprise that the costs had been so high.
“…I’ve confirmed the payment.”
With the transaction completed—8 gold coins and 6 large silver coins in total—Benedict breathed a small sigh of relief.
“And now, Benedict, may I ask for another favor?”
“Y-Yes… Of course, if it’s for you, my lord, we’d be honored to hear it.”
Despite his courteous words, Benedict’s smile was somewhat strained.
Thanks to the lapis lazuli contract, the Miles Trading Company had been earning a significant profit. They owed Noein a great deal, and that debt was growing month by month.
For that reason, it wasn’t easy for them to refuse any of Noein’s requests. But even so, some tasks were harder than others. The recent procurement of soybeans had certainly been a challenge, utilizing all of Benedict’s contacts.
He couldn’t help but wonder what kind of difficult request was coming next.
“I was hoping you could introduce me to a trustworthy slave trader. My barony is currently facing a labor shortage, and I’m considering purchasing a large number of slaves.”
Benedict was relieved to hear that the request was far lighter than he had anticipated.
“Understood. I’ll introduce you to the most reputable and reliable slave trader in Viscount Keinitz’s domain.”
“Thank you, that will be a great help.”
With the construction of public baths, water mills, and other facilities, along with the growing economy due to the population increase, the Earlkvist barony was once again facing a shortage of labor.
Additionally, Noein’s attendants, who were too busy to manage the farmland, and craftsmen like Dimitri, who were building houses for the increasing number of immigrants, were all in need of more workers.
As a result, Noein had decided to purchase a large number of slaves. He was relieved to have the Miles Trading Company’s help in arranging it.
