Chapter 33: Holding a Banquet (3)
“Little Donald, what is this red drink? Maple syrup?”
Hearing the Baron of Red Maple’s question, Donald smiled and explained, “Lord Eustace, this is a drink created by our mages. I call it black tea. It was originally just a ingredient in alchemical potions, and consuming it has certain health benefits. I developed this way of drinking it myself. You two should give it a try!”
The Baron of Red Maple hesitantly took a small sip after hearing this, while Sir Jesse drank it without hesitation.
At first, the black tea tasted slightly bitter, causing the two nobles to frown slightly. But soon, their mouths and taste buds were filled with a fragrant and unique flavor. After half a cup, they felt warm and comfortable all over, and even their spirits lifted.
“What a wonderful thing!”
“Yes! Truly worthy of being a mage’s drink!”
Sir Jesse and the Baron of Red Maple praised it in turn. The former recognized the extraordinary nature of this drink—it was meant for mages alone, and surely its arrival in the capital would attract the attention of the royal family and nobles alike.
The middle-aged merchant immediately thought of the business opportunities involved and, with a friendly smile, asked Donald, “This drink seems to have considerable economic value. I wonder if Little Donald has considered selling some. I can handle the sales for you, so you can have enough time to focus on your mage training!”
Donald wasn’t surprised by the Baron of Red Maple’s question. He had already planned to introduce black tea since the success of Moonlight Wine. In his past life, tea had been a key item in trade between the East and West. From his history textbooks, he remembered that in the 17th and 18th centuries, the annual tea trade volume was at least hundreds of millions of taels of silver.
In this world, he intended to make black tea a luxury drink essential for nobles and wealthy merchants. Although he wasn’t an economist, he knew the profits would be enormous.
So when the Baron of Red Maple saw the business potential, he naturally wouldn’t let it slip away. With a slight apology, he replied, “I’m very sorry. Although I invented this drink, its sales rights, just like those of Moonlight Wine, have been handed over to the Mage Council of Giant Rock City. If Lord Eustace is interested, he can discuss it with Mage Madri, who is in charge of this matter!”
“I see! Then forget it. Mage Madri is also a very shrewd merchant. With him as an agent, Little Donald shouldn’t suffer any losses!”
What a pity! Orest sighed inwardly. He had known Madri, that merchant mage and middle-aged businessman, for a long time and had dealt with him many times. He knew Madri to be a shrewd merchant whose business skills were on par with his own, and that negotiating with him would likely not yield much profit. Moreover, Madri’s stance made it clear that he could not expect to get a share of the Moonlight Wine from him.
Donald knew that this noble merchant had no real concern for him; all he cared about was the huge profits his products could bring. So he changed the subject and asked another guest, “What’s your opinion on this orc invasion, Jesse?”
Sir Jesse perked up at the question and said with longing, “Over the years, these small orc raiding parties have always been opportunities for us noble descendants to advance! It’s a shame I lack both military talent and personal strength. But you, Donald, as a powerful mage, should be able to achieve great feats on the battlefield easily!”
Donald shook his head. “I do want to participate and earn military honors, but there’s been no news from the royal court, which is worrying. Maybe the orcs have already been repelled by the border troops by now!”
Sir Jesse patted Donald’s shoulder and laughed. “Don’t worry, Donald! News will likely arrive soon. For such an opportunity to gain promotion through military achievements, even if the royal court remains silent, the noble descendants in the capital won’t give up. Their powerful backers will surely push them forward, and His Majesty the King can’t ignore the opinions of those influential nobles and council elders.”
It seemed that although Sir Jesse had left the capital, as an official in charge of noble affairs in his region, he still had some reliable friends there who kept him well-informed.
Relieved by this positive news, Donald turned to Baron Redmaple and asked, “What are Lord Orest planning? Does he intend to elevate Baron Redmaple’s status further?”
The middle-aged businessman was momentarily stunned before smiling and saying, “I’m quite good at managing a domain, but warfare is beyond my skills—those are tasks for you young people. Besides, I only have one daughter, and I can’t expect her, a lady, to go to war. However, if I could find a son-in-law among the young nobles who have achieved military honors to inherit my Redmaple domain, I’d be more than happy!”
As he spoke, he cast a subtle glance at Donald, clearly hinting at Baron Redmaple. Donald simply pretended not to see it.
Not to mention that he doesn’t have a suitable partner yet, even if he were to choose any stranger as a lover, there are plenty of noble ladies in the entire North County—surely it wouldn’t be the turn of the daughter of such a cunning merchant. Ever since Baron Redmap ignored the Merlina family’s plea back then, Donald had no desire to have anything to do with him. It wasn’t to the point of hatred, but at least he wouldn’t get close to such a profit-driven merchant and his family anymore. The conversation soon reached a deadlock. The old and shrewd Baron Redmap realized he couldn’t keep up with the topics discussed by the two young people. After praising the banquet, he wisely suggested leaving. After seeing Baron Redmap off, the two young nobles returned to the reception room, smiled at each other, and felt much more relaxed. Donald took the initiative to start the conversation: “Jesse, I wonder how many orcs invaded in previous years and how their combat achievements were calculated. Since you came from the capital, you must be well-informed about these matters. Could you explain them to me?” “Donald, you’re too kind. These things are well-known among nobles and aren’t really secrets.” Sir Jesse organized his words before detailing what he knew. … “Based on past experiences, small groups of orc raiders usually consist of one or two orc tribes, numbering around a few thousand orcs. These orcs cross the mountains and hills to reach our kingdom’s borders, then scatter to plunder food and supplies from border villages and towns before joining their main force and returning to the Northwest Wasteland.” After Sir Jesse finished speaking, Donald immediately asked, “So what’s the combat strength of the orcs?” “From past experiences, each orc squad consists of about ten to fifty orcs. Generally, more than three times as many human soldiers are needed to defeat those barbarians!” “Indeed formidable. It seems the individual combat strength of orcs is at least three times that of ordinary humans.” “Of course. Orcs have strong reproductive abilities and are physically robust. If it weren’t for their poor intelligence and the lack of divine protection, no other intelligent race would be able to survive in this world!” After sighing, Sir Jesse continued:
“Under normal circumstances, killing a single orc only earns a bounty without any merit. Volunteers in battle must eliminate an entire orc squad to be recognized for their efforts, and killing about five orc squads will likely earn them the title of honorary knight, which is not hereditary. If Donald wants to obtain a noble title or lands, he would need to slay at least a thousand orcs.”
“Nobles and professionals who enlist are generally not deprived of their merits, but for common adventurers who fight in battle, the requirements for earning merits are even stricter. That’s why few commoners have ever received noble status, unless they are powerful professionals.”
“Of course, if you’re confident enough, Donald, you can also target the spellcasters and shaman priests among the orc forces. The head of a low-level shaman priest is worth as much as the merits of killing a thousand ordinary orc warriors, or even more! If you can kill or capture a mid-level shaman priest, it will be enough to make a commoner a hereditary noble!”
Sir Jesse stayed at Donald’s manor until evening before setting down his empty teacup, bidding farewell to his host, and riding back to Stone City before the city gates closed.
The conversation with Sir Jesse further refined Donald’s ideas and plans. Now, all that remained was to wait for news from the kingdom.
However, before heading to the battlefield, Donald still needed to consider the safety and development of his manor in his absence. Once the kingdom’s call to arms came, he would leave the manor to head to the border battlefield, leaving it completely unguarded.