Calamity of the Kingdom 1

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

After visiting the shipyard, Paul and Quiller strolled to the seaside to enjoy the scenery. The weather today was pleasant, with a faint salty breeze blowing gently, making the atmosphere serene and refreshing.

Quiller suddenly asked curiously, "What are you planning to sell?"

"Some novelty items. New types of paper, inexpensive and plentiful, unlike parchment which is so expensive. And there's a kind of beautiful pottery that you will absolutely love."

Paul said somewhat smugly, confident in the European obsession with porcelain, "I'm planning to make a fortune with it."

He pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Quiller, saying, "This is the paper I want to sell. In a few days, I'm heading back to Alden Town. Would you like to come with me to see these pottery items? They're much prettier than the pottery we use."

"Sure, I'll definitely come." Quiller took the paper and exclaimed, "Are you saying this paper can be mass-produced?"

The southern nations had developed economies, requiring large quantities of paper for daily commercial activities such as contracts, bookkeeping, and correspondence. The economic prosperity had led to cultural flourishing, with the cultural industry being a major consumer of paper. If there was indeed a new type of paper that could supply adequately and at a low price, finding a market wouldn't be a problem.

"Yes, in my workshop, with the same amount of manpower and time, I can increase production to dozens of times that of parchment." Actually, this was just a fabrication by Paul off the cuff. He didn't know exactly how much higher it could go, but considering the abundant raw materials and the ability to recruit more workers, he estimated it could easily be increased by thirty to forty times.

Suddenly, he had another idea and slapped his forehead. "Ah! By the way, have you heard about the developed southern culture, with countless great writers and playwrights?"

The young nobleman placed his left hand on his hip and ran his right hand through his hair, showing a hint of pride.

"You flatter me! Though we in the South may not match the North in military prowess, when it comes to literature and art, we can't be too modest. Haha!"

His expression made it seem as if he himself were a literary master.

Paul immediately adopted an expectant expression. "I've long admired this. Could you send me some popular literary works when you return? Such as novels, poems, and so on."

Quiller felt proud. "Sure thing, sure thing! Hahaha—"

"But why do you want to send them via sea route? Aren't there few ports along the West Coast of the Aldor Kingdom for resupply? What if you encounter extreme weather or the ship breaks down?"

Paul sighed helplessly. "There's no other way. You've been held by pirates for several months. You probably don't know that our country in the South is currently at war. To speak disrespectfully of His Majesty, I don't know when this war will end. I don't want my convoy to pass through chaotic areas. What if we get robbed? Even if there's no war, there are checkpoints along the way, and we'd have to pay layers of taxes."

Quiller nodded understandingly. "I just heard about it. It's Giles the Wolf, right? He's quite a dangerous character, famous even in our parts. But he's probably more cunning than any other lord in your country, lowering tariffs and favoring merchants to control trade between Aldor and Angle Bay, earning quite a bit of money."

Quiller suddenly remembered something. He paused, looked around, and leaned close to Paul's ear to whisper, "Let me tell you a secret, but don't tell anyone else."

After seeing Quiller being so mysterious, Paul's curiosity was piqued. He nodded in agreement, "Don't worry, I'll keep it a secret."

Quicker whispered, "I reckon your kingdom's royalty is in serious trouble this time. Giles has powerful forces backing him."

"What did you say?" Paul looked astonished, as if he had just heard something incredible.

"I mean, your Aldor Kingdom is very likely to undergo a change in dynasty!" Quiller felt somewhat satisfied to see his friend shocked by the secret he revealed.

Paul was incredulous, "Are you kidding me? Giles only started his rebellion after you were stuck in the pirate's den. How do you know he has support behind him strong enough to overthrow the monarchy?"

"You don't think Giles came up with the idea of rebellion just a few months ago, do you? He's been preparing for years. This is something all the high-level officials of various countries are well aware of. But I only found out about his backing shortly before I left home. It's probably this support that finally gave him the determination to rebel."

"And how did you 'accidentally' find out about it?"

"Did you forget that my old man is a member of the Council? I sneaked a look at some documents in his study. It seems that some merchant guilds of the Angle Bay Alliance are secretly shipping goods to Giles's territory by sea, including large quantities of military supplies, food, and so on. The scale of it is staggering. That's why I say His Majesty is in a bit of a bind this time."

"Hmm..." Paul furrowed his brow. If this were true, as a regional lord, he would have to carefully consider which side to align with. The Grayman family had been banished to the Northwest Bay because of their past misalignment.

Quiller seemed to sense what Paul was thinking and placed a hand on his shoulder, saying, "If you don't have the power to protect yourself, just be a fence-sitter for now. Wait until the situation becomes clearer before taking a stand. If things really go irreversibly wrong, come find me in Angle Bay. You saved my life, I'll look after you for life."

"Being a fence-sitter also requires some strength," Paul thought to himself, touched by Quiller's words.

He looked up into Quiller's sincere eyes. "Thank you, Quiller." Then, he asked curiously, "Which side does the Angle Bay Alliance support?"

Quiller immediately replied, "Since its establishment, the Angle Bay Alliance has adhered to a policy of 'armed neutrality' in diplomacy. We just want to do business quietly and avoid getting involved in the internal conflicts of other countries. If we make a wrong move, we might lose all our business."

"Well..." He changed the subject, "At least that's the official stance. As for what happens behind the scenes, I'm not interested in politics and know little about it. After all, a country's existence can't be as simple as it seems on the surface."

He continued, "For third-party businesses like transporting goods, Angle Bay's laws won't prohibit it. If your king places an order, our guild will handle it without fail."

"Do you know who's backing Giles?"

"As long as it doesn't harm the Alliance's own interests, the Council has no authority to investigate commercial secrets. The documents didn't specify who it was. But the range for speculation isn't wide. Aldor isn't a small country, so how many forces would really have the ability to intervene? Also, I remember those guilds running businesses in the eastern part of Angle Bay."

"It's a clever move. Shipping goods by sea is easy to conceal, and with such large quantities of military equipment and food, it's likely a state-level action."

"The eastern part of Angle Bay? Isn't that near the Triera Sea? Close to the Triera Sea and capable of supporting Giles, there's probably only the Papal State and the Gabella Empire."

(End of the Chapter)