Chapter 503: Chapter 503

Finally, these delegates, who sighed and pondered without knowing what they were thinking about, arrived at the interior of the castle.

"You may rest first, the formal meeting will take place this afternoon." When they reached the inside of the castle, they were once again amazed by the interior decorations.

The grandeur didn’t lie in the value of the items, but rather their intricacy and exquisite craftsmanship. The most update n0vels are published on 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝✦𝘧𝙞𝙧𝙚✦𝕟𝕖𝕥

Du You originally was not capable of such production, but who knew that among the commoners he recruited, there were some exceptional craftsmen. These high-grade craftsmen may not compare to the most esteemed in the world, or those of the imperial court, yet in the eyes of Shaliya, their level of skill was not lower than that of the great nobility.

Even the items of Shaliya’s own house perhaps fell short in manufacture to these craftsmen.

Therefore, the things Du You originally planned to use for himself in his territory were all moved here by Shaliya. The more those of nobility had an eye for quality, the greater the impressiveness these items held.

Most people who came here were commoners, simply amazed by what they saw. However, there were some retainers of the lord, of noble blood. Although they might not have enjoyed such luxuries, their discernment was not lacking.

Upon seeing these things, everyone held Du You, the lord of these lands, in even higher regard.

After a morning of touring and networking, they started to take Mountain Town more seriously. By the time the meeting began, everyone’s attitude had completely transformed.

Shaliya stepped onto the platform, "I’m glad to meet you all. I am the housekeeper of Mountain Town. I will preside over this meeting." They didn’t blame the lord for not appearing because they knew their status was not equal to his.

They weren’t entitled to be received personally by the lord.

Seeing Shaliya, the people’s eyes lit up. They had seen beautiful women, but one of Shaliya’s level was a rare sight.

Even those who had seen women of her caliber were taken aback. For a woman to possess both beauty and charm was a rarity. Shaliya’s temperament was more noble than many of the high nobility, leaving them feeling inferior.

If it weren’t for this, some might have begun to pursue Shaliya. However, as it stood, Shaliya taking her place above made them feel shamed, banishing any such thoughts.

"You have all seen our samples. From our range of fine food, including canned food and preserved fruits, these are delicacies unseen elsewhere."

"Just name your price. If it’s too high, we’re not interested." Someone suddenly shouted.

Shaliya smiled faintly, not scolding the man. Seeing that others were growing impatient, Shaliya knew that they weren’t here to listen to her prattle on. This constant feeling of suppression was truly uncomfortable.

"Our lord has said that we will cooperate for mutual benefit. We should prosper together and develop together." After a pause, Shaliya continued, "You should have a rough idea of the prices. Such fine food can easily fetch five times the price of everyday food. In the inland market, the price is even higher. Canned food and preserved fruits can be considered luxury desserts, fit even for the nobility."

"True, but if the price is too high, we can’t afford it."

Another person voiced their opinion. No matter how strong the other’s land, no matter how attractive Shaliya was, the most important thing was the interest of their own land. When it came to their interests, everyone was clear-headed.

Shaliya lightly pressed her hands together and then continued, "For our fine food, no matter what price you sell it at, we only want three times the price of regular food. If you don’t have gold coins, you may also use different kinds of grains as payment."

Everyone stared wide-eyed, looking incredulous, because if it’s as she described, they stood to make a fortune.

"But our transportation costs are high, could you make the price any lower?"

"Yes, we don’t have that many gold coins or food." Some people continued to shout.

Shaliya casually replied, "If you don’t like it, you don’t have to participate. We will find others. We believe that others have keen eyes."

"Exactly, if you’re not interested, give your share to us. We can sell these things in White Stone City and trade them for plenty of food and gold coins." White Stone City was nearby. In reality, Mountain Town could do it all by themselves.

At this point, no one was speaking out of turn. This was an opportunity. If it were truly as they had said, it would be a huge windfall.

"Master, why do we have to distribute all the benefits to them? Even if we don’t, they can’t do anything to us. Even united, they’re no match for us." Lin Yucha said, sounding puzzled.

Du You immediately started to explain. "Shaliya told me that although these people aren’t very powerful, the first thing we need to do is to expand our territory’s influence. This facilitates the development of our territory. By doing this, we give up part of our profits, but the expansion of our influence is faster." It must be said that Shaliya’s ideas on this were far more profound than his own.

"Along with that, there are many of them. Once our reputation is built, our influence will expand further. Through these people, we can reduce our workload and sell our goods everywhere, which is highly beneficial for our overall plan."

The two pondered and came to the conclusion that it seemed to be the case. Disregarding profit and considering only influence, this was indeed an excellent strategy. Besides, even though profit was less, it was not completely gone.

What their territory required was not gold coins and various resources of this world, but Crystal Coins. No matter how much product was sold, there was no way they could glean a single Crystal Coin from them.

"Of course, there is also another reason. Although our territory has enormous potential for development, it’s risky in the early stages. This is, after all, the border region between the Quicksand Empire and the Divine Flame Empire. If we were the only dominants, it would likely catch the attention of the Sandpeople. But if we develop together with others, they would at least provide us with a buffer opportunity."

"That’s really cunning. Our location is deep in the mountains, close to the south, and they are closer to the Sandpeople than we are. If the Sandpeople really intend to make a move on us, they’d have to remove them first." Lin Yushi exclaimed.

Lin Yucha, impatiently, gave her sister a knock on the head, "What do you mean cunning? Shaliya is one of us."

Rolling her eyes, Lin Yushi rubbed her head, isn’t that woman yet to marry into their family? Who knows what the future will bring?