Imperial Crown.

Chapter 38 Negotiation (Part )

No wonder Judra reacted so strongly.

The content of the document was that Raven would provide Judra with 5000 gold coins within two years.

The price is that once Judra becomes a baron, he will not only have to return the Eagle Mountain Mine and the Thousand Needles Jungle, but also assign the [Gray Mountain Mine] to the Eagle Territory!

The reason why Ironforge can support a third-level knight like Angel with the scale of a barony, and even allow the most elite 100-man [Ironforge Legion] to wear chain mail, is because they have their own iron mines, their own smelting and foundry factories!
Exported weapons, chain mail and plate armor are the most important source of income for Ironforge County.

It can be said that once the Gray Mountain Mine is lost, the income of Iron Furnace Territory will drop by half or even more, and the annual loss will be no less than thousands of gold coins!
Whoever signs this contract will undoubtedly be the biggest sinner of the Wharton family. It is not an exaggeration to say that he is "selling territory for fame and fortune."

Raven took the document steadily and was not angry. Through the contact just now, he had completely understood Judra's character.

He is arrogant, conceited, and has a high opinion of himself, but at the same time he also has an inherent inferiority complex. His emphasis on self-esteem and reputation is almost pathological. Although he is clearly desperate for the title, he always acts as if he doesn't care.

If I were to describe it in two words, it would be -

distortion.

To deal with such a person, you have to help him save face.

To put it simply, Judra wants to be a whore, and Raven wants to help him to maintain his integrity.

"How can this be considered sacrificing the interests of the family, Mr. Judra?" Raven sighed with deep regret: "Baron Angel was indeed a qualified noble when he was young, but now he is old. What he did at my coronation ceremony - I dare say it was foolish. If you hadn't acted decisively, the Wharton family would have become the laughing stock of the entire Nord Province!"

"As for your brother, Mr. Mark, with all due respect, he is not even a qualified heir."

Raven's tone was filled with deep sympathy. "He was spoiled since he was young, addicted to wine and beauty. Not only did he get his maid pregnant without being engaged, he even sent people to Shimmergold Town to buy the Angel's Tears at a high price, totally ignoring the awkward relationship between our two families now."

"Is such a person really suitable to inherit the title of Ironforge? If he inherits the title, wouldn't it be the greatest harm to Ironforge and the Wharton family?"

Raven's words hit the nail on the head for Judra, whose angry face calmed down. She sneered and said, "I don't know where you heard this rumor from, but the reliability of this news is as thin as the 5000 gold coins on your document. Even if you searched the Eagle Territory, you still can't come up with that much money!"

"Then this news may be true." Raven said slowly: "Although I don't have so much money now, don't forget that I still have Angel's Tears in my hands, and I recently took back the town of Shining Gold."

Judra pursed his lips slightly, he had tasted the deliciousness of Angel's Tears, and the fact that Mark would rather annoy Angel than buy it further proved this point, Angel's Tears could indeed bring Eagle Tie endless wealth.

"...Even if what you said is true, what can I do?" Judela sighed helplessly: "After all, my father has the final say on who will inherit the title."

"That's why I want to help you." Raven shook the document in his hand. "Mr. Judra, I think you have all the qualities to become a lord. You are calm, elegant, and noble. It's just that you haven't been treated fairly, so you haven't been able to show your abilities in front of Baron Angel."

He took a step forward, and his deep and magnetic voice penetrated into Judra's heart like a whisper in a dream: "As long as you can show enough ability and make everyone in the territory - the knights, the butlers, the head maids, and the soldiers - impressed by your generosity and make them work for you, then I think Baron Angel will change his mind."

Judra's brows twitched wildly, he had already understood Raven's hint.

Money, lots of money.

In his opinion, there is no one in the world who cannot be bought with gold coins. If there is, it is because the price offered is not high enough.

He threw down large sums of gold coins, tying every important figure in the barony to his chariot, making them realize who was the one who could bring them benefits.

In that case, even if Ingres wanted to make Mark his heir when he was dying, no one would recognize his decision - a will is only useful if everyone recognizes it, otherwise it is no more than a piece of waste paper.

At this moment, Judela was indeed moved, but he still shook his head: "Baron Raven, you are indeed a good lobbyist, but I still cannot agree to you. The Gray Mountain Mine is the foundation of Ironforge County, and the Wharton family cannot lose it."

The most important thing is that once the contract is signed, his handle will be in Raven's hand and he can control it at will.

At least before he officially became a baron, Judra had no chance of resisting.

Raven knew his concerns and said:
"How can it be a loss? They just rented the Gray Mountain Mine to me for fifty years! And the output of the Gray Mountain Mine can still be supplied to Ironforge at the market price. Although there will be more money to buy ore, it will also save labor."

"But the income from the Gray Mountain Mine is not lower than that from the Glittering Gold Town." Judea said with a sullen face, "Five thousand gold coins to get a fifty-year lease is still too low."

Raven chuckled in his heart.

This Judra is quite good at building a good reputation!

I just proposed a deal, but he just took advantage of it and limited the focus of the conversation to the Huishan Mine, completely ignoring the personal dependence involved.

Not only did he save his face, but he also started bargaining. What a classic aristocratic behavior.

Originally, 5000 gold coins was just a base price, and Raven didn't intend to bribe him with this: "Then how many gold coins do you think is appropriate, Mr. Judra?"

"10000 gold coins." Judra said without blinking, "I think this is a suitable price."

"If it was fifty years ago, it would be true, but the Gray Mountain Mine has been mined for too long, and no one knows how much reserves are left." Raven bargained, "7000 gold coins."

There was a hint of dissatisfaction in Judra's eyes.

No matter how nice it sounds, once this contract is signed, it will be his biggest weakness before he truly succeeds to the throne of Baron. It can be said that he has almost staked his entire life on it.

But this gangster Raven refused to pay even 10000 gold coins, which was simply a humiliation.

"It's not just a matter of the Gray Mountain Mine." Judea emphasized, "It's about my 'reputation'. 10000 gold coins, not a single bit less!"

Raven was almost laughing out of anger. Reputation? What kind of reputation could be worth 5000 gold coins?
The bitch has set up a good reputation and really thinks she is a good woman?
Raven sneered, shook his head and said, "Mr. Judra, if you insist on doing this, I don't think Mr. Mark's 'reputation' is worth so much money, right?"

Jude's face tensed: "What do you mean?"

"It's very simple." Raven sneered, "I've figured it out now. Instead of supporting you, I might as well invest in Mark, who has a better chance of inheriting the title. At least being a neighbor of a loser won't put me under any pressure!"

"Sorry to waste your time, Mr. Judra!" Raven made a prompt decision and turned away.

Seeing Raven threatening him so blatantly, Judra's breathing suddenly became heavy. He clenched his fists and almost wanted to rush up and beat Raven up!
But he couldn't do that, and he didn't dare to do that.

He was already at a disadvantage in the fight. Once Mark obtained Raven's financial assistance, he would no longer have the possibility of inheriting the Ironforge Territory!
If Raven had threatened him like this before, he could have just walked away, but now his ambition was completely aroused by Raven, and he clearly saw the vision of sitting on the throne of Baron.

If we really give up at this point, it would be really... unwilling!
“Baron Raven!” Judra suppressed the humiliation that was boiling in her heart and took a deep breath: “9000 gold coins!”

Raven did not stop.

"8000 gold coins!"

Raven paused and continued walking forward.

Just as his hand was about to touch the car door, Jude shouted, "7000! I agree!"

"Oh! How can this be possible!" Raven turned around, with a polite smile that only nobles had on his face: "I was just about to go back to the carriage and change the number on it to 10000. I didn't expect you to be so considerate."

"In that case, I am not an unreasonable person, so I will give you 8000 gold coins, Mr. Judra. What do you think?"

Judra knew that this was a concession made by Raven to appease his anger. He didn't want to bear the so-called good intention of charity, but he couldn't bear to part with the 1000 gold coins. He could only nod heavily in annoyance: "Then it's 8000, but this agreement must not be made public."

Raven blinked. "As long as you fulfill the contract, of course!"

Taking out the ink prepared in advance from the carriage, the two men signed their names on the agreement.

A small box of gold coins was placed in front of the two men.

Raven said, "This is the first payment, 200 gold coins. Starting from next month, on the 5th of every month, I will provide you with a sum of money, at least 200 gold coins, and there is no upper limit. In short, within one year, I will give you the same amount of gold coins as stated in the contract."

"If the amount is not enough, I will not acknowledge the contents of this document." Judra's face was not very good, she just stared at the carriage that had not moved for a long time.

Raven didn't care about his attitude. He stood up and saluted with a smile: "Then I'll leave you first, Mr. Judra. I hope you have a good time tonight."

"Wait." Judra called out to Raven who had just turned around: "Why?"

"Why?" Raven asked, turning back.

"Why are you spending money on me?" Judela asked in a low voice, "Don't you need to build your own territory and improve your strength?"

Raven raised his eyebrows slightly, somewhat surprised that Judra could still maintain enough rationality at this time, and responded in a deep voice: "Because by the end of the year at the latest, the Nord Province will be in chaos. I hope to have a solid ally by then to share the pressure of Eagle Territory with me."

"What?" Judra looked at Raven, smiling angrily, "Baron Raven, I know you don't want to tell the truth, but you don't have to use such vague words to evade me!"

"If you think so, there's nothing I can do." Raven threw down a scumbag quote and turned back to the carriage.
“Time will tell.”

After saying this, Raven sat back in the carriage. As Angel raised the whip, the carriage set off on the road back to Eagle Castle.

"What do you think? I told you that Judra would agree to my conditions." Raven reached out and took Denise into his arms, leaning against the side of the car with a smile on his face.

Denise said nothing, but examined Raven.

She found that she could no longer see through this man.

He was lustful, hypocritical, shameless and greedy, but since she returned to Eagle Castle, almost everything Raven did was beyond her expectations, and he was always successful.

Especially today's conversation, which made her feel terrified.

The rhythm of the entire conversation was completely controlled by Raven. There were several times when she thought the negotiations would end in failure, but Raven's precise control over people's hearts kept Judra firmly in place.

From belittling to flattering, and then to the final control, it was all done in one go. Judra was like a sparrow trapped in it. She thought she was flying, but she could never escape from Raven's palm.

This move was precise and experienced - Raven, was he really only twenty years old?
"How did you do it?" Denise asked.

"Want to know?" Raven smiled and pointed to his cheek: "Kiss me and I'll tell you."

"Or, should I kiss you?" As he said that, he moved closer.

He was greeted by Denise's soft palm and a low complaint: "Angie is still outside."

"Oh... I understand!" Raven showed a meaningful smile on his face and leaned his head on the side of the car.

Denise rolled her eyes at him and asked in a low voice, "I still don't understand. Angel is still in good health, and the Eagle Territory's finances are so tight. Why do you want to support Judra at this time?"

"That's why you can only be a businessman, but I can become a baron." Raven said with a smile: "Keep working hard, Denise. If you can't figure this out, how can you become the president of the Mon'en City Chamber of Commerce?"

At the same time, Judra was still sitting on the stone chair on the Halberd Rock.

He looked at the box of gold coins in front of him, his fists clenched tighter and tighter, his breathing became heavier and heavier, he stood up and kicked over the stone bench, cursing loudly:
"Son of a bitch!!"

Damn Raven!
A gangster of humble origin, just because he got the title of baron by accident, can boss him around and condescendingly direct his life.

"what!"

With a bang, fiery red fighting spirit burned on his feet, and he kicked the stone bench hard, turning it into rubble on the ground.

Blame it on Mark!
If it weren't for him, why would I, a noble of good family background, have to endure the insults of a guy like Raven and live under the nose of such a scum? ?

At this moment, Judra looked at the gold coins on the table with hatred in his eyes. He pulled open his collar, swung his fist and punched it hard!
boom!
The box flew out and fell to the ground, and the golden coins were scattered on the ground, some of which were even bent into shape.

After venting his anger, Judra's mind slowly calmed down. He walked over and squatted on the ground, straightened the box, and like a defeated rooster, he collected the gold coins one by one.

These gold coins are essential if you want to inherit the title of the Wharton family.

Only by becoming a baron can he wash away today's shame, be able to hold his head high in front of Raven, and regain his self-esteem that is buried deep in the dust!

The son of a baron? So what? If you are not a baron, you are not a true noble.

In this world, only nobles are considered human beings.

The rest are cattle, horses, pigs, dogs, chickens and sheep!
Judra didn't want to be an animal.

While collecting the gold coins, he whispered to himself, "It's definitely impossible for Raven to be born as a low-class person. It's impossible for him to have such a long-term vision and start planning for his own interests now."

"It must be Denise's idea. She must want to support me. Raven is just taking the opportunity to squeeze me. It must be like this!"

Thinking that the gold coins in front of her were provided by Denise, Judra's hands moved faster.

"Just wait, Raven. Once I seize the position of the head of the family, I will definitely snatch Denise away from me!"

After collecting the gold coins, Judra shouted, "Yarden!"

Soon, footsteps were heard, and Arden came up with a dozen soldiers: "Lord Judra!"

As the saying goes, a son sells his father's land without regret. Since it was not her own money, Judra directly took ten gold coins and stuffed them into Yaden's hand: "This is for you."

Arden said happily: "Thank you for your reward, Mr. Judera!"

"Everyone, come here!" Judra shouted, and the remaining soldiers also gathered around.

Judra took out gold coins and stuffed them into their hands, one for each person, no more, no less.

As they kept expressing their thanks, the soldiers looked at Judra with eager eyes!

Jude said, "I don't care whether you heard what happened here today or not. If you heard anything, you are not allowed to tell anyone. Otherwise, I will take back everyone's reward. Do you understand?"

Everyone shouted in unison: "Understood!"

With so many stars around her, Judra showed a smug smile.

Raven, just wait, and then you will see what a terrifying opponent you have cultivated for yourself!

In the next few days, Judra lived a very comfortable life. Although he was still guarding the city gate, the soldiers at the gate looked at him with eyes full of respect and admiration.

For these soldiers, they don’t care who is orthodox, but who makes their lives better is too obvious to them.

Of course, Judra did not give every soldier a gold coin. Iron Furnace had a population of more than 30,000 and more than 1,000 ordinary private soldiers. Not to mention that he could not give them all, even if he could, he would not waste money on these ordinary soldiers.

But if you take a little bit to improve their lives, like adding more meat to every meal or giving them an extra glass of wine, that would be enough to make them grateful.

The three neutral knights and the elite soldiers [Ironforge Legion] are the main targets to be conquered.

Of course, Judra also has to consider improving his own strength. If he can break through to the third level within a few years, then even Angel will not be so blatantly biased.

On the sixth night after Judra returned to Ironforge, something unexpected happened.

"Sir, Knight Laozi is here to visit!" Arden reported.

Judela's eyes lit up: "Let him in!"

Laozi is the only second-level knight in the entire Ironforge Territory besides Judra, and he is loyal to Mark. If he can be bribed, the balance between the two will be significantly tilted.

Soon, heavy footsteps sounded, and Lao Qi pushed the door open and walked in: "Lord Judela, please open the city gate. This is the Baron's order!"

Judela took the warrant and did not examine it. Instead, she looked at the woman who came in behind Lao Qi: "Are you...Fenli?"

Finley, Mark's personal maid, the woman who got pregnant.

Shouldn't she have been secretly executed?

The woman shuddered and nodded slightly.

"Lord Angel said that the baby in her belly is the blood of the Wharton family after all." Lao Qi said, "I will find a remote place to keep an eye on her until she gives birth. Please open the city gate, sir."

Judra felt the blood in her body run cold in an instant, only her heart was still beating.

Father, it is because of you that I have been branded as a traitor, and you have never even thought of doing anything to restore my reputation!

But Mark, for his own momentary pleasure, he did such a shameful thing to the family. Instead of punishing him, you protected him in every way and even loved him so much that you wanted to protect his illegitimate child.

They are both sons, is the difference really that big?
Is your preference so blatant?

"Lord Judra?" Lao Qi's voice sounded.

"Oh, sorry, I was a little distracted." Judra showed a tolerant smile on her face: "Do you need me to prepare another carriage? Fenli is pregnant after all."

"Thank you for your kindness, but it's not necessary." Lao Qi was surprised by Judra's attitude and replied with some surprise: "Lord Angel said that the carriage is easy to be tracked, I will take her away on foot."

"Then there's no need to make such a big noise by opening the city gate. Let's use a hanging basket to send it down." Judra said, "Of course, for safety reasons, it's better for you, Knight Laoqi, to turn the rope yourself."

Lao Qi took Fenli away, and a few minutes later, the two figures moved away from the city wall and disappeared into the night.

Yaden came forward and said, "Sir, do you need me to follow you?"

"No need, Yaden is a storm knight, you can't catch up with him." Judela said: "Go back and stand guard..."

"Sir, really..."

"I said go back and stand guard!" Judra turned around and spoke in a high-pitched voice, her nose so red that it almost bled, and she looked like an angry beast!

Yaden accepted the order and left the house quickly.

"Father..." Judela clenched her fists, and sticky blood spurted out from between her fingers: "Since you don't treat me as your son..."

Just as Judra was angry at Angel's favoritism, Raven was sleeping peacefully.

With the help of the temperature control array, he can sleep in a soft bed wrapped in a quilt in the hot summer and will never be woken up by the heat in the middle of the night.

"Ah——" Raven yawned, got up from the bed, walked to the window, and saw the workshop that was about to be completed at first sight.

When it comes to the roof-building stage, it is not just about having a lot of people that is helpful. Stonemasons and carpenters need to work closely together to create a stable structure. There cannot be any mistakes. Otherwise, it is likely that a dangerous building will be built that may collapse at any time.

According to the current progress, it will be put into use in five days at most - in fact, some raw materials have been transported to the warehouse with the roof completed and are ready for use at any time.

The door opened, and Petty walked in with soft steps: "My Lord Baron."

"Change your clothes." Raven walked to the bronze mirror.

Petty began to carefully put clothes on Raven, and as she did so, she said, "Baron, this morning, Priest Lacus sent a message, asking you to come over."

Raven frowned slightly. His Elvish had indeed improved in the past few days, but he was not yet at the point where he could recite a hymn fluently with it.

He didn't want to embarrass himself in front of Lux, so he had been somewhat reluctant to meet Lux recently: "What's the reason?"

While tying Raven's belt, Patty said, "It's said...

There is some progress on the matter of the mage potion."

……

(End of this chapter)