6kv Chapter 8: Ultimate Transparency
Chapter 8: Ultimate Transparency
From the upper reaches of the Lancha River to Haijiang City, the thirty-mile-long official road was cracked under the scorching summer sun.
The ruts on the dirt road were dry and hard, like cracked wounds. When a horse stepped on them, it would kick up fine yellow dust. The grass by the roadside was wilted by the sun, and occasionally a few thin crows could be seen perched on the sloping wooden fence, staring at passersby, as if waiting for something to fall.
Otto Hohenzollern did not bring a large force.
He only brought Polliff and two hunters carrying longbows. Four men, three horses, and one packhorse. In the packhorse's saddlebags was the sample of sterling silver ore wrapped in layers of tattered cloth.
That stone was very heavy.
But its true weight lies not in the stone itself, but in the gazes, swords, lies, and greed it will attract.
"Sir, that's silver."
Pollifer rode a thin, rough brown horse, wiping sweat from his brow the whole way. His eyes held the resentment typical of an accountant, as if he had watched a bag of gold coins slip through his fingers.
"If we secretly build a few hidden furnaces deep within our territory, even if the Sea Frontier City discovers them, we'll simply have to pay 20% of the mining tax. But you're going to see the Earl directly now and reveal all your cards... this..."
He didn't continue speaking.
He knew he sounded like a thief, but for those who have survived in Fair City and the Lower City, the first skill for survival is: when you see money, hide it first.
Otto, mounted on his horse, kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead.
The blazing sun shone on his profile, giving his young face a cold, hard look that belied his seventeen-year-old age.
"Polliver, you've only considered the cost of spices, not the cost of power."
His voice sounded unusually steady in the sweltering wind.
"Sneak mining is the work of bandits. As soon as the first piece of smuggled silver without the mark of Haijiang City enters Fair City, the sheriff will follow the scent of silver to our valley. What will come then will not be merchants, but halberdiers, scholars, and ropes."
Pollifer pursed his lips.
Otto continued:
"Besides, it's not a large, well-explored mine; it's just a shallow outcrop of rich ore. The initial ore will be of very high quality, like the gods deliberately leaving a small piece of bait in the mud. But the deeper you go, the more water will rush into the tunnels, the charcoal will burn like water, landslides will bury people, and the ore grade may also decrease. It can save us, but it can't let us get rich with our eyes closed."
He turned and glanced at Pollive.
"What I want isn't a few bags of silver that can be exchanged for beer. What I want is a legitimate family business that can continuously recruit refugees, buy food, and forge weapons. For the sake of this legitimacy, even if I only get 20%, let alone a large portion, this deal must be done."
Pollifer opened his mouth, then closed it.
He then realized that Otto wasn't averse to money.
On the contrary, Otto understood the value of money better than anyone else. He just never saw money as an end goal, but rather as a nail, a rope, and a shield.
Two days later, in Haijiang City.
The air inside the lord's hall was colder and heavier than outside.
Lord Jason Mellist had just concluded a military council on coastal defense. News from the Iron Islands left the lord uneasy. Several unidentified longships had appeared off Whispering Bay; though they hadn't landed, it was enough to keep the blacksmiths in Seafront City busy repairing their crossbows overnight.
When Otto was led into the hall, he was still covered in the dust of his journey.
Earl Jason sat in a high-backed stone chair, a rough nautical chart spread out beside him. The maester beside him was quietly reporting figures on the dock's grain stores and crossbow reserves. Patrick Mellist was also present, standing behind his father, his gaze on Otto scrutinizing.
"Hohenzollern".
Earl Jason raised his eyes.
"You'd better not come here to tell me that your muddy mess has already used up the tax-free years I gave you."
"No, sir."
Otto knelt on one knee, and instead of immediately mentioning the mine, he took out a thin piece of parchment from his pocket and presented it with both hands.
"This is a simplified table of the current household registration, troop numbers, food consumption, and equipment wear and tear in my territory. Polyver has already made a copy for the Sea Frontier City to keep on file."
Earl Jason did not accept it, but the scholar next to him was slightly taken aback.
It is unusual for a newly appointed border knight to voluntarily deliver account books.
"You want to use the ledger to ask for a reward?" Earl Jason asked.
"It's not about asking for a reward, it's about letting my lord know that I haven't hidden a second face in the mud."
Otto then took the silver ore sample wrapped in rag from his sack and placed it on the mahogany table in the center of the hall.
The fabric layers were opened one by one.
When the dark gray ore was revealed, there was no immediate uproar in the hall.
But the old scholar's expression changed first.
He strode forward, picked up the ore, and pulled a small silver file from his waist, gently scraping the cut surface a few times. Fine powder fell onto the white paper, gleaming with a delicate silver light in the sunlight.
"By the Seven Gods..."
The scholar's voice trembled.
"Sir, it's argentite. It's of very high purity. It's not ordinary silver-bearing lead ore; it's a shallow, rich deposit."
Count Jason's gaze shifted from the ore to Otto's face.
The atmosphere in the hall changed instantly.
Silver is neither grain nor iron. Grain rots, iron rusts, but silver will attract the attention of nobles, merchants, mercenaries, the church, and bandits alike.
"Hohenzollern".
Earl Jason's voice became very low.
"You dug up silver in a worthless wasteland. In Westeros, nine out of ten knights would fill in the hole and sneak around like groundhogs in the middle of the night. Why did you put it on my desk?"
"Because I want to live a long life, my lord."
Otto lowered his head, his tone devoid of any boasting.
"That land legally belongs to Haijiang City. Every glimmer of silver on this stone naturally reflects the glory of the Melist family."
He paused for a moment, then looked up.
"But the more realistic reason is that I only have forty-odd vagrants and twenty-four spears under my command. If I embezzle it, the Frey family will say that the mine extends into their ranch, and the Blackwood family will say that the cliff belongs to their old hunting grounds. Even if they don't say it, bandits, private soldiers, smugglers, and assassins disguised as tax collectors will say it for them."
Earl Jason did not speak.
Patrick's eyes flickered slightly.
Otto continued:
"My lord, I do not need you to send miners or provide mining tools. The Hohenzollern territory will bear all the costs of excavation, smelting, drainage, charcoal production, and manpower losses. Those who die from landslides are my men, those who die from fever are my men, and those whose tunnels are destroyed by torrential rains will be repaired by me."
I have only one suggestion.
"For every piece of silver produced in this mine, we'll split it 40/60. You get 60%, I get 40%."
The hall was so quiet that only the crackling of the charcoal in the brazier could be heard.
The old scholar looked at Otto in astonishment, and even Patrick frowned.
According to feudal custom, lords naturally had the right to tax their vassals' mineral resources, but 20% or 30% was already quite high. Otto, however, immediately offered 60% of the net profit to Haijiang City.
Earl Jason slowly stood up.
It's not that he doesn't understand the math. On the contrary, he understands it all too well.
"You used 60% of the silver to buy the purple-background silver eagle flag of Haijiang City."
The count walked around the table and went to the ore.
"Once I take 60%, anyone who dares to touch your mine is robbing me of my money. Right?"
"Yes, sir."
Otto answered readily.
"I contribute soil and blood, you contribute sword and law. Without your 60%, my 40% is merely a death warrant. With your 60%, my 30% can become food, ironware, stone walls, and soldiers."
Earl Jason understood the details.
"Thirty percent?"
"I'm going to use the remaining ten percent to buy a pair of blind eyes."
The atmosphere in the hall froze once again.
The old scholar subconsciously looked up, and Patrick's hand also landed near the hilt of his sword.
Earl Jason stared at Otto.
Explain yourself.
Otto did not evade the question.
"The mine is located near the Frey family's outlying ranches, and also near several of the Blackwood family's usual routes. Seafront City needs to defend against the Iron Islands; it's impossible for them to send cavalry to patrol every day just for this patch of muddy land of mine. The Frey family is greedy, and the Blackwoods are stubborn; they'll smell it sooner or later."
"So I plan to take 10% of my 40% and give it to Raymond Frey as a secret fund."
The old scholar gasped.
Patrick said coldly, "You admitted to bribing Frey in front of my father?"
"If I did it in private, that would be treason."
Otto looked at Patrick, then back at Earl Jason.
"But I'm saying this now, it's called border defense. Raymond is greedy, short-sighted, and not trusted by old Wade. He won't risk his life for me, but he'll keep quiet about his own money. Once he gets his share, he'll proactively block the Freys' first reach. By the time he tries to retaliate, we'll already have walls, food, and soldiers."
Earl Jason remained silent for a long time.
This is too risky, and too frank.
A normal vassal would never bring such a sordid matter to his lord's desk. But precisely because Otto spoke up, Jason didn't immediately fly into a rage.
Because this means that Otto did not try to get around him.
"Aren't you afraid I'll hang you right now for having an affair with Frey?"
"Afraid."
Otto answered calmly.
"So I brought the ledgers, the ore, and the complete plan, instead of waiting for you to hear about it from others. My ledgers hold no secrets from you. What I'm buying isn't the Freys' friendship, but time. As long as the Hohenzollern territory survives the first year, it will become a thorn in the side of Seafront City in the Blue Fork Valley."
Earl Jason suddenly smiled.
The laughter was low and not particularly cheerful, but it carried the feeling of a veteran soldier seeing a fine knife.
"Scholar, draft a 'Mine Management and Defense Charter.' From this day forward, the Radiant Silver Mine on the upper reaches of the Blue Fork River will be under the direct jurisdiction of Sea Frontier City, and will be managed by Sir Otto Hohenzollern. Sixty percent of the mineral resources will belong to Sea Frontier City, and the remaining portion will be managed by the knight in charge of mining and defense costs."
The old scholar bowed his head and agreed.
Count Jason walked up to Otto.
"As for that ten percent of dirty money, I didn't hear it."
He paused, lowering his voice.
"But if the Freys step into your mine instead of stopping at the pastures where they belong, I'll cut off your head first, then write to old Walder."
Otto lowered his head.
"As you wish, sir."
"Get up, Hohenzollern. You'd better really turn that muddy ground into nails."
"I will."
When Otto left the city of Haijiang, he had an extra permit covered with sealing wax.
The long summer wind blew in from Whispering Bay, carrying the salty and briny smell of seaweed. Pollifer followed behind him, his forehead covered in sweat.
"My lord, I understand now."
"Understand what?"
"You didn't just hand over the silver. You tied the count to your mine."
Otto did not deny it.
"Feudal oaths are sacred, but silver is more secure. As long as 60% of the silver is delivered to Haijiang City every month, Earl Jason will be even less willing than I am to see anything happen to the mines."
He mounted his horse, but did not immediately return to his territory.
Before dusk, they arrived at a dilapidated forestry station near the border of the Twins.
Raymond Frey sat in the shade drinking warm ale, his face full of impatience. He didn't even get up when he saw Otto.
"Knight, the leather armor and oatmeal I ordered for you have arrived. Your spearmen had better get to work."
Otto left Polliff and the hunter outside and went into the forestry station alone.
He took a heavy calfskin bag off his waist and threw it in front of Raymond.
The bag opened, and several pieces of silver, which had undergone preliminary melting, rolled out.
Raymond's pupils contracted instantly.
He reached out, grabbed a piece, and took a bite.
"What does this mean?"
"Some local specialties come from the upper reaches of the Blue Fork River."
Otto sat down opposite him, his voice so low it sounded like he was discussing a business deal that shouldn't be made public.
"The old crossbows and leather armor you sent before, as well as the iron and grain I need every month from now on, will all come from this 10%. There's no need to report the losses to the Twin Rivers City warehouse anymore; that's too conspicuous. From now on, we'll only use secret accounts, not official ones."
Raymond squinted.
"You mean... that previous batch of supplies wasn't obtained through training exercises, but through this?"
"Training troops is just for show. Our business is based solely on money."
Otto's eyes were deep and unfathomable.
"With this achievement, you can even hire a squad of real heavy infantry to beat your brothers to a pulp at the next martial arts tournament. The only price is to keep your eyes closed while on patrol."
Raymond looked at the silver on the table, then at Otto, chuckled dryly, and swept the broken pieces of silver into his pocket.
"Hohenzollern, you're a smart man who knows the rules. I'll personally lead my most trusted men to patrol the border between Aspen Forest and Blue Fork River. Not even a fly from the Blackwood family will be allowed to fly over and watch you dig."
It's a deal.
It was already dark when we left the forestry station.
Pollifer stepped forward and asked in a low voice, "Sir, did he accept it?"
"Take it."
"Are we safe now?"
Otto looked towards the darkening river valley in the distance.
"No. It's just the first noose around someone's neck. As for when it will tighten, that depends on their own greed."
He mounted his horse.
"Return to the territory. Have Cole light the fire. From tonight onward, silver will no longer be stone."
Under the cover of night, the three riders sped away along the Blue Fork River Valley.
Behind them, the Eagle Banner of Seafront City, the Twin Towers of the Frey family, and the Black Crows of the Blackwood family had all been quietly drawn into the same ledger because of the emergence of a shallow, rich mineral deposit.