I was a knight in the Middle Ages

Chapter 365 Maritime Trade Planning

In a snow-covered wilderness, the wind was howling and the cold snowflakes were flying. After many hardships, Alpha and his team finally found a cave to temporarily avoid the bad weather. In the cave, everyone sat around a blazing fire, and the warm firelight illuminated everyone's tired but relieved face.

"Master Alpha, thank you very much for your help. If it weren't for you, we really don't know if we could survive." A middle-aged man broke the silence, his voice full of gratitude, and his eyes looked at Alpha sincerely. His eyes were full of desire for life and deep gratitude to Alpha and others for saving his life.

Alpha nodded slightly, a gentle smile appeared on his face, and he looked at the man with warmth in his eyes and said, "It's okay, we are knights, and we should face light and justice. By the way, what's your name?"

In this difficult time, seeing that there were still people who did not leave without being ungrateful, Alpha was still somewhat touched. Although he had never thought that he needed to be rewarded for helping others, the behavior of those people who directly abandoned their benefactors and ran away still made him feel a little emotional.

"Lord Alpha, I am Lei, Raven Columbus, and this is my wife, Lilina Columbus. They are merchants who do business with me, and I harmed them." Raven introduced gratefully, bowing his head slightly, his tone full of guilt. He felt that it was his decision that put everyone in the current predicament.

The merchants around shook their heads, and one of them said, "Raven, don't say that. We all agreed to cooperate with you. Now this unexpected situation has occurred, and no one wants to see it. We can't blame you." These merchants who stayed behind did so because they trusted Raven. Even when faced with such a difficult situation, they were still willing to stand by Raven, which shows that Raven's network of contacts is still good.

"Raven Columbus, are you the descendant of the navigator Columbus?" When Alpha heard this surname, his heart moved. He was somewhat familiar with the name Columbus, after all, he was a character in future history books.

Of course, Alpha only remembered that the other party was a navigator, but he was not sure what the relationship was between Raven in front of him and the famous navigator. After all, in this world, having the same surname is not uncommon.

"The great navigator Columbus you mentioned should be my grandfather. He accomplished the feat of conquering the continent, but we, the descendants, are now poor and destitute. I really feel ashamed of my ancestors." Raven's eyes flashed with pride when he talked about his grandfather, as if that glorious history was right in front of him. But soon, his eyes dimmed again, and the helplessness of returning to reality made him feel a little lost.

"This business transaction is the last hope of our Columbus family. I sold my property and purchased goods to sell in the north, but this happened." Raven's voice was filled with despair. He looked at his wife Lilina with guilt in his eyes. He felt that he had failed his family's expectations and plunged his already poor family into a deeper predicament.

Lilina gently held Raven's hand and said softly: "Raven, I don't blame you. We once enjoyed a good life. Now even if we go to the north to start over, even if it's just farming to support our family, we can definitely stand up again." Her eyes were full of determination and love. No matter how difficult the future is, she is willing to face it with Raven.

Alpha was a little confused. He recalled history. In his understanding, most people involved in seafaring in this world were wealthy nouveau riche and capitalists. So he asked, "How did you become like this? Seafaring trade should be very profitable now?"

Raven sighed slightly and explained, "Lord Alpha, you don't know that when my grandfather discovered the New World, we were indeed glorious. At that time, Italy was the core of the entire continent and the center of economy and culture. However, those in power did not make progress and gradually gave up sea power and turned to land power. However, how could they be the opponent of those old-fashioned land power empires? In this way, Italy could only slowly decline. And our families without national support have also lost the qualifications to go out to sea for trade. In land trade, we have no advantages, so we can only gradually decline." Raven's tone was full of loneliness, as if he was telling the history of the rise and fall of a family.

"Well, it's really the sadness of the times." Alpha said with emotion. He finally understood why the once powerful Italy was now surpassed by the Pirate Alliance. It turned out to be due to the short-sightedness and wrong decisions of those in power. This also made him deeply realize the importance of leaders to the future development of a country or force.

"If I support you to go to sea, would you be willing?" Alpha suddenly looked at Raven seriously, with sincerity in his eyes.

At this time, Alpha was committed to developing the navy. However, the development of the navy was a long and complicated process. From scratch, whether it was technical equipment or personnel training, it required a lot of time and energy. This was definitely not something that could be completed in a short period of time. The appearance of Raven gave him a glimmer of hope.

Raven was slightly stunned, thinking that Alpha was joking. After all, in his understanding, it sounded a little unbelievable that a knight supported maritime trade. But he still replied politely: "If Lord Alpha needs us, I will definitely not refuse."

"Okay, then we'll sign the contract when we get to the Ori area. We'll be cooperating and achieve a win-win situation together." Alpha was not joking. He knew clearly that he was short of people for maritime trade, and Raven and his partners were undoubtedly a good choice.

Raven's eyes widened as he looked at Alpha in disbelief. The other person had a serious face and didn't seem to be joking at all. His voice trembled slightly as he asked cautiously, "Master Alpha, is what you just said really true?" The shock in his heart surged like a surging tide, almost drowning him.

Alpha nodded slightly, his eyes revealing confidence and calmness, and said, "Of course it's true. If you need anything, just ask. Whether it's a powerful warship, a merchant ship for trade, or a brave knight, I can satisfy you."

In fact, Alpha is making every effort to build a powerful navy. However, this is an extremely long and costly project, and the human, material and financial resources required are like a bottomless pit. He urgently needs a strong commercial force to support this grand plan.

Hearing Alpha's promise, Raven was even more shocked. His eyes were fixed on Alpha, his lips trembling slightly, and after a long while, he stammered, "Lord Alpha, could it be that... you are the Governor of Auli Province?"

Before this, Raven had never associated the man named Alpha with the Governor of Auli Province. After all, the name Alpha was too common on this continent, too common for people to associate it with a powerful governor. At this moment, the truth exploded in his mind like a thunderbolt, making him unable to recover for a long time.

"Why, am I famous?" Alpha raised his eyebrows slightly, and a faint arc appeared at the corner of his mouth. He knew in his heart that his name was very ordinary, and there were countless people with the same name. But he never expected that among these ordinary people, his name would be so well-known and famous.

"Governor Alpha, don't you know that? You are the savior of ordinary people like us!" Raven said, his eyes full of respect and gratitude. "The province of Ollie under your rule is now unique. In this chaotic world, other places are avoiding refugees, only the province of Ollie accepts everyone without restrictions. As long as you set foot on and settle in the land of the province of Ollie, you will generously provide food, supplies, and even arrange the fields so that everyone can have hope of survival. This is a great favor!"

Raven paused, a gleam in his eyes, and continued, "Moreover, the Oli Province is one of the few regions that currently sells food and weapons and equipment to the outside world. In this chaotic world, weapons and equipment are essential for saving lives. This time we brought precious mineral information with us, hoping to go to the Oli Province to exchange for some weapons and equipment in case of emergency. It's a pity..." Raven shook his head slightly, a trace of helplessness on his face. The difficulties of this world are self-evident.

Alpha listened quietly, with a hint of gentleness in his eyes. After Raven finished speaking, he said, "Then I now formally invite you to join my maritime trade. What do you think?"

In fact, Alpha knew that Raven's previous words were just a joke, but he still wanted to emphasize again that he hoped to reach a cooperation with the other party. After all, in this chaotic world, more power means more protection.

Raven looked solemn, with a determined light in his eyes, and said without hesitation: "Lord Alpha, of course I am willing to accept this task. This is absolutely no joke." At this moment, his tone was unquestionable seriousness, as if he was carrying some sacred mission.

After a brief pause, Raven continued, "Lord Alpha, I do not crave for too much external support. In my heart, what is most precious and what I need most is your unreserved trust. As long as I have your trust, I will have the confidence to move forward courageously."

Alpha nodded slightly, his eyes gentle but firm, and responded sincerely: "I believe in you. I see your ability and character. You don't have to worry about anything. If you have any needs, just tell me. I will fully support you."

Alpha noticed that the bankrupts around Raven, even in difficult situations, still followed him closely, and this loyalty was enough to prove Raven's personal charm. Based on this, Alpha trusted Raven a little more and was willing to give him more opportunities.

Raven took a deep breath, his eyes full of longing and determination. "Lord Alpha, I need a large amount of start-up funds to rebuild the commercial fleet that once dominated the world. I want to restore its glory and gather the glory of my ancestors. But before that, I sincerely hope to gain your absolute trust and not interfere too much in the specific affairs of business and trade. I promise you that I will operate in the most professional way and repay your trust with practical actions and results."

Raven is full of confidence in his plan. He firmly believes that as long as there is enough funding and free space, he will be able to rebuild his past glory. The foundation of all this is Alpha's trust.

"Okay, I trust you 100%. If you need anything, just ask! But when sailing on the sea, you must pay attention to the existence of the Pirate Alliance." Alpha's expression was a little worried. He knew that he could not provide them with substantial assistance at sea, so he could only remind them emphatically. In this turbulent sea, any negligence could lead to disaster, and the Pirate Alliance was a dark force that could not be underestimated.

"Lord Alpha, what on earth is going on with this pirate alliance?" Raven was puzzled, his eyes full of desire for knowledge. For him, who had been active on land for a long time, these complex forces on the sea were still a new and unfamiliar field.

"This pirate alliance is a group of robbers led by maritime powers such as Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Denmark. They are rampant on the sea and basically will not allow other fleets to sail freely in this sea area. Their existence is like a cancer on the sea, threatening the safety of passing ships at all times." Alpha's tone was full of disgust and vigilance. There is a huge contradiction between him and these maritime powers. These countries are trying to dominate the sea, which runs counter to Alpha's plan to develop land power. The conflict of interests between the two sides has long been irreconcilable, and friction may break out at any time.

"So these countries are the ones causing trouble. However, Lord Alpha, they are not united. Among these countries, the Netherlands has the strongest maritime military strength, while Spain is relatively the weakest." Raven narrowed his eyes slightly and fell into memories. "Back then, Spain was strong and dominated the world. The Netherlands and Portugal were basically its colonies. But with the continuous development of maritime power, the Netherlands and Portugal gradually broke free from Spain's control with their own advantages. Today, the relationship between the Netherlands and Spain is complicated and tangled. In addition, Spain's national strength is declining, and its investment in the navy is not strong enough. Even if they want to stir up trouble on the sea, they are somewhat powerless. In my opinion, in this pirate alliance, the only one who can be called a sea robber is the Netherlands."

Raven's explanation surprised Alpha. He had been expecting the spies he had sent out to bring back detailed intelligence about the Pirate Alliance, but he had never expected that Raven would know all about it. This was something he had never expected.

"Besides, my family has close ties with the nobles in Spain. We can go out to sea this time under the Spanish flag. As long as we share some of the profits appropriately afterwards, I can guarantee that there will be absolutely no problems." Raven said confidently. His family was once the overlord of the sea, and during that glorious history, they established a deep relationship with Spain. Now it is not difficult to restore contact and use its power.

"Okay, in that case, just go ahead and do it! You can give full play to your talents. I only want the final profit, and I won't interfere too much in the specific matters." Alpha nodded slightly, with a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. His purpose was very simple, which was to use maritime trade to accumulate wealth and develop naval power. As long as he could achieve self-sufficiency in the navy, he would have the capital to continue dormant. In Alpha's view, time is his most advantageous ally. As long as he keeps his troops in place and bides his time, he will be able to achieve his goal one day.

Alpha embarked on the journey to the territory, unaware that the most serious crisis since his crossing was quietly lurking and waiting for him. Although the previous twists and turns had brought a lot of trouble, they were just minor fights. The enemy did not hit the vital points directly, and the means against him were only indirect. But this time, the situation was completely different. He had been closely watched by the enemy in the dark, and his every move was under the enemy's surveillance.

The current situation is like a matter of life and death. If he is not careful, he will lose everything. The territory that Alpha has worked hard to build and the research results that have condensed countless efforts will easily fall into the hands of the enemy. Once he fails, he will lose not only these material things, but also the foundation and hope for him to move forward.

Alpha knew that he was standing on the edge of the cliff of fate, with no way to retreat and it was difficult to advance. But the spirit of not admitting defeat in his bones was burning at this moment. He was thinking in his heart, how to break through these difficulties, should he take the initiative to attack, or temporarily avoid the edge? And how to deal with it cleverly, so as to find a ray of hope in this treacherous situation and turn the tide?