Lord: Stripped of My Inheritance from the Start

“CRASH!”

The newly replaced, exquisite Crystal Cup was once again thrown to the floor by MacLaren, shattering into a thousand pieces.

“Making Ronin the Lord of Rapids Island… What is our King thinking?”

MacLaren had every reason to be angry.

As the tyrants of the Screaming Sea, the Fleming Clan had long considered these waters their own territory. At times, they even treated the Royal Family’s fleet as mere guests.

And now, a second nobleman had appeared in the Screaming Sea.

Any outsider could see that His Majesty the King was trying to counterbalance Screaming Island. MacLaren, of course, saw it too, but he was unwilling to admit it to himself.

’No, I can’t let Ronin grow stronger.’

After fuming for a long while, MacLaren finally made a decision.

Joss asked, “My lord, are you preparing to make a move against Ronin?”

MacLaren shook his head. “Right now, Ronin is one of Bruno’s favorites. It’s not a good idea for us to act directly.”

He mused for a moment. “Let Blood Sail and White Whale grow a little stronger. From now on, whenever Rapids Island tries to ship out lumber or bring in supplies, I want them plundered!”

What MacLaren wanted was to make it impossible for Ronin to manage Rapids Island effectively.

A desolate island posed no threat to him.

“My lord, this Ronin is also the Count of Wubei Territory.”

Joss reminded him, “If Wubei Territory gets a port in the future, he won’t have to depart from Dennis Port anymore. He could take a northern sea route directly into the Screaming Sea to reach Rapids Island.”

MacLaren’s brow furrowed.

If Ronin were merely the Baron of Rapids Island, he had ways to ruin him. But the key problem was that the man also had the vast Wubei Territory under his command.

“We can’t control what happens on land, only what happens at sea. Have them keep a close watch on the waters around Rapids Island. Any ship flying the Wushan Clan’s flag—plunder it!”

“A baron of some island who barely has any ships to his name… Even if we give him time, he’ll never be able to compete with us at sea.”

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK—

As the two were talking, a knock came from the door.

“Master, a Knight named Tom is outside. He delivered a formal request for a visit, saying that his master, Baron Ronin of Rapids Island, wishes to call on you.”

Inside the room, MacLaren and Joss exchanged a look.

They had just been discussing how to deal with Ronin, never expecting him to come calling on his own initiative.

“Heheheh, I’d like to see just what he’s planning.”

MacLaren smiled. “Accept the request. Tell him I will await his arrival here!”

「That afternoon.」

Ronin sat in his carriage, heading toward the Fleming Clan’s manor in Golden Feather City.

He had clashed with Screaming Island several times, and they might have even been involved in the assassination attempt on him.

But he had to admit that, in the short term, he had no way of challenging them at sea.

Rapids Island needed to develop, and its main source of income was selling lumber.

Ronin had learned from Wally Knight that the lumber from Rapids Island was usually shipped to Horn Bay. Besides some merchants who made furniture, its biggest buyer was the Fleming Clan.

If they refused to buy lumber from Rapids Island, Ronin would have to pay out of his own pocket to support the more than 20,000 people on the island, which would be a huge expense.

But that wasn’t Ronin’s biggest worry.

He was most worried that the Fleming Clan would use its status as the Screaming Sea Tyrant to blockade Rapids Island.

Especially the pirates. If they were to specifically target merchant ships from Rapids Island and Wubei Territory, it would be a major problem.

Although Ronin wasn’t afraid of pirates, he couldn’t personally escort every ship.

Just like the recent attack by the White Whale Pirate Gang. If he hadn’t been there, Reis and the others would have likely perished at sea.

That was why he had sent MacLaren a formal request for a visit. His main goal was to ensure the lumber from Rapids Island could be shipped out smoothly by doing business with them.

Even if he didn’t make a profit, he at least needed to avoid taking a loss.

“My lord, we’ve arrived at the Fleming Clan’s manor.”

“Good.”

Ronin stepped out of the carriage and was led into the manor by a servant at the gate.

The Fleming Clan’s manor was vast, filled with every kind of landscape and decoration imaginable. It was several notches above Swamp Castle.

’Maybe someday I should set up an office for Wubei Territory in Golden Feather City or Horn Bay.’

’I’ll do it after the silk and Porcelain businesses are up and running.’

Ronin waited in the living room for a short while before a buoyant figure walked in.

The man wore magnificent clothes and had a head of thick, brown, curly hair. His eyes were deep and bright, shining with a shrewd and astute light, as if they could see through to the value of all things.

Beyond that, Ronin also felt fluctuations of Magic Power coming from him.

It was said that this eldest son of the Fleming Clan was a Great Mage.

MacLaren approached with a smile. “Haha, to be visited by the esteemed Flame Knight and Baron of Rapids Island is truly my honor!”

Ronin replied, “It is my honor as well to have the good fortune of meeting with Lord MacLaren today!”

The two men acted like old friends who hadn’t seen each other in years, shaking hands warmly and exchanging several pleasantries before sitting down. Not a hint of conflict could be seen between them.

Next, Ronin repeatedly praised the strength of the Fleming Clan while also expressing his admiration for the Magic Family.

MacLaren responded with a smile, occasionally reminiscing about the Wushan Clan’s past, but inwardly he was pondering the purpose of Ronin’s visit.

After a round of pleasantries, he grew tired of the mutual flattery and couldn’t help but ask, “If I may ask, Baron, what is the reason for your sudden visit today?”

Ronin’s expression became a little more serious and formal.

“As you know, the only thing Rapids Island has to offer is its lumber. From what I understand, the Fleming Clan has been one of the biggest buyers in past years. Now that I am the Lord of Rapids Island, one of my purposes in coming here is to solidify our cooperation.”

MacLaren laughed to himself. ’Just as I thought, he’s here to talk business.’

However, even though the quality of Rapids Island’s lumber was top-tier, how could he possibly continue buying it when he was trying to curb Ronin’s rise?

“Did Screaming Island buy a lot of lumber from Rapids Island in past years?”

MacLaren said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, “My apologies, Baron. Procurement is generally handled by my vassals, so I haven’t paid much attention. However, as far as I know, Screaming Island has several sources for its lumber.”

His meaning was direct: buying from Rapids Island wasn’t essential, and not buying from it wasn’t a great loss. He wasn’t particularly interested in continuing their business.

“Lord MacLaren has many important matters to attend to every day, so of course he wouldn’t spend too much energy on such minor things.”

Ronin didn’t call his bluff, instead playing along. “If Your Lordship is interested, you could have your vassal speak with me. I can offer a discount.”

“Oh?”

MacLaren raised an eyebrow. “How much of a discount are you prepared to offer? I can have someone relay the message to my Business Officer.”

Wally had told Ronin that in the past, the lumber from Rapids Island typically sold for 7 to 9 Gold Coins per cubic meter, which was not a low price.

Ronin put on a pained expression. “I am willing to sell it at a price of six Gold Coins per cubic meter!”

MacLaren was secretly delighted, but his face remained impassive.

“I know a thing or two about lumber prices. From what I understand, six Gold Coins per cubic meter is still a bit high, isn’t it?”

“It’s not high at all, my Lord!”

Ronin explained, “The oak from Rapids Island is of the highest quality. Offering such a low price is purely to foster the friendship between the Wushan Clan and the Fleming Clan.”

“Friendship is friendship, but business is business.”

When it came to business, MacLaren became a bit more engaged.

If he could acquire lumber from Rapids Island at a low price, then it seemed he wouldn’t need to prop up his own forces there.

He raised his right hand, splaying his five fingers. “Five Gold Coins. If you, Baron, are willing to sell to me at the price of Five Gold Coins, then I will buy up all of Rapids Island’s lumber. I’ll take as much as you can supply!”

Ronin cursed inwardly, his expression troubled. “Five Gold Coins… that’s a bit difficult!”

If the price were pushed down to four Gold Coins, Ronin would make no profit. But at five Gold Coins, with three shiploads a month, he could still bring in around three hundred Gold Coins.

For MacLaren to name such a price right off the bat, he clearly had a considerable understanding of Rapids Island’s lumber business.

“Five Gold Coins is more than fair!”

MacLaren said with a smile, “You may have wiped out the White Whale Pirate Gang, but the Screaming Sea is still not peaceful. However, as long as you fly the flag of the Fleming Clan, the Screaming Sea Tyrant, you’ll have an invisible guarantee. Those pirates wouldn’t dare to provoke us.”

His words sounded ordinary, but they carried a veiled threat.

In other words, if Ronin didn’t cooperate with him, the pirates of the Screaming Sea would start targeting the ships of Rapids Island.

“It is precisely the Fleming Clan’s influence in the Screaming Sea that I value!”

Ronin said without hiding his intent, “How about this: I can consider the price of Five Gold Coins, but in return, I would like to purchase two cargo ships and one warship from you at a favorable price.”

“Hahaha, Screaming Island’s ships are the best among all the coastal shipbuilders, and our prices are the fairest!”

The more MacLaren looked at Ronin, the more he liked what he saw. “Buying from me is your wisest choice!”