CHAPTER 2325  REPLACEMENT PROPOSAL

Rui understood the choices that his father had made when it came to the things that he was willing to make when it came to persuading the Shionel Guildmaster to their side.

"Port towns, ship yards, ships, harbors…" Rui winced. "These are all huge concessions. You're basically offering to give him a foundation in seafaring on a silver platter." Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

"It is the price that needs to be paid if we are to get him to abandon his foundation in land faring," his father replied, sifting through some other documents. "Or, at least, his foundation in land faring in East Panama. For example, this is a map featuring all the distribution and transportation routes that the Bradt Distribution Service will lose if he joins the Kandrian Empire and makes an enemy of the alliance."

He placed a map of East Panama on the table that featured each distribution and transport route that the Bradt Distribution used across all of East Panama. Each route connected the Bradt Distribution Service centers and branches to unique places that couldn't be accessed otherwise.

In other words, each route was indispensable to Guildmaster Bradt's business and market capture.

The ones that he would lose by allying with the Kandrian Empire were featured in red; these were routes that involved going through or near the Britannian Empire, the Republic of Gorteau, and the Sekigahara Confederate.

Nearly seventy percent of the routes were red.

"And this…" Emperor Rael placed another map on the table. "…Is my proposed seafaring replacements for the lost routes."

The map featured a thick band of routes that flowed into the Kandrian Empire and then emerged from the eastern side into the sea before spreading across the entire continent. It cleanly demonstrated how each and every single lost route would be replaced by a sea-faring route.

"However, each route is longer." Rui frowned. "The cost of his services will increase. That does not seem particularly lucrative to me."

"The distance traveled increases. However, the sheer amount of goods that ships are able to transport en masse is absolutely enormous compared to that of storage carriages," his father explained. "It's ten times more expensive but also twenty times more productive. Thus, the per-unit price of his services actually reduces. On top of that, his land routes require paying tariffs to the polities he passes through, although he has negotiated some pretty low prices for himself. The Great Nam Ocean, on the other hand, does not charge tariffs for traversing its waters."

Rui nodded as he appreciated the benefits and allure of seafaring distribution as an alternative. "However, there is still the issue of leverage that we will have over him. Even if you sell him the town, it is ultimately still well within our control and our territory. We could take it back any time we want and cripple his business. As a result, he would be absolutely powerless to stop it in such a circumstance. He is surrendering a lot of trust to us."

"Thankfully, that is where the reputation of trust and credibility I have cultivated over three centuries as the ruler of the Kandrian Empire comes into play," his father replied. "And, it is paying its dues. Many of the allies we have already made are formed on promises that I made to them. Yet, despite them being merely promises, even if written on a contract, they still eagerly formed an alliance with us. Do you think that they would have done that if not for the impeccable reputation, trustworthiness, and credibility that I have cultivated over the span of three hundred years?"

Rui shook his head. "There's no way I would make an enemy of three Sage-level powerhouses over flowery promises."

"Exactly. As long as you operate with sincerity and good faith consistently, people will tally that to have a more favorable opinion of you. Your reputation and credibility is extremely important in the world of politics and business. Unlike us, the rest of the world does not have the Silas Clan to foresee the future. Thus, they evaluate whether they should impart trust and how much based on reputation and credibility."

His father leveraged his reputation extensively over the war to win them advantages that he would not have been able to win otherwise. This included the deal with Esocline Federation that allowed him to earn its support in crippling the Sekigahara Confederate.

"So, the moral of the story is to make proposals that empower the foundation of his business and proposals that leverage our reputation," Rui summarized. "And that, combined with the fact that we have a good relationship with him, and we should be able to reel him to our side."

"Precisely, I have prepared an information package that you can read up on while you prepare for your diplomatic dispatch to the Shionel Confederation," his father remarked. "Once you have thoroughly absorbed it, you are ready for the operation. We don't have much time, so let's get started."

He placed a large stack of documents on the table before Rui with a nod.

Rui heaved a sigh of reluctance. He didn't want to if he could avoid it. But the stakes were too high. Not to mention, it would be difficult for him to fight the Masters otherwise.

He also needed to ensure that he got his facts right, or else he would just be like a fool before Guildmaster Bradt. He had negotiated agreements with the guildmaster before, and he knew that the man was extremely shrewd. If he did not do his absolute best in this regard, he would not be able to inspire confidence and trust in the guildmaster. At this juncture, he needed to not only compel the guildmaster's deep protectiveness in his business but also to instill confidence in the man that they would indeed win and did indeed have their act together.

"I'll get right on it immediately, it shouldn't take me too long to familiarize myself with all the details of this mission."

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