Jian Jie-fu blended into the atmosphere of the ball, and Doug finally felt a sense of relief.
“Don’t be nervous, my great nephew-in-law only thinks you’re discussing serious business with me, right?”
Unaware that the other party was authorized to smuggle, Doug was somewhat excited yet hesitant to believe the news he received, that the other party was indeed willing to smuggle weapons.
It is important to note that many merchants and nobles on Doug’s side were secretly engaged in trade with Graythorn Territory, but the trade of weapons and gunpowder was strictly regulated. Doug had spent countless amounts of money before without finding any channels.
Now, a perfect channel was right in front of him.
Of course, Doug knew Jefferson’s status in Graythorn Territory. Sweet drugs, potions, and all sorts of miscellaneous trade were managed by Jefferson, who was also responsible for connecting with the merchants on his side. However, not to mention weapons, even stronger potions, Jefferson had never been willing to let go of even a little.
For Doug, the sudden opening of the smuggling channel didn’t feel suspicious at all. Mutual smuggling among countries was nothing new. Rather, the fact that Graythorn Territory had been able to last this long far exceeded Doug’s expectations.
In order to welcome Jefferson, Doug held the highest level of welcoming ceremony and had no intention of discussing business with Jefferson on the first day. Anyway, whatever Jefferson could provide, Doug would want as much as possible.
Doug had already realized that relying solely on alchemists to craft firearms was completely insufficient to equip his entire army, and the after-sales maintenance of the firearms produced by these alchemists posed a significant issue. Almost only the alchemists who produced them could maintain them.
Not to mention, replacing components during maintenance would cost enough to buy a single quality firearm, let alone buying a quality firearm from Graythorn Territory.
Therefore, whether to rapidly improve the army’s combat power or to study the methods of firearm production in Graythorn Territory, Doug intended to make large purchases.
Especially now, while other nobles were praising Doug, including his two co-conspirator brothers, Doug knew how poor his governance was.
Aside from internal problems, Doug also realized that the Demon Clan’s attitude towards him had shifted. The Demon Clan, which had suffered turmoil in the Royal Capital, was eager to regain what they lost in the Royal Capital from elsewhere.
Clearly, Doug still had some benefits to squeeze out.
At this moment, Doug felt what it was like to sell one’s soul to the devil. The contract he signed back then with Caudic had already become a worthless piece of paper, as the Demon Clan continuously crossed the Cursed Snow Territory, claiming to be helping Doug resist Graythorn Territory.
But Doug was not a fool. Given the location of these concessions, fighting against Graythorn Territory was merely an opportunity for the Demon Clan to take advantage when Doug faced defeat.
Not only that, but the Demon Clan seemed to have allied with Monroe in the Eastern Border, and the Eastern Border’s armies were also stirring and eyeing Doug.
Doug felt that history was repeating itself. The Demon Clan had found a quality ally, or rather a parasite, and this target, too, was an ambitious person like himself.
This is why Doug went to all lengths to strengthen his military armaments. As long as he could take Graythorn Territory and unify the Northern Border, then all the problems he faced now would cease to exist. He would no longer just be a lord with a so-called governor title but the only Duke of the Northern Border.
Doug was like a gambler who bet everything in the endgame, praying to win it all.
At that moment, whether it was the Royal Capital or the Demon Clan, their attitudes towards him would change, and all the debts he owed would no longer be a problem.
Jefferson finally found the feeling of being a Champagne Noble again, constantly engaging and chatting with various nobles on the dance floor.
The more he interacted, the more shocked Jefferson felt. The information was still quite conservative; the nobles outside of the western Northern Border had already fallen to a degree that even an old noble like Jefferson found shocking.
Since he needed the support of these Northern Border nobles and some power to redistribute his army, Doug, who initially relied on the Demon Clan and the Royal Capital to rise to power, had no foundation at all. He couldn’t even eliminate the roots of the problem, resulting in Doug having to grant these nobles special privileges in the name of the governor.
Once slightly restrained by the Lars Family, these nobles now acted like wild horses released from captivity. The farther they were from the western Northern Border, the more they descended into debauchery.
These nobles were no longer bound by any constraints aside from needing to provide Doug with sufficient tax and military support; their territories could even be described as nations within a nation.
After Doug exploited the so-called Doug currency to reap wealth from the Northern Border subjects, these nobles would then issue so-called exclusive currencies on their own territories to reap wealth again.
Some nobles, due to excessive exploitation, even targeted small and medium-sized merchants, which was the source of their repeated taxation. However, all the blame was placed on Doug, though Doug was not entirely wrong at the source.
Jefferson skillfully exchanged dance partners when a young girl slipped into his arms, exuding a pleasant fragrance of Rabbit Fluff Flowers. However, amidst the floral scent, Jefferson felt that the girl was enveloped in the scent of blood.
Rabbit Fluff Flowers were not artificially cultivated varieties and mostly grew in some dangerous places in Graywhite Territory, generally only a small amount used for medicinal purposes.
Jefferson had once studied how many flowers and human lives were needed to create a bottle of Rabbit Fluff Flower perfume, and the extravagant costs were so high that even Jefferson couldn’t afford it back then. Moreover, the fragrance of Rabbit Fluff Flowers was not particularly pleasant; it was merely expensive.
Yet, she was the third girl tonight whom Jefferson encountered wearing Rabbit Fluff Flower perfume.
Not only that, but this girl even boasted while dancing with Jefferson that, leveraging her family’s connections, she managed to send the newest large keyboard musical instrument to troops transporting medicines and equipment to the western front. If Jefferson were interested, he could visit her home tonight to admire her new music pieces.
After hearing this, Jefferson was greatly shocked—and it was not an act. Military transport routes were clearly used by these nobles to transport luxury goods.
Seeing Jefferson’s shocked expression, the girl’s vanity was greatly satisfied. She even started discussing how her family controlled transport routes, and they were all very important routes responsible for escorting military medicines and supplies.
Jefferson maintained a face of “I don’t understand, but I am greatly shocked,” humbly asking the girl a few more questions, which she answered confidently, even confirming the signal codes and flags for allied troops, all while proudly showing off to Jefferson.
As the latter half of the ball progressed, the girl suddenly tugged at Jefferson’s clothes, her heavy breathing close to his neck.
“My lady, we, we’re still at the ball.”
Jefferson, quite the gentleman, pushed the girl away, but she nonchalantly replied, “No need to be nervous, this is also part of the ball.”
At this moment, Jefferson finally noticed that, as the music progressed, his surroundings were filled with nobles engaging in intimate contact. Many had already begun to undress in public.
Jefferson even saw a male noble intervening between two other nobles, but that male noble slapped the butt of another male noble, who then turned back with a flirtatious smile. The three of them thus wandered away from the ball together.
“This is the trend in the Northern Border now.”
The girl in Jefferson’s arms explained, “I heard it was brought over from the Demon Clan, representing openness, freedom, and inclusivity.”
“I’m sorry, I am a rather traditional noble.”
Jefferson instinctively wiped the sweat from his forehead.
“Oh, are you the type who enjoys watching slave duels? Or maybe beast vs. human? There will be a duel performance in two days. Why not stay a couple more days? I will have my father send out the strongest slave from our family. As long as you bet on us, I guarantee you’ll make a fortune and have a good view.”
That seemed a bit too traditional. Jefferson had to pretend to be drunk and made some excuse to slip away.
At first, Jefferson thought the governor’s hype was a bit exaggerated. Jefferson himself was a noble of the Northern Border and had not turned into a monster.
But now Jefferson felt that the governor was still too conservative.
