If Luoling says that the empire’s fleet has arrived at the Solun Continent, stirring up a storm on the continent, then the Valunia Port where the fleet docks is at the very center of that storm.
The neutral harbor of Valunia does not belong to any one party, and this does not mean that Valunia Port itself is a neutral city-state, but because the original Valunia family had declined before they could pick a side, various powers have tangled interests in Valunia Port. Consequently, no one can completely dominate Valunia Port, achieving a balance in a state of absolute chaos.
“Are you saying that you want to buy the entire Valunia Port?”
The current head of the Valunia family, Dika, is a middle-aged man who is alcoholic and debauched. While negotiating with the Gray Robe, he hadn’t even sobered up yet, his nose and cheeks still flushed. When he opened his mouth, the smell of alcohol made Rosalind beside him fan the already pungent air with her hand.
“That’s right.”
The Gray Robe placed a contract on the table.
“The money on it is enough for your family to live without worries; after all, you can’t even collect taxes in Valunia Port, right?”
Upon hearing this, the current head of the family laughed heartily.
“You’re absolutely right! Since His Highness the Prince of Castile wants this port, it means there must be a lot of value in it, right?”
Dika’s eyes sparkled with interest.
“Fifty percent, no, thirty percent. I just want thirty percent of the taxes. No matter how much you collect afterward, give me thirty percent, and I want the other royal families of Castile to witness this contract.”
The Gray Robe frowned. It seemed that this head of the Valunia family was smarter than he had anticipated. Once other royal families from Castile were involved, the situation would become even more chaotic, and the contract would become widely known, turning Valunia into a leech sucking blood in the harbor. But then again, how could someone without skills hold onto the sovereignty of this chaotic port?
Bernice, who accompanied the Gray Robe, casually leaned back in her chair and said, “I advise you to just accept it. This is not only a contract from the Prince of Castile but also the will of the empire. The first offer from the empire is often the best.”
Dika showed a look of disdain, burped, and said, “What empire? I don’t know what you’re talking about. Even if the empire is as powerful as you say, can it reach this far? You don’t think those ships can occupy the entire port, do you? I haven’t even charged you for docking yet!”
After saying that, Dika narrowed his eyes and sized up Bernice. Seeing her fitted nun’s attire, he lit up and said, “Of course, if you could accompany me for a night… I still wonder what it’s like to be with one of those so-called empire nuns.”
Before he finished speaking, Dika suddenly fell asleep, snoring like thunder.
Behind Dika, other members of the Valunia family looked at each other in confusion. Although Dika drank every day, as the recognized helmsman of the Valunia family, he would typically remain sober regardless of how much he drank. How could he pass out in such an important situation today? Given Dika’s state, it didn’t seem unusual for him to suddenly doze off during the negotiation.
The atmosphere in the room instantly froze, as if time had stopped with him falling asleep.
The members of the Valunia family wanted to halt the negotiations, but they noticed that the other party had no intention of leaving, especially the nun, who seemed to be waiting for Dika to wake up.
After a few moments, Dika suddenly opened his eyes, filled with terror, his forehead soaked in cold sweat, and his palms gripped tightly, his nails almost digging into his palms. His face, which had been flushed from drinking, regained its normal color, showing no signs of intoxication, as if he had sobered up completely in an instant.
Dika looked around, as if confirming something. When he saw the nun, who had already taken out a nail file to tidy her fingernails, he suddenly shoved the table backward. He was either too forceful or his body was still not fully awake, causing him to fall backward from his chair before he stood up.
The members of the Valunia family hurriedly helped Dika up. Seeing his family members beside him, Dika said nothing more and trembled as he grabbed the contract on the table, shaking as he signed his name on the paper. His movements were mechanical and stiff, as if an invisible hand was controlling him.
The moment he signed the contract, he finally stood up from the chair, but his expression had lost its usual sharpness. He ignored the surrounding inquiries, muttering to himself, “Don’t ask… don’t ask anymore.”
Generally speaking, in such important situations, professionals are present to witness, preventing any trickery from the other side. However, the intermediary looked between the two parties and only saw Dika’s pleading eyes wanting to end it quickly, so he had no choice but to sign his name on the contract, indicating that it was officially in effect.
“We still need specific information about the port. Although the Valunia family cannot collect taxes from the port, surely you have other industries and ways to control the port, right?”
Bernice stood up, her gaze as calm as the stars in the sky, overlooking Dika.
“Yes… yes, the Valunia family will serve you.”
Not to mention looking at Bernice with the previous gaze, Dika now could hardly meet her eyes, as if the alcohol had completely dissipated along with his cold sweat.
The negotiation ended, and the storm center that had been calm suddenly stirred up a larger storm. The Valunia family abdicated, completely transferring the authority of the port to Prince Rosalind, who had returned from a foreign land, and the Valunia family swore allegiance to Prince Rosalind, officially marking the port as her territory.
Rosalind immediately announced the establishment of a nation centered around Valunia Port, creating a new Castile. The already fragmented Castile now had one more division.
Establishing a nation from a port is not a strange thing. On the Solun Continent, there are numerous places where a village dares to call itself a nation, and some places don’t even have decent castles; they claim nationhood after occupying a two-story earthen storage facility. This also relates to the fact that the Solun Continent has never had a unified country, where the standards and connections of nations are extremely chaotic.
Various factions have different attitudes toward this new Castile, but most have the stance of “not to care about it.”
Because this new Castile was not built on the land of the former Castile, there was no direct conflict of interest with the fragmented nobles of Castile. Even Rosalind’s brothers and sisters dispatched their own envoys to connect with her, eager to pull her and the empire behind her into their camp.
Similarly, the Avars were also probing and reaching out, being even more cautious, as they had genuinely experienced the marine city walls. Amid doubts regarding the Avars’ defeat against the M Continent, both the Avars and the previously silent Dragon Church dispatched their own envoys.
