Chapter 144: The Wealthy Baines Family!

Damian’s amused smile lingered as he examined the documents Vivienne had brought before him, finding the contents of her report considerably more interesting than he had anticipated.

Three major developments had occurred during his brief seclusion, and while the first two concerned the rapid expansion of the Baines Noble Family, the third was something he hadn’t expected quite so soon.

Nevertheless, he decided to address the family’s affairs before concerning himself with the unexpected visitor.

"Alright, Vivienne, let’s start with the properties," Damian instructed with an approving nod, setting aside one of the documents.

"You mentioned that you’ve finally secured the sites for our official estate?"

Vivienne responded with evident satisfaction, spreading a detailed map of Rosewood Town and its surrounding territory across his desk.

"Yes, my Lord! After consulting the City Administration Office, we purchased the development rights to two premium properties, one within the Noble District and another outside the town walls, both intended for the permanent establishments of the Baines Noble Family."

Damian leaned forward with interest, quickly discovering that Valorian nobles possessed a rather different approach to property ownership than he had initially imagined.

Qualified noble houses commonly maintained two principal residences, each serving a distinct purpose within their family’s political and territorial arrangements.

The first was an urban estate situated within the Noble District of a recognized town or city, essentially functioning as the family’s official residence and diplomatic headquarters.

It was where nobles received visitors, conducted business, attended social gatherings and maintained their presence within the local political establishment.

The second property was generally situated beyond the city walls, where greater available land permitted the construction of a proper manor, fortified estate or even a castle.

Such residences combined luxury with practical defensive arrangements, allowing noble families to establish secure households capable of withstanding attacks without relying entirely upon nearby city fortifications.

"So the city estate is basically an embassy, while the outer estate is the actual family stronghold?" Damian summarized with growing appreciation, immediately understanding the usefulness of maintaining both properties.

"Heh! That’s a pretty sensible arrangement, especially in a world where monsters can occasionally decide that an entire town looks delicious!"

Vivienne confirmed his understanding before drawing his attention toward the map, indicating the locations of the two newly acquired properties.

Both occupied excellent positions, with the urban plot enjoying convenient access to Rosewood’s Noble District and the outer property possessing enough space to accommodate a substantial fortified compound.

Naturally, securing such desirable locations on short notice had not been cheap.

According to Vivienne, the family had paid a 35% premium above the ordinary valuation because of the rushed acquisition.

However, the combined expenditure still amounted to less than two hundred Gold Coins, a figure Damian found so insignificant compared to his recent business activities that he could scarcely bring himself to care.

"Oh? Less than two hundred Gold for both plots? That’s practically pocket change at this point!" Damian chuckled, studying the locations with an appreciative expression.

"Good work, Vivienne! These are excellent sites, and I don’t mind paying extra if it means avoiding unnecessary delays." He affirmed with a nod.

The Seneschal was visibly pleased by his reaction, especially when she explained that preliminary consultations with architects, surveyors and construction contractors had already begun.

Planning and development would naturally require additional expenditure, but the important thing was that the process was finally underway.

Damian approved the arrangements without hesitation.

He had never intended to remain confined to Rosewood Town forever, especially now that his growing influence and commercial operations were beginning to exceed what the relatively modest settlement could comfortably accommodate.

In many ways, Rosewood Town had served as an excellent starting location, but eventually he would need to venture toward larger cities, more powerful factions and considerably more important markets.

Nevertheless, having somewhere to call home remained extremely important.

A family needed roots even if its members frequently traveled, and Damian had no intention of raising a noble house whose entire existence depended upon whichever inn or rented building he happened to occupy that month.

Whether he eventually established residences across several kingdoms or traveled between continents, Rosewood Town would remain the place where the Baines Noble Family had properly begun.

"Continue with the construction arrangements and coordinate the designs with Eunice and the other Madams," Damian decided, returning the map to Vivienne.

He gave more instructions with a serious expression. "I want the properties to be comfortable enough for everyone, but don’t neglect their defensive functions, because a beautiful manor isn’t worth much if the first serious monster attack reduces it to rubble."

Vivienne bowed with an enthusiastic acknowledgment before retrieving another document, this one considerably thicker than the previous set.

The auction!

Apparently, the sale of the Baines Noble Family’s exclusive distribution partnerships had become one of the largest commercial events Rosewood Town had hosted in years.

Nearly every significant merchant operating within the settlement had attended, alongside numerous representatives from neighboring towns, distant cities and even major trading organizations that had rushed over after hearing about Damian’s unusual products.

And judging from the final results, the event had been an overwhelming success!

Rather than selling distribution rights indiscriminately, Vivienne and the family’s commercial representatives had divided prospective partners into five distinct tiers.

Each offered different purchasing privileges, territorial permissions and annual licensing fees, allowing the Baines Noble Family to accommodate organizations of vastly different sizes without treating every merchant as though they possessed the same resources.

The most interesting feature was the pricing structure.

Large merchant organizations possessed extraordinary purchasing power, transportation networks and established customer bases, while small traders frequently struggled against limited capital and comparatively expensive distribution costs.

Damian had therefore approved a model that deliberately gave smaller businesses more favorable wholesale margins, compensating larger organizations through far greater purchasing quotas and wider distribution rights.

Vivienne presented the finalized terms for his inspection.

[Official Baines Noble Family Distribution Partnership Terms.]

[Diamond Tier

Wholesale Purchase Price: 75% MSRP.

Maximum Resale Price: 110% MSRP.

Distribution Scope: Intercontinental.

Annual Licensing Fee: 1,000 Gold Coins.]

[Platinum Tier

Wholesale Purchase Price: 70% MSRP

Maximum Resale Price: 112% MSRP

Distribution Scope: Intercontinental

Annual Licensing Fee: 800 Gold Coins.]

[Gold Tier

Wholesale Purchase Price: 65% MSRP

Maximum Resale Price: 115% MSRP

Distribution Scope: Continental

Annual Licensing Fee: 500 Gold Coins.]

[Silver Tier

Wholesale Purchase Price: 60% MSRP

Maximum Resale Price: 118% MSRP

Distribution Scope: Regional

Annual Licensing Fee: 200 Gold Coins.]

[Copper Tier

Wholesale Purchase Price: 55% MSRP

Maximum Resale Price: 120% MSRP

Distribution Scope: Local

Annual Licensing Fee: 100 Gold Coins.]

Damian nodded appreciatively, immediately recognizing that the arrangement was considerably more sophisticated than simply granting the wealthiest merchants the largest discounts.

Diamond partners enjoyed extraordinary purchasing capacity and the right to distribute throughout distant continental markets, while Copper partners received much better margins on the comparatively small quantities they could afford to purchase.

Of course, the contracts also imposed strict purchasing quotas, territorial restrictions and prohibitions against unauthorized wholesale redistribution.

Otherwise, some enterprising bastard would inevitably register a Copper partnership, purchase discounted goods and immediately resell them to a Diamond conglomerate for a comfortable profit!

"Hmm, not bad I’d say! The little fellows receive better margins, while the big organizations make their fortunes through sheer volume and wider market access!" Damian observed, appreciating the balance between commercial efficiency and supporting smaller businesses.

He folded his arms and thought about it more. "And since the resale limits are ceilings rather than mandatory prices, they can still compete by offering customers better deals!"

More importantly, the system ensured that even the largest conglomerates couldn’t simply purchase Damian’s products at favorable prices and then charge whatever astronomical sums they pleased.

Controlled retail ceilings protected customers from excessive exploitation, while the partnership agreements preserved the family’s influence over how its products entered different markets.

As for the actual results?

[Distribution Partnership Auction Results

Diamond Partners: 7

Platinum Partners: 9

Gold Partners: 23

Silver Partners: 128

Copper Partners: 441

Total Registered Partners: 608

Annual Licensing Revenue: 95,400 Gold Coins]

For several moments, Damian simply stared at the final number before slowly breaking into a delighted grin.

Ninety-five thousand four hundred Gold Coins, and that was merely the licensing revenue before accounting for a single purchase of actual merchandise!

"Holy mother of Divine Lord Kazuma! We’re making money by charging people for the privilege of making us even more money!" Damian exclaimed, thoroughly delighted by the absurdity of the arrangement.

Damian laughed openly. "Whoever invented the franchise business model back on Earth deserves a bloody medal!"

Vivienne couldn’t help smiling at his reaction, although she quickly explained that the licensing income was only a portion of their recent commercial success.

The various partners had also purchased enormous quantities of merchandise, exhausting practically everything Damian had previously transported from Shengyuan.

Every single item!

The accumulated Spirit Rice, medicinal goods, Talismans, materials and other exotic products had been completely absorbed by the market, leaving the Central Lane establishment operating primarily upon its remaining reserves.

Even that wasn’t enough to satisfy the new partners, many of whom had already submitted additional orders far exceeding the family’s immediately available inventory.

For the first time, Damian was confronting a rather wonderful problem.

He couldn’t supply his customers quickly enough!

"Hehehe! So they’re already hungry for more?" Damian asked with an evil grin, leaning back in his chair as he contemplated the implications.

"Excellent! Tell them to prepare their warehouses, because I’ll have plenty more goods for them to swallow in a few days!" He revealed with a cunning smile.

Vivienne accepted the instruction with obvious relief, having undoubtedly spent considerable time dealing with impatient merchants desperate to secure additional supplies.

Damian, meanwhile, had already opened a familiar System interface, curious about how the extraordinary commercial expansion had affected his long-running quest.

<Extensive Trade Network>!

The previous rounds had required increasingly large numbers of successful cross-realm transactions, and the relentless activities of the Central Lane store had apparently continued advancing the quest even while Damian remained occupied elsewhere.

With the auction, the existing business operations and the enormous quantity of merchandise sold through his expanding commercial network, two entire rounds had been completed!

[Optional Side Quest Completed!]

[Quest Name: Extensive Trade Network (Round 2)]

[Reward Acquired: System Skill Upgrade — Logistics III.]

[Optional Side Quest Completed!]

[Quest Name: Extensive Trade Network (Round 3)]

[Reward Acquired: System Skill Upgrade — Logistics IV.]

[Progressive Side Quest Updated!]

[Quest Name: Extensive Trade Network (Round 4)

Objective: Sell cross-realm goods in either realm 100,000 times.

Current Progress: 44,598/100,000 Sales.

Reward: System Skill Upgrade — Logistics V.]

Damian’s expression immediately brightened as he examined the notices, especially when the corresponding Logistics interface appeared before him.

The fourth round was already well underway, but what truly captured his attention was the astonishing improvement to his Exchange Storage.

[Integrated DRES Skill Updated!]

[Skill: Logistics IV

Function: Exchange Storage

Maximum Stored Mass: 1,000 Tonnes

Equivalent Mass: 1,000,000 Kilograms

Cross-Realm Storage Synchronization: Active]

Fuck! One thousand tonnes!

Brother, that was ONE MILLION KILOGRAMS!

Damian stared at the figure with growing fear and terror, remembering how delighted he had been when Logistics II first increased his storage capacity to ten tonnes.

That had already felt like a tremendous improvement over his original limitations, allowing him to transport meaningful commercial quantities instead of constantly worrying about every kilogram.

But this?

This was an entirely different league!

To put the scale into perspective, one thousand tonnes was equivalent to the cargo carried by forty heavily loaded 25 tonne freight trucks.

Alternatively, it could represent fifty shipping containers carrying twenty tonnes of goods each, or five hundred smaller delivery trucks transporting two tonnes apiece!

And that was assuming he wanted to fill the entire capacity with a single kind of merchandise.

Damian could now transport vast quantities of food, medicinal materials, industrial resources, equipment and countless other products between Valoria and Shengyuan without needing to organize enormous freight caravans for the journey itself.

Depending upon the particular goods and their demand, a single transfer could supply entire commercial sectors for a substantial period!

"Christ on a bike! This is fucking ridiculous!" Damian tutted with a shake of his head, imagining the expressions of Shengyuan merchants if he suddenly appeared with the equivalent of forty freight trucks’ worth of foreign merchandise.

Damian sighed with lament. "Forget being a traveling merchant! At this rate, I’m practically becoming an entire shipping company!"

The implications for his future operations were extraordinary, especially considering the enormous differences in demand, production and pricing between the two worlds.

Even products that generated relatively small profits individually could become extremely lucrative when transported in sufficient quantities, while rare high-value merchandise would naturally benefit from the improved logistical freedom.

For the first time, the amount of merchandise Damian could carry was no longer the most immediate obstacle to expanding his commercial empire.

Finding enough merchandise to fill that capacity was!

Unfortunately, before he could become completely absorbed in imagining his future profits, Vivienne gently reminded him that there was still one final matter requiring his attention.

And this was the one that had originally amused him so greatly.

A royal invitation!

According to Vivienne, an official messenger from the Rastian Kingdom had arrived during Damian’s seclusion, bearing a courteous invitation addressed to Viscount of Magic Damian Baines.

The message requested that he visit the royal capital for a personal audience with His Majesty, the King of Rastia!

Damian’s lips immediately curled into another amused smile.

"So even the King has finally decided to take an interest in me, eh? Heh! Interesting, very interesting indeed!" Damian chuckled, glancing toward the royal correspondence with unconcealed curiosity.

Of course, the development was hardly surprising when he considered everything that had happened since his arrival in Valoria.

Damian possessed merchandise capable of transforming entire industries, commanded a rapidly expanding commercial organization and had demonstrated combat power comparable to the Legend bracket despite remaining an Adept.

And unlike an ordinary powerful individual, he was also a recognized Viscount!

Just because Damian hadn’t undergone the ordinary Legendary Power registration procedure didn’t mean his abilities were some carefully guarded secret.

Roland and Selene naturally had their own reporting obligations, while the various factions operating throughout Rastia possessed informants, intelligence networks and commercial connections capable of gathering information independently.

More importantly, Damian himself hadn’t made any serious effort to conceal his achievements.

A young Otherworlder with overwhelming power, extraordinary wealth and a growing network of influential supporters was hardly someone a reigning monarch could afford to overlook.

Especially when that same Otherworlder was distributing goods capable of disrupting established markets across entire continents!

And therein lay the amusing part.

Power!

Damian understood perfectly well that Valoria was generally more humane and institutionally restrained than Shengyuan, but that didn’t mean greed, ambition and exploitation had somehow disappeared.

There were undoubtedly merchants willing to steal his goods, commercial partners tempted to violate their agreements and powerful individuals who would happily seize his wealth if they believed they could escape the consequences.

However, Damian possessed the means to make such actions extraordinarily expensive.

He couldn’t help contemplating how differently the King’s message might have been phrased if he were merely an ordinary merchant selling miraculous products without any personal strength.

Would His Majesty have politely invited him to the capital, or would he have requested his presence with the implicit understanding that refusal was unacceptable?

Perhaps the message would have contained an outright demand, or even an order authorizing his detention until he agreed to cooperate!

Damian inwardly sneered at the thought, recognizing once again that wealth without the ability to protect it was often little more than an invitation for stronger people to help themselves.

The only reason he possessed the luxury of deciding when and how to respond was that his personal power had made coercion a considerably less attractive option!

Nevertheless, he saw no reason to become unnecessarily confrontational.

After all, the King of Rastia was also Eunice’s father, which made him Damian’s prospective father-in-law in everything but formal ceremony.

Meeting the man could provide useful insight into the kingdom’s political situation, and perhaps even help Damian understand more about Eunice’s upbringing and complicated position within the royal family.

"Please inform His Majesty that I appreciate his gracious invitation and intend to visit the capital in due course," Damian instructed with a courteous smile, returning the correspondence to Vivienne.

"I’m looking forward to meeting him personally, and I hope the arrangements can be made at a mutually convenient time." Damian added in a seemingly gently and appreciative tone.

Vivienne visibly relaxed upon hearing his response, having apparently worried that her increasingly powerful employer might dismiss the invitation or respond with unnecessary arrogance.

Instead, Damian had demonstrated a degree of diplomatic consideration that pleasantly surprised her, reinforcing her belief that joining the Baines Noble Family had been an excellent decision.

After bowing respectfully, she prepared to take her leave, but Damian stopped her with one final instruction.

He wanted merchandise!

Lots and lots of merchandise!

"Vivienne, start contacting our suppliers and commercial partners immediately, because I want a massive quantity of these goods assembled for purchase," Damian declared, his enthusiasm returning as he considered his new storage capacity.

"I need potions, special ores and metals, useful magitech tools, uncommon or higher equipment, enchanted fabrics, mana infused foodstuffs, magical materials and reagents, as well as anything else that might have commercial value!" Damian began listing categories, then specific items.

Vivienne immediately understood that this would require a substantial purchasing operation, especially given the scale Damian was contemplating.

Fortunately, the family’s recent auction had produced extraordinary amounts of wealth, and their expanding network of commercial partners provided an excellent foundation for obtaining merchandise at favorable prices.

The resulting orders quickly sent another wave of money flowing into Rosewood’s markets.

Of course, filling a 1000 tonne storage capacity was hardly something Rosewood Town could accomplish on a whim, regardless of how wealthy the Baines Noble Family had become.

Even identifying enough suitable merchandise would require hours of coordination, while gathering, transporting and inspecting everything could demand considerably more time.

Then Damian would still need to collect the goods personally!

However, he was hardly troubled by such minor inconveniences when the rewards promised to be so extraordinary.

Interestingly, the scale of his purchasing operations had also begun encouraging speculation among the merchants themselves.

Damian regularly introduced mysterious foreign products before purchasing large quantities of ordinary Valorian merchandise, making it increasingly obvious that the young Otherworlder was involved in some unusual form of international or supernatural trade.

Some suspected that he possessed access to another plane, while others believed he operated through a mysterious interdimensional exchange establishment.

Very few entertained the possibility that Damian was literally traveling between two complete worlds possessing entirely different systems of supernatural progression.

Whatever the truth, the merchants weren’t particularly concerned as long as business continued flowing.

Many of the Baines Family’s new distribution partners even began offering generous discounts on their own products, allowing Damian to purchase Valorian merchandise considerably below its ordinary MSRP.

Their reasoning was perfectly sensible, since maintaining an excellent relationship with the source of such extraordinary commercial opportunities was worth sacrificing a portion of their immediate profits.

Not that Damian particularly needed the discounts anymore.

The Baines Noble Family’s Caurelian Bank account had grown so extraordinarily wealthy that the institution had assigned them a dedicated Cardinal to oversee their banking affairs.

Considering that a Cardinal represented a Legend-level clerical rank within Caurelia’s religious hierarchy, Damian couldn’t help appreciating just how dramatically his financial circumstances had changed!

Nevertheless, he was pleased by the merchants’ goodwill, and he had no intention of rejecting perfectly legitimate discounts simply because he could afford to pay more.

Money saved was money available for another investment, and Damian had learned long ago that even a seemingly insignificant advantage could become enormous when multiplied across sufficient volume.

With the purchasing arrangements underway and Vivienne returning to her responsibilities, Damian finally found himself with a little uninterrupted time before departing for Shengyuan.

He considered resuming cultivation for a moment, but immediately discarded the idea, remembering that he had another important matter requiring his attention.

The Divine Forge!

His personally crafted equipment had been used extensively during his recent battles and adventures, and he had yet to properly examine the progress accumulated throughout those experiences.

Now that his cultivation had improved so dramatically, Damian was particularly curious about what the Divine Forge had recorded.

With a thoughtful smile, he returned to his study, settled into his chair and summoned the familiar interface.

It was finally time to calculate his gains from the Divine Forge!