Lord: Stripped of My Inheritance from the Start - Chapter 246 - 245: Sudden Intelligence

Chapter 246: Chapter 245: Sudden Intelligence

The second thing Ronin wanted was naturally related to the Chishan Town Iron Mine.

However, he also understood that it was impossible to get a share just by relying on his father-son relationship.

Besides, Wiggin only held a small share in this iron mine; he couldn’t call all the shots.

So Ronin didn’t even consider it.

“I hope you can help me negotiate with Chishan Town, Father, to get them to sell their iron ore to me at a preferential price.”

Last time, he had Rogner and the others purchase 50,000 jin of iron ore. At a price of Eight Copper Coins per jin, it cost Four Hundred Gold Coins, and that didn’t even include transportation or subsequent smelting costs.

“You want iron ore?”

Wiggin heard Ronin’s intention and was a little surprised. “You want to smelt your own iron in Wubei Territory?”

Ronin nodded. “Wubei Territory has vast amounts of wood that can be used as fuel. I can absolutely smelt my own iron. That way, I can save a lot of Gold Coins.”

The price of refined iron was at least five or six times that of iron ore.

Smelting it himself would not only save a lot of money, but more importantly, it would produce the molten iron he needed for casting.

“How many jin of iron ore do you estimate your territory will need per year?” Wiggin immediately asked.

“I made a quick estimate last night. Wubei Territory’s annual demand for iron ore is about 200,000 jin. But that’s just for now. Once Wubei Territory develops, the demand will be even greater.”

With current smelting technology, 200,000 jin of iron ore would yield 60,000 to 80,000 jin of iron, which was quite good.

Wubei Territory might not be able to consume that much iron at its current stage.

But that was fine. Since Wubei Territory had no iron mines of its own, being able to purchase cheap iron ore from outside was a way of stockpiling strategic resources.

Kabil, who was standing to the side, looked at Ronin with newfound respect.

The young Viscount had quoted the number without hesitation, which showed he had a clear understanding of his territory’s situation.

He couldn’t help but think to himself, ’This kid Ronin has been a Lord for less than a year, but he handles matters like a seasoned veteran. When did he change so much?’

Meanwhile, Wiggin was doing some calculations in his head to see if there was a profit to be made.

After a long moment, he finally said, “I can give you a preferential price of Six Copper Coins per jin of iron ore, but you’ll have to transport the ore from Chishan Town to Wubei Territory yourself. I won’t be responsible for shipping.”

The market price for iron ore was between Five and Eight Copper Coins per jin, but this range wasn’t fixed. It often fluctuated based on transportation costs and demand.

During wartime, the price of iron ore, a strategic resource, would inevitably rise.

Although Wiggin was making Ronin handle the transportation, the price of Six Copper Coins was still a considerable discount.

“Deal. But Father, you can’t sell me low-quality iron ore.”

Wiggin chuckled. “Don’t worry. The quality of the ore from the Chishan Town Iron Mine might not be the absolute best, but it’s certainly not bad.”

His mood instantly improved.

He owned a ten percent share in the Chishan Town iron mine, which amounted to a quota of about 360,000 jin of iron ore per year.

However, he wasn’t involved in the mining, transportation, or sales. He just had to collect his money from Coren and Hahn every year.

By striking a deal with Ronin today, he had essentially sold a large portion of his share himself. A preliminary estimate suggested he could earn a few hundred extra Gold Coins this way.

“Ronin, if your Wubei Territory can take in more iron ore, I might be able to offer you an even better discount. For example, after the first 200,000 jin at Six Copper Coins, I can give you the next 100,000 jin at a price of Five Copper Coins per jin.”

Ronin grinned. “I’m sure that with your and Kabil’s help, Wubei Territory’s population will grow. Maybe in two or three years, I’ll need even more iron ore.”

“Hahaha, good!”

Wiggin laughed heartily. “Manage your territory well. I have high hopes for you!”

Kabil chimed in, “With Ronin’s abilities, I’m confident that a large city on the scale of Wushan City will emerge in Wubei Territory in the near future.”

The leisurely afternoon passed quickly. As twilight fell, guests began to arrive one after another at Wushan Castle for the evening’s banquet.

In addition to the nobles, Dianey also had Holwart find the best performance troupes in Wushan City.

After all, a banquet with just drinking, eating, and chatting would be dull. Things like musical concerts, dance performances, and a formal ball had to be arranged.

In both his past and present lives, Ronin had never had such a lively birthday. It was all thanks to the “nobility” class.

Of course, it was even more attributable to the change in his status and position.

Take his good-for-nothing predecessor, for example. His previous birthdays were just small celebrations with a few friends at the Wushan Extraordinary Academy.

Lurans also made an appearance at the birthday banquet. Besides having a cordial chat with Ronin, he also greeted the other people present.

This was Lurans’s first public appearance since the beginning of the year. The rumors that he, like Ossen, was bedridden should be dispelled after tonight’s banquet.

“Ronin, here’s a letter for you.”

Lurans pulled Ronin aside and took a letter from his coat, handing it over.

“Who’s it from?”

Ronin accepted it, a little surprised.

“Blanche, of course.”

Lurans chuckled. “The letter arrived this morning, just in time.”

Ronin walked to a corner of the ballroom, opened it, and began to read.

It was a “Happy Birthday” letter. Blanche’s handwriting was beautiful, and although there were no overt expressions of love, a sense of longing was palpable between the lines.

Ronin smirked. ’I didn’t realize I was so charming that I’d leave such a deep impression on her.’

“What are you smiling about, Ronin?”

McKinney walked over. “Come, dance with me.”

Ronin gave a wry smile. “What’s this? Has no one invited my beautiful and charming sister to dance?”

McKinney smiled and said, “I’m not an unmarried young lady. Who would so easily ask me to dance?”

What she said was true. A married noblewoman had to consider more factors when accepting an invitation to dance, such as their respective social standings, the identity and motives of the inviter, and so on.

“Very well, then.”

With a sigh of resignation, Ronin put away the letter, stood up, and took McKinney’s hand, leading her to the dance floor.

After attending a few banquets, his dancing skills had improved considerably.

Meanwhile, in stark contrast to the bustling ball, Wiggin’s courtyard was much quieter.

He remembered a time when he was the star of the ball, but now he couldn’t dance. So, after eating and drinking his fill, he found a chance to slip away.

At times like these, he would inwardly curse the damned Skull Society. ’If it weren’t for that incident, how carefree and at ease I would be now.’

“KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!”

The urgent knocking on the door made Wiggin’s mood even fouler.

“Who is it?”

“My lord, it’s me, Carolina,” came a pleasant female voice from outside.

The displeasure on Wiggin’s face subsided slightly, and his tone softened. “Come in.”

Carolina pushed the door open and entered. As the liaison officer for Wushan Castle, the middle-aged woman had a pleasant face. Although she couldn’t compare to Dianey, she was still quite comely.

“Why aren’t you enjoying the banquet? What brings you here?”

Carolina didn’t explain, instead handing him the letter in her hand and saying anxiously, “Your Excellency the Count, this is a letter from Lord Coren of Giant Stone City. It’s marked with the highest level of urgency!”

“What?”

Wiggin’s heart skipped a beat. He hastily tore open the envelope, took out the letter inside, and began to read it quickly.

As he read, his face grew more and more flushed, and his breathing became increasingly rapid.

Carolina, who was familiar with Wiggin, knew that the letter must contain something that had made him furious.

Based on the recent correspondence with Giant Stone City, Wiggin’s recent actions, and the urgency of this letter, she had a few suspicions.

’Could something have happened at Chishan Town?’

Just then, after finishing the letter, Wiggin finally roared in fury, “Damn it! How could this happen!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by novlove.com