Regardless of the outcome, he has to try, so when he thinks up to this point, Garridan spreads out his last cards. "Fifty." he holds up five fingers, "Frontiera will buy the ore and rough gems for less than fifty percent of the market price. I think this price should be higher than the price of Lothering, My Lord."

Odbart Adalgiso responds, "Indeed it is higher, but there is still the old question, can you guarantee the agreement of other families?"

"I will immediately go back to Frontiera tomorrow. After I get an agreement, I will come back with a new contract."

"But my people are unable to wait that long. You should know, that if you want to reach an agreement between the aristocracy, it is usually very time consuming."

"My Lord, the cooperation with Frontiera would be a better choice for you and your people. Willow Town is still further away, so you and your people can also get our help." when speaking up to this point Garridan feels that his throat becomes dry, "and we are fellow Dioral."

Good God, what the hell am I doing? Garridan’s heart pounds madly, does he really say such thing after the Count had declared he had quitted Dioral.

Ha ha ha ha!" surprisingly, Roland did not fly into a rage, but instead laughed, 

"Viscount, you seem to have mistaken something, I never thought of depending on Dioral."

"My Lord..do you mean that new kingdom?"

"Of course, I don't intend to ask Lothering either." Odbart Adalgiso watches the guests’ expression with interest, "In fact, the margrave of Lothering has also joined the new kingdom."

The guests are dumbfounded. They momentary doubt whether their ears get it right or wrong.

Fortunately, the count doesn’t let this awkward silence continue for long, and he then explains, "This winter, your faction will be suppressed and join the new kingdom whether you like it or not.  Frontiera will become the border of our new kingdom."

"What..we will go to the centre and south to report on this treachery!"

"You won't be able to travel further south. Your path is totally blocked by great wall stretches from Orlais forest to Korcari Wilds. His majesty had also helped me completed my great wall protecting us from the Nicaea. Do not be so surprised, my friend, I'm not spouting nonsense, I can show you the new masonry wall at the Northern Mountain Slope."

"Yes, connecting the North Slope Hill and Fluviu River is  a twelve foot high and four foot wide stone wall. With this, we can block any invasion from the church."

The guests feel their brain power aren't enough, when Garridan  got back last season, the count did not mention any great walls. How could they build the wall with the limited manpower they had? In other words, when the count joined the new kingdom, he sought the impossible feat from the new king to build the great walls? 

Also... What was it the Count just said? Twelve feet high and four feet wide, connecting the North Slope Mountain and Fluviu River? Garridan estimates this in his heart, building a wall of this size isn't something possible to be done in less than 3 to 5 years, and first of all he does not even have enough stone masons for cutting and grinding so many stones! Even more, Vilvorde is only a mining town, most of the people living here are only common people.

When he hasn't even digested this news, count’s next sentence also shocks him incomparably.

"As for the ore sales, starting next year, I will be willing to reduce the price by half, sir, but we will not only sell to Frontiera, because you don't really need that much ore. I think compared to the low profits of ore, you would prefer some more metal products, such as spades, shovels and the like." Here again he pauses, waiting until it seems like Garridan understands the meaning of his words," As for rough gems, we will sell them in the form of an auction, the businessman with the highest bid will be able to buy them. I would prefer to polish the stones myself, but unfortunately in the current Vilvorde there is no one with such an ability. "

But you're saying you have the ability to build the wall in this few months! Garridan’s heart nearly burst from anger, and what does he mean, that margrave faction doesn't require so much ore? It's a mere output worth one thousand gold bar, even if the production would be increased, Frontiera could double it! Two thousand gold bar worth cannot be handled by Frontiera? That is a bit too arrogant!

He forces back the grievances of his heart, and tries to maintain a composed look, "Everything you said I have remembered, Your Highness. I will immediately go back and negotiate with the other families. But, the walls you mentioned before... I first want to have a look."

Count and the maid smirks.

***

While Viscount Garridan is bringing back the message to the other noble families in margrave faction only to be met with laughter, he naturally does not know that they fall into the opponent's scheme.

"You said there is a new kingdom at our doorstep? And the incompetent nobles in another faction had joined them? Daring to build walls before winter, I don’t know, should I praise him for his courage or mock him for overestimating himself?"

"The count’s lack of courage is a known fact, when did the coward find his guts? He is just mad, and nothing more!"

"Yes, he did not even have a stonemason, he is only leaning on piling up unpolished stones and pasting wet mud between it, I'm afraid this piled up stone wall will collapse immediately."

"Anyway, it's a good thing. If he sought out help, we will be at the mercy of nature. But if he dies in his demesne... we can soon end this farce."

After he has meditated about the problem, Margrave Kronid suddenly spoke, "Garridan, what do you think?" 

Garridan is startled, he does not think that Margrave Kronid would ask for his opinion, "Well, I originally wanted to maintain a monopoly, as long as we could get the ore for thirty percent below the market price, it would still be a deal worthy for us, but..." His mind calculates some ideas," but the count does not intend to sell all the ore to us, he is even selling the ore for a 50% lower than the market price, which means, he has plans to make a substantial increase in the ore production next year. As long as they are able to increase the production to the double of the former years, we may earn more than ever before. But he also intends to sell their own production of iron, iron production is hot in demand, and resale would also be very easy. But... these are not the important points. "

"Oh? What is important?"

"If he can hold Vivolde, it would also be very good news for us. We wouldn’t have to focus on dealing with their food problem every year, which can save us a huge amount of expenditure. A second advantage would be that the vast amount land between the Frontiera and Vivolde will be open for all of us. Whether it be cultivating the land or using it to settle new people, both choices would be good. This could greatly ease the current status of the overcrowded population." Garridan recites his ideas one by one.

Margrave Kronid ponders for a while before confirming something,

"Odbart Adalgiso mentioned about the new kingdom stretching from Redcliffe to Korcari Wilds to Hyuutia and Lothering. That's too far stretching even for a mad claim. Did the count really mean that?"

Garridan is speechless for a while. 

"My lord. I really saw the great wall... The impossible has became real. That new king really had achieved the impossible feat."

The margrave, Garridan and other stare dumbly at each other.

Margrave Kronid straightens his body, his eyes slowly sweeps to each of the participants and his tone became awe-inspiring, "However, my family didn’t get our status of today by weighing all the benefits with the losses. Why do I have to do business with a person who is beneath me? Some rules must be obeyed, and if they are broken the trespasser must be punished. Whether Vilvorde is prosperous or broken is not important, what is important is that no one should ever above me in this region - even if he is a count, he is no exception. "

Suddenly, a man barges into the meeting room in panic.

"What's wrong? Do you see we have important meeting?"

A noble scolds the aide.

"My lords! Army from Lothering had crossed into our territory. The margrave of Lothering.....she is leading the army... But they carry an unknown flag."

Viscount Garridan nervously asks, "Is is red flag with a book and a hammer?"

"Yes....viscount..do you know.."

"Could it be it his rambling was true... Lothering had joined the new kingdom?"

Another man barges in.

"What now?"

"Hyuutia and Odbart Adalgiso are leading army towards here. But they carry an unknown flag!"

"Could it be.."