Hearing Henwell’s words, Papaste’s face stiffens for a moment before forcing a smile. “Sir, you might be misunderstanding me. I just…”

  Halfway through, Papaste feels Henwell’s icy gaze pinning him down, making him uneasy all over.

  Kruze, Papaste’s father, sighs inwardly; his son is still too inexperienced.

  Stepping forward, Kruze bows respectfully to Henwell. “My lord, please forgive Papaste’s youthful ignorance. We only want you to know we bear no ill will. We are genuinely grateful for your help. Since I see you don’t wish to reveal your identity, we also chose not to mention it. Please pardon any oversight on our part.”

  Henwell gnces at him and casually pulls out a chair to sit. “Speak pinly. We’re all adults here, and time is precious. There’s no need to waste it on ‘tests’.”

  Papaste had guessed Henwell’s identity long ago. After all, news of Henwell’s journey to the Western Regions had spread widely.

  As a core member of the Rich Trading Group within the Lumir Trade Alliance, Papaste regurly accesses high-level intelligence and follows major continental events.

  With Peace Haven emerging as a new trade hub, everything about Lord Henwell is of great interest.

  Being a young man himself, Papaste is well aware of Henwell’s exploits.

  So shortly after entering the Scorching Sand Sea, Papaste pieced together who Henwell really is.

  But since Henwell never confirmed it, Papaste dared not act on the assumption recklessly.

  Now that they’ve arrived in Kriye City, Papaste hopes to leverage Henwell’s name to complete some things.

  His father Kruze opposed the idea from the start.

  To Kruze, someone like Henwell—capable of stirring the winds of the entire world, is far beyond what Papaste can manipute.

  Still, Kruze didn’t forbid it outright; he knows his son needs to be tempered and learn his limits.

  As for Henwell, Kruze naturally wants to build a connection with him and is prepared to help his son recover from any failure.

  Kruze stands respectfully beside Henwell, bowing slightly as he speaks softly, “My lord, you don’t ck money or any ordinary goods.”

  ”Coincidentally, our family’s caravan recently acquired a batch of extraordinary potions, only a thousand vials in total. Consider this our gift to you. We also have some small trinkets that will accompany the caravan’s visit to Peace Haven, as a token of our gratitude.”

  That’s quite a generous gift!

  At current market prices, this batch of extraordinary potions alone is worth half a million gold coins.

  And those trinkets won’t be cheap either.

  Henwell nods lightly. “That’s settled then. Now, tell me what kind of cooperation you want.”

  Kruze gnces toward some competitors nearby, who are eavesdropping attentively.

  He lowers his voice. “My lord, this isn’t the pce to discuss such matters. I’ll take you to the back hall for a detailed talk shortly.”

  Henwell toys with the pocket watch in his hand. “I said my time is precious. Just say what you want now. I have a clear idea. If it’s not suitable, there’s no need to waste time.”

  Kruze hesitates a moment. “My lord, I want Lumir’s exclusive operating rights in your territory…”

  Henwell cuts him off with a raised hand. “Enough! Don’t disturb me while I’m eating. You all handle your business.”

  “My lord, please hear the terms I propose first…”

  Henwell interrupts again, chuckling. “Terms? No terms will do! This isn’t about business or profit. First and foremost, I’m a noble lord, then a merchant.”

  ”Some things can’t be measured by money. What I want are trade channels and influence, not just pure profit. You may understand commerce well, but some matters are political at their core.”

  He’s joking, right?

  Henwell has long passed the stage of making money just to sustain his nds. Peace Haven’s current strategy revolves entirely around expansion.

  What Henwell seeks is influence, pnting footholds in key regions.

  Handing over Lumir’s trade routes entirely to the Rich Trading Group might bring huge profits in the short term.

  But that would make it difficult for Henwell to establish his own presence in Lumir.

  Again, mere gold and wealth aren’t enough to help Henwell seize more territory and popution.

  His foundation rests on a powerful armed force under his command, a developed primary industry, and abundant popution.

  Not on piles of gold.

  To borrow a popur phrase from the past life: no troops or supplies means you’re just someone else’s granary.

  Gold doesn’t vanish into thin air; as long as Henwell gains more nd and people, he won’t worry about earning gold.

  Since he can’t expand militarily in the short term, he must rely on commerce and trade to gradually strengthen his control over surrounding areas.

  When the time is right, Henwell can expand his power more confidently.

  So, he will never relinquish exclusive sales channels so easily.

  What Henwell says is sincere, it’s not about profit, it’s a political matter.

  Seeing Henwell’s firm stance, Kruze has no choice but to withdraw, promising to return ter for a proper discussion.

  After Kruze and his son leave, the well-fed middle-aged man from nearby approaches with a smile.

  Someone who commands Kruze’s respect must hold considerable value to him.

  “Sir, my name is—”

  He starts confidently, only to be cut off by Henwell.

  “Can’t you see I’m eating? I’m not interested in talking right now.”

  The man’s face tightens, frowning. “Sir, you may not know who I am, but rejecting my goodwill like this isn’t wise.”

  Henwell doesn’t even look up. “Get lost.”

  “You—”

  Before he can finish, an elderly man steps in. “Enough, Mifu! If you keep insulting him, no one will save you. The man before you has killed more people than you’ve seen in your entire life!”

  Henwell shrugs. “That’s a bit exaggerated. I’m not that bloodthirsty. It’s always been out of necessity.”

  With that, Henwell stands and says, “I am Henwell, Lord of Blood Hill. Pleased to meet you, Count Lierul.”

  Count Lierul is the real power behind the Lumir Duchy, belonging to the Dienbos family.

  They’re also the maternal family of Ika Kingdom’s eldest princess.

  Besides nd and military might, the family owns a major trading company, a core member of the Trade Alliance.

  At Lierul’s introduction, the man called Mifu immediately backs off in panic.

  Lierul bows slightly. “Lord of Blood Hill, your presence is a surprise and an honor. On behalf of the Dienbos family, the Trade Alliance, and the Duchy, I warmly welcome you.”

  As a key figure at the banquet, Lierul is always under watchful eyes.

  His high-profile greeting sparks a wave of murmurs throughout the hall.