Chapter 224

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Merely engaging in sales had unexpectedly established a connection with the Elven race. This can be genuinely described as a delightful surprise.

Fortune has truly smiled upon them, and its momentum is uncontainable.

Raymond seemed to recall something and continued, “Oh, by the way, those Elves also mentioned that they really like the coffee made from our premium coffee beans. If we can provide a stable supply, they are willing to buy all of it at twice the market price.”

Ji Chen wasn’t surprised by this. After all, the value of premium coffee beans was evident. While maintaining their flavor, they could enhance magical power and accelerate its recovery effects. He believed there were not many similar items in the outside world.

Seeing that Raymond wanted to say more, Ji Chen smiled and waved his hand. “Let’s discuss this further back at the Lord Manor. This isn’t the right place for a lengthy conversation.”

Raymond hesitated for a moment, then quickly nodded.

The two of them walked side by side.

On their way to the Lord Manor, Raymond looked around left and right, amazed by the significant changes in the Crown of the Ocean.

He remembered that when he left before, it wasn’t as prosperous.

The harbor and water forts hadn’t been built yet. Between the territory and those structures was nothing but jungle and a few dirt roads. The housing in the residential area consisted of just a few dozen buildings, housing less than two thousand people.

The number of warships and merchant ships was only six, and he had taken away most of them on a single voyage.

It was nothing like now. It resembled a military overseas base of some kingdom or duchy. There were dozens of powerful warships, a continuous array of buildings, a pleasing town environment, and a dense flow of residents.

In various functional buildings, residents were busy at work, showing a bustling scene.

This prompted him to exclaim in amazement, “I’ve only been gone for half a month, and the territory has changed so much. There are also so many more people. It’s truly incredible.”

Hearing this, Ji Chen also smiled. Half a month wasn’t a short time. Who could have predicted that after half a month, the Crown of the Ocean would have developed to this extent?

Raymond looked at a pair of fierce-looking Half-Orcs and lizardmen passing by, curious as he asked, “My lord, why are there so many Half-Orcs and lizardmen in the territory? Where did they come from?”

“The Half-Orcs were tamed from a sea voyage mishap I had previously. Their combat strength is quite impressive. As for the lizardmen…” Ji Chen gestured towards the ground. “In a cave beneath the Kobold den, there are several lizardmen kingdoms. I recently managed to conquer them. There are quite a number of lizardmen there.”

“I see.” Raymond nodded in realization. “So, how many lizardmen are there in that location?”

“Not many, just over a hundred thousand.”

“Just over a hundred thousand…? Over a hundred thousand!?”

Raymond’s expression seemed like he had seen a ghost as if he was questioning if Ji Chen was joking.

“Oh, I forgot to mention. Apart from those lizardmen, the population of the Crown of the Ocean is nearly ten thousand now.”

Over a hundred thousand and ten thousand.

Raymond’s lips twitched. He felt that he needed to reevaluate the Crown of the Ocean and the person he pledged allegiance to.

When he first arrived at the New Moon Islands, the place was still desolate. The number of troops was only around a hundred, and the territory had just a few houses and a few dozen residents.

Apart from being able to produce a few unique specialties, there’s not much difference between my territory and the territories of other Lords of Glory.

Honestly, at that time, he still held a certain level of disdain in his heart.

But after more than half a month had passed, when he was once again bound here, it seemed that quite a few things had changed.

The Lord, who easily defeated hundreds of elite Chamber of Commerce guards, now possessed several warships, greatly increasing the military power. Even the territory had become much more prosperous, displaying a lively and thriving appearance.

And then, after some more time had passed, until today when he returned, even greater changes had occurred.

The military power had expanded by dozens of times, the population of residents had reached nearly ten thousand, and he was commanding over a hundred thousand underground lizardmen.

The level of prosperity was more than just tenfold compared to before.

Considering all these changes that happened in such a short span of time – a little over a month, to be precise – it had already developed to this extent. If it continued developing at this pace, wouldn’t it be almost god-like?

Even the prospect of it evolving into a kingdom didn’t appear to be an unattainable notion…

If someday it truly developed to such a stage, wouldn’t he, as the Trade Envoy of the Crown of the Ocean, have played a significant role?

A Trade Envoy could potentially transform into a Trade Minister.

A Trade Minister of a kingdom…

Thinking to this point, Raymond’s excitement surged. This was far better than being a mere member of the Hanseatic Chamber of Commerce!

Seeing Raymond suddenly become excited, his face brimming with determination and passion, Ji Chen was a bit puzzled, but he also smiled.

Having determination and passion was a good thing.

The two of them quickly returned to the Lord Manor, where Raymond continued to report on the gains from his journey to the Northern Continent.

“This time, the cargo from the two ships was sold for a total of 193,200 gold coins. Following your instructions, everything has already been exchanged for various resources locally. This includes skilled labor forces, mithril…

During the journey, Master Sparrow also seized the opportunity to plunder two merchant ships, resulting in substantial gains.”

Ji Chen understood and asked, “Did the plundering and handling of the loot expose our identity?”

“No, everything was carried out in secret. There are many people on the continent who specialize in dealing with these sea loots. Additionally, we are extremely cautious and careful, so the chances of exposure are nearly close to

zero..”