On the pier, more than a dozen sailboats were lined up, the tops of their masts and the interwoven ropes already covered in snowflakes, forming pristine silver lines. Refugees poured out of the cabins, surging toward the open space in front of the pier.

This was not the first time Border Town had received refugees from all over Graycastle, and the entire process seemed well-organized. Four rows of iron railings divided the crowd into two long, thin lines, which controlled the flow of people and prevented stampedes. On either side of the railings, police officers patrolled with short clubs, and anyone who pushed or attempted to climb over the railings would be struck. There was punishment, of course, but also reward—to comfort those who had endured hardships to reach this place, refugees who passed through the railing channels received a bowl of steaming thin porridge. In any case, filling their stomachs first would effectively reduce the refugees' fear and discomfort in this unfamiliar territory.

This time, in addition to the police, the First Army, and city hall officials, Nightingale and Sylvie also participated in the inspection, in order to find the Tiffko-planted drug users hidden in the crowd. Under the scrutiny of the Eyes of Magic, neither pills nor snow powder could hide.

"Thank you for everything you've done for the Western Region," Roland said, withdrawing his gaze and speaking to Margie beside him. "If it weren't for your fleet, these people would probably have spent the winter in the slums of other cities."

"It's rare for Your Highness to ask me for help with such urgency, so I naturally have to do my best," she smiled. "However, many sailors are unwilling to sail in the heavy snow, so I could only gather these thirteen ships."

"It's better than none at all," Roland exhaled a white breath. Since learning that a large number of refugees were stranded in Silverlight City, Redwater City, and Willow Town, he had sent a letter of request to the Margie Merchant Guild, hoping that they could gather a fleet to help him transport the refugees.

Although thirteen ships were few, they could always make two trips—calculated at one hundred people per sailboat and a round trip taking two weeks, it would take about a month and a half to transport three thousand stranded people. The gold royals carried by the First Army squad could not last that long, so this return trip also had to carry food and cold-weather clothing. Roland did not want refugees to board the ship with hope, only to fail to reach their destination in the end.

Thanks to Lightning, Margie finally set the transportation cost at twice the usual rate. Other merchants would certainly consider this a foolish deal—the freight alone exceeded the value of the goods themselves, with an average of one gold royal per two people, which, at current market prices, could buy several strong and high-quality slaves. Margie had also questioned him about this, but Roland still insisted on bringing these people back to the Western Region.

From the moment they boarded the sailboat with the envoy group, they could be considered citizens of the Western Region, and he had a responsibility to provide them with shelter. Moreover, in Roland's eyes, the value of these refugees was far beyond that of slaves; after education, training, and re-employment, the wealth they created in their new positions would be immeasurable.

...

Back in the castle drawing room, Roland instructed the kitchen to serve Margie a bowl of thick soup to ward off the cold. "Drink this, and your hands and feet will warm up a lot."

"Thank you for your kindness," the female merchant scooped up a spoonful and smelled it. "It seems to have white wine in it?"

"Indeed," he smiled. "In addition to that, there are peppercorns and honey, and the base is chicken soup." High-proof alcohol is an excellent drink for warding off the cold at any time. Heating it with chicken soup makes the taste more mellow, and adding seasonings to mask its pungent flavor makes the entire bowl of soup fragrant and slightly spicy, so even people who don't often drink alcohol can easily enjoy it.

Margie slowly finished the thick soup and let out a long breath. "It's really good. Every time I come here, I'm full of anticipation, wondering what new and interesting things you'll come up with. It's just a pity that I probably won't be able to visit your territory often next year."

"Are you referring to trading opportunities?" Roland keenly caught the meaning in her words.

The female merchant nodded. "Tiffko has already issued an order prohibiting the trade of saltpeter. Now, not only the royal capital but even Silverlight City and Redwater City are not allowed to sell saltpeter to outsiders. Apart from supplying it to the Alchemy Association at low prices, it can only be sold to the nobles in the city."

Roland frowned.

"Moreover, according to information I've gathered from city hall channels, he seems to be planning a complete blockade of the Western Region. I'm afraid it's not just saltpeter; even merchants will be blocked at the Redwater City line. At that time, not only Border Town but also Longsong Stronghold and Willow Town will be affected. Although many nobles have expressed their opposition, Tiffko should not withdraw the order." She shook her head helplessly. "Next year, not only will I not be able to transport saltpeter and ore ingots to this place, but even the steam engine trade may be suspended."

It seems that he was pushed to the brink, otherwise he wouldn't have issued such a decree that would greatly harm the royal family as well, Roland thought to himself. Rashly interfering in the trade activities of other territories without completing centralisation could easily provoke the resistance of lords and nobles. Even if Tiffko sent his own troops to guard the land and waterways, he could easily be undermined by the local lords from behind—as long as he enforced this policy for a year and a half.

But alas, trade is Border Town's Achilles' heel. Not to mention a year... even half a year is absolutely not allowed. Saltpeter is the raw material for large-scale acid production, and its importance is irreplaceable before the artificial synthesis of ammonia is solved. Once the supply is stopped, the 152mm howitzers become mere decorations, and the replacement of new-style repeating rifles will be delayed a lot.

But more deadly than weapons is the steam engine trade—currently, there are not many gold royals left in the city hall treasury. A portion of the money earned is used for infrastructure construction, continuously increasing job opportunities, and another portion is issued to the townspeople as wages, and then recovered through food, convenience goods, and housing transactions, forming a cycle. This economic model requires constantly injecting gold royals into the market, at least equal to the wealth created by the citizens.

Currently, Border Town is still in the stage of primitive accumulation and has not yet issued credit currency. Once the steam engine trade income is reduced, the finances will easily fall into a state of drought where wages cannot be paid, followed by a complete economic collapse.

In any case, the interruption of funds is absolutely unacceptable.

"This situation will not last long," Roland spread his hands. "I believe you will soon be able to visit this small town in the Western Region again... No, by that time, what you will see should be a completely new city."

Margie was slightly surprised. "You plan to build a city here?"

"Right after the Months of the Demons ends," he smiled. "In addition, I plan to open up a trade route directly connected to the Fjords, not through Seawind County or Clearwater Port, but directly from the Western Region, reaching the Fjords Islands. I wonder if you are interested in participating?"