Iron Harvest: When Farming Becomes Conquest-Chapter 285 - 21: Do Not Say That I Did Not Forewarn You

Alex may have been scheming and far-sighted,

but Vesette surely wasn’t, being more of a primitive nature.

As Roman lingered with Nillie, leaving them dangling for half a day, Vesette had been accumulating a bellyful of fire.

Could he really endure such an insult?

Perhaps he wanted to demonstrate his might by giving the nobles before him a warning, ideally by swiftly killing a few guards—in the pirates’ eyes, that was a show of power.

However, he was pinned to the ground as soon as he made his move.

Margaret sat beside Roman, her posture graceful yet silent, exuding the air of a court witch.

Upon seeing Roman gesture, she lifted the spell.

Vesette was gasping for air, nearly blacking out, his eyes glazed over, and in a daze, he glimpsed a sight of dragons dancing wildly.

In the ancient Yige legends, warriors who died in battle would enter another eternal world, a world more mysterious and fantastical than Earth itself, a world created by the Dragon Clan.

He nearly died.

But this wouldn’t be considered a valiant death in battle, only akin to being struck by a blunt instrument, stuffed into a sack, and thrown into the water to drown—an inglorious death.

His robust physique allowed him to quickly regain his composure. Nevertheless, Vesette still felt an icy chill in his limbs.

He glanced at the witches beside the River Valley King, not just one but more than ten in a neat row, waiting quietly at his side.

"Wizards..." Vesette muttered in Yige Language.

In pirate camps, spellcasters were not uncommon; he wasn’t entirely unfamiliar with spells.

But even under the Pirate King’s command, those who could subdue him in one move were few, each of them holding extremely high status. Even the Pirate King Alex had to treat them with a smile.

"This is a misunderstanding!" Finn said anxiously.

"There is no misunderstanding," Roman replied.

Finn felt utterly helpless.

Not all pirates were cut out to be merchants.

They couldn’t stand being slighted, always ready to kill anyone they disliked, and quick to kick away any obstacle.

Now, look what happened.

They’d kicked against the pricks, hadn’t they?

These people of this land called them barbarians, but wasn’t that accurate?

Even Finn, born of Yige, thought his fellow countrymen were nothing but unreasonable barbarians.

Alex could subdue them, not because he was scheming or foresighted, but because he was more of a pirate than any of them, the king among pirates.

"We are willing to compensate. Do you think five hundred slaves would suffice?" Finn asked tentatively.

Pirate King Alex had Vesette join him in trading, hoping to establish a stable trade route, not to destroy it.

Vesette was a truly formidable warrior who had once beaten a Fourth Rank fully armored Conquest Knight to death. If not for encountering spellcasters, he wouldn’t have ended up in such a state.

He had come out in good condition and couldn’t possibly return missing an arm or a leg, could he?

Roman sighed lightly, "Origin City grants significant advantages to merchants. Others charge a gold coin for trade tax, whereas I ask for only half a silver coin. I hope you will do business here and I will provide you with the fairest treatment.

"But you show no reverence for me. Your companion meets me with cries of fight and kill, yet you hope to appease my anger with money and slaves..."

"A thousand slaves! Your majesty, just name your price."

Finn did not want to lose this route, readily armed by ten thousand was not something everyone could offer.

The River Valley King immediately rose from his chair.

"Finn oh Finn, what have I done to be treated with such disrespect by you?"

He moved to Finn’s side, "You wish to exchange forgiveness for benefits, but if someone, in the future, offers greater benefits for greater wrongs, am I to forgive his transgressions as well?"

"Let’s be honest, you don’t want to follow the order I have established, and your companion wouldn’t even kneel and call me the River Valley King."

Finn looked toward Vesette.

The latter felt it was a great humiliation, but what was even more humiliating was his inability to refuse.

He lost in that moment of confrontation, and the loser had nothing at all.

Vesette knelt on one knee, gritting his teeth and said, "River Valley King, please forgive me..."

"The food I gave you, you’ve wasted like this," Roman spoke indifferently, "There are few things I can’t tolerate, but wasting food is definitely one of them. If you were my subject, I would turn people like you into fertilizer!"

Vesette didn’t understand what fertilizer was, but he read the intent in Roman’s gaze.

The witches were also watching; he knew those spellcasters were loyal to this man before him.

If he made any improper move, the next second, blood would splatter here.

This vulgar, savage, proud pirate warrior, had to crawl on the floor, picking up the slab of meat he had dirtied with his foot, and began to gnaw on it, swallowing the juicy piece down his stomach.

The taste was excellent. There wasn’t such a pork chop completely free of any offensive taste even at the banquet of the Pirate King Alex, and who knows how it was raised.

Even stepped on by a dirty boot, it was still delicious.

But Vesette couldn’t be happy at all, his mind filled with endless anger and frustration.

"Would you like to sit down and have some too?" Roman looked toward Finn. He didn’t wish to have a fallout with the pirates either; finding clients like this was not easy.

However, trade was ultimately about mutual needs and wouldn’t collapse due to temporary conflicts.

"I’ll pass."

The pirate merchant saw Vesette’s flushed face and really didn’t dare to do anything that might provoke the fellow.

"That’s a shame," said the River Valley King.

"But, your timing is perfect. Relay a message to Pirate King Alex for me—In the North, there’s a land called Sea Castle, which belongs neither to the King of Ice Island nor to the Black Iron King. It has been ravaged by various forces. The current lord of Sea Castle has sworn allegiance to me, hoping to save that land, and I have agreed..."

The River Valley King looked at the two men, his red eyes intensely focused. He repeated, not tired of making his point, "Do you understand what I’m saying? I will send troops to aid the Lord of Sea Castle. If Alex fancies that place, then he better set his sights somewhere else; it’s better for us both—don’t say I didn’t warn you in advance."

"Understood! Understood!" Finn nodded repeatedly.

Previously, he had never seen Roman show such serious expression and such a pressing look.

He now understood the importance of this matter.

There was plenty of land in the Black Iron Land; there was no need to fuss over the loss or gain of one city or one land, as the weapons acquired from the River Valley could help them conquer ten times the land.

Vesette stood up from the ground, silent.

Roman felt Vesette would harbor resentment in his heart.

But it didn’t matter to him; he was using an open strategy, pressing on righteously.

How much energy would Vesette need to trip him up?

Would Alex sit by and do nothing if he made too much of a move?

The pirates were already simultaneously contending with the King of Ice Island and Grand Duke Riptide.

Because there was only so much well-developed land.

This time the pirates weren’t just raiding and running; they were invading with organization and premeditation.

They wanted to carve out a vast amount of land from Ice Island and Black Iron to establish their foothold—just like how Ice Island was built a hundred years ago. Now the Northern Barbarians are rising again, attempting to seize new lands.

If Alex had any sense, he wouldn’t provoke a River Valley King.

Roman didn’t say much more to the two, having conveyed his intentions.

The two left Origin Manor, and Roman beckoned Seth over.

He said, "Spread the word, the emissary of the Pirate King has been punished by the River Valley King for wrongdoing. Make sure everyone hears about this."

Seth nodded and set about the task.