I was a lord farming, how did I become an emperor?

Chapter 63 Trading
"This is the price for now."

Rod calculated the output and found that four tamping hammers could produce about 1,000 to 1,500 sheets of paper per day.

It may decrease in the future.

However, Rhodes did not say what followed.

The paper is currently too thick; if it were thinner, more could be produced.

Production is low and raw materials are scarce, so prices cannot be lowered at all.

Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Luxem was utterly astonished and asked, "Could I have a pen to try it out?"

"of course can."

As soon as Rod finished speaking, Lawrence dipped a quill pen in ink and handed it to Lucien with a smug look on his face.

He had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

Lu Sen took the pen and quickly started writing and drawing on it.

The ink spreads smoothly on the new paper without any obstruction.

The ink marks are clear and there is no smudging whatsoever.

For now, Rhodes does not use alum; it uses animal glue for sizing, and the paper is thick, providing an excellent writing experience that is in no way inferior to parchment.

"Although it's not very sturdy, the price is perfectly acceptable!"

Luxem examined the papers in his hand, his face beaming with joy.

The key is the low cost of writing.

Luxen was making plans in his mind.

Spellcasters often write and draw, which consumes a lot of paper.

The parchment cost over two hundred copper coins, and even the wealthy could not squander it.

This forces people to use wooden boards, which are inconvenient because they have to write on them, erase them, and then write on them again.

However, if it were sixty copper coins per piece of paper, people would have far fewer concerns about using it.

Normally, one can freely brainstorm ideas on this kind of cheap new paper, and then copy them onto parchment for safekeeping once the information is fully confirmed.

It's convenient and economical, killing two birds with one stone, truly a blessing for everyone.

It's convenient and economical, killing two birds with one stone.

"I want a thousand, no, two thousand!"

Luxen waved his hand generously, then, realizing his mistake, asked with expectant eyes, "Really?"

Rhodes nodded. "Yes, but you'll have to wait a few days."

"No problem, I can wait!"

Luxembourg was very decisive.

Two thousand sheets of paper would only cost twelve gold coins, and if cut to the size of a regular book, that would amount to eight thousand sheets, enough for Dawn to use for a while.

"This is really great stuff, I'll order more if everyone likes it!"

Luxen had limited funds at his disposal, and twelve gold coins were already a bit excessive.

"How is this made? And why is it so cheap?"

In his excitement, Luxem couldn't help but ask.

There was a brief silence.

Rod didn't speak, but simply smiled and watched Lusen.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked those questions."

Luxem immediately realized what was happening.

Such a valuable new paper-making method certainly cannot be revealed casually.

Rhodes didn't stand on ceremony and said bluntly, "Luxen, I sold the new paper to you because I trust your Dawn Society."

You will be among the first to use the new paper, so don't let me down.

"Understood. Rest assured, Your Excellency Baron, I will certainly pass on this trust and kindness to the Wise Man."

With a serious expression, Luxem said earnestly, "I believe the wise man will also be very grateful for your trust."

Luxembourg is not stupid; he knows this new paper will be very popular, especially among nobles who need to write frequently.

Not all paper in daily life needs to be preserved for a long time. For example, for unimportant letters, it is more appropriate to use cheap new paper.

"Okay, let's go check out my goods."

After finishing his sentence, Rhodes went to the hotel with Lucien Lawrence. Lucien hadn't lied; the twenty chainmail shirts and skirt armor he had sent were all brand new, without a single scratch.

Rhodes will prioritize supplying these new equipment to guards and veterans, and their outdated equipment will be given to new recruits.

There was no other way; the guards were among the earliest and most loyal followers of Rhodes, so their treatment was naturally more generous.

In addition to these items, Luxen also prepared ten more chainmail shirts and skirt armors, which Rhodes gladly accepted, intending to pay with salt.

"Salt?"

Luxem smiled wryly, pulled back the tarpaulin on the carriage, revealing six wooden barrels underneath.

"I thought you didn't have any salt here, so I brought it for you."

It must be said that Luxembourg meant well.

Otherwise, the salt would all be sold when passing through other major cities.

After all, as the temperature gradually warms up this season, many foods need to be pickled and preserved, which greatly increases the demand for salt.

Rod realized what was happening too.

Not long ago, Luxem mentioned the western islands, which suggests that the Dawn Society should not lack salt there.

"In that case, I won't use salt to settle the bill with you."

“It’s alright, the salt is fine. I’ll lead the caravan further into the wasteland and see what happens.”

Lusen said with a smile, "But the price needs to be lowered a bit, after all, I also need to let the caravan make some profit."

"Well, the price can be lowered, but you'd better not go deep into the wasteland; things have been a bit chaotic lately."

Rhodes advised.

The caravan from afar was, after all, making its first trip to the wilderness for trade, and the foreign races might not necessarily be friendly to them.

The caravan from afar had fifteen guards, who didn't seem particularly strong.

Unless Lusen is exceptionally strong, he could very well become a prisoner if he encounters a caravan from a distant land.

"Then I won't go."

Luxen spoke decisively, which could be considered as heeding advice.

"Even if we don't go, we can sell all this salt on the way back."

For inland trade routes, salt was a relatively scarce commodity, so there was no worry about finding a market for it.

"Then I'll trade you salt."

The territory has abundant salt reserves and a stable output, with 1,500 to 2,000 catties of salt being transported back every week.

Rhodes gave Luxem three thousand catties of salt, plus two bear skins, in exchange for ten chainmail shirts and skirt armor.

To make room for Luxem's wagon, the two thousand catties of wheat on the wagon were also taken by Rhodes, who used one hundred rabbit skins, plus twenty deer skins and three wolf skins.

The rest were some smaller transactions, exchanging herbs, dried meat, and dried mushrooms for daily necessities like candles, pens, and ink, as well as honey.

Spring should have arrived in the area where the Dawn Society is located, and the bees should be active. Lusen brought ten large jars of honey, but Rod left them behind.

After all that was taken care of, Rod instructed Lawrence to treat Lusen well.

Rhodes himself returned to the manor to feed Frost and Thunder.

These two little guys eat a lot; they eat a pound of dried meat every day.

It usually takes three pounds of fresh meat to make one pound of dried meat, which means that each young dragon actually consumes one and a half pounds of meat.

After eating them, they fall into a deep sleep and rarely wake up except when eating.

However, its growth rate is astonishingly fast.

In less than a week, they have grown to be larger than medium-sized dogs.

Of course, it's not as plump as a medium-sized dog, appearing rather thin, but its frame is rapidly elongating.

After eating its fill, Frost and Thunder fell into a deep sleep again. When Rhodes came out of the house, the sky was already dark.

The once glorious sunset was now completely obscured by dark clouds.

[The poultry and livestock pen has been built, and five types of livestock and poultry (≥50 of each type) have been raised, unlocking the attribute: Stable Affinity]

"We didn't delay the progress; we finished the work before dark."

Rhodes received a notification that the entry was complete, which also meant that the townspeople had finished building the livestock pens.

……

……

(End of this chapter)