Chapter 513 — Among the People

Corde blinked, a flicker of understanding crossing his face. Then he rose and bowed his head deeply. "I understand—Corde Baldwin, in the name of my family, swears to serve with all loyalty and never to betray his oath to you."

"See that you do," Gaoyang nodded with a smile, and produced a stack of documents. "Then let us sign the agreement—Patrick will contact you afterward and make every preparation for your coming business. As for how to conduct trade in the Eastern Marches... I doubt you will need anyone's help with that."

Corde took the stack of documents solemnly and read it through from top to bottom twice with the utmost care—the agreement the duke had drafted was even stricter and more formal than he had imagined, more professional than many contracts concluded between merchants; he could find nothing in it to question.

So he signed his name upon it—and as the last stroke fell, he let out a long breath.

The young man named Pal simply stood quietly to one side, keeping his father's teachings firmly in mind: on occasions such as this, speak not a single extra word, and let not a single word escape his ears.

Once the contract was concluded, Corde's heart was finally set completely at ease; then he looked cautiously at Gao Yang, a trace of hesitation showing on his face.

Gao Yang had by now been preparing to return to his previous work, but noticing the great merchant's expression, he asked nonetheless, "Is there something else, Master Corde?"

"Your Grace—I have a rather presumptuous question... perhaps several questions. I hope you will not take offense," Corde said, weighing his words even more carefully than before; only after obtaining Gao Yang's permission did he continue. "On our way here we saw the new-style vehicles displayed in the plaza... those incredible magical carriages made a deep impression. I should like to ask... are they for sale to commoners? And if one wished to buy one, what conditions would be required?"

Looking at the great merchant's face full of expectation, Gao Yang could not help laughing. "Of course they are for sale. Like the mining machines, the magic-car can be bought and sold. In the early days it will be very expensive, just like the first mining machinery—but for a wealthy merchant like you who needs it, it is a price you can bear. Also, since this is an entirely new thing, the factory production lines are still being adjusted, and some follow-up management regulations have not yet been made public, so you will probably have to wait some time before you can buy one. As for the conditions... first, you must undergo training and master the method of controlling it; second, you must obey the traffic regulations that accompany it. Because it is a means of transport faster and more powerful than ox-carts and horse-carriages, we must guarantee its safety in use."

"Oh, that I understand completely," Corde said, nodding again and again. "I have seen the mining machinery, so I can imagine how much power a vehicle driven by the same magical-energy engine would have. Something like that running on the roads—one cannot be careless."

Gao Yang was delighted to see that so soon after the birth of a new thing, someone had already recognized its use and taken the initiative to approach and employ it. He could tell Corde still had more to say, so he encouraged him: "If there is anything else on your mind, speak freely—I am not a harsh man, and you need not be nervous."

"Thank you for your understanding. I have another question," Corde said, marshaling his words as he went. "Concerning the Magic Web broadcast... the Carol region has not yet had broadcast devices installed, but they already exist in Stonehold City to the north and in the Kande region further south..."

Listening to Corde, Gao Yang sighed faintly in his heart.

The merchant was speaking the truth. Compared with newspapers, the current coverage of Magic Web broadcast devices was indeed quite limited. This was because the production capacity of Magic Web terminals was constraining their deployment; the limited number of terminals meant Gao Yang could only install them first in essential places. Stonehold City was a frontier fortress, and Kande City was a new industrial city—both naturally included. As for the Carol region... its development would simply have to be postponed.

"Magic Web terminals are limited, which is why the Carol region has not yet been covered in time. But you may rest assured: Cecil will not abandon any piece of land or the people upon it. Our next step will be to begin installing terminals in second-tier towns, Carol among them."

Hearing Gao Yang's explanation, Corde first expressed his gratitude, then said, "Then if the Carol Merchants' Association were willing to provide funds... if we paid to purchase the machines, to erect relay towers, and to maintain them, could we be given priority installation? I have only one small request..."

Gao Yang was slightly taken aback, then regarded him with a searching look. "What request?"

Corde cleared his throat and began to describe his idea. "This is how it is: on the way here I inquired into many things related to the Magic Web broadcast, and I conceived of a kind of... thing, somewhat similar to the 'programs' on the Magic Web, but different in content. I want to use it to introduce the local specialties of the Carol region, and to present the business ventures of our Merchants' Association..."

Gao Yang's expression did not change, yet inwardly he was astonished. As he listened to Corde, his gaze involuntarily fell upon the draft plan that was still unfinished.

Corde, meanwhile, had hit his stride; his nervousness had finally faded, and his words grew smoother. "People say Carol has no specialties, but we actually have a fine cheese there—paired with the local ochre-yellow wine, it is a flavor beyond compare—yet scarcely any outsiders know of it, and it is hard to sell. When my friends heard I was coming to Xuanyao City, several of them cornered me for a long discussion; they wanted to rent a small space in the 'newspaper' to introduce this specialty, but no one knew exactly how to go about it. We studied every law the government hall has promulgated and found no provision forbidding it, so I decided to come here and try my luck. But after seeing the Magic Web broadcast, I think it is even better than the newspaper..."

Gao Yang could not help interrupting him. "You want to place advertisements in the newspaper too?!"

"Advertisements?" Corde was taken aback. It was a word he had never heard, but Gao Yang had coined it by root-compounding, combining the roots for "widely disseminate" and "make known," so after a moment's reflection he grasped its meaning. "Ah—so you had already conceived of this thing?"

"...No, you are the ones who created it," Gao Yang said, pinching the bridge of his nose and waving a hand. "Go on, Master Corde, go on. All your ideas, all of your ideas—say them all."

"Yes. I think the Magic Web broadcast is the better thing. You see, it leaves a deeper impression, its moving pictures can display goods directly, and it spreads far faster than a newspaper—but if we could also place 'advertisements' in the newspapers, so much the better, because newspapers have a wider distribution..."

Encouraged by Gao Yang, Corde seemed to grow doubly bold. He spoke with a face full of excitement, so much so that Pal beside him was left dumbstruck: it had been far too many years since the young man had seen his father so stirred.

"In fact we even considered whether to spend our own money on a printing press and print our own promotional materials, but the government hall told us that would be illegal...