Pirate Kingship

Chapter 125: The Dragon First Shows Its Might, Money Never Sleeps_2



"That should do it.

Although we don't have Abundance Attendants stationed here, the Land of Plenty is always within the domain of Crystal Skull's Authority, capable of locking onto intruders through the vegetation's roots.

With the protection of the Silver Code brought by the lighthouse, this double insurance is enough to keep this place's secrets from being discovered by others.

The local residents' development of this island is very limited.

In the future, when the Spices and teak have matured, it will be completely reasonable to say we suddenly discovered them."

Having finally finished the most time-consuming task, Byron also let out a long sigh of relief.

Looking at Catherine, who refused to get up from the ground and kept stealthily glancing at him, he could only say helplessly, "Sister, shall I carry you down the mountain? How about I personally give you an aromatherapy massage when we get back?"

"Yes, yes! A liar is a puppy!"

The girl immediately jumped up happily.

She tossed her boots to Byron and, barefoot, leaped onto his back. She clung to him tightly like a koala, even wiping her feet dry on his trousers.

At this moment, it was unclear who was the sister and who was the brother.

"We... take off!"

Once Byron activated "Son of the Storm," Catherine, who was very light on his back, was also considered part of his 'equipment,' her gravity forcibly reduced to zero.

Immediately, he leaped. Like a gust of wind, he stepped on leaves on the forest floor and bushes in the understory, ascending layer by layer.

He moved past the tender branches of the sapling layer and the twigs of the canopy layer, until they reached the tall emergent layer and saw daylight again.

In front of them appeared a vast sea of green trees waving in the wind.

Byron only needed a single leaf beneath his feet to launch himself effortlessly. Each leap covered dozens of meters as he dived down the mountain with Catherine on his back, like a raptor.

"AH—!"

The sudden weightlessness made Catherine's heart race; she closed her eyes and screamed out loud.

She couldn't help but hold Byron's neck tighter, wrapping her legs around his waist, afraid of falling from the sky.

It was even more thrilling than an Adventurer's "Celestial Descendant" or "Gust Surge."

"Sister, open your eyes and look at our new home; the view from here is uniquely splendid."

At this moment, the golden-red sun was setting in the west. The distant sea shimmered with countless specks of light, and the only town outside the forest, its chimneys puffing smoke, brimmed with life.

Most people were still busy in the fields, wineries, smithies, carpenter workshops, docks, and so on.

Among them, many familiar figures could be seen.

Old Hans was getting on in years; even a non-combat role was unsuitable if it meant he had to continue braving the elements on pirate ships.

Byron had appointed him as the dock's first Chief Engineer and Director.

Catherine had assigned several Maids, who had accompanied her for many years, and the estate manager to key positions in town.

Using their extensive experience from serving in Great Noble families, they drove technological innovations across all aspects of the town.

This was precisely the advantage of a Lord-ruled proprietary colony.

There's no need to consider others' thoughts; as long as the Lord deems it most beneficial, policies can be implemented directly.

The prerequisite was that the Lord must possess ample talent—which they both had in spades.

Less than a week had passed since the two took over Georgetown, yet the town was transforming daily. Everyone, from top to bottom, was filled with energy and hope for the future.

As for where the money came from to kick-start this comprehensive infrastructure development?

It was, of course, the fifty thousand pounds in gold and silver recently distributed to the crew!

"My idea was good, wasn't it?

Without Pioneer Bank and Pioneer Navigation Colonization Company, how could that distributed money have so easily flowed back to fund the territory's development and create a positive cycle?

This is what is called 'money never sleeps!'"

Speaking of her area of expertise and grand achievements, Catherine, of the Gold Sequence, still on Byron's back, proudly lifted her delicate chin.

"Sister, you're incredible! If you weren't managing the territory, I wouldn't know what to do."

"Of course."

Of the previous 50,000-pound prize, pirate officers and assault teams, along with carpenters, doctors, and cooks, took 25%. The common sailors received 40%. In total, 65%, or 32,500 pounds, was distributed.

This averaged over three hundred pounds per person, equivalent to thirty years' wages for a farmer on the Old Continent.

The question was, with so much money given out at once, could they manage it properly? What if it was accidentally lost or stolen?

Individual sailors couldn't very well travel to the royal colonies of various nations alone just to deposit their retirement savings, could they?

Gold and silver sitting idle in the sailors' hands were no different from stones; only when circulated could it demonstrate its true value as money.

Thus, a couple of days prior, Catherine, in the name of the Grenville family, registered "Pioneer Bank" and "Pioneer Guiding Colonial Trading Company" with the Governor's Mansion.

Byron then assisted Catherine, who specialized in finance and economics, in launching a series of clever operations using his territory and these two companies.

Firstly, banks in that era primarily offered custodial services.

Indeed, some banks' primary revenue came from the "custody fees" paid by depositors.

Leveraging the territory's and the Captain's credibility, they attracted sailors to deposit money in Pioneer Bank by offering zero custody fees (yes, absolutely no interest).

With Byron and all the pirate officers leading by example, the pirates were very enthusiastic.

Pioneer Bank then used this money to provide low-interest loans to Pioneer Navigation Colonization Company.

The colonization company, in turn, used these funds to acquire taverns, purchase building materials, recruit laborers, and kickstart Georgetown's booming infrastructure development and consumer goods supply.

Through various channels such as tavern operations, blacksmith services for sword maintenance and custom orders, tailor shops, the open trade of "Blood Brew," and even nascent real estate sales, the pirates' idle cash flowed back into the system.

Ultimately, most of that thirty-odd thousand pounds in gold and silver circulated through the sailors' hands and largely returned to Byron and Catherine.

The two companies then used these funds for external procurement or reinvested them into the territory's development.

Gradually, a positive financial cycle was established.

Of course, intricacies such as the territory leasing land-use rights to the colonization company, various consumer taxes within the territory, and other matters beyond the pirates' sight or comprehension, need not be detailed.

In any case, as money flowed through this chain, someone was growing richer—though we won't specify who.

Consequently, Catherine gradually earned a second nickname in addition to "Flower of the North": the [Mithril Dragon]!

In the end, the sailors received a fair distribution of the spoils and enjoyed amenities comparable to those in major cities. The townspeople obtained jobs that provided a stable livelihood. Byron and Catherine secured actual gold and silver for the territory's development. And... they also gained a large contingent of sailors, now short on cash and thus refilled with motivation.

Everyone was a winner!

But all this was still far from enough for Byron.


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