With the increasing number of commodities being exported and raw materials needed to make them, shipping small amounts by land becomes more expensive, slow, laborious, and less practical. Thus, Linus proposed opening the sea route when springtime comes, which their business partners Sean, Blake, and others eagerly anticipated.
For decades, the port of Nexus suffered seeing only little traffic coming from the south, thanks to the Blacksand Pirates. It was only merchants from neighboring countries, south, had the capacity to send their ships to port, given they have protection of their countries. Even pirates had brains and didn't want to involve themselves with the vessels bearing the flag of countries more powerful than theirs, or so they were told by their higher ups.
