With Harold's call, Lys Evans had to step out from her hiding place, standing timidly in front of Gwenis. At nineteen, Lys was of similar age to Gwenis, but standing together, they seemed to belong to different worlds. Despite her efforts to become a proper noble lady under her father's guidance, she couldn't shake off the low self-confidence that came with her humble background. In Gwenis' presence, she couldn't even bring herself to meet his gaze.
Initially, Gwenis thought Baron Harold merely wanted his daughter to greet him, but it turned out to be more than that.
"This is my daughter, Lys, nineteen years old. Although she might be a bit old, I assure you, she's still quite youthful," Harold said, praising his daughter. It seemed like he was trying to sell her to Gwenis.
In his mind, Harold had suffered rejection from local nobles for years, always feeling like an outsider in their circle. Facing difficulties, no one was willing to help him. Determined to change this, he decided to focus on improving his social connections. When Gwenis came to sell grain, he believed the time was right.
"If you approve of this match, our families can form an alliance, and I still have some savings that can be offered as a dowry," Harold continued, still attempting to praise his daughter.
However, Gwenis promptly interrupted Harold. "Thank you for your kindness, but I already have someone in my heart, and I'm afraid Miss Lys won't have such fate."
Gwenis spoke coldly, thinking, Are you kidding me? I take you as a customer, and now you want me as your father-in-law? While Lys might appear charming from a conventional standpoint, Gwenis hadn't spared her more than a passing glance. He saw no value in her. In a world influenced by religious beliefs and generally practicing monogamy, Gwenis' legal wife should possess more qualities. Moreover, his claim of having someone in his heart wasn't just courtesy; the final result depended on Lys herself—the only uncertainty in Gwenis' mind.
Even though Harold felt disappointed, he continued to discuss the specific details of their cooperation with Gwenis. Gwenis agreed to exchange 3300 bushels, approximately 70 tons, of black rye for 200 households, which would account for 1000 people. If there were any uneven numbers, they could supplement with a few more single individuals to complete the count.
Later, Harold saw Gwenis off in silence. On the way, neither of them spoke. Harold was mourning for his subjects; exchanging them would undoubtedly heavily damage his territory. With only 600 people left, it would be challenging to maintain agricultural production, and recovering in the future would be extremely difficult.
However, looking on the bright side, the territory was still vast. With fewer people, Harold could use the land as leverage to attract landless migrants or lease more land to existing subjects. The increased production per household would eventually lead to a slow but steady population increase. It would take longer, but it wasn't a dead end.
On Gwenis' side, he pondered a different issue.
This time, even though Gwenis gained 1000 people, the grain in his warehouse was running low. In the previous year, during the autumn harvest, he obtained 199 tons of grain and collected around 30 tons of seeds from his subjects, filling the granary to the brim with 230 tons of black rye. However, after an entire winter and the spring siege, nearly 3000 people lived in his castle for three months. Despite controlling the consumption of food, about 60 tons were depleted during this time, leaving him with only 170 tons.
Now, with another 70 tons exchanged, he was left with 100 tons. Although this amount of grain would suffice, the acquired population was too small—only 1000 people. Moreover, considering families as units, a significant portion of the population, such as children and elderly, wouldn't contribute to productivity.
In the best-case scenario, only around 600 people would truly bring value to the territory. As for the remaining 300 children, their future potential was uncertain and irrelevant in the current situation.
Gwenis couldn't demand 1000 fully grown men in the business deal. It wasn't practical. After exchanging pleasantries at the castle gate, the two parted ways. Gwenis took a final glance back at Baron Evans' somewhat dilapidated castle, lost in thought.
While he had considered forcefully taking people, the uncertainties and risks were too high. He had no information on the amount of grain in other noble castles or the number of guards they had. Directly raiding them would lead to casualties on both sides, and Gwenis was unwilling to lose even a few dozen men.
Moreover, if he successfully took people, the victims could turn the tables. A letter sent out, and relatives from all around could come to their aid. Facing an entire region mobilized against him, Gwenis couldn't afford such a conflict.
Besides, dismissing the argument that relatives wouldn't help without gain, spreading the news of a vast amount of grain in the Targas territory would attract not only relatives but also unrelated individuals seeking a share of the harvest. If Gwenis tried to defend his fields, they would retaliate, making it impossible to guard the castle. Forced into a battle in the open field against a numerically superior enemy was not an option.
Furthermore, the Count wasn't dead yet. If he recovered and restored the situation, Gwenis would be held accountable for kidnapping people. After weighing the pros and cons, Gwenis concluded that increasing the population had to be done diplomatically, avoiding armed conflict that would tarnish his reputation.
However, the diplomatic approach came with a hefty price. At the moment, when grain was scarce, waiting another month until the harvest might bring relief. Although most territories suffered severe damage to their wheat fields, Gwenis estimated a yield of 10-20%, enough to feed the people for several months. Missing this opportunity meant waiting for months, delaying the development of the territory.
Considering these factors, Gwenis made up his mind. Time was of the essence, and nothing came without risks. It was time to take a gamble.