Several sturdy ships cut through the azure sea, anchoring on the outskirts of Coral Island.
On the decks, sailors were busily furling sails and dropping anchors. The hulls were encrusted with barnacles near the waterline, and signs of wear were visible on the solid gunwales. This fleet had clearly sailed from distant southern waters.
On board, human soldiers clad in armor could be seen, holding weapons like repeating crossbows, vigilantly scanning the island. On the observation deck of the lead ship, a young man dressed in deep blue silk finery leaned against the railing. The luxurious fabric of his attire stood in stark contrast to the coarse linen worn by the sailors around him.
The young noble had a youthful face, yet possessed a composure that belied his years. He held a brass-crafted monocular telescope, intently gazing toward Coral Island.
Through the telescope's lens, he saw the wetland vegetation along the island's edge trampled and disordered. In the murky shallows, he could vaguely make out some warty backs moving beneath the water's surface, exuding a primitive wildness and wariness.
Further inland, the island's terrain was complex, with several towering rock formations and dark, shadowy cave entrances faintly visible.
The young man slowly adjusted the focus, trying to see more clearly.
"It seems these frogmen have truly been unified. The price of pearls might rise soon..."
He murmured to himself, feeling a headache coming on. "Benedict... who is this? In the long summers of past years, I've never heard of such a frogman leader. Sigh..."
The young man's name was Nolan, his surname Royce.
He was the second son of Count Ryan Royce of Lonely Tower County, a direct vassal of the Grand Duke of Shao Yi within the Grand Duchy of Shao Yi.
The Grand Duchy of Shao Yi was one of the principalities under the jurisdiction of the Human Kingdom of Drentland.
The Kingdom of Drentland practiced partible inheritance, meaning that upon a noble's death, the eldest son would inherit the majority of the noble's titles, while the other children would divide the remaining titles equally.
On the surface, it seemed any child of a noble would have the opportunity to become a noble themselves.
But this did not include Nolan.
Because, Lonely Tower County had no more titles to grant.
While in terms of noble ranks, there were still the titles of Viscount and Baron.
The problem was, Viscount was not a proper hereditary title. It was originally just the name of an official position, a deputy to the Count, which later became an independent, albeit heritable, title. Its status was extremely awkward and not recognized by the established nobility.
And as for Baron...
Lonely Tower County had no additional baronies left to grant. He could only receive some manors or similar lands, becoming a 'lame baron.'
In such an environment, although Nolan was the son of a Count and thus a noble of some standing, his future prospects were bleak. At best, he would gain his father's favor and inherit some scattered lands, amusing himself by being called 'Lord' on his own property. He would never truly enter high society, and might even be worse off than some knighted men-at-arms.
After all, knights also possessed land, even had their own armed forces, could retain followers, serve alongside nobles, and could be respectfully addressed as 'Sir'...
In this situation, Nolan could only strike out on his own, hoping to use wealth and merit to forge a path forward, accumulate some money, marry an old, widowed noblewoman, and through this method, acquire her lands.
It would be considered marrying into her family.
But his descendants could then inherit a portion of the old widow's territory, becoming true Barons. That would be enough for him.
Thinking this far, Nolan felt a wave of weariness.
The kingdom had seen no major wars for many years. Trying to earn a title through military merit was far too difficult.
Just as Nolan lowered the telescope, a trace of worry still etched between his brows, a slightly hoarse voice came from behind him: "Young Master Nolan, that frogman leader Benedict has agreed, permitting us to come ashore to trade."
Nolan turned and saw the old mage Edwin, who had accompanied the voyage, gathering the loose sleeves of his robe and giving a slight nod.
"Excellent."
Nolan took a deep breath, suppressing the doubts in his heart.
He quickly adjusted his deep blue silk finery, ensuring his noble bearing was impeccable.
"Bring the cargo manifest and a small squad of elites, follow me ashore. Mage Edwin, you come as well."
With that, Nolan descended the gangway, stepping onto the damp, muddy tidal flats of Coral Island.
Over a dozen mercenaries, clad in fine leather armor, armed with sharp blades at their waists and repeating crossbows in hand, immediately fanned out in a protective arc, vigilantly guarding Nolan and the mage.
The mercenaries moved with practiced efficiency, their eyes sharp. They were clearly seasoned veterans.
Nolan felt slightly reassured. With these elite guards, and the shipboard mana cannons capable of demolishing small fortresses as his backing, even if these damp frogmen suddenly turned hostile, he was confident he could retreat unscathed, or even make them pay a heavy price.
Soon, within a crude 'palace' on Coral Island, Nolan met this Frog King who had unified the Star Mist Archipelago.
Calling it a 'palace' was generous; it was essentially a hastily constructed shelter made from damp boulders, rotten driftwood, and tangled seaweed, permeated by a strong odor of fish and mud.
Suppressing his disdain, Nolan maintained a nobleman's smile. Their group was led by two Bullywug warriors armed with fishing spears to the center, where they saw Frog King Benedict perched upon a moss-covered stone seat.
Nolan gracefully bowed, performing a nobleman's salute. "Respected Frog King Benedict, on behalf of the Royce family, I bring quality goods: refined weapons, sharp tools, sturdy cloth, and fine southern wines. May our trade be mutually beneficial."
Nolan's voice was courteous, but his eyes held a barely perceptible flicker of contempt, as if looking at a group of uncivilized beasts.
Weapons?
Some were recycled scrap from battlefields, re-forged. The tools and cloth were also inferior goods. Perhaps only the southern 'fine wines' were genuine: some bitter barley ale.
Benedict let out a gurgling sound from his throat, responding in broken, halting Common Tongue, each word seeming squeezed from mud. "Iron goods... want. But not enough."
"I also want seeds. Grain seeds, tree seeds. If no grain seeds, must give tree seeds. Want big trees, tree seeds that can survive winter in Sea of Frost."
Nolan was taken aback, confused. Bullywugs traditionally lived by fishing and hunting. Since when did they need farming?
This request was truly odd.
But soon, Nolan heard an even more startling demand: "And... poisonous things. Poisonous herbs, venoms, all want. Besides that, I need some books. Any books, all can."
Seeing Nolan's puzzled expression, Benedict added, "If no poison, pay with gold coins. Many gold coins."
Shock churned within Nolan, but outwardly he maintained his courteous demeanor, his mind racing. 'Seeds might be for clearing land. Bullywugs live by fishing and hunting, but this sea region still has fishmen. Perhaps they are considering a change. But why poisons? Bullywugs have never dabbled in alchemy...'
'Bullywugs... actually want books?'
This point made Nolan even more astonished. He simply smiled slightly and then said, "Frog King, your demands are unexpected. I have these things, but you... what will you use for payment?"
"Pearls! Many, many pearls! And guarantee your fleet safe passage through the Star Mist Archipelago!"