On the island of Nicosia, more than 120 nautical miles away from New Sol Island, a welcoming ceremony was being held. Just a week after Butler Bayer’s discussion with Lawrence ended, Lawrence’s father finally brought the last batch of
The organized citizens arrived on the island. With this, Lawrence could finally relax and start visiting the surrounding areas.
"Count August, thank you very much for the gift you gave me -" Dionis, Viscount of Nicosia, the lord of Nicosia Island and a member of the Elysian Empire, smiled and accepted the gift from Lawrence.
, and then said, "Please accept my return gift——"
As soon as he finished speaking, the three attendants beside the viscount came over with gifts on a carved silver tray covered with an embroidered white scarf. One of the trays had bread on it, another tray had salt on it, and the last tray had bread on it.
In the middle was a necklace made of flowers, which was exactly the same as the gift Lawrence had just given.
This is a ceremonial gift, expressing the highest respect and warmest welcome to the guests. In fact, offering bread and salt to guests in the western part of the Old World is a universal etiquette, regardless of high or low.
It's just that the poor often only use black bread and coarse salt at this time, while most people use white bread and refined salt bought in the store. The etiquette among nobles like Lawrence will choose from certain specific
Exquisite white bread made from locally produced wheat and top-grade mineral salt produced in certain salt lakes.
As for the flower necklace, it is a unique etiquette in the Sea of Stars. It was originally only spread among some aboriginal people, but later with the colonists coming here, it became a unique etiquette in this area, but not every noble
Everyone will use this etiquette. For example, the Viscount of Nicosia can clearly tell from his appearance that he is a descendant of an aborigine, so he chose this etiquette in the ceremony to welcome Lawrence.
So Lawrence naturally followed the etiquette and tore off a small piece from the large piece of bread, dipped it in salt and put it into his mouth to taste. Then he took the necklace made of flowers from the plate and hung it around his neck.
According to traditional rules, bread and salt represent a kind of friendship and the hope for peace. The flower necklace not only represents peace, but also represents a desire to communicate with others. Newcomers like Lawrence need
Visit your neighbors with gifts like this.
If it were on land, then Lawrence would need to visit all the neighbors that bordered his own territory. For an independent island like this, he would need to visit all the islands that the ship could reach after one day's departure from the port.
When visiting the island, both parties need to send these meaningful gifts. If everyone accepts such gifts from the other party, it means that both parties are willing to get along well with their new neighbors. Of course, this is only in theory. In practice
What the situation will be is naturally another matter.
However, reality is reality and etiquette is etiquette. After a round of visits, Lawrence's territory can trade with the surrounding territories. In addition, he can also take this opportunity to integrate into the surrounding circles of the same status.
.Only when various social events are held in the future, such as dances or hunting events, will people come to visit.
This is why Lawrence didn't like this kind of activity at first but still came to participate: after all, if his territory wants to develop, it is indispensable to interact with the surrounding neighbors and communicate with each other. So even though he has always felt that this kind of upper-class society
This set of rules for welcoming guests and sending them off was too hypocritical, but I still took the housekeeper’s advice and started this tour.
Nicosia is the first island that Lawrence visited in this circle. It is also the farthest island from New Sol Island. It is also the highest-ranking island owner among the nearby islands. According to the plan, Lawrence will be led by
Rotate in a spiral from far to near, visit all the surrounding islands and see what is useful to your own island.
For example, the territory belonging to the Viscount of Nicosia consists of two main islands no more than 100 meters apart and dozens of surrounding islands, covering an area of approximately more than 2,200 square kilometers. There are seventy or eighty plantations on the island, with some
A series of tropical economies such as coffee, cocoa, and pineapples.
In addition, there is a small coal mine on the island and a small factory for rough processing of these cash crops. If these agriculture and industry are combined, this territory can be regarded as one of the best developed territories in this area.
one.
Different from those territories on the mainland, this kind of territory that is isolated on the sea and has a large number of trouble-making barbarian races that may start a war at any time is often regarded as the edge of civilization, so the nobles here are called pioneering nobles, so
The area of fiefdoms owned was often several times or even more than ten times that of nobles of the same level in the interior.
As for Lawrence, it was an individual case. He obtained the kind of territory by chance that only a duke could obtain even in a wild territory. It cannot be copied. Under normal circumstances, the area of territory that a count can obtain in this area
The maximum area is 6,000 to 7,000 square kilometers.
Because it was the first time to meet, this meeting, as the first contact between the two parties, only discussed some very superficial things, most of which were polite greetings.
According to the information collected before coming, this lord's ancestor was the most powerful chief on this island. After meeting the last emperor of the ancient empire known as the Senate and the People, he chose to join him. Therefore, he chose to join him.
Became a viscount of the new Elysion Empire.
After becoming the nobility of the empire, most of these aboriginal people who were ennobled by imperial decree quickly integrated into the aristocratic system of the Elysian Empire. At least Lawrence could see it clearly from the viscount in front of him.
signs of mixed race.
In addition, according to the information Lawrence has learned during this period, this viscount is not just a lord. Many people in his family have been integrated into all aspects of the Erysion Empire. They can be regarded as important members of the empire.
Although it is a small but relatively influential force in the political arena.
So before, after checking his information, Lawrence thought that he should be a good dancer and usually quite approachable. But now after meeting each other, Lawrence felt that his previous judgment was more accurate and was not wrong at all. This guy looks a bit like a general.
The Viscount introduced the surrounding situation to Lawrence very kindly.
Especially when he knew that Lawrence had been building on his own island since he arrived here, the Viscount reminded Lawrence very seriously: "Lord August, I think you should join the Star Customs Union as soon as possible.
District, because only in this way can you buy and sell various products at a reasonable price.”
"The Star Customs Union Zone, what kind of organization is that?" Lawrence asked curiously. "Is it a customs union similar to those in the New World?"
"Yes." Viscount Nicosia nodded and said, "This is a trade agreement signed between a series of islands located in the eastern sea area of the Star Sea."
Through the viscount's narration, Lawrence also began to understand what this so-called customs union was: it was not just a customs union in the literal sense, but a cooperation composed of outlying islands in the sea of stars.
organize.
The islands in the sea beyond the stars are different from those close to the New World. Because there are many extraordinary creatures in the sea, the cost of long-sea shipping on the sea of this world is much higher than that of the world in Lawrence's previous life.
At the same time, the management costs of those islands are also much higher.
In this case, except for islands with important locations or key resources, these offshore islands are all semi-independent entities. They only belong to certain countries in name, but in fact they are autonomous.
However, in many cases, if something happens, it is difficult for support from the mother country to arrive. Therefore, if people on these islands want to survive, they need to join a group to stay warm. This is why the Star Customs Union Zone was established.