Chapter 85: The Merchant Guild Alliance

The water supply system constructed a large reservoir outside the city. Water drawn from the Red Sand River wasn’t safe to drink directly, even though the river water was clear back then and many people drank it straight.

Water taken directly from the river risked contamination if, say, a dead animal was upstream. That would threaten the entire city’s drinking water. Sterilization was one of Su Lun’s reasons for building the reservoir.

The reservoir was filled with materials like pebbles, fine sand, and charcoal to filter the river water. Of course, these only filtered out impurities. Su Lun also prepared fine nets made of pure silver. After the preliminary filtering steps, the water was sterilized by passing through the silver nets. After this multi-stage process, the water source was guaranteed safe.

Completing the water supply system would take a very long time. While the construction was ongoing, sugar-buying Caravans from Karlt City arrived.

…

After Ji En departed, back in Karlent City.

Fernand was the leader of the Flamingo Chamber of Commerce Caravan sent to Northguard Keep. He was also in charge of the eight visiting Chambers, as Flamingo was the largest. The Skylark Chamber of Commerce, which had traded with Northguard Keep before, was part of this group too, though they were only the fourth largest among the eight.

Besides Robert from the Skylark Chamber, another familiar face for Su Lun was among the group: Owen, the manager of the Wisteria Caravan. Yes, that was the fat guy Su Lun had tricked last time.

He had come to poach workers back then, unwilling to pay a fair price. Su Lun and some Barbarian Warriors ended up tricking him. Surprisingly, he dared to come back to trade. Naturally, Su Lun wouldn’t deliberately trick him this time. He needed Northguard Keep to prosper, so constant trickery wasn’t ideal. However, if anyone thought he was an easy target, he wouldn’t mind playing their game.

“Master Fernand, I think we should form an alliance to monopolize the White Sugar Trade here.”

“Agreed. If we monopolize the White Sugar Trade here, our annual profits could easily double.”

“I agree too.” The other Caravan managers quickly voiced their approval, already treating Northguard Keep’s white sugar as theirs for the taking.

“Since you all agree on monopolizing the White Sugar Trade, we now need to divide the shares.” Fernand nodded as he spoke.

Fernand then glanced at the other seven Chamber managers and stated without hesitation, “I want twenty percent of the White Sugar share. You seven can negotiate the remaining eighty percent among yourselves!”

The other seven Chambers didn’t object; this seemed normal practice for them. Then, they began haggling fiercely over the remaining eighty percent, the argument turning quite heated. Fernand sat back without interfering. Instead, he took out a small, delicate pair of scissors and started carefully trimming his fingernails.

Only after the Chamber managers finally settled their shares did Fernand speak again. “Now that shares are decided, we need to set the purchase price.”

“Robert, what was the price you paid per pound last time? In Gold Nars?”

“One hundred twenty Gold Nars per pound.”

“That price is far too high! We must demand a discount!” Owen immediately chimed in as soon as Robert finished.

“Yes, lower it. I think eighty-five Gold Nars per pound is acceptable,” another manager agreed.

“You’re oversimplifying it. He could easily set up an auction to get the highest price. Chris is tough,” Robert countered, dashing cold water on their plans.

“So what? We agree on a limit price and just refuse to bid above it.”

“Right. Let’s do that.”

The group quickly agreed.

“But what if he refuses to sell?” one suddenly asked.

“Simple,” someone else laughed. “If he dares to refuse our trade, we make him see real power. The strength of our eight Chambers combined will convince him.”

The others joined in the laughter. As the eight largest Chambers in Karlt City, controlling over sixty percent of its trade, they felt their threat carried weight.

After finalizing their plans, they held a small banquet before preparing their Caravans to head for Northguard Keep.

…

Su Lun knew nothing about the eight Chambers plotting to monopolize the White Sugar Trade. Even if he had known, he wouldn’t have cared. In his view, their alliance was completely unreliable. It would collapse at the slightest pressure.

Upon arriving at Northguard Keep, the eight Caravans – except Robert – were shocked. They had imagined this small Territory in the Northern Wasteland would be inferior to even the rustic villages of the Northern Lands.

Instead, they found a small town that was surprisingly clean and orderly. All the roads were paved with gravel and lined with drainage ditches. The air lacked the reek of fermenting dung. All the houses stood neatly aligned, creating a distinct visual appeal.

Everyone entering the town was informed of the local rules. Such detailed regulations – like pedestrians must keep to the right – baffled many Caravan guards and Mercenaries. Who did this small, insignificant town think it was?

Their indignation faded quickly. After two Barbarian Greataxe Warriors ‘disciplined’ several unruly Mercenaries, every Caravan agreed to comply. What else could anyone do? No one expected just two Barbarian Warriors to defeat nearly half a dozen guards and Mercenaries.

Once Northguard Keep’s combat capability was clear, even the Caravan managers became more subdued. Following this demonstration of power, the Caravans were directed to the Trading Market.

Su Lun wasn’t overly interested in their arrival. He was busy building the water channel. The channel bringing water from the river sloped continuously downwards; the river end was about half a meter lower than the end at the Reservoir.

The land also sloped higher closer to town, so less digging was needed for the channel near Northguard Keep, speeding up that section’s construction.

After casting Turn Mud to Stone on the channel section, Su Lun mounted his Black-maned Horse and headed for the Tavern. He visited daily hoping to find a Hero, drawn by the Tavern’s System-described chance to attract potential Heroes. He was there to test his luck.

Inside the Tavern, Su Lun found it unusually packed. It could hold eighty to ninety people, and today it was full. Thankfully, the two-story building offered seating upstairs. He found a spot on the second floor.

Su Lun ordered a glass of Rum and found a corner seat. He began observing the patrons. However, he was disappointed. Despite the large crowd, the Tavern was filled with only guards and Mercenaries. No one particularly special seemed to be there.

The Mercenaries clearly loved the Rum. Though it cost twice as much as Ale, it was selling well. Selling Rum could indeed turn a tidy profit.