No matter how nice it sounds, a merchant is a merchant after all, and no one is so idiotic as to think that this Monsieur Baron from the Silver Ingot Castle is a great philanthropist. In this era, even kings may not have pity for their people, let alone irrelevant strangers.

Although she was ready to be slaughtered, Tiana's face couldn't help but change slightly when she saw the list of goods and the price breakdown handed over by Akford.

The price of grain has risen by at least twenty times compared to the market price, which is somewhat exaggerated but also expected by the girl. Although it is said that the autumn harvest season has passed, the southern plains of the Oakland Kingdom have been invaded by the undead, and this year I am afraid that there will be no harvest. Judging from this price, Silver Ingot Fort does have its own information channels, but their judgment of this information is probably still conservative.

Only a girl who has personally experienced the horrors of the army of the undead knows best in her heart that the total fall of the kingdom of Oakland is only a matter of time. When the army of the undead approaches the Thunder Fortress, I am afraid that at that time, this grain will immediately become a priceless military product. So now, no matter what price the other party offers, she must eat this batch of grain.

Although the exiles' current food stocks are not tight, the deal is definitely a sure deal. It won't be long before these grains become hard currency comparable to gold.

What really made Tiana dissatisfied was the other kinds of daily necessities, and the list prepared by Baron Saladin was indeed very complete, with needles and threads, clothes, shoes and socks. While it is true that these bits and pieces are the daily necessities that the camp is currently in short supply, the doubling of the price is a bit unbearable.

If food and weapons are sold at a high price, it is understandable, and even these bits and pieces are sold at such a high price, should it be said that this Baron Saladin has no business acumen at all, or does he have ulterior motives?

"Mr. Baron, if that's what you've offered, then I can only say sorry to you. We managed to escape to this point, and the camp had not yet been set up, and everything was in ruins, and I am afraid we could not afford this level of expenditure. Tiana put the list on the table with a calm face. Pick up the teacup and start savoring the tea slowly.

In fact, with the wealth she took with her when she left Isttalon, this million-dollar business was nothing. It's just that no amount of money will be spent one day, and as the head of this team, she must not squander it. As the saying goes, the price is all over the place, don't look at the price on the list is so high, no one knows how much water will be in it. How far we can talk about it depends on the psychological bottom line and eloquence level of both sides.

Tiana wasn't an expert at it, but one of her professionals had just woken up. This made her invisibly add a lot of confidence.

"Of course, of course. This price is a bit on the high side. But I think you should also understand that this is mainly a matter of labor costs. Akford nodded, his face not blushing and his heart beating without beating a that no one believed.

"This is the Thunder Fortress, not those prosperous cities in the inland region, as one of the vassals of the Thunder Fortress, all business transactions must first obey the strategic arrangement of the upper echelons, and with the levy price in the army, it is not easy to maintain a balance of payments. Speaking of this, Akford couldn't help but sigh: "We can't help but raise the price to such a high level." There are no surplus supplies for outsiders here in the Thunder Fortress itself, and the goods we brought were all brought out through special channels......"

"Needless to say, Mr. Baron. Whatever the reason, we will never be able to accept this price. If you're really interested in making this business, why don't you come up with a reasonable list of prices and we'll talk about it?" Tiana raised her hand to stop Akford's complaints. She had seen the shameless faces of merchants, even if it was for a point of profit to float, it was enough for them to make up countless reasons without changing their faces, even if they cursed their whole family.

"Miss Lanstadt, since you have already arrived with a caravan, of course you sincerely want to make this deal with you. As for the price. After all, this is your first contact with Silver Ingot Castle, and you are involved in such a large business, of course, you can get preferential treatment. Akford's face changed, and he immediately reverted to the image of a shrewd businessman, bowed his head and said earnestly: "You can get a five percent discount, which is the maximum discount that can be obtained for you within my authority." ”

"With all due respect, Mr. Baron. I've heard an old saying among businessmen that what can be sold is a commodity, and what can't be sold is waste. If you stick to this unrealistic price, you'll probably end up empty-handed this time. Tiana paused, blinked, put down the teacup and said seriously: "We came from the north, and we know that there will be a food shortage this year, and it is understandable that you are raising such a price." However, we can only buy the other necessities at the market price, otherwise you will have to pull them back to the Silver Ingot Fort as they are. ”

"Although I can't emotionally accept your hysterical price reduction, intellectually I am relieved to see your candor and this is a good start. The expression on Akford's face gradually relaxed, he took a simple sip of the teacup, shook his head, and said: "It seems that the living conditions on your side are indeed not optimistic, and your noble character is admirable, but with your status, there is no need to be so embarrassed at all." I also have some fresh tea leaves on my carriage that can be given to you as a personal gift. If you don't mind, we can make a new pot of tea and then discuss these issues in detail. ”

Outside the tent, El and Lolana had already walked away and came to the vicinity of the caravan. The girl was silent for a moment, and her out-of-focus eyes gradually regained their brightness. A palm-sized red scorpion slipped out of her sleeve and crawled back onto El.

"What did you tell Tiana?" El asked curiously. At this time, the two had already walked out of a distance of 100 meters, and there were noisy people around, so there was no need to worry about someone eavesdropping.

"I told her that what can be sold is the commodity, and what cannot be sold is waste. Don't worry about the Baron Saladin turning his face, he has brought the goods, of course it is impossible to pull them back. First quote a minimum price and he slowly consumed, we have time, but he may not. The girl turned her head, her trademark commercial smile on her face, and whispered.

"I always felt that the taste of these people was a little wrong, at first I thought that the people from the Truth Society were coming at us, but it turned out that we thought too much about it for a long time. But if it weren't for the trouble we caused, what was that guy here for?" El whispered to Lorana as he casually glanced at the goods on the carriage.

"If it's the Silver Ingot Castle, it's not impossible that it can be related to the Truth Society. The Baron's surname was Saladin, which was no ordinary surname. Lolana took El by the hand and chuckled.

"In Oakland's history, the Saladin family dates back to the founding of the country, and in the older historical records, it was one of the most powerful families in the Falcon Empire. It is said that during the founding of the kingdom, an heir of the Saladin family joined the Oakland side as a merchant and provided a large amount of financial support to the emperor...... However, this is all information from the wild history, and the Saladin family of the Falcon Empire has never acknowledged the existence of this blood relative. Relying only on the historical materials preserved so far, it is difficult for us to deduce the truth about the political struggles of those upper echelons in those years. ”

"The truth of a thousand years ago doesn't matter to us. El gently rubbed the girl's slender fingers, squinted her eyes and thought for a moment and said, "Back then, the founding of the Oakland kingdom had the truth that would be manipulated behind the scenes, and the ancestors of the Saladin family also happened to defect to the ancestor at that time, so they could have been members of the Truth Society from the beginning?"

"With the tremendous energy of the Society of Truth back then, a mere merchant may not be taken seriously by them, and perhaps the Saladin family back then was just a dark chess piece at best. However, they eventually gained the trust of their ancestors with great merit and established the Silver Ingot Fort in the Thunder Fortress, which has become an indispensable part of this behemoth today. ”

Lolana's gaze swept over the goods stacked on the carriage, her brow furrowed slightly.

"Something isn't quite right with their goods. ”

"Well, I brought a lot of private goods...... "El said with a flicker of blue light in his eyes and a nod. At this time, he and Lolana had already walked past the caravan in front, and it was obvious that the escort strength of the caravan had increased in the second half of the caravan.

"There are a lot of military supplies hidden in the car in the back, buttered weapons that have not been opened, and the style is not the same as what Lord Churkin gave us. There are also bows and arrows and crossbows...... This thing is definitely contraband, isn't it?" With the help of the insight rune, El had already seen all the private goods hidden in the carriage, but when he saw those powerful crossbows, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows, it seems that this is the business that Mr. Saladin really wants to do, compared to the value of these weapons, those daily necessities on the surface are really not worth mentioning.

"Smuggling arms, hehe, this should be the style of Silver Ingot Castle. I said they couldn't have worked so hard for such a trivial business. Luo Lana sneered: "So that means that the purpose of his acting now is actually to test our depths." If we were a bunch of poor beggars who couldn't squeeze oil and water, he would have turned away without a doubt. ”

"Wait a minute...... I seem to have found something. Noticing that the guards next to some of the carriages seemed to be particularly skilled, Elle looked over with curiosity, only to see something that made his face change slightly. (To be continued.) If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation and monthly passes, and your support is my biggest motivation. )