Chapter 32. The Predator Merchant Company (2)
An arrogant bearing and dazzling clothes adorned with all manner of jewels.
The man’s entire appearance practically screamed, “I am a man of refinement!”
“Ahem! I am Viscount Dunar of the Denar Kingdom.”
He was a noble.
As a Free City, Freche had no absolute authority such as a monarch or feudal lord.
However, the other kingdoms were different.
The Kingdom of Vatenberg, to which the White Wolf family belonged, and every other kingdom on the continent were governed by nobles.
In other words, if I could influence the nobles, I could influence entire kingdoms.
I discreetly signaled one of the merchant company members with my eyes.
Understanding my signal, the company member retrieved a specially preserved cut of meat from the carriage.
He then carefully presented it to Viscount Dunar.
“What is this?”
“It comes from a monster known as a Rex….”
The company member began explaining the Rex in detail.
The Rex was the monster from which I had obtained Promote Metabolism [D].
It was a monster that balanced its metabolic rate by allowing its muscles to deteriorate to the extreme.
Consequently, it possessed much thicker layers of fat than other monsters, and the quality of its meat was simply extraordinary.
Having personally tasted and evaluated it, I could confidently say that it was by far the most delicious monster meat.
That was why I had not sold Rex meat to the people of Freche.
“It is the finest meat among even our premium products.”
I intended to sell it to nobles from other kingdoms at a premium price.
My goal was to spread word of it throughout the nobles’ “high society”.
High society was where the kingdoms’ refined cultures were born and exchanged.
Since I was also a noble, I was qualified to enter the high society of the Kingdom of Vatenberg.
However, entering the social circles of other kingdoms would be difficult.
“We do not normally sell this, but....”
The company member glanced at me before continuing.
“Lord Adrian personally instructed us to offer it ‘especially’ to you, Viscount.”
“Especially...?”
“Yes. Especially for you.”
The corners of the viscount’s mouth twitched upward.
As was often the case with nobles, they possessed a strong sense of privilege and absolutely loved the word “special”.
Most of the nobles I had encountered in the Coalition Forces had been like that.
The Coalition Forces had been an alliance comprising every kingdom and city on the continent, so I could confidently claim to have seen nobles from across the entire continent.
Regardless of which kingdom they came from, they all possessed a powerful sense of privilege.
That tendency was particularly pronounced among lower-ranking nobles, such as Barons and Viscounts.
“Ahaha! My goodness, you really know how to treat a man! Hahahaha!”
As expected, Viscount Dunar was immensely pleased to hear the word “especially”.
A Viscount was still a noble.
He interacted with other nobles and could naturally spread rumors among them.
Rumors, by nature, take on a life of their own once they begin to spread.
Once alive, they arbitrarily grow fat and become exaggerated.
For example, a rumor that someone named A farted in the street might become a tale of him defecating in the street by the time it reached the neighboring village.
A rumor that someone named B caught a cold might become a tale of him hovering between life and death by the time it reached the village beyond that.
It was the miraculous transformation of something as small as a needle into something as large as a club.
And that was precisely the kind of miracle word of mouth could produce….
“Thank you! I’ll try it, and if it tastes good, I’ll be sure to recommend it to others.”
* * *
The moment the Predator Merchant Company made its debut in the high society of other kingdoms, its name would become an uncontrollable inferno spreading across the entire continent.
Several other Free Cities besides Freche existed on the continent.
Each Free City had developed around a particular industry, such as mining, agriculture, or livestock farming, while Freche was a city that had developed around “commerce”.
Consequently, it had more merchant companies than the other Free Cities.
“Hmm....”
Edlen was one of the merchant company owners operating in Freche.
His primary merchandise consisted of grapes and wine from the Venezia Kingdom.
Since they were luxury goods sold only to the middle class and above, demand was not particularly high.
Combined with the recent economic downturn, his sales had fallen sharply compared to the previous year.
He was already irritated, but lately, something else had been getting on Edlen’s nerves.
“The Predator Merchant Company….”
The Predator Merchant Company had begun operating in Freche’s central plaza several days ago.
At first, he had wondered what kind of ridiculous merchant company it was.
Predator, meaning a creature that preyed upon others?
The name alone sounded unbelievably tacky.
Yet regardless of its tacky name, the influence carried by the Predator Merchant Company was anything but unimpressive.
“Predator here, Predator there.”
By now, there was no one in Freche who had not heard of the Predator Merchant Company.
It was sweeping away practically every customer in Freche.
Just like the “predator” after which the company was named.
“I hear rumors about it have even begun spreading among the nobles lately.”
That meant the rumors would soon spread throughout high society.
Once word of it spread there, the company would have nothing but smooth sailing ahead.
After all, high society was a gathering place for cultured nobles, including the most distinguished thinkers and writers of the age.
In other words, it was where the most influential nobles leading each kingdom gathered.
The potential benefits of interacting with those nobles were limitless.
One could find new business partners, investors, and sponsors from the various kingdoms.
A merchant could raise his credibility and reputation, securing more customers and business opportunities.
Most importantly, he could gain early access to privileged information available only within high society, allowing him to anticipate and capitalize on political, economic, and cultural trends.
And that was not all.
Connections with the privileged class could provide favorable assistance with legal and administrative procedures, expand one’s political influence to secure favorable commercial decisions, and even grant tax benefits.
And although it was extremely rare—
One could rise in status by marrying a child of a noble family.
Those were all benefits one could obtain through the world of high society.
Therefore, entering high society was a dream come true for any merchant.
That was why Edlen had also tried everything he could to enter it.
“Those damned nobles.”
Naturally, every attempt had failed.
He had not even been allowed to linger near the entrance to their social circles.
“The arrogant bastards think they’re the only ones who matter.”
In particular, he could not even dream of entering “central high society”, where the kingdom’s power was concentrated.
Yet a merchant company established only a few days ago—a fledgling company operated by a mere delinquent—was already surpassing the results of Edlen’s decades of effort.
“I don’t like it…. I really don’t like it....”
There was simply no way he could bring himself to like it.
Therefore, he could not remain idle.
“How dare they cause trouble in my own backyard?”
Edlen had operated as a merchant company owner in Freche for decades and was also an executive of the Merchants’ Guild.
The Merchants’ Guild wielded tremendous power in Freche.
It could easily drive out a newly established merchant company at a moment’s notice.
Until now, he had merely watched what they were doing, but….
“I can’t stand by and watch any longer.”
Edlen made up his mind.
Just as he was rising from his seat—
Jingle.
The shop door opened, and a customer entered.
“....Welcome.”
For the moment, he suppressed his anger and welcomed the customer inside.
Judging by his clothing, the customer belonged to a rather wealthy class.
No, he was a noble.
Edlen hurriedly straightened his clothes.
He had just been cursing nobles as damned bastards, but they were the privileged class that governed the kingdoms.
In other words, they were sources of money.
Even merchants operating in the Free Cities had no choice but to stay on their good side.
Edlen put on an ingratiating smile.
He soon noticed something held in the nobleman’s hand.
‘That is....’
It was meat sold by the Predator Merchant Company.
Just as Edlen’s mood twisted once again—
“I came here on the Predator Merchant Company’s recommendation.”
An unexpected statement came from the nobleman’s mouth.
* * *
As a Free City, Freche had no absolute authority such as a monarch or feudal lord.
One might assume that its citizens lived more comfortably than the residents of feudal territories because they were all free citizens, but the reality was entirely different.
As the saying went, a troll was king in a mountain range without an ogre.
Since no absolute authority existed within the city, a small number of wealthy Great Merchants often acted as its de facto lords.
Ultimately, the Merchants’ Guild exercised authority no different from that of a feudal lord.
There might not have been formal ranks, but social classes certainly existed.
In that sense, the power of the Merchants’ Guild was absolute within the Free Cities, especially Freche.
Naturally, I was well aware of that fact.
I retained all my memories and experiences from my previous life, including Special Warfare missions and covert operations involving the creation, collection, and distribution of intelligence.
I knew the Free Cities inside and out, and I had anticipated that the Merchants’ Guild would almost certainly attempt to assert its dominance over us.
Nevertheless, I had deliberately come to the Free City of Freche instead of conducting business in the Kingdom of Vatenberg.
That was because I had already devised a method of appeasing and winning over the merchants’ guilds.
Wine, cheese, and fruit that could accompany meat.
Butter, salt, and pepper that could enhance its flavor.
Even various everyday utensils required for cooking.
I instructed the company members to naturally recommend those products to our customers while discreetly informing them which merchant companies sold them.
The company members promptly carried out my instructions.
“If you pair the Demexus hindquarter with Venezian wine, tonight will be the finest evening of your life.”
“Haha, you certainly have a way with words. But where can I find Venezian wine….?”
“You should visit the Edlen Merchant Company in the central plaza.”
“I see! Thank you very much!”
“Excuse me, could you recommend something for me as well?”
“Ah! Nothing pairs better with Alakron belly steak than Refrikan cheese. I guarantee it will produce the finest flavor you have ever tasted.”
“Cheese steak! That sounds like a wonderful idea!”
“You can purchase Refrikan cheese from the Larak Merchant Company on the outskirts of Freche.”
“Ohoho! Thank you so much!”
They were going beyond merely following my instructions promptly.
They were executing them perfectly.
‘They’re doing well.’
It seemed Seraphia had provided me with some highly capable people.
Another reason I was going this far was that the Merchants’ Guild could not be ignored in Freche.
With its immense financial power, the Merchants’ Guild was a faction that dominated not only Freche but the entire network of Free Cities.
Becoming their enemy would cause considerable trouble.
They could become a tremendous obstacle to my plan of turning the Predator Merchant Company into the greatest merchant company on the continent.
But what if I made them my allies instead?
Rather than becoming obstacles, they could provide invaluable support.
Even if someone attempted to cause trouble over the monster meat, they would be the first to step forward and defend the Predator Merchant Company.
The Free Cities lacked absolute authorities.
Here, “public opinion was power”.
If I made them my allies, I could secure an overwhelming advantage in any battle for public opinion.
Moreover, I would suffer no losses in the process of turning them into my allies.
Simply by promoting their products naturally, they would come to regard me as a business partner—or perhaps even something more.
‘First, I’ll firmly bring the Free City’s merchants under my influence.’
By doing so, it would be no different from planting informants throughout the city.
Then I would gradually expand that network until it extended across the entire continent.
Though the beginning might be humble, the end would be grand.
Just as the Territory Quest stated, I needed to proceed one step at a time.
But in truth—
“Lord Adrian! We’ve received a group order for forty servings!”
The beginning was not humble at all.
* * *
The nobleman had said that he had come on the Predator Merchant Company’s recommendation.
“Pardon...? You came here on their recommendation?”
“Hmm? Ah, yes. The Predator Merchant Company recommended the wine sold here.”
“What...? The Predator Merchant Company recommended our wine?”
“That’s right. They told me that pairing their meat with Venezian wine would give me the happiest evening in the world.”
Edlen tilted his head in confusion.
He had no idea what was happening, but….
“Could you recommend a wine that pairs well with this meat? I would like to enjoy the finest dinner imaginable tonight.”
“If you want the finest dinner….this one will be perfect.”
Edlen retrieved a bottle of wine stored deep inside a cupboard.
“It was fermented without removing the skins of premium Venezian grapes, giving it a rich and profound flavor. It is perfectly suited to the finest dinner.”
It cost an astonishing 1,210 gold.
That was approximately half a year’s living expenses for a middle-class family.
“Hmm…. It is rather expensive.”
The price was enough to make even a noble hesitate.
The nobleman was clearly conflicted, but his hesitation did not last long.
“Well, the Predator Merchant Company recommended this place for a reason. If it will give me the finest dinner, then so be it! I’ll buy it.”
....
The nobleman purchased the wine without further hesitation.
Edlen had not even needed to spend hours flattering, coaxing, and appeasing him.
“Hahaha! Then I’ll visit again next time!”
The nobleman actually departed with a smile.
The moment he left—
Jingle.
The shop door opened again, and another customer entered.
“The Predator Merchant Company recommended this place to me.”
And then it happened again.
This customer had also come on the Predator Merchant Company’s recommendation.
The same was true of the next customer.
And the customer after that.
It continued without end.
Every customer who purchased monster meat from the Predator Merchant Company inevitably visited Edlen’s shop.
“I heard the wine here is exceptionally good….”
“The Predator Merchant Company recommended it to me as well....”
As a result, customers poured endlessly into Edlen’s shop.
His sales increased exponentially.
He continued breaking the merchant company’s sales record over and over again.
At this rate, it was only a matter of time before he was sitting on a mountain of money.
Before long—
“Welcome! We have plenty of Venezian wine that pairs perfectly with the Predator Merchant Company’s monster meat!”
Within Edlen’s heart, the Predator Merchant Company had transformed from a competitor into a business partner and benefactor.
* * *
Once we had secured the support of the Merchants’ Guild, nothing stood in our way.
No one in Freche attempted to cause trouble for the Predator Merchant Company.
As a result—
“Impossible...!”
“We sold everything...!!”
In fewer than five days, we sold every piece of meat we had hunted.
And as another result—
The experience gained from quests was unquestionably far greater than that obtained from hunting monsters.
‘There’s no additional reward?’
I had secretly been hoping for one.
It seemed the system did not indiscriminately hand out rewards after all.
Even so, experience was not the main reward this time.
◆You have completed the Territory Quest [Though the Beginning May Be Humble, the End Shall Be Grand!]
The message announcing the completion of the Territory Quest filled my vision.
◆You have obtained 48,200 quest experience points!
◆Your level has increased!
◆Your level has increased!
It was enough experience to raise my level twice in a single leap.
The experience gained from quests was unquestionably far greater than that obtained from hunting monsters.
‘There’s no additional reward?’
I had secretly been hoping for one.
◆「Management Mode」 has been unlocked as your reward!
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