Chapter 41 - Acquisition of Materials

Chapter 41

Acquisition of Materials

“You’re from that Heim caravan, right?”

In the reception hall, Richard’s voice rang out from the main seat.

Martins snapped out of his daze and quickly said, “Greetings, honorable Viscount! To answer your question, our caravan is actually called the Haim Caravan! I am Martins, the person in charge of this caravan.”

Richard responded with a casual hum and gave him a disinterested glance, “Haim or Heim, it doesn’t matter.”

Martins quickly forced a smile, “Yes, yes! It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter at all!”

However, he was bitterly smiling in his heart.

My family’s ancestral name has been changed, how could that not matter?

But he dared not say that out loud, considering that Richard held absolute power in this place. Offending him would mean more than losing business—it could mean losing everything.

If Richard were to get upset, robbery and murder could be just a thought away.

As the saying goes, “seeking wealth in dangerous places,” the risks of opening new trade routes lie in precisely that.

This is why most caravans are unwilling or too afraid to venture into uncharted territories.

Moreover, because of the high profits involved in trade routes, it’s impossible to delegate this task to subordinates.

If the caravan’s management develops relationships with local lords along the trade routes, it could lead to growing ambitions and the eventual split from the caravan.

Therefore, when opening new trade routes, it’s generally the leader of the caravan or their son who takes on the role of the pioneer.

Martins was one of the few caravan leaders with the courage to take on such a task.

“So, your caravan intends to trade with my Long Eagle Territory?” Richard looked at him with a hint of interest.

Martins nodded immediately, but as an experienced caravan leader, he didn’t forget his manners and quickly said, “Sir, before we proceed, please allow me to present a generous gift to show my respect for you!”

“Oh?” Richard smiled faintly, “Well then, let’s see what you’ve brought.”

Soon, someone handed over a wooden box.

The wooden box was quite large, about half a meter in length and over a foot wide, though only about half a foot thick.

“This is the ‘generous gift’ you mentioned?” Richard seemed curious about what might be inside such a specially-made box. “Open it up.”

“Yes!”

As Martins personally opened the wooden box, many people around him revealed expressions of amazement.

Even Cinderella and Rhodes widened their mouths in surprise.

Only Richard looked disappointed.

Just a mirror?

Martins hadn’t noticed Richard’s expression and excitedly explained, “My lord, this is a mirror made with a mercury coating, capable of reflecting a person’s image with great clarity. Even in the capital, many high-ranking individuals desire such a mirror.”

“I brought this mirror all the way here and didn’t give it to anyone else. When I saw you, sir, I was so impressed by your grandeur that I decided to present this mirror as a gift, hoping to highlight your exceptional presence!”

“So you’re saying that without this mirror, I wouldn’t have that so-called exceptional presence?” Richard sneered.

Martins immediately dropped to his knees, “Forgive me, sir! That’s not what I meant at all!”

Richard let out a cold snort and waved his hand dismissively, “Enough. It’s just a mirror. Tell me about your goods.”

Richard showed no interest in the mirror; it didn’t seem to impress him at all.

If it were the queen’s magic mirror, I might have given it a second glance, but a regular mirror? Not worth my time.

Martins was taken aback, realizing he had misjudged his attempt to flatter, and quickly moved on, “Sir, I’ve brought quite a few valuable items this time! We have pepper that only grows in dragon-infested lands, silk from mysterious Eastern trees, a divine sword blessed by the gods, and porcelain from the fairyland of the East…”

Before he could finish, Richard interrupted him with a wave of his hand.

He was really tired of these merchants on the continent.

Pepper, silk, weapons, and porcelain? Your boasting doesn’t even have a rough draft.

Why don’t you just say you’re a celestial being?

A reincarnated god of wealth?

Most importantly, if you’re going to boast, at least make it believable.

Do I really look that gullible?

Richard felt like his intelligence was being insulted.

“I need grain, iron ore, and slaves. Do you have any?”

He didn’t let the merchant continue his pitch and bluntly stated his needs.

“Yes! We have all of those!”

The merchant was momentarily stunned but quickly recovered and nodded vigorously, “Sir, our caravan currently has over six thousand pounds of grain, two carts of iron ore, though we only brought a few slaves, around ten or so.”

“You know, slaves are hard to manage in large numbers, and if they die, it’s a loss!”

He then gave a slightly awkward laugh and quickly added, “But don’t worry, sir! If you need more, I’ll make sure to bring a large batch of slaves next time just for you!”

The merchant looked at Richard with a sycophantic smile, his face shiny with oil, trembling slightly with each grin, making him rather unappealing.

Richard closed his eyes and nodded with a hint of resignation, “Very well. I’ll take all the grain, iron ore, and slaves you brought this time.”

Although he didn’t like the merchant’s greasy demeanor, who could say no to supplies?

As for the payment…

Recently, Richard’s team had been hunting a lot of Treants.

To be honest, Treants were low-level supernatural creatures that were quite plentiful in the forest.

At first, they would notify Richard, but as the militia grew stronger and more coordinated, they could handle the Treants without him.

Now, Richard had accumulated quite a bit of supernatural materials in his storage.

With a wave of his hand, a pile of materials instantly appeared on the carpet before him.

“A heart of a Treant and the remains of these supernatural creatures. Is that enough?” Richard said calmly.

The merchant was astonished by Richard’s ability to summon items from thin air, but his eyes were soon drawn to the heart of the Treant on the ground. He quickly nodded with delight.

“More than enough! This is absolutely sufficient!”

These items, even at the purchase rates in remote areas, were worth at least two or three hundred gold coins.

That was more than enough to cover the value of the supplies Richard had requested.

Richard could tell from the merchant’s expression that he was definitely making a huge profit.

But he didn’t mind. It was important to give the other party a taste of profit initially to ensure they would work hard for him in the future.

After all, his appetite couldn’t be satisfied with just six thousand pounds of grain.

He also felt a sense of disdain for the merchant’s gleeful expression; a more unscrupulous seller would have already squeezed them dry.