Market

Crison Fort's market was fairly large, as it was the nearest town to the Amon Mountains. Though the Amon Mountains were dangerous, some caravans still had their eyes on the resources there—timber, stone, furs, medicinal herbs, and much more.

Unfortunately, the Besser Duchy did not have much of a commercial atmosphere. The terrain was uneven, the roads were underdeveloped, and bandits lurked among the mountains. So although the Amon Mountains were rich in resources, the local economy remained backward. Even the commoners living here struggled to survive.

Had this been the Himan Kingdom, where trade flourished, Crison Fort would have long since developed into a major city instead of remaining a run-down little fortress like this.

Though the Himan Kingdom had a prosperous economy and abundant grain production, it had suffered a crushing defeat in last year's war against the Besser Duchy. The Besser Duchy might have been poor, but Besserians were generally tall and fierce by nature. In the early stages of the war, the Himan Kingdom had managed to hold its own with superior equipment and ample national strength. But when it came time to truly fight for their lives, the Himan people were utterly defeated. Not only did they suffer severe casualties, but they also lost a portion of the fertile Hilo Plain—land that every Grand Duke Besser throughout history had dreamed of possessing.

Even Nord's bargain-bin father had benefited from that victory. To celebrate, Grand Duke Besser had handed out titles generously, which was how Nord had received his viscount title. In short, the Besserians were a warrior people, with the strength and resilience of the mountains flowing through their blood.

But they were hopeless at trade. It was already noon, yet there were not many people in the market. The surrounding shops had only a handful of customers. All he could see were shop hands carrying goods inside, or scattered locals hauling furs to sell to caravans.

After entering the market, Marco began complaining to Nord.

"Those gatekeeping lackeys wag their tails whenever they see their masters, but they bully the weak and fear the strong. When our village used to come here to sell furs, they exploited us plenty. We could barely make any money, so eventually we stopped selling here. Now we wait until a caravan comes to the village and sell to them all at once, but the furs don't keep well that way, so we can't get a good price."

"Oh? Why didn't you tell me earlier? I'll get justice for you!"

"Thank you, my lord. I didn't want to trouble you. If we can't sell the furs, we'll use them ourselves. We can't delay your business."

"From now on, you are my guards. If they dare stop you again, give them my name. Are you familiar with the caravans in the market?"

Marco was deeply moved by Nord's words, but when asked about the caravans, he turned his gaze toward Ryman. After Village Chief Colin had grown old, it was Ryman who dealt with those caravans.

After hearing the question, Ryman thought for a moment. Then he raised his head and pointed toward a shop in the distance.

"Our village is remote, so only a few caravans come by each year. I know Love's Caravan best, but they deal in furs. There is only one grain shop in town, not far ahead. Since grain is valuable, I heard it has been monopolized by Viscount Crison. Other caravans must sell their grain to the Crison Family, or they won't be allowed into the market."

Nord looked in the direction Ryman was pointing. There really was a shop different from the others in the distance. The shops in Crison Fort's market were less like stores and more like warehouses. Caravans used them as transfer points for their goods. The locals were generally poor, and the only profitable grain shop had been monopolized by the Crison Family, so most caravans that came here were here to purchase goods.

They brought grain from outside and sold it to the Crison Family, then bought local goods around Crison Fort at low prices and carried them away. The profits were basically divided between the caravans and the Crison Family. No wonder the people here lived such hard lives despite relying on the resource-rich Amon Mountains.

That was what Nord thought, but he still headed toward the Crison Family's grain shop. It was the market's only source of grain, so he could only go in and see what the situation was first.

When he arrived outside the grain shop and looked up, he found that it was indeed built better than the other shops. The sign outside clearly displayed the Crison Family's heraldic banner—a charging wild boar.

It was said that the Crison Family's ancestor had once, by chance, rescued Marquis Twen from beneath the head of a charging wild boar. He later followed the Marquis into battle after battle, and when he was granted his title, he chose the charging boar as his family crest to show his unwavering loyalty to Marquis Twen.

Nord noticed that although the grain shop was well built, it was utterly deserted. In all that time, he had not seen a single customer enter to buy grain. With his doubts in mind, Nord walked into the shop.

Once inside, Nord looked around. The middle of the shop was partitioned off with wooden boards, and there was likely a grain storehouse behind them. A counter stood at the front, with sacks of wheat scattered around it. The shop manager lay listlessly across the counter, while two guards sat in a corner.

Nord signaled for Abel to speak with the grain shop's manager, while he himself remained where he was with the others.

Seeing a group of strangers enter the grain shop, none of whom looked like commoners here to buy grain, Harry called over the two guards. The middle-aged man walking toward him resembled the chief steward at the fort, so he turned and addressed the uninvited visitors.

"I am Harry, manager of the Crison Grain Shop. This is property of the Crison Family. Are you here to buy grain?"

"That's right. We are here to buy grain."

Abel smiled and gestured behind him in introduction, then turned back to Harry.

"This is Viscount Nord Isaac. I am Lord Nord's steward, Abel. Lord Nord intends to purchase a large quantity of grain. Does your shop have enough?"

Upon hearing Abel's words, Harry forced an unpleasant smile. He had not expected these people to be nobles like his own master. Buying a small amount of grain would not be an issue, but if they wanted too much, he feared he could not make the decision himself. Still, he held onto a sliver of hope that Abel would only ask for a few days' worth of rations.

"Yes... yes, we have grain. How much does Lord Nord require?"

"At least two thousand pounds of wheat!"

Harry's expression grew even uglier when he heard Nord's answer. He knew perfectly well that the grain shop would never sell that much grain, but these people were not like the rabble who could be easily dismissed. If he accidentally angered a noble lord, his life might not be safe. Harry forced a smile and carefully said to Steward Abel,

"That is far too much grain. I truly cannot make the decision myself. I must inform the lord at the fort before a decision can be made. Could you wait for a little while?"

After saying that, Harry hurriedly ordered the two guards to go to the fort and notify the steward and the lord.

Abel described what had just happened, and Nord nodded. He had already been prepared for the current situation, so he waited patiently for someone from the Crison Family to arrive.

Seeing that Nord and the others were waiting quietly without any intention of causing trouble, Harry's anxious mood gradually calmed. He then instructed the clerks behind him to bring out two chairs.

"Lord Nord, please rest for a while. They will be here soon."

Nord nodded. Seeing this, Harry stood to one side with his head lowered in a respectful posture, and no one said anything further.

I have some good news to share. Yesterday, I received a contract offer from Qidian, and it was approved just now. I'll handle the contract shortly. Once again, thank you all for your encouragement and support. I hope readers with recommendation votes can vote for me. I promise to keep updating.