Crisis

Nord took a deep breath, looked at the smiling fat man before him, and slowly said, "Fine. Two thousand jin of grain, plus twenty axes and twenty iron picks."

When Ollie heard Nord agree, genuine joy appeared on his face. As expected of Beron City's famous wastrel. He was generous right from the start, without even bargaining. He really looks like a sucker! Even as he thought this, his mind worked quickly. With a roll of his eyes, Ollie calculated the price.

"Two thousand jin of grain comes to ten Gold Thalers. One axe costs ten Silver Thalers, and twenty axes plus twenty iron picks come to four Gold Thalers. Fourteen Gold Thalers in total, correct, Viscount Nord?"

"Correct, but I have one more condition. I didn't prepare any wagons for so much grain. Viscount Ollie, you must give me two wagons."

"That would not be appropriate, Viscount Nord. Wagons cost at least thirty Silver Thalers..."

Although Ollie was making a fortune from this deal, his first reaction upon hearing Nord's request was still refusal. He did not want even the slightest profit slipping from his hands.

Nord calmly looked at Ollie without saying anything, merely staring at him in silence. Ollie sighed, then gave instructions to the nearby steward, Barry, as though someone had cut a piece of flesh from his body.

"Go bring out the Flatbed Wagons from the warehouse. Also prepare the grain and tools for Viscount Nord."

Nord tugged at the corner of his mouth in a faint smile. He could not let the man become too pleased with himself; he had to make him bleed a little. Nord signaled for Abel to take some men and handle the goods alongside Ollie's steward, then bid Ollie farewell.

"Viscount Ollie, I came in a hurry this time, so I will not visit your fort. I'll take a look around the market instead. I'll visit another time if the opportunity arises."

"Viscount Nord, I have been a poor host. Go to the market first. I will have my steward arrange the goods."

After exchanging pleasantries, the two went their separate ways. Nord led the remaining men around the market.

"Lord Nord, this is Love's Merchant Group's shop. I once saved their merchant group from bandits, so I have some acquaintance with the person in charge. They also come to our village once every year to buy furs."

As he spoke, a group of people returned to the shop, carrying large and small bundles of goods, looking travel-worn. The leader was around forty years old, with a thin mustache, dressed in black Cotton Armor and carrying a longsword at his waist. The others behind him also carried short weapons. When the middle-aged man saw Ryman, he hurriedly waved.

"Brother Ryman, long time no see. What brings you here?"

"Brother Love, I came with the Lord to buy grain. This is our Lord, Viscount Nord Isaac."

"Lord Nord, greetings. I am Love, the manager of the Warren Merchant Guild. Our merchant guild does some fur business in this region. You..."

Upon hearing that Nord was a noble, Love hurriedly bowed to him. When he heard that Nord's group had come to buy grain, however, he seemed hesitant and reluctant to speak.

Nord exchanged a glance with Ryman. Unsure what Love was plotting, he signaled for Ryman to sound him out.

Ryman knew Love fairly well. He was a forthright man who repaid kindness, and he even went out of his way to travel all the way to the village to purchase furs. At such a distance, there was hardly any profit to be made. Seeing Love's hesitation, Ryman took the initiative to ask.

"Brother Love, is there something you want to say? Lord Nord is a benevolent Lord. He came this time to buy grain for our village."

Love glanced at Nord, then seemed to make up his mind.

"Lord Nord, grain is not easy to buy in Crison Fort. The Crison Family has monopolized the grain trade here, and I have heard that they are also colluding with bandits outside the city. I suspect you are buying quite a lot of grain this time. Just now, outside the market, I saw Bill, captain of the Crison Family's guards, leading several cavalrymen out of the city. You must be careful on the road."

Nord's mood grew heavy upon hearing the news. He thanked Love and promised that Love could come to him if he ever encountered trouble. Then he stood at the entrance to the market and waited for Abel to arrive.

He still had not adapted to this era. Nord let out a heavy sigh. He had thought people in this era were relatively simple, perhaps possessing a few petty tricks, but he had not expected things to be so cruel. They had just conducted business with smiling faces, yet the moment they turned around, they would devour people without even spitting out the bones.

No! Judging by the timing, Ollie's men had already left the city before Nord even met him. He had intended to rob him from the very beginning. Nord gritted his teeth, secretly vowing that he would settle this score with him sooner or later.

Ryman walked to Nord's side and reported what he had learned from Love.

"Brother Love said he saw five cavalrymen in total, including Bill. Only Bill wore Chainmail. The others wore sleeveless Leather Armor and carried only longswords."

Nord breathed a sigh of relief. That meant there were probably no knights. This place likely could not afford heavily armored knights in full plate either, so there was still a chance. Including the people outside the city, there were probably only around twenty of them. They were not without the strength to fight. The moment Abel and the others returned, they would depart immediately and not give them time to prepare.

Nord turned to Ryman. "We may face a vicious battle later. Are you afraid?"

Ryman smiled freely.

"Every trip into the mountains is a brush with death. We have long been prepared. No child of the Amon Mountains fears battle. As long as we are buried in the mountains after death, we will be one with the will of the mountains."

Ryman raised his One-Handed Sword high, facing Nord and the remaining hunters. With confidence on his face, he said, "Whether we live or die will depend on the sword in my hand. Brothers, no one can take away the grain that will save our lives! Lord Nord, I will protect you with my life!"

The hunters were equally stirred. One after another, they raised their weapons and declared their resolve to Nord.

"Lord Nord, I'll show them that the Hunting Bow in my hand is not to be trifled with!"

"Lord Nord, as long as we are here, no one will harm you!"

"Let those people see what we are made of! If they dare steal our grain, they will pay with their lives!"

Feeling everyone's courage, Nord's own spirit surged. He said to them, "When enemies meet on a narrow road, the braver side wins. We have no way back. I need not tell you how important this grain is. Your families in the village are still waiting for good news from you. Can you bear to disappoint them?"

"We are not helpless. I will also take up my longsword and fight alongside you. Once the grain arrives, we will leave the city immediately. Stay alert along the way, and beware of an ambush."

"Ryman, I appoint you as their captain. Organize them for battle and follow my command."

Just then, Abel arrived with a wagon pulled by two Travel Horses. The Flatbed Wagon was loaded with sacks of grain, with axes and iron picks placed along both sides.

After Nord asked Abel about the goods, he signaled everyone to leave at once.

I do not have much stockpiled. I only started uploading after writing ten chapters. I originally planned to update once a day, but seeing how much everyone liked it and how many recommendation votes you cast, I gritted my teeth and began updating twice daily. Right now, I can barely write four thousand words a day, which is enough to keep up with the updates. Finally, thank you again for your support and encouragement. Please bookmark and vote with recommendation tickets. If you are interested, you can also invest.