Ryman laid out all the salt and linen he had brought, then stood there at a loss.
Even when facing a charging wild boar, Ryman had never changed expression. Yet now, faced with the hopeful gazes of the mountain folk, he was momentarily speechless.
Before coming here, Lord Nord had not taught him how to trade with mountain folk. Having never done business before, Ryman felt this was a hundred times harder than hunting or fighting people. He could only turn to Harlen, hoping Harlen would help him out.
Harlen had no intention of standing by and watching Ryman make a fool of himself. After noticing Ryman's predicament, the wise old man stepped forward to steady the situation before Ryman could speak.
After approaching, Harlen carefully examined the goods Ryman and the others had brought. Fine salt, neat bolts of cloth—Harlen had only ever seen descriptions of such things in books. This was his first time seeing the real items.
Harlen ran his fingers over the somewhat rough linen, thought for a moment, then turned to the impatient mountain folk and said:
"Everything Nord, the viscount, has brought is good. Salt can be exchanged by the pound, while the linen should be exchanged jointly by several households."
After speaking, Harlen looked at Ryman. Ryman nodded to show that there was no problem, then recalled that Nord seemed to have said they could trade for more furs, so he added:
"Everyone can trade animal furs for them. If you can't get what you want this time, there will be another chance next time, so don't worry."
Afterward, he arranged for the hunters to maintain order. He had learned this from Nord. Nord was a perfectionist and liked everything in daily life to be neat and orderly, and this habit had gradually