Blade Rose Merchant Guild

Blade Rose Merchant Guild

Every winter, the major merchant guilds in Northwind Province only purchased goods and did not sell them.

The goods collected during winter would be taken south and sold when their own guilds returned from the South at the beginning of spring the following year, earning enormous price differences.

Although the merchant guilds acted as they pleased, few in Northwind Province dared provoke them. Even nobles were unwilling to incur another noble's resentment over such matters.

Before the War of the Deities Across Planes, merchant guilds had been considered rather niche.

They rose to prominence and became important enough that even nobles had to take them seriously because of the war.

After the War of the Deities Across Planes ended, the Northlands of the continent were buried beneath wind and snow, and countless nobles migrated south to escape.

Too many nobles crowded into the southern third of the warm lands, so war naturally became unavoidable.

Furthermore, as the scale of warfare advanced, the emergence of Extraordinary Legions made wars vastly larger and more brutal than before.

One merchant guild after another rose during that period. They followed behind their respective masters and accompanied the armies on campaign. If victory was won, most of the spoils would be handed over to these merchant guilds for sale.

Once merchant guilds became tied to war, it was impossible for them not to become important.

Of course, as the saying went, there was no merchant guild without nobles behind it.

The stronger the merchant guild, the stronger the nobles backing it. Only nobles could allow a merchant guild to hold onto such enormous profits.

Otherwise, the tariffs within each territory alone could drive a merchant guild into bankruptcy.

The strongest merchant guild in the Flor Empire was naturally the royal family's direct merchant guild. However, it was not called the Royal Merchant Guild, but the Imperial Merchant Guild.

This was because the guild's greatest profits all came from trade with kingdoms and noble territories beyond the Southern Empire.

The royal family was not the only shareholder; they merely held the absolute majority.

The Imperial Merchant Guild's branch in Zero Crossing City was naturally magnificent and resplendent, more luxurious than the city properties of some Pioneer Knights.

Naturally, they did not dare outshine a Baron, and no Baron wished to demean himself by comparing with a merchant guild.

"Welcome to the Imperial Merchant Guild. How may I assist you?"

As soon as Ryan entered the spacious hall, a maid's eyes lit up and she hurried over.

"I am Baron Ryan. Have your manager come speak with me."

No matter who it was, they were humble before nobles. Conversely, if a noble was overly polite to commoners, it would have the opposite effect.

The maid's gaze dimmed, but she quickly went to summon the manager.

"This humble one is Chandler. Greetings, Baron Ryan."

A portly middle-aged man came before Ryan, his face filled with obsequiousness.

"I have some goods. See how much they are worth."

As he spoke, Ryan had the soldiers behind him bring out the bear-pelt rug that Baron Hatton had once been so fond of. In an instant, a gleam flashed through Chandler's eyes.

He was a merchant, so he naturally recognized the value of the item at a glance. Those southern noblewomen would certainly pay any price to get their hands on it, then show it off within their circles.

But the price he offered made Ryan frown.

"Three hundred Gold Coins, Baron Ryan. I am willing to pay three hundred Gold Coins for this bear pelt."

Ryan said nothing. He merely stared at Chandler until the merchant before him shrank his neck and no longer dared meet his gaze.

"Baron, is there something you are dissatisfied with?"

Chandler still had some confidence. After all, if the Imperial Merchant Guild had to bow its head before every random Baron, how could it conduct business?

"Let me guess. Viscount Miles takes quite a bit of money from you every year, doesn't he?"

Ryan looked at Chandler and spoke calmly.

This price was not merely lacking a premium; even as a standard purchase price, it was low.

Chandler smiled and invoked a powerful name. "Viscount Miles has exempted the Imperial Merchant Guild from taxes within Zero Crossing Prefecture. In return, the Zero Crossing Prefecture branch of the Imperial Merchant Guild pays the Viscount ten thousand Gold Coins every year."

So that was why, the moment I left, the Imperial Merchant Guild learned that the orcs were heading south and began suppressing the prices of all kinds of goods?

Ryan turned to leave, but Chandler behind him grew anxious.

Even if he purchased this bear-pelt rug at a premium, he could still sell it in the South for three to five times the price.

"Lord Ryan, we are willing to purchase this bear-pelt rug for six hundred Gold Coins—no, seven hundred Gold Coins."

"Not selling."

Ryan did not even look back. Naturally, Chandler did not dare openly stop a noble.

Turning around, Ryan entered the Blade Rose Merchant Guild across from the Imperial Merchant Guild.

"Welcome to Blade Rose." A smiling woman greeted Ryan. On her chest was embroidered a thorny rose entwined around a sharp blade.

That was the emblem of the Blade Rose Family, personally designed by the most dazzling Countess in the empire.

"How much will you pay for these things?"

Ryan had the soldiers behind him lay out everything. He trusted that the Blade Rose Merchant Guild, having watched him walk out of the Imperial Merchant Guild across the street, would not try any tricks.

The female manager named Irina beckoned several merchants forward. In barely two or three minutes, they gave Ryan a figure.

"Lord Ryan, our guild is willing to purchase the goods in your possession for six thousand Gold Coins."

In two or three minutes, this merchant guild had already learned Ryan's name.

Irina's smile was intoxicating. Bathed in the gleam of Gold Coins, even Ryan found himself captivated.

Yet he retained a measure of calm.

Ryan estimated that this inheritance from Viscount Whitman should have been worth between four thousand five hundred and five thousand Gold Coins. The price offered by the Blade Rose Merchant Guild was considerably higher.

He looked at the woman before him with some curiosity.

"Do you always conduct business like this?"

"Of course not. If the Baron had come at any other time, we could only offer four thousand two hundred Gold Coins."

"The extra Gold Coins are for a request—or rather, a transaction with the Baron."

"Oh? Go on."

"Not long ago, the Imperial Merchant Guild made a deal with Baron Kendra. They purchased one hundred suits of armor and three hundred longswords for one thousand eight hundred Gold Coins, and also signed a contract to purchase thirty thousand jin of grain within half a month."

"I presume Lord Ryan knows the reason."

After saying that, Irina stepped closer to Ryan. Her faint fragrance was soothing.

"One thousand eight hundred Gold Coins for a piece of information. You truly are generous."

Ryan was not intimidated by the woman's boldness and looked straight into her eyes.

"However, I promised Viscount Miles that I would not tell a second person this information."

Irina laughed.

"Baron Ryan truly deserves to be called the lord who turned Frozen Earth Territory into such a thriving place. You really are different."

"Then, six thousand Gold Coins. Deal."

Although Ryan had said nothing, Irina had already heard everything she needed to hear.

Blade Rose did not need to know the entire truth. Ryan's words had already told them that whatever the Imperial Merchant Guild did, they only needed to do the same, and they would certainly not lose out.