Subduing the Shining Gold Merchant Guild

The meeting lasted from morning until afternoon. Karl and the corpse of that demi-gnome named Jupiter had already been dragged away, but the air was still filled with a faint scent of blood.

However, this couldn't dampen the merchants' enthusiasm.

Because Raven had given out so many orders!

Stone, lumber, quicklime, construction tools; live pigs, beef cattle, ewes, hens, baking soda, salt, cheap liquor; roses, jasmine, violets, mint; longswords, shields, spears, leather armor, crossbows…

Contracts flew to Raven one after another, and stacks of gold coins flew into the merchants' pockets, bringing smiles to everyone's faces.

Normally, the annual trade volume of Shining Gold Town was around five thousand gold coins, and the merchants present accounted for about forty-five percent of that.

Raven had just provided them with orders worth nearly twelve hundred gold coins, almost half of their usual transaction volume.

What's more, the liquor Raven provided was Angel's Tear!

Although everyone had a limit, it was still Angel's Tear, a fine wine that only a few nobles could enjoy!

For a moment, Raven's image in the eyes of these merchants was no longer that of a lord, but rather a walking, talking gold mine.

"The official business is concluded. Next are my personal requests." Raven's gaze fell on Fili, who had been sitting beside him. "Twenty Tier 1 Magic Cores, plus two sets of large alchemy equipment. Can you procure them?"

The newly appointed guild master was plump, with a prominent bald head in a Mediterranean style. Perhaps it was middle-aged spread; although not very fat, his belly was round, and his cheeks were full of fat.

He didn't speak without smiling, and when he did, his golden front teeth were revealed. "Of course, no problem. As for the Magic Cores, what attributes are you looking for?"

"Attributes don't matter," Raven said. "Preferably a few of each type."

Fili did some mental calculations and said cautiously, "The alchemy equipment is easy to handle. The market price is eighty-three gold coins per unit, and it can be delivered by the beginning of next month at the latest. However, for the Magic Cores, the pricing and delivery time are not so easy to guarantee."

Raven asked, "Oh? What do you mean?"

"It's like this, my Lord Baron," Fili explained. "Magic Cores are usually produced within magical beasts. And as you know, the magical beasts in Nord Province were mostly cleared out decades ago. Nowadays, only the Bloody Highlands nearby have large gatherings of wild magical beasts, so the output is unstable, and market prices fluctuate."

"For example, common fire-attribute Magic Cores, at Tier 1, cost about three gold coins. But if it's a dark-attribute one, it might cost eight or nine, or even more."

"Oh, I see," Raven nodded. "In that case, let's estimate it at four gold coins per Tier 1 Magic Core. Including the deposit for the alchemy equipment, that's one hundred and twenty-three gold coins."

After this batch of gold coins was distributed, Raven only had a little over forty left.

But this money wasn't spent in vain. A portion of every order would return to Raven's pocket as tax revenue.

Furthermore, the large influx of gold would stimulate the economic vitality of Shining Gold Town by bringing in a large mobile population through the large-scale flow of goods.

Only the gold left in the warehouse was just gold; it only became money when it was spent.

"Alright!" Raven clapped his hands. "It's getting late, so I won't be keeping you all for dinner. I hope your guild will take good care of the goods. As long as the quality is up to par, I won't shortchange you."

The merchants rose in unison and bowed. "Your will shall be carried out, my Lord Baron!"

The merchants left one by one. Raven stretched his neck. "Ah, I'm tired!"

Handling dealings with merchants like this shouldn't have been Raven's job, but he was desperately short of manpower.

"Then, my lord, do you need me to find some women for you...?" Eric asked.

Raven teased, "Yo, I didn't realize you had such potential to be a court jester."

Eric's old face turned red. "This..."

"Just kidding," Raven patted his shoulder. "I'll give you two days off later. Go relax."

"But before that, we still need to talk about important matters."

"The map!"

At Raven's command, Eric quickly took the map stored in the administrative hall from Simon and spread it out on the table.

"What is this?!" Raven was shocked.

"It's a map, my lord," Eric said, not understanding.

"Tsk..." Raven sucked on his teeth. "Are you sure this isn't a fake that Viscount John deliberately left to make things difficult for me?"

Eric scratched his head. "I don't think so, my lord. This is the most standard map. Most armies use this kind."

Raven suppressed the urge to curse him out, his mind filled with complaints.

Standard? You're telling me this piece of junk is standard?!

The lines were crooked, and a simple square was labeled as a building. It lacked elevation changes and contour lines, which was understandable. At least the cardinal directions were marked…

But the complete lack of a scale was too much!

A map of Shining Gold Town, and the administrative hall took up nearly a fifth of the area. When did Shining Gold Town become so small?!

There were also four city gates, so clear and prominent. If Raven hadn't just walked through it himself, he would have thought they were the scale of the Arc de Triomphe!

"Forget it, we'll make do..." Raven sighed. "How many of our own soldiers do you think is appropriate to station here?"

Eric replied, "According to the previous rules, the western entrance leading to Snow Maple Territory requires at least a ten-man squad. The southern entrance needs five people, the eastern entrance three, and the northern entrance connected to Eagle Town doesn't need any stationed troops."

"But we only have twenty-two people in total right now!" Raven said with a wry smile. "You can't expect me to be a commander without any troops, can you?"

He rubbed his chin. "How about this: except for the entrances and exits connected to Shining Gold Town, two people at each entrance and exit, with day and night shifts. Then, four people will be arranged for daytime patrols within the city. This way, we'll only need to station sixteen people here."

Even with extreme cost-saving measures, only six people could be stationed. Raven scratched his head fiercely. "Ah, we're short on manpower!"

At least for now, the empire was relatively peaceful. Although there were bandits and robbers in Nord Province, there were no gangs that dared to openly attack a noble's territory.

Of course, with the exception of the bandits on the Bloody Highlands. However, if those bandits were to show up, simply guarding the entrances and exits with soldiers wouldn't be enough—Shining Gold Town has no city walls, only a low wooden palisade around the perimeter.

Eric looked at Raven's expression and cautiously suggested, "While I agree with reducing the number of soldiers, the guards at the entrances are not only responsible for vigilance but also for collecting gate taxes. If there are too few people, it could cause congestion."

"Gate taxes..." Raven nodded slowly. "Let's waive them."

Eric said, "My Lord Baron, the gate taxes bring in twenty to thirty gold coins annually. If you're concerned about manpower, we can hire idle locals to manage the four gates. That's how Snow Maple Territory did it before."

"Absolutely not!" Raven immediately rejected Eric's proposal. "We'll do as I said!"

Having spent many years in Monen City, Raven was all too familiar with the underhanded dealings there.

The gate tax was five copper coins per person. An annual revenue of twenty to thirty gold coins, when traced back, meant fifty to sixty thousand entries into the town each year.

For the gate guards of this era, that translated into fifty to sixty thousand fat sheep.

The official rate was five copper coins, but the guards would dare to charge eight. For those in a hurry, they would find all sorts of ways to extort money.

Someone's family member is sick and needs a doctor? Fine, the gate tax is temporarily increased to fifty copper coins today. Enter or don't.

A large batch of fresh produce and fruit wants to enter the town?

Oh dear, I'm sorry, but who knows if you've smuggled anything prohibited in your carriage? Wait outside the town, we'll inspect it in a couple of days. If there are no issues, we'll definitely let you through!

Want us to inspect it first? That... oh, fifty silver coins? Alright, alright, it would have been better if you had done this earlier. You can go in now.

Things like this were very common. Sometimes, over the course of a year, the money extorted by the gate guards even exceeded the gate tax itself!

Raven's decision to cancel the gate tax and use his own private soldiers to guard the gates was an attempt to prevent them from being corrupted by money and to establish the practice of free entry and exit in Shining Gold Town, thereby eradicating the old bad habits.

After all, money doesn't disappear. With the cancellation of the gate tax, Shining Gold Town would see more transient population than before. As long as Shining Gold Town's development continued to improve, these people would eventually spend their money elsewhere.

After explaining his thoughts to Eric, the latter said admiringly, "My Lord, your foresight is truly remarkable!"

"You say that as if you understood," Raven teased with a smile.

Eric blushed, because he genuinely hadn't understood.

"Alright, we've discussed the important matters. It's time to relax," Raven said, slipping a gold coin into Eric's hand. "We've all been working extremely hard lately. I'll give you two days off. First, arrange the guard and rotation schedules, then notify the personal guards to come over. I'll give them a round of bonuses!"

Eric took the gold coin with a smile. "Yes, my Lord!"

Retrieving a pre-prepared box of silver coins, Raven sat down in the conference room.

His private soldiers entered one by one, bewildered, and left one by one, overjoyed, with satisfied smiles on their faces.

Two silver coins each was enough for them to have a few days of unrestrained fun.

Simon was the last to enter. As he took the silver coins, he was about to bow, but Raven stopped him. "It's fine, no need to be so formal. This money is what you deserve."

"My Lord Baron, I was just doing what I was supposed to do," Simon said, feeling happy yet a little embarrassed.

"Then it's my duty to reward you for doing a good job," Raven said, patting his shoulder. "Take off your armor in a bit and go wander around town. Relax and broaden your horizons. Don't blush every time you speak!"

"Yes!" Simon slapped his chest with his hand and still gave a military salute.

"You!" Raven chuckled. "Alright, go have fun. Don't waste time here."

After Simon left, Raven casually picked up a bottle of Angel's Tear and poured himself a glass. Just then, Simon pushed the door open and walked back in.

"My Lord Baron, Guild Master Fili requests an audience."

"He's quick," Raven said, draining his glass and placing it upside down. "Let him in."

Fili walked into the conference room and immediately spotted the half-case of Angel's Tear placed in the corner, secretly swallowing hard.

The taste of that fine wine was truly unforgettable.

He cautiously raised his eyelids. "My Lord Baron, I've come to present you with a gift."

But Raven seemed not to hear him. He stood by the window, resting his hands on the windowsill, looking down at the territory he had just reclaimed. "Shining Gold Town, what a wonderful place."

Compared to the desolation of Eagle Territory, Shining Gold Town was visibly prosperous. The wide streets were spacious enough for three carriages to drive abreast, and the ground was paved with large, flat bluestone slabs.

Lining the streets were rows of shops – clothing stores, jewelry stores, barbershops, daily necessities stores. Their storefronts were clean and presentable, and the signs were varied, clearly showing that considerable thought had gone into them.

"Guild Master Fili, as a local merchant, have you ever pondered why such a prosperous place would emerge in the borderlands of Nord Province?"

Hearing this question, Fili's breath hitched. "My Lord Baron, I've never considered that question before."

Raven walked over, put his arm around Fili's shoulders, and pulled him towards the window, whispering in his ear, "The answer is right before us."

Glancing at the hand on his shoulder, Fili swallowed anxiously, a slight cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.

He clearly remembered that it was with this very hand that Raven had effortlessly slit Karl's throat!

Under the weight of his fear, he became more focused than ever, his gaze fixed on the bustling street.

It was already dusk, but the streets were still thronged with people. They walked in groups of three or five, laughing and chatting, drifting into the shops on either side of the street in twos and threes, and occasionally emerging with smiles on their faces.

With each entry and exit, there were always some changes. Either they had a basket of bread or a jug of wine in their hands, or a hat on their head, or perhaps new shoes or a new set of clothes.

"My Lord... I can only see... many... people?"

"Exactly, that's the answer!" Raven said, tightening his grip on Fili's shoulder and listing them like treasures. "Shining Gold Town has a registered population of three thousand two hundred and thirty-seven. The number of free citizens is no less than the registered population. On average, over two hundred people enter here daily. Calculated, the permanent resident population here is likely no less than ten thousand."

"It is precisely because of this large population, especially the transient population, that continuously channels money and goods from all directions into this place that Shining Gold Town has become so prosperous!"

"They work, earn money, and then spend it. The money they spend becomes income for others, who then use it to purchase their products. This is the most fundamental logic of commercial activity!"

Raven's magnetic voice seemed to carry a certain magic, lifting Fili's thoughts to an unprecedented height.

This statement might not be entirely accurate, but to Fili, it was like parting the clouds to see the sun. The world unfolded before him in a way he had never experienced. He suddenly realized, "I think I understand now, Baron! This is why you refused to give us a discount! You're truly so wise. Compared to you, I'm as foolish as a groundhog in the dirt!"

"Don't put yourself down, Guild Master Fili," Raven's voice was like a devil's whisper, seeping into Fili's heart little by little. "In my eyes, you far surpass Karl in ability, character, and integrity."

"But why can he be the Guild Master of Shining Gold Town, while you can only be a subordinate? Why is it that no one else dares to come, yet you are the one delivering the land deeds for Karl and Jupiter's shops to me?"

Karl's eyes immediately widened. The gifts he had brought this time were indeed five land deeds, but he had never mentioned it to anyone outside.

How could the Baron possibly know?

"You must be from Shining Gold Town, right?" Raven asked.

"Yes, sir!" Fili quickly replied. "My parents were traveling merchants, and later settled in Shining Gold Town. I inherited the family business."

"No wonder," Raven said with a gentle smile. "Often, you can't figure things out not because you're not smart enough, but because your perspective isn't broad enough."

"Why can Karl hold the merchant guild of Shining Gold Town? Because he has the Fox Family behind him; his predecessor, Guild Master Bai Deng, relied on the Luke Family."

Fili suddenly understood, "The merchants in the guild refused to jointly manage Fili's shops because they feared retaliation from the Fox Family, which is why they sent me to deliver these five land deeds to you!?"

Just as Raven had said, he was only thinking about immediate benefits.

In Fili's view, Raven handing over these shops for joint management by the guild was essentially showing goodwill to the guild, and didn't mean he was truly willing. Now, with his guild master actively presenting the five land deeds, it meant sacrificing the guild's interests to express his loyalty to the Griffith Family.

In this world, although merchants were not serfs, they had no status. To nobles, they were like cattle and sheep in a pasture, ready to be slaughtered for meat at any time.

To avoid being completely devoured, actively appeasing the master was the best method Fili could think of.

But after Raven's guidance, he finally understood.

Other merchants dared not take over these five land deeds because they feared retaliation from the Fox Family.

So, by doing this, he wasn't appeasing anyone; instead, he was pinning the blame squarely on Raven!

The thought of Raven casually killing people made cold sweat stream down Fili's half-bald head. He collapsed to the ground with a thud, tears mixing with sweat as he slapped himself, crying out, "Baron, spare my life—"

"Stop wailing," Raven said, looking at his empty arms with a mixture of amusement and exasperation as he bent down to pick up the box that had fallen to the ground. "I didn't say I didn't want it."

"Sir... what is this!?" Fili stopped crying, his eyes filled with confusion.

Why would Raven willingly take on this trouble, knowing it was a trap?

"I am a noble, an Imperial Baron!" Raven declared firmly. "The Fox Family's retaliation against you could be assassination, it could be robbery, but against me, they cannot and dare not use such methods."

Fili still didn't understand. The Fox family was an Earl's family, while Raven was merely a Baron! This wasn't just a difference of two ranks; the wealth, power, and status were worlds apart.

"You're not a noble, so of course you don't understand, and you don't need to," Raven said earnestly, looking at him. "You just need to know that you and I have the same interests."

"The more prosperous Shining Gold Town becomes, the more the guild earns, the more you earn, and the more taxes I will collect."

"As long as you don't betray this goal, you can remain the Guild Master of this merchant guild for a long, long time."

This time, Fili understood.

He immediately pointed to the sky and said, "I, Fili, swear to the Lord of Light! From today onwards, I am the hound that guards your money bag, and I will serve you with all my heart. The Shining Gold Merchant Guild will fully cooperate with your decisions!"

"Get up," Raven said in a teasing tone. "Don't go around kneeling everywhere. You're already decades old, your courage is too little."

"This... I've always been timid," Fili said, leaning on the windowsill to get up, smiling subserviently. "And I'm easily swayed. It was those scoundrels instigating me this time that made me come to deliver the documents to you."

Raven smiled knowingly. "No wonder they call you 'Ears That Listen.' It's true that there are no wrong names, only fitting nicknames."

"However, being easily swayed isn't entirely a bad thing. At worst, it's being too kind; at best, it's being open to advice."

Saying this, Raven shook his head and clicked his tongue. "It's a pity that touching interests is much harder than touching souls."

Fili said with a hint of shame, "Sir, I... I don't understand."

"If you don't understand, figure it out yourself! This isn't a school," Raven chuckled. "When you finally understand one day, you won't be a pushover anymore."

"I will certainly keep the Baron's teachings in mind!" Fili bowed respectfully. "Then, if you have nothing else, sir, I will take my leave."

Fili turned to leave. The moment he turned his head, the smile on his face vanished.

He had finally escaped disaster!

"Wait."

Raven's voice rang out, and Fili's heart clenched again. He swallowed and quickly forced a smile, turning his head back. "Do you have any more instructions?"

The answer was a wine bottle flying towards him. Fili quickly caught it with both hands, his plump face immediately breaking into a smile like a blooming chrysanthemum.

It was a whole bottle of Angel's Tear!

"Thank you for the gift, Lord Raven!"

"I saw you staring at it early on," Raven waved his hand. "Go on!"

Fili left the administrative hall, humming a tune, holding the Angel's Tear. He walked for more than half the street, and only after turning a corner into an empty alley, making sure he couldn't be seen from the administrative hall, did he let out a long sigh and slide down against the wall.

"Damn bastard, you scared me to death. How can there be such a terrifying person..."

From the moment he entered the room until he finally left, the entire conversation had been within the Baron's design.

He, a wealthy merchant worth thousands of gold coins, a man nearing fifty, was being manipulated by a young man of twenty.

Baron Raven... is he really only twenty years old?

Fili felt he was no match for Raven's understanding of the human heart, his precise grasp of social dynamics, and his lofty perspective on matters.

Could it be... even my seeking him out was within his calculations?!

"Impossible, absolutely impossible! No one can calculate to this extent."

Fili opened Angel's Tear and took a shallow sip, sighing, "They all say Baron Raven comes from a humble background, acts atrociously, and has a despicable character. Now it seems that's pure baseless rumor, likely spread by those nobles themselves to intentionally belittle him."

"However, the Baron's foundation is still shallow. Otherwise, he wouldn't have put so much thought into using social dynamics to win me over."

Taking slow, even breaths, Fili's eyes gradually cleared.

There was nothing wrong with being won over; in this world, only those with value were fit to live.

"I didn't expect... after a brutal and greedy wolf died, a cunning and ruthless Mighty Lion has arrived."

Fili pondered with burning eyes.

The latter had far-reaching vision and would never be like the former, staying in a muddy pit to pick scraps from the mouths of small fry like them. By following him, they could instead feast on the scraps that fell.

"But since I've boarded this chariot, I must find a way to tie myself to it securely."

Having goofed with his flattery today, he definitely needed to reposition himself and try again properly.

"Right, 'Little Bee'." Fili's eyes lit up. "The Baron said, there are no wrong names, only wrongly used nicknames!"

"If that's the case, then..."