Silver Seal Two

If the conversation were a duel, Yusuf held the initiative at this moment.

Previously, through a series of rapid-fire questions and answers, Yusuf had gained the upper hand in terms of momentum over Rhode.

According to Yusuf's plan, not only was his merchant group the only one heading to the City of Wailing, but the prospective traveler was a Necromancer with rather unimpressive experience. Thus, he could naturally demand a higher price.

The identity of a Necromancer inherently made it difficult for them to collude with others. However, in Yusuf's memory, there had been instances of Necromancers acting alone to harm merchant groups. Traveling with a Necromancer inherently carried risks.

Given his strength as a seasoned Warrior, Yusuf wasn't particularly afraid of the Necromancer before him, but he also didn't wish to get too entangled. Unless the Necromancer was willing to pay a hefty sum of gold, Yusuf wouldn't allow him to be a passenger.

"Two hundred gold coins, what do you think?"

Yusuf stated his estimated price.

Rhode didn't reply immediately, instead beginning to ponder a question, one he had noticed earlier.

Seeing the Necromancer before him seemingly lost in thought, Yusuf wasn't in a hurry. He simply crossed his arms, watching the Necromancer, awaiting his answer.

After a moment of waiting, Rhode concluded his thoughts and said to Yusuf, "I have a few questions, and I hope the Guild Leader can answer them for me."

"Ask away."

At this point, having waited for a long time, Yusuf was beginning to grow impatient.

Yusuf knew that the Necromancer's purpose in asking these questions was nothing more than to point out the merchant group's shortcomings and thus reduce the travel expenses. For a Necromancer to still be haggling at this point, he might as well check if he had brought enough gold.

Rhode asked, "Why is the Silver Seal Merchant Group heading to the City of Wailing?"

Upon hearing this question, Yusuf almost lost his temper, wondering why the Necromancer was asking such an obvious question.

"To conduct trade."

Rhode continued, "Since it's for trade, why are you heading to the City of Wailing at this particular time?"

Yusuf seemed not to understand and asked Rhode, "What do you mean?"

"According to the information I've gathered, wasn't there a large merchant group heading to the City of Wailing not too long ago?"

Yusuf's brow furrowed slightly. "So what?"

"A large merchant group heading to the City of Wailing, after hiring a large number of guards and seeking maximum profit, would carry a substantial amount of goods. These supplies would be enough to sustain the City of Wailing for a considerable period. This would result in extremely low profits for other merchant groups heading to the City of Wailing during that time."

Yusuf appeared not to understand and said, "What does that prove?"

"Then I must ask you, why are you choosing to head to the City of Wailing when no other merchant group is?"

Yusuf didn't answer Rhode's question directly but instead asked Rhode, "Then what about you? Two Necromancers, why are you heading to the City of Wailing at this time?"

"To participate in the war."

Rhode uttered this sentence in a surprisingly nonchalant tone, causing Yusuf's pupils to contract.

Rhode's purpose in asking Yusuf these questions was precisely to confirm one thing: whether, based on Yusuf's current intelligence, he knew that a major war was about to break out between Dya and Eri.

Although Yusuf didn't answer Rhode directly, his reaction clearly indicated that he possessed intelligence about this war.

Regarding the war intelligence, Yusuf would naturally not reveal any information until he confirmed whether the Necromancer before him was aware of it.

What surprised Yusuf was that, during his own efforts to gather intelligence on the war, he had paid a hefty sum to an old friend to confirm some matters. Coupled with his own analysis, he was still only half-convinced. Yet, the Necromancer before him clearly believed this war was imminent.

Having reconfirmed his intelligence from the Necromancer before him, Yusuf's resolve strengthened considerably.

Yusuf said to Rhode, "As you know, with the impending war, the City of Wailing will have a great demand for basic supplies. Transporting weapons to the Necromancer faction will naturally yield greater profits."

Rhode replied, "Since you can get news of the war, can't other merchant groups? If war is about to break out, and the City of Wailing is the only large town on the border of Dya, large merchant groups from all over will be transporting supplies to the City of Wailing, and the price of weapons will actually decrease."

"As far as I know, the Silver Seal Merchant Group is just a small merchant group of about twenty people. How can you compete with large merchant groups, which often have hundreds of people, in transporting supplies?"

"Coupled with the risks encountered when crossing the border, especially during wartime, the border is teeming with numerous bandits and plunderers from various races. If you were merely transporting weapons, the gold you earned might not even cover your guards' fees."

"The goods your merchant group is transporting are likely more than just simple weapons, aren't they?"

With each sentence Rhode spoke, Yusuf's expression grew more somber. By the end, Yusuf's face had completely darkened, but he still remained silent.

Rhode continued, "From the moment I entered this tent, I sensed something was amiss. There's an aura in this tent that feels very familiar to me..."

Rhode extended his left hand, palm open, and said, "The goods you are truly transporting are this, aren't they?"

Yusuf looked down and saw a rough, dark-colored crystal lying in Rhode's palm. It was the Soul Crystal that Rhode had obtained in the crypt.

"Large merchant groups, due to the abundance of goods they transport, would not carry many Soul Crystals for the sake of stability. Other small merchant groups lack your boldness to purchase a large quantity of Soul Crystals immediately upon sensing the war."

As Rhode's words fell, Yusuf chuckled.

"This is merely your speculation. Moreover, I imagine the other members of the merchant group would not welcome a Necromancer."

After uttering these words, which sounded like an order to leave, Yusuf stood up. He no longer looked at Rhode or the Vampire and walked towards the back of the tent.

"How much gold do you think the Thieves Guild would pay for this information?"

Yusuf instantly understood Rhode's meaning and abruptly turned back, looking at Rhode, who was still seated.

A large quantity of Soul Crystals, once successfully transported to Dya, could be sold for several times the price once the war arrived.

To this end, upon confirming the war, Yusuf had used all of his merchant group's savings to purchase Soul Crystals and then quickly headed to Dya.

Yusuf had found a way to keep it a secret from his subordinates. Apart from a few trusted individuals, no one else knew what this shipment truly was. This was to prevent leaks and avoid being ambushed by bandits and Necromancers.

If he had delayed any longer and the war intelligence had been confirmed, all trade routes would have become chaotic. Without high-level guards, it would not have been easy to reach the City of Wailing safely.

If news of Yusuf transporting Soul Crystals leaked, before he even reached the City of Wailing, he would be ambushed and killed by bandits, and even formal Necromancers would try to seize them.

"You..."

"I just want to go to the City of Wailing." Looking at Yusuf's troubled expression, Rhode said.