Gurgle, gurgle—
On a narrow road flanked by two stretches of forest, a merchant caravan made up of several carriages was slowly heading toward the Land of Flame. Every carriage was loaded with goods, clearly bound for trade in the Land of Flame.
Inside the carriage in the middle sat a middle-aged man of average build, dressed in an expensive silk robe. He wore a small mustache and studied the bills on the table, a hint of contemplation in his shrewd little eyes.
Ever since the former Land of Waterfalls had been renamed the Land of Flame, the newly established Land of Flame had suddenly deepened its trade relations with neighboring countries. It not only opened multiple trade routes, but also introduced a series of preferential policies, looking every bit like it was eagerly welcoming merchants from all around.
As a result, the Land of Flame naturally attracted a large number of merchants. The frequent trade rapidly boosted the Land of Flame's economy and filled the pockets of merchants in the surrounding regions.
But after the merchants had all begun to establish themselves in the Land of Flame, some bastard at the Daimyo Palace suddenly changed the policy terms and drastically raised merchant taxes. It was not enough to keep them from making money, but it made earning it painfully difficult, giving them the illusion that they had worked their asses off only to become employees of the Land of Flame.
Yet after finally laying down roots in the Land of Flame, leaving now would be too great a loss. So they could only curse the Daimyo Palace of the Land of Flame as a bunch of unscrupulous merchants while continuing to work for them through their tears.
The man's name was Kafu. He was a merchant dealing in medicinal