Bartering, Waterdeep's Sincerity

Bilau returned quickly.

He hesitated before saying, "The merchants from Waterdeep want to ask whether you truly have little need for this dock and warehouse.

"If you really do not need them, would you allow them to exchange other land for them?"

Hill froze for a moment. "What do you mean? Land where?"

Bilau respectfully replied, "They said that if you only intend to invest, it would be better to exchange them directly for territory.

"The Sword Coast has developed rapidly in recent years. Any coastal land suitable for building ports that could be sold, good or bad, has basically been bought up by merchant associations like theirs.

"The merchant association that was cleared out once bought a piece of land along the Sword Coast.

"If you are interested in buying it, they can exchange it for an even larger plot nearby, whose future value will only rise.

"Otherwise, if you keep bidding like this, even if you rent out the docks at market price, you probably will not recover the cost for one or two hundred years.

"Since it will take centuries either way, you might as well gamble on the Sword Coast's future."

After thinking it over, Hill understood what the Waterdeep merchants meant. They desperately wanted the dock and warehouse, but even if they gathered the money, they would not buy them at Hill's final price.

That subordinate of Waukeen had been so enraged by Hill that his head had swollen with anger, and he only wanted to crush Hill with money.

Judging by his frenzied behavior, he was most likely not spending his own money.

In other words, it was money from Waukeen's temple, something ordinary merchants could not compete with.

But merchants did not want to do business at a loss, no matter how bright