The Xinfei Merchant Guild still did nothing.
Despite everyone's doubts and confusion, the Xinfei Merchant Guild remained unmoved by outside opinion and continued at its own pace.
Although the wars had caused a sharp decline in its product sales, not everyone on the Sains Continent was caught up in the fighting. The Xinfei Merchant Guild's goods remained immensely popular in countless countries and regions, still earning it substantial profits.
Even in regions affected by war, the Xinfei Merchant Guild's various types of magic machinery remained highly sought after.
For the vast majority of merchant guilds, maintaining order and conducting normal trade in these chaotic regions was impossible.
For the Xinfei Merchant Guild, however, it was not nearly so difficult.
For one thing, its reputation on the Sains Continent far surpassed that of any other merchant guild.
Wherever the Xinfei Merchant Guild appeared, few people or organizations entertained thoughts of robbery or anything of the sort.
For another, with the powerful Xinfei Merchant Guild Guard Corps protecting it, anyone who did harbor such thoughts had virtually no chance of succeeding.
As a result, people in these war-torn areas often eagerly awaited the arrival of the Xinfei Merchant Guild's caravans.
Whenever the Xinfei Merchant Guild appeared, it meant that the surrounding area would be peaceful.
Even the armies of the Two Great Empires tacitly accepted this.
As for the rebel forces in the various regions, not one dared lay a hand on the Xinfei Merchant Guild.
With such a powerful draw, more and more commoners and even exiled nobles gathered around the Xinfei Merchant Guild. Although most were ordinary people, they also included many advanced researchers in magical science and workers with skilled expertise or knowledge of core technologies.
These were the talented people the newspapers had mentioned before.
Once they gathered