Xu Yi had no idea what had happened on the border between the Rulson Kingdom and the Candel Empire, but after autumn began, the Rulson Kingdom suddenly placed a large new order for military magic machinery with the Xinfei Merchant Guild, putting him on his guard.
Although the Rulson Kingdom had long been purchasing military magic machinery from the Xinfei Merchant Guild in large quantities, and had always hoped to receive the same supply quota as the Lampari Kingdom, it had previously shown some restraint rather than making demands without limit.
This time, however, the Rulson Kingdom had raised the level of military magic machinery it wanted. Instead of mainly requesting magic repeating crossbows and a small number of infantry magic rocket launchers, it now primarily wanted infantry magic rocket launchers, along with large quantities of more advanced military magic machinery such as magic cannons and magic rockets.
Moreover, to ensure that the Xinfei Merchant Guild would agree to its terms, the delegation the Rulson Kingdom had privately sent to negotiate had offered three conditions that the guild could hardly refuse.
The first was to open the Rulson Kingdom's mineral market completely to the Xinfei Merchant Guild, removing all quota restrictions on the guild's purchases of minerals within the kingdom.
The second was to allow the Xinfei Merchant Guild to invest directly in the Rulson Kingdom's mines, permitting limited controlling stakes and a degree of independent management.
The third was to further reduce the Rulson Kingdom's tariffs on the Xinfei Merchant Guild's various magic machinery products, and to establish a duty-free trade zone in the Azshara Tribe's territory, not far from the Stantin Duchy Border with the Rulson Kingdom. All magic machinery products made by the Xinfei Merchant Guild and sold there would be completely exempt from tariffs.
He had