A group of lords was preparing to hunt Giants to win a lady's heart.
Leading their Battle Servants, they swept through the territory buying supplies.
John watched them and cast a meaningful glance at the Black Fortress.
"This counts as an indirect way of stimulating spending."
During the Great Winter, food was the true hard currency.
Those "Noble Blacks" used rare treasures and food to recruit men and secure supplies.
Tos had been in low spirits ever since leaving the fortress.
John, however, had no time to worry about him.
Thanks to those "Noble Blacks," the town gates had reopened.
Herds of thick-furred elk had two oil lamps hanging from their antlers, one on each side.
The animal oil was extracted from a fatty species of fish beneath the glaciers. It could be rubbed onto the skin to prevent frostbite or used as fuel.
A fingernail-sized cube of fish oil could burn for half an hour.
It was a highly efficient oil unique to Niflheim.
John took a piece as well. A beer keg's worth of fish oil would be enough to burn for a month.
"I could take this back and make it widely available."
John thought of more uses for the fish oil.
He had Tos take him to buy more.
"A-all of it?"
The fish oil shopkeeper's jaw dropped when he heard that.
John took out gold, which also counted as hard currency in the Nine Realms.
One large chunk of gold bought all the fish oil in the shop.
An entire cartload of fish oil left Tos in a quandary.
"We'll need two Horned Beasts to haul this away," Tos said.
"There's no need for all that trouble." John tapped an oil barrel with his Wand.
Under Tos's incredulous gaze, the barrels rose into the air