Upon seeing the newcomers, the merchants respectfully made way for them.
The speaker was the goatee-bearded merchant, who stroked his beard and slowly walked to the front of the stage.
The merchant, Muhadi, was a senior member of the Commercial Federation and one of the top grain merchants in the Sea of Corruption Kingdoms, renowned for his business dealing in various wines and high-end foods.
This person has a well-known "hobby" that causes many of his colleagues a secret headache - he loves to show off his knowledge and enjoys talking to his colleagues.
But given his status, grain merchants who needed his help not only had to hear those "little-known facts" they had heard dozens of times before, but also had to pretend to be amazed.
Just now, he was giving his "brilliant insights" to several business partners, enjoying the attention and compliments of everyone.
Unexpectedly, the Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind booth suddenly attracted the attention of most of the onlookers, which was undoubtedly a slap in the face for Muhadi and made him unhappy.
What amazing new and amazing things could the Valley of the Valley of the Wind, a mere agricultural nation producing basic food, possibly come up with?
He can even master special vegetable varieties that Muhadi has never seen before? What a joke!
He wanted to see what gave the people of Valley of the Wind such confidence to dare steal the limelight right under his nose.
This is also a good opportunity to teach these "country bumpkins" a lesson, letting them know who the real experts with a voice are in the International Confederation of Wizards's sphere.
When Muhadi approached the counter, Trudeau immediately greeted him with a smile.
He naturally recognized this important figure, and although he didn't have a good impression of such pretentious people, he had to maintain appearances.
"Since Your Excellency Muhadi is interested in tasting it first, please do so. It would be a good opportunity for you to check out our new product." He gestured to the waiter beside him to hand over a glass of clear, bright grape juice with an enticing purplish-red hue.
Muhadi gave a soft snort as a response.
He smiled as he took the grape juice, first gently swirling it in the light filtered through the tent ceiling to observe its color and how it clung to the sides of the glass, before finally bringing the rim of the glass to his lips and taking a small, extremely reserved sip.
In short, his movements were as elegant as possible, his posture as professional as possible, and he spent as much time savoring the moment as possible, fully demonstrating his "aristocratic taste connoisseur" style.
Trudeau's confident smile remained unchanged.
He had absolute confidence in the quality of the Blessed Crops, believing that this deliciousness could conquer anyone's taste buds.
"Pooh!"
However, Muhadi's expression changed, and he spat the grape juice in his mouth onto the ground, revealing an undisguised look of disgust.
Trudeau's smile froze.
"I can't believe that Valley of the Wind, renowned for its high-quality wines, would dare to openly sell this kind of stuff at a joint exhibition. It's simply—outrageous!"
He raised his chin, his gaze sweeping over the gradually gathering crowd, and said in the tone of someone educating the ignorant, "Truly fine wine must have just the right amount of acidity and astringency, followed by layers of tannins and fruity aromas—that's the kind of fine wine that nobles appreciate!"
"But what else is this stuff besides cloying sweetness? It lacks any complexity or character, a complete drop from your previous brewing standards, which is a real shame!"
Trudeau was a little confused; he wondered what grudge he had against Muhadi.
Even some of the wines produced in previous years by Valley of the Wind were sold through his channels.
What kind of show is this today?
Despite his anger, Trudeau forced a smile again and tried to explain, "Mr. Muhadi, you misunderstand. This is a newly launched beverage, Blessed Grape Juice. If you would like to order wine, you can make a reservation in advance, and it will be available next year during the Awakening Season—"
"A reservation? Next year?" Muhadi interrupted him rudely. "You dare to come to the trade fair and shout about things without even having any decent stock? I think you're trying to get something for nothing and swindle deposits, aren't you?"
"And I can tell you, no nobleman of taste would enjoy this kind of sweet soup!"
Upon hearing this, the merchants who had been observing from the sidelines, including many who regularly purchased wine from the Valley of the Wind, immediately began to discuss among themselves.
"Lord Muhadi is a renowned wine connoisseur. If he says it's bad, then I'm afraid—"
"Yes, Muhadi's judgment is probably correct."
"Wine has always been sold to wealthy nobles and businessmen from various countries. If the quality declines, won't our orders just go to waste?"
No one doubts Muhadi's assessment; he has cultivated an "authoritative" image in this circle too well.
His denial is a fatal blow to a place like Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, which relies on agricultural products.
Trudeau's face darkened completely, and he wanted to rebuke the other party for talking nonsense.
But he swallowed the words back down his throat.
The other party wields real power within the chamber of commerce and can influence many matters, including booth allocation, tax reductions, and even trade licenses.
The Valley of the Wind has come with the important mission of acquiring technology. If they completely offend Muhadi here, it could create countless troubles later on.
Just as Trudeau was caught in a dilemma, a gentle voice rang out. "Mr. Muhadi is right."
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Nausicaä, who had been standing quietly behind Trudeau, slowly stepping forward.
"This unfermented grape juice, in terms of flavor and complexity, naturally cannot compare with top-quality wines that have matured over time."
"Mr. Muhadi's standards for appreciating fine wine are indeed a level that it cannot currently reach." She first gave him a way out.
Muhadi snorted, unmoved.
He wasn't looking for trouble for no reason; his purpose in coming here today was to showcase his new wine.
And Valley of the Wind naturally changed from a partner to an opponent that needed to be defeated.
Seeing that the other party's attitude remained unchanged, Nausicaä immediately changed the subject. "However, you seem to have misunderstood its positioning. Blessed Grape Juice was never intended to be sold to nobles from the beginning."
Wasn't it sold to nobles?
These words startled everyone around, including Muhadi.
In the kingdoms of the Sea of Corruption, those with the purchasing power and willingness to pay exorbitant prices for enjoyment are mainly nobles of all ranks, wealthy merchants, and adventurers.
Ordinary people struggle to even have enough to eat; who would spend a fortune on such a "luxury" drink?
Nausicaä, seemingly oblivious to the confusion on everyone's faces, calmly explained, "The cultivation cost of this new type of grape is far lower than that of ordinary grapes, but the fruit produced has a high sugar content and a rich flavor."
"Therefore, we hope to create an affordable everyday beverage that everyone can afford."
She paused for a moment before dropping the crucial information. "So, its price is—only two Gold Snake Coin per standard barrel."
Two Gold Snake Coin? A bucket?!
"How is this possible?"
"Even the most basic grape juice on the market costs six or seven Gold Snake Coin per barrel!"
Exclamations erupted immediately.
Even with ancient hydroponics techniques, fruit remains an absolute luxury in this desert, and the price is lower than anyone could possibly understand.
Muhadi's face showed astonishment. What a joke!
Even for his own Liquid Field, the initial costs of harvesting and juicing alone far exceed this amount. How could Valley of the Wind possibly lower the price so much?
unless----
"Absurd! You're using the worst quality, rotten fruit, to extract the juice and pass it off as high-quality fruit, flooding the market with low prices. This is the most despicable and shameless business practice!"
"This stuff is absolutely inedible!"
Muhadi panicked.
He had personally tasted the grape juice.
If such an inexpensive and delicious product were to enter the market, what kind of impact would it have on his high-end wines that rely on their "aristocratic" Rings of Light to maintain their high prices?
Faced with Muhadi's furious accusations, Nausicaä did not argue, but simply raised her hand slightly again.
Several Blessed Warrior and caravan members were already prepared and immediately began distributing small wooden cups filled with grape juice to every curious merchant around them.
Whether it's good or bad, I'd like you all to try it yourselves. I believe you'll have your own judgment.
Her voice carried a power that compelled people to believe her. The merchants took the wooden cups one after another, and subconsciously put the purplish-red liquid in their mouths. In an instant, the rich and irresistible aroma of fresh grapes exploded in their mouths and noses!
The juice is sweet upon entry, with just the right amount of refreshing sensation. After the sweet juice slides down the throat, it leaves only a lingering, refreshing aftertaste, without any stickiness or strange artificial flavoring.
Almost everyone wore expressions of surprise, reminiscence, or even enjoyment to varying degrees.
No further explanation was needed; people understood everything.
The quality of Blessed Grape Juice is absolutely worth its price, and even far exceeds expectations.
Muhadi's comments about it being "sweet to the point of being cloying" and "of inferior quality" are completely unfounded and defamatory!
Seeing the change in the expressions of those around him, Muhadi's face turned a deep shade of liver.
He knew his accusations about the quality were untenable, so he changed his approach and continued his attack, "Hmph! So what if the taste is passable? True nobles would utterly disdain such cheap goods; only those ignorant commoners who only know how to satisfy their appetites would like them!"
"Mr. Muhadi."
A suffocating aura emanated from Nausicaä, causing Muhadi was still chattering incessantly, to instinctively fall silent.
"Do you think only expensive goods qualify as 'respectable business'? Is it wrong to make delicious food accessible to ordinary people?"
Facing the merchants around her who were listening intently, she slowly said, " The Valley of the Wind believes that the significance of trade lies not only in reaping huge profits, but also in circulating goods and enriching people's lives."
"Nobles have their own enjoyment, and commoners should also have their own life; these are not contradictory."
"Judging a product's quality solely from its positioning is a viewpoint that I believe the vast majority of people in the Sea of Corruption' community would disagree with."
Muhadi's face flushed and paled in turns; he was arrogant, but not stupid.
I've already lost this debate, which was started on a whim.
Any rebuttal at this moment would seem weak and ineffective, and might even damage his reputation.
In the end, Muhadi could only glare at Nausicaä, turn around, push through the crowd, and leave quickly, not even bothering to greet the merchants who had been with him.
As soon as Muhadi left, the atmosphere at the scene immediately relaxed.
Immediately afterward, the merchants who had tasted the grape juice and heard Nausicaä's words began to inquire with enthusiastic smiles, "Miss, how much grape juice do you have in stock? I'd like to order fifty barrels first!"
"I want a hundred barrels!"
Does Valley of the Wind have any other products made from this " Blessed Crops "? Could I see a sample?
"Please tell me about shipping and shelf life----"
Trudeau looked at the scene before him, his anxiety subsided slightly.
If it weren't for the princess's intervention, even if the Blessed Grape Juice was of the highest quality, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind would still have been labeled as "not as advertised".
Although it still offended Muhadi, it earned a good reputation for being "high-quality and affordable" and "caring for the people".
"Truly worthy of being called a princess."