Demon Hunter: I have a red gourd

Chapter 25: The Halfling Who Dislikes Silver

A halfling merchant family.

Ivan scratched his head and suddenly felt that the knowledge taught by his mentors might not be completely correct.

Times are changing. We cannot look at problems in isolation, let alone a race?

Isn’t Trico Biberwit in front of us a living example?

"Trico, I admire your vision." Ivan swallowed his food and said with a hint of doubt, "However, when I was looking for your horse team, I saw the goods scattered on the ground. I really don't understand some of these things. Will anyone really buy them?"

"Oh?" The halfling raised his head and grinned, casually throwing a pigeon bone on the plate. "What are you referring to?"

"Hairy cheese, beetles, and... tree bark?"

"Hahaha, so you're talking about these things." Trico laughed out loud, "These are all treasures!"

"What do you mean?" Ivan raised his eyebrows.

"Let's talk about cheese first." Trico called his men and asked him to cut a piece from the goods he had just retrieved.

After a while, a small plate of milky white cheese was brought up. The surface of the cheese was covered with a layer of fine white hair, which looked quite scary.

Trico picked up a piece at random, put it directly into his mouth, chewed it slowly, and waved to Ivan, indicating that he should have a taste too.

Ivan looked at the halfling chewing with relish, but still hesitated and didn't dare to take action.

Although demon hunters are known to be strong and rarely suffer from diarrhea, the appearance of this thing before him was truly unappealing, and it was hard to muster up the courage to put it in his mouth.

"Don't be scared by the appearance. If you really can't accept it, you can try spreading it on bread." Trico handed over a piece of bread.

Ivan took the bread doubtfully, picked up a small piece of hair-free area with a knife, and carefully spread the paste on it.

After hesitating for a moment, Ivan frowned and took a bite.

When he first took a sip, the strong taste almost made him vomit, but then a unique salty and fragrant aroma spread in his mouth, with the unique richness of cheese and a hint of sourness, which unexpectedly complemented the bread.

Ivan doesn't like cheese, but this one tastes pretty good?

Seeing Ivan's expression, Trico laughed, "How is it? Doesn't it taste good?"

"This is white mold cheese from Skellige. It's a treasure for sailors who sail across the ocean. They believe that this cheese not only strengthens the body but also protects against wind and rain."

"The Temeria nobles have a special liking for this cheese, so when we get to Vizima, I'll sell it at a high price and it won't be hard to find a market."

Ivan gave a thumbs up and said, "I have to admit, although they don't look very beautiful, they do taste unique."

"But those beetles aren't meant to be eaten, are they?"

"Those are cochineal insects, which can be used to produce a very special red dye. Don't underestimate them; this dye is highly sought after in the market, especially among nobles and high-ranking craftsmen."

"Cloth and leather dyed with this red will appear particularly luxurious and unique. Once we reach Aedirn, these beetles will fetch more than gold."

Looking at Ivan's somewhat stunned expression, Trico chuckled softly and continued mysteriously:
"As for those seemingly insignificant pieces of bark, they are the most valuable of all my goods!"

"Just that bark? How valuable can it be?" Ivan was puzzled. Trico blinked, a hint of cunning in his eyes. "That bark is acacia bark, originally used for tanning leather, so it's not worth much."

"It might just be because of its name. There's been a rumor lately claiming that acacia bark is an excellent medicinal herb. Grinding it into powder and then soaking it in water can enhance a man's sexual performance."

"Aphrodisiac?" Ivan was a little puzzled. "I've read a lot of books about medicinal herbs, but I haven't seen any tree bark with such effects. Have you tried it yourself? Does it really work?"

"I don't have any problems like that, so of course I don't need to try it." The halfling coughed lightly. "But a friend of mine tried it, and according to him, it seems to have some effect."

"It's probably a psychological effect." Ivan commented rationally.

"None of this matters." Trico spread his hands. "As long as those nobles believe in it and are willing to pay for it, that's all that matters. Did you know that for aphrodisiac purposes, they even sought powder made from mummified corpses from ancient tombs? If vampires weren't so difficult to deal with, they would probably have tried that too. It's just some tree bark now, so what's so strange about that?"

"Oak bark can also be used for tanning leather, but acacia trees only grow in the Skellige Islands. I buy this bark from sailors and then sell it to Kaedwen. Do you know how much this bark can be sold for?"

Trico lowered his voice, "Each piece of bark can be sold for five times its weight in gold!"

"What?!" Ivan was so shocked that he almost jumped out of his seat. "Are you serious? Are those nobles crazy?"

"It's not just a noble, but primarily the King of Kaedwen, heir to the Unicorn Dynasty, King of Ard Kale, Grand Duke of Ban Ard—King Henselt—who is seeking a high price for these barks."

"Well, I really want to use a word to describe this noble king. However, it may not be polite to say it out loud."

"Don't worry, this is Temeria." Trico shrugged, "You can say whatever you want."

"Forget it. You might not understand me even if I put it in my hometown slang," Ivan said, dismissing the idea. "He's a king. Couldn't he just ask a court sorcerer to cast a spell and solve the problem? Why bother buying these useless barks?"

"Maybe I've tried everything but nothing works, so I'm trying these folk remedies as a second best option." Trico smiled and held up a finger. "Ivan, what do you think is the most important thing for a businessman?"

"Eloquence? Or brains?"

"Neither. The most important thing is information." Trico tapped the table. "For example—I know that Henselt's only son died in a hunting accident last month."

"He is already old, so it is not easy for him to have another child."

"So that's why he's so crazy about buying these secret recipes for enhancing male virility, hoping to have another child to inherit his throne?" Ivan took over the conversation appropriately.

"I understand immediately."

"Trico, I have to say it again." Ivan gave a thumbs up, "You are really a genius."

While the two were talking, the delicacies on the table had been piled up into a feast. The waiters were busy, bringing up various dishes one after another, filling the table.

Just as Ivan and Trico were laughing, a waiter in a tunic slowly came in, pushing a dining cart covered with a layer of white silk cloth and emitting an enticing aroma.

"Gentlemen, this dish is our restaurant's signature delicacy—braised white fish with vanilla and truffles. Please enjoy it."

He lifted the silk cloth, revealing an exquisite silver vessel filled with milky white fish soup, garnished with emerald green herbs and finely chopped truffle slices, which was very appetizing.

Trico suddenly screamed loudly, with a hint of anger and panic in his tone.

"Didn't I specifically tell you when I moved in that you absolutely must not use silver utensils in my room?"

(End of this chapter)