Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 236 Bloody Trade

Merchants dressed similarly to lords, but emphasized their wealth.

Of course, the other party might be concealing their identity and not displaying their family crest. But Forrest had never seen this person before, and their magical energy fluctuations were very weak, making them seem unlike a hero.

It was very likely someone from the trading city; the two sides were discussing things at the most crucial moment when they were interrupted.

Whether or not an agreement was reached is unclear.

The other party looked at Forrest carefully, slightly annoyed, and then went around to leave.

Raymond finally emerged from the house and said, "Would a friend bring cavalry into my residence? Such a visit is rather abrupt!"

Although Raymond reprimanded him, he waved his hand, dismissing the surrounding defenses, and led Forrest into the house, where he treated him well.

The table from the previous banquet had not yet been cleared away when the lizard maid quickly tidied it up. In just one minute, she set up a sumptuous fruit feast and stood by the table.

The lizard maid is about five feet tall, similar in size to a human. Her scales are the color of rainy season mossy rocks, gradually changing from peacock green on the back of her neck to olive gray at her waist. When her eyelids open and close, a nictitating membrane glides horizontally across her amber vertical pupils, and a soothing camphor leaf scent seeps from between her scales.

As expected of a renowned ship merchant in the fortress, even the maids serving guests are top-class lizardmen, a truly excellent training.

"If you take a fancy to any of them, I can let her keep you company for a few nights."

Their bodies have a unique structure and they have received professional training, allowing them to control every muscle with exquisite precision. They also have layers of soft scales inside their bodies, guaranteeing you an ecstatic experience without any worries.

So, are you interested?

Upon hearing their master's words, the lizard maids puffed out their chests and held their heads high, displaying their impressive figures. A guest who could command such attention from their master must be extremely wealthy and powerful; if they performed well, they might even receive a large reward.

Forrest, however, showed no interest: "Let's get down to business!"

Raymond waved his hand, dismissing the maids, leaving only the two heroes in the house.

"I need a lot of cursed crystals. The price is negotiable, but not too outrageous. If this works out, there will be even bigger business opportunities later."

Randall has currently obtained Cursed Crystals, primarily for strengthening the Cursed Armor. There's also the combined treasure, the Phantom Bow, which requires additional Tier 2 resources.

Su Mu wasn't looking to achieve too much at once; he wanted to take it one step at a time and see how strong Randall was.

Therefore, when Forrest said he still had business, he wasn't lying; he genuinely had large orders.

Raymond stared intently into Forrest's eyes, seemingly trying to discern the truthfulness of his words. As a ship merchant who had spent years traveling the world, he had encountered all sorts of people, and often he knew their true intentions as soon as they opened their mouths.

But Forrest is really hard to figure out. He's too sincere and too rich, yet he's not the kind of hero who can be deceived.

Perhaps he truly came with sincerity, which is why he dared to so boldly venture into the mansion alone.

"Aren't you afraid that person might be a merchant from the trading city? If they ruin their plans, be careful they might cause trouble for your Kuraki!"

Forrest scoffed, "Kuraki Trading's purpose is simply to enhance its combat strength. It would be best if it could be done, but it won't affect the final outcome if it can't."

Ultimately, this world is ruled by might, not by those who hide behind the scenes and plot.

His words were domineering, but Kuraki had the confidence to back them up. Now that Isildur had deployed troops in the north, Kuraki was still holding firm at Bear Fortress, refusing to yield an inch, which showed his attitude.

Raymond, being well-informed, naturally knew that Kuraki had previously clashed with the Trading City. He intended to use these words to put pressure on the other party, but he did not expect that Forrest did not care at all.

"Hahahaha! Those who fight on the front lines are so heroic, unlike those guys who only care about profits and are timid and hesitant."

Raymond offered a drink and explained, "Don't worry, I'm fair in business. I keep my clients' information and transaction details confidential. I wouldn't betray you for a pittance."

Although this man is a merchant from a trading city, he is actually my henchman.

I used him to trade with the trading city. The other party wanted a large amount of alchemy dust, but the price was very low, which I was not satisfied with, so we negotiated for a few days.

"Just when we were about to reach an agreement, you barged in and ruined everything. You'd better compensate me with some goods."

Just as Forrest had suspected, the Trading City and Raymond had a deal, and it was about to be finalized. Luckily, he came directly to negotiate; otherwise, it would have been too late by the time he arrived.

Raymond is indeed well-connected, even having informants in the trading city, but they're probably not high-ranking figures. The fact that he dares to speak so openly suggests the negotiations are nearly complete, and he's not afraid of Forrest interfering.

“I know you want to curse the crystal, but my supply can only produce one type of Tier 2 resource for a short time. If I give it to the other party, I can't give it to you. There's a first-come, first-served principle in business, and I can't break my promise.”

His negotiations with the Trade City must have been quite advanced and close to reaching an agreement, which is why he didn't want to see Forrest. But the other side also mentioned that the Trade City was very aggressive in lowering prices, which created a turning point.

Forrest held up one and a half fingers: "One Cursed Stone costs 15000 Cursed Power Coins!"

Raymond chuckled, "You really think Tier 2 resources are cheap stuff? This is all I have in stock, and it'll be difficult to collect more later..." Before he could finish, Forrest added, "Plus 5 logs. You know the current state of the war; besides us, the kingdom has no other suppliers who can provide logs in large quantities!"

This time, Raymond stopped smiling, his brow furrowed slightly as he carefully considered his offer.

Due to the war between the two major timber-producing countries, log resources are now extremely scarce, and prices have increased several times over. If someone is unscrupulous, they can even sell it for 10 times the price.

Even though the swamps are rich in timber, the consumption is still enormous due to special circumstances. If Raymond could transport the logs back to the Emerald Lands, it would be a great achievement.

Such strategic resources cannot be measured in money, and he was indeed tempted by them.

Raymond made a fortune from the last sale of 100 logs; the gold coins were secondary. He had intended to buy more logs from Kuraki, but the ongoing war in the north meant Forrest hadn't given his consent.

If we can get enough logs in return, we might be able to withstand the recent disaster in the swamp.

"One cursed stone adds 10 logs! I can only provide 20 cursed crystals and 5 alchemical dust, no more."

"8 logs! 30 cursed crystals, no alchemical dust needed."

Looking at Forrest's determined eyes, Raymond smiled and shook his head: "I can never get anything out of you."

Delivery may take some time, giving you some time to collect gold coins and logs.

The deal is done!

Forrest raised his arm and gave Raymond a high five, both of them smiling.

As it turns out, no deal is too difficult to break up with a high enough offer. However, given the inherent value of cursed crystals and their scarcity, some premium pricing is to be expected.

Even if the trading city tries to lower the price, it still has to offer a price of 1.5 to 2 gold coins.

Forrest felt that Raymond's reason for making the deal with the other party was probably not just about money, but that he wanted something else.

Otherwise, he could simply refuse to sell, keeping the commodity a rare commodity.

Just as Raymond was willing to trade with Kuraki, he valued more than just gold coins; he actually wanted the logs. No one else could provide him with so many logs, which made the deal possible.

The two of them were actually aware of each other's thoughts, but they just didn't say it out loud.

After sending Forrest out, Raymond pointed to the lizard-tongued archers in the distance: "These soldiers aren't there to guard against you. After I leaked intelligence last time, some people in the Emerald Lands already suspect me."

Like your kingdom, our side is not monolithic either.

However, this negotiation broke down, and it will probably be difficult to obtain intelligence from the trading city afterwards.

"Remind your lord to be careful of the forest's defenses, lest my logs be lost!"

Raymond's every word was full of meaning; he never spoke nonsense. Since he said that, it seems that someone is ultimately envious and wants to take action.

Forrest nodded, then suddenly asked, "What kind of business do you want to do with the Trading City? Can you tell me?"

Raymond smiled slightly: "It's alchemical dust, of course. It seems that the capital of Elton is also planning to repair the treasure, but they have wider channels. Even if they don't buy it from me, they can get it from the Arcane Empire."

Therefore, I'd rather sell it to you!

That made Kuraki sound like a sucker.

Forrest touched his nose, said nothing, and left the mansion with Pelayo.

Before leaving, he took a cursed crystal and left a deposit of 5, which showed some sincerity.

As Forrest walked out the door, Raymond's smile faded, replaced by a serious expression. He seemed hesitant and conflicted about the deal.

But considering the sudden natural disaster in the swamp, which could only be resolved by logs, and the fact that he could gain political prestige and substantial benefits from logs, he accepted it.

As for the trade in the trading city, let's find a way to exchange them for other resources.

Forrest is right; the ultimate goal of the trade is to increase strength. His lizard-tongued archers are not easy to train, and mass production would require a great deal of effort.

The deal fell through, and it's unlikely the team will be formed anytime soon.

However, as an animal trainer, he could try many more things, so it was not difficult for him.

War is the bloodiest and most profitable business, it always has been.

(End of this chapter)