Evil Red Dragon

Inside the Old Oak Inn, Goron was making final preparations.

"Batu, Bren, the four of you are in charge of furs. Kargath, come with me to the potions shop."

"Captain, I heard some news at the market today."

At this moment, Batu suddenly said:

"The merchants in town are all talking about how a caravan has passed by the envoy group. They're not far away and should arrive by tomorrow afternoon."

"So fast?!"

Goron felt a chill run down his spine.

The arrival of an envoy often meant martial law, making it difficult to even leave the city, which was extremely detrimental to their operations.

He made a decisive decision:

"Plans changed, we'll finish this quickly."

"Go to the market first thing tomorrow morning and sell as much as you can before noon. In the afternoon, buy food and medicine and leave the city before 6 p.m.

"Is it too late?" Kargath asked worriedly.

"We must make it in time."

Goron's gaze swept over the crowd:

"If things don't look good, evacuate immediately. Rag and his men will meet us outside the town. As long as we can get out of the city, we'll have a chance."

Everyone nodded, their expressions serious.

"Go and rest, everyone, and get some rest."

Goron walked to the window and looked out at the street in the night.

The town of Graystone was dotted with lights, seemingly peaceful, but he could sense an undercurrent of tension.

The orc's intuition told him that something was brewing in this town.

The frosty moon hangs high, and human voices are few and far between.

For some, this night is destined to be sleepless.

At a temporary camp ten miles outside the town, a dozen tents were arranged in a circle.

Inside the largest tent in the center, a young woman in a black dress with silver trim is reading a letter.

The flickering lights cast her silhouette onto the curtain.

The surroundings were quiet, with the occasional soft rustling of the night wind through the tent.

The girl's gaze moved slowly across the paper, her brows sometimes furrowing and sometimes relaxing.

A moment later, she gently folded the letter, put it in her bosom, got up and walked to the tent flap. She lifted the curtain and looked out at the desolate wilderness shrouded in frost and moonlight, the wind ruffling her silver hair.

"The Red Dragon, Your Highness..."

The guard knights marched in, bowed respectfully, and reported to their superiors:

"Commander Isa, the outpost reports that everything is normal. Baron Odo has received the message and is preparing to receive you."

Isa nodded absentmindedly: "Okay, I understand."

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, a thin mist still lingered over the streets.

Goron and his companions had already gotten up. They recounted the remaining goods, put on cloaks to conceal themselves, and left the inn quietly.

Early risers had already begun setting up their goods along both sides of the street.

The sound of hammering came from the blacksmith's shop, and the aroma of wheat wafted from the bakery.

Goron and his group split into two groups and proceeded according to plan.

Batu and Bren took all the furs to the market area on the south side of the main street, which was the center for trading furs and leather goods.

Goron then led Kargath toward the potions shop in the center of town.

When Batu and his four beasts arrived at the market, the sun had just risen, and sunlight shone on the stone slabs.

Merchants have begun setting up stalls in the market, hanging up various animal hides and furs.

The merchant they had inquired with yesterday was nowhere to be found. After discussing it, the four of them chose a corner and neatly stacked the furs into a stall.

Most of these come from level one and level two monsters, and their fur is glossy and thick.

They deliberately placed several of their best-quality furs on top, immediately attracting the attention of passersby.

Less than half an hour later, a plump middle-aged businessman jogged over.

He glanced at it for a few moments, then squatted down and carefully touched a grizzly bear fur coat.

"Um……"

The merchant squinted, his fingers twirling between the fur:

"It's very well preserved, the fur is smooth, and there's no obvious damage... Was it recently treated?"

Batu replied in broken Mandarin, "Yes, I took a taxi on the way to escape."

The merchant looked up, glanced at Batu and Bren's tall figures, a knowing glint in his eyes, but did not say anything.

In border towns, as long as the goods are good, no one will investigate further.

"I'll take them all."

The businessman stood up and clapped his hands: "Name your price."

Batu and Bren exchanged a glance and quoted a figure slightly lower than the market price:

"Level 1 leather costs 8 gold coins, Level 2 costs 25, and Level 3 costs 60."

The merchant raised an eyebrow, but did not accept it immediately. Instead, he squatted down and examined it several more times, paying particular attention to the level-three monster hides.

"No inferior potions were used, and there's very little magic residue... Here's the deal: 10 gold coins for level 1 leather, 30 for level 2, and 65 for level 3, but it has to be all of this kind, I'll cover it all."

The price was nearly 20% higher than they had expected.

Batu was secretly delighted, but outwardly he feigned hesitation. After whispering a few words to Bren, he turned to the merchant and nodded.

"make a deal."

The merchant smiled with satisfaction and beckoned two assistants over to check the goods.

He then pulled out several money pouches from his pocket, counting the money as he casually asked:

"These furs are of really good quality, especially these few from level three magical beasts... Where did you get them? That forest to the north hasn't been peaceful lately."

Batu replied simply, "It's a secret."

The businessman paused for a moment, then laughed and didn't ask any more questions.

He had long been accustomed to this kind of avoidance because he had dealt with all sorts of adventurers and wanderers.

"Okay, okay, I won't ask anymore. The money is here, 950 gold coins in total. Click it."

Batu took the money bag, counted it roughly, and, finding the amount correct, nodded his thanks to the merchant.

The merchant instructed his assistant to pack up the furs and move them away, but before leaving, he turned back and whispered a reminder:

"Judging from your appearance, you must be in a hurry for money, right? Take my advice, leave Graystone Town as soon as possible after the transaction. A big shot from the capital is coming in the next couple of days, the town is under martial law, and the patrols are checking things closely, so it's not convenient for you to stay for long."

Batu felt a chill run down his spine; this was exactly what they were most worried about.

He nodded calmly, "Thank you."

"If you have any more stock next time, you can come directly to my shop, Beifeng Leather, in the center of town. Prices are negotiable..."

The merchant waved his hand and disappeared into the crowd of people in the market with his assistants and goods.

Batu and Bren quickly put away their money bags, exchanged a glance, and both saw a sense of relief in each other's eyes.

I didn't expect the transaction to go so smoothly, and the price was quite ideal.

The four beasts dared not linger, lowered their hat brims, and quickly returned to the inn.

Meanwhile, Goron and Kargath entered the Evergreen Potions Shop located in the center of town.

A two-story stone and wood building with a brown wooden plaque hanging above the door, engraved with the name of a medicine bottle.

The store is spacious, with dozens of labeled potion shelves along the walls and instruction manuals on the long table in the center.

Behind the counter sat an elderly man with gray hair, carefully placing a fluorescent blue night-blooming cereus into a crystal bottle.

Hearing the doorbell ring softly, the old man looked up, glanced at Goron and Kargath, and nodded slightly.

"Welcome! What would you two like?"

Goron stepped forward, took out 12 square wooden boxes, and arranged them in a row on the counter:

"We have some medicinal herbs and magical plants that we'd like to sell."

He opened the wooden box, where magical plants and herbs were neatly arranged.

Five Grade 1 Crimson Flame Flowers, three Grade 1 Ground Golden Mushrooms, ten Grade 1 Silver Leaf Mint plants...

All materials have undergone simple processing, retaining a significant portion of their activity.

The old man looked in surprise at the row of wooden boxes on the counter.

So many?!

He gently picked up a Crimson Flame Flower, brought it to his nose to sniff it, and then used tweezers to part the petals to examine the stamen:

"It's well preserved, with very little magic loss..."

They then checked the other materials in turn, especially the golden needle mushrooms.

He took out a magnifying glass and carefully examined the patterns on the umbrella canopy:

"The veins are clear and continuous, indicating it was harvested at maturity; it's a rare find... Where did you get it?"

"In the mountains."

Goron brushed it off vaguely, then asked, "What price are you willing to offer?"

The old man put down his tools:

"Crimson Flame Flowers are priced at 20 gold coins per plant on the market, but yours are of superior quality, so I'll give you 30 gold coins per plant. Silver Mint is 10 gold coins per plant. As for the Ground Mushroom..."

He thought for a moment, then continued:

"These kinds of magical plants are usually in high demand but short supply, but the demand in Graystone Town is limited. I can only give you 50 gold coins for one, but I want all three... The rest of the miscellaneous herbs will cost a total of 400 gold coins."

This price was slightly higher than Kula's estimate, but he didn't show it on his face, only saying in a deep voice:

"Ground mushrooms are rare, costing 60 gold coins each."

The old man frowned: "55 gold coins, that's the highest price. These kinds of magical plants require special preservation, and I'd be taking a risk if I resold them."

Goron and Kargath exchanged glances, and finally nodded: "Deal."

The old man smiled, carefully put the magical plant away, and then opened a drawer to count out gold coins:

"A total of 415 gold coins, please count them."

Goron didn't take the gold coins, but instead asked:

"How much are the healing potions in your store?"

The old man was taken aback, then his smile widened.

「我这六级治疗药水都有，保证您喝下去就死不了，价格方面：一级20金币、二级60、三级100、四级200、五级500、六级1500，您要多少？」

Goron felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this.

These alchemists could have just robbed it.

He forced himself to say, "I want 20 bottles of Grade A."

"it is good."

The old man swiftly pushed out 15 gold coins and 20 bottles of healing potions.

Goron immediately put it into his dimensional bag.

The transaction was completed smoothly, and Goron relaxed a little, only to see Kargas staring at the display shelf on one side of the counter.

There were several magical plants planted in small ceramic pots on display, one of which, a Fireheart Flower, was entirely crimson with flowers as fiery as fire.

"Are you interested in this magical plant?"

The old man noticed Kargath's gaze:

"Fireheart Flower thrives in hot and dry environments. If properly cultivated, it can produce a leaf containing fire element every month, making it a good raw material for cold-resistant agents and flame enchantments."

Kargath's eyes lit up as he looked at Goron.

Goron paused for a moment.

The territory has a dragon realm and magma environment, with temperatures far exceeding those of ordinary places; perhaps it really is possible to grow things there.

He asked, "How much?"

"Live plants are quite troublesome, requiring special soil and a constant-temperature magic array to maintain them... but you don't seem like long-term residents."

The old man took out a leather notebook from under the counter and turned to a certain page:

"I have improved seeds that are more tolerant and have a germination rate of about 30%. There are 20 seeds in a bag, and I'll give you a discount: 15 gold coins."

Kargath whispered to Goron:

"Lord Kula mentioned that if we come across suitable magical plant seeds, we can sell some."

Goron didn't hesitate any longer and paid for a bag of seeds.

The old man gave them an extra small bag of ash soil, which was a growing medium mixed with volcanic ash and humus.

In the end, all 415 gold coins were returned intact.

Just as the two were about to leave, a commotion broke out outside the shop.

A troop of cavalrymen in silver armor were seen marching along the street, with the leader holding a high banner embroidered with the royal emblem.

Pedestrians scrambled to make way, exclaiming in surprise:

"My God! The Silver Knights?! What are they doing here?!"

The old man's expression changed slightly, and he said in a low voice:

"If you two have nothing else to do, it would be best to leave town as soon as possible. Starting today, the entire town is under martial law, and patrols will be checking all unfamiliar faces."

Goron's heart tightened, and he quickly pulled Kargath away through the back door.

"Let's go back and wait for them. Once we buy the grain, we'll leave the city immediately!"

At 11 a.m., Goron returned to the hotel and met up with Batu and the others.

The total income was 950 gold coins, enough to buy a large amount of food.

"Go buy some food now."

They immediately set off for the grain store.

However, they encountered trouble.

"Sorry, we're not selling grain."

The grain store owner shook his head:

"The mayor has ordered that all grain sales be temporarily suspended."

"We can pay more."

Goron tried to win him over.

"No means no."

The shop owner was adamant: "Don't bother asking at other shops, it's the same all over town."

Sure enough, when they asked three different grain stores, they received the same answer.

Goron's expression grew increasingly grim.

We have money, but we haven't been able to buy any food. Does this mean our trip was for nothing?

"Captain, what do we do?"

"Kagaz asked anxiously."

Goron pondered for a moment, then suddenly thought of something:

"Go to the black market."

"black market?"

Kargath was taken aback.

"There must be a black market in this kind of town."

Goron said firmly, "Come with me."

They turned into a secluded alley.

Goron casually stopped a homeless man who was not weak and handed him a gold coin.

"I want to buy something special, do you know how?"

The homeless man sized them up, then grinned.

"Hey! Orc? Follow me."

He led them through a maze of alleyways until they arrived at an unassuming wooden door.

After three long knocks and two short ones, the door opened a crack.

"A distinguished guest has arrived."

The homeless man shouted inside.

The door opened fully, and a short, stout man appeared in the doorway.

He glanced at Goron and the others: "Come in."

The room was filled with all sorts of goods, from weapons and medicines to food and contraband.

Goron was overjoyed, knowing he had found the right place.

"What do you want? How much do you want?"

The short, stout man asked directly.

"Enough dried meat for 500 people for three months."

Goron reported the numbers.

Considering that there are now more than two hundred people in Chifeng, this number can only barely sustain them, but it is better than nothing.

The short, stout man was startled: "You guys have such big appetites?"

"Can't you just leave it alone?"

"Hey, if I didn't know who you are, I really wouldn't dare to sell."

The short, fat man did the math:

"Food is in short supply right now, and the price is double the market price. Five hundred people for three months... 900 gold coins."

"Too expensive." Goron frowned.

"This is the price; take it or leave it."

The short, stout man shrugged: "With the arrival of the princess, the whole town is under martial law. Goods can't be transported in, so this is all the stock we have."

Goron knew that what the other person said was true.

He gritted his teeth: "Deal, but you have to deliver it outside of town."

The short, stout man said, "Sure, but you'll have to pay an extra 50 gold coins."

Goron cursed humanity's greed inwardly, but still paid and asked, "When? Where?"

Time was of the essence, and they had no choice.

"A caravan will be leaving at dusk. I can arrange for you to be mixed in with the goods."