A few days later, Long Wang called me back to the dungeon. I returned, along with Sylvie and Silvia because they wanted to be kept in the loop. The next thing I knew, we were in the bar. The bartenders were a Lantern Fish in a tuxedo, using his fins to prepare drinks and polish glasses, as well as a couple of Construction Crabs, their pincers allowing them carry cups around and handle the blenders. I waved at them when I came in.
"Hey, guys. You guys doing all right?"
They replied positively, which was always good to see. After exchanging greetings with them, I raised my head when I heard Long Wang call out to me.
"Over here, my lord."
"Oh, hey. Thanks." I approached him, with Sylvie and Silvia in tow. Long Wang was standing by the counter, his head bowed slightly before he introduced me to the hooded dude who was seated. He was wearing a dark brown cloak that covered his entire body, revealing a roughly humanoid silhouette, but emanating an enigmatic air. when he slightly turned his cowl to look at me, I realized that I couldn't make out any features. It was almost as if his entire face was the shadows within the hood, with only a pair of glowing red eyes floating within.
"This is the Merchant," Long Wang introduced the fellow. "He deals in trading for information and other rare items and valuable treasures that can be found throughout the Celestial Labyrinth."
"Information is considered valuable treasures too," the Merchant said. His voice was ghostly, a soft yet clearly audible whisper that crawled throughout the bar, echoing almost everywhere and nowhere at once. I felt a chill run down my spine when I heard him.
"True enough. What would you offer in exchange for information?"
"It depends on what kind of information you want," the Merchant replied. He gestured at Long Wang. "From what I hear from your butler, you desire intelligence regarding a rival dungeon master's army disposition and strength."
"Yeah."
"Then have a seat and we can discuss further."
"Okay." I took a seat beside him, and beckoned for Sylvie and Silvia to sit down too. When I saw that Long Wang was still standing, I waved at him. "Relax, Long Wang. Take a seat and enjoy a drink or two while we discuss."
"I'm not sure that would be appropriate, my lord."
"Of course it is. You've worked hard and brought the Merchant here. Take it as a sign of gratitude. And you know I don't like all that formalism. You can relax."
"I understand."
The Merchant chuckled dryly as he watched me. He shook his head. "You are…as interesting as I heard you are. Your butler already described your personality somewhat, but it is refreshing to see a dungeon master who is so casual with his subordinates, and so…humble."
"Humility is a virtue," I replied with a shrug. "Also, you're mistaken. They aren't my subordinates. They are my comrades. I mean, sure, I'm taking on the leadership role and giving commands, but I don't believe I'm superior to them. More than anybody, I realize that I am nothing without them."
"Indeed." The Merchant nodded simply before glancing at the Lantern Fish bartender, who slid over.
"What would you like to drink? It's on me, since you're a guest here."
"Pumpkin spiced latte," the Merchant replied. I nodded at the Lantern Fish bartender before turning to Long Wang and the fairy sisters.
"You guys order your drinks too. It's on me today."
"Really?" Silvia brightened up.
"Is that all right?" Sylvie asked. I nodded.
"Then I'll not be so reserved, my lord," Long Wang said. I simply laughed and waved at the menu to indicate that he should order.
"What about you, sir?" The Lantern Fish bartender asked me. "The usual?"
"Yeah, the usual."
"Understood. I'll blend you your fresh mango juice then." He gestured to the Construction Crabs with his fins, and one of them moved to the blender.
While we waited for our drinks, the Merchant began.
"First off, I should inform you that I am a neutral party. That means I only provide information, but you should not expect me to intervene in the wars between dungeon masters. I will not take sides, nor will I favor any one dungeon master. I will only provide information in an equal trade. Is that understood?"
"Understood. It's not like I will threaten you to fight for me or something. Do you think I'm a Korean protagonist?"
The Merchant chuckled. At that moment, the Lantern Fish bartender returned with our drinks. A pumpkin spiced latte for him, a couple of sodas for Sylvie and Silvia, and a glass of wine for Long Wang. Not forgetting my mango juice. I smiled as I accepted my cup of mango juice.
"Thanks, guys. I appreciate it."
My Lantern Fish bartender did a salute while the two construction crabs waved their pincers in friendly response. The Merchant appeared to raise an eyebrow, except that he didn't seem to have any eyebrows so it was just a twitch of one of his glowing red eyes. He then sipped the pumpkin spiced latte and let out a contented sigh.
"This is amazing."
"Thanks. I'm glad you like it." I also enjoyed my mango juice. Long Wang swirled the wine in his glass before downing it in one gulp, while Sylvie and Silvia sucked on straws. "You can say the pumpkin beverages here are my dungeon's specialty."
"Yes. I haven't had anything like this before. It's excellent." The Merchant drank another mouthful of the pumpkin spiced latte before he returned to the topic. "Secondly, there are some information that even I cannot provide, so as to maintain my neutrality. I can provide you information regarding the Flood Dragons' forces and abilities as long as you can offer an equal trade, but I cannot give you the specific location of the Flood Dragon Dungeon. Of course, this means that I cannot tell the Flood Dragons where your dungeon is located either, no matter how much they offer to pay me."
"That's totally fine."
"If you want to find the location of your rivals' dungeons, you will have to find them yourself."
"Understood." Fortunately, my Phantom Stumps and Ghost Pumpkins excelled in scouting and exploring. Being ghost type spirit beasts, they could slip into the darkest and most shadowy places without being detected, and they were immune to physical attacks. Only elemental attacks could hurt them, and they could quickly escape if drawn into an unfavorable encounter. It was only a matter of time before they discovered the precise location of the Flood Dragon Dungeon, so I wasn't worried.
"Thirdly, you must understand that I'm neutral. So while you can buy information regarding the Flood Dragons or other dungeons from me, the same is true for them. So do not hold it against me if I give them information regarding you and your dungeon, except the specific location, when they pay the appropriate price."
"I understand. That's fair."
Obviously, I couldn't be the only dungeon master who benefited from the services of the Merchant. I knew the principles that they would abide to, and I didn't hold a grudge against them for that. Instead, I focused on how I could benefit from the Merchant's services, rather than complaining about them selling the same thing to my rivals.
"So what do you want in exchange for information regarding the Flood Dragons' strength and army disposition?"
"Hmm…" The Merchant thought for a moment, studying the pumpkin spiced latte before taking another gulp. He then made a decision, turning to stare at me with those ominous red eyes. "Two pumpkin spiced latte, and two iced pumpkin coffees, takeaway."
"Sure," I automatically replied and nodded to my Lantern Fish bartender. "Please prepare what he asked."
"Roger that, sir."
"Excellent." The Merchant watched my Lantern Fish bartender leave to prepare the drinks with the Construction Crabs, then he returned his eerie gaze to me. "I can tell you that the Flood Dragon army has over a thousand regular Flood Dragon soldiers, all of which are Yellow Ranked. I don't know the exact number, but it should be about a thousand and ten, maybe a thousand and twenty. In addition to the Flood Dragon soldiers, you have at least three Flood Dragon Champions, each of them at peak Mystic rank, a platoon of twelve Siege Flood Dragons, a squadron of nine Flood Dragon Behemoths, and a company of fifty Flood Dragon Priests. The Siege Flood Dragons and Flood Dragon Behemoths are also at peak Mystic rank, but the Flood Dragon Priests are probably only at advanced Yellow Rank. On top of that, you have the advanced Earth ranked Flood Dragon King."
I felt my blood turn cold at that. Even with the spirit arrays and defensive siege towers that protected my dungeon, there was no way we could stand up against such a force.
"Flood Dragons have an affinity with water, and their hides are tough, allowing them to withstand physical and elemental attacks. They aren't invincible or immortal, but they are still highly resilient. Their abilities are limited, though. Apart from the Flood Dragon Priests, who excel in ranged magic attacks – solely water spells, though – they rely more on brute strength."
"If I'm not mistaken, because they aren't true dragons, the non-priest Flood Dragons are incapable of elemental techniques like Hydro Torrent, not like your marine troops, my lord." Long Wang was the one who spoke up. "But the Flood Dragon King is the exception. I expect him to possess potent water techniques. Is he the same one from a few thousand years ago?"
"No. The Flood Dragon King you once knew has been dead for centuries. This is his grandson."
"A pity. But this means we might stand a chance." Long Wang nodded thoughtfully. "If it had been the one I know, his strength now would have been incomparable to back then."
"He died during a fight against another dungeon master, and his son succeeded him. That said…" The merchant paused to drink another sip of his pumpkin spiced latte. "If you win, the Flood Dragon dungeon will automatically be added to your territory. All its treasures and resources will be yours."
"We'll worry about that after we survive their conquest," I muttered, waving my hand. Then I nodded at my bartenders when they scurried over with the takeaway pumpkin spiced lattes and iced pumpkin coffees. "Thanks, guys. Here you go, Sir Merchant."
The Merchant gave me a strange look before he accepted the bag of takeaway beverages. He didn't say anything, though, until he spotted a bunch of Little Anglers, Lantern Fishes, Collector Crabs and Construction Crabs moving into the bar.
"Hey, boss!"
"Hey, guys! Finished work for the day?" I asked, waving at them. They nodded in unison as they went to fill out the seats. I smiled. "Good job, guys."
"Thanks, boss."
"Nothing like a cold beer after work!"
"It's been a long day, after all."
"I'm on break tomorrow, so I can drink all night!"
"Sorry, but I have the morning shift tomorrow, so I can't accompany you all the way. I do have a couple of days' vacation next week, though!"
The three bartenders went to work to serve the new batch of customers, who were conversing happily, all while the Merchant watched, astonished. He turned to stare at me.
"You give your subordinates breaks and allow them to drink in a bar? You arrange for them to work in shifts?"
"As I said, I don't really view them as subordinates. They are comrades."
"Most dungeon masters will work them to near-death."
"Those dungeon masters are dumb. Toxic work environments benefit no one. Even spirit beasts need to rest, and they need some time to themselves. It would be inefficient if I work them to death. I would have to find a way to replace the losses. Also, their productivity is greatly lowered if they are exhausted all the time. I would rather have happy and motivated workers than exhausted and fearful ones." I shrugged. "And again, I don't view them as subordinates. They are my precious comrades, and I want to create and maintain a pleasant atmosphere where everyone is happy and enjoys themselves."
"That's the type of person Jun Wen is," Sylvie said as she sipped her soda. She beamed. "That's why we are so proud of him."
The Merchant shook his head and rose to his feet, the bag of beverages dangling from his near formless hand. "You are too soft, mister. I'm afraid you won't survive long in the Celestial Labyrinth."
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Silvia snapped, outraged, but I held up a hand to calm her down. The Merchant glanced at Long Wang, who diplomatically maintained his silence. Except for a single phrase.
"That's how he is."
"Yes, indeed. I know you told me about your new lord's personality, but…frankly, his naivety has exceeded my expectations."
"But it's precisely because of his values that I have no qualms serving him. I think he makes a good lord, and he's worth trusting. I will put my faith in him for now. He might just surprise us all."
"Perhaps…but I'm afraid you might not be able to survive the onslaught of the Flood Dragons."
"We'll see about that. I'll do my best, but I won't compromise my principles…otherwise it's meaningless to simply survive. My goal is to create a haven for my spirit beasts, where they can feel safe, appreciated and happy. Not just to survive and trample upon other people."
"That is a respectable dream, but it's unrealistic." There was disappointment in the Merchant's voice. "I wish you luck, nonetheless. You're going to need it, young dungeon master."
He made to leave, and I blinked, surprised. "Wait, Sir Merchant. Is that it? You only one pumpkin spiced latte and pumpkin coffees for the information? Nothing else?"
"They are more than enough." The Merchant raised the bag, which was damp from the condensation caused by the chilled drinks within. "Pumpkins are a rare delicacy in the Celestial Labyrinth. Your dungeon is the only place where I can purchase pumpkin flavored beverages. It's totally worth the price of information."
I could only gape at him as he left the bar, unable to believe what an incredible bargain I had just received.