Chapter 24: I Want It All
"Have you all heard? Sweetwater Town was burned to ashes by a black dragon, leaving only ruins."
"I heard too. The caravan barely escaped because of the lord's orders, otherwise, we'd be waiting for a new lord again."
"Keep your voice down, don't let the soldiers hear you…"
"What can they do to me?"
"Ha, what can they do? Next time you go into the woods to gather herbs, or get attacked by wild beasts in the wild, you'll have to rely on yourself to get back alive, won't you?"
"Pfft, relying on those soldiers who haven't trained for more than a few days?"
"Not trained for more than a few days? They killed hundreds of monsters yesterday while passing through the Misty Marsh to get to the village..."
"Exactly, and without much effort, they killed the giant troll that had been attacking us often. The body isn't even fully burned yet..."
"So what? Didn't you hear the soldiers conscripted at the outpost? The new lord is especially generous, giving each soldier who fought at least one gold coin!"
"Everyone got at least one gold coin. The soldiers got at least two, and old Sean was lucky enough to get eight gold coins!"
"Eight gold coins? My god, how many cod do I need to catch, how many salted fish do I need to make, to earn that much?"
"It's true, but it has nothing to do with us. They risk their lives every day, who knows when they might be gone…"
"I don't care about the rest; I just hope the new lord is kind and doesn't raise taxes again…"
"Yeah, if they raise them any more, we won't even be able to afford black bread…"
"..."
The various conversations continued to filter into Matthew's ears, surprising him that after just one night's sleep, his body had strengthened considerably, much like Yaya's continued growth. His stats hadn't shifted drastically.
But as the effects persisted, Matthew felt that he wasn't far from becoming a versatile melee arcanist.
Of course, even if Matthew could achieve that, he didn't have that much time.
The urgent task was to gather more hands and bring Bay Village completely under his control.
Listening to the chatter, Matthew noticed with some amusement that aside from some discussing him, only a small portion of the villagers were concerned about the recent giant troll. Most were busy preparing for the twice-yearly fishing trip.
As expected, food is the most important thing.
As some say, being attacked by trolls or beasts might result in death, but without food, one will certainly starve.
The situation was just as Matthew expected, and he let go of all his worries.
Even if he failed, they wouldn't lose much since they had nothing more to lose anyway!
Calming his thoughts, Matthew soon returned to the lord's manor.
Outside were stone walls about three meters high, separating the manor from the village.
The walls were marked with white cutting scars, and there were several broken and missing sections, all indicating that this village in the wilderness was far from safe.
That was why the previous lord of Bay Village, Knight Wood, after aging and weakening, sold the village and moved to the Carl Plains to start anew.
As the easternmost territory of the Netheril Empire, the surroundings were full of dangers.
Attacks from monsters and beasts were commonplace, and death and danger were constant threats.
After experiencing so much, they became indifferent to it.
At the entrance to the lord's manor stood a luxuriously decorated carriage, and a rotund merchant with a round belly was bowing and nodding to Steward Ralph. Upon seeing Matthew step out of the carriage, the merchant quickly lowered his head and greeted him:
"Honored lady of magic, learned and wise arcanist, handsome and dignified Knight Matthew, your loyal servant Adams Smith has been waiting for some time."
Hearing Adams Smith's somewhat peculiar tone, Matthew recognized the man's origin.
A merchant who had recently pledged loyalty to the Ser family!
However, Matthew had to admit, the fact that he had the guts to cross the Misty Marsh and come to the remote and quiet Bay Village, just to show his loyalty in advance, showed courage and foresight.
Of course, there was undoubtedly an element of gambling involved in Adams Smith's decision. In the original timeline, he naturally lost his bet.
But for safety's sake, Matthew checked his information.
Name: Adams Smith Tyrell.
Race: Human.
Age: 36.
Profession: Level 2 Bard.
Luck: +2.
Matthew nodded and entered the lord's manor, discovering a brand-new set of ebony furniture in the living room, likely a gift from Adams Smith.
Sitting down without much hesitation, Matthew ran his fingers over the delicate carvings with an oriental charm, giving the merchant a slightly higher rating in his heart.
Matthew had met many merchants, most of whom were driven by profit and short-sighted.
Without understanding the essence of power, they usually ended up fattened and then slaughtered, only to be replaced by another batch by those in power.
And so the cycle continues!
In this world, wealth and capital do not represent strength because power has a more tangible manifestation!
"Adams Smith has brought 200 gold coins, 2000 pounds of high-quality flour, and 500 pounds of rice."
Steward Ralph reported faithfully to Matthew, clearly satisfied with the merchant's good manners.
He was indeed a clever merchant!
Looking at the smiling Adams Smith, Matthew didn't waste words and got straight to the point:
"How much cargo did you bring?"
Although unsure of Matthew's intentions, Adams Smith answered honestly:
"400,000 pounds of wheat, priced at 5 copper coins per pound, enough to feed 2000 people for a year, originally meant for trade with Sweetwater Town and surrounding villages, valued at 200 gold coins."
"5000 pounds of iron ingots, priced at 1 silver coin per pound, valued at 50 gold coins."
"200 spears, each priced at 50 silver coins, valued at 100 gold coins."
"200 leather armors, each priced at 80 silver coins, valued at 160 gold coins."
"50 longbows, each priced at 1 gold and 20 silver coins, valued at 60 gold coins."
"5000 arrows, each priced at 20 copper coins, valued at 10 gold coins."
"2000 magical plants, each priced at 5 silver coins, valued at 100 gold coins."
"300 pounds of various minerals and magical materials, priced at 10 silver coins per pound, valued at 30 gold coins."
"100 bottles of basic holy water, each priced at 1 gold and 50 silver coins, valued at 150 gold coins."
"50 bottles of medium recovery potions, each priced at 2 gold coins, valued at 100 gold coins."
"Two sets of alchemical equipment, each priced at 500 gold coins, valued at 1000 gold coins."
Reassessing Adams Smith, Matthew detected multiple meanings in the cargo:
"A wide variety of goods means extensive connections."
"Having both low-end and mid-range goods means he has big ambitions."
"Bringing magical plants, various materials, and two sets of alchemical equipment is clearly aimed at me..."
"That's fine, it will save me a lot of time."
Tapping his fingers lightly on the table, Matthew looked at Adams Smith's somewhat nervous face and calmly said:
"Not bad, I'll take it all!"
Adams Smith's face stiffened but quickly returned to normal, agreeing heartily:
"No problem, it's an honor to serve the lord!"
"Heh, nonsense!"
Smiling faintly to himself, Matthew placed two items on the table and slid them across.