NOVEL NEXT Chapter 133
“To think you’d secure purple potions this quickly… Truly impressive, Hakuba-dono.”
“It’s been a while, Maxwell-san, since the black market deal in the royal capital.”
The conversation between Deromu and I had just concluded when Maxwell entered, replacing him. Now, it was just the two of us in the guild’s reception room.
Despite the fact that I had contacted him out of the blue, Maxwell rushed to prepare and came straight to the guild after receiving word from the staff.
“I could only manage to secure two bottles this time… Would 8 million per bottle suffice?”
“No problem at all. Given the current circumstances, that’s quite reasonable, even cheap.”
Previously, I sold a bottle of purple potion to Maxwell on the black market for 5 million. In just over a month, prices had surged by 3 million. Some bottles now went for as high as 10 million, depending on the seller.
Maxwell, aware of these developments, raised no objections to the price increase. In fact, he asked if selling them at such a low price was really okay.
“It’s not an issue. Prices for purple potions have been fluctuating wildly lately.”
“That’s due to the intensifying unrest in the city-states in the south… What a mess.”
The skyrocketing price of purple potions can primarily be attributed to the escalating conflict among the city-states of the Einharbor Federation, located south of the Kainriese Kingdom.
The Einharbor Federation consists of numerous autonomous cities constantly at war, vying for land and resources. Being a neighboring country to the south, the Federation’s political instability has a significant ripple effect on Kainriese’s economy. This time, potion-related goods were the hardest hit.
“Maxwell-san, are you familiar with the Federation?”
“I’ve visited the area once during a quest. While it’s certainly a dazzling region, the brighter the lights, the darker the shadows.”
I’d only heard secondhand accounts of the Federation and had never seen it for myself. However, as a merchant, I recognized the importance of gathering intel on a neighboring region that could influence the kingdom’s economy. Seeing an opportunity, I decided to probe Maxwell for more information.
“Light and darkness…?”
“In plain terms, it’s the wealth gap. Even within the cities, there are slums. Walking alone in the back alleys would be asking for trouble.”
According to Maxwell, every city in the Federation operates under a council of powerful merchants who establish their businesses there. Unlike Kainriese, where small and medium-sized merchants coexist alongside major players, the Federation’s merchants are consolidated into a few large, influential trade associations.
“In Kainriese, the merchant guilds are regulated by the government. Over there, they’re entirely independent organizations. Even merchants from the same city often have antagonistic relationships.”
Kainriese Kingdom, with its thousand-year history, is deeply entrenched in a system dominated by the aristocracy. While the government is technically a constitutional monarchy with a parliament, the king’s authority often outweighs parliamentary decisions, making it closer to an absolute monarchy.
In this system, merchants rank lower in the social hierarchy. Conversely, the Federation places merchants at the top of its power structure. This profit-driven governance leaves no room for concepts like helping the weak, fostering an environment akin to survival of the fittest.
“I heard the cities of Robnerek and Haio recently fought a decisive battle. Haio emerged victorious, but I’ve also heard they suffered heavy casualties.”
“Winter is approaching. Do you think they’ll manage?”
“Unlikely. Haio is likely exhausted from the war. Other cities might seize the opportunity to strike. As for Robnerek, enforcing control over their new territory won’t be easy.”
Unlike in games, conquering land doesn’t immediately grant access to its resources. Many residents in Robnerek likely harbor resentment toward Haio, and if another city declares war on Haio, they could easily join the opposing side and wage guerrilla warfare.
Occupation and governance after a war are particularly challenging. Any mistakes could lead to uprisings, making control impossible. According to Maxwell, Haio suffered significant losses during the conflict, so the prices of essentials like food and potions will likely surge higher than usual this winter.
(Information truly is power. Joining the guild was the right move.)
It’s been three months since I arrived in the capital. I still haven’t fully grasped the political landscape of neighboring nations, let alone that of the capital itself. While Nishioji has been tirelessly working to establish connections, our newcomer status in the capital has made progress slow.
This is why I value the guild’s information network. While Maxwell is undoubtedly well-informed, it’s hard to imagine that his knowledge surpasses that of the guild. Of course, I won’t blindly trust everything the guild says, but relying on them is far better than operating in complete ignorance.
“Food prices likely won’t spike as drastically. The kingdom keeps a close watch on the market and will impose export restrictions if necessary.”
“But potions, on the other hand…”
“That’s a different story. Kainriese is peaceful, and potions aren’t as critical for anyone outside of us adventurers. It’s unlikely there will be any significant restrictions.”
Maxwell seemed deeply concerned about the continued price hikes of potions. Exporting potions benefits not only the merchants but also the kingdom through trade profits. It could even improve relations with the Federation.
Despite Maxwell’s insights, even he couldn’t predict just how high potion prices might climb this winter. His advice was clear: secure as many as possible while we still can.