Master Of None

Chapter 3000: 3000. Unsavory Business

After a short while, Walker had helped get the merchants and their goods back on track, however, he found it interesting that there were issues with roads and the trade routes already.

It wasn’t unnatural since the word had changed a lot and there would be different things causing issues. But it also presented issues that would need to be kept in mind.

The flow of water and where it would build up causing the roads to become muddy and the stones placed on foundations to shift. So there needed to be solutions to that made beforehand.

There was also the fact that he considered other issues in the future.

The trees and magic used were able to deter the more predatory monsters but also kept regular monsters from crossing the trade routes often. This could disrupt the migration of certain monsters that would move through these areas.

How could they avoid these issues when there was also the chance that dungeons, naturally formed runes, or camping adventurers might stop or appear at any point along these roads being paved and upheld in the future?

Had those buildings everything considered the changes in nature? If not, were they able to adapt as those who did know what changes might come to share their knowledge?

The fact that it had stopped trade for a day on this road from the forest elves was already a big deal.

He would need to make notes of this and send a few important people in charge of the roads to figure out what measures needed to be taken to ensure that no other roads changed or other issues didn’t come about.

Guard patrols might need to include specialists that could gauge these potential issues or those capable of making temporary repairs when such incidents happened. Especially since the seasons might change causing flooding or other natural events to occur causing greater issues.

However, Walker held those thoughts tightly while also looking at the goods on some of the carriages of the merchant caravans.

He had already heard from what people were gossiping about that these merchants were bringing important foods from the forest elf territory. Foods that were not easily gathered or taken from the farms around Genesis.

Meaning that they needed the forest to grow properly. Since that was the case, there were not many greenhouses that perfectly replicated those conditions. And if there were, they would be focused on the herbs that needed those conditions to grow so that more could be produced.

Therefore, he was easily able to spot the fruits that appeared to be held carefully using water and ice elemental rune formations on metal lined crates. He knew that they might be valuable fruits but also knew that they were not ready or safe to eat yet and the rune formations had to keep them fresh to ensure they did not rot outside of the cool environment of the forest floor.

"Crawling grapes are getting very popular, aren’t they?" Walker caught the ear of one of the carriage drivers. An outlier compared to the other merchants since he was clearly a solo merchant compared to the groups. Just traveling alone and happened to be stuck in the same place as the others had been.

"Yes! They have been a great way to make enough gold for the expansion of our little farm. I never would have imagined they would be so valuable when I planted them." The elf speaking was a farmer first and foremost, but he was also a merchant since he had to accept the responsibility of selling his crop.

This was not abnormal, a merchant farmer was often just someone who formed smaller amounts on their own and sold them to make a living. There was never a need to be involved in massive deals or farm larger swaths of land. Some people just preferred a smaller life of peace, this man being one.

"I heard that some brewers are processing them in to wines, but if they are dried out they can be smashed and turned in to a paste that becomes good for children to eat or even be used in making inks." The elf was clearly very happy to know these things since they were the exact reasons these crawling grapes were so popular.

The crawling grapes were poisonous due to living and growing across the forest floor and coming in to contact with molds, mushrooms, and the oils of other plants that stuck to it and were held by its vines, leaves, and fruits. However, if cared for properly they could be harvested each year and also sold to be processed.

They were not a snack people would just grab and eat, and most people knew that well, especially those looking for them.

"I will say, you helped me out quite a bit. I can get home after this and start planting the bursting melon that I heard is selling for three times the price now."

Now Walker heard this and grew confused.

He knew that bursting melons were a fruit that was similar to water melons, green striped floating melons, and even the crag melons. All fruits that had tough skins and seemingly related to one another but growing in very different environments.

"I didn’t know that another fruit like that was becoming popular to eat." His confusion was clear but when the elf laughed at what Walker said he grew even more confused.

"Eating them isn’t the goal, they are for keeping people out of your farms and property. They burst when touched and spit out seeds that stab in to people’s legs. They are so much better than hiring adventurers or having tamers monsters patrol your farm. Growing them and selling the seeds is way more valuable than anything, or if you contain them and sell the whole thing it’s worth triple the price too."

That was even more strange. Why would people need defenses like that even more? And why were people paying so much for it?

"I will have to look in to that then. I have no desire for risky exploding melons with dangerous seeds to be everywhere in Genesis because it is cheaper as a way to protect your property."

Now the elf looked a little worried. Clearly he had not thought of the ramifications of such a dangerous thing in crowded areas or when people used them instead of guards, tamed monsters, or just putting up fences.

"There are merchant groups paying high goal payouts for the seeds and melons. I just can’t be left out before my growing season ends. I can build a whole new shed or get new tools if things work out."

"Hmm, I see why you would want that. But I have a feeling that I know what is going on." Walker gave a short warning before speaking with several other merchants all talking about the same products. Yet Walker hadn’t heard a single thing about these bursting melons when he had been in Genesis.

This meant something simple.

These were rumors made about high paying prices so a certain merchant could sell them at a higher price and send away any competition to Genesis. That way they could sell other products and make a huge profit since no one else was around for weeks or days to counter their higher prices in the market.

Instead of heading toward Genesis, Walker began pulling at space mana and along the way toward the forest elf territory, he spotted multiple other smaller merchant farmers.

He also spotted some smaller merchant farmers planting the seeds or caring for vines that were appraised to be the bursting melons.

Someone had done well with their rumors and gossip to convince the common merchant farmers to be able to plant these and not other crops. It was a sneaky business but also set a precedent.

A dangerous precedent.

While this was seemingly surface level and short term, Walker saw the longer term damages.

These smaller merchant farmers would later find that this secondary crop couldn’t afford the repairs they make or new additions and tools they buy. So they would lose gold as a whole. But also, the dangers would cause injuries and accidents while taking up room that the merchant farmers could use to farm other crops.

Then, once they had taken losses and merchant farmers began to sell off small parts of their land the source of these rumors and gossip would swoop in and buy it all up.

It was a business scam and as Walker spotted multiple farmers moving around chatting on the more popular patrolled roads, he saw a pattern.

Matching uniforms all with the same crest of a small merchant farmer group he’d recently seen setting up stalls in Genesis. He also knew exactly who to tell about these unsavory business tactics.

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