The Forest Feeds No Idle Goblins

Chapter 266: Chapter 239: Preparing for the Meeting

"Mr. Salumu has arrived?" Shire frowned, looking at the report in his hand. After Nine-finger and his men finished harvesting the Bang-Bang Fruits, he had been assigned to the Teleportation Gate’s stone chamber. He was also learning Common Speech, so he could decipher some of the papers Mary delivered.

Shire had deliberately made Nine-finger learn Common Speech, hoping to see if the process would awaken his Magic Ability. Unfortunately, the results were very limited. ’I’ll just have to place my hopes on the Naga Race.’

The Naga Prince had probably returned to the bottom of Darren Lake by now. The Frozen Array he provided in the last battle had been a huge help, nearly wiping out all the Petrifying Lizards. After Shire reclaimed the Rune Language Material Warehouse, he had intended to have the Prince take a few Pure White Stones back with him.

"No, leave them with you for now." Pazani had refused the moment he heard the offer. "Once I get back, I’ll bring my people to transport these White Holy Stones."

At the same time, he bent over and hoisted a large, oddly-shaped wooden barrel onto his back, grimacing as it pressed against his dorsal fin.

The barrel was filled with Light Beer that Shire had sent Little John to buy from Yangjiao Town. Naturally, the Naga Prince had paid for it with a few pink pearls.

According to Pazani, bringing the White Holy Stones back would interfere with his time off. He was due for a few days of leave when he returned, and he wanted to properly savor the taste of the Light Beer.

’I knew he’d say that,’ Shire thought, shaking his head with a disdainful twitch of his lips. ’Well, at least those few pearls are enough to buy many, many barrels of beer.’

’I wonder how the Prince’s coming-of-age trial turned out,’ he thought, holding the report and reading on. ’Hm? He wants to ask for the price of Red Bull?’

Shire stood silently in place, mulling over how to respond.

’He asked about the price of Red Bull the last time he was here, but Mary just put him off. Now he’s asking again?’ He looked up at the ceiling, considering whether to sell Red Bull this time.

’As a beverage, it’s really just a novelty. Humans are more receptive to coffee, tea, and alcohol, so the price of Red Bull can’t be set too high,’ Shire frowned. ’But Red Bull is indeed a new trade good that the tribe can offer right now.’

After careful consideration, Shire decided to meet with the man and probe his bottom line.

’After all, the tribe desperately needs funds and goods, and we have a good supply of Red Bull. If I can sell it for a decent price, it would relieve some of the pressure,’ he thought, counting on his fingers as he recalled the prices of goods back in Torch City. ’If I can sell it for seventy percent of the price of regular coffee, that would be acceptable.’

Shire figured that Red Bull had limited appeal at the moment. If he recklessly quoted a high price, no one would likely accept it. He would have to slowly roll it out at a slightly lower price. ’Perhaps once people get used to its energizing, mind-clearing effects, it will be a better time to raise the price.’

Having made up his mind, he strode quickly to his stone room to write a note for Mary, instructing her to arrange a meeting with Salumu.

"I’ll wear the same disguise as last time. I refuse to believe this Mr. Salumu could also be a Vampire," Shire grumbled as he wrote on the paper. "There can’t be that many Vampires in the world."

......

"Your boss has decided to speak with me personally?" Uncle Musa asked, stunned as he looked at Mary.

"Yes. Since you’ve inquired about the price of Red Bull several times, my boss thought he might discuss the uses and future of this new product with you," Mary said with a slight, polite bow.

"Its future..." Musa trailed off, pausing to think. He recalled the letter Vivian had sent him. It said that Red Bull’s effects had already been endorsed by two High Tier Great Mages, and that it had excellent prospects for aiding in the practice of Magic. More importantly, Great Mage Affif had even claimed it was an aphrodisiac with no side effects.

"I believe it is indeed a fine beverage," Musa said, nodding slowly. The letter had mentioned it would be best to establish a stable supply and to foster a good relationship with the "Horticulturist" who cultivated Red Bull, hoping to make it a major trade good in the future.

In the second half of the letter, Vivian had detailed the results she and Great Mage Affif had obtained using a Divination Technique: her brother, Shire, was still in the forest and very safe. He had even received a blessing from a Divine Being, though their Magic Ability was insufficient to determine which one.

’The Young Master is really something. He became an Adventurer, and now he’s even established contact with the Church,’ Uncle Musa thought, feeling greatly comforted. ’As long as he’s hiding within the Church, he should be able to escape that vexing bounty.’

He also believed Shire Merlot must have grown considerably to be able to earn a blessing from a church. He knew that Shire was no longer a Baron’s son; to receive such a blessing, he must have done something for the Church to win its approval.

’The Young Master has grown up.’ Reading the letter, Uncle Musa had shed tears of relief.

Now, the owner of the "Drink Undying" Alchemy Workshop had taken the initiative to discuss Red Bull. Musa felt this was an extremely important meeting. ’Shire and Vivian both need money to increase their strength. Vivian has Grand Mage Victor to help her, but Young Master Shire can only rely on himself. If he can secure a large income from this Red Bull product, it would be a great way for him to build up resources.’

He considered his strategy impassively. ’I can tell the workshop owner that it’s just an ordinary drink, with decent effects at best. I’ll say the dockworkers found it useful for their work, and then I’ll push the price down. After all, city folk and nobles prefer coffee and tea. This way, I can get a lot of Red Bull Powder at a low price and then sell it in Plantagenet City for an exorbitant profit.’

Musa had never forgotten his reason for coming to Yangjiao Town. Even though he still hadn’t found any trace of the young master, he knew Shire had always been a very clever young man. Otherwise, Baron Merlot wouldn’t have involved him in the domain’s affairs at such a young age. ’He must be hiding himself well, keeping out of sight of the Bounty Hunters and the city guard.’

But this also made his search considerably more difficult. ’No matter. I’ll keep looking. As long as Vivian’s Divination confirms the young master is still alive and safe, I will continue my search. I’m bound to find a clue one day.’

"Alright, Miss Mary, I agree to the meeting," Musa said with a smiling nod. "What time, specifically?"

"If you don’t mind," Mary said with a blink, "would tonight be acceptable?"

"At night?" Musa frowned. ’Who schedules a business meeting after sunset? This workshop owner is strange. Don’t tell me he’s a Vampire who can’t see the light of day.’

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