novelraw Chapter 178
Chapter 178
The traveling merchant chuckled as he replied to Leon, “That’s because only by doing so can a business keep running for the long haul.”
“That’s why I say you’ve got vision,” Leon said with genuine admiration.
The merchant smiled, turned around, and rummaged inside his carriage. After a while, he pulled out two neat stacks of hundred-denomination universal currency bills and handed them to Leon.
“Sir, please count it. The full 20,000G is here.”
Leon stuffed the money straight into his System Backpack. A quick glance at the inventory marker confirmed that it was exactly 20,000G—not a coin more or less—so he said, “No need to count it. I trust you.”
“It’s better to count it anyway,” the merchant advised.
“Really, there’s no need.” Leon waved him off. He couldn’t exactly tell the merchant that the System Backpack had already confirmed the amount for him.
Seeing this, the merchant didn’t push further. Once Leon had accepted the money, the merchant began collecting the six pearls that had been sitting in front of him for some time, each placed in a delicate silk-lined box.
“A most delightful transaction,” the merchant said happily as he packed them away. He knew that once he left the Fanjier Republic and returned to the Gotro Empire, this deal would bring him enormous benefits.
The cash profit might not be great, but these rare pearls were the perfect gifts to maintain ties with noble ladies and wealthy merchants. Next time, he might be able to carry more contraband without being harassed by border guards.Their potential value was far greater than the currency itself.
And just as Leon had guessed, the merchant took note of this favor, though he didn’t mention it aloud. Instead, he planned to bring Leon a surprise gift on his next trip to Stardew Valley.
Perhaps he could even call him a friend.
“Now I need to see what good stuff you brought this time,” Leon said, no longer stingy now that he had money in hand. He picked up the product list the merchant offered and began to read.
A quick scan told him most of the items were things he could get elsewhere—nothing he was interested in. The only thing that caught his eye was the rare seed.
But rare seeds could only be planted in autumn. Buying now would mean letting it gather dust in a chest. So Leon put the list down and returned it to the merchant.
“What’s wrong? Nothing you like?” the merchant asked, looking a little disappointed.
“Too ordinary. These aren’t what I’m looking for,” Leon answered truthfully, shaking his head.
“Oh, I see. In that case, perhaps you should take a look at this list.”
The merchant suddenly realized his mistake. He had handed Leon the list meant for regular customers. Remembering Leon’s special status, he immediately retrieved the earlier list and altered its contents before handing it back.
This time, Leon’s interest was piqued.
Compared to the ordinary goods from before, this list was far more enticing.
Just the items that made his mouth water included battery packs, iridium ingots, mega bombs, iridium sprinklers, solar essence, and void essence—premium materials all. And above that, there were rare scarecrows and magic potions.
The only problem was the price—so high that Leon could only drool over them.
But the void essence did tempt him. He knew some inside information: its price might spike soon, and spike sharply at that.
After all, the Mermaids were already in play. From the way they had casually gifted him a whole chest of pearls, it was clear that their procurement order for void essence from shadow people would greatly impact the market.
Compared to Krobus’s price, the merchant’s void essence was the same, but since Krobus didn’t bargain, Leon asked directly:
“Can you give me a discount?”
“If you buy in bulk, I can give you a better price,” the merchant said. “After all, void essence isn’t in high demand. I’ve got a lot in stock that I can’t sell, and it’s a bit of a headache.”
“How much of a discount?” Leon pressed.
“That depends on how much you buy,” the merchant replied.
“How about one pearl in exchange?” Leon suggested. After all, the 20,000G he had just earned was earmarked for buying a starfruit from Krobus. It hadn’t even warmed in his pocket yet, and he was reluctant to part with it.
“Pearls, hmm? An interesting proposal. If that’s the case, I’ll give you sixty pieces per pearl,” the merchant said after a moment’s thought, naming the best deal he could offer.
Leon quickly calculated—about fifty-eight G per piece on average, nearly half the price Krobus charged.
“How much void essence do you have?” Leon asked.
“Enough to trade for two pearls,” the merchant replied.
“Will you be able to move that many pearls?” Leon asked, still concerned. Even the rarest treasures could see their price crash if oversupplied.
So he left the choice to the merchant.
“Of course. Strictly speaking, I’m still coming out ahead—trading hard-to-sell stock for pearls that everyone wants.”
The merchant was quite satisfied with this deal.
Whether Leon knew the pearl market or not, the merchant certainly did.
His channels weren’t limited to the Gotro Empire. He also had access to the Fanjier Republic and the many islands of the Gem Sea. If not for limited funds, he would have bought up every last pearl Leon had.
These deep-sea treasures were top-tier gems—priceless, with no shortage of buyers.
“Then let’s do it.”
Leon didn’t actually know how much void essence might appreciate, but he had plenty of pearls. Buying this batch could count as an investment.
He took out two pearls and handed them to the merchant, who in turn retrieved a small box from the carriage. Though a little pained to part with it, he explained:
“This is a magic storage box. It may look small, but the space inside is quite large. I’ll give it to you as a gift.”
Leon opened the box, and the System Prompt popped up immediately.
“Mini Chest: A storage container with very limited space. Compared to a treasure chest, it’s practically useless—just two slots inside. Not even a dog would want it.”
“…”