TLWD 32

Chapter : 32 Predator Merchant Guild (2)

A man clad in ostentatious clothing adorned with jewels, exuding an air of arrogance.

Just one look screamed, “I’m top-class!”

“Ahem! I am Viscount Dunar of the Kingdom of Denar.”

A nobleman.

Free cities did not have monarchs or feudal lords with absolute authority.
But that wasn’t the case in other kingdoms.

In the Kingdom of Batenberg—where the Whitewolf family belonged—and all other kingdoms on the continent, it was the nobility that pulled the strings.

Which meant that if you could influence the nobles, you could move the entire kingdom.

I subtly signaled to one of the guild members, who nodded in understanding and retrieved a specially preserved piece of meat from the wagon.

Then, it was discreetly handed to Viscount Dunar.

“What’s this?”

“It’s from a monster called a Rex…”

The merchant began explaining Rex in detail.

Thanks to Rex, I was able to gain the skill [Accelerated Metabolism D].

Rex was a monster that had drastically degenerated muscle tissue to balance its metabolism.

This meant it had a thick layer of fat and fantastically tender meat.

Having personally tasted it myself, it was by far the most delicious among monster meats.

That’s why I never sold Rex meat to the people of Freche.

“It’s the finest of our finest products.”

We intended to sell it with a premium to nobles from other kingdoms—
to spread word of mouth through the social circles of the aristocracy.

The social gatherings where high culture was born and exchanged among the elite.

As a noble myself, I qualified to attend the Batenberg Kingdom’s social circles.
But entering the social circles of other kingdoms was much more difficult.

“It’s not usually for sale, but…”

The merchant glanced at me, then continued.

“Lord Adrian said to give this especially to you, Viscount.”

“Especially…?”

“Yes, especially.”

Viscount Dunar’s lips twitched in satisfaction.

Nobles loved the idea of being “special,” steeped in a deep sense of entitlement.

The nobles I saw in the Allied Forces were mostly the same.

The Allied Forces were a coalition of all the kingdoms and cities across the continent, and I’d seen nobles from everywhere.

And regardless of the kingdom, they were all saturated with elitism—
especially the lower-ranked ones like barons and viscounts.

“Ahaha! You’re quite something! Hahaha!”

As expected, Viscount Dunar was thrilled at being called special.

Even a viscount was still a noble.

That meant he mingled with other nobles—and through him, word would naturally spread among them.

And once word of mouth begins, it takes on a life of its own.
Then it grows and exaggerates on its own.

For instance, if person A passes gas on the street, in the next town, the story becomes that he soiled himself.

If person B catches a cold, the neighboring village hears he’s on his deathbed.

From a needle to a club—the miraculous power of gossip.

“Thank you! I’ll give it a try and if it’s good, I’ll definitely recommend it to others!”

And the moment we debuted in the social circles of nobles from other kingdoms—

The name “Predator Merchant Guild” would spread like wildfire across the entire continent.

* * *

There were several other free cities across the continent besides Freche.

Each was formed around the development of a specific field—mining, agriculture, livestock—and Freche was a city where commerce thrived.

Naturally, it had more merchant guilds than any other free city.

“Hmm…”

Edelrun was one of the merchant lords operating such a guild.

His main trade goods were grapes and wine from the Kingdom of Venice.

Since these were luxury items sold only to the middle and upper classes, demand wasn’t especially high.

And with the recent economic downturn, sales had dropped sharply compared to last year.

To make matters worse, something had been irritating Edelrun lately.

“Predator Merchant Guild…”

The Predator Guild had been operating in the central plaza of Freche for a few days now.

At first, Edelrun had dismissed them as some shady new outfit.
“Predator”? What an unsavory name.

But despite the cringey name, the impact the guild made was anything but laughable.

“Here and there—it’s all Predator this, Predator that.”

Now there was no one in Freche who hadn’t heard of the Predator Guild.

They had swept up all the customers in the city—
just like predators.

“I heard the nobles are talking about them now?”

That meant word would soon reach the social circles.

Once a rumor reached the social elite, the rest was smooth sailing.

After all, social circles gathered the most sophisticated thinkers, writers, and cultured nobles of the time.

In other words, it was where the core elite of each kingdom congregated.

Networking with them brought immeasurable benefits:

You could meet new business partners, investors, patrons.
Your credibility and prestige as a merchant would soar, bringing more clients and opportunities.

Not to mention access to exclusive information—political, economic, and cultural—that circulated only within those gatherings.

There was more.

With connections to the elite, you could gain legal and administrative advantages,
expand political influence to benefit your commercial ventures,
and even enjoy tax privileges.

And in rare cases, one might marry into nobility and rise in status.

All those benefits could be reaped in the space called the “social circle.”

Thus, entering that sphere was every merchant’s dream.

Edelrun, too, had tried everything to get in.

“Damn arrogant nobles.”

Naturally, he failed.

He didn’t even make it near the gates of the social circle.

“They think they’re so great.”

Especially the central social circles where real power was concentrated—it was beyond imagination for someone like him.

Yet now, a newly established guild run by some upstart punk was doing what decades of effort couldn’t.

“I don’t like it… I really don’t like it…”

He just couldn’t stomach it.

So he couldn’t sit back any longer.

“You think you can throw your weight around in my territory?”

Edelrun had worked in Freche for decades and was an executive of the merchant guild.

And the guild was incredibly powerful.

A new, small-time outfit like Predator could be shut down overnight.

Until now, he had been merely observing—

“But I won’t let it slide anymore.”

Edelrun hardened his resolve.

And just as he was rising from his seat—

Ding-ling

The shop door opened, and a customer walked in.

“…Welcome.”

Suppressing his irritation, Edelrun greeted the customer.
Judging by their clothes, they were from the upper class—
no, a noble.

He hastily straightened his attire.

Just moments ago, he was grumbling about nobles,
but nobles were the money source, the ruling elite.

Even merchants in a free city had to play nice with them.

He smiled obsequiously and soon noticed something in the noble’s hand.

That’s…

A cut of meat sold by the Predator Guild.

His mood soured again.

And at that moment—

“I was told to come here by the Predator Merchant Guild.”

Wait, what?

* * *

As a free city, Freche had no monarchs or lords.

You might think that would make life easier for its citizens, who were all free people.

But that wasn’t really the case.

They say in a mountain without ogres, trolls become kings.

Without a dominant power, a few wealthy merchants essentially acted like lords.

In the end, the merchant guild wielded authority no different from feudal lords.

There were no legal classes, but class divisions were very real.

In Freche especially, the merchant guild held absolute power.

Of course, I knew all this well.

I had memories and experience from my previous life conducting special operations, espionage, and intelligence warfare.

I knew free cities inside and out and expected the merchant guild to be territorial.

Still, I had chosen to come to Freche over the Batenberg Kingdom.

Because I had already thought of how to win over the merchant guilds.

Wine, cheese, and fruit to pair with the meat.
Butter, salt, and pepper to enhance the flavor.
Even kitchen tools and utensils for cooking.

I instructed my guild members to naturally recommend these items to customers—
and subtly mention the shops selling them.

The guild members followed my instructions quickly and flawlessly.

“Pair the Demexus hind leg with Venetian wine, and tonight will be the best dinner of your life.”

“Haha, you speak well. Where can I find that wine?”

“Check Edelrun’s shop in the central plaza.”

“I see! Thank you!”

“Can you recommend something for me too?”

“Ah, belly steak from Alakron pairs best with cheese from Reprika. I promise it’s the best taste you’ll ever experience.”

“Cheese steak! Great idea!”

“You can get Reprika cheese at the Lalak Guild on the outskirts of Freche.”

“Oh-ho! Thank you so much!”

They didn’t just follow orders—they executed them perfectly.

“Well done.”

Seraphia must have sent some excellent talents.

I was doing all this because you couldn’t ignore the merchant guilds of Freche.

They held immense capital and controlled not just Freche but much of the free cities.

If we made enemies of them, it would be a huge headache and a serious obstacle in my goal to make Predator the greatest merchant guild on the continent.

But if we made allies of them?

They would become our greatest strength.

Even if someone picked a fight over monster meat, the guilds would be the first to defend Predator.

In a city without monarchs or lords—

Public opinion was power.

Turning them into allies meant having overwhelming advantage in any public discourse.

And I lost nothing in the process.

Just by giving them free advertising, they would come to see me as a business partner—or more.

“First, secure the local merchants.”

That was the plan: turn them into informal informants and expand influence across the continent.

Start small, but end grand.

Just like the domain quest says, I had to proceed step by step.

But in truth—

“Lord Adrian! We just got a group order for forty servings!”

Even the start wasn’t all that small.

* * *

“I came on the recommendation of the Predator Guild.”

“Huh? They recommended us?”

“Yes. They said pairing your Venetian wine with their meat would make for the happiest dinner in the world.”

Edelrun tilted his head in confusion.

He wasn’t sure what was going on, but—

“Can you recommend a wine that pairs well with meat? I want to have the best dinner tonight.”

“For the best dinner… This one’s perfect.”

Edelrun took out a bottle from deep inside the cabinet.

“It’s fermented without peeling the skins of high-quality Venetian grapes, giving it a rich, deep flavor. Perfect for a perfect evening.”

Price? 1,210 gold.

That’s half a year’s living expenses for a middle-class family.

“Hmm… a bit pricey.”

Even a noble hesitated at the cost.

But not for long.

“Well, if Predator recommended it, it must be worth it. I’ll take it!”

He bought it on the spot—no coaxing, no flattery.

“Hahaha, I’ll be back again!”

The noble left with a smile.

And right after—

Ding-ling

Another customer walked in.

“I came on Predator Guild’s recommendation.”

And again.

Each new customer had heard about Edelrun’s shop from the Predator Guild.

“I heard your wine is excellent…”

“Predator sent me too…”

Customers never stopped arriving at Edelrun’s store.

Sales skyrocketed.

He was breaking record after record.

At this pace, he’d be swimming in gold soon.

Before long—

“Welcome! We’ve got the finest Venetian wines to pair with Predator Guild’s monster meat!”

In Edelrun’s heart, the Predator Guild was no longer a rival—
but a business partner and benefactor.

* * *

Once the merchant guild had our back, nothing stood in our way.

No one dared challenge the Predator Guild in Freche.

The result—

“No way…!”

“Everything’s sold out…!!”

In less than five days, we sold out of all the meat we had hunted.

And then—

◆ You have completed Domain Quest [Humble Beginnings, Grand Finale!] ◆

A notification filled my vision.

◆ You have earned 48,200 EXP!
◆ Your level has increased!
◆ Your level has increased!

Enough EXP to level up twice at once.

Quest rewards were far more effective than monster hunting.

“No bonus reward?”

I’d hoped for more, but they weren’t just handing out extras.

Still, this time, the real reward wasn’t the EXP.

◆ “Management Mode” has been unlocked as a reward!