Chapter 56 - 54: Silver Scale Merchant Association

Chapter 56: Chapter 54: Silver Scale Merchant Association

By the time he left the weapon shop, the sun was already halfway below the horizon.

A brand-new one-handed crossbow, fifteen iron-headed crossbow arrows, and a leather holster for hanging the weapon from his thigh or waist.

All of it cost only 7 Silver Coins—an absolutely fantastic deal.

If Lu Wei were to resell it right now, he could probably make a profit of at least one Silver Coin.

The reason he’d managed to get such a low price was, of course, due to the secret help of a certain "mysterious figure."

"Sorry, sorry, for troubling you again."

"You’re not going to hold this against me, are you?"

"How about this: if you don’t want me to keep doing this, just give me a little hint."

"For example, make the Town Hall collapse right now, or make the sun go in reverse."

"..."

"Alright! I get it! You don’t mind me doing this!"

"Thanks for understanding!"

After standing on the roadside and muttering inexplicably to the sky for a while, Lu Wei’s expression suddenly eased.

The last of his guilt vanished. Just as he was about to find a place to eat, a familiar voice suddenly called out from behind him.

"Lu Wei~"

"Hm? Aryan."

Lu Wei turned to see Aryan jogging up to him. "Why aren’t you at the clinic?"

"We didn’t have any new patients today, and my teacher could handle things on her own, so I went to the bookstore to read."

Aryan’s voice was still full of energy. "What about you, Lu Wei? Where have you been these past few days?"

’What a hardworking girl, using her rare day off to study.’

Lu Wei smiled. "I went into the forest. I’ve opened a general store at the Dome Pillar. If it’s not too much trouble, could you help spread the word to the patients at the clinic?"

"Oh? Really? Isn’t that very dangerous?"

"It’s manageable. With Furen around, we’re usually fine."

"Oh, so you’re partners with Mr. Furen. By the way, is Bai Ya’s injury healed?"

"It should be. She’s a very quick worker."

"So is Bai Ya your employee now?"

"More or less..."

The sunset painted the sky in soft, brilliant colors. The two chatted as they strolled along the road.

As they passed a small tavern, Lu Wei casually asked:

"Have you eaten yet?"

"Not yet."

"Want to get something to eat together, then?"

"...Okay."

Aryan froze for a moment, then lowered her head and gently clutched the hem of her clothes.

The air was filled with the lingering warmth of the daytime sun, and her soft voice seemed to hold a hint of joy.

...

...

Perhaps because it didn’t serve hard liquor, the small tavern wasn’t very crowded; only two or three tables were occupied. The rich aroma of roasted meat and cheese filled the small room. Combined with the muggy atmosphere, it made one feel as though they were sitting in a stew pot.

"One order of the roasted meat and onion soup with buttered bread."

After ordering, Lu Wei handed the menu to Aryan, then took off his jacket and undid the top two buttons of his shirt.

This revealed several scrapes on his chest.

They were from his fight with the Kobolds; most were just grazes that had only broken the skin.

But it was enough to make Aryan worry.

"Lu Wei, you’re hurt."

"Yeah, it’s nothing. Just some scrapes."

Lu Wei waved a dismissive hand. "Go ahead and order."

"Okay... I’ll have the daily stew with thick-cut black bread."

Aryan turned to a young server who was about her age, quickly ordered the cheapest meal on the menu, and then looked back at Lu Wei, asking anxiously,

"How did you get hurt?"

"Just some bad luck. We ran into a few Kobolds."

Lu Wei answered truthfully. "Luckily, it was a close call but no one got seriously hurt. They didn’t give us too much trouble."

"Is that so? I’m glad it wasn’t a difficult monster to fight."

Aryan looked worried. "Still, I feel like opening a shop in the forest is a really dangerous thing to do."

"Risk and reward go hand in hand. It can’t be helped."

Lu Wei yawned. He figured discussing business with a fifteen-year-old girl was rather pointless, so he casually changed the subject.

"By the way, anything new happening in town?"

"Um... yes. I heard the Silver Scale Merchant Association is going to resume construction on the trade route through the forest."

Aryan thought for a moment, recalling the most talked-about news in Heitai Town over the past few days.

The Silver Scale Merchant Association was the largest merchant association in the Northern River Valley Region, ranking among the top three in the entire Caluns Duchy.

Supposedly, it started as a small merchant caravan formed by fishermen selling sea fish inland, originally named the "Fish Scale Merchant Association."

Later, probably feeling that name wasn’t respectable enough, they changed it to "Silver Scale."

In short, the Silver Scale Merchant Association was a household name in the Northern River Valley, an area comprised of cities like Kalin Port and Haiwang Castle, and they were the developers behind the "Great Trade Route" project.

And now they were actually restarting this massive project that had been halted for four years...

"For real?"

Lu Wei was surprised. "But I thought there was an Elf Tribe in the Lost Basin."

"I’m not sure either. That’s just what everyone’s been saying."

Aryan shook her head. "Who knows if there really is an Elf Tribe or not? And even if there is, the Silver Scale Merchant Association must have figured out a solution this time."

’I know how this goes!’

’First, they’ll negotiate. Offer some compensation and tell them to move the tribe.’

’If that doesn’t work, it’s straight to forced demolition.’

’Just a puny Elf tribe, daring to oppose humans...’

"Hm, that’s true."

He nodded thoughtfully. A moment later, Lu Wei took a map out of his bag, spread it on the table, and began tracing lines over it.

Aryan watched, completely baffled. "Lu Wei, what are you doing?"

"Seeing if the trade route will pass by the Dome Pillar."

Without looking up, Lu Wei used a fork as a makeshift ruler. After taking some precise measurements, he suddenly slammed his hand on the table in excitement.

"Ness! It’s right next to it!"

"This place just turned into a subway-line property!" ℴ

...

...

Of course, Aryan had no idea what a "subway-line property" was.

She just saw that Lu Wei was all smiles for the rest of the meal, looking overjoyed.

So, after they finished eating, she nervously seized the opportunity to ask:

"Lu Wei, are you busy tonight? Would you like to go see a play together?"

"Hm?"

’A play?’

’A small town like Heitai Town has such a cultured event?’

Lu Wei paused for a moment, and Aryan, thinking he was hesitating, quickly added:

"It’s very close, just in the small clearing next to Pigeon Lane."

"It’s a theater troupe from the south. Tonight they’re performing *Poem of Compassion*. It’s supposed to be really good."

"Oh, really? Alright, then."

An opportunity for entertainment was rare, so Lu Wei didn’t overthink it and agreed.

After paying the bill and leaving the tavern, they walked along the main street for about ten minutes and soon arrived at the "famous" Pigeon Lane.

Although Heitai Town wasn’t large, it was filled with so many Adventurers that there were few quiet spots; nearly everywhere was bustling with activity.

The liveliest of all were the Adventurer Association, the Town Hall, and Pigeon Lane.

They were roughly the town’s economic, political, and cultural centers.

Calling Pigeon Lane the "cultural center" wasn’t entirely a joke. Besides the brothels, it did have many other establishments like bathhouses and bookstores.

Moreover, theater and circus troupes would occasionally perform in the small clearing at the eastern end of the lane.

Tonight’s performance, for example, was by a religious theater troupe called "Swan and Staff," and the play seemed to be about martyrdom.

Lu Wei didn’t understand theater.

He understood religion even less.

All he knew was that the troupe was sponsored by the Church, so admission was free.

’Free really is the most effective form of advertising.’

Sitting on the simple wooden bleachers and watching the crowd pour into the clearing, Lu Wei couldn’t help but sigh at the thought.

The sky was quickly growing dark, and several oversized lanterns had been hung around the clearing. The oil in them must have had some special additives, as they shone much brighter than ordinary kerosene lamps.

The light illuminated Aryan’s cheeks, giving them the healthy, rosy glow of youth.

Ever since they sat down, she had been watching the troupe’s crew set the stage with rapt attention, her face filled with wonder.

She probably hadn’t seen many plays or circuses before.

Lu Wei glanced at her, then his gaze shifted to a few vendors weaving through the crowd selling beer. A look of annoyance crossed his face.

’Damn it! How could I have forgotten this business opportunity!’

’Ah, whatever. It’s just peanuts. Not important.’

’I have bigger fish to fry now... Huh?’

Suddenly, Lu Wei froze, his eyes locking onto two familiar figures.

’Furen and Clara?’