Chapter 548: Garen Holtweiss’s Proposal

The Adventurer Guild Headquarters had received its fair share of unusual visitors since establishing itself in Kingsford, but few arrived with the confidence of Garen Holtweiss.

The merchant entered the Grand Guild Hall shortly before noon, accompanied by two assistants carrying leather cases filled with documents.

His expensive clothing and cheerful expression made him easily recognizable among the Adventurers crowding the registration counters.

After exchanging greetings with several employees, Garen approached the reception desk, where Marcelline Dacre was reviewing a collection of registration forms.

"Good morning, Miss Marcelline," Garen greeted her pleasantly. "I hope I’m not interrupting anything important. I’ve come to see our esteemed Guildmaster, preferably before he finds another opportunity to become involved in some extraordinary business."

Marcelline looked up with an amused expression. "Good morning, Master Holtweiss. The Guildmaster is currently in his office, although I believe Boren has been trying to convince him to finish several reports."

Garen chuckled as he adjusted his sleeves. "Then perhaps my arrival will provide him with a welcome excuse. Would you mind informing him that I have a commercial proposal worth discussing?"

Marcelline nodded and summoned a nearby employee to deliver the message.

Several minutes later, Garen was escorted upstairs, leaving his assistants in a waiting room with instructions to keep their documents organized.

Inside his office, Sage Alistair was examining a report concerning the Guild’s ongoing construction projects when Boren announced the merchant’s arrival.

"Garen Holtweiss is here to see you, Guildmaster," Boren explained as he opened the door. "Apparently, he has another business opportunity he’d like to discuss."

Sage immediately set down his report. "Another opportunity? At this rate, Garen is going to convince me to become a merchant instead of running the Adventurer Guild."

Garen entered with a hearty laugh. "Guildmaster, with the amount of gold your organization is earning, I’d argue you’ve already become a merchant. You simply insist upon calling your business something else."

Sage grinned as he gestured toward the chairs opposite his desk. "Careful, Garen. If Irene hears you saying that, she’ll start demanding I prepare commercial reports instead of spending money on new buildings."

Boren chuckled while Garen took his seat.

Their relationship had developed considerably since Garen first began supplying the Guild. The merchant had proven reliable during several difficult periods, providing equipment, arranging deliveries, and helping establish commercial connections that allowed Headquarters to operate efficiently.

Sage trusted his judgment, particularly when it came to matters involving trade.

"So, what brings you here today?" Sage asked, leaning back in his chair. "More supplies? Another merchant interested in opening a shop near Headquarters?"

"Something considerably more interesting, Guildmaster," Garen replied, placing a leather folder upon the desk. "I’ve recently received correspondence from several commercial acquaintances, and I believe the contents might be of great interest to you."

Sage raised an eyebrow.

Garen opened the folder and withdrew several documents bearing unfamiliar seals.

"Your Guild’s activities around Greyfen have attracted considerable attention," the merchant explained. "The quantity of materials entering Kingsford from dungeon expeditions has increased, and merchants are beginning to recognize that your organization could become one of the Kingdom’s most important sources of valuable resources."

Sage nodded thoughtfully.

That development wasn’t particularly surprising. Greyfen was an S-Rank Dungeon containing hundreds of floors, and even the relatively limited expeditions conducted so far had produced valuable discoveries.

Furthermore, the Guild’s established Dungeon Pass system allowed Adventurers to retain everything they obtained, creating opportunities for merchants willing to purchase those materials.

"Several companies have already approached us about buying dungeon resources," Sage remarked. "I assume this is another one?"

Garen smiled knowingly. "Not exactly, Guildmaster. The organization I’m referring to isn’t an ordinary merchant company, nor is it one of Westmark’s commercial associations."

Sage glanced toward the documents. "Then what is it?"

Garen leaned forward slightly. "The Merchant Faith."

Sage blinked. "The Merchant Faith?"

"Precisely, Guildmaster," Garen answered. "An organization whose influence extends far beyond the commercial institutions you’re familiar with."

Sage considered the name before shrugging. "So it’s a merchant guild with a religious name? I’ve encountered stranger organizations."

Garen laughed. "An understandable assumption, Guildmaster, but a mistaken one. The Merchant Faith isn’t simply a guild established to regulate trade or protect the interests of merchants."

Boren, who had been preparing to leave, paused near the door.

"Merchant Faith?" he repeated thoughtfully. "I’ve heard the name mentioned in certain commercial records, although I wasn’t aware they maintained interests in Westmark."

Garen nodded approvingly. "Then you’ve already encountered traces of their influence. Most people who deal with established merchant companies have, whether they realize it or not."

Sage gestured toward the empty chair beside Garen. "Boren, stay for this. I have a feeling our friend is about to explain something considerably more complicated than an ordinary business arrangement."

Boren returned to the table while Garen arranged the documents before them.

"The Merchant Faith is best understood as a religious-commercial tradition," Garen began. "Its members regard commerce as more than a means of accumulating wealth. To them, economic exchange is an essential principle governing the prosperity of civilization."

Sage studied him curiously. "A religion built around buying and selling things?"

Garen chuckled. "That would be an amusingly simple description, Guildmaster, but their philosophy is rather more extensive."

He selected one of the documents and placed it before Sage. "According to their teachings, everything possesses value. A sword, a loaf of bread, a piece of land, a skilled craftsman’s labor, even information. The value may differ depending upon circumstances, but nothing that contributes to society is entirely without worth."

Sage considered the explanation. "That sounds more like an economic principle than a religious belief."

"To ordinary merchants, perhaps," Garen replied. "But members of the Merchant Faith consider the recognition and exchange of value something sacred. They believe prosperity arises when people are able to exchange what they possess for what they need."

Boren leaned forward with interest.

"And wealth must circulate?" he asked, recalling something from the commercial records he had examined.

Garen nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly! That’s one of their fundamental teachings. Wealth that remains stagnant contributes little to society. Gold locked away indefinitely cannot purchase grain, employ craftsmen, fund expeditions, or support trade."

Sage glanced toward the financial reports stacked beside his desk. "Irene would probably disagree with anyone suggesting that we should spend all our gold."

Garen laughed. "The Merchant Faith doesn’t teach reckless spending, Guildmaster. Saving, investment, and maintaining reserves are perfectly acceptable. Their concern is wealth that serves no purpose and resources that remain unused when they could contribute to productive activity."

Boren nodded thoughtfully. "So they distinguish between preserving wealth for future use and simply allowing resources to remain idle."

"Precisely," Garen replied. "A merchant who stores grain for the winter is preserving something valuable for an important purpose. But a merchant who hoards grain indefinitely while entire communities suffer shortages may be condemned for preventing necessary exchange."

Sage rested his chin against one hand.

The philosophy was certainly unusual, particularly for an organization that apparently maintained religious traditions.

However, he could understand why merchants might find its teachings appealing.

"What about profit?" Sage asked. "Surely they don’t expect merchants to operate without earning anything."

Garen looked almost offended by the suggestion. "Certainly not, Guildmaster! Profit is considered a legitimate reward for providing value, accepting risks, and facilitating exchange. A successful merchant is expected to prosper, provided that prosperity comes through recognized commercial practices."

He paused before adding, "In fact, many followers believe that profitable trade benefits everyone involved when conducted properly."

Sage smiled faintly. "Now that sounds like something a merchant would turn into a religion."

Garen laughed heartily. "Perhaps, Guildmaster. But you shouldn’t underestimate how seriously its followers regard those principles."

He explained that members of the Merchant Faith often maintained strict commercial records, honored established agreements, and placed considerable importance upon reputation.

A merchant who repeatedly violated contracts or deliberately manipulated transactions could lose the confidence of other members.

Likewise, merchants who established reliable trading relationships and contributed to the prosperity of their communities were highly respected.

Boren examined one of the seals.

"Do they have priests or temples?" he asked.

Garen considered the question before answering.

"They possess religious customs and ceremonial traditions, certainly. However, their institutions differ considerably from the churches most people recognize. Their gatherings frequently take place in commercial halls, and their teachings are closely connected to the practical activities of merchants."

Sage nodded slowly.

He was beginning to understand why Garen had described the organization as something more than an ordinary merchant guild.

Nevertheless, one question remained. "What does any of this have to do with the Adventurer Guild?"

Garen’s expression brightened. "Quite a great deal, Guildmaster. Consider what your organization has accomplished. You’ve established a system through which Warriors undertake missions, explore dangerous territories, and recover valuable resources that would otherwise remain inaccessible."

He gestured toward the window overlooking the Guild District. "Those resources then enter the economy. Merchants purchase them, craftsmen transform them into useful products, and those products eventually reach customers throughout the Kingdom."

Sage listened attentively.

"From the Merchant Faith’s perspective," Garen continued, "your Guild is creating new opportunities for economic exchange on an extraordinary scale."

Boren nodded. "And as our dungeon operations expand, the quantity of resources entering commercial circulation will increase."

"Exactly," Garen replied. "Greyfen alone could support considerable commercial activity for years, and that’s without considering the Guild’s other dungeons."

Sage glanced toward the unfamiliar seals again.

"So the Merchant Faith wants access to our dungeon resources?"

Garen raised one finger. "Not quite, Guildmaster. Remember, those resources belong to the Adventurers who obtain them. Your Guild’s policy of allowing Adventurers to retain their entire loot is one of the reasons this opportunity has attracted attention."

Sage nodded approvingly.

He had no intention of changing that policy merely to satisfy a commercial organization.

Adventurers purchased Dungeon Passes to enter Guild-controlled dungeons, but whatever treasures or materials they obtained belonged to them.

Where they chose to sell those resources was their own decision.

"Then any arrangement would have to respect that," Sage stated.

"Naturally," Garen replied. "And I believe that’s precisely why the Merchant Faith could become a valuable partner rather than a competitor."

Sage leaned back in his chair.

He could already imagine the possibilities, particularly if the organization possessed reliable commercial connections beyond Kingsford.

However, Garen’s next words made him reconsider the scale of what was being proposed.

"There’s something you should understand before we discuss any specific arrangements, Guildmaster," the merchant said, his expression becoming unusually serious. "The Merchant Faith isn’t an institution belonging to Westmark."

Sage raised an eyebrow. "Then where is its Headquarters?"

Garen slowly shook his head. "That’s the interesting part. It doesn’t possess a homeland in the ordinary sense, nor does it answer to a single kingdom or emperor."

Boren looked surprised. "Then how extensive is its influence?"

Garen glanced between them before answering. "Guildmaster, the Merchant Faith has established its presence across numerous kingdoms and empires. Its members maintain commercial relationships that cross national borders, great seas, and even continental boundaries."

Sage’s expression gradually changed.

Garen leaned forward, lowering his voice slightly. "When I say the Merchant Faith is influential, Guildmaster, I’m not comparing it to the merchant associations of Westmark."

He tapped the documents resting upon the desk.

"I’m talking about an organization whose commercial influence extends across kingdoms, empires, and entire continent."