HLnovel Chapter 209 The Deer Playing with the Lion
Chapter 209 The Deer Playing with the Lion
Chapter 209 The Deer Playing with the Lion
"black pepper?"
Upon hearing this unfamiliar term, Suraj couldn't help but repeat it.
“That’s right,” Earl Gabriel Mason nodded, “a completely new plant, and it is just one of many spices.”
"What's the use?"
"Currently, its main use is in cooking."
Gamill replied,
"Eliminating odors and adding aroma, you've already tasted food cooked with pepper, so you should understand what I'm talking about. This stewed mutton was so delicious that Suraj was shocked, and according to Gamir, its flavor is thanks to pepper."
Suraj began to ponder what kind of rare plant this thing called pepper really was.
Just as he was thinking this, Gamir suddenly took out a bag and pushed it in front of Suraj:
"It contains pepper."
Upon seeing this, Suraj immediately opened the bag.
Then he saw granular, seed-like things.
He grabbed a handful, brought it to his nose, and took a gentle sniff.
"Ahem!"
The smell was so strong that Suraj couldn't help but cough.
At the same time, he couldn't deny that it was indeed very fragrant.
He had no doubt that such an ingredient had been added to the stewed mutton.
Ah Jun also asked to see this thing, and Suraj did not refuse.
Gamir seemed pleased with Suraj and Ah Jun's reaction; a smile appeared on his face as he continued:
"Aryan, since you are a maritime merchant, you should have the ability to assess the value of goods. Tell me, what commercial value does this pepper I have?"
Suraj had done his homework for this mission. To avoid his identity being exposed, Suraj systematically learned the skills of a merchant.
Therefore, Gamir's current problem is not a problem for him at all:
"Of course, Your Excellency, anything that can make food so delicious will surely cause a sensation in the market."
"Pepper, though only a tiny bit is needed to make food exceptionally delicious, is extremely rare. You mean the demand for it must be enormous, but the supply is very limited."
Suraj nodded: "Supply falling short of demand and limited production means that its unit price will inevitably be high."
"That's what I think too."
Gamill smiled and said,
"Think about it, spices are small in size and weight, but they are very expensive, just like gold and silver. A single voyage will surely make maritime merchants a fortune."
Suraj also saw the potential business opportunity in spices; it might just be a hot commodity that could revitalize the entire national economy.
Given the value of this item, Gamir should have kept the information hidden as much as possible. Why then did he tell the merchant Suraj?
Suraj asked, "Sir, what is the purpose of your summons?"
"I'd like to talk to you about the spice trade. I wonder if you have even the slightest interest in this project."
"Such fine goods would tempt any merchant, but, sir, there are countless maritime merchants traveling to and from Tongue Harbor."
Why did you choose me of all people?
“Because you are the only one who can choose,” Gamir replied. “I have had people watching the docks for many days, and you are the only brown-skinned person I have found during this time, which means you come from the Far East.”
Suraj became wary: "Why specifically seek cooperation with Easterners?"
"After all, your foundation in the New World is the most solid."
"What do you mean?" Suraj's eyes narrowed into slits.
"Because pepper, a spice, is a specialty of the New World, obtaining it would require conflict with the Green-Eyed People, a situation that no ordinary merchant could handle."
Gamir said,
"New Gate City is the first and largest base established by the forces on the eastern side of the Sea of Despair."
"This emerging city was built by people from the Far East continent. To establish a trade route between the two sides of the Sea of Despair, having a reliable backer would undoubtedly make things much easier."
"You Easterners are naturally more accepting of your own compatriots, so it is only natural for me to want to find an Easterner to cooperate with."
Upon hearing this, Suraj immediately gained a great deal of information.
Firstly, the origin of the spices.
Secondly, the trade and transportation routes for spices have not yet been established.
Thirdly, the Earl, the lord of Tongue Harbor, had a very limited understanding of the Far East.
People with brown skin are indeed mostly of East Asian descent.
However, this conclusion no longer holds true when viewed from the opposite perspective.
Even among people with brown skin, the regimes they belong to may differ.
Newgate City was indeed a city founded by Easterners, but more specifically, it was an outpost developed and built by the Commonwealth.
Suraj, however, was a Swabawa who was loyal to His Majesty, and the Federation was even considered his enemy.
Therefore, Suraj could not gain any advantage in the new gate city.
However, Suraj would not tell Gamir this; he even intended to take advantage of the count's ignorance.
"My lord, how would you like me to help you?"
"Help me establish a stable spice supply in the New World."
"But I don't know how to obtain spices."
"I will tell you all the information I have in detail," Gamir said, "but on the condition that you agree to cooperate with me. And once we sign the contract, it cannot be unilaterally terminated; otherwise, you will be wanted and hunted down by Tongue Harbor."
Suraj was not afraid of having his face painted on the bounty poster, and for the sake of his country and his Lord, he was willing to give his life.
Therefore, he is even less likely to be afraid to tell a small lie at this moment:
"You know, sir, businessmen are driven by profit. I see huge profits in your project, so naturally I'm willing to cooperate with you."
"very good!"
Gamir smiled and clapped his hands.
At that moment, a man dressed as a bartender brought over a contract.
Looking at the contract presented to him, Suraj asked:
"Sir, where are the pen and ink?"
"Please sign here, with your blood," Gamir said. "After all, I don't know if the name you gave me is your real name."
?
"I have identification."
“Proof can be forged,” Gamir said. “Four hundred years ago, when King Jerry the Hedonist went on a trip, his male consort forged a royal warrant and actually became king in Platinum Castle.”
"Of course, when Jerry returned to the palace, the soldiers and ministers all chose to confess and surrender to Sinclair's legitimate bloodline."
This farcical coup thus came to an end.
"Although that male consort only reigned for a little over forty days, it proves that even the most authoritative proof can be forged, let alone a mere merchant's identity document."
Clearly, this man was more cautious and intelligent than Suraj had imagined.
He was also curious whether changing a signature to a fingerprint would ensure that the partner would not betray him.
Without thinking much about it, he bit his finger and pressed his fingerprint onto the contract.
His fingerprints were left on the paper, and the moment he raised his hand, light suddenly burst forth on the paper.
Then a shadow appeared on the paper. The shadow flowed and transformed, eventually turning into a black sheep's head, which remained on the paper.
All the writing on the contract had disappeared, leaving only a strange sheep's head and a bloody handprint.
Just as Suraj was shocked and confused, the sommelier took the contract away and handed it to Gamir.
Suraj immediately tensed up, his face turning ashen, and questioned:
"Your Excellency, what do you mean by this!"
"The laws of the peninsula can't even apply to the desert people, and you're a foreigner, so you have no need to fear the kingdom's laws."
Gamir said,
"Therefore, this is not a contract based on law, but rather on supernatural power; it is a magic scroll."
"What are its effects?"
"Once I tear this scroll, its power will take effect, leading my people to find the owner of the Blood Seal."
Gamill replied,
"So you understand now, don't betray me. No matter where you hide, I will find you!"
Suraj finally understood that the kingdom's lords were indeed all cunning and treacherous.
The Wise Man endowed all mankind with equal intelligence, but the King's men used it for scheming and plotting.
But Suraj has no right to accuse the other party; he himself has ulterior motives.
Suppressing his displeasure, Suraj asked:
"Now that you've achieved your goal, tell me what to do next."
"certainly,"
Gabriel had the waiter take the scroll away and put it away before continuing, "I will tell you from the beginning, and that will involve how I obtained these spices. To be honest, I learned of the existence of this precious commodity through other merchants."
"Then why don't you go and collaborate with him?"
"Because he wasn't the source of the goods, and he was a citizen of the kingdom. After he got the item, his first thought was to sell it to me."
"And according to his description, this batch of goods seems to have come from the Green-Eyed People."
"A green-eyed person?" Suraj looked puzzled.
“That’s right,” Gamir nodded. “In the kingdom, the Green-Eyed People have only one identity: slaves. If the source of the spices really is the Green-Eyed People, how did they obtain them?”
"With this question in mind, I sent people to investigate, and that's when I discovered that there was a group of free-roaming green-eyed people in my port!"
"I realized that the merchant might not be lying, so I immediately sent men to hunt down the group of green-eyed people. Eventually, my men found them one night in front of a tavern."
"Those green-eyed people are extraordinary; they actually killed two of my knights during the counterattack. Fortunately, my men also captured two green-eyed people."
"They were tough as nails, refusing to utter a single word. Even under the same torture, they screamed in agony but refused to speak. The translator sent to them was so horrified by the scene that he fainted. In the end, the two of them committed suicide."
Upon hearing this, Suraj knew that the two green-eyed people possessed unwavering faith.
But there must be other clues, otherwise Suraj wouldn't be sitting here right now:
"What did you find out?"
“I didn’t find anything,” Gamir shrugged. “Not everyone is as smart as you Easterners.”
My men aren't good at investigating cases.
"But when luck comes, you can't stop it, and clues come to you on their own."
"Someone reported that a pirate ship had entered the port. Given the urgency of the situation, I immediately dispatched a large force to investigate, and surprisingly, we found a green-eyed person on that ship!"
"What a coincidence! I actually found the lair of those green-eyed people! And my horseman encountered the remaining green-eyed people on the street and got into a fight with them."
"But there seems to be a formidable figure among this group. My men were repeatedly defeated and forced to retreat, ultimately leaving them no choice but to flee with wolves and foxes."
"The green-eyed people on the ship I captured committed suicide before we could interrogate them."
"But then, wouldn't you have gotten nothing out of the question?" Suraj couldn't help but say.
"That's true, but I know that the Green-Eyed Man came to my port in a ship," Gamir said with a smile. "The key is that it was a pirate ship."
"Slave rebellions have occurred in every era, so they are not surprising. It is also quite normal for ships to be seized after a mutiny."
"But they should have seized a warship from the port, not a pirate ship. I couldn't help but wonder."
Where might pirate ships be randomly moored on the shore?
"No regime can tolerate pirates, therefore, it must be a place without a fixed regime, and I can only think of one such place."
"—The New World!" Suraj blurted out.
“That’s it,” Gamir nodded. “Now it’s clear that the green-eyed people from the New World seized the pirates’ ships and brought spices to my port, which is why they are free.”
"Now things are clear. Spices are a specialty of the New World, and are even cultivated by the Green-Eyed People. Therefore, to obtain spices, one must cross the Sea of Despair."
Suraj nodded: "So, what do you want me to do?"
"I'm willing to invest in you and help me establish a stable spice supply chain in the New World. But this will inevitably provoke a backlash from the Green-Eyed People, so you must rely on the power of Newgate City."
Suraj narrowed his eyes: "Then why don't I just cooperate directly with New Gate City?"
"Newgate City will not compromise with merchants. They have swords and spears in their hands. They can develop spices on their own. Why would they need you? Therefore, this information must not be shared with anyone who knows it."
"You need to cleverly utilize them while concealing their intelligence in order to turn their troops into your own forces, which is bound to be extremely risky, so my investment is equally generous."
"How many?"
"Five thousand gold coins!"
"Hmm," Ah Jun couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
Not only him, but even Suraj was shocked when he heard the number.
The mission funding provided by Swabawa was only two thousand gold coins, which even included the cost of ships and personnel.
Such a large sum of money will certainly help him better fulfill his mission.
Of course, this outcome would inevitably lead to Gamir hunting him down.
But it didn't matter. From the moment he stepped onto the Tree of Wisdom, he and his men disregarded life and death.
Suraj smiled and said, "Then it will be a pleasure to cooperate with you, Your Excellency."
He took Gamir's hand, becoming the deer in the other's eyes.
However, it is a deer that dares to tease a lion.