Throne of the North.

Chapter 787 Talent Trade: Merchant or Predator?

"This is a blue jellyfish mine from 800 meters deep in the ocean, worth at least fifteen seashells."

"The ore is very valuable and can be forged into very bright gems, but it is not essential, and there are many alternatives on the market."

"Its value is less than that of grain from the 'land'; twelve shells are the most it can have."

"Of course, if it could become a spellcasting material for wizards, it could sell for fifty shells, but I think you've already tried it, and wizards don't need it."

"So its value is only ten seashells. I'll buy it if you sell it."

"Alright, ten it is."

The bustling awning boats were linked together to form a market. Occasionally, someone would fall into the water but quickly climb out, only to be mocked by those around them and leave in a sorry state. Such incidents did not stop the others from continuing to trade for what they wanted in the market.

Freya weighed the blue jellyfish ore in his hand with satisfaction, then tossed it into the burlap sack on his back. The clinking sound coming from the sack indicated that there was more than one such deep-sea ore inside. Behind him were several men, each carrying a burlap sack.

They acquired raw gemstones from the market, and even joined forces with the natives of the Blue Sea Islands to gather and plunder seashells.

The people of Freya didn't pay attention to anything other than gemstones; they focused solely on this category, not because they lacked ideas, but because they lacked the money.

They had a limited number of seashells, and often traded them by bartering.

So why would they do that?

The people of Freya were very clever, especially Freya, who, as the leader of the gem trade, had been to the legendary 'land' and was easily trusted. He told the villagers of the Blue Sea Islands that gemstones of moderate value here could fetch extremely high prices on the 'land'.

Moreover, because the Blue Sea Islands and Ryan were geographically close, they knew they would eventually head to the land.

On the contrary, what about the others in this sea? They probably all think now that the apprentices in robes and the knights in armor are the wizards' subordinates.

Freya and his team seized the opportunity presented by this information gap.

But Freya and his group quickened their pace and began to get anxious.

In the market, they may be the first to consider 'land', but they are not the first to want a monopoly.

The people of Mikragard in this market are shrewd. The people of the Blue Sea Islands focus on gems, but others have begun to categorize resources and concentrate on one.

There was a huge market demand for plant seeds, but Freya and his team discovered that a powerful force was secretly gathering all the seeds together, and they had no idea who was behind it all.

There were also people collecting metal ores, a large-scale operation. It was a group of blacksmiths, and these blacksmiths didn't even come from the same island or archipelago. They originally lived in very different places, but now they had united to form a group that was doing everything they could to buy ores.

Nobody buys everything, because nobody has that much money. Bartering and buying with seashells are the same thing, and you might even need to sell your local specialties to get seashells to stock up.

This led to the emergence of a group of speculators hoarding goods in the market in a very short period of time.

"Damn it, someone else is buying gems just like us. Freya, could they have found out about the 'land' too?"

Hearing this, Freya could only speed up even more.

“I don’t know either, but this place has become so big. Some people might be able to learn from those knights that ‘land’ and gems are very expensive.”

"We need to speed things up."

“But, Freya, we don’t have enough money.”

“We have already sold the silverfish that are a specialty of the Blue Sea Islands, but the gems we have bought so far are still not all of them. The market is too big. I heard there are fifty or sixty thousand people here.”

"Moreover, besides the market, the 'boat houses' that have gathered from various islands must still have stock. If we can get more gems, we won't be able to acquire wealth in a short time after we go to the mainland."

"You said it yourself, the land is vast, and we don't want to become farmers."

"Let me think of a way to see if I can cooperate with another group of gem buyers."

“We don’t know them. The people of the Blue Sea Islands are all our own people; we are all relatives. But those people…”

"There's nothing we can do; the market is too big for us to absorb it all."

Just then, two people came side by side in front of Freya. Their clothes were different from Freya's and his companions; they were more refined, and their skin was not tanned from working at sea.

“Mr. Freya, the Baron requests your presence.”

These are 'land' people,' Freya knew, but they seemed different from the apprentices and soldiers. Did they belong to another professional group?

……

Ryan, holding a telescope made from a crystal lens, stood on the Raven Boat, watching the bustling and vibrant market, and couldn't help but gasp in amazement.

“Even the trade in Zero Crossing City isn’t this intense.”

"It seems I misjudged the Mikragards' talents. They have a high aptitude for trade and a very clear understanding of the value of goods..."

"Of course, there was also plunder."

The Raven Ship was tall, allowing Ryan to see a wide range of things, from the bustling market to the brutal plundering in the shadows and even beneath the sea. Both places were lively.

"They are smart and know how to focus on trading a single commodity. If this market can last a long time, then those who monopolize certain commodities can raise prices and make a lot of money."

Beside Ryan stood four young men, four first-class managers of the Northern Merchant Guild. Ryan had brought them from Zero Crossing City after seeing the market take shape, along with hundreds of other guild members.

Ryan's Frozen Territory has never lacked intellectual talent, after all, his territory contains many former nobles.

Having lost their noble status, if they want to regain their nobility and become lords of the Frozen Territory, they must demonstrate their abilities to Ryan.

At this moment, the four chamber of commerce managers felt even more pressure. The people in this world were too discerning. They had tried to find bargains using seashells, but with little success.

Even their gains are only possible because they possess knowledge from multiple worlds.

"To amass a great fortune?"

Ryan laughed.

"It's ok."

Beside him, the four stewards were very perceptive, smiling respectfully as they said:

"Indeed, no matter how much wealth they accumulate, it will ultimately belong to you, sir."

These former nobles, having seized the initiative in the Northern Merchant Guild, are confident in suppressing the talents of this world.

Lord Ryan will see their utmost loyalty.

"I'm really looking forward to seeing what they can achieve at the Northern Chamber of Commerce."

“The Northern Merchant Guild is doing quite well in the North, but we still can’t break through the blockade of those Southern Merchant Guilds, can we? Especially after the Empire issued the trade permit, it’s very difficult for the Northern Merchant Guild to appear in the kingdoms and noble territories of the South.” “You can’t sell anything except weapons.”

Beside him, four stewards bowed their heads, pleading for Ryan's forgiveness, while Ryan continued speaking:
"I already have enough political allies and military support. If the economy can't keep up, then I'll be engaging in militarism."

Behind him, members of the Chamber of Commerce had already arrived to respectfully request instructions.

"Sir, we have found those people."

"Let them come over."

……

On the small boat, a group of 'villagers' nervously climbed the ladder and first gathered at the edge of the deck.

They are ultimately the ruled in this world. The wizards' authority is profound, and the existence of the Raven Ship is a symbol of these wizards.

They possessed an air of dominance in the market, but on this crow ship, looking at the tall, burly soldiers around them, their weapons gleaming coldly, they still felt a deep-seated fear.

It's an ancient instinct that these ordinary people from all over the country, no matter how much chaos they cause inside and outside the market, never bring their filth near any of the crow ships.

Among the crowd, compared to the other anxious people, Freya was more confident. He knew that the owner of the ship was not the wizard. He didn't know why the wizards had handed the Raven Ship over to the Baron.

In his view, the wizards also respected the Baron.

Moreover, having been granted power, Freya felt much more relaxed after sensing the strong power emanating from her body.

Many people looked at Freya with admiration, feeling that he had an outstanding temperament.

"You guys come with me."

A merchant guild manager, accompanied by attendants, arrived and led the group of over a hundred people to Ryan's location.

The latter was still looking through binoculars at a corner of the sea market, where two groups of people were fighting with daggers, their blood staining the sea red. The blood was then devoured by the monsters belonging to the ravens beneath the surface, making all traces disappear.

"Interesting. Is there really no fundamental difference between merchants and thieves?"

Ryan laughed and turned around. In an instant, his kingly gaze, typical of the Northern Lands, overwhelmed more than a hundred people. Even Freya, who was prepared, couldn't help but tremble at this moment.

Everyone lowered their heads and knelt down nervously, their hearts pounding in their throats.

Freya was utterly shocked. Was this the same young man who had discussed the Blue Sea Islands with her? He actually possessed such authority.

One glance was enough to instill fear in everyone, silencing any wild thoughts.

Everyone knelt on the ground, staring at the deck in front of them, with only Ryan's clear and authoritative voice reaching their ears.

“I have seen your performance in the market.”

"Whether it's using your commodity advantage to suppress other commodities on the market and then buying them at low prices to hoard them, or you're secretly facing greedy predators, or you become predators because of your own greed and eventually succeed in plundering resources."

“I can see all of this clearly; the view from the Raven ship is quite good.”

Everyone was sweating profusely, especially those who had killed people.

"Regarding these things, although the work is rather rough, I am still quite satisfied."

"To me, you are all talented people."

"Stand up."

Ryan spoke calmly, and everyone instinctively stood up and looked up at the young king.

"The Raven Ship does offer a good view, doesn't it?"

Ryan pointed ahead and handed the binoculars to Freya beside him. Freya took a look and saw the distant sea market in full view, with all the noise and filth clearly visible.

“You are all talented people, but in this world, you are unable to fully utilize your talents. You can only spend your whole lives on the island, becoming villagers, weaving fishing nets or growing crops day after day, occasionally going to sea, and living a mundane life.”

"Or, you can choose another way of life, to showcase your talents in a wider world, and become a merchant instead of a farmer."

These people dare to gamble everything by selecting a single commodity in the market and hoarding it; in essence, they are no different from pirates and plunderers.

They were all gamblers.

Freya knelt down again and said loudly:
"Frea will follow Lord Ryan to the death and obey your will for eternity!"

The person behind hesitated, not because of Ryan's suggestion, but because of the presence of the raven.

Each and every one of them is a subject of the Wizard.

The human before me... did not possess the solemnity and majesty of the wizards of this world over the countless years, for he clearly did not look like a raven that flew around.

"You don't need to consider those witch crows anymore. I will negotiate with them and make you my subjects."

"You can rest assured, they will not refuse."

As Ryan finished speaking, he waved his hand toward the sky, and in the raging wind, ravens descended.

"Stranger, do you have any objections?"

In a world unseen by ordinary people, legends and ravens can see that the sky over this sea area has long been filled with various forces, and a god-slaying array has begun to be set up.

This raven is perfecting one part of it.

"You don't need these ordinary people anymore. From now on, they belong to me."

Raven glanced at the hundred-plus people behind Ryan, his intelligent pupils flashing with a chilling light, yet his gaze held no other emotion.

"Here you go, there aren't any of my people inside anyway."

"By the way, do you need my people?"

"We'll need it then."

"Then you go and collect it yourself, I'm too lazy to make the trip."

The raven vanished in an instant, and amidst the raging winds that concealed their magic, the hundred-plus people on the deck finally felt more confident.

"To become my subjects, there will be new rules."

Ryan said this without turning his head.

(End of this chapter)