Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 355 The Golden Wheat Merchant Guild and Strange Motives

The blacksmith's roar echoed like thunder across the field.

His muscular body trembled with intense emotions, and the resentment and resistance in his eyes almost solidified.

It seemed that the plump, round-faced man in front of them was not a stranger with whom they had a dispute over information, but rather a long-standing enemy.

What's even stranger is...

As things stand, the onlookers on both sides, who have remained silent since the beginning, have still not made any significant moves.

Neither an acquaintance of the blacksmith stepped forward to dissuade him, lest the situation escalate out of control; nor were there any passersby who turned away out of concern for the consequences.

The atmosphere subtly changed.

If the onlookers could previously be described as "indifferent spectators," the increasingly cold atmosphere permeating the crowd now transcends the category of "spectators."

Their eyes sharpened silently, their bodies leaned forward slightly, displaying an aggressive posture, as if some invisible resonance was permeating them.

There were no insults or shouts.

But it is precisely this cold, deathly silence that is more suffocating than the clamor.

It was as if Horak was arguing with not just the blacksmith, but all the residents of Gieshorn.

Xia Nan was unaware of the ins and outs of the matter, and it was difficult for him to determine the real reason why the attitude of the onlookers changed so drastically in such a short period of time.

But when he saw the blacksmith's arm trembling as he slightly raised the hammer in his hand...

He knew he couldn't let the situation on the field continue like this.

As guards hired by the caravan, the three adventurers exchanged glances and made the same judgment.

The dwarf Soldin practically leaped out in front of everyone, standing between the wealthy merchant and the blacksmith.

Neither the shield nor the mace were in his hands. This straightforward dwarf interrupted the argument by simply standing and moving.

Although Soldin's height wouldn't significantly affect their vision, the sudden intervention of a third party during the argument interrupted the escalating conflict.

Margaret then instructed her caravan manager to drag Horako to the back, protecting him while also signaling to the businessman with her eyes to calm down and not escalate the conflict further.

As for Xia Nan... his outstanding physical abilities allowed him to flash to the blacksmith's side in just a few steps.

His keen senses allowed him to clearly tell that the burly blacksmith in front of him was just an ordinary person, so he did not draw his longsword.

He reached out and gently pressed down on the raised hammer, whispering a reminder to stay calm.

The blacksmith was in a state of extreme anger because of Horak's words. Feeling the resistance in his hammer, he looked down and saw the palm on the hammer. His gaze then followed upwards.

Then I saw a pair of exquisite dark silver iron armor, two sword sheaths protruding from behind, and a pair of dark, sharp, and cold eyes.

It was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head, instantly extinguishing the anger in his heart.

Even if he is just an ordinary blacksmith with relatively average skills who has never crafted enchanted equipment.

As someone in the industry, he could clearly recognize the expensive and high-quality equipment worn by the young man in front of him.

At the same time, the refined aura emanating from the other party was something that those low-level adventurers who struggled to make a living in the forest could not possess.

The fierceness in his eyes vanished instantly, leaving only a naive and innocent clarity.

The three professional-level adventurers took control of the situation in the blink of an eye.

The appearance of Xia Nan and the others also helped Horak, who had been somewhat out of control, to quickly calm down.

His breathing was rapid, his chest heaving violently, but the obsession in his eyes had vanished.

Standing still, he glanced at the crowd around him, which was slightly agitated by the sudden arrival of the adventurers, and then looked with a hint of resentment at the burly blacksmith in front of him, who was no longer as frantic as before.

They had no intention of using Xia Nan and others to forcibly oppress the townspeople.

Holak forced a stiff smile, wiped his sweat, and said to Xia Nan and the others:

"It's nothing, it's nothing."

"Let's talk about the details later. Let's go back to the hotel first."

"..."

The ins and outs of this conflict are very simple, at least not complicated in Horaco's explanation.

After settling several adventurers at the "Cashmere Rusty Nails" inn, he was anxious and took his assistant to the town to inquire about the situation.

Thinking that the blacksmith in Giraffe Horn might know more about gemstones, and having already obtained some information about their origin from the seller when he bought the pastel gemstone in Newme, he went directly to the burly blacksmith with whom he had just argued.

Unexpectedly, after mentioning that he had come for the gems, the blacksmith, who had initially been quite amiable, suddenly changed his attitude. Even when Horak offered him a large sum of money, he refused to speak and even tried to kick them both out of the shop, using extremely aggressive language.

Horako was so angry that he got into an argument with the other party.

The manager who was with him couldn't persuade him, and seeing that more and more onlookers were gathering on both sides, he was afraid that things would get out of hand, so he rushed back to the hotel to ask Xia Nan and the others for help.

"Thank you so much for earlier, otherwise I really wouldn't know how to get away,"

In the hotel lobby, Horako had regained his usual calm demeanor, only his collar and back, soaked with sweat, revealed his earlier embarrassment.

"The mission isn't over yet, that's to be expected."

The dwarf Soldin waved his hand and replied with a broad grin.

Horak only managed a forced smile, his face showing signs of exhaustion.

"I'm a little tired. As for the rest... let's talk about it at dinner."

"I'm going back to my room to rest now. You can use this time to go out and explore—although the scenery here isn't as good as in River Valley Town."

He made a lighthearted joke to the group, then took his leave and went upstairs.

Standing to the side, Xia Nan withdrew his gaze from the figure that was gradually disappearing at the end of the stairs, his expression thoughtful.

He glanced at the serious-looking motorcade manager beside him, who was also staring at the wealthy businessman's back.

After a moment's hesitation, he gently patted the other person's shoulder and asked:
"Are you busy right now? Do you have time... to talk?"

……

"Cashmere Rust Nails" Hotel, first floor private room.

"So your boss's main business is actually in Newam, and this is his first time here in Subin Province?" Xia Nan peeled a mandarin orange in his hand and looked at the team manager named "Afu" across the table with some surprise.

“If you really want to say that, then you’re not wrong.” Afu also held a small orange in his hand, but he had no intention of peeling it. He just played with it between his fingers. “At least since I met Mr. Horako more than 20 years ago, he has never been here.”

"As for before that... I don't know."

As the caravan manager, the second-in-command of the caravan, and a capable assistant to Horak, Afu had worked for Horak in his youth and had earned the deep trust of this generous and wealthy merchant.

However, when he met Horak, Horak's business had already started to improve, and he might have even been to this province earlier.

"But isn't your boss a member of the 'Golden Wheat Chamber of Commerce'? His business is so big, it shouldn't be like this, right?"

Beside him, Soldin carefully adjusted the pendant on his braid, asking without looking up.

“We have a good relationship with the ‘Golden Wheat Chamber of Commerce,’ but we are only ‘members’ and not ‘directors’,” Afu patiently explained the misunderstanding in the dwarf’s words. “Moreover, our business mainly focuses on antiques and furniture. Even if we need to go out to investigate, we have a professional appraiser accompanying us to conduct on-site inspections.”

"In most cases, Mr. Horac is able to handle ninety percent of his daily work simply by sitting in his study."

"This trip to Giethoorn is very unusual, both in terms of the itinerary itself and Mr. Horako's personal request to accompany the team."

Upon hearing this, Xia Nan couldn't help but show a thoughtful expression.

He had heard of the "Jinmai Chamber of Commerce".

Knowing that it was a large trading guild with considerable influence, its sphere of influence covering the three provinces of "Yuansha", "Panyun" and "Subin".

The Chamber of Commerce's logo is a full ear of wheat made of gold, which reflects its name "Golden Wheat Chamber of Commerce" and also comes from its founder, "Nok Golden Wheat".

Starting with grain trading, the company gradually expanded into textiles, minerals, timber and other fields.

Its organizational structure, just like its wheat-ear-shaped chamber of commerce logo, is hierarchical yet closely united.

Centered around the well-established and interconnected Panyun Province, the organization strengthens its influence by establishing branches in various locations and recruiting and winning over local merchants, which seems to have been inspired by the organizational structure of some adventurers' associations.

Xia Nan had heard of this merchant guild when he was planning to find some exotic items in the Ash Valley ruins to sell for money.

Knowing that many shops in River Valley Town are related to it, with a dense network of channels, only large merchants with assets of a certain level are qualified to join and obtain the status of "official member".

While they were pondering, the conversation inside the room continued.

"According to you, Horako hasn't personally led a team in a long time?"

"Is this so-called gem mine in Goat Horn really that valuable, enough to warrant a formal member of the Golden Wheat Merchant Guild personally visiting it for inspection?"

Margaret seemed confused by Alfred's answer and pressed for an answer.

“I…I don’t know what he was thinking.”

Upon hearing this, the usually stern and serious middle-aged man showed a rare look of bewilderment.

"Mr. Horac rarely discusses with us the topic of gem mines or the gem he bought at auction."

“When he proposed to lead the team himself, I asked him for the specific reasons, but he didn’t really answer.”

"And to be honest..."

A hint of hesitation appeared on Afu's face.

“Although our business involves antiques, things like gemstone jewelry are just Mr. Horac’s personal hobby, and we don’t go into business with them.”

"Even if we do discover an unexploited gem mine here, developing and operating it with our current capabilities will not be an easy task."

"Compared to the upfront investment that may be required, the expected returns are nowhere near as high as investing in areas where there are already established channels."

Having said all he could, Afu said nothing more.

But everyone on the field already understood what he was trying to say.

Horac's trip to Giethoorn was completely illogical from a business perspective.

As for the specific reasons... there are only two.

First, I personally feel that he has already earned enough money, and this trip was entirely a willful act based on his personal hobby.
Second, there is something in Goat Horn Town that he cannot disclose, but which is even more attractive to him; the gem mine is just a cover.

Of course, in Xia Nan's opinion, considering the behavior of the town's residents, the hotel owner, and Horak, there might be a third reason...

He suddenly looked up, his gaze fixed on Afu ahead:
"Let me tell you about the specific situation in Giethoorn. You should have known about it before you came, right?"

"Of course, when news of the gem reached Newme, I..."

……

……

"Tap, tap, tap."

The fingertips tapped lightly on the table, the soft sound of nails hitting the wood echoing gently in the quiet room.

After all, Afu was Horak's most trusted assistant. Although he was very worried about his boss's condition, he was quite restrained and conservative in his answers when it came to specific privacy matters.

He only stayed in the private room for another half hour before saying goodbye and leaving, returning to the second floor of the hotel.

However, the limited information revealed by the other party was enough to arouse suspicion among the adventurers present.

Xia Nan remained silent, Margaret frowned, and even the usually carefree dwarf Soldin closed his mouth with a thoughtful expression, toying with the unpeeled mandarin orange left by Afu.

Without a doubt, Giethoorn... has a problem!

Whether it was the extremely unusual journey of the merchant Horacco, who traveled all the way from Newme to Giethoorn to personally investigate, or the strange behavior of the townspeople, this was enough to demonstrate the point.

Furthermore, Xia Nan was able to roughly determine that the "problem" itself was most likely related to the pastel gemstone that Horac possessed, which was said to have come from Giethoorn.

He suspected that this gemstone might have some kind of mental control effect, influencing people's thinking.

However, because Horak was too stingy in showing off the gems in his possession, and he had not yet found a second one in the town, he could not confirm his conjecture.

Regardless, with the two members of the Blackwood Squad already deciding to accept the businessman's investigation commission, Xia Nan felt it necessary to inform them of his findings.

The fingertips that were tapping on the table suddenly stopped.

As if sensing something, Margaret's eyes, which had been wandering off in thought, snapped back to attention.

His gaze turned to Xia Nan across the table:
"Have you... discovered something?"

(End of this chapter)