Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation
Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The Alex Consortium.
As one of the founders of Grimm, the Alex Consortium had a long enough history that it could command the respect of all of the nobility in Grimm.
The guild, which was controlled by the Marquis of House Alex was one of the three largest guilds in Grimm, and it controlled half of the entire city’s food, cloth, salt, and weapons market.
It could be said that the people of Grimm could not live without the products of the Alex Consortium.
“A small guild called the Goldwheat Guild wants to purchase a large amount of grain? An amount that is enough to feed a hundred thousand in a month? Who is he? Why would he choose to buy grain at this time?”
Winnie Alex had a solemn look, her beautiful violet eyes were gleaming with suspicion.
For the eldest daughter of the House of Alex who had just taken over as the chairman of the Alex Consortium, any unusual business behavior was worthy of vigilance, especially in October, when the orcs invaded ahead of time.
With the coming of the long winter, this sensitive timing made her think much more.
Rom Bernard looked at this girl who was reputed to the be most beautiful tulip in Grimm with deep admiration in his eyes.
“Chairman Winnie, it’s understood that the Goldwheat Guild had raised all of their funds for a single ore mining venture in the borderlands, and had even borrowed 200 gold Pykes from the Grimm Chamber of Commerce. Due to the invasion, the Goldwheat Guild’s goods were all captured during a raid on their journey back to Grimm. So the Goldwheat Guild had fallen into a crisis of bankruptcy. Three days ago however, the high mage of the Vermillion Tower had purchased this about-to-go bankrupt guild, and Laurent, a small character he is, would definitely not have such a capital at hand, and this transaction must have come from the orders of the high mage himself.”
Rom knew that Winnie never liked vague reports, and so he immediately went about making sure of all reports before he came.
Laurent, now having Reed as his backer, was full of confidence at this moment. And even walking his steps was almost floaty. He had also on occasion announced that he was under the patronage of the Vermillion Tower in the taverns.
So this sort of news were easy enough to acquire.
Of course, this was also instructed by Reed. Making a fortune without a sound would not work in Grimm , and without sufficient strength a guild could be easily brought down by a single underground faction.
With a high mage as a patron, even if anyone wanted to do something against the Goldwheat Guild would have to weigh their options carefully.
Winnie’s frown became even tighter. She had heard of the name of Reed Kaschar, and she had also attended the inauguration banquet held by the Lodge of Mages when the Vermillion Tower was built.
This mage who had entered Grimm three years had quite the reputation among the city’s nobility.
“Rom, do you know about this mage, Reed Kaschar?”
Rom nodded enviously when he heard the name, and there was some amazement in his voice.
“Reed Kaschar was said to be the eldest son of a minor aristocratic family in one of the border towns. Due to the orc invasion the entire house was lost in the flames of war. With his holdings destroyed, and their people killed by the orcs, Reed Kaschar was forced to come to Grimm. Three years ago, Reed Kaschar, who was only 22 years old became a Level 9 intermediate mage and was just a step away from being a high mage. He then joined the Grimm Lodge of Mages three months later. In one of the magic discussions, after Reed had listened to Archmage Spock’s lecture about magic, he was promoted to high mage under the gaze of several hundred people. Archmage Spock was elated and so took Reed as his disciple before everyone.”
A minor nobility, with excellent magical talents. His family destroyed, and broke through into the ranks of a high mage in a foreign land and earned the appreciation of an Archmage.
There were so many legendary factors that made Reed Kaschar such a celebrity in Grimm.
Even though a few years had passed, Winnie knew from Rom’s deep envy that Reed was no ordinary mage.
But it was because of this she felt something strange.
This high mage, who purportedly only leaves his tower once a month, and was completely obsessed with the study of magic, why would he suddenly buy a guild that was going to go bankrupt, and purchase enough food to feed a hundred thousand people for a month?
Was there something to this?
The Alex Consortium may be a commercial guild on the surface, but Winnie knows that the Alex Consortium was secretly responsible for providing food and rations for the troops at the border.
And this year, due to the invasion the grain production at the borderlands had significantly dropped. If Grimm, which was the largest supporting pillar of the border were to have a food shortage, then she, who is in charge of the guild in providing military rations would definitely be taken to task.
So, she would carefully check the movement of every single large transaction of grain.
“Chairman Winnie, I don’t think this is a big deal. These mages who have no idea how business works probably heard of the border war, they want to stock up on food and make a fortune during winter.”
Rome shook his head disapprovingly.
“The current food price had already reached a high point under our control. If he is willing to buy then we shall raise it a bit more, and once winter comes, we can release our inventory from two years back into the market. Trust me, this mage will taste bitter defeat.”
The Alex Consortium which monopolized half of Grimm’s food stocks, and was also responsible for providing military their rations, raising food prices was something they could do with just a word.
Winnie shook her head.
“No, it’s not necessary. No matter what the purpose of this high mage has, it’s not our responsibility. You need to know that he is not only a high mage, he is also a disciple of Archmage Spock.”
Rom nodded, and a bit of hesitation appeared on his handsome face.
“So, Chairman Winnie, shall we agree to the Goldwheat Guild’s request to purchase?”
“No, I did not say that.”
Rom was very frustrated at this moment, and this tulip that everyone admired was just really hard for him to understand.
“Chairman Winnie, I don’t get what you mean, can you make it clearer?”
Winnie glanced at Rom who looked a little troubled, and shook her head silently.
The eldest son of Marquis Bernard’s family was as unsightly in the matter of commerce as was his talent in magic.
If it was not for the fact that he was born into a good family, she would not have looked at him twice.
“Rom, you must know that the most important thing in a business is the exchange of resources. While Master Reed is a high mage, and if this transaction was to proceed smoothly, then he and the Alex Consortium would merely have a normal working relationship.”
“If a big problem were to occur midway, and we happen to help him resolve it, won’t the Alex Consortium win his friendship?”
Rom suddenly realized that she meant, but in a blink of an eye he looked disdainful, and the arrogance in his words were undoubtedly present.
“Chairman Winnie, do we need to spend so much effort for a high mage from the countryside?”
Winnie frowned a little, and she knew what Rom was thinking about her. The eldest son that would surely inherit the marquisate was definitely a good candidate.
If in the past she would think about Rom’s thoughts, however now, she no longer had any interest in the son of the marquis.
“Master Rom, a high mage is needed not worth the effort like that, but if he is a genius who had become a high mage at 25, and the master of this genius was an Archmage over Level 15, then he is worth that effort.”