Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation
Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The plan to purchase grain was forced to be terminated.
Reed was very surprised when he heard the news.
He had thought that this was the easiest part of the plan, yet he did not expect that to be blocked.
“Master Reed, I had already contacted several guilds that specialized in selling food stocks, and just before I was preparing to pay, they suddenly informed me because of the border war, Grimm had imposed a ban on the large-scale purchase of food stocks. Due to that, I had run through all of the grain merchant associations in the eastern part of the city, and Goddess above, all of them used the same reason to reject me. Those damned bastards!”
Laurent was very frustrated. He had thought that it was a small matter and wanted to complete it beautifully. However, he did not expect to encounter such a big obstacle instead.
One thousand and eight hundred gold Pykes could buy ten thousand people’s food for a year, which was equivalent to a hundred thousand people’s monthly rations.
While this was not exactly a small amount, it was actually nothing.
After all, the south was Norland Empire’s main food production area, and there were a lot of food reserves, but this was the first time Laurent encountered such a difficult harvest.
Having money but no food to buy, the hell was that!
Reed demurred for a moment.
There was no substitute for food in his raiding plan.
It was pointless to raid and bring humans back to the castle if there was no food. He could not very well let them just eat once a month like vampires.
The most suitable place for large scale food stock acquisition was Grimm. The other cities were one, too far away, two, unfamiliar grounds, and three, they did not have as much grain as Grimm.
If he were to go to other cities to purchase, then the time and energy cost would increase, and he may not be able to procure the amount he needed even after winter.
So he had no choice, and this problem needed to be resolved.
“Which guilds are controlling the flow of grain in Grimm? I’m not talking about those smaller sales guilds but the guilds that control the entire food stock of Grimm.”
Laurent replied without hesitation, “Master Reed, half of the food in Grimm is sold by the honorary members of the Grimm Chamber of Commerce, and the other half is controlled by the largest guild in the city, the Alex Consortium.”
The Grimm Chamber of Commerce was a general chamber formed by thousands of guilds in the city, and the strongest twenty of the guilds within the chamber had been granted honorary membership.
The Goldwheat Guild is also a member of the Grimm Chamber of Commerce, but its strength was only middling, and may not even break into the top 500.
Reed nodded slightly. There were no anti-monopoly laws in this era, and nobles often controlled the most profitable businesses.
As food was the foundation of everything, its ability to generate revenue was no lesser than any other industry.
He was mentally prepared for the fact that one or several nobles controlled the share of the food stock industry.
“What’s the situation with the Alex Consortium. Can we buy food from them?”
The Progenitor Vampire was a run-of-the-mill magic maniac, with very poor communication skills, and his connections with Grimm was as good as a blank paper.
Coincidentally, the nobility often talked about personal connections, and even if he was a distinguished high mage with a baronial title, he did not have any connections to look for a suitable person to resolve this problem for him.
With his identity, this should have been a simple matter, but now he needed to come forward himself.
It seems like after this matter is resolved, it was time to establish connections in Grimm, he thought.
“The Alex Consortium is one of the founders of Grimm and has a very high status in the city. If we can get their support, the issue with the bulk food purchases can be easily resolved.” Laurent looked a little bitter. “I had originally wanted to go in for a visit, but I was stopped at the door. But if it was you, Master Reed, I believe they would be happy to receive you.”
The status of a mage and a merchant was naturally different. The Alex Consortium may look down on him, but they could not take Reed lightly.
Laurent was also a little grateful, if he had not latched onto this patron of his, he could only pinch his nose and admit defeat.
“Are there any alternatives besides the Alex Consortium?”
“The Alex Consortium is the best choice. If they cannot resolve this matter, no one else can.”
Laurent smiled bitterly.
Reed nodded, it seems like this Alex Consortium was not as simple as it looks here.
Did the ban on bulk purchase of food had something to do with them?
If it was due to them, what was their goal? Was it just due to the orc invasion?
His eyes narrowed slightly. Although these ancient nobility were rotten, he would not underestimate them.
“Was there any precedent of a ban on bulk grain purchases in Grimm during the previous winters?”
“Master Reed, there was none in the past ten years. But the orcs did come early this year, and perhaps the nobles in Grimm have other concerns.”
Whether it was them or not, he needed to make this trip.
“Help me send a letter of visitation, I will personally visit the Alex Consortium myself.”
“Understood, Master Reed.”
The headquarters of the Alex Consortium was established in the most prosperous area at the center of Grimm and was less than a thousand rhents away from the lord mayor’s manor.
After Laurent sent Reed’s letter of visitation, it did not take long for the vice-chairman of the Alex Consortium to personally come and make an appointment with him.
The treatment here was vastly different from when he had gone over there alone.
By the time Reed received Laurent’s feedback, two solhours had passed.
The distance between the Alex Consortium and the Vermillion Tower was a full solhour away by carriage.
So Reed did not delay and immediately prepared to set off with Laurent.
“Master Reed, can I go with you?”
At the hall on the first floor, just as Reed was about to leave, Viena looked at him pleadingly.
Reed froze for a moment, and then glanced at the dozen or so apprentices in the hall that were eager and nodded slightly.
“Viena, Cain, the two of you, come with me. Karl, you’ll help them answer their questions today.”
Both Viena and Cain, who were named, were overjoyed, and hurriedly stepped forward to follow him.
The other apprentice mages, while they were a little envious of the two, did not dare to speak out. They did not have the guts to speak to Master Reed like how Miss Viena did.
Reed had been in the mage tower for the past few days, since he had time, he had given his apprentices a couple of lectures.
After undergoing the baptism of compulsory education, he used the modern teaching technique of his teachers to lecture this group of apprentices who were hungry for knowledge.
This group of apprentice mages realized that their master was not as unkind as they had thought, so they got a lot closer to him, and became much more respectful.
If it was Viena in the past, she would never have dared to say anything when the Progenitor Vampire went out.
Reed did not have any superfluous thoughts about it, and this group of apprentice mages was definitely the best labor he had around.
They could work 14 hours a day and still be proud of it.
All he had to do was to teach them a few lessons when he was free, and it was himself who gained the most from the increase in their capabilities.
There was simply no better workforce.
As a new capitalist, Reed was very satisfied with these apprentices.
Taking Viena and Cain out was also due to him noticing that their minds were very flexible. In the future, he could leave many things regarding the Goldwheat Guild for them to manage.
The vampires had to proceed with the agriculture program, but the mage tower could not fall behind too. Parallel development was the ultimate truth.