Chapter 200: A New Atmosphere in the Territory
When the gentle morning light reached the town and two villages of Dalaran, farmers who got up early to take advantage of the cool weather before noon to do more farm work, diligent shop assistants opening their stores, travelers and merchants passing through inns, and workers busy loading and unloading goods in the commercial district—all contributed to this bustling scene. It hardly seemed like a remote town that had been established less than a year ago; even towns near more prosperous areas were hardly this lively.
The common people in the territory led prosperous lives, and the arrival of merchants further spurred development across all social classes. Although Dalaran currently had only one hereditary noble—its lord—aside from a knight of the realm, both the treasurer and the newly appointed business supervisor were also of noble origin. From the officials in charge of governing various affairs in Dalaran to the leaders of the militia and even the servants in the lord’s household, everyone enjoyed better treatment than those serving other noble lords.
Thus, in the eyes of the local commoners, it was an immense honor to work for Dalaran’s lord. There was even a good chance of gaining noble status in the future. Just look at Lord Uther—he was already a hereditary knight and had been granted a fief, though it was located deep in the forests and mountains, it was still a hereditary noble estate!
In this world, commoners did not own their own land; even generous lords only levied less tax.
After a busy morning, a few familiar caravan leaders finally found time to gather in the tea room of the hotel run by Dalaran’s lord to drink tea and chat.
“Old Hawk! Your caravan harvested quite a lot today! You must be making a fortune when you get back!”
Hearing the fat merchant’s words, one of the elders laughed, “You too just unloaded a large shipment! It’s all the best sea salt and dried goods from Dalaran. This trip to Leyton Harbor and back has earned us more money than half a year ago!”
The fat merchant continued, “Isn’t that right? Those of us who seized the opportunity first rented the best shops in town, and our taxes have been cut by more than half. Those who were slower are now regretting it! If things go on like this, in less than two years, we’ll be able to establish our own merchant guilds and become the top merchants in Dalaran!”
Another dark and thin caravan leader picked up the maple-sugar-covered black tea on the table, took a sip, and said, “I like this stuff more and more. Commoners in other places can’t get it at all; only mages and nobles can enjoy it. If we leave Dalaran, it will be impossible to drink it like this every day again.”
The old man shared some news: “I heard that a viscount in the capital and the Ansel family have good relations with our lord. They’ve received knowledge from Dalaran and plan to establish tea plantations in their own territories. Shouldn’t we make preparations too? After all, black tea isn’t like fruit trees—it can be harvested in just the first year!”
The dark and thin merchant waved his hand and said, “I think we’d better not. Even if black tea is grown elsewhere, could its taste compare to that of the original from Dalaran? Which of Dalaran’s major industries isn’t unique?”
“That’s true. I heard that Lord Grii in the east also plans to imitate Dalaran by setting up canned food factories to compete in the icefish roe business. But after producing two batches of canned icefish roe, they became so rotten within a few days that even wild cats wouldn’t eat them. He lost thousands of silver coins, and now his family is severely weakened. Without new income, they might not be able to pay the royal taxes, and their territory could be at risk. Doesn’t he realize that something created by mages can’t be replicated by ordinary, crude farmwives?”
Speaking of Lord Grii, he has now become a laughingstock and topic of conversation in the Northlands. Previously, because Dalaran developed the icefish industry, Lord Grii’s territory, which relied on icefish as its main source of income, saw a sharp decline in revenue. After all, the icefish roe paste produced by Dalaran was not only delicious but also had a much longer shelf life!
It is said that this year, the canned fish roe paste produced in Dalaran was first brought to Gardrel on the other side of the continent by a merchant ship from the Port of Leyton. It was very popular among the nobles there. Due to its scarcity, its price soared several times. Combined with already expensive goods like moonlight wine and black tea, a single shipment brought in huge profits—enough to last a lifetime.
With this small merchant guild’s success as a model, various guilds and nobles eager for profit rushed to get involved. Commoners and small merchants hoping to get rich overnight flocked to Dalaran in hopes of obtaining some goods to sell elsewhere.
As for the icefish from Lord Grii’s territory, it suddenly became unattractive and could only be sold at low prices to some minor nobles and merchants who couldn’t afford it before.
And there were even worse situations. Perhaps attracted by the excellent water quality of Dalaran! Near the source of the Icefish in Mount Izumo, many fish were migrating downstream toward Dalaran, significantly reducing the fishery revenue in Lord Gry’s domain.
In such a predicament, Lord Gry had no choice but to secretly send people to Dalaran to steal knowledge and establish his own canned food factory after their example. However, they lacked the necessary spices, failed to properly sterilize the food during production, and had inadequate sealing techniques. As a result, two batches of canned Icefish roe, each containing thousands of pieces, spoiled almost entirely within just a few days. The few hundred pieces that were sold led to buyers rushing to Lord Gry’s house demanding compensation.
If the buyers had been ordinary merchants, things might have been resolved with some effort. Unfortunately, two of them were shops run by nobles. The lesser noble might simply pay compensation, but the other was a hereditary lord from the Eastern Region, holding the title of Viscount—his status and power far exceeded that of Lord Gry.
That count also saw potential in the Icefish industry and wanted to reap huge profits without making large investments. He heard from his subordinates that such canned Icefish roe was produced in the origin region at a lower price than in Dalaran, so, tempted, he fell for the scam. Fortunately, he received word in time before the goods could be shipped back to his domain for sale; otherwise, the losses would have been even greater, and his shop’s reputation would have been ruined.
The loss of over a thousand gold sols wasn’t the biggest issue, but reputation and face were far more important. Filled with anger and humiliation, and on the verge of becoming a laughingstock among the nobles of the Eastern Region, the count decided not to let the petty lord who deceived him off easy. He made arrangements in both the noble council and the royal court. If Lord Gry couldn’t satisfy him, he would likely have to sell his hereditary lands to cover the massive compensation.
Hearing the fat merchant’s scornful remarks, the old man and the thin black merchant agreed wholeheartedly. Still, they cautiously glanced around and said, “It’s enough for us to just listen to these words! After all, he is a hereditary noble lord. If others find out we’re disrespectful, we’ll likely get into a lot of trouble! He happens to be in need of money—why not provoke him and hand him an opportunity to extort us?”
The fat merchant also became more restrained. In the eyes of nobles, merchants were at best only slightly better than commoners.
Dalaran’s moonlight wine and black tea have already attracted the attention of many local powers. Not long ago, that mage lord introduced the canned food industry, producing various common foods such as pickled ice fish roe, sweet-sauced wild sour fruits, braised pig meat, and salted vegetables. It is said that the Ansel Sacred Sword Legion, one of the three major military forces in Thelos, was the first to order batches of field rations. The soldiers on missions praised these rations highly, even drawing the attention of the royal court. It is said that Count Dawson, the Minister of Military Affairs, tried this convenient food and personally discussed it with the king, resulting in an order for the kingdom’s main forces, including the Order of Glory Knights, to purchase batches of field rations each year as strategic reserves. Thus, despite the low price of the field rations, their large quantity ensured that Dalaran’s canning workshops still reaped considerable profits. Now, stories about the lord of Dalaran are widely spread throughout the Kingdom of Thelos. What’s most talked about isn’t his territories or industries, but rather his powerful mages and his status as a young, handsome noble—these are what people truly admire. As for wealth? In this world, wealth is merely a byproduct of power. Without strong strength and noble status as backing, no matter how much wealth a merchant earns, it remains illusory; they are like fat pigs ready to be slaughtered, and any powerful noble can take a cut from them. That’s why merchants in this world rely on noble power to survive and place great importance on obtaining noble status. After chatting for a while longer and seeing many guests arrive in the hotel lobby and tea room, they exclaimed, “Putting aside everything else, just the establishment of this hotel has greatly facilitated our lives as merchants!” “Indeed, indeed!” This emerging industry of hotels was also invented by that remarkable lord, combining the services of inns and taverns to provide accommodation and dining for distinguished guests. Compared to chaotic taverns, the beautifully decorated and quiet hotels are more suitable for nobles and merchants to stay in and relax. Nowadays, some merchants even prefer to hold business meetings in hotel private rooms—providing a confidential and comfortable environment. Almost everyone who has stayed there is satisfied with the emergence of this hotel industry. Most importantly, the cost of hotels isn’t as high as that of traditional luxury noble inns, yet the service is better. Staying in a regular room doesn’t cost much, and although the food and drinks are a bit pricey, they are delicacies unavailable elsewhere.
It is said that according to the plans of that lord, the Forest Home Inn in Dalaran is set to open chain branches in Stonetalon and Redleaf Town, with further expansions planned to major cities like the capital. Soon, merchants from other places will be able to enjoy its benefits too!