Volume 13: Sea Rain and Windy Days
Chapter 1: Venturing into the Tiger’s Den
The unadorned City of Rosenberg appeared even more rustic compared to the magnificent Artu Palace. The square red sandstone had become much smoother over time due to erosion by wind and rain. The two huge bronze doors, when closed together, formed the image of a majestic winged tiger head, with its fangs protruding to serve as a natural defensive lock for the city gates.
When Kommer’s party of three carriages slowly entered Rosenberg, Thomas’s butler was already waiting for them at the city gates. Kommer felt somewhat flattered, while also realizing that perhaps their arrival was at just the right time.
“Lord, I need to meet a friend of mine first. He holds an important position in Rosenberg’s court mage council. If you need anything, you can use magic to send me a message. Well, I can ask him to introduce you to them,” Rebrí reminded Kommer kindly before leaving. He knew Kommer was there to negotiate passage rights along the Catalonia River with Prince Thomas. Normally, he wouldn’t have needed to remind Kommer, but he still hoped Kommer would think things through more carefully. “As far as I know, Prince Thomas is at odds with Prince Maxim, who is currently very favored by the Grand Duke of Rosenberg. And Maxim is the first heir to the grand ducal throne. It’s best to be cautious before making any decisions, my lord.”
“Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Rebrí. I indeed need your friend’s help to act as a liaison. One can’t rely on just one source of support. If Thomas can’t meet my demands, then all agreements will naturally be void.” Kommer was aware of this, but Maxim seemed to place great importance on lineage, status, and rank. As a low-ranking noble from a remote area, it would likely be extremely difficult for him to even speak with Maxim, let alone discuss business.
The meeting with Thomas was not very satisfactory, as Kommer had expected. No one would easily believe that the Catalonia River route could be opened. Years of efforts by various countries had yielded no results. The stubborn and conservative Jellyfish People, who had lived in eternal ice for tens of thousands of years, refused to discuss such matters with anyone, let alone negotiate. They didn’t need anything from mortals, and if they did, they could obtain it through secretive means. There were too many merchants hoping to become suppliers to the Jellyfish People. The various specialties from the Great Marshes could make any merchant extremely wealthy in a short time—of course, only if the Jellyfish People gave them that chance.
Thomas was equally skeptical, not underestimating Cramer’s abilities, but he wasn’t naive enough to bring this matter to light simply by believing Cramer. He needed to see evidence that Cramer indeed had the right to use the Catania River route—such as the Jellyfish People’s promise or even Cramer’s own actions to prove it. For this reason, Thomas was even willing to give Cramer a ship.
However, compared to Thomas’s calmness, Prince Maxim, introduced through Rebrí’s friend, was far more harsh. Not only did he reject Cramer’s request for a meeting, but he also explicitly stated that a country bumpkin like Cramer should behave properly instead of seeking sensational opportunities to make a name for himself, which enraged Cramer greatly.
Still, despite his anger, Cramer knew that to prove himself, he first had to overcome the Jellyfish People. If he failed that challenge, Rosenburg would likely be nothing more than a stage for clowns.
The vast expanse of water appeared even more mysterious, with the endless reed beds along the riverbanks resembling endless green corridors. Occasionally, unknown waterbirds would fly over the surface, catching fish before taking off, causing ripples to spread slowly across the otherwise still water. The sunlight shining on the surface created a faint golden glow, as if dressing those immersed in the scenic beauty in golden armor. Ships glided slowly through this tranquil scene, adding to its desolate yet majestic grandeur.
The Catania River is considered the most water-rich river on the Blue Continent. Although its length doesn’t rank among the top five in the continent, it receives abundant water from the melting snows of the Toros Mountains, where strong sunlight coexists with drastic climate changes. From its middle course onward, it absorbs water from various rivers, further increasing its volume, with its width reaching hundreds of meters. This makes it a famous Golden Waterway. Unfortunately, the Golden Waterway ends abruptly between the Principality of Rosenburg and the Principality of Sibes further south, beyond which lies the marshland controlled by the Jellyfish People.
The vast marshlands spanning thousands of miles turned this over 400-mile-long waterway into a forbidden zone. The dominant beings in the marshes, the Jellyfish People, blocked this route, prohibiting anyone from other races from entering or leaving. All attempts by mortals over the following centuries failed, with the most recent attempt dating back several decades. The failure of the Duchy of Rosenberg’s last attempt also brought an end to all efforts to secure access to the Catania River. No one wanted to spend money or make declarations on something impossible to achieve.
Leading Comer and his group was a small merchant from the Barefoot Society. With Kafli’s help, merchants from the Barefoot Society scattered across the continent quickly found a way for Comer to get in touch with the Jellyfish People. It wasn’t difficult to meet the Jellyfish People—of course, that required going to several trading posts under their control—but it was extremely unlikely to meet their elite members. Nations had gone to great lengths to open up the Catania River route, largely because they simply couldn’t reach the Jellyfish People’s leadership, as they refused to meet with mortals and didn’t even give them a chance to approach, leaving mortals helpless.
“Lord Baron, our ship will soon enter their controlled area. Please go inside the cabin and stay out of sight. They dislike mortals and even less like them appearing on their decks. Many of them are hostile toward mortals. To avoid unnecessary trouble, I suggest you and your friends go inside the cabin and rest first.” Merchants from the Barefoot Society were always polite—Kafli was like that, and so was this Mr. Gate.
“Mr. Gate, what is the main focus of your trade with them this time?” Comer turned his gaze away from the distance and asked calmly.
“They need very little from the outside world. The things that can be exchanged for their goods are usually quite special, such as precious woods, treasures, fire phosphors, and some metal items. After each transaction, they list the types and quantities of goods they need for the next one and determine the terms of trade. So doing business with them is simple and easy. Oh, and salt—perhaps salt is their most important import. For almost every merchant who trades with them, salt is the most crucial commodity. It turns out that the commoners in the upper reaches of the Catalonia River tried to restrict salt trade to force the Jellyfish People to open the waterways. But the Great Swamp does produce salt; it’s just that the production cost is too high, which is why they choose to trade instead. That blockade achieved nothing and only made merchants from various countries complain. In the end, it was lifted, but it only strained relations between them and the commoners in the upper reaches of the Catalonia River.”
Gate was also a quite talkative man. He was a merchant active between Rosenburg and Sibes, running a modest trading company known for its honesty. He had been trading with the Jellyfish People for years, though on a small scale. He usually supplied them with precious woods, metals, and salt in exchange for specialties from the Great Swamp, such as clam pearls, clam shells, dried fish, dried shrimp, and tortoiseshell. Of course, the most important items were certain special plants from the Great Swamp, like water pines, fog firs, and cold oaks—their dried wood, branches, and leaves. These plants grew in the unique environment of the Great Swamp and possessed special properties. Simply put, they had a certain magical affinity, making them excellent materials for crafting magical items, equipment, and scrolls.
He also had a rough idea of Kommer’s group’s purpose for coming to the Great Swamp. He didn’t believe that Kommer and his group could accomplish what many others had failed to do. But his responsibility was merely to take this group to the Jellyfish People’s trading point and introduce them as new merchants. Although he hadn’t obtained prior consent from the Jellyfish People, Gate believed that, given his reputation, they wouldn’t turn against him, as long as Kommer and his group didn’t do anything too outrageous.
The boat slowly glided along the reed-lined banks. The Catalonia River, with no other ships in sight, was exceptionally quiet. With only this one boat sailing on its vast expanse, it seemed somewhat jarring and strange. Yet Gait was clearly accustomed to this silence; it would be abnormal if it were bustling. The Jellyfish People never did business with two groups at the same time, so it was difficult for merchants to find out what they had obtained from or sold to them, making it a business secret.
Komer could sense that although there wasn’t a single person in sight on the river or in the reed areas, not even any waterbirds or fish, a large number of beings had gathered around his boat. Though he couldn’t see them, Komer, with his keen senses, could clearly detect the presence of these Jellyfish People warriors. They were hidden underwater, even able to control their breathing, so much so that even the frequent visitor Gait didn’t notice anything amiss. But in front of Komer, nothing could hide. And clearly, the others had also noticed these uninvited guests on the boat.