On the relatively smooth official road, a large caravan of horses, resembling a merchant caravan, moved forward, carrying countless carts of goods. At each stop, they would trade with the locals.
These people are itinerant merchants, or you could call them traveling merchants. It's a profession that many territories and countries need... Yes, these merchants are a type of warrior-like combat profession.
Engaging in legitimate and recognized trade will gradually improve their physical fitness, and merchants also possess the ability to continuously enhance the quality of horses and fold up the space inside carriages through mana.
This is why the trade caravans composed of merchants had an unimaginable variety and abundance of goods. Almost every merchant who continuously engaged in profitable trade possessed wealth comparable to that of some minor nobles.
Back when they were still in the Empire, Ira gave them a very apt nickname—the walking convenience store.
Although many people don't know exactly what "small shop" means, they can understand some of it from the words themselves, just like the word "loli" that spread throughout the world from him.
During wartime, these merchants are known as "war merchants," and they sell their goods at very high prices... However, countries at war desperately need these resources, so the existence of war merchants is generally accepted by the world.
After the war ends, these trading caravans will begin making money all over the world. They are expected to arrive at the Demon King's territory this afternoon... Before that, they have already reached other territories under the Demon King's control.
"It's unbelievable that the Demon Kingdom has already begun to fall apart."
One of the human merchants said this. As the race with the largest number of people in the "merchant" profession, this trading caravan was undoubtedly the largest in number of people and also had the dominant position.
"indeed."
A woman driving a carriage next to the male human merchant who had just spoken replied, seemingly also feeling a sense of感慨 (gan3kai3, a complex emotion encompassing both admiration and regret), saying, "Has the Demon King's territory lost its prestige due to the prolonged defeats in the war with the Empire?"
"It's also possible that the Demon Kingdom is simply afraid of being beaten."
"That's possible."
The group discussed the news they had heard in the previous monster territory, and incidentally... although the more formal term for the Demon King's controlled area is "Demon King's Controlled Area" or "Monster Controlled Area," it is also casually referred to internationally as "Monster Country" or something similar.
"To be honest, I don't want the Empire to win either. Ever since the Empire stopped selling fertilizer, our trade has always had much less revenue. Moreover, the Empire has created too much of a bad impression on humanity, which has a significant impact on our careers."
To the human merchant's words, a relatively rare elven merchant showed a disdainful expression, saying, "You're no less capable of causing trouble for humans... Everyone knows that human merchants are the ones who love to take advantage and drive down prices."
They couldn't refute this, because it was indeed true. However, they could use other methods to provoke the elven merchant. When reasoning failed, they could resort to personal attacks.
"You elven merchants are pretty much the same. When you cheat your fellow swindlers while passing through Silvermoon Tree Garden, don't you feel any remorse? Or do the elves of Silvermoon Tree Garden really consider you half-elves to be their own people, or just a bunch of bastards?"
Faced with such a vicious-tongued human merchant, the elven (half-elf) merchant's face instantly turned bright red with rage, the redness even spreading to his ears. He angrily opened his mouth, ready to hurl a curse: "You?!"
"Alright, alright."
A catgirl orc merchant with cat ears tried to smooth things over, not wanting to be caught in the middle between the half-elf and the human, listening to their insults. She said, "This year's blue mushroom harvest seems unusually low."
Indeed, in the other territories of the Demon Kingdom, the amount of Blue Mushrooms purchased in recent years has gradually decreased compared to earlier times, and Blue Mushrooms are a very popular specialty of the Demon Kingdom.
"The fertilizer is no longer being sold, so the yield has decreased..."
The human merchant had no intention of arguing with the elven merchant any further. He added, "But then it'll be the Demon King's territory, and there will definitely be good profits from Blue Mushrooms. Then it'll all depend on our own abilities!"
"I hope so."
The half-elf merchant, seemingly calmer but still harboring a hint of anger deep in his eyes, replied, "Do you know? The duchy recently passed a law."
This abrupt and unrelated statement piqued the curiosity of the other traveling merchants...
"Tell me about it?"
Amid the curious murmurs of the orc merchant, the half-elf merchant seemed quite pleased with the sophistication of his intelligence, saying, "Recognize the citizenship of foreign races and allow elves, orcs, and dwarves to obtain duchies."
"..."
"really?"
"Reverberation".
If that's the case, then the impact will be significant. The Duchy of Hazard is a nation that doesn't condone the pointless slaughter of monsters and allows foreign races to enter the city; it's a relatively more open human nation.
It seems to be more open now.
"The Principality of Hazard doesn't seem to have the confidence to defeat the Empire..."
One of the merchants commented, but then immediately laughed and said, "Thinking about it, it makes sense. After all, the empire has the existence of [Governors], and that terrifying Chief Governor."
Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look... This guy's information network is really outdated.
“But Ira Elkaras has already defected from the Empire, and... the Archon cannot obtain mana from humans.”
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