"I can sell you a small portion, but you should also know how rare this is, so I'm sorry we can't sell a large quantity."
"I understand, I understand..." Kureya nodded.
"I often cooperate with the military. Although I have helped them accomplish many things, the compensation I receive has never been much. The only benefit is that after I get the support of the military, other chambers of commerce dare not offend me too much."
"In the empire, the nobility and the military hold immense power. Our Chamber of Commerce often has to suffer losses in order to secure deals, so I deeply understand the importance of keeping a low profile."
"I've always been curious about where Miss Messia's goods come from, but I never expected them to be so diverse. It's truly eye-opening."
"If you're not stingy, I hope we can further our cooperation. I will open up to you the connections and channels the Chamber of Commerce has accumulated over the years, allowing you to trade freely in the southern provinces."
"Of course, I believe that with Miss Messia's methods, these are all easy to do, but it will at least save some time, right?"
Then the big businessman went on to talk about many benefits. It seemed that he was really coveting those extraordinary fruits. After all, with these, he could cultivate a group of capable extraordinary people in troubled times, and his own safety performance would be greatly improved.
"But this is not enough." Loran Hill shook his head, his chestnut-gold hair swaying on his shoulders.
"I also hope that Mr. Kureya can be more sincere, such as acting as a referral and allowing our Chamber of Commerce to join that larger organization."
"I've also heard some rumors that the large chambers of commerce in Blue Province actually have a tacit understanding and work together on many issues. In this case, you must have a more stable alliance agreement."
Hearing this, Kureya paused, looking surprised.
"Ms. Messiah is always unexpected. Well, I won't beat around the bush."
"There does exist such an organization, and I happen to be a core member of it, but as for invitations, that might be difficult."
"Because our goal of uniting is to gain a little freedom under the rule of the Empire, and such actions are obviously feared by the nobles. They don't want to see these well-connected businessmen unite, as this would make it difficult for them to control them."
"So, in order to avoid being exposed and raising alarm, we are always cautious about recruiting new members and do not take risks easily."
“Your chamber of commerce is not local, and everyone’s understanding of you is limited, so even if I agree, it will be difficult to join.”
"I see. Could you tell me the name then? That would satisfy my curiosity."
"Haha, that's not a big problem, because we never tell our names to anyone."
"'Gyre', that's what we call it among us." He lowered his voice, making sure no one else was eavesdropping.
"Speaking of organizations, I can also tell you about the three major organizations, or alliances, operating secretly in the Southern Territory. There's the 'Three Eyes,' an intelligence organization comprised of mercenaries, adventurers, idlers, laborers, thieves, and bards; the 'Agate Stone,' comprised of wandering mages, alchemists, down-and-out nobles, scholars, herbalists, and the like; and the 'Seven Rings,' a group of large chambers of commerce collaborating with one another and working together to fight against the nobles."
"These three organizations are actually very loose, like an alliance, but their subordinate branches are very close-knit. After all, they are considered our own. For example, our 'Circle' is one of the Seven Rings."
"'Three Eyes' refers to the three intelligence organizations: 'Fire-Eyed Oriole,' 'Blindfolded Man,' and 'Poisonous Water Lizard.' They actually still have a lot of conflicts with each other, but they only occasionally come together to negotiate a ceasefire."
"'Agate Stone' is divided into four types: 'Red Jade', 'Green Jade', 'Transparent Stone', and 'Bone Gold'. They are quite mysterious and are said to have their own unique characteristics. Many alchemy workshops, private schools, herbal medicine shops, pharmacies, and extraordinary factions in the southern territory are supported by them."
"In the past, when the Pascal family ruled the southern border, we had to carefully hide and seek opportunities to survive in the cracks. However, now that the Imperial Legion has forcibly suppressed us, various organizations have suddenly flourished."
"Ordinary people will never know or understand this information in their entire lives, and they may not even have heard of its name. But for the older generations and families in our area, everyone has heard of it. It's kind of an open secret."
So that's how it was. Suddenly receiving this information seemed to clear the fog in Loran Hill's mind, giving him a whole new understanding of the Southern Territory. Many of the things he had previously puzzled about were also solved one by one.
No wonder the 'Fire-Eyed Warbler' dared to kidnap people at the execution ground of the nobles, and no wonder the steward of the Wenlani Territory was able to hold on to his position for so many years with the help of potions, and it was so stable.
It turns out that in the dark, these organizations have long been fighting against the powerful rule of the empire. Of course, their goals are not noble, they are simply for self-protection or profit.
Perhaps I need to adjust my future plans again and take these factors into consideration.
Loran Hill stood up and expressed his gratitude.
"Although I wasn't able to join them, I did gain a lot of new information this time. I'll have the caravan members deliver the corresponding goods to you later."
"Thank you very much, Miss Messia, haha." The big businessman laughed heartily again.
This small gathering in the courtyard continued. While Loran Hill and Kureya were talking, many young talents gathered around Luna.
"Sorry, onee-sama is coming to see me, Luna, I'll excuse myself first."
Seeing the girl stand up, Luna finally found an excuse to get away and walked over.
"Sister Luo Lan, when are we leaving?"
"I think it should be soon." Looking at the girl who was about the same height as him, Loran Hill smiled and nodded.
Such a banquet is indeed not easy.
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