Chapter 721: Rain-Blocking Leaf' Rain Gear Shop, Loot Auction

Jier was very fond of this small tent for single-person use. After checking that the tent fabric was good, he spoke directly: "I like this item. What is the price? If it's reasonable, I'll buy one to take back for my own use."

Ms. Feiniya blinked, speechless, and reached up to support her forehead. She had not expected that Knight Jier, who usually seemed clever and capable, would be so inexperienced at shopping.

How could one say they wanted an item before asking the price? This was just giving the other party a chance to name an arbitrary price. If it were her, she would definitely take a huge bite out of Knight Jier's coin purse right now.

If you don't bite, you aren't a qualified Merchant.

Just as the Shop Assistant who had introduced the item was about to open his right hand to signal the price, the shop Steward behind him finally rushed up at the last moment before the assistant could speak and snatched the words away.

"Three Gold Coins! Only three Gold Coins! My lord, Sir Knight, for only three Gold Coins, a brand new, magnificent single-person tent will be delivered into your hands!"

The Steward's expression was excited; he extended three fingers and gestured vigorously forward.

Only after seeing the young Knight nod with relative satisfaction did he let out a sigh of relief and ask in a tone much more relaxed than before: "My lord, are the hundreds of people who arrived at the south side of town your subordinates? Apologies, I just wanted to be clear. I heard they haven't set up camp yet; are they lacking a batch of suitable tents?"

Jier sized up this young Steward who had volunteered his services. Although the man tried his best to hide it behind his bearded face, Jier still saw the attitude of someone desperate to secure this large order.

"You're quite well-informed, aren't you?" Jier teased.

The shop Steward nervously rubbed the tent packaging sample beside him with his restless hands and said cautiously: "News in Duoen Town has always traveled quickly. Especially with the rare occurrence of hundreds of people approaching the town at noon, which even triggered the alarm bell. News among everyone has seemed a bit more frequent."

"To tell you the truth, I do need to prepare a batch of tents to shelter those poor refugees who have nowhere to go. Cheap! Sturdy! Easy to assemble and disassemble! Lightweight! These are my requirements. Can your tents meet these demands?"

Stared at by the young Knight, the twenty-something Steward broke into a cold sweat, but he still nodded stubbornly.

After nodding, the pressure from the Knight dissipated, which finally allowed him to speak smoothly: "My lord, your requirements are basically the standard requirements that any camping tent can meet, except for the 'cheap' part. Low price and the other requirements are at odds; if it's good and meets the requirements, the price won't be cheap. If it's cheap, various problems will certainly arise during use."

"I understand. Then, as a Merchant who wants to secure this deal, what is your plan?"

Jier asked. He didn't know much about these things, so he hoped the other party would come up with a proposal. After all, the tents for over seven hundred people represented the shop's usual half-year sales volume right before his eyes; the other party would definitely find a way to secure it.

After all, Duoen Town wasn't the only shop with similar products.

The young shop Steward took a deep breath: "My lord, if possible, would you allow me to personally go and see the people who need the tents? Discussing it here with just words is far inferior to letting me see for myself and understand their most important needs right now. Only then can I make trade-offs regarding the various materials and construction of the tents while keeping them cheap."

Jier looked at him: "A very professional answer. Fine, take a set of this single-person tent and follow me. I'm going to look for a shop that sells Rain Gear, and then we'll go to the open space on the south side of town together."

After saying this, he opened the Money Box he always carried, took out three Kingdom Gold Coins from the glittering box, and handed them to the man.

The Steward immediately checked the coins, then ordered his Shop Assistant to take a complete set of the single-person tent from the warehouse behind the shop, load it onto the shop's wheelbarrow, and prepare to follow the Knight.

Of course, the entire tent could not be the big, neatly packed tent body displayed on the shop's counter. In addition to the waterproof and insect-repellent tent body, there were also the wooden poles, Ropes, and Iron Nails that supported the tent.

Once everything was loaded, it would require at least one wheelbarrow to push it.

If a cart wasn't used for transport, then a single-person tent like Jier's would require at least three ordinary people to carry it all while moving on foot.

If loaded onto a carriage, an empty carriage could hold many sets of these tents.

Jier calculated secretly and felt that for tents used by a large number of people, they would either have to be split up for everyone to carry during movement, or more pushcarts or carriages would have to be prepared.

Considering the price of horses, replacing carriages with donkey carts might be more appropriate. After all, a donkey's pulling power is not much worse than a horse's, it just can't be used for mounted combat and can only be used for carrying cargo or pulling carts.

It wouldn't work for combat, but it would be suitable for the Armed Civilian to use.

It was just that this would add another expense for donkey carts, and Jier was a bit worried about whether the value of the loot from the Bandit lair would be enough.

Walking out of the 'Starry Sky' tent shop, they were accompanied by the shop Steward, who was familiar with the streets, and went straight to a shop on the same street, not far away, that specialized in selling long-distance Rain Gear.

'Rain-Blocking Leaf'—this shop name was quite interesting, full of a childlike simplicity.

However, the owner of the shop was an old man over sixty, and even the shop's bouncers were a group of dark-skinned, thin middle-aged men in their thirties or forties.

Considering that the average lifespan of ordinary people in this other world was only about fifty, the shop assistants and bouncers were quite old.

"Need something? Hmm?"

The shop owner wiped his eyes before seeing that a young Knight had walked in: "Uh, we don't have sturdy Rain Gear suitable for a Knight to use here. May I ask what exactly you are looking for?"

The extra people waited outside the shop, while Jier, Ms. Feiniya, her young friend, and the tent shop Steward all walked in together.

Before Jier could speak, the tent shop Steward excitedly leaned over and said directly: "Old Rotten Foot, your good luck has arrived! The Knight who led hundreds of people to approach the town today is right in front of you. He needs to purchase Rain Gear for at least seven hundred people—a huge deal! Aren't you going to thank me for bringing the Knight to you?"

The old man called Old Rotten Foot smiled noncommittally and was not startled by this news. He gestured left and right at the stacks of cheap rain gear hanging on the walls, then said in a calm voice: "Sir Knight, you may choose as you please. The items in the shop are not expensive, and the stock is sufficient. I believe you will be able to buy what you desire here."

There was no action, but his words were full of confidence and composure.

Jier didn't mind this; he first looked toward the many Waterproof Cloaks hanging to the side.

This item was an essential tool for anyone going out, second only to a good pair of shoes.

The rain gear shop naturally had gardening Water bottles for simulating rain. Jier didn't care about the style; he casually picked out a few Cloaks and, with the assistance of Ms. Feiniya, tested the waterproof function of these Cloaks.

Water droplets slid smoothly down the outside of the Cloaks, finally falling in little specks into the Wooden Basin holding the water.

Afterward, Jier randomly picked a few more and tested them as well; the waterproof ability met his requirements.

These seemingly cheaper Cloaks were not dyed and only retained the original color of the material—a beige with a pale yellow tint. Besides varying in size, the styles were all very ordinary, with no special materials or production styles.

They wouldn't be put on the shelves for the wealthy, but they were just right for ordinary people to use.

"What about the price?"

Jier asked. The old man stated a number: "The Cloaks you want are seven copper coins each. If you really buy a lot, as this little guy said, for over seven hundred people, I can sell them to you for at most six copper coins each."

"That's not expensive."

Jier calculated; the total would only be a little over four Gold Coins. Just now, he had spent three Gold Coins on a single-person tent.

Therefore, Jier paid on the spot, purchasing seven hundred and fifty Waterproof Cloaks, and had the shop deliver them directly to the open space on the south side of town.

Actually, he had overthought it; the shopkeeper still made a profit on the six-copper-coin rain Cloaks. After all, it was just cutting the purchased waterproof fabric into the simplest Cloak style.

The old man took all the coins, then wrote out a simple transaction contract, signed it himself, and had Jier sign it too. Jier proudly took off his Glove again and, just like before, left his name written with Life Energy on the bottom of the paper with his finger.

Seeing such a scene for the first time, Ms. Feiniya's eyes widened as she watched again and again.

The old man, however, was unfazed; he handed the contract to the Knight and went to call his assistants to the warehouse to move the required Cloaks.

Jier put away the contract and looked at the other Rain Gear in the shop. Besides the single-person rain Cloaks, there was Rain Gear for horses and waterproof carriage covers, as well as rare materials for buildings.

Of course, there was other Rain Gear that was slightly more expensive, but not particularly so. Jier didn't need any himself; he had several sets of Cloaks, and whether it was his wolf-fur Cloak or the various Waterproof Cloaks bought in Kendall County, none were inferior.

Walking out of this shop, Jier's shopping trip came to an end. Ms. Feiniya had to return to her shop and bid Jier farewell.

Jier whispered a reminder to the lady: "Later, I will have the captured Bandits sold to employers who take a fancy to them as debtors, according to local custom. So, the news about your old lover, Shanlang Bani, won't be able to be hidden."

Ms. Feiniya didn't care at all; she smiled: "Thank you for your kindness, young Knight. However, the shop has already been mortgaged for money. Those assistants and bouncers in the shop have no other path; they will be arranged to be perfectly obedient by me. Well then, farewell."

"Goodbye, my lady, as wild as a rose."

Lady Feiniya smiled happily: "Goodbye, young Knight, as valiant as you are cunning."

Having said this, Lady Feiniya led her attendants back toward the "Abundant Pod" shop.

Jier mounted his horse, secured the money box, and with the Steward of the "Starry Sky" shop and the Shop Assistant pushing the handcart, he walked toward the south of the town along the street that circled the town's central square.

By the time they returned to the open ground on the south side of the town, it was already past mid-afternoon.

The warmth of the spring sun was fading, and the once-warm breeze had turned cool, carrying a hint of chill.

When Jier returned, he saw from afar a group of Merchants gathered outside the gate of the open ground; they were clustered in twos and threes outside the wooden fence gate, blocked by the Armed Civilians, talking while pointing from a distance at the large quantity of looted goods laid out on the ground inside the gate.

Some could not wait and took their subordinates back to town, but more people sat in carriages or walked around the stinking mud road, bringing people over to watch the excitement.

The depressed trade had caused many idle Merchants in town to put down their own Merchant Guilds and shops, preparing to come over once they received the news.

A large number of people were bound to gather here; even if they didn't find anything they liked, it was a great opportunity to discuss business opportunities and the state of the world with other Merchants, whether they knew them or not.

Looking at the growing crowd, Jier smiled; he didn't know how much of this was due to the Steward Lao'er from earlier, but for the news to spread this quickly, the other party must have played a part.

Judging by this momentum, two Gold Coins would be the minimum.

The Steward of the tent shop who followed behind Jier's horse was also quite interesting; when passing the stinking mud street on the outskirts of town, he dared not and did not want to use his pointed Merchant boots to step into the suspicious stinking mud filled with all sorts of filth, so he lay on the handcart pushed by the Shop Assistant, clutching Jier's magnificent tent tightly, forcing the poor Shop Assistant to struggle to maintain the balance of the handcart while stepping through the mud.

At this moment, the Shop Assistant was whispering curses at his Steward, vigorously rubbing his shoes on the gravel road that had become clean again. The Steward, meanwhile, was walking on foot once more.

When Jier, a Knight wearing iron armor and a Long Sword at his waist, walked over, many Merchants stepped aside; they were numerous and not afraid of Jier, a lone Knight, and they began to ask when they would be allowed to enter to observe and distinguish the goods looted by the Bandits at close range.

These days, most of the goods coming into town were black-market goods bought at low prices from nearby disbanded Bandit Groups.

This Knight claimed they were spoils of war seized after defeating the Bandits, and they reluctantly accepted it; it was all the same anyway, except the asking price might be higher than that of the desperate Bandits.

But now, the prices of goods across the Southern Province were rising, especially for some scarce supplies; higher prices were acceptable, as having goods in hand was the greatest advantage right now, whether reselling them in Dorn Town to earn the price difference or transporting them to nearby towns lacking supplies based on one's own ability, one could make a big profit.

"Everyone, rest assured, I will go in and make arrangements, and we will start immediately. The items cannot be sold out in one day; I will also have people set up bonfires in the evening to provide sufficient lighting for everyone to choose. Of course, barter is best, and I will also ask buyers during the transaction if they need to exchange the goods in their hands for these spoils of mine."

Jier repeated this all the way as he walked into the gate.

The few Security Guards arranged by the town were no longer standing guard, having been pushed aside by Jier's men; they simply found a place at the gate, lit a bonfire, and sat there warming themselves, clearly ignoring their security responsibilities and focusing on the surveillance role assigned to them by the Merchant Union.

After all, this group of Refugees was numerous, highly organized, and possessed many weapons, so they did not need them to maintain order.

"My Lord, you are back. Someone just brought a lot of Beans over, saying you had them brought back; I had them unloaded in the open space inside the gate."

The Captain of the Armed Civilians guarding the gate immediately reported to Jier.

Jier jumped off his horse and nodded: "Yes, that is the grain I brought back; although we don't need it for now, having it is better than not having it."

Nearby, Bata'er Jiaoshi and the middle-aged Merchant Long-Bafute also walked over together.

"Jier, these Merchants outside all say they are here to pick out the goods seized from the Bandit lair; should we let them in now?"

Facing Bata'er Jiaoshi's question, Jier said: "Wait a moment, let my men come over to guard the goods and maintain order. Of course, Mr. Bafute, you are mainly responsible for negotiating prices and conditions with the Merchants who want to buy goods; it is best if they can exchange them for the supplies we need, but if not, money is also fine."

"It's just that they can definitely get the supplies we need in town much cheaper than we outsiders can buy them. You know the list of supplies needed; the trading is left to you, I will join you after I finish my business in a moment."

Saying this, Jier pointed to the two who had come in with him.

"This is the Steward of the 'Starry Sky' tent shop; I bought a tent from them, it's very good. I brought him here to let him see the situation of our team and prepare a set of suitable tents for our hundreds of people."

Jier had the Shop Assistant hand the items just bought on the handcart to his men, and then, after signaling that his manpower was in place, he let Bata'er Jiaoshi and Mr. Bafute let the Local Merchants outside the gate in.

"Be careful that the things on the ground aren't taken by anyone. You can look, but touching the goods can only be done by our own people. No negotiation! Regardless of status!"

"Understood." Bata'er Jiaoshi agreed reluctantly; he didn't like those Merchants.

"Very well, I will make it clear to them in advance." Mr. Long-Bafute was very excited, because those coming were his peers; although he was still penniless, he had already secured an important position in this team through his own efforts.

Facing his peers, he was particularly excited to be able to organize such a large-scale sale with so many people.

He was back; the things he had lost were gradually returning.

And unlike before, by seizing this opportunity, he would surely return perfectly to his neighboring homeland later. He would not be like those poor fellows in the team who hadn't turned the corner, wallowing in failure.

Raising his head, Mr. Bafute tidied up the high-end, clean Merchant attire he had pieced together from the seized supplies, spread his arms, and walked toward the gate: "Everyone, please let our friends from Dorn Town, who have been waiting outside for a long time, come in! Welcome, everyone; I am Long-Bafute, a Merchant under Knight Qiao-Jier, responsible for this sale of seized spoils!"

"Knight Qiao-Jier, while leading the people who were determined to return to their hometowns to take refuge, passed by the notorious unmanned Shanglu on the west side of Dorn Town and, as expected, was attacked by those blind, foolish Bandits. Haha, as you can see, the consequence of their attack, besides providing the people with the self-defense weapons they urgently needed, is this!"

He waved his arm, gesturing to the large and small wooden boxes opened all over the ground.

"Various goods previously looted by the Bandits! No need to worry about the ownership of the goods; spoils obtained by uprightly defeating the Bandits naturally have the highest ownership! Even the God of Wealth acknowledges this, so please sharpen your eyes, choose the goods you like, and buy them before other Merchants with equally sharp eyes and quick hands do!"

As he spoke, Mr. Bafute stepped backward, ensuring he appeared in the line of sight of every Merchant who walked in: "If you want to buy, please contact me; I am right here to answer every relevant question for you."

The Merchants walked in in twos and threes; while listening to him, they walked with seemingly steady steps, but in reality, they were hurrying toward the goods they had already targeted, not only to seize the first chance to buy the goods they liked but also to see up close if there was any damage.

Behind the large area of goods laid out on the ground, Bata'er Jiaoshi crossed his arms, frowned, looked at the messy scene before him, and muttered: "Many of them have lights in their eyes! Sigh, this is what a Merchant is, I suppose."