Chapter 115: The First Trade with the Merfolk!

"Set out!"

Oo-wah oo-wah!

A submarine basin of reefs, a hundred li from the Storm Lord’s coast.

At the command of Chief Toka, hundreds of merfolk began their journey.

This reef basin was enormous, home not only to the Buwa Tribe but also to other merfolk tribes.

After traveling over half an hour, a group of merfolk appeared ahead. "Toka, where are you headed, oo-wah?"

At the question, Toka’s eyes flickered with cunning. "We’re going to the northern reef zone, oo-wah!"

"Why go to the northern reef zone, oo-wah?"

"That’s none of your business, oo-wah!"

"You’re so stingy, oo-wah! Do you think I, Lada, would ever harm you? My tribe even has a barrel of two-legged folk’s liquor—something not even you possess! Oo-wah!"

Hearing this, Toka grew furious. Lada was one of the wealthiest tribal chiefs nearby.

Years ago, he acquired a barrel of beer from the north, and ever since, he’d boasted about it every time he met Toka.

Moreover, if they wanted to taste the two-legged folk’s liquor, they had to offer twenty magic sea clams, each half a meter in diameter.

Half-meter magic sea clams were hard to find—so Toka had only tasted the liquor once, and after that, he couldn’t bear to spend more on it.

Yet this became Lada’s favorite way to taunt him—purely to provoke him into buying again.

He even colluded with other chiefs who’d bought the liquor multiple times to mock him.

Toka naturally held a grudge.

But then he remembered what he planned to do today, and his anger vanished.

"Lada, I’m in a hurry—no time to chat. By the way, tonight I’m hosting a banquet in my tribe. If you’re free, come join. Oo-wah! I’ve already invited all the nearby chiefs, oo-wah!"

With that, Toka led his people away.

"Damn it, oo-wah! Poor bastard, oo-wah! He can afford a banquet? Oo-wah!" Lada watched Toka depart, furious and puzzled.

Meanwhile, after hours of travel, Toka confirmed no other merfolk were following, and finally reached the Storm Lord’s coast.

"Waga, is that… Gervas man-tribe supposed to meet us here?"

"Yes, Father!" Waga nodded. At that moment, he spotted a familiar ship in the distance.

"Father, look—that’s the Gervas man-tribe’s ship!"

"Come on, hurry!" Toka immediately excitedly signaled his people toward the ship.

"My lord, the merfolk have arrived!"

At that moment, Gervas’s side also noticed the merfolk’s approach.

The guards were familiar with these merfolk, but Thomas and the serfs loading cargo on the ship turned pale with fear.

"Gervas man-tribe, you… hello!"

"Ha ha, Waga, Chief Toka, greetings!"

Gervas watched the merfolk ashore, each laden with baskets, his spirits soaring.

"Gervas man-tribe, I’m delighted to meet you, my friend!" Toka bowed deeply to Gervas.

Of course, Gervas only heard his oo-wah oo-wah babbling—he still relied on Waga to translate.

Then the trade began immediately.

The merfolk’s goods had already been revealed by the system.

Thirty luminous sea clams, though varying in size, were worth at least fifty gold coins.

Other fish and lobsters were ordinary, but on land they weren’t cheap—worth no less than thirty gold coins!

Thus, the total value of this merfolk cargo reached around eighty gold coins.

Oo-wah oo-wah!

"Gervas, my father says this is all the goods we brought. Do you have the liquor… the same kind as last time?"

Under Chief Toka’s expectant gaze, Gervas smiled and waved to a nearby serf.

A cart was soon driven over.

"The liquor is on the cart!"

The cart stopped. Gervas pointed to five barrels and over a dozen leather sacks. "These are the liquor!"

"Liquor? So much liquor?" Toka’s eyes widened in delight. He dashed toward the cart, making the driver scramble away in terror.

Toka saw only the liquor. He grabbed one leather sack, pulled the wooden stopper, and guzzled it down—glug glug glug.

Ssshh!

"Liquor! Liquor! Liquor!"

Toka beamed, jumping and dancing like a child.

"Gervas, my father says thank you for bringing the liquor—it’s delicious! And… all of this liquor is for us? So much?"

"Of course, Waga. Tell your father: your goods are worth this price. All this liquor is yours!"

Toka danced wildly, oo-wah-ing. Gervas quickly understood the meaning from Waga.

Toka was extremely satisfied with the volume of beer Gervas offered, viewing him as a honest and trustworthy trading partner.

He requested to confirm that future exchanges would follow this ratio.

That is: today’s seafood for five barrels and ten leather sacks of liquor.

Gervas naturally agreed without hesitation.

Six barrels of beer altogether cost only two gold coins.

Yet they exchanged for eighty gold coins’ worth of seafood—any capitalist would weep at this deal.

"Gervas, we’ll take our leave. My father says he’ll take this liquor home to host a banquet and really… show off… to the other chiefs."

"Oh? Hosting a banquet? Then I have another gift for your father!"

Saying this, Gervas fetched a set of copper tableware from a nearby cart.

It had been replaced by silverware in the castle and discarded.

Originally prepared for trade with the merfolk.

But now, five barrels of beer had already made Chief Toka extremely happy—Gervas had no need to bring tableware, salted meat, or black bread anymore.

"This is a gift for us? Gervas, my father says he’s deeply grateful. My friend Gervas… we’ll meet again!"

Joyfully accepting the elegant tableware, the merfolk bid farewell to Gervas.

Then Gervas watched as the merfolk, carrying the barrels and sacks, dove into the water.

Though the barrels and sacks had some buoyancy, the merfolk must have had their own method.

He saw no sign of difficulty in their descent.

"My lord, you traded only six barrels of beer for so much seafood? This is pure fortune!"

"Exactly! Good heavens, these are luminous sea clams—thirty of them! Even if most are small, they’re worth at least fifty gold coins!"

"These fish are valuable too—even at one silver coin per jin, they’d still be worth fifteen gold coins!"

"So the total value of this catch must reach eighty gold coins! Good heavens! If the merfolk come every week, won’t we earn three or four hundred gold coins a month?"

After the merfolk left, Migen and the others rushed over, quickly counting the seafood. Their excitement surpassed even Chief Toka’s.