"Mage Gorren, as you can see, the number of elves in my territory has far exceeded a thousand. The fruits and honey you’ve brought are far from enough."
Gorren’s expression stiffened. "I can contact Sapphire City imdiately and arrange for a much larger shipnt. We can supply whatever you need."
Renjiro, however, raised a hand, stopping him.
"There is no need," he said. "As of today, I have decided to end our trade agreent regarding fruits and honey."
Gorren’s entire body tensed. His mind struggled to process what he had just heard.
"End the trade agreent...?" His voice tightened.
"Yes. You heard correctly."
"This... this is..." Gorren felt his chest tighten.
It was a devastating blow. Where else could he find a custor as generous as the elves?
But before he could dwell on that loss, he quickly shifted the conversation to sothing even more pressing, elven equipnt. That was what mattered the most.
"Regarding the price increase for elven equipnt..." Gorren’s voice regained its steadiness, though there was an undercurrent of tension. "Your Majesty, twenty tis the increase is simply impossible. If we were to agree to that, our company wouldn’t make a single gold coin in profit."
"Master..." Lyra’s voice was filled with plea, her eyes searching Gorren’s face for so sign of compromise.
But Gorren ignored her.
Lyra might have been the princess of the Ironcrest Trading Company, but he was both the steward and chief negotiator. He had the final say in all business matters.
No matter how much Lyra wished to stay in the elven lands, he could not jeopardize the company’s interests for her personal desires.
Before now, elven equipnt had been one of the most profitable goods in the City. A single set, purchased from the elves for just a few dozen gold coins, could be resold for over a thousand.
But if the cost increased twentyfold, their profits would shrink to a re fraction of what they once were.
Renjiro’s expression did not change. His voice remained calm and unshaken.
"Mage Gorren," he said, his tone carrying an undeniable finality, "this is not a negotiation. It is a decision. If your company still wishes to purchase elven equipnt, it will be under my terms. Otherwise, you are free to leave."
The aged mage’s eyes narrowed slightly. Silence filled the hall. Though Gorren was a respected ninth-circle mage, he was also a seasoned businessman.
Having spent decades managing the Ironcrest Trading Company, he had encountered countless powerful figures and negotiated with so of the wealthiest.
With his sharp instincts, he could often see through a person’s true thoughts just by reading their expressions.
But when he looked at Renjiro, he saw... nothing.
The young Elf King remained composed, serene, and unwavering. His soft smile never faded, as if the bold demands he had just made were nothing more than casual conversation.
And that was precisely what unnerved Gorren the most. His instincts scread at him, sothing had changed.
’Has the nature elf tribe found another trading partner?’ It was the only possibility. Renjiro had cut off the trade for fruits and honey.
Yet, looking at the sheer number of elves in this territory now, tens of thousands, Gorren knew their daily consumption must be staggering.
There was no way the barren Forest could sustain them. Which ant... ’They no longer need us.’ That thought sent a wave of anger through him.
For years, the Ironcrest Trading Company had made enormous profits through their exclusive trade with the elves.
The elves had paid handsoly for the fruits and honey they needed. And in return, the company had resold elven equipnt in the City for a fortune.
It was a perfect arrangent—a golden mountain of wealth. And now... soone else had co and stolen it from them? His grip on his staff tightened.
"Your Majesty," Gorren said, his voice low and sharp, "I hope you understand sothing. In the City, we are the only trading company that can enter the Forest. There is no one else. Do not let yourself be deceived."
Renjiro’s smile did not waver. He knew exactly what Gorren was thinking. The old mage had misunderstood the situation entirely.
But that was to be expected. No outsider had ever stepped foot into the sacred grounds of the elves.
No outsider had ever seen the Elunarian Spring, the legendary source of Life’s Water. Renjiro now controlled six Elunarian Springs.
Even if the population of the elves doubled, they would have more than enough resources to sustain themselves.
With Life’s Water, what need did they have for fruits and honey? His smile slowly faded, replaced by a cool detachnt as he spoke.
"Mage Gorren, I know very well who is trying to deceive the elves. As their King, I see everything clearly even If I wasn’t able to see it in the past. Aside from equipnt, I also have magic cores, gemstones, and exquisite gold and silver artifacts. If your company wishes to purchase them, you must offer a price that satisfies ." Renjiro clapped his hands once.
Imdiately, two elves entered the grand hall, each carrying a wooden chest. With a soft creak, the lids were lifted.
Inside one chest was a bounty of magic cores, each pulsating faintly with residual mana. The other was filled with intricately crafted gold and silver artifacts, polished to a dazzling shine.
A burly knight, clad in silver armor, stepped forward. His sharp eyes scanned the contents of the chest before he reached in, lifting one of the golden goblets. His brow furrowed deeply.
"Your Majesty," said Theron, the captain of the knights, his tone edged with suspicion. "These artifacts... they appear to be of human craftsmanship. If I recall correctly, half a year ago, one of our company’s caravans was attacked near the outskirts of the Forest. The shipnt it was carrying, gold and silver artifacts, was stolen."
Renjiro remained unmoved.
"Perhaps these are indeed the very artifacts that were taken from your rchants," he said, his voice calm and indifferent.
The truth was simple, these gold and silver treasures had been looted from the Goblin Kingdom. And the goblins? They sustained themselves entirely through raiding human trade convoys.
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