"Don’t miss out as you’re passing by, delicious potato and cabbage soup, two copper a bowl,"
"Mushroom muffins, freshly baked, with a wonderful aroma, not tasty, no charge!"
"Wild mountain deer and boar freshly hunted this morning, plump and fresh,"
The street vendors selling seafood, cooked food, and wild game were shouting noisily, attracting adventurers and town residents hurrying by.
The early morning in Golden Harbor Town was particularly lively and vibrant.
Centaur Warrior Suniya, along with the Centaur Warriors from her tribe, hurried down the bustling street with captured Shahua Fishman slaves, who needed regular hydration with seawater to survive on land.
However, the enticing aromas from the roadside caught the attention of the Centaur Maiden. She signaled for the team to stop, walked up to a small stall, and asked, "Give me a mushroom muffin, plus a mushroom soup; how much?"
"Oh, a small breakfast, it’s worth nothing, just take it," the middle-aged man behind the stall replied with a flattering smile.
He knew this Centaur Warrior held a certain status among the Dragon’s Beloved and was one of the town’s law enforcement officers, hence his deferential attitude.
Centaur Maiden Suniya shook her head, took out a few copper coins from her pocket, and tossed them to the middle-aged man. She then picked up a mushroom muffin and mushroom soup and began eating on the spot.
As Karon’s most loyal Beloved, the Centaur Tribe strictly adhered to the will of the Giant Dragon. After Karon explicitly prohibited any acts of extortion or freeloading, Suniya had been very careful.
Moreover, the related laws were gradually taking shape under the discussions and studies of Blue Dragon Doss and Blue Dragon Akzhi, requiring all, whether they were Dragon’s Beloved or residents, to abide by them in the future.
Even those giant dragons dare not defy the will of the Red Dragon Lord, as the kingdom of dragons is not a democracy, but a world of absolute power.
Besides, Suniya, as a capable subordinate within the Dragon’s Beloved, received periodic rewards from the dragons.
Though these rewards had peculiar names like salaries or wages, Suniya was not in want of money. Due to her frugal spending, she was considered affluent among Tier One centaurs.
The Centaur Maiden savored the delicious breakfast, feeling that the culinary standards of these humans, while not matching the Half-Elf chefs from her tribe, were a nice occasional treat.
At this moment, a fat merchant in the crowd suddenly stopped in front of the Shahua Fishman slaves, examining the wooden signs hanging on their chests for a long time before speaking, "Why are these Shahua Fishman slaves so expensive, three silver coins each, can’t you make it cheaper?"
While munching on the delicious mushroom muffin, Centaur Maiden Suniya mumbled, "Are three silver coins really expensive? These Shahua Fishman slaves are strong and can serve as guards. You can also send them into the sea to catch seafood and search for treasures for you,"
"With these Shahua Fishman slaves, those precious corals, conches, and pearl shells in the ocean would be an unguarded treasure vault for you to amass wealth."
Suniya swallowed her food and attempted to persuade the merchant. Selling the Shahua Fishman slaves would earn her a commission. It seemed that now the Centaur Maiden had also been influenced by the Giant Dragon Lord’s penchant for accumulating treasure.
The Centaur Maiden’s eloquence convinced the fat merchant, who stroked his chin and calculated aloud, "Spending three silver coins on one Shahua Fishman slave, with even a basic Enslavement Scroll costing five silver coins, I’ve got to figure out how many fishman slaves to buy, when to break even, and how much profit I can make."
After mumbling for quite some time, the merchant finally decided. He ordered his guards to hand over fifteen silver coins to the Centaur Maiden, "I’ll take five of the strongest Shahua Fishman slaves."
The Centaur Maiden gulped down the mushroom soup in her hand, then pocketed the silver coins with a beaming smile. Her small chest would hold a few more shiny silver coins tonight.
"Damn it, be careful, this is the smith’s most important furnace. Don’t break it, or if you delay Karon’s affairs, you won’t even need me to act; your leader will thrash you fools."
In the professional realm, the irritable and demanding Dwarf Warrior Clagon shouted loudly, while several timid Centaur Warriors and Kobolds stood dejectedly before the roaring furnace, listening to the dwarf’s reprimands.
These relatively smart and strong warriors from the tribe were selected to apprentice at Dwarf Clagon’s newly opened blacksmith shop. According to Karon, no matter how skilled one Dwarf Blacksmith may be, he can’t meet the demands of all the Dragon’s Beloved.
Now Dwarf Clagon, appointed as the Artisan Official by the Giant Dragon, was specifically tasked with training apprentices and teaching these beloved the craft of forging.
Thus the Dwarf Warrior had great ambitions. Previously, he spent the money he earned from adventuring on drinks, living a not-so-poor but unstable life. Now, not only did he own a blacksmith shop, but he also attained a certain status within the dragon’s kingdom.
This allowed him to be quite cocky when he stepped out; although, with the blocky stature of a Dwarf Warrior, walking sideways wasn’t much different. However, the only thing bothering him was that these apprentices were too dumb, constantly frustrating him.
"Never mind, money is hard to earn, but liquor is enjoyable, put up with it," Clagon sighed, directing the clumsy apprentices to start their smithing practice.
Clang, clang, clang,
Mage Razi was startled by the ringing bell of a visitor, standing up from behind his desk, dizzy and light-headed. Seeing a Shadow Assassin standing at the door chewing on a piece of foxtail grass, he shook his groggy head and asked, "Is it time for my break yet?"
The Shadow Assassin, with a wild blade of grass in her mouth, shrugged with a somewhat bored expression, "No, it’s just that the Enslavement Scrolls are sold out, and only two Healing Scrolls are left. The priest asked me to urge you to keep at it. Opportunities to make money are right before you, so don’t slack off."
"Ah, damn it, you might as well kill me," Mage Razi groaned painfully, clutching his head. Seeing the desk piled with scroll materials and bottles of Magic Ink, he was beginning to regret partnering with these companions to open this magical shop. They truly treated him like a workhorse.