Prices and Food Orders

The group continued forward.

As we passed a spice shop, the smiling owner vigorously shook the colorful glass bottle in his hand, trying to keep these distinguished-looking customers from leaving.

"Look at this, ladies! This is dried lavender from the valley, and beeswax infused with minaret oil. Just two 'Silver Falcons' and your room will smell like a garden!"

Lina stopped and curiously picked up a spice bottle with delicate vine patterns painted on its surface.

This spice is worth at most a few copper coins at the Firefall Territory market.

However, the spices in Firefall Territory are all stored in rough porcelain bottles, while the spices in front of us are stored in glass bottles.

She casually asked about the price.

"Oh, you have excellent taste! This bottle contains imported myrrh and cloves from Karinsan, only five 'Golden Lions', miss," the shopkeeper said with a smile, rubbing his hands together.

"Five... gold coins?!" Lina gasped, her mouth agape. She shoved the small bottle back into her hand as if electrocuted. "That's enough to buy a whole, strong ox in Firefall Territory, and here it's only enough for this tiny bottle of spices?"

The Baron had bought Carinthian spices before, but he had never seen them this expensive.

Ellen, however, counted on her fingers and tilted her head matter-of-factly, saying, "It's alright, compared to four years ago, it doesn't seem like the price has gone up much."

Seeing Lina being severely impacted by inflation, Ye Wei'an couldn't help but laugh.

"This is nothing, the price is already pretty good."

"Is there something even more expensive?"

"Of course, this is just the lower city, where ordinary citizens and merchants from other places live, and prices are relatively 'affordable'. Once you cross the promenade and enter the upper city, where nobles and high-ranking officials live, you'll know what true expense is."

"It sounds like you and Ellen are very familiar with this place? Did you come here often before?"

"That was forced upon us by life."

At this point, Ye Wei'an could only smile wryly. "I studied at the War Mage Academy, which is located in the center of the Upper City. The restaurants there cater to the sons of nobles, and even the cheapest glass of ale costs two silver coins. So every weekend, Ellen and I have to walk several kilometers to the Lower City like thieves, just to buy cheap food and daily necessities."

Eileen nodded repeatedly: "Yes, back then, in order to save money to buy spell materials, Master wouldn't even replace his own cloak when it was torn."

Hearing this, Lina looked at Ye Wei'an with exceptional tenderness: "Things are different now, aren't they? You're not the same person you used to be. You've returned to Susar with so many supplies and gold coins. I think you can finally live a life in the Upper City that truly suits your status."

Ye Wei'an remained silent for a moment, then shook his head.

"No. Compared to these fleeting pleasures, every gold coin should be spent on developing our future territory. Recruiting talent, purchasing farming tools, strengthening defenses—none of these require money."

"The mansions in the Upper Town are certainly comfortable, but they don't offer me the same sense of security as the castles in the Western Wastes. Let's go, don't waste time comparing prices."

Leaving the spice shop, Ye Wei'an led a few people forward and soon found their target.

It was a tavern.

A life-sized golden goblin statue stands at the entrance of the tavern, its eyes gleaming with a cunning and greedy smile. The sign above reads "Golden Goblin Tavern".

As soon as you push open the heavy oak door, a strong smell of cheap beer, sweat, and cheap tobacco hits you.

This place is a completely different world from the glamorous streets outside. Under the dim oil lamps, there are dockworkers with bare chests and covered in oil stains, and porters with fierce faces everywhere.

"Hey! You blind, stupid pig! Those are my cards!"

As soon as Ye Weian entered, a conflict suddenly broke out between the burly men playing a game at a table by the bar.

A burly man with a full beard suddenly overturned the table and started fighting with the man next to him.

The tavern instantly became even livelier. The people around seemed to be used to such conflicts, ignoring the tavern owner's loud complaints and watching the spectacle with amusement.

"Go for it! Smack him on the nose!"

"Kill him! You spineless coward!"

"Well done! Well done!"

Ye Wei'an was about to talk to the bar owner when an unexpected incident occurred as he walked towards the bar.

One of the burly men was violently thrown out of the battle by his opponent, and he charged towards Ye Weian like a wild boar that had gone out of control.

Just then, his sweat-soaked body was about to collide with Ye Wei'an's expensive aristocratic robe.

Ye Wei'an continued walking forward without even lifting his eyelids.

A blur flashed by.

Ellen, who had been following behind Ye Wei'an, had somehow moved in front of him. She didn't even draw her sword; she simply shifted her stance lightly, placed her right hand on the burly man's shoulder, and pressed him down with his momentum.

"Ouch!"

The burly man weighed at least two hundred pounds, but in Ai Lian's hands, he was like a little chick. He fell face-first to the ground in a comical manner, kicking up a cloud of dust. He struggled to get up and curse, but Ai Lian already had one foot on his back.

The girl smiled slightly, but the chill in her eyes instantly sobered him up.

"Be careful, sir. If you damage the owner's clothes, you might not be able to afford to pay for it even with a year's salary."

The once noisy tavern instantly fell into dead silence.

The dockworkers and sailors who frequented the docks stared wide-eyed, and the halfling boss hiding behind the bar almost dropped the pipe he was holding.

His shrewd little eyes scanned Eileen up and down, unable to reconcile the beautiful, seemingly gentle and weak half-elf maid with the expert who had just subdued the burly man.

"Ugh, I've made a mess of the floor." Eileen looked at the stains on her hands with disgust.

"Master, did I scare you?" She turned to look at Ye Weian and resumed her obedient demeanor.

The halfling boss snapped out of his daze and quickly jumped out from behind the counter, wiping his sweat as he bowed and scraped as he approached: "Oh! Merciful Matriarch Yudala! This...this young lady is truly skilled! Honored guest, please have a seat, please have a seat!"

The surrounding patrons instinctively made way for this group of seemingly "unapproachable" strangers.

Despite the halfling boss's attentiveness, Ye Wei'an didn't order any drinks. Instead, he coldly tapped the table.

"I'm not here to drink today. I have a big request for you to handle. Could we find a quiet place to talk?"

The halfling owner's shrewd little eyes darted around, and he immediately realized that this was a big fish. He bowed and scraped as he led the group to a booth at the back of the tavern and carefully drew the heavy linen curtains behind them.

"Honorable guest, here, apart from Madam Yudala, no one can hear our conversation." The boss rubbed his hands together, his face full of flattery.

"I need to order food for my fleet. There are over 800 people in total. I need three days' worth of food, including meat, fresh vegetables, and staple foods to fill their stomachs. If there's any ale, please include it as well. Every meal must be delivered to my ship at the dock on time for the next three days," Ye Wei'an calmly stated his requirements.

More than 800 people drifted on the water for two weeks, eating only dry rations and fish every day. The food was so bland that even the soldiers and civilians couldn't stand it.

Having finally arrived in Susar, everyone must be eager to disembark and try something different.

For ease of management, Ye Wei'an only granted soldiers the right to disembark, but he also knew that such an order was a bit excessive for ordinary citizens.

These people were his subjects, not some black slaves.

That's why he thought of ordering some fresh food for them in Susar, both as a way to appease and compensate them, and also to let them experience the flavors of Susar.

"Eight...more than eight hundred people? Three days?" The halfling boss jumped up from his stool in shock, his beard trembling slightly. "Merciful goddess Yudara, sir, are you sure it's eight hundred people and not eight? The Golden Goblin Tavern may be doing brisk business, but it's never had enough food to feed an army. This would require emptying half the bakeries and slaughterhouses in the port..."

"Money is not an issue. I just want to know if you can do it?" Ye Wei'an asked, staring into his eyes.

The boss initially wanted to refuse, but seeing Ye Wei'an's luxurious clothes, thinking about the power Ellen had just displayed, and considering the astonishing profits behind it...

He slapped his thigh hard: "It can be done!"

"How can you guarantee the quality and speed of feeding eight hundred people all by yourself?" Ye Wei'an scrutinized him.

"Hehe, that's where our family comes in." The halfling boss revealed a hint of pride. "My cousin runs a butcher shop at the docks, my uncle owns three large bakeries, and several of my nephews are head chefs at different taverns. My cousin is also the head chef at the city garrison canteen... As long as I assign a task, they can prepare the meal within half a day."

Ye Wei'an believed what the other party said.

Halflings are natural gourmets, regarding cooking as the most sublime art in their lives.

For Hemipleians, family is the center of their world. They work hard in small businesses, not for power, but simply to ensure their families can enjoy six meals a day.

"Very good, I have faith in the efficiency of halflings."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ye Wei'an stretched out his slender finger and gently tapped it in the air.

Immediately afterwards, a crisp and melodious sound of gold coins clashing rang out, and two hundred gold coins appeared from the void.

These gold coins seemed to have a life of their own; they lined up and floated one after another to the boss's front, neatly stacking into several small towers.

"This is a prepayment of two hundred gold coins."

At this point, Ye Wei'an's tone suddenly turned cold. "If you've taken the money, you have to get the job done. If my soldiers eat moldy bread or spoiled meat, I'll come back and melt this golden goblin statue of yours, along with this entire shop, down to ashes. Understand?"

"Understood! Absolutely understood! Even if I had ten lives, I wouldn't dare to fool you, Master!" The halfling boss bowed hastily, cold sweat dripping down his forehead.

Next, Lina met with the boss to finalize the business details.

Although she had only walked around the area, Lina quickly figured out the approximate prices in Susar's lower city and used that as a basis to negotiate with the shopkeeper.

Faced with Lina's accurate calculations and sharp wit, the shopkeeper was thoroughly defeated and the deal was finally struck at a total price of four hundred gold coins.

Just as Ye Wei'an and his group were about to leave, the boss rubbed his hands together and took a few steps closer to Ye Wei'an.

"Sir, look at this price... it's really been driven too low."

His tone was full of complaint:

"My small business costs a lot just to buy the best meat, spices and wheat flour. You also have to factor in the labor costs for the cook and helpers, and the cost of firewood and fuel... Four hundred gold coins, I really don't earn much. It's almost like I'm working for nothing to organize this event for you."

As he spoke, he glanced at Lina beside him out of the corner of his eye. He was clearly dissatisfied with the final price, but dared not argue with her directly. Instead, he complained to his master, Ye Weian, hoping to gain some sympathy.

"Boss, what you're saying isn't entirely honest."

Before Ye Wei'an could speak, Lina had already retorted.

"Compared to your usual practice of entertaining guests sporadically and cooking individual meals, providing meals for a hundred people for several days at once is far more efficient in terms of manpower and stove efficiency, resulting in lower per-unit costs. Furthermore, Susar's expensive spices are limited to imports, and as far as I know, local common cooking spices are not that expensive. As for meat and wheat flour, I am well aware of the current market prices in the lower city."

When she pointed it out, the boss's distressed expression froze instantly, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Lina refuted all his excuses.

Lina took a half step forward and said in an unquestionable tone, "According to my calculations, you will definitely profit from this deal. Now, our time is precious, so we won't delay your preparation of the goods."

After she finished speaking, she nodded slightly to Ye Wei'an.

The boss dared not say another word, quickly forcing a smile and bowing hastily, "Yes, yes...you're right, I'll go prepare right away, I promise there won't be any delays!"

He turned and left almost as if fleeing, his back soaked with cold sweat.

At that moment, only one thought remained in his mind:

In the future, whatever you do, never run into that gray-haired woman again—this terrifying woman had calculated his bottom line and profit perfectly, and the price she offered was just within his acceptable range, not too low, but not too high a profit, making it impossible for him to refuse.

Ye Wei'an got up and led Ellen and Lina out the door.

Back on the bustling streets, the fresh air dispelled the smell of alcohol from inside the house.

Ye Wei'an didn't let his guard down just because of the boss's promise. He turned his head and whispered to Clayb behind him, "Send a smart guy to keep an eye on things here. If he's really contacting relatives to stock up, let him be; if he tries to do something else, you know what to do..."

"Understood, Master. I will arrange for the most astute scouts to keep watch." Clayb bowed and accepted the order.