Poznyu Siege Operation (4)
Meanwhile, the grain merchants, whose stalls were deserted thanks to Calix's street stand, had rented out an entire tavern from midday and were drowning their sorrows in drink.
But while the mood had been uneasy for the past few days, today it was festive.
"Nazap! He's finally raised the price of coarse grains to two silver coins!"
"Who would've thought he'd squeeze every last coin from the poor and stockpile wheat like that. Most folks around me have stockpiled more than two months' worth of food at home already. Hahaha!"
Thud!
Nazap slammed his glass down with a loud bang. As his expression soured, the tavern naturally fell silent.
Horadin, rolling his eyes, cautiously asked,
"Is something bothering you?"
"Why does everyone think so short-term?"
"What do you mean by that...?"
"Those struggling folks have stockpiled more than two months' worth of food. Don't you get what that means? They have no money left now!"
"Gasp!"
Someone ventured carefully,
"So you're saying sales will drop off now, Nazap."
He nodded silently. The anxious merchants clung to him, pleading.
"Give us your wisdom, Guildmaster!"
"What should we do?"
All eyes in the tavern fixed on Nazap's glass. He downed the remaining liquor in one gulp and spoke.
"You need to understand this is a battle of capital. If we drain his grain reserves, we win. If not, we lose. Even if we lose, it's not a huge loss. But our grand ambition to dominate Poznyu's trade hegemony will bubble away to nothing."
Some nodded, others tilted their heads. To them, Nazap said,
"You all know other merchants. Leak our contract details to them discreetly. Tell them buying coarse grains now will bring huge profits."
Everyone's eyes widened.
"Be careful. We have about a month—no, three weeks left now. The central army pulling back after that must stay absolutely secret. That's how we'll get other merchants to stockpile without worry."
"O-Of course."
At first, there wasn't much ripple. Merchants weren't fools; they hesitated to jump into hoarding rashly.
But as Calix raised coarse grain prices bit by bit each day, minds changed.
"Did you see yesterday's prices?"
"Up again. Already four silver coins."
"Tom from the shop next door bought twenty sacks at two silvers. Made two gold coins in three days."
"Ugh! I should've bought some earlier!"
"Actually, I grabbed ten sacks yesterday."
"You bastard! Sneaking off to buy alone?"
"Sorry. But investments like this are risky, right? Understand it for our friendship's sake."
"Ugh! I need to buy some too. One gold coin profit matches a year's earnings."
"Hahaha! Good luck."
"You too!"
The city swept into a hoarding frenzy. Yet Calix's street stand thrived unabated.
Nazap's prediction that other merchants joining the frenzy would quickly deplete stocks fell flat.
Panicking, he summoned the grain merchants again.
"I just don't get it, so I investigated."
His low, ominous tone had everyone glancing around nervously.
"There's a traitor among us."
"Gasp!"
"Hmph."
"Ahem!"
They coughed awkwardly, eyeing each other. Nazap glared at them one by one and continued.
"Not selling a single grain in over ten days must be nerve-wracking. Cash flow's tight too."
"Y-Yes. Mercenaries' pay, employees' wages—expenses pile up everywhere."
Complaints poured out as if they'd been waiting. Then Nazap slammed the table.
Bang!
"You idiots! So you sell to other merchants? Even cheaper than that bastard's prices?"
The meeting room went deathly quiet.
Many had quietly sold off grains, thinking just a little won't hurt or just to cover urgent funds.
As the frenzy hit, they'd slyly approached buyers, undercutting Calix's prices.
With victory so close, complacency had set in.
Flames rose in Nazap's eyes.
"From now on, form groups of five and watch each other. Check stocks daily. If anyone's caught selling secretly... permanent expulsion."
The terrifying threat made the grain merchants swallow hard.
Meanwhile, Calix boarded a small fishing boat with Edirn.
"Ugh, is this why you drag me around— to use me like this?"
"Haha, as expected of a Class 6 magitech sorcerer. Even on a decent-sized boat, no trace."
Calix's boat was pitch-black like ink. Under the full moon, it absorbed light like a black hole, reflecting none.
It glided like a shadow moving of its own will.
Occasional torch-bearing cavalry patrolled the riverbank but missed the boat entirely.
"Still, your generosity is impressive. Selling cheap food evenly to the poor too."
"Cheap? Retail for a sack of coarse grains hasn't strayed far from one silver in years. I'm selling at full market value."
"Don't be modest—I know your heart. Even I, out of touch with the world, know prices would've topped five silvers without you. You're blessed."
"Sigh..."
Calix saw no need to argue against flattery.
"Do others think the same?"
"Wouldn't they? Madam Hari's gaze on you lately is anything but ordinary."
"That auntie's hated me from the start."
"Heh, Trias and that bear-like brute look at you like first love."
"Ugh, stares from burly men don't thrill me."
"Kehkeh."
Traveling the river all night, Calix reached Kabala, the vital hub where all northern Lock Kingdom goods converged.
At the dawn-lit dock, a gray-robed peddler awaited.
"You're the buyer Madam Hari mentioned."
"Right. How much grain?"
"Ten thousand sacks."
"Not much."
"Crazy bastard, just as she said..."
He shook his head.
"Payment's with Madam Hari."
"I know. Already paid the haulers who brought it here."
"Good. From the second batch, first-come-first-served. Minimum hundred thousand, up to quarter million sacks. If I stop buying, notify at least three days early."
"Got it. But how'll you transport it? More boats?"
"Heh, don't worry. All stacked neatly in the warehouse? Bad quality means returns."
"This is Kabala. Deals like this happen dozens, hundreds of times a day. No need for such worries."
After the peddler left, Calix entered the warehouse. Endless stacks of coarse grain sacks filled it.
"Two silvers a sack... Thought it pricey at first, but now it feels cheap."
"Heh, told you—I don't do charity."
"But not one or two sacks—this massive amount. How do you plan to move it? Grima Baron won't let it pass easily."
"Heh, I've got ways."
(232 / Infinite)
Calix glanced at his status window, upgraded for a fortune of 20,000 gold. He designated the entire warehouse as a 'range,' then selected 'Store in Inventory.' The sacks filling the warehouse vanished seamlessly.
"Incredible. Barely any mana flow, so not some artifact... What power is this?"
Edirn's eyes sparkled with curiosity. Calix smiled at him.
"Heh, knew you'd figure it out, Edirn."
"And that's not all. Showing me wonders like this to keep me hooked, right?"
"Haha! Asking so directly puts me in a spot."
It seemed like Edirn was scolding Calix, but far from it. His eyes shone purely, like a child with a new toy.
"You never bore me. Fine, I'll play along with your schemes. Heh."
"Looking forward to working with you."
Returning to Poznyu laden with massive grain stocks, Calix found reserves nearly depleted. He filled the empty warehouses, then called Madam Hari, who managed the temporary shop.
"How's sales lately? Civilians are mostly tapped out, right?"
"Yes. But daily volume's up."
"Heh, found out who's buying?"
"Sent agents, but obvious. Every well-off merchant in Poznyu is hoarding. Even some friends of mine joined. Wouldn't listen when I tried stopping them."
"Jack the price to nine silvers in three days sharp. Then crash it to six the next day."
"Raise it deliberately, then drop?"
"Exactly."
Madam Hari tilted her head, puzzled.
"Why?"
"Heh, you'll see."
Calix didn't explain. She realized later.
"Saw today's prices?"
"Yeah. Down to six silvers."
"Heard Glyph from the weapon shop bought twenty sacks yesterday."
"Kekeke, wasn't it nine silvers yesterday? Must be in hell."
"I'm thinking five sacks this time. No way the momentum breaks."
"Hm? Same as me. Rumor is Red Wolf Mercenary Corps' grains are borrowed—must repay in kind."
"Even if blockade lifts, they can't source outside. Big players holding food won't sit idle."
"Exactly? Red Wolf has to buy back our grains. Who knows the price then? Kekeke!"
Rumors overflowed, truth and lies blurring. Even truths went unbelieved now.