Skyrocketing House Prices
Rumors spread like wildfire without legs. The incident of the imperial princess's knight dropping to his knees in a modest home raced across the entire empire. That gossip sparked more gossip, and unbelievable facts known only to northern residents spread across the continent.
Wintervalt was no longer just a cold, impoverished northern territory. To continent-spanning merchants chasing the scent of gold, it had become a land of opportunity they had to claim first.
"Kya! That's refreshing! Northern ale right after work is the absolute best!"
Near the Wintervalt New City stood a tavern bustling with adventurers wrapping up their grueling day, swapping stories amid the lively chatter.
Silver-rank adventurer Rick from the south wiped foam from his mouth with a goofy grin. Across from him, Gail sliced into a hunk of meat and smirked.
"By the way, the streets are crawling with new faces lately, right?"
"No place has magic stone trading as hot as up here. After that imperial knight visited, word about the new city must've reached every merchant lord on the continent."
"Bro...! This feels like Wintervalt's turning into the continent's hub. A city we built with our own hands!"
"Even seeing it with my own eyes, it's surreal."
Compared to the old days of eyeing a single hard loaf like hawks, this was luxury fit for an emperor.
Screeech!
Right in the middle of their meal, the tavern door flew open. A pudgy man loaded with gold rings on his fingers burst in, panting.
"Huff, huff...! Anyone here! Got a Wintervalt New City residency permit!?"
The fatso shoved through adventurers' tables. When they waved him off irritably, his steps finally reached Gail's group.
"Aigoo, adventurers! You look like seasoned vets who've been grinding Wintervalt for ages! Got a new city permit by any chance?"
He latched onto Rick, who seemed the chattiest. Rick blinked in confusion.
"New city permit...? Yeah, I've got a two-room one."
"Oho!! Sell it to me for 60 gold!?"
"...S-sixty gold!?"
Rick nearly toppled backward in shock.
"B-bro, what do we do!?"
Rick's building had originally cost 24 gold. Thanks to nonstop manual labor piling up contribution points, he'd snagged the permit for under 3 gold—a steal. And now, 60 gold? That was over 20 times the profit!
"Bro, 60 gold... That's enough to head back south, buy a cozy house, snag a pretty wife, and raise kids!"
Rick's eyes quivered with anxiety. Sell now, or miss the chance forever?
As his trembling hand dipped into his pocket, Gail's callused grip seized his wrist and shook his head firmly.
"Not selling. Get lost."
"Wh-who the hell are you...?"
Rick shook his head to call it off, and the merchant clicked his tongue and left.
"Tch, unlucky bastard..."
Once he was gone, soft-hearted Rick spoke up.
"Bro... was that the right call?"
He looked like he'd blown life's golden opportunity.
"Idiot! Don't even think about selling."
"B-but bro...! 60 gold! Sixty! Competition's heating up, magic stone hauls ain't what they used to be."
"You said it yourself—Wintervalt's becoming the continent's center. Think ahead! How high can it go?"
"Ugh... still, 60 gold...!"
Gail glared at the scouting fatso and whispered to Rick.
"Use your head. Central merchants are flooding in with sacks of gold. Once they snag new city shops and start trading, where do you think their workers and mercenary guards will live?"
"In the new city, right?"
"Exactly! And we've got those house permits right now. Our property values? This is just the beginning."
Rick's jaw dropped at Gail's baby-simple breakdown.
"Whoa, bro's so smart! No one'd believe you're a perennial silver-rank—"
Thwack!
"Damn kid."
"Ow, not the head! Dad was already thinning up top!"
As Rick clutched his crown and groaned, someone yelled from behind.
"...Screw it! Here! Take my permit—60 gold, right now!"
In the chaos, a central continent adventurer couldn't resist and hawked his hard-earned permit.
Clutching the heavy gold pouch, he whooped like he'd conquered the world.
"Puhaha! I'm rich! Farewell, freezing hell! Good luck suffering—you lot stay here, I'm off to sunny south!"
He bolted out. They probably wouldn't see him again.
Gail tsked at the sight.
"Fool. Gutting the golden goose for pocket change. No patience, no future."
"What're you boys chatting about so merrily?"
A cheerful voice joined as a woman slid into their table uninvited. Platinum-rank adventurer Sena, famed across the north.
Rick looked up at the familiar voice and blinked rapidly.
"Huh... sis? Face changed again? Taller too?"
Sena's shoulders twitched.
"This is my real look... er, cough. Training grounds chow's too good!"
She sweated bullets with a lame excuse, but the naive southerners nodded along.
"Aha! Makes sense—skinny southerners bulk up like bandits after a few months of meat stew. Sis, you're way prettier than when we met."
"Oho, Rick. Flirting with me?"
Sena teased with a smirk; Rick flailed in panic.
"Hahaha! Even joking, that's scary! As if I could dare with bro's crush—mmph!!"
Gail stuffed a potato appetizer in his mouth, cheeks flushing as he cleared his throat. Sena blushed too but settled quietly beside him.
The fully northernized southern adventurers' warm night deepened.
Meanwhile, in the Lord's Office of Wintervalt Grand Duchy Castle.
"Your Grace! Duke!"
Trade Liaison Rian Count burst through the door, gasping.
"What's wrong? Something big?"
Buoyed by black ink finances, Kailan set down his teacup leisurely.
"Central's 'Golden Hammer Merchant Group' and south's 'Sea Serpent Merchant Group' are fighting over prime new city boulevard shops!"
"Oh? Those guys..."
Until recently, Kailan had sold shop buildings to any merchant waving cash. But with demand exploding, he'd halted sales under "renovations."
"They'll pay anything—just sell to us! Your Grace! We should double the price, easy!"
Kailan chuckled, propping his chin.
"Double? Naive. Know what merchants fear most, Count?"
"Bankruptcy?"
"No. Losing prime real estate to rivals, ceding market control."
Kailan's eyes gleamed as he tapped documents.
"They don't care about cash now. New city shops hold their pride and future dominance. No need for us to name a price first."
As Kailan schemed past-life tactics to spark bidding wars—
"Your words are spot on, Your Grace."
Genius finance overseer Eleanor rose from auditing ledgers in the corner, gliding over gracefully. Her blue eyes curved beautifully. She grew more alluring by the day.
"My lovely wife has another brilliant idea."
"Rian Count, gather large-shop hopefuls—including those two guildmasters—in the grand conference room. Have them write offers on parchment, seal in envelopes."
"Pardon...? Sealed?"
"Yes. Award to the highest bidder only."
Eleanor's sealed-bid auction—modern auction savvy. Kailan's jaw dropped.
My wife, total devil... no, genius!
Open auctions let you gauge and stop safely. Sealed bids? No clue what rivals offer.
What if he bids 1,000 gold? I do 1,050? Nah, he'll predict that and go 1,100. Damn, must win!
Endless mind games. Anxious merchants would bid 3x, 4x market value themselves.
"Ooooh...! As expected of the princess! Genius!"
Rian shivered. Kailan beamed, hugging his proud wife's waist.
"Rian Count! Prep the conference room for guildmasters now!"
Grand Conference Room, Grand Duchy Castle. Tension choked the air.
Top merchants sweated bullets in their seats. Only scratching quills on parchment broke the silence.
Golden Hammer and Sea Serpent guildmasters glared murderously, stabbing quills into paper.
Damn... 1,800 gold enough? No madman bids more. Wait, that glint—he'd mortgage his house... Can't lose central shops!
Merchants' eyes bloodshot.
Soon, sealed envelopes piled on Rian Count's podium. Hundreds gulped, eyes locked.
Rian checked bids, hand trembling.
He cleared his throat solemnly.
"Solar Square Block 4th Floor Standalone Shop. Winning bidder...!"
"...!"
"Sea Serpent Merchant Group of the South, with 1,901 gold!!"
"Waaaaaah!!!!"
Sea Serpent's guildmaster leaped up, fists high.
"Yes!! We did it!! Wintervalt's central commerce is mine!!"
Golden Hammer's 1,900-gold bidder shot up, face twisted in agony.
"Y-you bastard!! What tricks?! One gold difference—how!?"
"Tricks? My merchant instincts are killer! Hmph! Losers shove off!"
Golden Hammer lunged, grabbing Sea Serpent's collar. The room erupted into a brawl of curses and fists.
But as merchants bled, Kailan watching wore a satisfied smile.
Heh heh... haha!
Hard to stifle the laughter.
New city heart. Prime boulevard spot. Sturdy steelwood four-story shop could fetch 1,900 gold.
But Kailan sourced most materials in-house. Labor and food totaled under 30 gold cost!
And it'd just sold for 1,901 gold cash. Over 6,000% profit.
"Rian Count! Drag out those entertaining fools and start the next auction!"
Soldiers hauled out rioters on Kailan's order.
State coffers filling fast. Watching auctions all day won't bore me!
Behind him, Eleanor approached with fresh bid sheets, smiling angelically.