Chapter 234: Exploitation

Crates of goods were stacked on the ground, forming small mountains.

These goods were prepared for the elves, while the rest had already been moved into the shop.

Ladoye stood at the shop entrance, waiting for the elves to arrive and collect the shipment.

Helag, Reese, and David stayed behind, guarding the goods.

Their mission wasn’t complete yet, as it included the return trip. If they didn’t escort the caravan back, they’d lose the 100 gold for the return journey.

Of course, Helag’s group wasn’t staying for the gold; they were waiting for the right moment.

Though it was unlikely anyone would steal the goods, someone still needed to watch over them.

Helag took the opportunity to observe the surrounding terrain.

To the north of the town was a forest, with a fence lining its perimeter.

The fence was covered in vine-like plants, and while it appeared ordinary, Helag sensed magical energy emanating from it.

No one approached the fence, and the ground around it was overgrown with weeds, indicating it was rarely trodden.

In the middle of the fence was a tall wooden gate and a road leading deeper into the forest.

The gate remained closed, and no one had entered or exited for hours.

Helag guessed that beyond the gate lay the elves’ territory in Strange Valley, where humans were not allowed.

Most people avoided the area entirely, not daring to get too close.

Though the gate was unguarded, the elves’ reputation instilled a deep sense of respect and fear in the hearts of those nearby.

After two hours of waiting, a male elf on horseback appeared at the end of the street, followed by a small convoy of elves.

Their wagons were empty, clearly meant for loading the goods.

Seeing them, Ladoye immediately put on a smile and approached, “Lord Bain, you’ve arrived. I’ve prepared all the goods you requested, guaranteed top quality.”

Bain, with a cold expression, slowly rode forward, ignoring Ladoye and instead inspecting the goods on the ground.

He dismounted and casually opened a crate, revealing some salted meat.

Bain sniffed the meat, then frowned, “You’re three days late. This meat has spoiled. The price will be halved.”

“What? Halved? Lord Bain, this meat can’t spoil, and it’s only been three days,” Ladoye stammered, panicking. Halving the price would not only erase any profit but also lead to a loss.

The claim of being three days late was just an excuse. The journey naturally had slight variations in time due to various factors, and it was impossible to always arrive on the exact same day.

As for the meat spoiling, that was pure nonsense.

Salted meat was designed for long-term storage, and Ladoye had personally inspected every piece. There was no way it had spoiled.

And being three days late wouldn’t cause the meat to go bad.

Bain was clearly looking for an excuse to lower the price and pocket the difference.

Ladoye knew this but couldn’t argue. He had no choice but to swallow his frustration.

He pleaded, hoping Bain wouldn’t press too hard, as halving the price would result in a significant loss.

Bain’s eyes narrowed, “What? Are you questioning me?”

Bain was displeased. How dare a lowly human question him?

If he said the meat was spoiled, then it was spoiled.

Ladoye, sweating profusely, quickly replied, “No, no, I wouldn’t dare question you, Lord Bain. The meat is indeed a bit spoiled. How about this: I’ll give it to you for free.”

“Free? Who would eat spoiled meat? I’m doing you a favor by disposing of it. That’ll be an additional 1,000 gold for the disposal fee,” Bain said coldly.

“This…” Ladoye was stunned, his face contorting in discomfort.

Losing money was one thing, but now he had to pay extra?

“Is there a problem?” Bain asked.

Ladoye, feeling as if he had swallowed dirt, nodded, “No, no problem.”

Many envied those who could do business with the elves, but Ladoye knew the hardships involved.

While elves were generally generous with their payments, dealing with individuals like Bain was a different story.

Bain was a low-ranking elf, which was why he was assigned to handle these mundane tasks.

The truly important elves stayed within their territory and rarely interacted with humans.

Though Bain couldn’t outright refuse to pay, he often found ways to exploit the situation for personal gain.

Ladoye had no one to complain to, as he had no access to other elves.

And even if he did, the elves wouldn’t help him. As a human, they looked down on him and wouldn’t side with him.

Ladoye had no choice but to accept the loss. Despite losing the cost of the salted meat and an additional 1,000 gold, the overall profit was still substantial.

Taking a bit of abuse was part of the job, and Ladoye had grown used to it.

Bain didn’t push Ladoye further, knowing not to push too hard. After securing his cut, he let the matter drop.

The elves he brought began loading the goods onto their wagons, crate by crate.

During this time, none of the Ruby Chamber’s workers helped, as they weren’t allowed to touch the goods.

The elves would inspect everything before transporting it deeper into Strange Valley.

Once the elves finished loading, the convoy slowly headed north, toward the wooden gate near the fence.

There, a large courtyard with several spacious warehouses awaited the goods.

Bain directed the convoy into the courtyard, where the goods would be stored.

Over the next few days, Bain would carefully inspect the goods to ensure everything was in order.

Only after that would the goods be transported further into the valley.

Helag observed Bain and the elves closely, forming a plan in his mind.

According to the schedule, the caravan would remain in town for a few days.

They would purchase goods to resell in Nightfall City, making the return trip faster since they’d be carrying less.

During these few days, Helag’s group needed to find a way to complete their mission.

Without the Ruby Chamber as cover, they would stand out in the town.

The elves didn’t think highly of humans and were also wary of them, viewing them as a cunning race they preferred not to deal with too much.