Published: March 12, 2025
Chapter 357: Plum Fragrance Courtyard
Smith was momentarily taken aback. He knew about battle rations, as the Karlqi Family had been in contact with the orcs for quite some time. Wars occurred almost daily among the orcs, and whenever there was a conflict, they would prepare some battle rations, so he was quite familiar with them.
He just didn't expect Zhao Hai to want to sell battle rations among the humans. However, Zhao Hai's suggestion could indeed be worth trying. The food for mercenaries was very monotonous; if he could sell them battle rations, it might actually work.
Smith furrowed his brow and said, “Little Hai, battle rations are generally made from mountain goats, and mountain goats sell quite well in our human race continent. Isn't it a bit of a waste to turn them into battle rations?”
Zhao Hai smiled and replied, “In fact, a large portion of my battle rations isn’t made from mountain goats. While I do have business dealings with the orcs, I don’t have that many mountain goats. Most of my mountain goats are made from Blue-eyed Rabbit meat. As you know, Blue-eyed Rabbit meat doesn't fetch a good price on the continent, so I've turned it into battle rations.”
Smith was surprised, “Blue-eyed Rabbit? That’s a bit novel. Isn't it common to make cans from Blue-eyed Rabbits? Didn’t you do that?”
Zhao Hai chuckled, “I did, but I have a lot of Blue-eyed Rabbits, and they can't use all of them just for canning. Therefore, I made them into battle rations, and I prefer not to sell Blue-eyed Rabbits to others. By making battle rations myself, I can also obtain their skins.”
Smith laughed, “You truly know how to calculate. This way, selling those battle rations can help those mercenaries remember us, which is beneficial for both you and the Karlqi Family.”
Zhao Hai nodded, “But this raises another issue. We need to process those rabbit skins, and I also have some sheep wool that needs to be dealt with as well. Brother Smith, what do you think?”
Smith waved his hand, “You don’t need to worry about these matters; I’ll handle it. Alright, let’s do it this way. In a while, take inventory of your business and see what can be done immediately. If you need any help, just let me know, don’t hesitate.”
Zhao Hai smiled, “I will. But Brother Smith, I’m genuinely curious, why have you been so nice to me since our first meeting?”
Smith looked at Zhao Hai and sighed, “I’m good to you because you’re worth it. Our dark mage alliance has been at a disadvantage in the recent confrontations with the church of light. In particular, in the last few years, we’ve been completely on the back foot against them. We even find it difficult to obtain their intelligence. The information you provided to the alliance not long ago was immensely important. Plus, you’ve dealt with the church of light quite a bit, giving us a good vent for our frustrations, so of course, I’m happy.”
Zhao Hai understood the reason now. No wonder Smith was so courteous and kind to him; the root cause was here.
From Smith's words, Zhao Hai also picked up on the fact that the Karlqi Family genuinely regarded the dark mage alliance as their own. They cared for this alliance deeply, which was why they acted this way.
Zhao Hai thought there was nothing wrong with this. The Karlqi Family could be said to be the only and strongest dark mage family on the continent. Their family's rise and fall were closely tied to dark mages, so they couldn’t just sit back and watch the profession decline. That was why they established this alliance.
However, because they were also dark mages, they understood that dark mages didn’t like being controlled by others. Thus, when they formed the alliance, they made the environment very relaxed, and indeed, they succeeded. Dark mages enjoyed joining this loose alliance that provided assistance. And dealing with the church of light? That was something they would do without needing anyone to tell them; after all, the church of light was the enemy of all dark mages.