Just as I opened my mouth to explain the intricacies of supply and demand, a young villager came running toward the fields. He was panting, waving his arms to get my attention.
"Lord Fragha!" the boy called out. "The merchant who came here a few days ago is back! He is looking for you in the village square!"
I turned back to Zael. I let a slow, predatory smile spread across my face.
"That, my friend, is exactly how we sell it."
We walked back to the center of the village. Sure enough, a lavish, enclosed carriage was parked awkwardly near the central well.
Viktor, the merchant from Balan, was pacing anxiously back and forth beside his horses. He looked entirely different from his first visit. His expensive purple silk clothes were wrinkled, and his usually slicked-back hair was a mess.
"Hey, Viktor!" I called out, my voice ringing clearly across the square.
Viktor stopped pacing immediately. He spun around, and a wave of profound relief washed over his face. He hurried toward me, abandoning all of his previous merchant arrogance, and bowed his head deeply.
"Lord Fragha!" Viktor greeted me, his voice trembling slightly. "Please, hear me out. I am not here to sell you anything today. It is quite the opposite. I traveled a very long way to get here. I had to take my carriage all the way around Burner City and cross the grand bridge just to reach your borders safely. So, I beg you to just listen to my..."
"Enough," I said firmly, holding up a single hand. I cut off his desperate rambling instantly. "I already know why you are here, Viktor. You are starving, and your city is out of grain. Luckily for you, I have a very interesting offer."
Viktor blinked, completely stunned. "What kind of offer, milord?"
Before continuing, I focused my vision on the merchant. I needed to know exactly what kind of piece I was playing on the board.
My eyes flashed with a faint golden hue. God Eye's activated.
[God Eye's Status Panel]
[Name: Viktor Hans]
[Stats:]
[Strength: E]
[Agility: F]
[Defense: E]
[Intelligence: A]
[Potential: B]
[Talent: Trading, Communication (Exceptional ability to disseminate information rapidly)]
[(Upgrade skill to Lv. 5 to view additional categories)]
I hid my smirk. "Intelligence A. And a natural talent for spreading information. You are the perfect vector for a virus."
"This is not a conversation for the open streets," I said, gesturing toward the chief's house. "Let us discuss this privately."
We moved into Oderick's modest living room. I sat in the wooden armchair, crossing my legs with the relaxed posture of a man holding all the cards. Viktor sat opposite me, nervously fidgeting with his rings. Zael stood quietly in the corner, blending into the shadows.
"So, Lord Fragha..." Viktor started, sweat beading on his forehead. "What is this offer?"
"I know exactly what is happening in Balan right now," I said softly, leaning forward. "And I am deeply sympathetic to the plight of the common merchants. I want to help you, Viktor."
Viktor swallowed hard, hanging onto my every word.
"You already know this village has an abundant, overflowing stockpile of premium wheat. I am willing to sell it to you. At a cheap, heavily discounted price. Furthermore, I will make you the exclusive distributor. No other merchant will get a single grain from us."
Viktor's eyes widened to the size of saucers. An exclusive monopoly on food during a severe famine. It was a golden ticket to unimaginable wealth.
"However," I paused, letting the silence hang heavy in the room. "This requires a bit of negotiation. I have three specific conditions."
"Name them, milord!" Viktor blurted out instantly, leaning forward in his chair. "I will do whatever it takes!"
I tapped my finger against the wooden armrest, adopting a serious, commanding tone.
"First. You will spread a rumor through your merchant networks. You will tell everyone that the 'village across the river' has mountains of food, but we refuse to sell it openly because of Baron Leonard's tyrannical and cruel treatment of our people."
Viktor nodded rapidly, memorizing the words.
"Second. You will confirm the whispers on the streets. You will tell them that the curse of the barren land has officially lifted from our village and moved directly onto Balan. Leonard's greed poisoned their soil."
I leaned back, locking eyes with the merchant.
"Third, and most importantly. You will tell them that I, as the Chief of this village, have the power to lift the curse from their land. I can restore their wheat. But I will only do it under one absolute condition. Baron Leonard must publicly bow his head and beg for my forgiveness."
The room fell dead silent.
Zael shifted in the shadows, his red eyes wide with shock at the sheer audacity of my demands.
Viktor stared at me, his jaw slightly open. He was a smart man, blessed with an A-rank in intelligence. He immediately understood what I was doing. I was not just selling wheat. I was weaponizing public opinion to completely destroy a noble's authority.
"Wow," Viktor breathed out, a look of profound respect washing over his face. "You possess a terrifying amount of courage, Lord Fragha. This is not just a cunning trick. This is a masterstroke of psychological warfare. It is incredibly wise."
"Do we have a deal?" I asked calmly.
"We have a deal," Viktor agreed, shaking my hand vigorously.
By late afternoon, Viktor's carriage was loaded to the brim with heavy sacks of golden wheat. He climbed into the driver's seat, completely ecstatic, and spurred his horses into a trot.
I stood in the square, watching the carriage roll away.
My mind was already moving to the next problem. The food crisis was solved, and Leonard was politically cornered. But the harsh, biting wind blowing from the ocean reminded me of a looming threat. Winter was approaching. Our stone icebox was a success, but the villagers were still living in rotting wooden shacks. They would freeze to death.
I needed proper infrastructure. I needed the man from the tavern.
My eyes snapped wide open.
"Hey! Wait!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.
I broke into a dead sprint, my white tuxedo jacket flying behind me as I chased the departing carriage.
Zael stepped out of the shadows, completely startled by my sudden outburst. "Milord? What is happening?"
I ignored him, pushing my physical body to its absolute limit. I kicked up dirt as I sprinted down the main path.
Viktor heard the shouting. He looked back, his eyes widening in panic as he saw me running after him. He immediately pulled hard on the reins, bringing the heavy carriage to a screeching halt.
I finally caught up. I grabbed the side of the wooden carriage, bending over and panting heavily. My lungs burned. It was a harsh reminder that despite my mental sharpness, I was still human.
"Milord!" Viktor cried out, jumping down from his seat. "Is everything alright? Did you change your mind?"
"No," I gasped, holding up a finger as I caught my breath. "I just... I have one more request."
I straightened my posture, taking a deep breath to recover my dignified composure.
"I need you to find someone for me. A man named Albert Harmlet. The Chief Architect of Balan."
"Oh, Master Albert?" Viktor frowned, looking slightly confused. "I can certainly try to find him, milord. But you should know, the rumor is that he officially resigned from his position yesterday. He had a massive falling out with the Baron."
"Perfect," I smiled, my breathing finally returning to normal. "That makes things even easier. Find him. Tell him that Lord Fragha accepts his offer to talk."
I stepped closer to Viktor, lowering my voice.
"And while you are spreading the other rumors, I want you to slip one more piece of news into the taverns."
The very next day, the city of Balan was drowning in whispers.
The rumors spread like an uncontrollable wildfire. Viktor played his part flawlessly. He set up his stall in the central market, heavily guarded by mercenaries. When the starving, desperate citizens rushed to buy his wheat, he delivered the script perfectly.
"This is an exclusive, limited stock!" Viktor shouted over the clamoring crowd. "Lord Fragha from the village across the river took pity on us! His warehouses are overflowing! But he refuses to open trade routes because of Lord Leonard's cruelty!"
The citizens whispered frantically among themselves. The "Nameless Village" across the river suddenly became the most famous topic in the territory. It transformed from a despised wasteland into a beacon of salvation.
"The curse really did shift!" a panicked woman cried out, clutching a loaf of expensive bread. "Leonard's greed destroyed our land!"
"I heard the foreign Chief can lift the curse," a blacksmith grumbled angrily. "He just wants Leonard to apologize. Why should we starve just because the Baron has too much pride?"
Viktor's entire stock of wheat sold out in less than a day. The prices were astronomical, but the people paid. They had no other choice.
Up in the grand mansion, the atmosphere was lethal.
Leonard paced furiously in his war room. He was completely trapped. The citizens were on the verge of a full-scale riot. His reputation was in tatters, and the royal emissary was actively trying to ruin him. He knew exactly who had orchestrated this entire nightmare.
Leonard slammed his fists onto a large tactical map spread across the wooden table.
"Summon the knights!" Leonard roared at his trembling commanders. "All of them! Assemble the infantry!"
A knight commander stepped forward hesitantly. His armor looked heavy, and his face was gaunt from the sudden rationing of food.
"My lord," the commander spoke nervously. "The men are hungry. Morale is dangerously low due to the grain crisis. We cannot sustain a long campaign."
Leonard's eyes burned with absolute, unhinged madness. He pointed a fat, trembling finger directly at the map, right at the location of my village.
"You will not need a long campaign!" Leonard spat. "We attack tomorrow at dawn! Tell the men that the foreign rat across the river is hoarding mountains of grain! Tell them that once we burn that Nameless Village to the ground, they can feast until their stomachs burst!"