Phyllis took a deep breath. Although she didn't know exactly what Aven was planning, she was willing to place her absolute trust in him. Even though, in her eyes, going head-to-head with the Ironblood Fortress in the current situation seemed highly irrational, she still chose to believe in him—without hesitation.
Aven once said: 'Money only has value when it flows.'
That quote remained deeply etched in her memory, and the current development of Fruitvale Village was proving just how important that concept truly was.
She knew, without a doubt, that Lord Aven was far superior to her in terms of managing finances. So even though she was well aware that Fruitvale Village could not yet contend with the Ironblood Fortress, she remained absolutely willing to offer him her full, unwavering trust.
"Yes. If this is going to be a trade war, then we naturally need to be fully prepared."
Aven smiled and nodded in agreement, then asked Phyllis to report on the current financial status of the territory. Since they were about to engage in a commerce-driven battle, he had to first gain a thorough understanding of both the territory's financial standing and market dynamics.
With his eyes closed, Aven listened carefully to Phyllis's report, his mind rapidly filling with countless thoughts and ideas.
"Aven, my lord, what if other territories begin to cut off cooperation with us?"
"Our most immediate concern is the issue of food shortage. Our territory has never produced enough grain to sustain itself and has always relied on outside sources for purchasing food."
"And now, with the large influx of serfs into our land, the demand for food has increased significantly. Even though the serfs have already begun opening up vast tracts of land for farming, it's still incredibly difficult to meet the growing demand for food."
Phyllis thoroughly reported on the territory's current fiscal situation, and the issue of food was clearly her biggest concern. After all, food supply was closely tied to the survival of the territory itself.
She had a vague but ominous feeling that if the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild really intended to bring down Fruitvale Village, they would almost certainly start with the food supply. If a famine were to break out within the territory, it would undoubtedly trigger unrest—or even an outright revolt—among the serfs and common folk.
And if a large number of civilians and serfs began fleeing Fruitvale Village, the village's development would essentially come to a halt. After all, population is the core foundation of whether a territory can grow and prosper!
"Food... Yes, that's it—food!"
At that moment, Aven suddenly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing within them.
Phyllis blinked, taken aback, unsure of what Aven had just realized. She quickly looked at him and waited for his next words.
"Phyllis, how many merchant guilds and lords are still willing to sell us grain at the moment?"
Upon hearing the question, Phyllis immediately began reviewing the latest data. A moment later, she shook her head slightly and said, "Grain is a necessity in every territory."
"Right now, the only place still willing to supply us with food is Keystone Town. However, their harvest this year was poor, and it's nowhere near enough to cover our village's consumption."
Nodding slightly, Aven gazed out of the window into the distance, narrowing his eyes and speaking in a low voice: "What if we're willing to pay a high price—say, double, triple, or even ten times the market value?"
"Paying extra to purchase grain?!" Phyllis fell into deep thought.
"Yes. If paying ten times the market price allows us to buy food, then I can absolutely accept that. You know full well that what we lack the most right now is time."
"As long as we make it through this year, Fruitvale Village's strength will rise to an entirely new level. And I'm sure the Ironblood Fortress knows this too."
A slight smile tugged at the corners of Aven's lips. If the Ironblood Fortress wanted to prevent his territory from developing further, they would definitely try to seize the grain supply first.
"If we're willing to raise our prices," Phyllis nodded thoughtfully, "then some territories might indeed be tempted to sell their grain to us."
After saying this, she hesitated again and added, "But if we really start purchasing food at several times the normal price, our village's finances won't be able to hold out for long."
To that, Aven looked up calmly and continued, "That's not a problem. I'm confident that with the potion business and our Pokémon Breeding House, we'll be able to quickly make up for any financial shortfall."
"Therefore, while we're purchasing food, we must also focus heavily on acquiring Berries. Healing potions will always be in high demand in the market, and we can use the Berries to help offset the cost of buying food."
"Don't worry. The Ironblood Fortress will undoubtedly compete with us in buying grain. In the end, we probably won't be able to acquire much food through this method anyway. This is just a temporary solution. Once we've turned all the wasteland within our territory into farmland, we'll be able to resolve our food crisis once and for all!"
After Aven's detailed explanation, Phyllis fell silent. To be honest, she felt that Aven's plan was quite risky.
His strategy involved purchasing grain at several times the market price to buy time for the territory's development, placing all hope on the assumption that the land would eventually become self-sufficient.
As someone who had run the numbers regarding the serfs' farming abilities, she was keenly aware that relying solely on their labor wouldn't be enough to completely solve the food problem.
But then she remembered the effects of the growth fertilizer and the power of the Pokémon. That thought made her hesitate again—because even she wasn't entirely sure how much those two factors could increase their agricultural output.
"Yes, this is only the first step."
"I imagine the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild will also get involved in the Berry trade."
"But... it's fine. For now, just focus on buying as much grain and as many Berries as you can."
"My bottom line is ten times the normal price. If the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild is willing to go beyond that, let them. With the amount they'd have to buy, they wouldn't be able to consume it all so easily."
Aven continued to contemplate. Grain, Berries, and potions—these were the core elements of this upcoming commercial battle. Coincidentally, they also happened to be the three items that Fruitvale Village needed the most.
"Understood, Lord Aven!"
Phyllis took a deep breath and nodded firmly. She knew that her job now was to fully support Aven in carrying out this bold strategy!
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Ironblood Fortress.
Marquis Hormay held a glass of red wine as he strolled through his Berry orchard.
The thick foliage of the Berry trees cast dark shadows, blocking the sunlight and giving the orchard an eerie, dim atmosphere.
Within the shadows, bright eyes could be seen. Upon closer inspection, it became clear that dozens of Golbat were hanging upside down from the branches of the trees.
After taking a gentle sip of wine, Marquis Hormay suddenly flung the red liquid from his glass into the air, prompting the Golbat to swoop down from the trees in a frenzy.
"Nelson, have any updates come in recently?"
Watching the Golbat flutter around him, Hormay turned to the president of the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild who stood behind him.
"My lord, I have already delivered all your orders."
"Almost every merchant guild and lord has received the message. I believe they'll make the right decision."
Nelson bowed respectfully. In all of Aspiration City, aside from her royal highness, there was no noble more respected than Marquis Hormay!
In fact, if her highness weren't in control of the Guardian Pokémon, it was hard to say who would truly hold power over Aspiration City.
Thinking of that person, Nelson narrowed his eyes slightly. The power of the Guardian Pokémon was simply too overwhelming—even Marquis Hormay dared not act recklessly.
"Hmm, very good."
"Keep a close eye on this matter. I won't tolerate the emergence of another Marquis Salt."
Hormay nodded lightly. The Gilded Fang Merchant Guild was his greatest trump card. Anyone who dared move against it would have to pay the price.
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—
While they were speaking, the flapping of wings suddenly sounded.
A Starly circled overhead, letting out a shrill cry but hesitating to land.
"It's a message from the Guild. I'll be right back, my lord."
Nelson excused himself and walked out of the orchard. He called the Starly down and retrieved the letter it carried.
He didn't open it immediately but returned to the orchard and handed it directly to Marquis Hormay.
Taking the letter, Hormay quickly tore it open and scanned its contents. After only a few moments, his expression darkened considerably, and he gripped the letter tightly, letting out a heavy snort.
Nelson picked up the crumpled letter that had been thrown at him and quickly read through it. As he finished, his brows furrowed tightly.
According to the message, Fruitvale Village had recently begun buying large quantities of grain and Berries—offering prices far above the market rate!
"So, Fruitvale Village intends to stockpile as much food as possible during this period."
Nelson snorted coldly. The high prices were indeed tempting, and it was hard to guarantee that merchants wouldn't be swayed.
Moreover, Fruitvale Village was being very clever. All transactions were being carried out in secret, and no details were disclosed—clearly in an attempt to conduct everything discreetly.
But the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild's entire goal in this operation was to sever Fruitvale Village's food supply, so they were paying extremely close attention to all grain movements. There was no way such covert deals would escape their notice!
Still, for Fruitvale Village to suddenly start offering such absurd prices... Were they acting out of desperation? It appeared their pressure tactics had worked well!
"Hmph, you think we'll let that work?"
"Raising prices, huh? Then we'll raise ours too. We'll try to buy up every last bit of food!"
"If there's no more grain on the market, let's see where you'll turn next!"
Hormay snorted. He had made up his mind—he would completely cut off Fruitvale Village's food supply.
Once he successfully curbed their growth, what did a little overpayment matter?
Without sufficient food, he wanted to see how Fruitvale Village could afford to raise so many Pokémon!
After all, every single one of them consumed an enormous amount of resources. Just the Ironblood Knights alone burned through food at a terrifying rate each day.
If not for the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild backing them, even the Ironblood Knights wouldn't be able to maintain such a massive force!
And besides grain, the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild wasn't going to spare the Berries either. Without Berries, how would Fruitvale Village make potions?
On the other hand, the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild could keep making potions with the Berries they bought. They might even seize back control of the potion market!
They could simultaneously stall Fruitvale Village's development and recapture the market—two birds with one stone!
Furthermore, with all the extra grain and potions, the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild could catch and sell more Pokémon, easing their financial pressure.
Although Ironblood Fortress couldn't launch a direct attack due to Aspiration City's restrictions, the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild could still legally purchase grain and Berries at high prices—surely Aspiration City wouldn't object to that?
And once other merchant guilds and lords saw the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild seizing all the supplies, they'd realize Fruitvale Village wouldn't last much longer.
In that case, their choice would be obvious. If they wanted to stay in business with the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild, they'd naturally side with it—especially if the prices were the same.
And with the massive profits they'd earn from these deals, they'd be even more inclined to support the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild in the future!
This kind of battle—a contest of financial strength and deep pockets—was one Fruitvale Village was far too weak to win. Without even lifting a finger militarily, Hormay could deliver a devastating blow!
------------
Back in Fruitvale Village, inside the Pokémon Breeding House.
Both Link and Phyllis wore grim expressions. Neither of them had expected the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild to react so quickly.
Now that the Guild was actively buying up all the grain and Berries, merchant guilds and lords began selling off their stock without hesitation.
They had clearly realized that the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild was in direct competition with Fruitvale Village for food, and they intended to profit while prices were high.
Under these circumstances, even offering ten times the price wasn't enough—Fruitvale Village couldn't get their hands on any supplies!
However, Aven's expression remained perfectly calm. He sipped some juice lightly, and instead of frustration, a faint smile appeared on his lips—puzzling both Link and Phyllis.
"Ah, the fish has taken the bait," Aven said with a soft chuckle. "Phyllis, continue contacting those merchant guilds and lords."
"If there's any opportunity, raise the price even higher—don't worry about actually buying the food. What matters is pushing the price up as far as it can go."
"Link, suspend our potion business in Aspiration City. Spread word that due to a shortage of Berries, Fruitvale Village can no longer produce potions."
"Heh. Since the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild wants to suppress our potion production by monopolizing Berries, we might as well completely halt sales for now. From now on, our potions will only be sold in small quantities within Fruitvale Village."
"And don't stop buying up those rotten or spoiled Berries. I doubt even the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild would want to snatch those away, right?"
Hearing Aven's words, Link and Phyllis exchanged a look, then both nodded and quickly set out to relay the new instructions.
Now, they finally understood—this had all been part of a grand scheme devised by Lord Aven, a trap designed to lure the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild into a price war over grain and Berries!
In the days to come, the Guild would likely keep buying at ever-higher prices. Now the only question was: could Fruitvale Village hold out long enough under the mounting pressure?
(End of Chapter)