The morning air at the Silver River Logistics Hub was heavy with dust and commerce. Yesterday's trading surge had fundamentally altered the daily routine. Merchants were no longer just moving grain, iron, and textiles. They were moving the physical weight of their profits.
Every successful trade on the transfer docks created a new logistical burden. Silver was dense. Gold was heavier. The physical reality of wealth was becoming a distinct operational hazard.
Two laborers struggled to lift a reinforced iron lockbox onto a Cartel wagon. The wooden handles groaned under the strain. The men cursed, their boots slipping on the crushed limestone of the staging yard.
A few yards away, a textile broker walked cautiously down the pedestrian deck. He clutched a heavy leather purse to his chest. Two hired mercenaries walked closely beside him, their hands resting on the pommels of their swords.
