บท 19: 16 Leonardo the Trader from distant land.
(Pirates of the Caribbean theme playing)
The salty sea air filled Leo's lungs as he stood at the helm of his ship, gazing out at the endless blue horizon. The vessel cut through the waves with ease, leaving a foamy trail in its wake. The sun upon him.
Seagulls cried overhead, their raucous calls punctuating the rhythmic creaking of the ship's wooden hull. The ocean's melodic roar filled the air, a constant reminder of the power and majesty that lay beneath the surface.
No land in sight. No ships.
This was the first time for Leo to go out of Clash Continent, wanting to visit the places he had seen on the screen; while not a huge fan, it didn't diminish his excitement.
It has been a few hours since he started his journey, his destination Republic of Ulgracia
The Republic of Ulgracia is very different from the nations surrounding the Great Jura Forest. It's not under the influence of the Western Holy Church, nor is it a member of the Council of the West. They receive the divine protection of the Spirit of Wisdom.
While there is no restriction for going in and out of the nation, there are relatively few criminals in that nation because all of the nation's people are elemental magic users.
This is why he was going there as there are not many restrictions on outsiders and considering his contract with Greater Spirit of Healing which is an A+ by the way, he should not face many problems, his ship was carrying some summoning contracts he asked the Wizard Trio to prepare these contracts can summon several Fire, Ice and Electro Spirit clones, he is planning to act as a trader to form connection and earn currency here. (This is why he didn't bring black pearl)
The contracts were not very expensive but very useful. They can assist you in many ways; the Fire Spirit clones can assist you in fights and even enhance your respective element by a relatively good amount.
However, they were not the only goods he brought, he brought several items like Healing Potion I-II and various potions inspired by Minecraft made from Elixir-mutated Hipokute grass the Elixir Grass, though he made sure it was impossible to break the formula since the Clash Continent would be debuting again in the Cardinal World he may as well as do the PR.
He also had steel weapons enchanted with Sharpness I or Armor with Protection I, though he only carried 10 of them, each of them can considered Uncommon grade just above common grade but vastly better.
As for being targeted, he doesn't think anyone can threaten him considering his power and why would they want to antagonize the only 'merchant' that can bring them these miraculous things at a much lower price and those who can threaten him or don't care about connections have no interest in his goodies.
And it is not like he is gonna announce that he is from Clash Continent, he will keep it as vague as possible.
Navigating the waters, Leo carefully avoided the Southwest Continent, home to El Dorado and Demon Lord Leon Cromwell's territory. He concealed his aura, unsure if Leon's Ultimate skill could detect him. Caution prevailed; avoiding 'Ultimate' skill wielders was paramount for now.
After a day's voyage, Leo's ship approached the Republic of Ulgracia's coastline. The nation's distinctive magical aura unique to itself greeted Leo.
Leo created several wood clones (yeah) and ordered them to disguise themselves as his crew to avoid suspicions of a lone merchant wandering in the waters since he was planning to limit his strength to that of an A- individual contracted with a spirit, making him reach almost A+ to Special A.
As Leo's ship approached the Republic of Ulgracia's coastline, the Coastal Guard's patrol vessels swiftly converged on the newcomer.
"Halt your vessel! Identify yourself and state your business!" a guard shouted through a wind magic.
Leo stood at the helm, unfazed. "Greetings, noble Coastal Guard! I am a merchant from distant lands. I bring rare goods for trade and seek to establish connections with your esteemed nation."
(I hope it is fine)
The guards eyed Leo's ship, scrutinizing the cargo and crew. Their leader, a seasoned officer, boarded Leo's vessel.
"Show your documents please," the officer requested.
Leo handed over the documents detailing his magical contracts, potions, and enchanted items along with his details verified with magic. The officer reviewed them carefully.
"Uncommon goods, indeed. We'll need to inspect your cargo and verify your claims. Follow us to the docking area."
Leo nodded, acting aware of the procedure. "Yes, officer. Lead the way, Officer."
The Coastal Guard escorted Leo's ship to a secure dock, where a team of inspectors and appraisers awaited.
"Officer Erwin will oversee the inspection," the leader said. "Cooperate fully, Sir Leo. Any irregularities will result in...consequences."
Leo smiled, confident in his preparations. "I assure you, Officer, my goods are genuine and of the highest quality. I'm eager to demonstrate their value."
As the inspection began, Leo sensed a mix of curiosity and caution among the guards. His vague background and unusual cargo sparked interest but also raised questions.
The appraisers were initially skeptical about his goods since he was a new merchant but their experience didn't allow them to judge early.
Officer Erwin, a no-nonsense woman with a keen eye for detail, led the appraisers and inspection team. She scrutinized each item, asking pointed questions.
"Merchant Leonardo, these magical contracts...how do they work?"
Leo explained and demonstrated the Fire Spirit clone's abilities. Erwin looked surprised at the power demonstrated by that little spirit and even more by the price of the contracts.
"Impressive. And these potions? What's the active ingredient?"
"These are made from special ingredients," Leo replied. "Unique to my region."
Erwin's gaze lingered on the enchanted steel weapons. "Sharpness I and Protection I are not rare, but what sets them apart is the price you are offering."
"Mr. Leonardo, these prices...are you certain?" She looked doubtful.
Leo smiled. "Yes, Officer. I'm committed to establishing long-term relationships, not short-term profits."
Erwin's expression didn't change. "Your Elemental Spirit clones normally would have a value of one gold coin, but you have set the value of fifty silver coins. And your Healing Potion II, typically priced around thirty-five silver coins, is offered at 15 silver coins."
She paused, calculating the implications.
"Your potions, unheard of in Ulgracia, are priced comparably to lower to that of high potion. And the enchanted steel weapons...these are Uncommon-grade valued around 2-3 gold coins yet you're selling them for the price of 75 silver coins."
Erwin's gaze locked onto Leo's. "How do you plan to maintain such low prices without sacrificing quality?"
There are four denominations available for the currency, made of different materials: Copper Coins, Silver Coins, Gold Coins, and Stellar Gold Coins. Each superior denomination is equivalent to 100 inferior ones. Depending on the area their value can vary greatly.
The value can be estimated from the fact that the annual income of the average countryman is less than 100 silver coins. It can vary depending on the country, though.
Leo's smile hinted at his strategic planning. "Efficient supply chains, streamlined production, and a focus on mutual benefit. I'd rather build trust and foster repeat business than maximize short-term profits, and in my region, it is relatively easier to produce these items.
"And you are overestimating my goods, Officer Erwin. Healing Potions I or II are different from Low and High Potions. They can't completely heal wounds. Their work lies in curing diseases caused by various pathogens and magicules.
While he also had High or Full potions he didn't bring them as he doesn't want to catch the attention of the world he would bring them slowly, while he was not afraid he didn't want to act like an arrogant ass and deal with those greedy and experienced merchants can be a pain in ass considering he is new to this.
As for the Uncommon grade equipment, they were nothing special he could make while sleeping, too.
"Your goods are of very high quality, Sir Leo; I need to inform my superiors about this for security reasons." Officer Erwin tells him Leo didn't see any problem. The faster he forms a connection, the better.
(After some time)
The Coastal Guard's commander, a high-ranking officer connected with Council, Commander Valencia, arrived; Leo could feel her strength being around A-.
"Officer Erwin's report indicates your cargo is acceptable," Valencia said. "But I must ask: What brings you to Ulgracia?"
Leo smiled, prepared for this question. "I seek to establish trade relationships, Officer. My goods can benefit your people, and I'm willing to negotiate mutually beneficial terms."
Valencia's expression turned thoughtful. "I'll discuss this with our Council. In the meantime, you're free to dock and prepare for trade negotiations."
Commander Erwin calls Valencia to tell about Leo's contract with the Great Spirit of Healing while Leo takes a walk around the city, l leaving his wood clones near the cargo.
(Commander)
"Commander Valencia, I've reviewed Captain Lysander's cargo his magical contracts, potions, and enchanted items are genuine and impressive. However, what truly sets him apart is his contract with the Great Healing Spirit."
"The Great Healing Spirit is a revered entity, known for its immense power and benevolence. Merchant Leonardo's ability to form a contract with such a being speaks to his exceptional magical prowess and character."
"This is indeed a good thing. A contract with the Great Healing Spirit is not heard of but I found it odd for a merchant, and he looked rather young and innocent for a merchant."
"From our conversations, Merchant Leonardo seems driven by a desire to establish mutually beneficial trade relationships. He's willing to share his goods at a far lower price. Maybe the region he belongs to has sent him to form a connection, or he is a noble from there?" Officer Erwin theorizes.
Leo vastly underestimated himself and the contract with the spirit, though it is going to benefit him in some way.
The value of a spirit contract can be guessed from the fact in this nation, there are many people liked by the spirits. Therefore, everyone undertakes a spirit contract ceremony when they reach the age of 10. Successful completion of this ceremony qualifies one as a citizen of Ulgrasia; those unable to make a contract with the spirits will be driven out of the nation and lose their rights as Ulgrasian citizens when they reach the age of 20; this is the importance of forming a spirit contract in Ulgracia.
Unaware of the thoughts of the higher-ups Leo found himself in front of the council.
(Note*:I don't know much about these things but I am trying)
Leo's goods are going to have a good impact on the nation's power if his statement that there are a large number of these goods available for trade, it would have been much more difficult to get the council's attention, but several factors played their part here, making the council summon him.
-Leo's (Leonardo to them) origins are mysterious but his goods are genuine and priced much lower than other markets.
-They don't want such a merchant to go away, who may belong to the nobility of the place he belongs to. Even if he is not, he can easily become noble in their country considering his contract with the Greater Spirit of Healing.
-His strength is that he is hazard class, their commander who is a very experienced individual, and considering his contract, he can very well be calamity class at such a young age (even though looks most of the time are not affected by age); for a small country like Ulgracia, these individuals were very rare.
-It would be good if they could make trade relations with the region Leonardo belongs to, maybe in the future they could get even higher quality goods.
-The most important factor is they have little to no risk in this trade unless the goods supplied are harmful, which they aren't; while the potions are not like the hipokute potions, they are effective in curing diseases along with other healing properties.
Councilor A leaned forward, her eyes locked onto Leo's. "Leonardo, your goods have impressed us. We believe establishing trade relations with your region would greatly benefit Ulgracia."
Leo smiled, anticipating this outcome. "I'm glad you see the potential, Councilors. I assure you, my region has much more to offer; in fact, you can say that I am the face of my region." He says producing a scroll
Another Councilor B spoke up, his tone measured. "We're willing to offer favorable trade terms, but we require assurances of consistent supply and quality."
Leo nodded. "I understand your concerns. I can guarantee a steady supply of goods, and their quality will meet or exceed what I've already demonstrated."
Councilor Thorne, quiet until now, spoke up. "What assurances do we have that your region won't renege on agreements or demand excessive concessions?"
Leo's gaze met Thorne's. "My word and the reputation of my region are guarantees. We value long-term relationships and mutually beneficial trade; I am willing to sign a contract or take an oath if you want."
This earned an approving nod from everyone in the room, even those initially skeptical relaxed.
Member A summarized the proposed agreement. "We offer:
-Exclusive trade rights.
-Ulgracia will help Leo in trading with other countries through its connections.
-And many others such as reduced taxes, etc.
Leo considered the terms before responding. "I accept, with one condition: Ulgracia must provide diplomatic support for my region's interests."
The council member nodded. "We'll consider it, as we don't know much about your region. Now, let's discuss specifics."
The negotiation continued, with Leo skillfully navigating the Council's concerns and securing favorable terms for his region.
After a fruitful harvest, Leo rested in the mansion gifted to him by the council; it was smaller than the town hall but equally luxurious, and though it didn't give the warmth of home the town hall always emitted, Leo was fine with it.
He must have to thank his past self who decided to upgrade town hall; the spirit without being present played a great role in today's negotiations.
And the good news didn't end here. Since he entered the city, he inquired about the various places and Jura Forest and such, and there was no talk about a new Demon Lord, or disappearance of Veldora, or the rise of a new nation called Tempest.
The Mutual-Aid Association still existed, and there was no sign of Hinata Sakaguchi or Yuuki Kagurazaka.
With this knowledge, Leo decided to proceed cautiously. He created another wooden clone, imbuing it with magicules equivalent to an A-rank individual's capabilities.
Leo swiftly changed his attire, shedding his merchant's garb for a modern teenager's outfit, complete with his special coat.
"Time to go," Leo thought, teleporting to a secluded area.
His destination was Jura Forest, a hotspot for the monsters and the future center of the world; with his clone securing his trade interests in Galut, Leo could focus on exploring this new environment.
~~~~~~
(I AM USING a timeline I found on Reddit as a reference, and can anyone tell me when the Lakeshore Dyed Scarlet Incident happened?)
I thought my writing was improving, but the lack of power stones tells otherwise.
Well, anyway, this is a bonus chapter for 1k collections.
⊙﹏⊙
If we get 100 power stones, you will get an early chapter of Leo as an adventurer in Tensura!
If we cross 200 power stones, you will get an R-18 *cough*cough with Venelana. (・_・;)
2.6k words.
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