Lord of Rot

The next day.

Claude, who had woken up bright and early, arrived at the castle gate.

The Knight’s squire, Radish, stood at the gate. ”The Lord is not feeling well. He is not seeing anyone today.”

”Ah, this...” Claude’s entire face scrunched up.

’Not seeing anyone? Does that mean I still can’t discuss the Porcupine Brand soap business?’

The soap was his main reason for being here.

The caravan’s business was doing well, with people trickling in to buy things.

’If I could rent a shop here and sell things on a regular basis...’ Claude thought as he looked at the already well-planned commercial district. He had to admit that the layout was clear and everything was in good order. In comparison, East Port was a chaotic mess.

As a merchant, Claude felt this was how commerce ought to be.

”Good day, Sir Claude.”

”Good day.” Claude turned and saw Joe. ”Sir Joe! Is there any way you can help me get a meeting with the Lord?”

Joe gave a wry smile. ”Claude, if I went to East Port and asked you to help me get a meeting with Lord Leopold, could you help?”

”Ah... well...”

Claude opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say.

’There’s no way Lord Leopold would ever pay any attention to me.’ In fact, Claude wasn’t even a top-tier merchant in East Port. He was just mid-level. The only reason he’d managed to climb up from obscurity was his decisiveness.

Just like this time, he had keenly spotted the market for soap and set out immediately.

The caravan’s goods were a testament to his sincerity.

But it seemed Baron Porcupine wasn’t very satisfied with his sincerity.

”What did you think of the wine you had last night?” Joe asked.

”I’ve never tasted anything like it,” Claude said, savoring the memory. He assumed it must be a prized treasure of Porcupine Territory.

Joe said, ”I think before we talk about soap, we could talk about Porcupine Wine.”

”Porcupine Wine?” Claude was surprised. ”You mean, that wine is brewed in Porcupine Territory?”

”To be precise, it’s brewed by the Lord himself.”

GASP!

”Lord Clarence’s wisdom is truly admirable!”

’Isn’t Baron Porcupine famous for being a muscle-headed brute? Why has he come up with so many inventions? Ice cream, Porcupine Wine, Porcupine Soap, concrete floors...’

Claude immediately said, ”I’m very interested in this business!”

For the rest of the day, Claude was unable to see Leech, but with Joe as his guide, he saw the immense commercial potential of Porcupine Territory.

On the third day, the ”sick” Baron Leech finally granted Claude an audience.

Looking at the hale and hearty Leech, Claude had already guessed the Baron’s intentions, but he still said, ”May the Four Gods bless you with good health.”

Being forced to stay had actually been more rewarding for Claude; the Porcupine Wine alone had made the trip worthwhile.

”Claude, I hear you want to talk about the soap business?”

”Yes, my Lord.” Finally getting to the point, Claude hurriedly said, ”I wish to purchase a large quantity of Porcupine Brand soap.”

”The cost of Porcupine Brand soap is very high,” Leech said, feigning difficulty. ”And the technique is complex. It would be very difficult to produce a large quantity... How many do you want?”

’How can he say it’s hard to produce in one breath and then ask how many I want in the next? If I said I wanted 1,000 units, could you even make them?’

Of course, Claude didn’t dare say that out loud.

”My Lord, before we discuss quantity, I think we should first discuss the price,” Claude said bluntly. He figured there was no need to beat around the bush when talking to a lord who didn’t understand business.

”The cost price for each bar of soap is 30 Silver Moons.” Leech shook his head. ”I can’t go any lower than that cost price. Besides, it’s very troublesome to make. At most, I can sell you 50 bars a month.”

’Only 50 bars?’

’Then what was the point of me coming to Porcupine Territory?!’

Before coming, Claude had done his research. Leech had sold over a hundred bars of soap in less than half a month. He believed Porcupine Territory could produce at least 500-600 bars per month. If he could secure this deal, the profits would be substantial.

”My Lord, that’s too few.”

’Of course it’s a small number,’ Leech thought. ’But East Port only has so many nobles. Sales would top out at one or two hundred bars anyway. I never planned on making big money selling high-priced soap.’

’Luxury goods must be associated with low production. Scarcity creates value.’

’If I produced tens of thousands of bars a month, a price of 30 Silver Moons would arouse suspicion.’

’Besides, nobles love to feel superior. It’s best if only their small circle uses it.’

”There’s nothing I can do,” Leech said, shaking his head. ”I hired a master-level craftsman to make it.”

Thinking back to the little limper who used lime to cure salted duck eggs, Leech said with a straight face, ”It requires extremely complex steps. Of all the raw materials, the floral fragrance is actually the cheapest part.”

”However...”

Hearing that ”however,” Claude’s head shot up. There was a chance.

”However, if you don’t need a rich fragrance and just want a cheaper soap with a much less potent effect, I can supply that in large quantities.”

”A cheaper soap?” Claude hesitated.

The reason the soap had attracted him in the first place was its high price. A high price meant a larger profit margin to play with.

And if the cheap soap was too inferior, it would lose its value entirely.

Leech ordered a male servant to bring two types of soap.

The low-priced soap was smaller than the noble’s version, shaped like a small rectangular brick with only a Porcupine emblem as a brand identifier. Its scent was very faint, almost nonexistent.

Beside it, the high-priced soap had more exquisite packaging, carved with flowers, and possessed a rich, floral scent.

”May I try them?” Claude asked.

”Of course.”

A male servant brought a basin of water. Claude wet his hands; he had carefully inquired about how to use soap before coming, so he was familiar with the process.

First, he washed his hands with the low-priced soap.

It quickly lathered up. After rinsing with water, his hands carried a faint, milky fragrance.

Next was the high-priced soap.

There wasn’t much difference in feel; the only distinction was the fragrant scent of the high-priced soap.

”And the price for this low-priced soap?”

”Three Silver Moons.” Leech held up three fingers.

A tenfold decrease in price!

At this price, the vast majority of East Port’s residents could afford it. A single bar looked like it could last for several months, enough for a whole family to use, which wasn’t expensive at all.

Claude knew that soap could deodorize. Since the common residents couldn’t afford perfume, this soap would surely be snatched up like crazy.

The prosperous residents of East Port cared more about their quality of life.

”How many can you produce per day?”

”That depends on how many you buy.”

’From the sound of it, the cheap soap can be mass-produced?’

”Ten thousand bars,” Claude said, gritting his teeth. ”I can start by buying ten thousand to test the market.”

Having spotted the opportunity, Claude was certain that the other merchants of East Port would descend on Porcupine Territory like hyenas. He had to show some boldness to make Baron Porcupine see him as a good partner. He wasn’t afraid of the soap not selling.

A soap that was taking the noble class of East Port by storm now had a lower-grade, but much cheaper, version. It was bound to be a bestseller.

”Done,” Leech agreed simply.

’Ten thousand bars of soap... If I just get two more people to help the little limper, we can make that easily.’

’One to boil the mixture, one to let it cool and set, and one to package it.’

He had already instructed the carpenters to make molds. Once the soap liquid was poured into them, they would come out as small blocks embossed with the Porcupine family emblem.

”Regarding the price, could you offer a discount?”

”You are, after all, the first partner of Porcupine Territory,” Leech said. ”Two Silver Moons.”

It was less of a negotiation and more of Leech setting a fixed price. Claude didn’t dare to bargain. He just needed to set the retail price at 3 Silver Moons, and he would earn 1 Silver Moon for every bar sold!

’Four Silver Moons... no, that’s too expensive. I’d lose a lot of customers.’

”Thank you for your generosity!”

”Wait, I’m not finished,” Leech said. ”This is Porcupine Brand low-priced soap. I won’t allow you to change the name or cut it up for sale.”

’Products with the Porcupine label serve as their own advertisement. If he cuts them up to sell, how can I advertise to attract other caravans?’

”Understood,” Claude agreed with a nod. He interpreted this as the Baron’s sense of ”noble honor.”

”I need you to bring a fully-loaded caravan every time you come, carrying goods that I need. This includes Magic Potions, materials, and so on. You will be responsible for procuring them for me.”

”Claude is more than willing to serve you!”

The deal was concluded very pleasantly.

Although Claude didn’t get a large share of the high-priced soap, his sharp business acumen told him that the market for the low-priced soap was much larger.

’What’s the difference between the regular soap and the high-priced soap?’

’There is no difference, aside from the fragrance and the packaging.’

’In fact, the regular soap’s cost is even a little higher, since it uses milk.’

There are only so many nobles. Even if they bathed every day, it would only bring in a few dozen Jinri a month. That’s too little.

But if he lowered the price so that common people could afford it, he would gain a customer base of tens of thousands.

East Port was bustling with ships, so there was no need to worry about sales. Leech didn’t care what price Claude set, but by selling those ten thousand bars, Leech himself could easily make 200 Jinri.

And that was just from East Port. What if it spread to the entire Eastern Gorge, or even the entire Lu Leiyi Continent?

Leech thought to himself, ’If I have so much money I don’t know where to put it, I might consider replacing my dining table with a solid gold one first.’

...

On the very day the deal was struck, a horse-drawn carriage also arrived in Porcupine Territory.

”So this is Porcupine Territory. It doesn’t look as dilapidated as I imagined.”

The newcomer was Gelang from Linta Bay. He wasn’t part of any caravan, just a small-time merchant from Linta Bay.

He had been the first to spot Joe’s caravan and knew that they were from Porcupine Territory and produced honey.

Gelang, who focused on retail, immediately saw a business opportunity. Honey was known as ”Sweet Gold”! If he could buy some and resell it, he would surely make a fortune!

Gelang seized the opportunity on the spot and made an arrangement with Joe to visit Porcupine Territory.

’It’s a remote, backwater territory. No other caravans would come here, otherwise they wouldn’t have had to travel so far themselves.’

’But being remote has its advantages.’

In any other place, Gelang wouldn’t dare make demands of a lord before even doing business, but he had already made up his mind. ’I can start by demanding that the local lord supply me with all the honey, except for the portion that goes to Green Forest Castle. In return, I can help them purchase other goods and bring a little more profit to Porcupine Territory.’

In his view, Porcupine Territory couldn’t produce much honey. As long as he could get a small barrel each time, it would be more than enough to turn a profit.

But as his carriage traveled along the road, Gelang started to feel that something was not quite right.

’This road is far too smooth.’

As he went further, things felt even more off.

’This is Porcupine Territory? It’s not poor at all!’

’Maybe it’s just a facade. The houses don’t prove anything.’

’Why is there a large caravan here?!’

’What are they loading onto their wagons, box by box?’

’Could it be honey? No, it’s impossible for there to be that much honey.’

But he had a bad feeling.

’I called dibs on this! I absolutely cannot let them get to it first!’

Gelang saw Joe chatting and laughing with another merchant. He stopped his carriage, walked over, and called out loudly, ”Joe, my friend!”

Hearing the shout, Joe turned his head. ”Gelang!”

”I’m here to buy honey,” Gelang said immediately. ”We made an appointment, remember?”

At this point, he couldn’t be bothered with making demands of the lord. With a large caravan here, he wasn’t even sure how much honey he could get. The priority was to buy the honey first.

”Of course,” Joe said. ”Follow me... You only brought one carriage?”

”It’s more than enough,” Gelang said with a smile. ”Let’s hurry.”

”Alright, we just happened to have harvested some honey recently.” Joe led Gelang to the warehouse. As he opened the door, dozens of barrels of honey came into view. ”How much do you want?”

”I’ll take... forty pounds.”

”That’s all?” Joe was astonished.

Gelang blushed a little. He had indeed been bragging before, but he’d also genuinely believed a small Baron Territory wouldn’t have much to offer. Who could have imagined there would be this much honey?

This much honey wasn’t just enough to supply Green Forest Castle; it could probably supply all of Linta Bay without a problem.