After Surviving the Apocalypse, I Built a City in Another World

”Well, well, well, What do we have here?” A man with orange hair and a smug smile. He was along with four others, looking at them arrogantly as they blocked the road.

This was a classic bully line.

”What do you want?”

”All your earnings today,” he said. ”Just today’s (maybe). We’re really kind, aren’t we?”

When this started, they would be taking more, and they’d have a ready source of income!

This naturally triggered the Alterans. ”DREAM!” Bull yelled, lifting his fist. He knew his level was nothing compared to these people, but he sure wasn’t going to show it!

”Whoa so scared!” The newcomers yelled, laughing. Worse, they looked at the women and licked their lips, making the poor girls shiver.

Turbo narrowed his eyes and recognized them. He wasn’t here but he did investigate the town as well as his team’s history with different powers here. This guy happened to have a match.

Goliath Mercenary Team. A team who had wanted to steal from Gill, but was blocked by Cassandra.

”They had some conflicts regarding that orc back home,” he said, informing the others of the history.

This made everyone look at him. ”Cute Gochi? What?”

Gochi was big, but he had an innocent heart. He also saved a lot of asses during hunting sessions and won a lot of favors.

”They wanted to steal him and make him a slave.”

”WHAAAATTT?!”

They looked at the mercenary team, their previous apprehension gone and they went straight to trash-talking.

”Ugly men! How dare you try to take cutie Gochi!”

”Ugh! I dunno why people take slaves. Don’t they have their own hands and feet? Ptooey!”

And there were people who just tried shooing them away. ”Go away! Don’t bother us!”

The Goliath members twitched, shocked by how a bunch of weaklings were so brave to go against them.

However, they soon shook it off and grinned. ”Well, if they’re so excited to die then we’ll entertain them.”

The civilians gestured to defend, led by Turbo who already took out his weapon. His eyes looked at the enemies, analyzing them.

The other team only had 5 members while Terrans were twice that number. Although the level comparison was the opposite, they didn’t want to run away!

The Goliath mercenary team flinched a bit under their stares but laughed a bit when they recalled their levels.

Tension rose and both sides prepared to duke it out—

”Oh, what’s going on?” A new voice next to them appeared, diffusing some of the tension. Everyone calmed when they saw it was no other than the lord of the town.

”Milord.”

”Hmn,” he nodded coolly, looking at the two parties on the verge of a match.

He didn’t prohibit fighting—as in most other territories—because everyone had an instinct of respecting the strong here.

In their minds, it was a bit counterintuitive to prohibit the way to show it off.

For the first time, he may be reconsidering it, just a bit.

He looked at the team of five with a deep frown. ”You realize I have business relationships with this team, correct?”

He was actually serious about this. Before, when the team had just started and his cousin went with them, he made an announcement that a deal was being discussed.

People making trouble with them now was a disrespect to him.

The aborigines realized they annoyed the lord and had no choice but to back off.

”Tsk.” Goliath glared at the Alterans before stomping away.

The Alterans looked at him admiringly, making him feel embarrassed.

Jonathan cleared his throat. ”Am I not going to get invited?”

Turbo and the other flinched, before leading him inside.

They led the lord and his loyal guards to the living area of the base. Because it was designed for the comfort of them and their families, the shared living area wasn’t small. However, everyone who was hanging around saw Jonathan and politely went out.

The leader of this excursion was Turbo, and right next to him were Jake and Brandon.

”Where’s your captain?”

”Back home with his wife, milord.”

Jonathan’s eyebrows rose. ”Oh? Are they planning on visiting again?”

”Perhaps,” they said, ”But not any time soon. The territory isn’t very stable yet.”

Jonathan nodded and, for a while, they discussed some light topics. For instance, how their travels were, and if they encountered a lot of trouble in their ’home’ territory. He also asked about his cousin, though he already had some information from his guards.

He couldn’t help but recall the many new faces who seemed to sell the items. ”The people with you are your citizens?”

”Yes, sir. We partnered with some caravans and they could sell their goods in our spot in exchange for a fixed rental fee for the spot.”

”I noticed that you created a good business model here…” he said, analyzing.

Even when there were no events, his inns were still occupied. Sure, it could have something to do with those territories that stayed, but he still felt this group had a lot to do about it.

”Thank you. We hope to keep doing this,” he said, ”Perhaps provide Ferrol with more variety in the future.”

Jonathan smiled, ”I know you will.”

”Speaking of variety.” Jake smiled and took a few vats from his space. ”The captain wants you to have this.”

”What is it?”

”Sugar and Salt.”

”Sugar and salt?”

This made Jonathan abruptly stand up to check closer. His guard opened the vat and his eyes widened at the contents.

These were still under limited production in the territory and were thus only sold in some quantities within the territory. The amount was just enough for the citizens to use personally, how could they have a surplus to sell outside?

This was especially true for salt, where raw materials were a rock salt mine—which would eventually deplete—and not the endless sea.

In fact, foreigners even had smaller purchase limits, and this was why Cassandra didn’t bother sending him some.

She told her maids, ’What he didn’t know won’t kill him’ and kept what she could buy for herself.

Anyway, Jonathan didn’t know about this. And with this amount, he didn’t care either. He was just blinded by the quality of the condiments.

”This…”

Sugar! That sweetener?

And Salt! Especially salt!

Salt was expensive! And he had never seen such pure salt!

He blinked and looked at the mercenary team members who had small smiles on their faces.

He really underestimated them!

___

Jonathan went back to his mansion in a good mood, already planning his trip to that interesting village.

However, before he could settled down for the day, his butler knocked on his door. ”You have a visitor, sir.”

Jonathan’s eyebrows rose and he sat down in his chair, ”Let him in,” he said and soon a familiar large man appeared.

The man’s steps were heavy as always, and he had a deep frown. There was no sign of respect for someone who was supposed to be his subsidiary.

It was Baltimore, the Lord of Guia village.

Jonathan frowned, sitting on the couch. ”What are you doing here?”

”Passing by,” the other man said, sitting unceremoniously on the adjacent seat.

For someone who was supposedly a subsidiary of his, he spoke to Jonathan as an equal.

”I heard new territories have appeared,” he said, ”The Lord had asked us to check. What information do you have?”

Jonathan gave him a bad look. ”I may have allowed to pretend you’re under me, but I am not under them ”

”I’ve already done enough of a favor by pretending to own Guia. Do you have any idea how many territories have been trying to approach me for good deals with your metal?”

”I’m sure the master will compensate you well,” he said. ”We want information about the new territories. I’m sure you have some with you.”

There was silence between them and Jonathan frowned. He wasn’t clear about how the city he was associated with and the city he was truly connected to were interacting, but he had low-key received instructions to assist in some capacity.

Even if he didn’t like how he was being spoken to, he still had to comply, at least to some degree.

He sighed, ”Fine,” he said, ”I only have a bit.”

Of course, he would only give the bare minimum, but he was sure this man would be able to gather more on his own.

Alas, so that was starting again.