Chapter 516: Act 264 – The Price We Can Afford
“I rarely hear of mermaids appearing with Naga. I wonder what the reason is?” Brendel asked as he stood by the ship’s railing.
“It has nothing to do with you, human!” Before Saneer could respond, the girl beside him glared at him coldly and snapped. Brendel then noticed that this girl had only a pair of exquisite arms, her figure graceful and resembling a human woman. She was not a Naga, but a genuine mermaid, and judging by her expression, she was already somewhat irked.
The mermaid race was inherently kind and never participated in plundering merchant ships. If it were not for the dire situation facing the Grayfin tribe, they would not have broken their promise to appear here. What made Jenny angrier was that this young man, with a straight face, had asked, “I rarely hear of mermaids appearing with Naga. I wonder what the reason is?” It was simply infuriating. She could not help but grind her teeth, fearing that word of this would spread, and the world would think the mermaid race was also a band of robbers.
“It seems you have your troubles as well,” Brendel replied keenly.
“What do you mean?” Saneer frowned.
“I only wanted to ask if there is any way we can help?” Brendel probed tentatively.
Saneer hesitated for a moment, seeming somewhat tempted. But when his expression changed, Brendel guessed that the Grayfin Naga must be facing a real crisis; otherwise, he would not be so indecisive. He searched his memories for significant events in the Shining Sea around this time and vaguely remembered the legendary ‘Western Sea War.’ However, the ‘Western Sea War’ began even before the Black Rose War, lasting from before the game started until the end of the first act, with only scant details mentioned in the forums. It was a war that occurred on the borders of Erluin, with almost no players involved outside of civilization.
Brendel thought for a moment and spoke first: “How about this—we are merchants too, with plenty of goods aboard. If you have any needs, we can negotiate business on the spot. Business need not be confined to formality.” He wanted to befriend the Grayfin Naga, and even Captain James noticed this. However, this young captain had some doubts: the other party was notorious for being pirates, and their adherence to credibility was questionable, not to mention that the Grayfin Naga was not the strongest faction in the Shining Sea.
“That’s easy to say,” the mermaid girl interjected. Her voice was melodious, like singing, but it was quite sharp: “Did you not just say that we are robbers? If we were to demand the goods on your ship, would you agree or not?”
She fixed her gaze on Brendel. If this faux merchant said he would not agree, she would certainly ridicule him for being untrustworthy. If he agreed, judging by her sparkling eyes, it seemed she would climb higher. However, the mermaid girl knew that human merchants were generally stingy and greedy, likely finding an excuse.
Unexpectedly, without even thinking, Brendel answered, “I suppose it could be considered.”
The mermaid girl widened her eyes in surprise. “Hey, human, you mean to do business this way? Who does business like you?” She concluded that Brendel was mocking them and could not help but question him.
“I have heard that the war between Naga tribes has escalated. On land, there is something called proxy wars among countries. I can invest in your war. If you win, I may gain profits. Even if you fail, I would only lose a ship of goods, which also could buy me a favor. It is quite a mutually beneficial deal; why wouldn’t I do it?” Brendel retorted.
Upon hearing this, the mermaid girl became vigilant and could not help but raise her eyebrows. “How do you know we are at war?”
“He’s lying to you,” Saneer sighed. Though he was stiff, he was not foolish. The term “stupid fish” was merely a nickname given by Brendel and the others indicating his lack of adaptability. He pulled the mermaid girl behind him, fearing that this straightforward sorceress would inadvertently reveal all their secrets, as he had never heard of such business practices, which would lead to a significant loss.
The mermaid girl also realized what was happening. She glared at Brendel again, gritting her teeth. She had never encountered someone so detestable before; no wonder the elders in her tribe said humans are shrewd and cunning—it was indeed true.
The others behind Brendel looked as if they wanted to laugh but dared not; especially Carglis, who now felt that his lord was incredibly cunning. He had heard that his lord’s fiancée was skilled in finance and was a top merchant, but now it seemed this was merely a family legacy. Only Antinna could not help but remind him, “My lord…”
Brendel nodded to indicate there was no need to worry. He knew this noble lady was afraid he would suffer a loss. While losing a ship of goods was not a big deal, if Brendel truly invested in a war, Toniger’s finances would certainly not support it. Of course, he was only saying this because he knew the historical future’s trajectory. The Grayfin Naga might not unify the Shining Sea, but at least they would still be around decades later, indicating that even if they did not win, they likely would not be defeated too badly.
Moreover, even if Brendel intended to invest, Saneer and the legendary queen of the Naga tribe might not accept it. Everyone knew that there was no such thing as a free gift in this world.
“Alright,” Saneer finally came to a realization and asked, “Do you have any medicinal materials on your ship?”
“Medicinal materials? Is someone injured?” Brendel keenly grasped the crux of the matter. The sea was certainly not lacking in medicinal materials, but what the Naga lacked was alchemy. They must have had a prominent figure seriously wounded; ordinary tribespeople would not resort to using sea leviathans and mermaids. He immediately thought of the future d*ath of the Naga queen three years later, suspecting that it might not be due to natural causes but rather because of severe injuries.
The Naga queen’s strength was transformed, and it was entirely possible for serious injuries to linger for three years. The more Brendel thought about it, the more he felt that his conjecture was closest to the truth.
“You ask too much,” Saneer replied, dissatisfied.
“Alright, let me guess. I have heard that beneath the deep sea, wondrous medicinal materials abound, and ordinary injuries should not trouble you. Although I only have some common medicinal materials aboard, I have heard that the medical skills on land far exceed those in the underwater kingdoms, and I just happen to have some miraculous substitutes that may be useful to you,” Brendel answered.
“What are they?” Saneer asked.
Brendel took out a small, translucent crystal vial. This was Amann’s most precious gift, the Number One Holy Water. From the beginning, very few vials had ever been produced. It was a work that required the utmost effort of the top high priest and alchemist at the Temple of Fire and took months to complete. The two vials he held could very well be the last remaining samples in this world. Brendel decided to take a gamble; if the person injured was indeed the legendary queen, then this vial of medicine would certainly be worth its weight. If not, he would surely suffer a substantial loss.
However, since he had brought it out, he would not appear stingy and simply tossed the precious vial over. Saneer caught the Number One Holy Water, looking puzzled. He certainly recognized this as the Water of Life, but since the Naga had long been plundering Erluin merchant ships, they had a fair stock of Holy Water. They had used it before, but it had little effect—and this vial was even smaller than the usual Holy Water, indicating it was likely less potent.
He raised his head to question, but to his surprise, the mermaid girl behind him had already turned pale as she snatched the Number One Holy Water from his hands. She carefully removed the cork and sniffed it; it seemed she was shocked, immediately putting the cork back in. Saneer saw that the sorceress who had come with him was trembling, realizing something was amiss. Although this girl seemed a bit naive, the knowledge she possessed was inherited from the lineage of sorceresses and was definitely not unfounded.
“What is going on?” he could not help but ask.
“If I am not mistaken… this should be the Number One Holy Water,” the mermaid girl said, her voice trembling slightly.
“The Number One Holy Water? What is that?” Saneer asked, confused.
“Let me put it this way… Lord Saneer, if the Shining Sea had an owner, this vial of Holy Water could buy half of the Shining Sea…” Jenny responded with a strange expression.
“Ah?” This took Saneer aback, and he suddenly felt that what he had just caught was not a vial of medicine, but rather a bomb. Although it was not his first time participating in a plunder, he had never seen something this valuable. Naga typically selected their targets wisely and usually avoided merchant fleets and royal convoys; otherwise, the navies of the surrounding countries would not be pushovers.
“Can it heal…?” Saneer could not help but stutter.
“That’s enough! That’s more than enough; we don’t need so much, just a little will do!” the mermaid girl answered joyfully.
Saneer fell silent for a moment, then looked up at Brendel. “Human, are you really giving this to us? You realize we can’t afford this price!”
“It’s alright,” Brendel replied as if he did not care. “As I said before, for the part that cannot be afforded, I can invest.”
How does one invest in a war? Saneer felt this human was becoming increasingly mysterious; he had never seen such business practices before. However, he thought for a moment and asked seriously, “Then, may I ask what your name is, sir?”
“Just call me Brendel, as my current activities do not allow me to publicly disclose my surname,” Brendel answered, half-truthfully.
“I see. Then, let me reiterate: I, Saneer, on behalf of the Grayfin tribe, declare that from today onwards, any merchant ship sailing on these waters under your flag shall be under our Grayfin Naga’s protection. Any act of aggression against these merchant ships will be regarded as a provocation against us, and we will retaliate with war.”
Saneer’s resolute voice echoed across the sea. Upon hearing this, Captain James’s face changed. Although Saneer seemed to be repeating what was previously said, the implications were entirely different. This time, Saneer’s commitment was evidently more formal, with more detailed content. And if what Brendel said was true, it meant that in the future, all merchant ships under Brendel’s banner would have almost no chance of being plundered in the Shining Sea. Furthermore, as long as the Grayfin Naga existed, this fact would endure.
As a person who had lived on the sea for years, the young captain certainly understood the implications. It was known that outside of large merchant fleets and royal convoys, ordinary merchant ships had a plunder rate of up to 30% in the Shining Sea, meaning small merchants faced the risk of losing everything at any moment. However, with Saneer’s promise, it almost ensured that Brendel’s merchant fleet would in the future compare with the famed commercial groups like Ampere Seale.
If Brendel intended to do business—
However, Saneer looked deeply at Brendel and added, “Furthermore, if your ‘goods’ are indeed as effective as you claim, I guarantee that as long as you do not commit acts that are hostile to the Grayfin Naga in the future, you will always be a friend of our tribe.”
The implication was clear: if Brendel lied about the Holy Water, then the previous agreement would certainly not hold. Saneer did not make a definitive statement; after all, he still did not believe that an unfamiliar human would offer such a grand benefit for no reason. Since the sorceress claimed that this vial of medicine was worth half of the Shining Sea, its true worth would be a sure half of the Shining Sea. Saneer did not believe there was any human willing to part with such wealth so easily.
However, once tested, everything would be determined. He signaled to the other Naga, then he and the mermaid girl turned and swam into the sea, leaving behind only a white wave. The remaining Naga waited until the two had completely disappeared before saying to Brendel and the others, “Human friends, Lord Saneer has ordered us to escort you for a while.”
Brendel nodded. Saying they were escorting him actually had a monitoring implication. However, as long as Saneer proved the Number One Holy Water was real, these Naga would sincerely escort them to Ampere Seale. Since he would gain some guards for no reason, he naturally did not mind. However, more than this, he had been observing the scar on Saneer’s left shoulder. He recalled that when he first met him in the future, there was a terrible scar there that was now not visible. It was likely a remnant from this war. Brendel initially thought about reminding him, but after consideration, he decided against it. After all, for every warrior, experiences around the edge of life and d*ath were precious.
He turned back, realizing the favor he had done was not insignificant, and he had formed a friendship with the Naga, which was an unexpected bonus from this trip. With this thought, Brendel lifted his head and saw the sailors unfurling the sails, preparing to set sail again. Captain James stood aside, somewhat enviously stating, “My lord is indeed doing great business.”
…(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please support it by voting with recommendations and monthly tickets on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)
