"How are you? Rest a little longer if you're not well!" Half a day passed since Alyon opened his eyes, and during that time, he lay motionless, staring at the tent ceiling. Upon Nafız's call, he stood up and advanced to put on his armor.
"Did you take off the armor? I'm starting to put a lot of trouble on you lately!" Alyon, smirking nastily as he spoke, had frayed Nafız's nerves.
"Unfortunately, I granted this honor to the orcs of the section we came from. They carried you here and looked after you, while their hands haven't even lost the warmth of the dung they collect." When she finished speaking, she left Alyon alone to put on his armor, without the sight causing trauma to his memories from his previous life.
Only Domuzkuyruk and his son could approach the forbidden area. When they came to collect the meat to be distributed today, they also heard the news of Alyon's awakening. Domuzkuyruk was very happy that both of their rescuers were well, as he had important news to give to Nafız. Today was one of the days when the Traveling Merchant visited the tribe once every three months. Previously, only the Chief met with the merchant, and Domuzkuyruk was very nervous because he had no experience in this matter. He feared that the situation would get even worse if he brought up the matter with the female orc who called herself Nafız, as the action she took ten days ago was still fresh in everyone's memory.
Alyon, upon hearing the news, immediately ordered the Chief's tent to be repaired. As the construction of a smaller-scale tent was finished on the spot where the colossal tent used to stand, the merchant was entering the tribe.
"Sasha, it seems like some things have happened here!" The merchant, talking to the golden-haired young man beside him, was carefully examining his surroundings. The merchant, who entered the tribe with a mechanical vehicle resembling a train locomotive, had two more wagons of goods behind him.
The golden-haired young man, looking at the merchant, said, "Yes, Mr. Dimitri, there is now a much smaller structure in place of the Chief's tent. I assume an internal conflict has occurred in the tribe; it would be to our advantage to be careful."
"A power struggle, even in this desolate place at the end of the world?" The merchant, putting on a contemptuous expression, continued on his way without any sign of fear. Upon seeing Domuzkuyruk greeting them in front of the Chief's tent, the merchant's expression changed, and he seemed to be experiencing a minor shock.
"Chief Ayıboğan, where is he? Why isn't he here to greet me?" Dimitri, familiar with the tribe's internal affairs because he had traded with them for a long time, was very displeased that an orc from the supply section was greeting him.
"The Chief is inside, waiting for you." Domuzkuyruk, looking at the merchant with expressionless eyes, opened the door slightly with his hand and showed the way.
When the merchant and his assistant entered, their fury went through the roof at the sight they saw. "As if not greeting us at the door wasn't enough, you want to meet while flirting with a woman? Who do you think you are?" Sasha, seeing Alyon and Nafız waiting for them inside the tent, shouted with a voice full of arrogance.
The commotion they created by entering the door was enough to make Nafız's nerves jump. "How many more times do I have to tell those at the door not to let pets inside? Look at that little dog; it's already starting to bark."
Upon hearing these words, Sasha was about to make a move to draw his weapon when he felt a warmth around his throat. The tip of the blood-red whip in the hand of the orc who had just insulted him was wrapped around his neck. Sasha, finding himself face down on the ground before he had a chance to react, began to turn blue because he couldn't breathe.
"What is going on here? If something happens to us, do you think you can get away with this?" As Dimitri, whose assistant was struggling for breath beside him, began throwing threats, Alyon roared furiously.
"You entered an Orc Chief's tent, merchant, how much longer will you wait to pay your respects?" The intensity of the voice brought Dimitri to his senses; the merchant, feeling his internal organs shift, quickly fell to one knee.
"I am Dimitri from the Golden-Leaf Trade Guild, protected by mercenaries. My assistant Sasha and I are honored to be in your presence." After the merchant introduced himself, Alyon signaled Nafız to loosen the whip.
"Let's consider what happened a misunderstanding, then. My name is Alyon, and the name of my friend beside me is Nafız." When Alyon finished speaking, the whip returned to Nafız's wristband. Dimitri, seeing this scene, couldn't stop his right eye from twitching.
"Variable equipment! How can an orc in this desolate tribe possess such magnificent equipment?" Nafız, responding to the merchant's reaction with a smile, said, "Can we start trading now?"
The merchant understood that the orcs before him were not as simple as they appeared. Examining Sasha's condition with a side glance, he said, "We had a fixed agreement with the former Chief; shall we continue with that, or will we need to renegotiate the terms?" Alyon said, "We didn't have the chance to discuss these matters with the former Chief. I ask you to explain the terms of your agreement."
Sasha recovered and took his place beside the merchant, while Nafız watched him with a smile on her face. "My Lord, I have two wagons of pure steel weapons in my cargo. The former agreement was 1 to 20 for claws, horns, and teeth. I sincerely hope to find common ground with you as well."
Alyon sighed deeply upon hearing the terms and made eye contact with Nafız beside him. Because of the legacy they received, they knew the approximate value of all the materials in this world. Ayıboğan, who had been robbed for years due to his ignorance, made the tribe suffer poverty amidst plenty.
"Well, what rate do you take the monster essence at?" Dimitri's eyes widened at the question he heard; he was at a loss for words. "Because we came here to trade, we used to take it as a gift from the former Chief."
Nafız violently sprang from her seat: "Thieves! How can you take such a thing for free!" Monster essence, whose main function was variable weapon construction, played a vital role in the development of totems and transformation techniques. The transfer of such a valuable substance without any return was not an everyday occurrence.
Alyon interjected to calm Nafız, who was snapping harshly at the merchant and his assistant. "These friends of ours are merchants; wouldn't it be a bit unfair to blame them for their customers' ignorance?"
The merchant, who breathed a sigh of relief because of the Chief's protective approach, realized the terms would change and took the initiative. "My Lord, we must continue our newly established trade with entirely new terms. Would you share your views on this matter with us?" The merchant, feeling he could lose his life at any moment in his current environment, began keeping a low profile.
"As of now, claws, horns, teeth, and hide will be processed at a rate of 1 to 8. I hope you won't disregard the good intention behind my suggesting a rate higher than normal due to the tribe's location!" Alyon, while giving the new trade tariff, didn't neglect to show his underlying threat.
"Of course, my Lord, it is a pleasure for us to trade at the rates you mentioned. How much of a purchase are you considering today?" The merchant, who received an offer two units above the normal rates, understood that the Chief had left some room for him. Although the rates remained far below previous years, the tribe still represented good value commercially.
Nafız stood up and tossed a small bag in front of the merchant. "There are 20 semi-conscious monster essence here; you can unload the wagons in front of the tent." Unlike the former agreement, there was no wiggle room for the merchant this time. If the transaction was completed this way, he would have traveled all this distance for nothing.
Alyon, understanding the dilemma the merchant was facing, ended his silence. "Friend, today we will ask you to procure some materials and information for us." Alyon, finishing his statement, handed a piece of leather with the long list written on it to the merchant's assistant.
Dimitri, reading the list, couldn't conceal his astonishment. Where could these two orcs have learned about the items and plants written on the list? How could they have gained so much knowledge about other civilizations while living in this remote corner of the world? A part of the list Alyon handed over consisted of various plants, combat technique books, and special materials. The remaining part requested information about the secret aspects and current status of six civilizations, knowledge of which very few people possessed.
"My Lord, I can procure the entire list within a month, except for the information about the mercenaries' Golden City. Begging your pardon, how will you pay for this list?" Dimitri, looking at the requested products, calculated that even half a wagon of monster essence would be insufficient. Nafız, opening the lid of the chest standing beside her, called out to the merchant:
"Would you like to come and check for yourself?" Dimitri, standing up and advancing toward the chest with nervous steps, could not control his excitement when he saw what was inside.
"Are those... his horns?"