Fisher, the elf Pleti, and the lion-man David were utterly speechless as the numbers rolled off Logan' tongue.
"Fifty-two thousand pounds..."
"Yes, that's correct!" Logan confirmed with a knowing smile and a nod.
He went on to elaborate, "We have 160,000 kg of rice liquor, 190,000 Kg of rye liquor, and 170,000 Kg of white rye liquor."
The Canyon City Brewery specialized in crafting rice and white wheat liquors, while the Tribal Brewery focused on rye liquor with a smaller output of white wheat liquor. This staggering production had been in full swing, thanks to the tribe's abundant rye harvest. Logan had advocated for the entire harvest to be used for brewing, suggesting that they purchase white wheat for food instead.
As for wine made from sweet potatoes and potatoes, production had yet to be scaled up, which is why it didn't make the current transaction list.
Once Logan finished revealing the quantities of each type of liquor, the three companions shared a glance. Smiles spread across their faces, the weight of their good fortune finally sinking in.
No one looked more thrilled than Pleti. His mind whirled with numbers: 520,000 kilograms of liquor. That was over three million gold coins' worth. And with a 50% profit margin, they'd be making at least one million gold coins. After sharing a cut with the Wind Walker Chamber of Commerce, Pleti could expect 500,000 gold coins landing in his pocket.
Five hundred thousand gold coins.
With that amount, he could finally secure the influence and power he had long desired. The last time Logan saved him, it had been a close call; someone had tried to eliminate him. He was lucky to escape and make his way back to Canyon City, thanks to Logan' intervention.
That incident taught him a valuable lesson: power was the only true security. He couldn't trust the Chamber of Commerce, nor even his own family. The Elf King's family was full of hidden strife. Although there were rules forbidding outright assassinations, as long as someone was dead, no amount of rules could bring them back.
And now, liquor promised to bring him even more gold in the future.
This was exactly why Pleti had manipulated his second grandfather into coming along. Although his second grandfather no longer wielded direct power within the family, he was a formidable warrior, just shy of reaching the epic fifteenth level. His presence alone was enough to ensure that no one in the family dared to dismiss Pleti's growing influence.
Fisher and David were doing their own mental calculations, too. Their expressions morphed from stunned to gleeful as they realized how much wealth they stood to gain from this venture.
Logan, however, remained calm and composed. He had foreseen this reaction long ago. After all, the gold hadn't yet made its way into their hands.
Once the three of them settled down, Logan broke the silence again. "As for the perfume, we've got 32,300 kilograms."
Pleti's confidence was unshakable as he continued, "With such a powerful escort, no other force would dare to act against us. And anyone bold enough to try wouldn't risk offending our Wind Walker family over a mere three or four million gold coins."
It wasn't arrogance that fueled Pleti's tone; it was the calm assurance that came from his position within the Elf King's family. Fisher and David could feel the weight of that truth.
Fisher, a student of the old elf, was floored by the revelation. He had always known his mentor was a legend, but the realization that his teacher was at the pinnacle of legendary power took him by surprise. A fifteenth-level legend was in a class of its own. An eleventh-level legend was still considered a legend, but the gulf between the two was monumental.
And to be on the verge of breaking through to an even higher realm; Fisher's heart swelled with pride. The more powerful his mentor, the more secure his own future.
David, the lion-man, was equally shaken. He cast a long, thoughtful glance at Pleti. The Elf King's court might have a handful of fifteenth-level legends, but they were few and far between. Yet here was Pleti, from just one of many Elf King families, commanding such formidable power. It reminded David how terrifyingly influential the elves truly were.
While David was curious about Pleti's family status, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. In the royal court, even as an important descendant, he had no access to a fifteenth-level legend. The best he could do was secure a few tenth-level powerhouses to join the Wind Walker United Mercenary Group and even then, that had required significant promises of favor to his royal court. But Pleti?
He commanded the loyalty of one of the most powerful beings in existence with apparent ease.
Logan, expertly masking his true thoughts, widened his eyes in feigned surprise. "A fifteenth-level legendary escort? Well, that certainly puts my mind at ease."
With that, the tension in the air dissipated. The critical matters settled, the four of them settled into lighter conversation, sharing stories of the past and catching up as though the weight of the monumental transaction hadn't just hung over them.
---
The next day, the caravan preparations began in earnest.
It wasn't long before the impressive sight of over a thousand kodo carriages came together. Pleti, Fisher, and David had pooled their resources to purchase additional kodo carriages, and by the end of the day, everything was ready.
On the third day, the goods were officially loaded. It took less than two hours to transfer 520,000 kilograms of liquor and more than 30,000 kilograms of perfume into the waiting carriages. The sheer scale of the operation was staggering. Each kodo-drawn carriage was loaded carefully, one by one, as the caravan began to take shape.
As the kodo carriages filed out of the city, their cargo secure, the Wind Walker United Mercenary Group took over operations, guiding the large convoy with precision. The sight of the caravan, laden with goods of such immense value, did not go unnoticed.
Canyon City was a hub of commerce, and a caravan of this size was impossible to hide. Merchants and powerful factions from all over the city had their eyes on the movement, intrigued by the colossal scale of the operation. The open base of the Wind Walker Chamber of Commerce served as a staging ground, further amplifying the spectacle.
The caravan, an extraordinary display of wealth and ambition, rolled forward, destined to draw attention from far more than just the merchants of Canyon City. The question was: would that attention bring opportunity or danger?