Chapter 2018 – The Sinful Trade
Jayad pretended to put collars on the two of them. The Harpies, already having lost the will to live, showed no reaction, but the Crystal Person touched her neck in confusion.
However, because her crystal face lacked expression, no one noticed her subtle surprise. Only we, who knew what was happening, deliberately observed their reactions and saw it.
As for Mari, she, being a contracted servant, did not need a collar. The contract restriction was sufficient. This was a small gesture of dignity for her.
Next, several wealthy merchants, whose intentions were unclear, invited Jayad to a banquet. The feast was extremely luxurious. While it did not have as many dishes as a noble’s banquet, they had more fun. They even called for many beautiful women to sing and dance.
Among these girls were beauties from various races: a cold and elegant Dark Elf, a petite and sturdy Dwarf loli, and a gentle Water Sprite. It was unexpected that they possessed so many beautiful women from various races, even having them perform strip dances.
At the banquet, the wealthy merchants behaved wildly, downing decades-old fine wines as if they were nothing. They smoked incense together, jumped down and danced intimately with the beauties, and held them, touching them all over.
Amidst this chaotic crowd, Older Brother Jayad seemed out of place due to his extreme propriety. To avoid standing out too much, Older Brother Jayad held me on his left and Weis on his right, accepting all toasts from others and even actively encouraging them to drink. His tolerance for alcohol must have been high.
Weis’s face was flushed, but she didn’t dare to move while held in Jayad’s embrace. She dared not say anything, just leaning stiffly against him with an expression of humiliation and grievance.
It couldn’t be helped. Bailing Ding and Lorna were mercenaries, now standing guard in leather armor. The Twin Nuns were disguised as maids, pouring wine for us. The only ones suitable for cuddling were pets.
Then, there was Margaret, a mother with a daughter. Although she had never been formally married, at best she was Duke Black Forest’s lover, and even now they were divorced. However, for Jayad to hold her would have been inappropriate, and Weis would have exploded. Thus, Weis could only endure her own grievance.
“Brother Everson, you don’t seem to like playing with us? You’re not touching these beauties? And those perfumes you mentioned are all good stuff,” asked Peros, the building materials merchant. He had already started addressing Jayad as brother.
“Ah, I’m not used to it. I didn’t have such enjoyments in Africa before. I could only watch magical beasts bare their teeth. It will take some time to adapt here,” Older Brother Jayad said with a smile.
“Heh heh, that’s understandable. Actually, we envy you. Those magical beasts are worth a fortune, and ordinary people can’t afford to interact with them, let alone see them. Brother, you see them every day. And I heard that shamans from those Orc tribes burn some black leaves that can predict the future?” Francisco asked with a smile, while a girl below was performing oral sex on him.
“Predict the future? That’s all fake. Black Leaves can produce illusions, making you see the future you want to see. I happen to have some here. If you want to experience it, just try it,” Jayad actually took out a handful of black leaves.
“Hiss! You have this good stuff too? I heard it’s much more expensive than diamonds,” Calo exclaimed in surprise, looking at the handful of black leaves. This was a special spirit grass cultivated by the Orcs, which, when prepared by shamans with medicinal concoctions, soaked, and baked, was obtained. Outsiders rarely got it, and its production was scarce and its price extremely high.
“It’s alright. I used to do business with the Dragon Hammer Tribe, and these Black Leaves were one of the trade items. I still have some in stock. I can give some to you if you want,” Jayad began to show off.
In reality, these Black Leaves were not obtained from Africa at all. I found them yesterday in the warehouse of an Orc lair I discovered in an abandoned lighthouse. The quantity was not large, but it was enough for Jayad to show off.
“Tsk tsk, little brother, you’re quite a businessman. You can even do business with Orc tribes. This is something us folks can only dream of,” Calo marveled.
This was not just an act. Orcs were extremely xenophobic. Those who could do business with Orcs were people with extensive connections. Moreover, Orcs were volatile and untrustworthy; they could attack or rob people at any moment if displeased. To do business in Africa, one needed guaranteed combat power at the very least.
“I went through a lot of detours and faced many setbacks at the start. Fortunately, the tribe I traded with was a united one. I first traded with the more easily negotiated Porcupine People, gained their trust, and then they introduced me to other异族 (otherworldly beings). I invited all the 异族 to witness every transaction, so they wouldn’t default on their promises,” Jayad said.
“I see.” All the merchants nodded. What Jayad said could be considered the basic principle for dealing with 异族 on the African continent. They all found it normal.
Common 异族 on the African continent, such as Minotaurs, Porcupine People, Kobolds, Centaurs, Unicorns, Ogres, Trolls, etc., lived in tribes and were ruled by a Great Chief elected by the tribe.
To suppress corruption, these Great Chiefs sometimes nominally accepted enfeoffment from the colonial emperor, but they only listened to the decree without obeying orders, and would not directly accept commands unless benefits were discussed.
Many 异族 tribes also had Human residents as a cover, and even official trade posts and diplomatic agencies. Major countries supported various tribes, providing them with weapons and resources, mobilizing them to attack their enemies, and then exchanging their local products and slaves for cheap industrial goods and weapons.
“Hearing Brother Everson talk, it seems you’re an intermediary on the African side of the Triangle Trade. What good things do you get from trading with the tribes?” Calo asked.
The Triangle Trade in this world had not declined with the end of primitive accumulation but continued to operate, evolving into a more efficient form.
Simply put, each of the three legs had intermediaries stationed there long-term, handling local affairs. Ship merchants only needed to reach the port, and the local intermediaries would buy all the goods, then load new goods onto the ship and depart directly for the next stop.
Capitalists in Europe sold industrial goods and acquired agricultural products. Plantation owners in America acquired slaves and sold agricultural products. Slave owners in Africa acquired industrial goods and exchanged them for slaves and local products with tribes.
The identities of these intermediaries were not fixed. Some were involved in production, some just had wide networks and were well-connected, and some purely bought and sold. But their common characteristic was that they made the Triangle Trade faster and better. There were also such people on the route to Asia.
In their eyes, Jayad was one such person. The most crucial thing in doing business in Africa was having prestige and connections, being able to do business with those tribes. Although his main business was not as a slave merchant, digging pits still required slaves.
