Chapter 64: Zoan the Commoner
Sharka’s victory report arrived, and Ortenatris was swept up in unprecedented enthusiasm.
After that, when plans for the “Bangwall Fortress City-ification” began to be whispered about, Zoan became convinced that this was fate.
As a merchant, one must react swiftly to business opportunities.
With that in mind, Zoan eagerly rushed to Bangwall Fort.
Bangwall Market.
The place, created within the fort, was currently packed with people.
Those doing business, those buying, all had smiles on their faces.
Even if another noble had occupied Bangwall, such vitality probably wouldn’t have been born.
–Bangwall is Sharka’s territory.
Everyone has that awareness somewhere, which is why they came to Bangwall with expectations and hope.
Nobles are terrifying, but Sharka is somehow different from other nobles.
Perhaps he will make Bangwall a safe haven.
Those here, including Zoan, had a particularly strong shared understanding of that.
“Hey, are you the face of this market?”
A large man with a purple turban wrapped around his head spoke to Zoan.
The escorting adventurer was about to reach for the sword at his waist in警戒, but Zoan stopped him with a hand.
“I didn’t intend to call myself such a title…”
“Everyone here was saying that, though?”
“…Tch, those guys just pushed it on me.”
Perhaps there was also some jealousy towards Zoan, who was making a profit.
By making him the face of the market, they could put all the responsibility on Zoan if something happened.
Zoan clicked his tongue at the shrewd merchants.
“Gahaha, that’s rough… By the way, can I ask you a favor?”
“What is it?”
“…Hey, can you give me some water? I walked all the way here and my throat is parched.”
So saying, the man relaxed his body and stuck out his tongue.
The man’s appearance was not flattering.
His whole body was covered in dust, so it was probably true that he had walked.
Many of those who come to Bangwall Fort have sniffed out business opportunities, but the purpose of this man, who came with nothing, was not clear.
However, Zoan didn’t want him collapsing in front of him, so he decided to hand him a leather bag filled with water for the time being.
“Buhhaaa~ I’m alive! You’re a lifesaver, thanks!”
“No, don’t worry about it.”
“Hey, did you come from the slums too?”
“Yeah.”
Asked by the man, Zoan nodded.
The slums are a nest of illegal residents on the outskirts of Ortenatris.
Zoan came to Ortenos, which had come to be called the land of blessing, about five years ago to escape the war, and began living in the slums.
“I figured, people with citizenship usually don’t come here. Well, I don’t have citizenship either.”
Zoan knew that the man was in a similar situation to himself, and felt a little closer to him.
The man probably came to Bangwall to obtain citizenship as well.
“I’m Zoan. What’s your name?”
“I’m Drow, nice to meet you, Zoan.”
“Yeah, nice to meet you too.”
Zoan shook hands with Drow.
Bangwall is not exactly a safe place, so it is important to communicate like this.
“Is it profitable here?”
“Yeah, the Ortenos soldiers pay well.”
Zoan was once a humble peddler who could barely feed his wife and daughter.
He became able to earn money after he learned about the existence of “Seedless Cotton,” which suddenly began to circulate in Ortenatris one day.
“Hey, don’t tell me that’s Ortenos Cotton?”
“Yeah, it is.”
Drow was surprised to see the processed Ortenos Cotton products that Zoan was displaying.
The reason Zoan is able to do business here now is because he decided to handle Seedless Cotton earlier than anyone else.
“I’m surprised you decided to handle it, Ortenos Cotton is a product with a story, right? Aren’t you afraid of being targeted by the Court of Justice?”
“Of course, I was afraid to handle it, but thanks to that, I was able to get dozens of steps ahead of other merchants.”
The Seedless Cotton is produced by a group that once had a conflict with the Court of Justice.
Other merchants were too scared of the Court of Justice to get involved, but thanks to that, Zoan was able to gain the benefits of being a pioneer.
There were plenty of people in the slums, so Zoan hired seamstresses, mainly women, and when he started making cotton products, Zoan’s business was a great success.
Seeing Zoan’s success, other merchants followed suit, and Ortenos Cotton quickly spread, mainly in the slums.
“Looks like you’re making a lot of money.”
“Well, Ortenos Cotton is still in short supply. That’s how much it sells.”
Seedless Cotton is a revolutionary material that is easy to process because it has no seeds, has excellent water absorption, moisture retention, and breathability, and is also soft to the touch.
It is many times better in quality than regular cotton, inexpensive, and can be supplied stably.
It goes without saying that other textile industries quickly declined in the face of this dream material.
Now, it has become an indispensable daily necessity.
The only strange thing is how it is reproduced without seeds.
There seems to be no end to the number of people who try to steal the whole plant in an attempt to discover the secret of Seedless Cotton, but even if they steal it, they cannot propagate it.
“Isn’t it dangerous?”
Drow is probably worried about being robbed.
Since he handles the luxury item Ortenos Cotton, Zoan was naturally paying attention.
“It’s okay, I’ve asked an adventurer to be my bodyguard.”
Zoan said, shifting his gaze to the man behind him.
This was also a warning to Drow not to get any strange ideas.
“I see. But, it’s not enough to just be careful of robbers. There are already some dangerous guys mixed in with the crowd in Bangwall right now.”
“…Dangerous guys? How do you know that?”
“Gahaha, actually, I’m an informant. You gave me water, so of course I’ll give you the information for free.”
Drow called himself an informant.
He looks rough, but is he surprisingly wise?