The merchant, Lee Sanghyup, had come to our guild. He was the one who’d previously provided me with valuable information. Thanks to him, we were able to set up direct dealings with his guild.
Back then, I’d simply brushed it off as him overhearing something by chance in the underground sewer network. But now, I realized there was more to how he gathered that information.
**[Ingredient Detection (Enhanced)]**
**[Lee Sanghyup]**
**[Lowest-Rank Merchant Lv.9]**
**[Traits]**
**[Basic Information Acquisition Mastery]**
‘Information Acquisition Mastery, huh?’
None of our soldiers had a trait like that. It must be unique to merchants. Our own forces relied on abilities like Jung Sua’s **[Spirit Eye]** and Taejun’s **[Astrology]** to gather information about the area, though we were focused mainly on threats within Chuncheon itself. Information on other regions was hard to come by.
According to this merchant, though, a large human faction was situated to the north. And that city? Yanggu.
‘The Greenmane Tribe’s territory lies in Cheorwon and Hwacheon, covering the northwestern edges of Gangwon Province. If what Ariella said about the Black Wall is true, then escaping Gangwon Province is impossible for them. Which means...’
If we could establish a defensive line from our base in Chuncheon down to their position in Yanggu, we could trap the monsters in a pincer and leave them nowhere to run.
“Let’s join your trade expedition,” I said.
“Uh, Lieutenant Kim? Who is this...?”
Lieutenant Kim looked a bit thrown by my sudden intrusion, but he was seasoned enough to keep up appearances.
“This is Sergeant Shin Youngjun, one of our senior-most soldiers,” he explained.
“...!”
“Still, Youngjun, a bit of a heads-up next time would be appreciated.”
“Apologies, Lieutenant Kim. But I thought it was important.”
It was known that we only had one officer in our unit, so naturally, Lieutenant Kim was considered our de facto commander. By stepping in, I had to act as if I was deferring to him.
“Joining the trade route could allow us to gather valuable information on other areas,” I reasoned. “It would also help sustain both sides, improving our survival odds.”
“Hmm...”
“Besides, we can’t stay in this area indefinitely.”
Lieutenant Kim closed his eyes, pondering my words, then finally nodded.
“You’re right.”
Of course, that was a bit of a bluff. In reality, our goal was to connect with a potential ally in the north, leveraging this merchant as a bridge. But playing along with the formality for now would make things easier.
Lieutenant Kim turned to the merchant. “Mr. Sanghyup, was it?”
“Yes!”
“While your proposal is intriguing, I must admit I have reservations. Defending Chuncheon and the areas around Inje is already straining our resources.”
“T-that ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) may be so, but...”
“Sending soldiers on a risky expedition outside our territory is a tall order. I don’t want to place them in a dangerous, unverified situation,” he continued.
“However!”
“But Youngjun’s input has given me a new perspective,” Kim said after a sip of coffee.
“Our 12th Legion was originally tasked with defending all of Gangwon Province, not just Chuncheon. Even though we lost contact with other units, and it’s hard to defend just this city with our limited numbers... our role hasn’t changed. We need to know what’s happening in other cities.”
“Does this mean...”
“We’ll support your trade expedition.”
“Thank you!” Sanghyup bowed deeply, not expecting such an easy acceptance.
“We’ll support it, but...”
Lieutenant Kim interrupted Sanghyup’s gratitude.
“Yes? Is there something you’re curious about...?”
“What exactly do you plan to trade?”
This city had been flooded not long ago, so most goods were rendered unusable. It seemed unlikely that there was anything here worth trading.
“Heh, I didn’t expect you soldiers to ask that,” Sanghyup replied, smiling as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.
“Combat rations, of course.”
“Oh...”
Right. I hadn’t thought of that. Combat rations were so common here in our base that I’d forgotten they were a precious commodity elsewhere.
“Food is scarce in this world now, as you know. Even if you manage to grow some, it takes time, and monster meat isn’t exactly edible... Plus, winter is coming.”
“Winter...”
Lieutenant Kim’s expression grew serious. Winter would impose harsh restrictions on everyone, especially now that modern technology was no longer available. Even the awakened would face limitations, and for the average person, surviving the winter would require urgent preparation.
“Come winter, many people will die,” Kim said.
“Most likely from starvation, yes.”
“Exactly. To survive, people need preserved food, and long-lasting food is hard to come by. Combat rations, on the other hand, not only provide buffs but taste good.”
Their value would soar.
“While combat rations are also valued here, they’re relatively more common because the supply line is nearby.”
“The more we produce, the less valuable they become here.”
I coughed, and both Kim and Sanghyup looked at me.
“Uh, Sergeant Youngjun, is something bothering you?”
“Oh, no, don’t mind me. Go on with your discussion.”
Hearing that the value of my cooking was declining left me feeling a bit... conflicted.
“Anyway! While they’re valuable here, combat rations are far rarer in other places,” Sanghyup explained.
“Hmm.”
“We can take combat rations to other areas to trade for valuable goods, then bring those goods back here to exchange for more rations, and repeat the cycle. Over time...”
“Over time?”
“It’s like... well, it’s like replicating wealth.”
Although our main goal was to contact potential allies, it certainly wouldn’t hurt if we could also make a profit.
“So, what do you want from us, exactly?”
“Well, while I’m skilled in trade, I’m defenseless if I run into even a single zombie. So... I was hoping for a security detail.”
“Ah, and you’d like us to invest some rations as well?” Kim guessed.
“If you could provide some rations, it would be immensely helpful. I was planning to use my previous earnings, but having more stock would only improve our results.”
Investment, huh? We had a surplus of combat rations, so providing some wouldn’t be a problem. The only question was how efficient this investment would be.
“If you can provide security and rations... I’ll not only return the rations but also give you 10% of the profits from the trade.”
“10%?”
That felt low. But before I could voice my concern, Sanghyup quickly continued, explaining the advantages.
“Trust me, it’s a good deal. You’d be earning passive income just by sitting back. And as soldiers, surely you know there’s no such thing as too much, especially when winter is coming.”
As Sanghyup kept talking, it started sounding like a good deal. Maybe even beneficial. But something didn’t sit right.
"Hmm. That sounds almost too generous."
“Yes, yes, precisely! And so on and so forth...” Sanghyup nodded enthusiastically.
"Well, let’s negotiate that rate a bit," I interjected, cutting him off.
“Ah, Sergeant Shin, do you have any questions?”
“Let’s make it 30%.”
“...What?”
Sanghyup’s smile faltered.
“Our cut. Let’s make it 30%.”
“...What? That’s outrageous! 10% was already a huge concession to ensure a good relationship with you. But triple that? I’ll lose money!”
“40%.”
“If we agree to that, I’d barely make any profit!”
“50%.”
“Lieutenant Kim! Can’t you say something here?”
Lieutenant Kim looked at me uncertainly. I knew what he was thinking.
‘Even 10% seemed like a generous offer. Won’t pushing too hard ruin the deal?’
‘You’re the one who wanted to join this trade expedition, so why push this so suddenly?’
It was obvious he didn’t understand my reasoning, but I stared back at him with an expression that left no room for argument.
‘If you want dinner tonight, follow my lead.’
That did the trick.
“Ahem. I’m not well-versed in the finer points of negotiation,” Kim said diplomatically. “I’ll leave it to Sergeant Shin here.”
“...But...”
Seeing that Lieutenant Kim had sided with me, Sanghyup looked like his world was collapsing.
“This is ridiculous. Surely you soldiers don’t trade often, but pushing the terms this far benefits no one—”
“60—”
“Alright, alright!” Sanghyup threw his hands up, hastily covering my mouth before I could continue. “Let’s settle at 50%, alright?”
Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he nodded, resigned.
‘So, 50% was the real target,’ I thought.
The more he’d talked, the more I’d thought 10% was overly generous. It wasn’t until I’d examined his **[Traits]** that I realized the truth.
**[Ingredient Detection (Enhanced)]**
**[Lee Sanghyup]**
**[Traits]**
**[Basic Trust Enhancement]**
**[Basic Persuasion Mastery]**
**[Skills]**
**[Price Manipulation]**
**[Mark-Up Trickery]**
These traits and skills allowed him to make the worst deals sound attractive.
‘Think you can pull one over on me?’
Normally, one can’t see another person’s status, but with my **[Ingredient Detection (Enhanced)]**, I could see people as potential “ingredients.”
Had I not caught onto him, we’d have been cheated. 50% was likely the fair share; anything above that would have truly been a loss for him.
“Pleasure doing business with you,” I said.
“Yes, a... pleasure,” he replied, though his forced smile told me how he really felt.
Tricks or not, a deal’s a deal. As long as he didn’t try to pull anything else, I was willing to overlook it.
