Aldo looked around and lowered his voice.
“Sir, this is not a place to talk.”
He gestured for Rex to follow him.
The two of them walked one after the other into Aldo’s tent.
The tent was twice the size of Rex’s, with a rug spread on the ground and a folding table in the middle, covered with maps and cargo manifests.
A Magic Light hung from the tent’s peak, casting a soft, warm glow.
Rex sat down and spoke directly.
“It seems your cargo isn’t exactly clean.”
Aldo didn’t refute it.
Instead, he walked to the tent entrance to confirm the flap was tightly closed before turning back.
“You have a good eye, sir.”
He sat down, his voice dropping very low.
“The cargo on the wagons is actually two batches. I told my people it’s just a batch of ordinary gemstone ore, recorded openly, not afraid of any inspection. But the other part…”
He paused.
“…is Frost Silver ore.”
Rex’s fingers tapped lightly on his knee.
Frost Silver ore.
A name he was all too familiar with.
This was a rare mineral that could only be mined in frigid regions.
Its texture was as light as a feather, yet its hardness approached that of refined steel, and its magic conductivity was even better than mithril.
It was a core material for crafting high-grade magic weapons and armor.
The Empire’s forges imported this stuff from the Northern Federation every year.
But the problem was…
“Both nations have explicit regulations,” Rex said.
“Frost Silver ore is a nationally controlled military resource. Private trade is prohibited. Violators are treated as traitors.”
“This isn’t smuggling!”
Aldo quickly waved his hands, sweat beading on his forehead.
“Please don’t misunderstand, sir. Our Merchant Guild has a special military franchise permit. It’s legitimate business. This batch of ore is to be transported to the guild headquarters in Rimewind City, processed, and then sold to the Federation’s military. The paperwork is complete. It can withstand any inspection.”
“Then why all the secrecy?”
“Because too many people covet this stuff.”
Aldo sighed.
“The price of Frost Silver ore on the black market now is more than five times the official price. Five times, sir! That’s enough to make many people take desperate risks. And…”
He hesitated, seeming to weigh his words.
“And recently, someone has been buying it up in large quantities. Our guild currently has no idea who it is. That person’s offers are very high. Moreover, several other shipments from our guild have already been hijacked elsewhere. Not a trace of the men or the goods was left.”
Rex leaned back in his chair, turning this over in his mind.
Not a conspiracy.
Business.
A legitimate business that had caught the black market’s eye.
That made sense.
Aldo wasn’t a smuggler, just an unlucky legitimate merchant whose cargo was too valuable and had attracted attention.
“Alright.”
Rex’s tone sounded disinterested in the Frost Silver ore itself.
“How much extra are you willing to add to the original payment?”
Aldo’s eyes lit up, and he leaned forward slightly.
“Since you put it that way, sir, I’m willing to triple the original payment. How about it?”
“Acceptable.”
Rex stood up. “As for what comes after, we’ll discuss it when we reach Rimewind City.”
Aldo visibly relaxed, standing up and bowing respectfully. “Thank you, sir.”
Rex gave a dismissive wave and pushed the flap open to leave.
Outside the tent, the campfire was burning brightly again. The mercenaries sat around it, but the earlier lax atmosphere was gone.
Rex ignored their gazes and walked straight back to his own tent.
“My Lord.” Hilda stood up, her gaze sweeping over him and finally settling on his sleeve. “You have blood on you.”
Rex looked down. There were indeed a few drops on his cuff, probably splashed on when he subdued the bald man earlier.
“It’s not mine.” He casually brushed at it and lay down in his sleeping bag.
Hilda crouched down and pulled the blanket up over his shoulders. “Why are you helping them?”
Rex opened one eye to look at her. “I’m not helping him.” Rex closed his eye again. “It’s because we are currently too poor in the North.”
“Poor?”
“You probably don’t understand what ‘poor’ means. It’s roughly that we currently have no people, no money, no resources. We even have to buy a horse.” His voice carried a hint of helplessness. “We need money, supplies, connections. The Granchester Merchant Guild is spread across the entire continent. Building a good relationship with them is a decent starting point.”
Hilda listened quietly without interrupting.
Rex continued. “And that Aldo, while full of calculation, isn’t a bad person. Dealing with someone like that isn’t a loss. By helping him this time, I’m just going with the flow and doing him a favor.”
“My Lord thinks far ahead.”
Rex chuckled. “If I don’t think ahead, how am I supposed to provide for you?”
The tent suddenly fell quiet. Rex didn’t open his eyes, so he didn’t see Hilda’s expression at that moment. An extremely faint blush appeared on her face, spreading from the roots of her ears to her cheeks, almost invisible in the warm light of the Magic Light.
She quickly suppressed that color, like tucking something important into her deepest pocket. Hilda didn’t speak. She just silently lay down beside him. Her long hair spread out on the blanket. She turned her head to look at Rex’s profile, then buried her face in her arm. Rex turned on his side and casually pulled her closer. Hilda went along with it, resting her head against his chest, her breathing light and slow.
“My Lord.”
“Hmm?”
“…It’s nothing.”
Her fingers rested on his sleeve, giving it a light squeeze.
Rex didn’t press further. He just tightened his arm slightly and rested his chin lightly on the top of her head.
Their breathing gradually synchronized, and they soon fell into a deep sleep.