The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - LLD Chapter 32: Predator Merchant Group (2) (Part 2)

No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t bring himself to accept it.

So there was no way he could sit idly by.

“Causing a ruckus in my own backyard?”

Adelon had been active in Frecce for decades. He was not only the head of a merchant group, but also an executive in the merchant guild.

And in Frecce, the merchant guild held immense power.

A fledgling merchant group could be crushed at any time.

Until now, he had merely been observing.

But—

“I can’t let this go on.”

Adelon made up his mind.

And just as he stood from his seat—

Ding-ling!

The store’s doorbell rang as a customer entered.

“…Welcome.”

Suppressing his irritation, he greeted the customer.

Judging by their attire, they were quite wealthy.

No… they were a noble.

Adelon hurriedly straightened his clothes.
Just moments ago, he had been muttering about how annoying things were, but nobles were part of the privileged class that ruled the kingdom.
In other words, they were money.
Even a merchant operating in a Free City couldn’t afford to offend them.

Adelon put on a servile smile. And soon, he saw what the noble was holding in his hand.

‘That’s…’

Meat sold by the Predator Merchant Group.
Just as Adelon’s mood began to sour again—
“It was recommended to me by the Predator Merchant Group.”

An unexpected statement came out of the noble’s mouth?

In Frecce, a Free City, there were no absolute rulers like Lords or Monarchs.

One might think that living as a free citizen was better than living as a subject of a lord.
But in reality, that wasn’t the case at all.

Wasn’t there a saying about a mountain range without ogres being ruled by trolls?

With no absolute authority in the city, a handful of wealthy merchants effectively acted like lords.

In the end, the Merchant Guilds wielded power no different from that of actual lords.

There might be no formal ranks, but social classes very much existed.
In that sense, in Free Cities—and especially in Frecce—the power of the Merchant Guilds was absolute.

Of course, I knew that fact very well.

In my previous life, I had experience not only in special operations but also in intelligence activities like gathering, writing, and disseminating information.

I knew the ins and outs of Free Cities and had predicted that the Merchant Guilds would exert territorial influence to an extreme degree.

Even so, I chose to come to Frecce instead of the Battenberg Kingdom.
Because I already had a plan to win over and appease the Merchant Guilds.

Wine, cheese, and fruit to pair with the meat.
Butter, salt, and pepper to enhance the flavor.
Even various cooking tools needed for food preparation.

I instructed the merchants to naturally recommend these to customers, while subtly directing them to the merchant groups that sold those items.

And my merchants carried out those instructions swiftly.

“If you pair the Demexus hind leg with Venecian wine, tonight will be the best dinner of your life.”
“Ha ha, you’ve got quite the silver tongue. But Venecian wine, you say…?”
“If you head over to the Adelon Merchant Group at the central plaza, you’ll find it there.”
“Is that so? Thank you so much!”

“Excuse me, could you recommend something for me too?”
“Ah! For Alacron belly steak, nothing pairs better than Refrecan cheese. I guarantee it’ll be the best flavor you’ve ever experienced.”
“Cheese steak! Now that’s a great idea!”
“You can find Refrecan cheese at the Larac Merchant Group on the outskirts of Frecce.”
“Oh ho ho! Thank you so much!”

They weren’t just quick—they were flawless.

‘They’re doing great.’

It seemed Serapia had sent over some truly capable people.

The reason for going this far was simple:
In Frecce, you couldn’t afford to ignore the Merchant Guilds.

They were a powerful force with enough capital to dominate not only Frecce but all of the Free Cities.
To make the Predator Merchant Group the best in the continent, they were too dangerous to become enemies.

But if I could make them allies?

They wouldn’t be a hindrance—they’d become an unparalleled source of power.

Even if someone tried to stir up controversy over monster meat, they’d be the first to defend the Predator Merchant Group.

In a Free City without absolute authority like lords or monarchs—

Here, public opinion was power.

If I turned them into allies, I’d have an overwhelming advantage when it came to shaping public opinion.

And it wasn’t like I was taking any losses while doing so.
Just by naturally promoting them, they’d begin to see me as a business partner—or something even more.

‘For now, I’ll make sure to seize the merchants of the Free City.’

That alone would be no different from planting informants everywhere.
Then I’d slowly expand that influence across the continent.

Though it starts small, it will grow to be grand.

Just like the Territory quest says—I have to proceed step by step.

Though truth be told—

“Adrian-nim! We just got a bulk order—40 servings!”

—this beginning wasn’t small at all.

A noble claiming to have received a recommendation from the Predator Merchant Group.

“Pardon…? You received a recommendation?”
“Hmm? Ah, yes. The Predator Merchant Group recommended the wine here.”
“Huh…? The Predator Merchant Group recommended our wine?”
“That’s right. They said that pairing it with Venecian wine would make for the happiest dinner in the world.”

Adelon tilted his head in confusion.
He didn’t quite understand what was going on, but…

“Can you recommend a wine to go with the meat? I want tonight to be a perfect evening.”
“For the best evening… this one is ideal.”

Adelon pulled out a wine bottle from deep in the cupboard.

“This one’s made by fermenting high-quality Venecian grapes without removing the skins, giving it a rich and deep flavor. Perfect for a memorable evening.”

Its price? A whopping 1,210 gold.
Enough to cover a middle-class family’s living expenses for half a year.

“Hmm… a bit pricey.”

Even a noble would hesitate at that price.
It was clear he was torn—but not for long.

“Well, the Predator Merchant Group recommended it, so it must be worth it. If it’ll give me the perfect evening, then so be it! I’ll buy it.”

The noble bought the wine without a second thought.
And this was without hours of pandering or flattery.

“Hahaha! I’ll be back next time!”

The noble left with a laugh.
And just moments later—

Ding-ling.

The shop door opened again, and another customer entered.

“I came on recommendation from the Predator Merchant Group.”

And again.
Another customer sent by the Predator Merchant Group.
And the next one. And the next.
It kept happening.

Every customer who bought monster meat from the Predator Merchant Group made a stop at Adelon’s shop.

“I heard your wine goes great with their meat…”
“I came from the Predator Merchant Group too…”

As a result, Adelon’s shop was constantly full.
Sales skyrocketed exponentially.
He continued to break the shop’s all-time sales records day after day.

At this rate, sitting on a mountain of gold was only a matter of time.

Before long—

“Come on in! We’ve got plenty of Venecian wine that goes perfectly with Predator Merchant Group’s monster meat!”

In Adelon’s heart, the Predator Merchant Group had changed from competitor to partner—and even benefactor.

Once the Merchant Guilds were on our side, there was no more opposition.
No one in Frecce dared speak against the Predator Merchant Group anymore.

As a result—

“No way…!”
“We’re completely sold out…!!”

In less than five days, every bit of hunted meat had been sold.

And once again, the result—

◆ You have completed the Territory Quest [Though It Begins Small, Its End Shall Be Grand!] ◆

The completion message filled my vision.

◆ You have earned 48,200 Quest EXP!
◆ You have leveled up!
◆ You have leveled up! ◆

Enough experience to level up twice at once.
Quest EXP was far superior to what I gained from hunting monsters.

‘No bonus reward, huh.’

I had hoped for one, but it seems rewards aren’t just handed out freely.

Still, the most important reward this time wasn’t experience.

◆「Management Mode」has been unlocked as a reward!◆

Translatin_Otaku

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