Chapter 501

Chapter 501 Night Chat by the Campfire

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The emerald wilderness echoed with the sound of bells, as carriages lined up and wound their way forward under the sky.

On the shields of the carriages and accompanying riders, prominent insignias could be seen—a profile of a woman with a serpent’s tail.

The woman seemed to have graceful curves, with the serpent’s tail curling upward. This was the emblem of the Lamia Chamber of Commerce.

The Lamia Chamber of Commerce mainly dealt with livestock, cashmere, fur, leather, and other industries. They were once one of the 26 guilds of Vergha, a well-known large chamber of commerce. When Lolan Hill was in Hope Lane, this chamber of commerce had gifted her a special winter dress.

Since the formation of the New Vergha Alliance, they also fell under its jurisdiction. It was unexpected that they would meet here on the grassland.

Lolan Hill sat in the carriage, looking at the distant carriages and recalling information about the Lamia Chamber of Commerce.

In the New Vergha Alliance, the Lamia Chamber of Commerce was a supporter of Clancia, as most of their raw materials came from the grasslands and northern Clancia. If the two countries became hostile, their business would be greatly affected, so their stance was firm.

As for the leader of the Lamia Chamber of Commerce, it seemed to be an elderly man. Lolan Hill recalled her past experiences in Hope Lane and wondered how the old man was doing now and who was leading this caravan.

Just as she was pondering by the window, a rider approached on horseback. This was one of the guards of the Lagatis caravan.

He stopped by the window and asked, “Young Lady, the leader of the caravan ahead wishes to see you.”

Speak of the devil, Lolan Hill replied, “Alright, let them wait a bit. Wait until the front lines set up camp.”

She looked up at the purple-red evening glow, realizing night was approaching.

—

That night, the carriages formed a circle, with a bright bonfire in the center. Everyone began to cook food. The Lamia Chamber of Commerce had around 300 people, mostly wearing armor made of leather and steel. Their accents suggested they were from the southern region, not from central Clancia.

At the center of the camp, by the bonfire, Lolan Hill walked over with a few others. Today, she wore her usual red dress, her golden hair cascading down her shoulders, slightly curled at the ends, giving her a playful and cute look.

The bright yellow flames

A fire roared over a meter high, shining brightly at night. Two people had already been standing by the fire waiting. They seemed to be siblings; the elder brother had slightly curly short hair, while the younger sister had wavy light green curly hair.

The elder brother wore sturdy leather armor with a deep green outer coat and a cloak trailing behind him. The younger sister’s dress was mainly deep green with dark red accents, exuding a classical conservative style.

“Hello, Miss Reyshia. I am Hollant from the Lamia Chamber of Commerce. This is my sister, Mei’er.”

“Hello, I am Lagertis from the Reyshia Chamber of Commerce. It’s nice to meet you both.”

Afterwards, Hollant invited Lolan Hill to sit down. They placed a round table not far from the fire, with several candle stands beside it.

“In the wilderness, conditions are simple. Please forgive us,” Hollant explained briefly before clapping his hands. An attendant nearby brought over a plate of freshly grilled meat slices, sprinkled with fragrant spices. Alongside it was lemon tea, making the food quite appetizing.

“I never expected to meet a trade caravan from the Southern Region so deep in the grasslands. This must be fate,” he said, explaining why he invited Lolan Hill and introducing his chamber of commerce.

Lolan Hill was already familiar with the Lamia Chamber of Commerce’s business operations, so she merely listened again.

“Our chamber of commerce mainly deals in confectionery, dried fruits, spices, and such. This trip to the grasslands is because we’ve never been here before and are curious about the possibility of opening new business opportunities,” Lolan Hill introduced herself after that.

When he mentioned confectionery, Mei’er looked up, curiously observing Lolan Hill before continuing to sip her juice quietly.

“Candy, how rare,” Hollant remarked, as sugar was considered a luxury item used by few.

After some conversation, they grew more familiar with each other. At this point, Lolan Hill learned that the Lamia Chamber of Commerce had undergone a generational change. The former head of the family had retired and was living by the seaside, while the current head was Hollant and Mei’er’s father. He planned to expand the business further.

“So, Father sent my sister and me to lead this expedition into these grasslands.”

“What are your thoughts on this?” Reyshia asked curiously.

“The grasslands have changed greatly since I last visited a few years ago,” Hollant sighed slightly.

“Previously, it wasn’t easy to purchase furs and leather.”

One was the scarcity and poor quality of goods, two was the numerous tribes that robbed on the road, and three was the high fees at Westwind checkpoints.”

“Now all of these no longer exist, making business much easier.”

“So it is.” Loran Hill nodded.

Seeing Loran Hill’s indifferent expression, Hortant thought that this girl might not understand the difficulties involved.

“Miss Reisia may not have been to the prairie and doesn’t quite understand the underlying situation.”

“In the past, pastures, food, and such were objects of contention on the prairie, often leading to conflicts. We merchants had to bring many guards just to ensure safety. Moreover, because of the need to frequently change grazing land to prevent it from becoming barren, they would often migrate. Sometimes I couldn’t find the tribes I had worked with last year, which was very energy-consuming.”

“Now, it seems everything has changed. It’s really strange.”

“How so?” Loran Hill tilted her head slightly, her face illuminated by the nearby bonfire, her smooth and beautiful features causing the eldest son of the Lamia merchant to momentarily lose his composure. After several seconds, he recovered and continued speaking.

“It’s suddenly much more peaceful, and people are also more amiable than before.”

“I understand.” Loran Hill obediently nodded.

Seeing the young lady’s reaction, Hortant wanted to continue explaining, but opened his mouth and then closed it again. Did she really understand? She didn’t seem to, but it was better not to continue. He needed to appear straightforward to give this girl a good impression.

Unbeknownst to himself, after seeing this girl, he suddenly started paying attention to his appearance and subconsciously changed many of his actions, like sitting more upright and having a softer expression.

Meyel, drinking juice beside them, occasionally glanced at Loran Hill and her brother. Unlike the somewhat slow Hortant, she had noticed her brother’s unusual behavior early on today.

After instantly realizing the reason, she couldn’t help but shake her head slightly. Her brother must have been captivated by Miss Reisia. But it could be understood; even as a girl herself, looking at this young lady, she felt a bit inferior.

This journey might bring about many changes. She placed her cup on the small round table, watching the reflected firelight in the rim, contemplating silently, then turned her gaze back to the golden-haired red-dress Young Lady who was speaking.

The cool night at the pasture, bonfires illuminating beauties.

(End of Chapter)