"Bich, give the order to bring the ship closer," Pasfield said to the burly Bich.
"Understood." Bich immediately began issuing commands, steering the Dori XVII slowly toward the Gulya Glacier.
Due to Nicolas earlier actions, the Vichy on the ice mountain were highly suspicious of this new ship. Even before Pasfield could speak, several spears were hurled toward them.
However, since Pasfield deliberately kept the ship's speed slow, the spears fell into the water before reaching them. Even so, he was startled.
Fortunately, after a few spears were thrown, an elderly Vichy stepped forward and stopped them, then called out in a loud voice to Pasfield. "Who are you? Are you also allies of those villains?"
Though old, the Vichy elder was broad-shouldered and robust, and his voice boomed across hundreds of meters of ice and water, clearly reaching Ur and the others.
Even more surprising, the elder spoke not in the Vichy tongue but in the Common Tongue of the continent.
The crew aboard Dori XVII exchanged surprised glances, then quickly recovered. Pasfield produced a magical "amplifier" and responded to the elder. "Don't misunderstand. We have no connection to those villains. We simply wish to make a trade with you."
"This place does not welcome outsiders. You'd better leave before we decide to drive you off." True to the reports Ur had received, the Vichy "sacred ground" admitted no one except pregnant Vichy women.
Just as the elder turned to leave, Pasfield quickly called out: "Wait! Don't you want to hear what we're offering? I've brought plenty of food…"
"Hm?" The elder paused, turning back to Pasfield. "How much food have you brought?"
"Hehe… plenty. Enough to sustain everyone here through the entire winter," Pasfield replied with a confident smile, radiating the air of a shrewd negotiator.
The elder fell silent. After a brief pause, he asked slowly, "And what do you wish to trade for?"
"The Azure Water!"
"Impossible!" The elder's face darkened with fury. "Sacred Water is the lifeblood of our people. We will never trade it. Choose another offer."
"Old man, don't be so quick to refuse! Sacred Water is indeed vital to you, but I'm not asking for all of it. Moreover, the northern seas' winter is coming soon. If your people cannot survive the season, then what good is all your Sacred Water?" Pasfield's tone was calm, yet his words struck deep, leaving the elder silent.
Admittedly, while Pasfield might lack in many areas, he excelled in business. A few well-placed words combined threat and incentive in perfect balance, piercing straight to the elder's heart.
Seeing the elder hesitate, Pasfield pressed further. "For this trade, I can even increase the profit for your people by thirty percent!"
"Very well, we accept your terms." Hearing this, the Vichy elder finally nodded, agreeing to the deal.
Under Ur's watchful eye, a messy, morally questionable trade was concluded.
Ur could hardly believe it.
"This… feels a little off. It seems almost too easy!" Ur was speechless, unsure what to say. Something about the script of this encounter felt strange.
Pasfield, having concluded the trade, visibly relaxed. Seeing Ur's expression, he approached and asked. "So, Ur, isn't this incredible?"
"A bit," Ur admitted honestly. "I never imagined the Vichy could be a trading people."
"Hehe, in this world, as long as there's something tangible, it can be traded. If it can't, it's only because you don't have enough leverage," Pasfield said.
"The Vichy have lived deep in the northern seas, almost completely isolated. Normally, they could sustain themselves through the ocean, but once winter arrives, they lose all access to food."
"Every year, many Vichy die of starvation during winter. That's why, when I learned the Azure Water was in their hands, I deliberately came during this season to seek them out."
As a businessman, Pasfield had developed a habit of researching trading partners before negotiations. It had become instinctive. Of course, the investigation had been somewhat shallow; few on the continent knew much about the Vichy. Thus, many details were initially unknown to Ur, like the existence of the Gulya Glacier sacred site.
Even so, this new information was not unwelcome to him.
"One more thing. You might not believe it, but long ago, the Vichy already used Sacred Water to trade with outsiders," Pasfield revealed, surprising Ur once again.
"Really? But isn't this their sacred ground?"
"Hehe… yes, it's sacred, but no one said Azure Water is the most important thing here. Otherwise, do you think I would have offered them a thirty percent bonus? These elder Vichy are clever. Don't be fooled by their angry act. They just want to raise the stakes. Long ago, the Vichy already established a kind of standard for trading with outsiders." Pasfield had learned of Vichy's business savvy later, acquiring the knowledge directly from them.
Ur was left both astonished and contemplative.
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