Ch.70Chapter 70: Geruntia.

Lisa, seeing that sight, has an amused expression.

“The merchant uncle got fatter? Must be doing well? But why is he making such a fuss?”

“Hehe, he’s probably hoping to get some crumbs from us.”

There’s not a single person on the continent who doesn’t know that princes and princesses of various races have enrolled in the Academy.

For Lamrpo, it’s obvious that these young mixed-race individuals before him could bring great benefits to his trading company.

Yuria seems to like Lamrpo’s attitude as well.

“Kyahahaha, this uncle is funny. Uncle! I really love thorn-horned venison!”

Catching that quickly, Lamrpo shouts.

“Did you hear that?! Bring thorn-horned venison—no, bring a whole deer!”

Valt subtly approaches Lamrpo and whispers in his ear.

“That salamander blood you gave me before. If you have more, bring that too.”

“Of course! Let’s go inside first!!”

They enter the restaurant guided by Lamrpo.

As if preparations had been made in advance, the feast began to be set up in less than five minutes.

“Wow~ This is no joke!”

Delicacies that were rare even in the Duron Palace began to be laid out before Valt’s group.

Having departed early in the morning, Valt had planned to have breakfast at Lamrpo’s place, and he’s pleased with the even more generous treatment.

“Let’s eat. Your Highness Bladir, please help yourself.”

When Valt offers food to Bladir, King Bladir smiles and thanks Lamrpo.

“Thank you for your hospitality, Guild Master.”

Hearing the title “Your Highness,” Lamrpo jumps up from his seat in surprise.

“Y-Your Highness? I-I’m so sorry! I didn’t recognize you!”

King Bladir chuckles and waves his hand dismissively.

“No need, I feel bad when my gracious host speaks like that. Please, be at ease.”

Hearing this, Lamrpo responds by immediately placing salamander blood in front of King Bladir and Lilith.

“You’ll like this.”

A sloshing red liquid in a glass bottle. Despite being from a monster, King Bladir admires its beautiful color.

“Hmm, this is…”

Lilith skillfully opens the lid and quickly drinks the salamander blood before it solidifies.

Her eyes widen as she expresses her admiration.

“Oh, this is amazing! And this heat… it’s overflowing with vitality. Drinking it like this isn’t bad at all.”

Then she pours some salamander blood onto the plate in front of her.

The blood quickly begins to crystallize.

King Bladir also looks fascinated by the sight.

“Oh… what a rare spectacle.”

Like Lilith, King Bladir first drinks some of the liquid, then lets the blood crystallize before crunching on the crystals.

“…I never knew such blood existed…”

It’s incomparable to human blood.

King Bladir has tasted the blood of various monsters. But none had such a positive effect on vampires.

Lilith finds her father’s surprised face amusing.

“It’s incredible, isn’t it, Father? Though not as good as Gerungtu’s blood.”

King Bladir nods.

“Having tasted something even more amazing first, I’m less surprised than I might be, but this is still extraordinary.”

With this alone, vampires would no longer need to crave ordinary human blood.

Starting with the vampires, Lamrpo began bringing out prepared items and foods one by one.

For the fairy Lati, star cluster flower pollen; for Yuria, Mantracho fragrance oil—both southern specialties that Lamrpo had procured.

For Arias the elf, he served meat from the southern desert long-tongued salamander.

Lati, a fairy who uses pollen as a delicacy, was extremely pleased with the star cluster flower pollen. The Mantracho fragrance oil, which makes fur care easier, impressed Yuria by making her fur sleek.

Arias, who enjoys meat, had round eyes at the taste of the special salamander meat. Should one say it tastes like fire? Such creatures don’t exist in the Great Forest.

“This! Supply it to the Fairy Kingdom!”

“Me too! Supply this to the Beastkin Kingdom!”

“These ingredients… could you supply them to the Elf Kingdom?”

In an instant, Lamrpo’s plump face blooms with a smile as he secures the right to supply goods to three kingdoms.

Lamrpo ultimately bends his fat body, raises his fist, and pulls it down in a gesture expressing his joy at breaking into new markets.

“Hahaha! Understood, Princesses! I, Lamrpo, will definitely…!”

Watching from the side, Valt smirks and quietly says to Lamrpo.

“My share is 5 percent.”

At that moment, Lamrpo’s pupils shook, but no one noticed.

Arias, Lati, and Yuria defend Valt’s position.

“Right, without Valt, we couldn’t have sold these in our kingdoms. Intermediaries should always get their commission.”

Lamrpo answers with a bright smile.

“O-Of course! Absolutely! I was going to do that anyway!”

He really was going to. But Lamrpo was surprised that Valt named the exact amount he had in mind.

In fact, Valt had previously received 10 percent and was planning to cut it in half.

“Look, look here! I even prepared a contract for Sir Valt in advance, hahaha.”

Lamrpo was nothing if not thorough in his preparations.

Valt also entrusts Lamrpo with providing necessities for vampires.

Although it was something that had to be started from scratch, vampires possess the technology to create jewels called blood stones.

Until now, they were so rare that few entered the market, but now they agreed to produce as many as possible and provide them to Lamrpo.

If too many flooded the market, prices would fall, but Lamrpo could manage that well enough.

‘What a fortunate barbarian prince!!! I shall be loyal to him for life!!’

Lamrpo’s loyalty to Valt deepened even further.

***

Lamrpo and the group set out after making preparations.

“How do you plan to travel?”

In response to Valt’s question, Lamrpo waddles his plump body and says:

“We’ll use the teleport gate to Lester Castle. My trading company is heading to Gerungtia right now. I’ve instructed them to wait for us.”

“Oh, it seems goods are flowing quite actively.”

Lamrpo speaks with bright eyes and an energetic voice.

“Indeed! It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Gerungtia is currently the fastest developing place across the entire continent.”

It seems they finally named the capital Gerungtia.

Although it’s been just over two months, Valt is curious about how much the southern Gerungtu has developed.

“By the way, I’ve acquired the items Kwan wanted, and it seems the prince is bringing good news too. Kwan will be very pleased.”

Valt was curious about what Kwan wanted, but he didn’t ask right now.

“Alright, let’s depart then.”

Valt’s companions look very excited.

“Grrr!! To think I’d get to visit the holy land of muscles in my lifetime!! Aren’t you excited, Robin?!”

“Yes. I hope I can learn some physical training methods. Valt’s physical training is too advanced for me.”

The women are just as excited as the muscle duo.

“This is so exciting! Let’s go quickly, quickly!”

Lati grins and whispers to Arias.

“It’s a chance to make a good impression on Valt’s father! You know?!”

Arias is startled by Lati’s words and stammers.

“W-what are you saying?! W-why would I?”

“You might lose him to her.”

In the direction Lati gestures, the beautiful Lilith with her flowing black hair can be seen.

Frustratingly, Lilith’s beauty is not at all inferior to Arias’s.

Moreover, she is a stronger warrior than Arias and a magician, which Valt loves.

And she even made a contract with him…

Although Arias gave Valt the gift of a spirit, objectively speaking, she’s at a disadvantage.

‘It wouldn’t hurt to make a good impression…’

Arias had long forgotten that barbarians and elves traditionally don’t get along.

And so, with the help of Lamrpo’s trading company, Valt’s group heads toward Gerungtia, the capital of Gerungtu, which has evolved from a tribal name to a unified nation.

***

The journey was simple.

As if to demonstrate that money can solve almost anything, Lamrpo leads the way using a teleport gate to Lester Castle, where a trading company that was waiting in advance guides Valt’s group.

Valt pays close attention to the route, knowing he should learn the way to his own home.

But even that was easily solved with Valt’s abilities.

Valt’s spirit, Gnome, is an earth spirit. It was capable of finding its way back to places it had visited before.

The usually taciturn Gnome, upon entering the southern region, rarely communicated its emotions to Valt with an excited voice.

‘Good… place… Full of… earth’s fragrance… Feels… good.’

Feeling the unusually excited Gnome, Valt smiles, his mood improving as well.

Lamrpo showed his thoughtfulness by preparing black stallions, which the Gerungtu typically use.

The trading company, leading the horses, could take in the sight of Gerungtia at a glance—a vast plain where a massive city was just beginning to take shape.

Sure enough, Lisa is the first to shout.

“Wooow!! We’ve arrived!!”

Valt is finally approaching the moment when he will meet his father, Kwan Balrock of the Gerungtu, again.