From the Misty Bay Harbor Trade Alliance to the south, if taking the land route, even a mounted unit capable of short-distance flight would encounter impassable high mountains and dangerous swamps shrouded in mist.
Aside from the Mithril Trade Route and the Giant's Mountain Path, the two main roads leading south, other areas were largely undeveloped wilderness.
Therefore, the bulk trade between the Merchant Alliance and the southern kingdoms actually relied on maritime and inland river shipping. Massive multi-masted sailing ships, laden with heavy cargo, sailed along the coastline or entered the broad Silver Sand River. Their speed and carrying capacity were incomparable to land-based pack trains.
In just half a month, as the snow began to melt, the investigation team dispatched by the Golden Anchor Merchant House to the Doran Kingdom to probe the movements of Slime merchants had already returned, docking at the deep-water wharf of Misty Bay Harbor aboard the fastest ship, the Seagull.
They sealed the latest intelligence in a waterproof leather cylinder and sent it back to the merchant house headquarters at the first opportunity.
As the initiator and planner of this investigation, Adrian was both the first to keenly detect signs of Slime activity in the south and now the first to receive this report.
In the afternoon, Adrian broke the wax seal.
After reading the contents of the parchment word by word, his expression immediately fluctuated between cloudy and clear. He paced anxiously in his study for a moment before barging out of the room and hurriedly rushing down the stairs.
"Young master... what's the matter?"
An elderly servant polishing the brass ornaments on the stair railing was startled by his commotion and was about to bow respectfully, but only saw his master, usually known for his steadiness, sweep past him like a gust of wind.
"Brandon! Prepare the carriage! To the merchant house headquarters, quickly!" Adrian shouted towards the direction of the side courtyard stables as he rushed out of the mansion, not even having time to put on the coat hanging on the hall coat rack.
The coachman, Brandon, was an experienced old hand who had watched Adrian grow up.
This was the first time he had seen the young master so flustered and impatient. Not daring to delay in the slightest, he immediately led the strongest chestnut Northland horse from the stables, hitched it to a light four-wheeled carriage, and drove the carriage to the main driveway of the mansion at top speed.
Adrian practically pulled the carriage door open and climbed in the moment it stopped, ordering the coachman to hurry.
Brandon flicked the reins, and the carriage immediately left the manor. However, before Adrian could reach the merchant house, the carriage coincidentally encountered a fellow merchant from the merchant house who was also in a hurry at a crossroads.
The window of the opposite carriage was rolled down, revealing a familiar face to Adrian—Waugh North, the most prominent senior member of the Golden Anchor Merchant House in recent years, famous for dealing in high-quality Magical Dust and alchemical catalysts. His business network covered almost all major southern kingdoms, recognized within the merchant house as a representative of "new money."
But at this moment, this young merchant, usually known for his shrewd calmness and proper smile, wore an anxiety identical to Adrian's. Upon seeing him, he merely rolled down the window, reminded him that the Merchant Alliance was convening a meeting, and hurriedly departed.
"This matter has alarmed the Merchant Alliance, requiring an emergency meeting?"
He had originally thought it was just his family's gem trade being impacted, requiring internal coordination within the merchant house to respond.
But now it seemed the situation was far more serious than he had imagined.
He leaned back against the soft velvet seat of the carriage, his gaze unconsciously drifting to the window.
The sky was a rare azure blue, dotted with a few wisps of cotton-like white clouds. On both sides of the street, beneath the melting snow, wild grass had stubbornly poked out tender green shoots.
Under normal circumstances, Adrian might have appreciated this early spring vitality, even remembering the few precious early spring flowers in his family's greenhouse.
But at this moment, his mind was completely occupied by the contents of the report. The scenery before his eyes only filled him with an ominous unease.
He sat like a statue, letting the carriage carry him to the meeting hall that symbolized the highest commercial authority in Misty Bay Harbor.
When his carriage arrived at the square in front of the meeting hall, it was already filled with various luxurious carriages, their family crests and merchant house emblems dazzling.
Soldiers of the Xirik Guard, armed with halberds, stood guard at various entrances with solemn expressions. An unusually tense atmosphere filled the air.
Adrian hurriedly got out of the carriage, showed his councilor's badge to the steward at the entrance, and quickly walked into the grand portico of the meeting hall.
On the rows of tiered dark oak stepped seating, many people had already taken their seats. Not only were there councilors from the Golden Anchor Merchant House, but also many familiar faces from the other two major merchant houses.
The low, chaotic discussions of nobles and merchants echoed within the vast hall, buzzing like a swarm of startled bees, giving people a headache.
After he found the Valen family's seat and sat down, he soon pieced together another reason for the Merchant Alliance's urgent meeting from the quarrels filled with anger and anxiety.
Something major had happened in the north!
"The Haygrass Lake defense line has completely collapsed! Those bastards of the Restoration Army, taking advantage of the warm spring and melting snow making the roads passable, punched through in one go. Now they're heading straight for Ronnan City!" An obese old nobleman waved his arms agitatedly.
"Our family's three largest mithril mines in the outskirts of Ronnan City, and all the stored raw ore, are all there, all there!"
Another middle-aged merchant said with a grim expression, "Those southern nobles are simply a bunch of insatiable pigs. How many Gold Coins did we spend to help them rebuild their cavalry, arm their soldiers, and transport food and weapons?"
"And the result? This is how they repay the Merchant Alliance? They couldn't even hold out for one damn winter!"
"Good-for-nothings, all of them! We should have just thrown the Gold Coins into the sea to hear the splash!"
Listening to these words filled with panic and fury, Adrian's face turned even paler, because the Valen family also owned several gem mines in the south.
Now it was all over.
And what chilled his heart even more was that the force behind the "Restoration Army" mentioned by these councilors was precisely those Slimes.
He could no longer restrain himself. With a grave expression, he stood up, walked to the small speaker's podium next to the central rostrum, and forcefully rapped the small wooden gavel on the table, signaling for everyone to quiet down.
He held the report high. "Gentlemen, our investigation team sent to the Doran Kingdom has brought back the latest intelligence regarding the Slime Kingdom's activities in the south."
"According to feedback from our merchant partners in the capital of the Doran Kingdom, Slime caravans have indeed appeared in the southern kingdoms. And the route they are using... is not any land or sea route we are familiar with."
Meeting the puzzled gazes of the crowd, he revealed the truth. "They are using planar rifts for transit and travel."
The hall instantly erupted in an uproar.
"Planar rifts?!" A councilor wearing thick glasses instinctively retorted loudly. "Impossible! It's not the summer with fluctuating mana tides now. Where would so many stable rifts safe for caravans to pass through come from?"
"And frequently entering and exiting planar rifts, aren't they afraid of attracting certain terrifying existences from the interplanar gaps?"
Adrian took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "Councilor North, everyone, according to intelligence verified by our investigators from multiple channels and information revealed by some southern merchants who have had contact with Slime caravans, the Slime Kingdom seems... to have mastered some method of stably utilizing planar rifts."
"They depart from a city called Winterhold and arrive at a border trading post in the Doran Kingdom. The entire journey reportedly... takes only five days."
Five days?
This number struck like a heavy hammer, hitting the hearts of every merchant present. The hall instantly fell silent, leaving only the sound of heavy breathing.
No one understood the meaning represented by the concept of "five days" better than these nobles and merchants deeply versed in the ways of trade.
Even the fastest magical merchant ship from Misty Bay Harbor needed over half a month to reach the nearest southern port. Land-based pack trains took months.
The maritime and river shipping network painstakingly built by the Merchant Alliance over generations, in the face of planar rifts, only retained the single advantage of large carrying capacity.
It was foreseeable that the Slime Kingdom would possess an overwhelming competitive advantage in the trade of small, rare goods like magic scrolls and alchemical items. The merchant houses and small-to-medium merchants within the Merchant Alliance relying on this trade would be the first to be impacted.
What was more terrifying was that they had no idea how many hidden cards those Slimes still held.
All their previous assessments and judgments of the Slime Kingdom were wrong.
They had underestimated the enemy's intelligence and misjudged the situation.
Furthermore, that Restoration Army currently sweeping through the Southern Territory in the north was actually backed by the Slime Kingdom.
Once the resource-producing areas of the Southern Territory and the trade routes to the southern kingdoms fell into the hands of the Slime Kingdom, the Misty Bay Harbor Trade Alliance would be like a giant with its throat strangled, left to the mercy of these Magical Creatures.
Absurd! Utterly absurd!
A group of Slimes, regarded by them as lowly Magical Creatures only fit for wallowing in swamps, had unknowingly gained power sufficient to shake the Merchant Alliance.
The silence lasted for quite a while before being broken by a voice striving to remain rational. It was a middle-aged female merchant from the Deepwater Merchant House, mainly engaged in precious metal trade.
"Since we cannot compete with them in speed, perhaps we can consider cooperating with them?"
"If the Merchant Alliance's caravans could also conduct trade through the planar rift at Winterhold, it would greatly shorten the transaction cycle and reduce costs..."
Before she could finish, she was interrupted.
The one who stood up was an old nobleman wearing a splendid brocade robe. He was a representative of the traditional conservative faction, the Caldwell faction. His family business involved magic scroll trade and was among the most affected by Slime caravans.
"Madam, with all due respect, you can calmly propose cooperation. But for us to simply hand over family businesses operated for generations to those slimy monsters of unknown origin? Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
He turned to the entire hall, waving his fist. "I support the Merchant Alliance launching a full-scale war against the Slime Kingdom, uniting with those rebel forces in the White Horse Kingdom, gathering our mercenaries and fleets, and driving these greedy Magical Creatures back to their swamp lairs."
"Only by completely eliminating the threat can we protect our interests!"
"Yes! Declare war!"
"We cannot let those Slimes continue to harm the Merchant Alliance's interests."
"Defend the Merchant Alliance!"
Calls supporting the initiation of war immediately rose in chorus, especially from those new nobles and merchants whose interests were directly threatened. Their emotions ran high.
Adrian noticed that the traditional Caldwell faction and the Thoth faction, which secretly communicated with the Xirik Church, had been arguing in the last meeting. This time, they were surprisingly standing on a unified front.
On the point of "resisting the Slimes," they showed astonishing unanimity.
For the old nobles of the Caldwell faction, they might only worry about the Xirik Church's infiltration and influence over the Merchant Alliance, never truly believing those cultists hiding in the shadows could shake the entire Alliance.
But these Slimes were different.
They directly threatened the core interests of these old noble families.
Matters have priorities. In the face of a survival crisis where interests are being eroded, those Xirik Church cultists even became "potential allies" who could be temporarily utilized to face a common enemy.
At that moment, Thoth himself from the Thoth faction slowly stood up, naturally attracting the attention of the entire hall.
He walked to the central rostrum, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. His voice was not loud when he spoke, but it quickly quieted the noisy hall.
"Gentlemen, quarreling and panic won't solve the problem."
"There is one point I think we must all clearly recognize. That so-called Slime King is essentially no different from those Demons. He is a Demon King representing evil, Greed, and the desire for conquest and destruction!"
"And his evil Demon King's Army is occupying our lands, plundering our wealth, and threatening the future of our descendants!"
Thoth's voice suddenly rose, carrying a kind of fanaticism and incitement akin to a religious orator. "We must never indulge these Slimes, these Magical Creatures from the swamps and the Dark Realm, to continue encroaching upon the interests and living space belonging to the Merchant Alliance and every one of us."
"For the survival of the Merchant Alliance, and for the future of every person here and our families, we must rise up and resist, overthrow the Demon King! In the name of the Sea Goddess, purify these filthy invaders!"
These words directly characterized the Magical Creature Legion as the Demon King's Army, elevating commercial competition to the level of justice versus evil. The councilors began to unify their stance with a shared purpose.
"Yes, that's right, he is an evil Demon King! Overthrow the Demon King!"
"In the name of the Sea Goddess!"
"Expel the Demon King's Army, defend our homeland!"
Incited shouts rose one after another. The mood for war was completely ignited, but some neutral factions were still hesitating.
At this point, Simon, a representative of the Caldwell faction, also stood up and walked to Thoth's side.
He first nodded towards Thoth, then faced the crowd, speaking in a resonant voice.
"Mr. Thoth is right. The threat must be eliminated. The forces of the Demon King's Army are indeed formidable and cannot be underestimated."
"But our enemy is also not as invincible as we imagine."
He took out a document from his robe and waved it. "According to the latest battle report analysis sent back by our informants in the Southern Territory. That so-called Restoration Army, acting as the Demon King's puppet army and having absorbed the original Border Corps, actually took half a month to slowly advance to Ronnan City."
"What does this mean?"
Simon looked around, answering his own question. "This means those Magical Creature Legions are not as terrifying as we imagined. And those knights of the Border Corps who have lost faith and honor are merely worthless slag."
"What are you all still hesitating for, gentlemen? The advantage is ours!"
As soon as these words were spoken, those originally hesitant neutral factions also began to consider the possibility of war.
Thoth timely took over, a mysterious smile appearing on his face. He took out another report from his sleeve, saying cheerfully, "Councilor Simon's analysis is very reasonable. Moreover, I have here another piece of intelligence that might be considered *good news*."
He unfolded the report demonstratively. "According to reliable sources, the Xirik Church and the demonic forces entrenched in the Southern Territory have recently engaged in fierce conflict."
"Surprisingly, those cultists seem to have mastered some incredible power. In just half a month, they have successively eliminated four high-ranking demonic lords."
This news caused another wave of whispers.
Thoth continued, "I believe those cultists will definitely not turn a blind eye to the Restoration Army. The Xirik Church might be more deserving of our Merchant Alliance's Gold Coins and support than those corrupt and incompetent southern nobles."
"If we can provide sufficient resources, perhaps we can use the power of the Xirik Church to tear open a precious breach in that seemingly impenetrable defense line in the north for us."
Using the New Sun Church to deal with the Slimes...
Adrian's heart tightened.
This proposal was filled with dangerous undertones, but he had to admit that, under the current situation, for the Merchant Alliance's leadership, eager to strike at the Slimes, this was undoubtedly an extremely attractive option.
Soon, propelled by the collaboration of the Thoth and Caldwell factions, the meeting entered the final voting stage.
The voting result was unsurprising. The "War Proposal" was passed with an overwhelming majority.
The Merchant Alliance would mobilize large sums of funds and resources to increase secret aid to the resistance forces in the Southern Territory. On the other hand, it would assemble and arm more mercenary groups, amassing troops in the western border, strengthening vigilance against the Gold Lionheart Fortress, and constantly seeking opportunities to launch a war against the Dark Realm.
This was a righteous war.
They would surely defeat the evil Demon King!