Chapter 320 - Dominated Cotton

"My lord, look over there, that’s Yewen Forest, after passing it, we’ll enter Good Fortune Gorge. It lies between Dun Hills and the Good Fortune Tooth Mountain Range; past the gorge, Black Feather Bridge is not far off," the Demi-Human Chief gestured while pointing toward the northern shore and the vast expanse of the forest. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on ɴoᴠel Fɪre.nᴇtIn the distance, one could see the forest with its soaring trees, indicating its long-standing history.

Gaven had previously intended to enlighten some of the trees in Yewen Forest to assist him in developing Weizemay Manor. Hopefully, he could also enlighten a few Treants along the way.

However, various matters occurred in succession, preventing him from finding the time to do so.

Yet, making a trip here was only a matter of time.

After entering Good Fortune Gorge, aside from both sides turning into mountains, the river flow remained mostly unchanged.

The two mountain ranges weren’t closely packed, leaving considerable flat areas on both banks.

Upon exiting Good Fortune Gorge, the number of boats on Ashaba River suddenly increased.

The further downstream one went, the more numerous the boats became, especially near the vicinity of Black Feather Bridge.

The sides of Ashaba River were densely packed with a variety of boats.

There were floating homes like those of the Demi-Humans, flat fishing boats, and occasionally, an extravagant yacht would stand out among the most common type of boat, the slim dragon bones ships.

Without needing to inquire from Gaven, Avery explained proactively, "This type of boat is called Feather Wing Boat. It’s not named for being made in Feather Wing Valley, but for its resemblance to a feather. These boats don’t carry large loads but are light and agile with great speed. They are the most frequently used fast boats in Feather Wing Valley."

"People of Feather Wing Valley might not live on boats as we do, but they combine land and boat travel. For all activities—traveling, trading—they cannot do without boats.

"For the residents of Feather Wing Valley, it’s alright not to own a horse, but not having a boat is unacceptable.

"Black Feather Bridge and the surrounding area of Ashaba River have become the largest trade and distribution center for Feather Wing Valley.

"They either purchase products from the merchants on Rosaville Road or sell their own goods directly to those merchants.

"If Lord Gaven has goods to sell in the future, he can also bring them here.

"However, to maximize profits, he’d need to organize his own land caravans and head towards Sambia’s capital, Odulin."

Gaven nodded, his attention fixed primarily on the immense Black Feather Stone Bridge.

Even in a narrow region, the Ashaba River was still a kilometer wide, and the massive stone bridge spanned the entire river, revealing its impressive size.

To ordinary people, such an extensive cross-river bridge would represent an insurmountable project.

But the involvement of mages and magic changed the equation.

This stone bridge was not built bit by bit, rather it was shaped overnight by a Legendary Spell—the Bridge Shaping Spell.

The magic stone bridge was thus named after the moniker of the Legendary Mage Black Feather.

Unfortunately, the Legendary Spell, the Bridge Shaping Spell, has been lost along with the disappearance of Mage Black Feather.

Legends say that Black Feather infused all his spells, including the Bridge Shaping Spell, into the Black Feather Bridge itself.

Many young mages came here in hopes of inheriting Black Feather’s legacy.

But regrettably, legends are just that—legends. As of now, no mage in Felen has been known to receive the inheritance of Mage Black Feather.

In recent years, the main reason for the rising fame of Black Feather Bridge on a small scale—the God of Conspiracy, Shylock, was here when he slew the Goddess Laila of Tricks and Illusions using the Divine Calamity Sword.

But the event was too secretive at the time, and most people remain unaware of it—the residents of Feather Wing Valley certainly don’t know.

However, in the eyes of Shylock’s priests, this place is a sacred site and they often visit with a pilgrim’s reverence.

Therefore, when dealing with others here, one must be careful and cautious because no one knows whether behind those friendly faces hide the ulterior motives of Shylock’s faithful.

Gaven did not disembark, but instead followed the Demi-Human Chief further downstream into Feather Wing Valley.

By this point, they were no longer traveling swiftly by boat but were stopping and going intermittently, occasionally disembarking to visit the estate owners in Feather Wing Valley, trying to purchase or exchange cotton from them.

However, compared to the smooth sailing upon arrival, the process of seeking purchases was anything but smooth.

The estate owners were quite polite, but their refusal to sell cotton was immovable.

An estate owner who was on friendly terms with the Demi-Human Chief revealed the true reason.

Last year, the gods descended.

Sekora, Anho, and a host of lesser water deities descended upon the Sea of Fallen Stars, causing enormous destruction.

In particular, the Fiery Queen and Ocean Goddess Ambori ravaged the Pirate Archipelago of the Inner Sea with hurricanes and torrential rains, destroying more than two-thirds of the pirate fleet.

In Feather Wing Valley, this disaster translated into a massive business opportunity.

The pirates, in desperate need to rebuild their fleet and vie for dominance over the Sea of Fallen Stars, frantically purchased warship-related materials.

Feather Wing Valley’s top-quality canvas became a key target for procurement—its price doubled, even tripled, and still there was a shortage of supply.

No farmer would hoard cotton under such circumstances.

All of it was made into canvas and sold.

Even this year’s newly harvested rough cotton was turned into inferior-quality canvas. Despite their poor quality, they fetched the price of top-grade canvas from previous years.

The situation this autumn is expected to be even more desperate.

The merchants of Sambia, sensing an opportunity, have already come knocking, signing purchase agreements with all, including the small-time farmers.

Their intentions are clear—seize control of the canvas trade and extract the maximum profits from the pirates.

One could say that Gaven and his companions arrived with high hopes, yet left utterly disappointed.

"I’m sorry, Lord, this matter was my oversight; I failed to notice the changes in cotton supply and demand. Not only did I fail to complete the task you entrusted to me, but I also made you take a trip for nothing." The Half-Person Chief apologized profusely, with a face full of regret.

"This is not your fault; after all, you are just hired workers, not professional merchants. It is normal for information flow to be delayed in such cases. The intelligence you’ve gathered to this point is already quite commendable." Gaven’s mood seemed to be largely unaffected.

Life is full of disappointments, eight or nine times out of ten.

I am not truly one of Tymora’s favored Chosen, so how could everything go exactly as I wish?

Even though Gaven said this, Avery still felt somewhat guilty and proactively suggested, "How about this? I’ll find time to make rounds in Bow Valley, Deep Forest Valley, Shadow Valley, and Mist Valley. The cotton there might not be as famous as in Feather Wing Valley, but there is still some cultivation. I refuse to believe that I can’t buy even one ship’s load."

Gaven shook his head and said, "Don’t waste your time. What you have thought of, those Sambiyan merchants have already considered. They’ve probably scoured the area several times over. Let’s end this matter here; I’ll think of another way."

"Alright." Avery’s face showed disappointment.

He was regretful not only for Gaven’s failed business venture, but for his own as well.

If they could have established this trade, they could have made a profit in the process.

"Although you’ve done well, I think you could be more professional, such as establishing permanent residences in some towns, assigning someone to collect relevant hiring and mercantile information, share resources and information.

In time, you would be able to accept employment according to your needs, and even buy some goods in demand along the way, making a profit on the price difference. Even if the profit is small, every little bit helps as a subsidy.

If you do well enough, even information could become a commodity."

Gaven took the initiative to suggest ideas to the Half-Person Chief.

And this method was not his own creation.

Many of Faerûn’s large trade associations use this set of practices.

But the ones who do it best, who are most professional, are the Santarin Association, coming by their nickname ’Dark Intelligence Network’ rightfully so.

The Half-Person Chief couldn’t help but sigh and said, "We have thought about it, but the problem is fixed residences. In cities of the Sage Races, we often become the targets of oppression and exclusion from local malevolent forces. In the wilds, we lack the ability to protect ourselves.

Especially when we start to do well and grow, other caravans begin to covet what we have, resorting to force and plunder.

It’s better to live as we do now, taking chances as they come, free and unbound."

"To grow and become strong, mere desire is not enough; you also need sufficient strength to support it. If you’re interested, we might have an opportunity to collaborate on this." Gaven nodded in understanding.

In a world where laws are incomplete, the law of the jungle often prevails.

Poverty is the best umbrella for those who are vulnerable. Many powerful creatures disregard you because you are poor.

But once you become wealthy and lack sufficient strength to protect yourself, then I’m sorry, but you should brace yourself to be divided and gnawed upon.

It was for this very reason that my own Dragon Oak Territory entered a period of silent development.

Avery laughed and said, "I look forward to that day, but then we would be taking advantage of you, Lord."

"If you can take advantage of me, that means I have plenty to offer, and I don’t mind letting you have a little." Gaven said magnanimously with a smile.

"Lord, you really are open-minded, ha ha..."

As they spoke, their ship had turned back to Black Feather Bridge.

As Gaven prepared to disembark, he said to the Half-Person Chief, "Wait a moment, don’t set sail just yet. Stay here and wait for me. If it’s a short while, I’ll be back in three days; if not, five at most. I might need your assistance in hiring vessels to transport people to the Three Rivers Region."

"Alright." Avery nodded agreeably.

After landing, Gaven inevitably had to walk around Black Feather Bridge.

He wanted to see if he had a chance to inherit the teachings of the Mage Black Feather, or to find traces related to the Illusion Goddess Laila, as preparation for his next step in searching for her Godhood.

The result was predictable, a return with empty hands.

Every year, no fewer than a hundred mages visit this place, some of whom are Transcendent Archmages.

For someone like me, a mere first-level mage, to discover something out of the ordinary, that would truly be miraculous.

Since everyone has failed to find it, there are only two possibilities.

One possibility is that the legends are just that, legends, a product of one error leading to another, without any basis in reality.

The other possibility is that some powerful magic protects this place, and one must have the correct key to unlock and enter. In Faerûn, such arrangements are not uncommon.

After a touristy roundabout, Gaven simply found a caravan that didn’t seem to be composed of wrongdoers and joined them on the road.

The journey wasn’t long; after traveling along Rosaville Road for thirty kilometers, they arrived at Good Fortune Village.

This village, lying against the Good Fortune Tooth Mountain Range, is a gateway to Battle Valley.

Like many of the villages and towns in Battle Valley, this village also spanned Rosaville Road, using it as the village’s main thoroughfare and trading market.

The village owes its name to Lathander.

In the year 916 of the Valley Calendar, an alliance led by the Lathander Church ambushed the Dragon Cult here. Lathander sent an Incarnation to join the battle, completely defeating the cultists and keeping them at bay outside the Valley.

To celebrate this victory, the followers of Lathander built a large Lathander Church here, known as Good Fortune Church, and the village that sprung up around this church naturally came to be called Good Fortune Village.

On his way here, Gaven had some concern over whether Regina would miss their appointment or hadn’t yet arrived or, even if she had arrived, where he should look for her among a series of issues.

After all, in this world, there are no mobile phones for impromptu communication to make arrangements.

Most of the time, arrangements are vague, and waiting several days is the norm.

At least those below the Transcendent rank nearly always face this situation.

For Transcendents, especially mages, there are many more methods. Once one can cast a Teleportation Spell, if the other person carries a signal marker, one can directly open a portal to their side.