“You, you are actually…!”
Rocky’s new self-introduction, though brief, had truly shocked Monte!
Monte had long noticed that Rocky was no ordinary person, but he had never imagined that Rocky was a city lord! He had originally thought that Rocky might be a noble of not insignificant status, but he never expected that Rocky’s rank was far above that of a noble, so much so that he owned the city beneath their feet!
Therefore, after a brief pause, Monte promptly pulled his daughter to kneel on one knee: “City Lord, please forgive our previous disrespect!”
As a Demon Hunter, Monte wasn’t just well-traveled and knowledgeable, but also much smarter than the average Beastman. Upon learning that Rocky was the master of Sky City, he immediately changed his attitude.
He was very aware that he was on Rocky’s territory, and while on land it might not matter as much, inside Sky City no one could contend with the city lord. He did not want to displease the City Lord over a matter of etiquette, bringing unnecessary trouble upon himself and his daughter.
“No need to be so formal, get up.”
With a casual wave of his hand, Rocky let Monte and his daughter stand up, then he turned to Liliya and said, “Arrange for a guard to take them to the city district, and have them treated as soon as possible.”
“Understood.”
Nodding, Liliya summoned a guard and arranged for him to lead Monte and his daughter away.
It was only after the father and daughter had walked some distance away that Rocky turned to look at Aileen and Voss standing nearby.
“Aileen, Lord Voss, what do you think of this man?”
“My lord, this Beastman is…”
Rocky’s question momentarily caught Aileen off guard because she did not know who the other person was and thus did not understand Rocky’s point.
After that, Rocky recounted the events that had taken place on land, and only then did Aileen learn who Monte was, as well as finally grasping the reason Rocky had kept her and her grandfather behind.
Rocky wanted them to help assess whether Monte could be of use to him!
Although Aileen understood Rocky’s intention, she did not speak recklessly, but instead looked at her grandfather.
Then Voss nodded at Rocky, “My lord, this man is of use.”
Though Voss’s words were simple, they gave Rocky considerable relief. Rocky had asked Voss to stay precisely because he knew of Voss’s vast experience, especially when it came to judging people; his gaze was not only clear-sighted but also keen.
Soon after that, Rocky left the Skyport with everyone else.
He was indeed eager to recruit Monte, but such matters could not be rushed, nor was there any need to hurry. Considering the severity of Monte’s injuries, he would not stay in Thunderhawk City for just a day or two.
Furthermore, Rocky himself was quite busy. Now that he had obtained the Greyrock Stone, the next step was to make his way to Eternal City as quickly as possible. Only in Eternal City could he sell the Greyrock Stone, possibly for a high price, which was his top priority at the moment.
Therefore, the next day, he called Aileen to the City Lord’s Mansion.
“Aileen, how much do you think this batch of Greyrock Stone can sell for? Is it enough for Thunderhawk City’s grain sales?”
The issue of having no money to buy grain had always been a major problem for Rocky and Thunderhawk City, a pressing issue at hand. Everything Rocky had done thus far was meant to resolve this matter.
Now he had made all the efforts he could, and it was time to see the results.
“My lord, it’s enough.”
Aileen’s answer was straightforward, yet it made Rocky breathe a long sigh of relief.
“Are you certain?”
“Absolutely certain.” With a slight smile, Aileen said, “City Lord, the current market price of Greyrock Stone is around fifteen Gold Coins per kilogram, and based on the weight you brought back this time, we can earn over ten thousand Gold Coins.”
“That money, added to Thunderhawk City’s reserves, will be enough to purchase winter provisions, even from the Azure Commerce Guild, no matter how much they raise the price, and we’ll still have some left over.”
As the finance officer of Thunderhawk City, Aileen naturally had the most authority on this matter.
Once Rocky returned with a full load of Greyrock Stone, she hadn’t rested for almost an entire night, spending the whole evening gathering market information on Greyrock Stone through various means. Therefore, everything she had just told Rocky was not off-the-cuff, but the result of careful calculation.
And upon hearing her say this, Rocky finally felt at ease; the difficulty Thunderhawk City faced could finally be smoothly overcome.
However, after this, he posed another question.
“Aileen, must we import food from the Azure Commerce Guild?”
“That…”
Aileen paused slightly, but quickly grasped Rocky’s meaning and fell deep into thought.
Rocky’s question clearly indicated his dissatisfaction with the Azure Commerce Guild and his intention to seek cooperation with other Chambers of Commerce.
This, of course, was not surprising. After all, although the last transaction of yarn was ultimately successful, the process was anything but pleasant. The straightforward reason was that the Azure Commerce Guild had taken too much advantage of Thunderhawk City with their pricing.
The reason the previous trade was successful was not that it satisfied both parties, but rather it was a result of being left with no other choice.
This lack of choice referred solely to Thunderhawk City.
In this context, it was logical for Rocky to want to change trading partners, especially now that they had money.
Having money granted them the right to choose.
Therefore, Aileen did not answer immediately, instead, she thought carefully before speaking after a while:
“If you truly wish to change our trading partner, City Lord, this trip to Eternal City is a good opportunity. Eternal City is the largest trading hub in the skies, with branches of Chambers of Commerce, big and small; we could start by getting to know the situation before making any plans.”
“Yes, that’s what I was thinking.”
Aileen’s words made Rocky nod in agreement, for he had the same thoughts.
His reason for visiting Eternal City this time was partly to sell the Demons, and another was to explore the possibility of finding new business partners.
The performance of the Azure Commerce Guild last time had been a huge disappointment for Rocky. It was clear that they had deliberately raised their prices because they saw Thunderhawk City as a small town, and combined with Jia Xi’s behavior, Rocky had long been considering finding a new Commerce Guild to collaborate with.
And now that he had money, he could buy food anywhere; why should he continue to cooperate with the Azure Commerce Guild and suffer their exploitation?
However, Aileen then added, “City Lord, if we really cease cooperation with the Azure Commerce Guild, we must not only find a new Commerce Guild for buying food but also for importing yarn.”
The scale of the Azure Commerce Guild was not insignificant. It was only because Thunderhawk City agreed to their demand to import both yarn and food from them that they consented to long-term trade. If Rocky decided not to import food from the Azure Commerce Guild, he would need to find another company to import yarn as well.
Aileen felt it was her duty to remind Rocky of this.
But Rocky was well aware of this. His willingness to end collaboration with the Azure Commerce Guild had already taken this into account.
Moreover, Rocky’s ambition was actually greater. He didn’t just want to use this opportunity to break away from the Azure Commerce Guild and find a new partner; he even felt that Thunderhawk City should seize this chance to undergo some changes!