Chapter 78

Chapter 78

Once everyone present had finally calmed down, Valina heaved a sigh of relief and led the pacified Galewind Horse to the front of the conference hall.

"Alright, everyone, please take your seats. Let me introduce you," Valina tidied her hair, trying to make her curly locks look less disheveled. "This is Knight Lancelot, and this is Lorant, the owner of the Animal Pet Shop—the one who bred the Crystal Iceflame Hound, the Galewind Horse, and other animal pets."

After regaining their composure, the knight officials seemed transformed, once again exuding noble poise as they calmly nodded in greeting and introduced themselves to the two men.

Lorant and Lancelot returned the nods.

"As you can see, this is the newly bred animal pet, the Galewind Horse, from the Animal Pet Shop," Lorant cleared his throat and stood up to introduce. "This will be our main offering for the coming period."

Lorant then reiterated the skills and features of the Galewind Horse.

"Just as I mentioned earlier, while the Galewind Horse currently cannot meet combat needs, it has an absolute advantage in logistics support," Lorant said, his throat parched. He took the water cup Lancelot handed him and sipped some water to moisten his throat.

Lorant looked up at the circle of knights before him: "The Animal Pet Shop does not intend to profit from this. As citizens protected by the Knight Regiment, we also want to contribute our share during these times."

"Nevertheless, the basic feeding costs for the Galewind Horses must still be covered," Valina interjected promptly. "All transportation tasks for our Fifth Outpost will be contracted to the Animal Pet Shop. The price remains as previously agreed, and all allocations from the Knight Regiment will be transferred to you on time."

Her words effectively conveyed the stance of the Fifth Outpost and blocked any potential objections from other outposts.

The blonde female knight, a close friend of Valina, glanced at her and understood her intentions. She added, "Valina is right. We can't expect you to work for free. We appreciate the Animal Pet Shop's goodwill. Since the Knight Regiment has corresponding allocations for this, our Eighth Outpost will also pay the allocated funds to the Animal Pet Shop on time, provided that you handle our logistics thoroughly."

Seeing the representatives of both outposts speak, the other knight officials, even if they had thoughts of bargaining, found it awkward to voice them and thus echoed the agreement with the Fifth Outpost.

"The remuneration can be discussed later," Lancelot, satisfied with the outcome, rose with righteous dignity. "As the shop owner said, we do not care about this compensation. If you have been following our Animal Pet Shop, you should understand our intentions."

At that moment, he exuded a strong aura of a wealthy patron, almost as if he were about to engrave 'Money is no object' on his bright armor!

While speaking, Lancelot momentarily drifted into a reverie. How wonderful it would be if he could say such things as Earl Cavendish rather than as a partner of the Animal Pet Shop.

Thinking of his impoverished territory, he felt a headache coming on.

He couldn't help but feel that his father had fled to the Lopulo Mountains just to leave him with this mess!

"That's right," Fulin nodded in agreement. "A single Crystal Iceflame Hound costs fifty thousand gold coins. By this time next year, Lorant's Animal Pet Shop will undoubtedly become the leading business in Mauplan."

Fulin had conducted thorough research on the Animal Pet Shop and understood its value more deeply the more he learned.

Even so, Fulin still underestimated the situation at the Animal Pet Shop.

With just the enthusiastic customers' pre-orders, Lorant was already among the top businesses in Mauplan.

The profit margins of the Animal Pet Shop were truly astonishing.

Lancelot smiled and nodded at the knight who had cooperated with him: "Thank you for your understanding. Now that we have reached an agreement, let's discuss the detailed arrangements."

"For example, which outpost will collaborate with the Animal Pet Shop first..."

Next, the officers of the ten outposts listed their upcoming transportation activities, arguing fiercely to prioritize their own tasks as more important.

By the time they finally agreed on a specific cooperation plan, it was already dark outside.

The Luli Bingxuane Dogs returned fully loaded, and so did Lorant and Lancelot.

Although the Wind-Breaking Horses had not yet been officially sold, they had already brought in a substantial amount for the Animal Pet Shop.

In addition to the logistics orders, the two also received orders from various outposts.

Those who could serve as officers were all carefully selected elites from countless straightforward knights, possessing brains, means, and courage.

Previously, there hadn't been time to meet Lorant, but this time, after seeing him in person, the astute officers rushed over to discuss orders with him after the logistics meeting.

"Shopkeeper Lorant, I'm not trying to complain," Fulin said while complaining, "but our outpost is just not well-off! We're all guarding the Black Forest, and we're so close to the Fifth Outpost that patrol teams often run into each other."

"They wear long down jackets, while our guys are still in animal skins."

"After coming back, everyone is so disheartened! We've tried looking for the Slime House too."

"For one, they don't have enough stock! Secondly, the styles aren't quite suitable for us—nothing as simple and elegant as what the Fifth Outpost has. Plus, the Slime House is just too expensive." Fulin cried poor without any shame, completely disregarding his status, putting on a performance with all his might.

"I don't expect to be like the Fifth Outpost, but can you give us a discount? We'll buy them normally! As long as they're a bit cheaper, we'd be happy to get the same outfits!"

"I understand, really. After all, we don't have the good fortune of having such an honest merchant like you within our territory. Honestly, I wish I could invite you to move the Animal Pet Shop to our outpost! If you really want to move, I can approve a large plot of land right now!" Fulin completely ignored Valina's murderous gaze beside him and started poaching.

He truly envied the Sixth Outpost, which was adjacent to the Fifth Outpost and saw all the changes happening there, making him even more envious.

Fulin wasn't someone who held himself above such things; as a regular officer, he knew that only by being shameless could he secure more benefits for his outpost at every Knight Regiment meeting!

Though he spoke about moving in a joking manner, if Lorant showed any hint of interest, Fulin would pounce and persist until he got an agreement!

Lorant didn't expect the first officer to approach him to be about down jackets.

He thought for a moment, feeling a bit sorry for Fulin's pitiful appearance, considering that he couldn't show favoritism and should donate some to the other outposts.

Before he could speak, Lancelot placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Knight Fulin is right; we're just small-time merchants," Lancelot said with a sly smile, like a fox who had stolen a hen. "We appreciate Knight Fulin's understanding, but moving isn't an option. We're planning to buy the entire abandoned town near the outpost!"

"However, since Knight Fulin mentioned it, we will certainly help. How about this: the same style of long down jackets as the Fifth Outpost, no cutting corners, and we'll give you a discount at two gold coins per set?"

Lancelot seemed oblivious to the underlying meaning in Knight Fulin's words and made no mention of donations.

Fulin's lips twitched; he had clearly seen Lorant wavering!

If it weren't for this guy, he might have tricked them into a donation, even if not as much as the Fifth Outpost's, but something is better than nothing!

Now, two gold coins per set!

Damn it!

Lorant looked at Lancelot with some surprise, swallowing his words back down. In this setting, both of them represented the face of the Animal Pet Shop. Even if they disagreed, they couldn't embarrass each other in public.

Lancelot's hand lightly patted Lorant's waist where no one could see, reassuring him.

Somewhere along the way, Lancelot had developed a fondness for touching Lorant.

He would always find himself making casual contact with the young man, whether it was brushing against his arm or placing a hand on his shoulder, doing so naturally.

Especially his waist, slender and supple...

Lancelot suddenly realized what he was thinking and snatched his hand away as if electrocuted.

"Ahem, well, how about this, and to the others, if you need to purchase long down jackets, you can place your orders together. We'll batch the orders so the Slime House can work on them all at once, aiming to have them ready before the coldest days arrive."

The knights from the other outposts exchanged glances and gathered around.

"Shopkeeper, our Eighth Outpost needs more than just down jackets. Now that you've said neither of the two Beast Pets is available for sale, can we make reservations?" The golden-haired female knight named Ruko spoke up first. "We want to reserve some Windbreaker Horses especially."

Everyone present had the authority to fully represent their respective outposts, so her statement was entirely appropriate.

"Speaking of which," Valina chimed in, recalling something. "Shopkeeper, what about the price of the Windbreaker Horses..."

Only now did everyone realize that because they weren't planning to sell the Windbreaker Horses, Lorant and Lancelot hadn't mentioned their price.

"Ten thousand gold coins," Lorant stated straightforwardly. "If anyone needs them, let me know the quantity. The deposit will be the same as for the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs—just one-fifth."

On its own, this price wasn't cheap, but compared to the fifty-thousand-gold price tag of the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs, being able to get Windbreaker Horses for ten thousand gold was a pleasant surprise for everyone present.

Although these two Beast Pets had different capabilities and positions, a closer look revealed that due to their lifespan and abilities, the Windbreaker Horses might actually be priced higher in some respects. Nevertheless, this didn't dampen the knights' joy at the moment.

Ten thousand gold coins! That's practically free!

Charge ahead! Let's go!

A thousand... no, five hundred should do for a start!

The knights became agitated, much like the crowds at a market during late-afternoon discounts, scrambling for discounted produce.

Valina thoughtfully called over an apprentice knight to help register the numbers of Crystal Ice Flame Dogs and Windbreaker Horses needed by each outpost and collect the deposits for the Animal Pet Shop.

Meanwhile, Lorant slipped away from the commotion, leaving the outpost for the priest camp.

In the camp, Silem was also collecting deposits.

Silem handled these tasks with increasing ease. With the help of the twin knights, he had finished promoting the Windbreaker Horses and now had a basket full of crystal cards.

Most of these crystal cards were fixed-denomination, meaning the amount of money within was fixed and could only be withdrawn through specific counters at major guilds.

For greater convenience, one needed a substantial balance and was willing to pay a hundred gold coins as a handling fee to obtain a personalized high-level crystal card that could interact with other crystal cards.

For most professionals, this was unnecessary.

Thus, every time deposits were collected, Lorant ended up with a pile of crystal cards that became useless once the funds were withdrawn.

Lorant was now considering using these discarded crystal cards for additional decorations in the Animal Pet Shop.

The impact of the Windbreaker Horses exceeded Lorant's expectations.

Not only were the knights going crazy, but other professionals were equally enthusiastic.

At the priest camp, Silem was immediately surrounded by familiar priestesses, almost all of whom placed orders.

"Now we won't have to walk such a long distance to return!" Priestess Li Na patted her chest in relief. "By the Goddess, it took us a lot of effort to get here!"

Though they were members of the Mauplan Church and usually stayed in Mauplan City, lacking suitable transportation and with the high cost of teleportation arrays—especially when carrying many supplies—even the wealthy church couldn't afford frequent use.

So while a few priests teleported over for immediate support, the rest arrived by carts laden with tents.

According to Li Na's complaints, their feet were nearly worn out!

"And now we have to walk to the Holy Shield River every day just to fetch water!"

"Exactly! Those mages keep making excuses about not having enough mana to cast Water Purification spells!"

"Hmph, I think they're just lazy! If they get hurt, my divine power won't be enough either!"

"Don't say that; maybe they just want to conserve their mana for battles!"

The young priestesses started chatting animatedly around Silem.

Silem understood their needs and generously offered, "Sister Li Na, that's easy. The Windbreaker Horses are fast; they can help you fetch water easily. I'll bring a few over tomorrow for you to try."

Li Na's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? But aren't there very few Windbreaker Horses right now?"

"There aren't many," Silem nodded. "But providing a few temporarily should be possible."

"If it doesn't work out, I can lend you my Little Red." Silem felt a pang of reluctance, but he remembered his brother's advice: one must repay kindness. The young priestesses had been so kind to him, bringing him fruits and snacks every day, so he wouldn't be stingy now.

"Oh!" Li Na cupped Silem's face and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "May the Goddess bless you, my little angel!"

Li Na, despite her young appearance, was already a mother. At that moment, she felt a surge of maternal affection for Silem.

"What are you talking about, Silem?" Lorant walked over, blinking in confusion at the flushed Silem.

Silem quickly darted behind Lorant. "Nothing, nothing. Just that I'll bring a few Windbreaker Horses over tomorrow for Miss Li Na and the others to use. They're not mages and need to fetch water from the Holy Shield River every day, which is quite troublesome."

Lorant nodded approvingly and addressed Li Na and the others. "No problem, Miss Li Na. Tomorrow, I'll have Silem bring five Windbreaker Horses over to help you."

"Now the number of Windbreaker Horses is still insufficient, so I apologize for not being able to provide more beast pets."

Li Na quickly waved her hands. "This is more than enough. Having five Windbreaker Horses to help us is already very satisfying; they will be of great assistance!"

Not only were they a help, but having the Windbreaker Horses stationed at the priest camp first also served as proof of the good relationship between the Church of the Goddess of Light and the Animal Pet Shop, effectively announcing their friendly ties to the public.

Li Na did not refuse. When it was time for them to leave, she had someone bring out a large basket of pastries.

"These are famous little pastries from the Church of the Goddess of Light, distributed only during weekly services and external preaching. There's nothing better here, and I saw that Silem liked them quite a bit. Take some back with you!"

Li Na said warmly. Three bald, muscular men grunted as they lifted the tall basket onto the shuttle.

The sudden increase in weight made the Windbreaker Horses turn their heads, snorting disapprovingly at the clumsy Crusaders who almost caused them to step backward.

What a disgrace!

Lorant didn't refuse. This kind of mutual exchange was perfectly normal, and excessive refusal would make the other party feel unappreciated.

"Thank you for the pastries, Lady Li Na. See you tomorrow!"

In the following days, everything proceeded systematically.

Silem officially took over the transportation duties. He called on his buddy Simon, and every day, the two apprentice knights, along with dozens of Windbreaker Horses and the Crystal Ice Flame Dog Little Eight, ran from one outpost to another, busy but happy.

Accompanying them were knights from each outpost responsible for protecting and counting the goods.

Every day was filled with activity and felt very fulfilling.

Silem had a great personality. Although his family's situation had improved significantly, he did not have any of the bad habits often found among wealthy heirs.

The contrast between his status and his demeanor was endearing, and everyone enjoyed being respected, especially by those of higher status.

Thus, almost every accompanying knight was willing to offer guidance when the two young men asked questions.

Sometimes, these third or fourth-level knights had useful answers and methods that even geniuses like Lancelot, who hadn't faced certain challenges, couldn't provide.

After just a few days of logistical work, Silem felt he was about to advance.

Apart from logistics, the beast tide continued to rage.

And after the initial 'calm' period, it became increasingly intense.

More and more beasts of higher levels kept escalating the situation.

Eventually, on the tenth day, it developed into a Level Two beast tide.

Now, this was no longer just a battle for the outpost knights. The Eight Knights sent reinforcements to help.

The Knights of the Thorns applied to assist at the fifth outpost, so now, in addition to Lancelot and the others, Jaina joined them for their daily 'commutes.'

Fortunately, with William around, Jaina moved directly into the beast warehouse, saving Lorant the trouble of tidying up Ruth's room.

During the day, Lorant stayed at the Animal Pet Shop with William, studying the changes in the Windbreaker Horse beast pet eggs that were naturally hatching.

When it was nearly time for Lancelot and the others to return, Lorant would take a group of Windbreaker Horses and a cart to the outpost camp to pick them up and their day's catch.

During this period, the Animal Pet Shop received a significant amount of deposits daily, a considerable portion of which Lorant used to purchase various beast materials like meat and leather at the outposts.

Sometimes, the crystal cards didn't even leave the outpost camp before being credited to the outpost's account.

According to Lancelot, Lorant was like a 'treasure hoarding rat,' wanting to buy and stockpile anything valuable.

Every day, the corpses brought back by the Black Gold Yew Squad and the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs were almost too much for the Windbreaker Horses to carry, yet Lorant still insisted on checking the market and the outpost warehouses for items to buy.

Currently, the beast meat warehouse at the Animal Pet Shop was almost full. The butchers in the backyard, along with their apprentices, simply moved into a room next to Stephanie's residence and worked tirelessly from morning till night, only stopping when utterly exhausted.

Even then, starting two days ago, the corpses began piling up in the open space behind the shop.

Fortunately, the cold weather preserved the meat outside almost as well as in a freezer, preventing waste.