The next day…
“Friends, her actions constitute a blatant provocation against our entire Guilan Merchant Alliance. By all rights, she deserves the appropriate punishment! To uphold the dignity of our alliance, we absolutely cannot let this matter rest!”
Within the headquarters of the Guilan Merchant Alliance in Valantis City, not far from where Leya currently was, a furious Malfoy stood on a podium. His face was ashen as he gesticulated wildly, vehemently recounting his grievances.
Seated before him were the most influential merchants of the Guilan Merchant Alliance in Valantis City. As a formidable alliance whose voice carried weight throughout the entire nation of Alveria, those present were undoubtedly among the most powerful individuals.
This was precisely why Malfoy had come.
Ever since his return yesterday, the more Malfoy pondered the incident, the angrier he became. He firmly believed this matter could not simply be overlooked.
Consequently, he began to rally support, portraying himself as a pitiable victim. He claimed to have been engaged in perfectly legitimate commercial activities when a sudden brigand intercepted his goods.
Five entire wagons of merchandise, coupled with an invaluable elven maiden—his losses, he argued, were immeasurable by monetary standards alone!
To be fair, Malfoy did feel genuinely wronged. According to the human laws of this world, he had committed no crime whatsoever.
Here, not only was the trade of non-human slaves common, but even among humans, the trade in people existed.
As a result, the incident of Malfoy losing five wagons of goods and an elf immediately caused a huge uproar throughout the vast Valantis City.
Naturally, the five wagons of goods held little interest for anyone. What truly mattered was the elven maiden Malfoy spoke of; this was, quite possibly, the most serious roadside robbery Valantis City had experienced in decades!
The reason was simple: an elven maiden’s value in human society was simply too immense, too paramount.
On a smaller scale, any normal human couldn’t help but covet an elf’s exquisite beauty. The mere thought of them yielding to pleasure night after night beneath one’s touch was enough to drive wealthy scions into a frenzy.
On a larger scale, elves possessed exceptional magical adaptability. Thus, raising one as a familiar could undoubtedly equate to the combat prowess of a regular army!
Moreover, for an elf who had yet to undergo their coming-of-age ceremony, humans could directly forge a compulsory soul-subservience contract with them. This allowed for even more perfect control, transforming the elf into a human’s true “subordinate tool.”
This particular detail further fueled humanity’s pathological craving for elven slaves.
“Indeed, you make a valid point, Malfoy. Well said.”
As expected, once the first prominent merchant in the audience voiced their agreement, the others quickly followed suit. They cried out loudly, “Let us crush these bandits and reclaim our elf!”
“Yes… *our* elf, precisely.”
From the moment Malfoy ascended the podium, he had already understood the consequences his actions would entail.
According to the regulations of the Guilan Merchant Alliance, for any goods requiring the alliance’s internal resources for retrieval, the alliance would levy at least 50% of the item’s value as compensation upon successful recovery.
This was akin to dealing with vampires. Surely, no merchant would opt for such a choice unless they were truly desperate.
Yet, at this juncture, Malfoy was consumed only by intense hatred. He yearned to see Leya torn limb from limb, and thus, he no longer cared about such trivialities.
All he desired was to make that detestable individual, who had shattered his entire promising future, pay the ultimate price!
“Very well, then. Considering the unique nature, danger, and difficulty of this task, the Merchant Alliance will claim eighty percent of the item’s value as compensation upon its successful completion. Do you have any objections, Mister Malfoy?”
While Malfoy was still momentarily stunned, the Merchant Alliance had already concluded its meeting discussions. A unanimous vote of one hundred percent member approval confirmed the alliance’s official intervention in the matter.
“No, no problem… I agree to these terms, ha ha.”
Clenching his fists tightly, striving to prevent his true emotions from showing, Malfoy forced a smile that was uglier than a grimace, speaking each word distinctly.
‘What utter nonsense about special nature and danger! They’re just mad with greed! Every single one of these people deserves to die; that money should have been mine. Damned be that woman, and damned be these hypocritical pseudo-gentlemen—not a single one of them is any good!’
“Excellent!”
Clearly disregarding Malfoy’s reaction, the President of the Valantis City Guilan Merchant Alliance then joyfully announced:
“Since the matter is settled, the alliance will first allocate thirty thousand gold coins to recruit ten of the city’s finest mercenary squads. They will immediately depart for the Netherwood to pursue the target individual! Does anyone have any objections?”
How could anyone possibly have objections now? Rather, they were all thoroughly pleased with the President’s generous expenditure, convinced that this operation was destined for success!
Thus, they unanimously raised their hands, signaling their approval.
“Excellent! I hereby declare the operation officially commenced! The Guilan Merchant Alliance will prove through our actions that any ignorant, foolish individual who dares to offend us shall receive a bloody retribution!”
Surveying the room with a hawk-like gaze, the President finally slammed the table with an air of absolute dominance, announcing fiercely.
“Success is the only option; failure is not permitted! We stake the honor of our Guilan Merchant Alliance on this!”
The crowd roared, “Ooh—ooh—ooh—”