From the captain's tone, I could tell that although it was a tough situation, he could help us if he got enough in return. So, I asked him straight up what he wanted. The captain laughed and said with enthusiasm, "Lord, I like dealing with you!"
I had introduced myself as Lord, so now everyone called me that.
Just then, the captain went on to explain, "To be honest, I'm actually part of the island's Merchant Guild. It started as a group of nobles organizing sea voyages but has grown into a top force on the island. Right now, on Rubylark Island, there are three main powers: the Royal family, the Venomous Hand, and the Merchant Guild is the third. We've always had a fierce rivalry with the Venomous Hand."
He explained that due to an old treaty from the early days of the Merchant Guild, an
