Chapter 131: The Commercial Camp Next to the Brazilian League Base

Layla looked at Velyn’s innocent expression and chuckled behind her hand. She explained, "Large-scale military operations usually last a long time—anywhere from two or three years to seven or eight. With so many nobles involved, merchants naturally gather in the surrounding areas."

Flora added, "Some nobles bring special local products from their homes and have their servants sell them in these makeshift markets. After all, it is rare to have such a large gathering of nobles in one place."

"Aunt, if the nobles are all fighting on the front lines, what is the point of these merchants gathering here?" Velyn asked.

"They are securing prime locations in advance. War doesn't go on indefinitely; there are always troops cycling back from the front for rest and refitting. Plus, the Grey Radiance Wasteland holds many treasures, and some merchant guilds come specifically to acquire those."

Velyn nodded; that made sense. He then recalled a rumor and asked, "Aunt, I heard this war is going to last a long time. Is that true?"

"Yes, it will indeed be a long campaign," Flora nodded. "The higher-ups want to train the troops. It starts this year with the Western Frontier Province, and next year it will rotate through the inner provinces step by step."

Once Flora finished, Layla continued, "I happened to overhear my father talking to the Legion Commander, Bourbons. He mentioned this military operation is slated to last for eight years. They plan to rotate through six magical legions, ten silver knight orders, and fifteen infantry legions, all in preparation for the Dwarf War nine years from now."

"That must be it then. I should have someone secure a good spot early; I might be able to make a fortune," Velyn muttered to himself, stroking his chin.

Nine years from now was when the "Northern Treaty" between the Kingdom of Ilia and the Iron Forge Mountain Dwarf Kingdom would expire. When that time came, whether the Kingdom of Ilia pushed north or the Iron Forge Dwarves invaded from the south, a war was inevitable.

"Aunt, Layla, you two carry on. I’ll take my leave now."

"Velyn, wait—"

Flora watched the brat vanish from sight and looked at Layla with a pitiful expression.

"Call me 'sister-in-law,' and I’ll help you..."

"Sister-in-law, sit down quickly! I’ve been waiting for you to say that." Flora jumped up immediately, vacated her seat, and retreated to a hammock nearby with a plate of pastries to rest.

Layla shook her head helplessly, took her seat, and began rapidly processing the documents on the desk. Flora tilted her head, watching her friend work with earnest focus—a truly pleasant sight.

Meanwhile, having escaped his aunt’s workstation, Velyn felt as though he had narrowly avoided disaster.

Before the troops began their training, he had been caught by his aunt several times to help with paperwork. This time, he had been careful; the moment he saw an opening, he slipped away with Kael.

"Let’s go. Head back, get the horses, and let’s go check out that place."

"Yes, my lord."

Shortly after returning to the camp, the two men left with six knights in tow.

Fifty kilometers from the main Basil camp, merchants who had received insider information had already staked out the best locations. Many guilds and individual shops were already open for business. Numerous young nobles from the logistics camps and those from surrounding fiefs were wandering the area with their retinues.

"Don't miss out! Half-elves from the Kingdom of Kube—only three thousand gold coins each! You can't go wrong!" a merchant shouted, standing before an iron cage, enthusiastically pitching to the nearby nobles.

Velyn, blending into the crowd, looked at the half-elf captives in the cage with surprise.

"Merchant, why are these half-elves covered in wounds? How many times can I even use them before they break?" a young noble asked haughtily, eyeing the captives.

"My good sir, don't let their wounds fool you. They are incredibly resilient. They’ll be fully recovered after a few days of care. They are absolutely durable," the merchant replied with a greasy smile.

"Where did you get these half-elves? You didn't hunt them down yourself, did you? I don't want to bring home a heap of trouble," another flashy-looking noble asked.

"A bumpkin is a bumpkin. You don't even know that the Kingdom of Kube and the Isith Half-Elf Kingdom have broken into the Third Iceland War? These are clearly captives from the defeated half-elf army," a young noble dressed in black casual attire replied with disdain.

Upon hearing the term "Iceland War," the hollow eyes of the half-elf in the cage flickered with a faint light, which quickly faded.

"You..."

Seeing the retinue behind the young man in black, the flashy noble swallowed his retort and lowered his head, not daring to argue.

"The gentleman is quite right. These half-elves are war captives; they will not cause you any trouble."

Many nobles began making purchases, selecting male or female half-elves. Velyn simply shook his head at the scene and led his men elsewhere.

"My lord, is there really no issue with selling half-elf captives in our country?" Kael asked as he looked back at the frenzied nobles.

"Legally, there is no problem. Our treaty with the Isith Half-Elf Kingdom prohibits the capture and sale of half-elves, but these individuals are from the Kingdom of Kube. As long as the nobles trade directly with Kube merchants, and they don't trade among themselves afterward, the treaty doesn't restrict them."

"Most importantly, they pay taxes. The Kingdom naturally turns a blind eye."

"And if the Isith Half-Elf Kingdom condemns us and demands we return these slaves, how should we respond?" Kael asked further.

"It’s simple. They are at war with the Kingdom of Kube. Unless they want to fight us as well, they have no choice but to tacitly accept it. But after the war ends, if the Isith Half-Elf Kingdom demands to ransom them back, the Kingdom will also allow it, provided they can find their own kin."

Velyn patted Kael’s shoulder and sighed, "Promoting the economy of our Southern Frontier Province during wartime is a significant factor in all of this."

Kael remembered the trade fair from last year, and many things suddenly clicked. He bowed respectfully, "Thank you for the clarification, my lord."

After spending two hours wandering the makeshift camp, Velyn found a plot of land on the northwest side of the commercial zone and had his knights plant their flag in the soil.

"Take some men into the woods, cut down some timber, and build a fence and a house. We need to secure this ground first."

"Yes, my lord."

He then took four knights and their swords into the nearby forest. In less than half an hour, a pile of neatly cut logs was carried back. The other two knights didn't stay idle; they used brute force to drive the logs into the ground around the flag.

Within three hours, the six bronze-ranked knights and Kael, a silver-ranked knight, had constructed a three-hundred-square-meter courtyard.