Chapter 32: The Tin Knight and The Mysterious Underground Labyrinth (1)
At the peak of noon, with the sun soaring overhead.
Eight carriages were moving in a line under the warm sunlight.
Inside the most luxurious carriage, designed purely for passenger transport unlike the other cargo wagons, a middle-aged man named Lorentz Halder was lost in thought.
It seems like just yesterday that I left my hometown with a single bundle, and now I am, riding a noble’s carriage, managing people. You never know how things will turn out in this world.
Lorentz was a merchant.
But not just any merchant, he was a veteran among veterans who had traversed the continent for over 20 years.
In this harsh world, the fact that he had survived for so long amidst ever-changing weather, treacherous natural environments, wild beasts and rare magic beasts, bandits who’d rather gut someone than work honestly, rural residents who viewed outsiders as potential thieves, and nobles who treated merchants like golden goblins, proved Lorentz’s tremendous ability and fortune.
While marveling at how far he had come, Lorentz couldn’t help but feel a tinge of bitterness at the same time.
Although the Halder Company he led was quite well-known in the southeastern part of the Empire, compared to giant conglomerates that sat at such lofty heights, his accomplishments seemed pale in comparison.
If he hadn’t started from nothing.
If he had had more initial capital and backing, couldn’t he have climbed higher?