Foucault took out a heavy pouch of coins and placed it in Kakafil's hand.

He wanted to see what tricks this guy could pull.

"Of course." Kakafil's hand sank under the weight of Foucault's gesture.

"Truly trustworthy." Ignoring Foucault's angry glare, Kakafil nonchalantly opened the pouch in front of him.

"Kedo, bring over the rest of the clothes." After confirming the money was correct, Kakafil called over the gray dwarf from before and handed him the pouch. "Just like before."

"Yes, boss." The gray dwarf named Kedo nodded and then called over the other drivers and servants to start working.

"How much are you planning to sell?" Foucault asked Kakafil as he watched the busy servants.

"Still two gold coins," Kakafil smiled. "I can't disrupt the market like you."

"Hmph, profiteer..." Lange snorted from the side.

"You can't say that. No one wants everyone to live well more than I do, otherwise where would I earn my money? I'm strictly following the Empire's laws—it's amusing how you nobles attack a law-abiding citizen like me."

As Kakafil spoke, he pulled out a dandelion emblem from his pocket. "Besides, I'm a member of the Dandelion Merchant Guild of the Church of Truth."

Lange wanted to argue with Kakafil but didn't know how to refute him, so he resorted to attacking his character. "I'm not like some people..."

"Lange, say no more." Foucault raised his hand to interrupt Lange, then coldly glanced at Kakafil. "We'll be watching you."

The argument and bet among the few piqued the interest of the mysterious knight leaning against the wall. He picked up the healing potion and gold coins Foucault had left on the ground, examined them, and eventually pocketed them.

He continued to wait for the show to unfold.

"I can sell it to you—for three gold coins."

The woman who had been waiting to buy someone else's clothes finally found a willing seller—a burly man.

He had muscled his way to the front with his strong physique.

Clearly, he didn't really need the cotton coat; he was buying it because it was cheap.

"A silver coin coat, and you're selling it for three gold coins!" The crowd began to criticize.

"Hmph, why don't you sell it to her? Buy it if you want, it's a voluntary transaction—if you're so kind, don't just stand there watching! You pay for it." The burly man made a provocative gesture at the person.

"Tch, all talk and no action." Seeing no response, the burly man turned his attention back to the woman.

The price of three gold coins made the woman hesitate. She looked at Kedo and the others unloading goods, hoping for a better price on the new cotton coats.

She was worried the price would be too high for her to afford, yet also worried it would be so low that she couldn't buy one.

Because of the previous silver coin incident, more and more people had gathered around.

The price difference on the cotton coat had already tempted many. A silver coin was only the cost of three loaves of bread and a few pieces of fruit—something an ordinary person could save up in a day.

Flipping it for a profit was basically pure gain!

Moreover, with the cold wave approaching, there was no fear of not being able to sell it. Who knew how much a cotton coat that started at two gold coins could sell for later?

"Young master..."

Lange wanted to intervene—he couldn't tell who was right or wrong, but he saw people suffering.

This argument and farce felt like invisible slaps hitting their hearts.

"Lange, let's wait a bit longer. Don't worry, no matter what, I'll take responsibility. It's my fault... I was too impulsive and didn't consider the consequences." Foucault assured Lange, "There won't be a next time."

At this moment, Foucault deeply realized that many things couldn't be achieved with just a rush of enthusiasm.

Foucault silently vowed to himself—no matter what, he wouldn't make such rash interventions again.

He needed to learn, to understand the things he once scorned. Only then could he change the current situation!

'If I can't even save a person... how can I save a country? Foucault, oh Foucault, your abilities are still too lacking.' Watching the scene before him, Foucault deeply empathized with Ogre's feelings when Thrandic was gravely injured.

It was a guilt that arose from causing the situation.

"Young master... I will do my best to help you!" Lange's tightly clenched hands finally relaxed.

"Mm..." Foucault nodded, his heart filled with complexity.

"High-quality stitched beast-hide cotton coats!" Kedo's shout immediately attracted a lot of attention.

Because of the previous silver coin coat incident, even more people gathered around this time.

"Boss, how much for one!"

"Is it still a silver coin?"

"Give me one..."

"......"

Amidst the clamor, Kakafil stepped forward and coughed, "Quiet!"

Seeing the boss speak, the gray dwarf Kedo immediately raised his voice, "Quiet!!!"

The shout, carrying the unique roar of a dwarf, was very effective, quickly quieting the noisy surroundings, leaving only some faint discussions.

Seeing the surroundings quiet down, Kakafil took out his Church of Truth emblem and held it high—a sign that all his transactions were recognized by the Church of Truth.

Though for commoners, the Dandelion Merchant Guild wasn't as intimidating as Foucault and Lange's noble attire.

But it was still enough to deter those with reckless thoughts.

Because this was a legitimate transaction, unless the lord of the noble territory disagreed, no one could interrupt it—that was the weight of the Dandelion Merchant Guild.

Even if guards and the mayor came, they had no authority to stop Kakafil from selling his goods.

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"Ahem, I know what everyone is thinking, but the previous silver coin coat was truly an exception—thanks to the payment of these two noblemen, if you want to thank someone, thank them."

Kakafil finished speaking and gestured towards Foucault and Lange, who were watching the scene.

Foucault and Lange were watching comfortably, but suddenly being pointed out left them a bit bewildered, with the crowd's intense gaze focused on them, filled with countless emotions.

"This guy..." Lange's barely suppressed anger flared up again.

He didn't know what medicine this guy was selling.

"But unfortunately, these two noblemen have run out of money, so the upcoming coats will no longer be sold for a silver coin." Kakafil's words came again, providing a way out for Foucault and Lange while also quashing some people's hopes for help.

"Boss, just tell us the price!" The burly man from before suddenly shouted.

This rhythm quickly stirred up the crowd again.

"Yeah, just tell us the price!"

"......"

Facing the commotion, Kakafil patted the gray dwarf Kedo beside him.

Understanding the signal, Kedo nodded and then shouted, "Three gold coins!"

"What! Three gold coins, you might as well rob us!"

"Yeah, it's three gold coins here too!"

"Let's go, damn profiteer."

"......"

Seeing this situation, Lange was even more bewildered. He quietly asked Foucault, "Young master... what's this guy up to?"

Foucault looked at the people leaving and those hesitating, suddenly understanding something. "He's filtering..."

"What?" Lange was a bit confused. They got into trouble doing good deeds, yet this profiteer setting high prices was considered filtering.

"Those who truly need it will hesitate... We should give clothes to those who hesitate..." Foucault seemed to understand something.

During the previous filtering help, he had thought about who was the most miserable and should be sold to...

But later he realized it was hard to determine who truly needed help.

When there was enough money, he could help many people.

But what if there wasn't enough money?

If someone took the help, someone else would lose it.

Helping others openly might even make them targeted, but secretly helping made it hard to identify the target... and he didn't have the energy for that.

So, how to filter was indeed a skill.

"Boss, can it be cheaper?" someone tentatively asked.

"But I... only have two gold coins." The woman from before clutched her bag of silver coins, feeling at a loss.

"Should we help, young master?" Lange quietly asked Foucault.

By now, they should all be people in need of help, right?

Foucault hesitated for a moment, then shook his head, "No rush... let's watch a bit longer."

Rushing things often didn't yield the desired results.

"Yeah, boss—you're too greedy!"

"The cheapest silver scale armor was only fifty silver (half a gold)!"

Some who had gotten a bargain earlier also stood up now, joining those who hadn't bought a coat in criticizing Kakafil.

The morning sunlight shone on their backs, making them appear so radiant in the light.

"This is the price, so what, can silver scale armor keep you warm? Not enough money? Not enough money is fine—just owe it, sign a Truth IOU." Kakafil's words caught the attention of many.

"I only have two gold coins..."

The woman from before finally squeezed her way forward, and this time everyone made way for her, no longer competing with her.

Everyone wanted to see what Kakafil would do.

"Do you really only have two gold coins?" Kakafil bent down to confirm.

This made the woman's eyes flicker.

She certainly had more than two gold coins, but she couldn't rely on just one set of cotton clothes for her livelihood; she carried the hope of her entire family.

"Then let's do this, one cotton coat for two gold coins—owe two gold coins, totaling four gold coins, sign a Truth IOU, and within five months, I'll apply to the Church of Truth for enforcement." Kakafil's response deterred some onlookers.

Some had already gotten a bargain, while others didn't need new cotton clothes.

They were confident they could survive the winter, so they didn't want to sign this one-for-one Truth loan.

To be fair, this loan wasn't exaggerated—but no one wanted to carry such a burden.

Especially if something unexpected happened and they couldn't repay it, that would be disastrous.

"What if I only have one gold coin..." another young man asked.

"Then owe two and repay two, that's my limit. At least one gold coin must be pledged for a cotton coat." Kakafil grinned, showing his white teeth. "Hurry up—time is money, my friends. If you miss my shop, no one else will sell, and after selling, I have to go to the next town."

Kakafil was telling the truth. Though he entered the game late, he was the largest wandering merchant in the area.

After missing him, the price would only go up, not down.

With the confirmation, many people quickly dispersed, leaving only about a hundred.

Kakafil's pricing also drove away those who wanted to stay and resell, as no one had the strength to buy all of Kakafil's goods.

The few carts of cotton clothes were enough for everyone present to have four or five sets each.

"Four gold coins... profiteer!" Lange had expected Kakafil to come up with something good.

But the price doubled, completely unlike what was said before.

"I want one set, two gold coins, owe two gold..."

"I want two sets! Same terms..."

"Give me one too..."

Unexpectedly, the sales were exceptionally good...

And very smooth.

Those who had been waiting to resell sighed and left amid the smooth transactions.

The Truth IOU was recognized by the Dandelion Merchant Guild and the Empire's law, with both parties receiving varying degrees of protection under the Empire's law, with everything based on the Truth IOU. As long as one party held it, it was valid—which meant these buyers couldn't squeeze out any profit, nor could they incur a second debt.

Because Kakafil was part of the Dandelion Merchant Guild.

"Owe two gold coins, Kedo, give her that blue cotton coat..."

"Owe four gold coins, Kedo, give him that gray cotton coat..."

"......"

After completing the last transaction, Kakafil smiled at the final buyer who signed the IOU, "Keep the IOU safe. If you lose it—and I make changes on my end, you'll have no recourse."

Then he patted his pocket.

"Is this what you wanted me to see?" Foucault's icy voice came from behind Kakafil.

Playing such a trick just to continue squeezing future profits from commoners?

Selling to him for two gold coins, but selling to commoners for three gold coins!

He had thought this guy had some clever trick—turns out all merchants were the same!

"Oh, isn't this the nobleman from the Chromie family? As a token of appreciation for buying so many cotton coats from me, I'll give you two sets, Kedo, give the young master two sets." Kakafil waved the Dandelion Merchant Guild emblem in front of Foucault—indicating everything was legal and reasonable.

"Do you know what you're doing?" Lange wanted to draw his sword and fight this guy to the death.

"Young master, check the cotton coats first." The gray dwarf Kedo showed a simple smile, handing two sets of cotton coats to Foucault and Lange.

Lange wanted to refuse, but Foucault took the coats.

"Lange, give the coats to those in need later." Foucault began inspecting the two different colored coats.

Since they had already waited long enough, a little more wouldn't hurt.

After a while, Foucault's expression changed. He quickly looked at those who had borrowed gold coins to buy clothes.

Though the buyers hid it well, Foucault's keen observation caught a flaw.

It was a slightly delighted expression...

Though fleeting, Foucault still caught it.

"What's wrong, young master?" Lange noticed something was amiss and came over.

"Lange... apologize, I'm sorry—I apologize for my previous outburst, Mr. Kakafil..." Foucault returned a respectful noble gesture to Kakafil.

"Young master?" Lange was confused.

"Apologize."

Under Foucault's undeniable tone, Lange eventually prepared to apologize and bow.

At this moment, Kakafil finally reacted and quickly stopped them, "No, no, no, do you want to ruin my business?"

Seeing Kakafil stop them, Foucault didn't insist.

"What happened?" Lange curiously asked in a low voice.

Foucault scanned the surroundings, seeing that most people had dispersed, he whispered his discovery to Lange.

It turned out Kakafil had placed gold coins in the inner pockets of each cotton coat, with the amount depending on the color, some had three, some had four.

Subtracting this, each coat actually sold for only one gold coin.

He even 'lent' gold coins to help people through tough times.

"Aren't you afraid they won't repay?" Lange looked at Kakafil with a strange expression—he hadn't expected Kakafil to play such a trick.

"I'm not that kind of noble. Does it benefit me if commoners die? They have to live for me to make money, my friend. No one wants the Empire to prosper more than I do—helping them through tough times is helping myself." Kakafil spread his hands, waving the IOUs he collected.

Lange: "You're a strange person."

"No, overall, I still made a profit, and I have to thank you for providing the funds." Kakafil took an empty pouch from the gray dwarf Kedo.

It was what Foucault had paid after losing the bet.

All that money had been 'distributed' by Kakafil in another way.

Clearly, the coats Foucault sold didn't contain any gold coins.

"This time I admit defeat wholeheartedly." Foucault took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled—he had learned something no book would teach.

Kakafil's method was indeed the most efficient and effective.

It helped people without making them targets, and to some extent, used the Church of Truth for protection.

He even made money—of course, assuming those people could repay in the end.

"My friend, true justice must be fought for, help that comes from waiting will eventually disappear with the hero's departure. They should have endured the darkness—do you still think your previous actions were right?"

Kakafil smiled and asked Foucault.

He was referring to Foucault's habit of casually giving money to people.

"Whether big or small, I believe this world always needs heroes." Foucault shook his head, then added, "I just lack the right direction..."

"My friend, your ideals are too lofty, hahaha... but I look forward to that day too." Kakafil wasn't angry at Foucault's headshake; instead, he laughed.

"Why are you laughing?" Lange asked, puzzled.

"Nothing, just a bit emotional... if only I had met you sooner." Kakafil's smile gradually turned into helplessness. "My friend, maybe you really will become a hero."

"I think you're the real hero." Foucault seriously extended his hand. "It's not too late to meet now—interested in working for me? Let's reintroduce ourselves, I'm Foucault Chromie."

Foucault stated his surname.

Kakafil looked at Foucault's extended hand and shook his head, "Sorry, I won't leave here, my ideals aren't that grand—I just want to be a good border merchant, and my biggest dream is for nobles like you to see a merchant guild named after me."

Foucault gave Kakafil a meaningful look, then lowered his hand, "Kakafil, right? I'll remember your name, you've changed my view of merchants... just like that guy, I hope to see your guild in the mainland someday."

"Thank you for your kind words." Kakafil clasped his fist towards Foucault.

"Let's go, Lange... we should do what we need to do." Foucault tossed the two cotton coats into the Void Pocket and then called Lange to leave.

He felt the need to reflect on himself...

"Yes, young master." Lange took a deep look at Kakafil and finally followed Foucault out of the town entrance.

Watching the two leave, Kakafil smiled and then didn't mind anymore.

"Kedo, repack the goods."

"Yes, boss." The gray dwarf Kedo quickly called and directed the others to get busy.

"After watching the show for so long, my friend—you won't hold a grudge against me, will you?" Kakafil walked up to the mysterious knight and placed a water jug down.

"Interesting... but it has nothing to do with me." The mysterious knight looked up at Kakafil, then indifferently turned his head.

With his keen eyes, he naturally knew what Kakafil had done.

"Haven't eaten in a while, have you?"

Kakafil didn't mind, taking out a piece of gray bread from his bag and a small pouch of jerky from his waist.

He placed them beside the mysterious knight who had turned his head.

"What do you want, if you want my thanks, then save it." The mysterious knight turned his head back.

"Why so many whys, you people are something." Kakafil smiled helplessly, "I can't stand that noble kid giving money everywhere, but I also think this world needs warmth and help."

"Hmph... warmth and help, sounds nice—just satisfying your own emotions." The mysterious knight snorted coldly.

"Hey, buddy, I bet something particularly bad happened to you, making you resent this and that." Kakafil didn't mind, waving his hand.

But his words made the mysterious knight stare at him, "Don't push me to kill you."

"Oh, listen... I didn't mean that, I meant—since it's already happened, don't let it get worse, living is hard enough, why not be happy."

Kakafil said, placing a business card beside the mysterious knight. "This is my card, if you don't mind, you can take it to any border town's Church of Truth and wait for me, I'll show up within a week."

Mysterious knight: "......"

However, Kakafil's previous words seemed to have an effect. After hesitating for a while, the mysterious knight finally picked up the emblem Kakafil had left.

"That's the spirit, you have hands and feet, you can completely restart your life, that's the only way to honor those fallen comrades—the deceased are gone, we the living must be strong, only by living well can we honor those who have left."

Seeing the knight pick up his emblem card, Kakafil finally smiled and turned to leave.

Whether the other party would come was their business, at least it seemed this guy had regained his fighting spirit, which was much better than being dejected.

"Wait! What's your name?" The mysterious knight called out to Kakafil.

Although he had heard Kakafil's self-introduction before, he still chose to ask—because it was an attitude.

An attitude of recognition.

"My name is Kakafil, the future greatest merchant of the borderlands."

Kakafil took off his hat and turned with a smile.

"Kakafil..." The mysterious knight gripped the emblem card and finally stood up.

"Are you going to introduce your name to me?" Kakafil asked with interest, seeing the knight stand up.

"Yes." The knight nodded.

"My name is—Gorler..."

"Gorler... hmm, sounds a bit strange, but nice to meet you."