Chapter 104. Shady Trade (4)

The chief's gaze fixed on the contents inside the chest.

Tears were falling from his eyes.

"A silver-shining barrel, a wooden body. Is this the cursed weapon that killed nearly a thousand of our warriors?"

Instead of answering that question with words, I nodded.

The chief gestured to gather others including the warrior chief.

They too looked over the guns in the chest and shed tears.

Some more sensitive ones even cried loudly like grown men.

I asked Abdullah quietly what they were saying:

"I can't tell well because too many are speaking at once, but from what I hear, they're saying this terrible weapon that shot and killed our comrades has come into their hands. While some are sad, others are rejoicing that they won't be one-sidedly victimized anymore."

Actually, in wilderness survival situations, bows and arrows are much more useful than matchlock guns.

They make almost no sound, and the time to shoot is much shorter.

The range is also over 3 times farther.

However, the reason matchlock guns changed history is that, with slight exaggeration, anyone can use them, and the power of each shot was tremendous.

'Unless it's armor made of steel, it'll be pierced in one shot.'

Also, armor made of steel easily costs more than a year's living expenses for 20 serf households.

So for lower knight families, it's the 'asset number 1' passed down for generations.

After the excitement of the chief and others subsided, we were able to continue our conversation.

"We showed an unsightly appearance."

"Not at all, rather it's an honor that you're so pleased."

If they like it this much, it's good for me because I can raise the price a bit more.

It was worth coming all this way with such effort.

"Let me ask one more thing. Can this pierce this armor too?"

At the chief's signal, armor presumed to be worn by soldiers under the Nador governor came out.

Typical Sultanate-style plate armor made of chains and iron plates.

"Those bastards put soldiers armored in such iron armor at the forefront to kill us, plunder, and kidnap us as slaves. We try to fight back somehow but... our arrows can't pierce their armor."

One of the common misconceptions we have is that crossbow arrows can pierce plate armor.

In reality, it's said that crossbow arrows can't even scratch armor, let alone pierce it.

Much less with bows that have weaker draw strength than crossbows.

'Unless arrows enter through gaps in the armor.'

That's why armored knights could reign as masters of the battlefield before gunpowder appeared.

But what if massive kinetic energy from gunpowder explosions is added to heavy 'lead bullets'?

Any decent armor would definitely be pierced.

"Let me show you the power directly."

When selling things, you usually give samples to taste and test drives.

You need that level of sincerity for customers to buy things, no customer satisfaction service exists for nothing in any company.

No matter how nomadic and slightly uncivilized this Botswana tribe is, they're our guests, so it's polite to serve them so well they're not just moved but faint.

"Please gather all the tribe people. I'll show you myself."

**

"Then I'll pierce this armor in one shot."

As soon as my words ended, the gazes of all these tribal warriors fixed on me.

It's burdensome, but let's think of it as being on stage.

First put gunpowder in the barrel, then paper and bullet in order, and ram it in with an iron rod.

Then put gunpowder in the powder pan and firing preparation is complete.

"There will be a loud noise, so please cover your ears, Chief."

With those words, I shot at the armor.

The armor couldn't withstand the physical force of the lead bullet and was pierced.

Seeing that, the tribespeople looked at the armor without saying anything.

"Chief, what do you think now?"

Hearing my words, the chief nodded vigorously.

"100, no 500 guns! I'll buy 500 guns! What would you like as payment? Ivory? Lion skins, or would you prefer gold?"

Ivory or lion skins would be good too.

We can't receive the entire payment in those, but if we receive some in those and sell them to nobles, we could make a huge profit.

'Especially lion skins would be no joke.'

They would become decorative items symbolizing power, so without exaggeration, if we control the quantity well and sell them, couldn't we sell them for about the same weight in 'silver'?

"One matchlock gun including 20 bullets for 25g of gold, if you give ivory it's 5 guns per tusk, for lion skins it's 2 guns."

Compared to selling to the Nador governor, it's inflating the price over 3 times.

But I need to receive a shipping fee for secretly transporting goods all the way here?

Of course, even though it's a bit inconvenient to come here, the cost of goods only increases by at most 10%...

It's common sense that when flour prices rise by 100 won, jajangmyeon prices rise by 500 won.

Our chief's brow furrowed.

"Isn't that too expensive? At the nearby market..."

At traditional markets, buyers have the upper hand, but I'm the only one bringing and selling goods here.

So it's all up to me no matter what price I sell at.

"Then I won't sell it if you don't want it. But I'm worried whether you'll be able to buy at the market if you don't buy now."

If matchlock guns and gunpowder were sold at the market, these gentlemen would have tried their best to obtain them somehow.

So they would have had a few guns, and wouldn't have been so surprised.

'That's why a poker face is important when trading.'

If you show all your cards, I can torment you thoroughly seeing those cards.

These friends lack negotiation skills because they only have allied tribes around to talk to.

I should teach them with a generous heart, receiving only appropriate tuition.

"Everyone pack up. Let's go somewhere else."

With those words, as we packed up, the chief grabbed my hand.

"Alright, 500 guns! I'll buy 500 guns at the price you demanded."

Even 500 guns is only about 10 kg of gold.

Of course, the value of gold is very high in our Albania continent...

'I didn't come all this way just to make this much profit.'

"Hmm, but we might be able to give you a special discount."

"How will you discount it?"

"If you let other tribes know that we're selling guns, we'll give them to you for about 18g of gold. Moreover, we'll give you 2g of gold every time another tribe buys guns through your introduction."

The sales structure I created is called multi-level marketing in technical terms.

It's a somewhat unfamiliar term in the Albania continent, no, this world.

But the effect will be perfect, no, 100,000 points.

Just by 'introducing' to others, you can get a 10% discount on 'matchlock guns' and bullets that are expensive but definitely become a measure of power?

With a 10% incentive on top of that, how could you resist this?

"But if we hand over matchlock guns to other tribes, they'll become strong too. What if they build up their power and point swords at us?"

What else but an endless state of struggle, in sophisticated terms, a state of struggle of all against all (nature)?

But aren't you in no position to leisurely consider what will happen in the future now?

"It's not my place as an outsider to say this, but can you really defeat those evil Nador bastards in your current state? Those guys are trying their best to kill Chief Botswana and capture tribespeople as slaves. That's why you've lost your herds now and are gradually being pushed out of your living grounds."

Of course, I'm partly responsible for causing that situation.

If I hadn't sold weapons, the Botswana tribe's people wouldn't have been dying.

I just didn't shoot bullets at them directly.

"If you're pushed back one more step from here, you'll have no choice but to die. Of course, other tribes' situations would be similar."

The Nador region, no, the Nador governor is practically the same as a 'king of an independent country'.

It means he has power, wealth, and military strength befitting that.

A single tribe's power can't match up.

"No matter how strong a lion is, it can't recklessly attack a herd of buffaloes. It would only die from being kicked or trampled by the buffalo herd."

In Africa, herbivores don't form huge herds for nothing.

They die if separated from the herd, and live if they stick together, that's why.

"And Chief Botswana. If you unite everyone and successfully block 'Nador' bastards in war, how do you think other tribes will view you?"

The principles of formation for tribes, cities, and countries are all the same when you look at it.

It's not that I serve someone because I want to serve, but I pay taxes and serve because I don't know what will happen to me right away if I don't serve.

"As long as the Nador bastards don't disappear, they'll want to rely on 'Chief Botswana'."

"Is it similar to me being revered as chief by everyone?"

As expected of someone who's a chief, he's very intelligent.

"I'm the chief of a very small tribe, in our words, a baron. The king of the Kingdom of Granada is a great chief who leads numerous small chiefs."

"Great chief, no king... king... me a king..."

"I'll help you, Chief."

Instead of answering my words, the chief nodded vigorously.

"So how long will it take to consult with other tribes?"

"A week will do. Wait a bit until then."

And with that, the chief left leading several warriors.