Ray raised an eyebrow, "You joined a merchant league?"
In the ninja world, there was no such thing as a merchant guild. Groups of merchants who allied with one another were called merchant leagues. Essentially, they were similar to a merchant guild, but with greater autonomy.
Leagues are merely alliances that help each other for mutual benefit. In contrast, the merchant guild is a group of merchants that's solely under the merchant guild itself. In a sense, merchant leagues have no leaders.
Kyo laughed and explained the recently invented sealing scrolls. It's safe to say that the three were shocked and wanted to get their hands on sealing scrolls. However, Kyo directly rejected them, even preventing Toji from joining the conversation.
In the end, Ray could only order a batch of sealing scrolls once they were made. The first 10k sealing scrolls will be going to Ray, as per their agreement.
Sealing scrolls aren't that expensive. A single small sealing scroll can be bought for 100 ryo. A medium-sized sealing scroll costs 600 ryo, while larger ones range from 1,000 to 5,000 ryo.
After discussing more about sealing scrolls, Ray finally asked, "So, other than sealing scrolls, what are you here for?"
Sakina stepped forward and began her pitch. "We've heard much about you, Lord Ray. I understand you're fond of rare and exquisite items."
She pulled out a scroll from her sleeve and performed the release hand sign. A singular pure diamond popped out. "We happen to be selling items you have never seen before."
Ray's eyes gleamed, as did his wife's and daughter's. Diamonds weren't rare, especially among the nobility. However, they signified wealth, depending on how much one possessed and how pure they were.
And the diamond before them was the purest they had ever seen. It was crystal clear, its edges sharp and perfectly cut. So flawless was its clarity that it seemed as though it had been carved from solid water.
Miyo, the daughter of Ray, widened her eyes as she whispered, "How beautiful…"
Miyo, a noble lady, was enchanted by the diamond. Within noble circles, most gatherings—especially among women—were little more than opportunities to display newfound wealth. There was little else to entertain them, particularly in the Warring States era.
She tugged her father's sleeve and said, "Father… I want one."
Ray was about to answer when his wife also tugged on his sleeve, "Dear, get me 10."
Ray's eyes couldn't help but twitch, but he quickly ignored the mother and daughter pair and asked, "How much is it? And how many do you have?"
Sakina smiled under her mask, "A single pure diamond would be 2,500,000 ryo. And as for how many we have… We have enough."
Ray smiled knowingly and said, "Fine. Give me 30." He chuckled and explained, "It'll be a great present for my unfilial son and his new wife."
[Note: A pure diamond can go up to 16k+ dollars, which is around 2.5m ryo. Although it's probably more than that, with how big the diamond is.]
Hearing her father's words, Miyo pouted, "Father! I want at least 1! I can probably make a necklace out of it, or even a ring!"
Ray couldn't help but chuckle at her words. She was spoiled, more spoiled than even her older brother. As she was the youngest child and the only daughter in the family, she had been pampered by Ray since birth.
Ray waved his hand and ordered, "Add another 5 diamonds for my daughter." He turned to his daughter with a wry smile, "There, are you happy? Your mother and I will have ten, and you guys can have 5 each."
Miyo nodded like a chick eating, while his wife squealed in excitement from the side.
Sakina smiled and performed the release hand sign, releasing 34 diamonds. Adding the 1 diamond she pulled out earlier, the diamonds totaled 35 diamonds, which cost the Tepei family a substantial sum of 87,500,000 ryo.
Ray let out a sigh as he handed over the ryo. Even though the Tepei family was wealthy and had liquid assets in the billions, eighty-seven million was still a substantial amount—especially when it was only being spent on luxury goods.
Normally, luxury goods bought from other merchants like Kyo wouldn't go above 10 million. This was because most luxury goods, like clothing and low-end diamonds, are only around 5k–800k, depending on what type of product it is..
After Miyo stored her diamonds in a box made of gold, she asked, "Do you guys sell anything else?"
Ray's eyebrow twitched.
Seeing the opportunity, Toji stepped forward and told them about the other goods they were selling. Although they didn't reveal everything, they mentioned emeralds, leather, lanterns that never go out, and soap.
Ray's eyes widened, "Lanterns that never go out?!"
In the current Warring States era, light bulbs have yet to be invented, and even electricity is still in its early stages.
The majority of people, even the nobility, use lanterns and candles during the night. Because of this, most streets become dangerous for most people, and business halts once the sun begins setting.
Toji nodded and pulled a lantern from a scroll, then asked one of his men to light it. Once lit, the lantern gave off a bright glow—brighter than any other lantern.
"So bright…" Miyo whispered.
Ray didn't care how bright it was; he only wanted to know whether it was truly something that does not go out.
Seeing Ray's expression, Toji explained, "This lantern is special. Once it is lit, the only way to put it out is through external force. Even if you were to let it sit in the rain for years, it will still light up like it's brand new."
Ray was skeptical, but if it was really true, then he had no reason not to buy it. And because Kyo knew the merchant guild and was part of it, Ray decided to trust them.
"How much?" Ray asked.
Toji smiled and answered, "Although it's magical, it's fairly cheap. We're willing to sell these for 130 ryo."
In Minecraft, lanterns are expensive, as they require eight iron nuggets and a single torch. However, because of the iron farm, Taro could mass-produce them and had thousands within the merchant guild.
Everyone was shocked, even Kyo. Ray couldn't help but ask, "Are you sure? Something like this…"
Toji simply nodded, which caused Ray to chuckle, "Fine. I'll take 10 thousand of them."
One of Toji's men handed Ray a scroll, and Toji explained, "If you pour chakra into the scroll and perform the release hand sign, it'll unseal the items inside. And inside that scroll are exactly 10 thousand lanterns."
Ray nodded and placed the scroll on the counter. He was a civilian who wasn't trained in ninjutsu. Even though he was rich enough to hire a tutor, he was far too focused on expanding his influence as a noble.
With the 10 thousand lanterns costing 1.3 million ryo, the Tepei family ended up spending 130 million ryo after buying more goods from the merchant guild.
Once everything was finalized, Toji, alongside the merchant guild, went to the party, where they socialized and familiarized themselves with the other merchants and nobles.
Even though the merchant guild members were getting strange looks because of their attire and masks, most people treated them kindly, thanks to Kyo and Ray, who had introduced them to several influential figures.
During the party, Ray ordered many of the servants to place lanterns in certain areas, lighting them up. At first, everyone was confused and wondered why Ray had suddenly placed lanterns everywhere. Once they learned about the magical effects of the lanterns and who sold them, merchants flocked to the merchant guild. Even members of the nobility joined in.
Though most were skeptical, and only a few merchants and nobility bought lanterns, it still earned the merchant guild another 7 million ryo.
Compared to their recent sales, Toji and the others weren't as excited about the seven million. They had expected this outcome, as the merchant guild was still new and lacked renown, so many people didn't believe in the lanterns' effects and thought Ray had been scammed.
However, there was one thing they could all agree on: the lanterns—especially the light they gave off—were beautiful.
Once the sun fully set, the lanterns became beacons of light, illuminating every corner of the estate and inspiring awe among the guests.