r18novel Chapter 255 All Spices
Chapter 255 All Spices
Chapter 255 All Spices
The New World is nothing but forest. Leo has been following these green-eyed people through the forest for a long time, but he has never found any sign that they are about to leave the forest.
He didn't know exactly how big the forest was, let alone how much it represented of the entire New World.
But he could only follow.
The green-eyed man wouldn't allow Leo to bring more people, only agreeing to let Leo and Daniel, who acted as his translator, travel together.
Leo didn't have much of an opinion on this, since no one else could help him anyway.
Those sailors were all temporary employees of Leo; they had no loyalty to him, and you couldn't expect them to have any skills other than sailing.
Therefore, his life is now in the hands of these green-eyed people, and he dares not do anything that might provoke them.
However, compared to Leo's cautiousness, Daniel was much more relaxed.
He would occasionally strike up a conversation with the green-eyed man, and his tone was quite humorous when he spoke to Leo.
It was as if he were a child under ten years old, curious about everything, and wanting to know the truth about everything.
Of course, Leo knew Daniel's reasons, so it wasn't entirely incomprehensible.
The premise is that Daniel wasn't lying.
Daniel said he wanted to draw a map of the New World.
Then let your name, along with this map, be passed down through the ages.
If he could truly draw a topographical map of the New World, his name would indeed be recorded in history.
However, Daniel rarely encounters people with such clear ambitions, so he has to question the veracity of Daniel's words.
However, assuming he truly had such an ideal, then his desire to understand everything about the New World would seem perfectly natural.
On the other hand, Daniel was never Leo's subordinate; they were just business partners. Leo had no right to interfere with whatever Daniel wanted to do.
Right now, the group of ten people are all riding on deer.
There seem to be no horses in the New World, so deer became the common mount in this land.
These deer were clearly domesticated, and they offered almost no resistance when Leo mounted them.
The deer was brought from a tribe of green-eyed people.
The green-eyed man named Passamacodi appears to be not only the chief of the green-eyed tribe, but the great chief of the tribal confederation.
The difference between the two is like that between a king and a lord in a kingdom.
It was only then that Leo realized he was dealing with people of such high status.
When Passamakodi asked to lead the reindeer, the tribal chief did not refuse and simply led them to the barn.
Then, Passamacodi personally selected ten deer.
This gives a glimpse into just how high Passamacodi's prestige is.
After that, no matter which tribe their group visited, they were all warmly received.
It was precisely because they were with Passamacodi that, although most of the green-eyed people were inevitably hostile towards Leo and Daniel, no one dared to directly make things difficult for them.
Of course, it's not every day that you can find a Green-Eyed People tribe to stay in.
If they are still far from the next tribe after a day's journey, they have no choice but to camp in the forest.
It was at this moment that Leo suddenly realized that even the green-eyed people were wary of the forest.
They never go straight to sleep after nightfall.
The basic steps of tying up the deer and putting away the luggage go without saying.
Passamakodi would always send two people to scout out the area around the forest.
Only after they returned would he arrange for night watch and the team be able to rest.
Daniel asked them for their reasons.
He then relayed the green-eyed man's reasons to Leo.
The green-eyed people seem to believe that the forest is the source of power and the origin of all life.
But in the forest, there also exist many evil things.
They are diseases of the forest, and even the forest is helpless against them.
As ordinary people, the only option was to avoid it.
But when Leo asked what the specific danger was, Daniel just shrugged.
He told Leo that even the green-eyed man couldn't figure out the problem.
That's why people with green eyes are so cautious.
The Green-Eyed People have lived on this continent for countless years, but until now, they have never ruled the forest.
Are the green-eyed people simply incapable of conquering? Or is this forest truly treacherous and unpredictable?
Leo wasn't sure, but at least until now, he hadn't witnessed any danger.
You could say the green-eyed people were well-prepared, but people are always like that—they only believe what they see with their own eyes.
Besides, Leo is a businessman. If he believes everything he hears without verifying the information he receives, it won't be long before he...
He will lose everything.
Leo heard that the new gate city had been under construction for many years.
However, the people of the Eastern world have never ventured deep into the forests, but have only stayed along the coastline.
Perhaps this can be considered evidence that proves the dangers of forests.
In any case, it was definitely a tough journey.
Leo wasn't used to riding deer, but these green-eyed people had no intention of accommodating him and carried him swiftly through the forest.
Moreover, there are at least sixteen hours a day spent moving forward.
They would only stop when it got so dark they could no longer see anything.
Leo could sense that they seemed very eager to get back to somewhere.
In short, this had been going on for more than ten days, and Leo felt he was reaching his limit.
It was noon.
They were currently in a place that seemed quite south, so even in winter, Leo could still feel a bit of heat.
The deer ridden by Leo and Daniel were in the very middle of the procession.
Leading the way is Passamacodi, who is the leader of this team.
Several boxes were hanging on the deer belonging to the green-eyed people following behind him.
Leo knew what was in those boxes—gunheads.
This was purchased by Leo for these people; Leo even contributed some gold himself.
But this is the necessary price to gain the trust of the Green-Eyed People, and as a businessman, Leo prefers to call this behavior an "investment".
Passamacodi initially seemed to want to buy a longsword, but Leo suggested that buying a spearhead would be much more cost-effective.
A spearhead requires far less metal than a sword, making it much cheaper.
Moreover, in actual combat, a spear is more practical than a sword.
They can make gun barrels of suitable length according to their own needs.
Green-eyed people may not know how to work with metal, but they should at least know how to cut off the ends of metal.
But in reality, these green-eyed people still haven't figured out what truly has value.
Compared to weapons, armor is often the most expensive equipment on an elite infantryman.
A set of exquisite armor would cost at least several gold coins.
Of course, Leo didn't need to remind them.
If they demanded that Leo provide several sets of armor as collateral, then Leo's deal with these people would likely fall apart from the start.
Suddenly, Daniel rode the deer next to Leo and said with a smile:
"Your Excellency Gibson, the High Chief says we are almost at our destination."
Leo looked at Daniel and couldn't help but complain:
"You seem to have had a very enjoyable trip."
"Ha! It's always better to be happy than sad," Daniel spread his left hand. "Besides, you know why I came to this land. There are new things everywhere here; it's like paradise to me."
"So, there's been progress?" Leo asked.
"Of course, I already have a general understanding of the places we've passed through on this trip."
"I'm afraid there will inevitably be mistakes," Leo said. "This trip isn't a straight line; even a slight deviation in direction could lead to huge errors."
"You're right, but look at this."
As he spoke, Daniel took out a small object.
Leo recognized it immediately: "A levitation compass?"
“That’s right!” Daniel grinned. “You can’t do without this when drawing a map. I take it out every now and then to check the orientation, which is why I’m so sure.”
Leo shook his head: "So, you really did come prepared."
"There's nothing we can do about it. You can't achieve your ideals with a half-hearted attitude."
Hearing this, Leo didn't comment further.
He nodded and said, "The green-eyed man said how much longer it will take to get there."
"I'm not sure, they said it would definitely arrive today," Daniel replied.
Leo only hoped that the green-eyed man's judgment was accurate, as Leo's body was already beyond repair.
About an hour later, a tribe suddenly appeared in the forest.
The size of this tribe was on a completely different level from those Leo had seen before.
Leo even saw the standards of a small Eastern town here.
Of course, the houses here are generally rudimentary, given the huge gap in technological capabilities.
Leo discovered that when their group entered the village, the residents knelt down and worshipped Passamakodi.
Clearly, this is Passamakodi's own tribe.
Passamakodi didn't tell them to get up, but simply accepted the worship of the crowd as if nothing was wrong.
Leo followed in the group, moving forward under Passamacodi's leadership.
As soon as they reached the center of the tribe, Leo saw a woman running towards them.
The woman was short and rather wide-set, and not particularly pretty.
The woman was also holding a baby in her arms, who appeared to be less than six months old.
Just as Leo was wondering about the woman's identity, Passamacodi suddenly dismounted.
He spoke a few words with the woman, then took the baby from her arms.
And, unusually, a smile appeared on Rio's face in Passamacodi.
After handing over the baby, the woman walked past Passamacodi.
He scanned the entire group with his eyes, as if searching for someone.
Ultimately, her self-illumination lingered on Leo and Daniel.
The woman stared at the two of them for a moment, then frowned, turned and walked toward Passamacodi.
She seemed to question Passamacodi a few times, but Passamacodi did not answer.
He simply returned the baby to the woman, then got back on the deer and led the herd onward.
The woman roared in the direction of the Passamacoti, but the Passamacoti remained unmoved.
At this moment, Daniel said to Leo:
"That seems to be his sister."
Upon hearing this, Leo immediately thought:
"And that conman is Passamacodi's brother-in-law!"
Daniel nodded slightly, offering no further explanation.
Looking at the woman before him, Leo knew that she must be the swindler's wife.
The baby in the woman's arms is likely the child she had with the conman.
Leo didn't know what the swindler's current situation was, but he figured that the swindler would probably never return to this continent in his lifetime.
The woman was eventually left behind at the back of the group and began to cry out helplessly.
Leo could only shake his head slightly. This was ultimately a man's world. Women could do nothing but cry and beg for pity.
Finally, Passamakodi led everyone to the foot of a larger house.
He gave the order in a low voice, and then led everyone down from the deer.
Leo and Daniel's deer were soon taken over by the green-eyed people here.
The two then followed Passamacodi into the house.
The house was very simple; it didn't even have a table.
Place these straw mats in the very center.
In the middle of the straw mat, there was a grayish-brown fur draped over it.
The fur was very large, and Leo guessed it was either a bear skin or the skin of some kind of creature found only in the New World.
Passamacodi said something, which Daniel translated as telling them to sit down.
Leo and Daniel sat down opposite Passamacodi, and then someone immediately came to Passamacodi to report.
Passamacodi nodded, and then the man walked away.
The conversation began with Daniel translating.
Passamakodi spoke first: "This trip was very rushed, do you need to rest first?"
Leo immediately refused: "Businessmen never get tired of business negotiations."
Passamacodi nodded slightly:
"My men just told me that they collected spices from various tribes while I was away. In addition to the ten that Chris saw, the tribes now have another ten stored there."
Leo has investigated all ten spices that the swindler brought to the East, and they are:
White pepper, black pepper, horseradish, oregano, rosemary, sesame, heavenly grains, cardamom, cloves, water pepper, tamarind, Sichuan pepper.
The names of these spices were clearly given by the swindler.
In that case, the ten new spices also need new names.
Leo said, "I want to see those ten new spices."
Passamakodi nodded, then ordered his men to bring the spices.
Before long, ten spices were placed in front of Leo.
After examining each of the spices, Leo named them one by one:
Ginger, chili pepper, licorice root, cinnamon, nutmeg, Sichuan peppercorns, bay leaves, Sichuan peppercorns, fennel seeds, cumin.
If it was that swindler who brought spices to the East, he ultimately failed to establish a spice trade route.
Now, however, Leo is about to take the remaining ten spices to the East.
He was a businessman, and he was confident that he could truly open up the spice trade.
With that in mind, Leo entered negotiation mode.
He narrowed his eyes, his gaze cold and stern, and leaned forward slightly.
"Let me hear your terms—"