Starting point

Walking back through the streets she continued to look around until she went back near her room once more.

Alf was following behind and noticed that she was lost in thought so did not disturb her.

Upon stopping back at the place where they were staying, Ki turned around and then looked as if she had come to a decision.

She entered her room and looked to be messing around with some things that were barely noticeable and began to move them around.

The traps she had set up were quickly dismantled and then she stepped inside to pick up the boxes and bags she had brought along with herself during her journey one by one and piled them up in front of the door. "There is a note with the listed prices which these items should be sold or traded for. For now I hope that they can be traded for things only seen in the north whether they be ice attribute herbs, the daughters that have been abandoned by their families and sold, various trapped beasts that have been captured or any special types of ores that have been found. Animals I would most prefer a breed of domesticated snow dogs, reindeer, antelopes, arctic foxes or birds or snow wolves that are still young and easier to tame. Any other items like blocks of ice and animal pelts or meat from fresh kills can also be traded it they are well preserved."

Ki wished to get a hold of more animals for to make use of the beast contract to boost the overall strength of people that she was raising.

The ice attribute herbs would be useful in making various poisons, medicines, wine, tea and also pills used to boost ice attribute martial artists qi.

Purchasing or trading the young and unwanted females was to gain more manpower to raise more workers or martial artists for the family or for future plans.

The meat could later be used as a part of a specialty dish in the Wolfden city restaurant to help increase the customers interest in the north and the beasts there while the pelts would be used to make various kinds of clothing.

Alf nodded and spoke. "So how do you want to handle the unmarked bag?"

Ki replied calmly. "Use them as a gift to the various supporting group heads of the merchant union to show our products and let them use or test them personally. This way we get to build our relationship further but at the same time we are able to use them to promote our products for when I have opened up a place of my own."

In order for there to be some interest in the things she was selling she needed someone else to use them first who had some influence and they had to guarantee that it was worth what they had paid for others to wish to purchase it.

Once word of mouth spreads about the products it will be much easier to start up a store or something else within the city and also within the capital but for now her focus was making her place in slate city stable.

With Alf's assistance and many other groups offering to partner up or assist her, she did not feel as if she was going to fail.

She had so many things that they desperately needed and she only had a need for a few things that they had so she could use this to make her own plans move forward.

She thought for a moment and then spoke once more. "If possible try to contact someone for me who can purchase the land that has either been abandoned or is barely being managed that is close to the border and also look for a suitable store or building that can be used as a small restaurant, clothing store and a herbal based store that is able to tend to patients and sell various products that I have shown previously."

The lands by the border were not as affected by the cold environment as bad as any other places so it would not be difficult to restore the lands to make it suitable for farming.

The main problem was finding and sending manpower to begin the project and also maintaining the security so that it does not get destroyed or the grown crops do not get robbed.

As a place closest to the border many lands had been abandoned even if fertile because it is a potential danger zone for groups to pass through that either wish to invade the north and cause trouble or they wish to pass into the central lands but during conflicts the average people living close by get swept up in any of the battles so are forced to flee elsewhere.

Since Ki had seen the poorly maintained villages on the way to slate city she could tell that not that many people were skilled in raising crops in the cold environment so they had to rely on hunting, raising livestock, fishing and spear fishing in order to live.

If a farmland along with some stores could be established in the north then more resources will be available to directly trade and Ki would also be able to spend some of the spare money she had and get rid of some of the things she found no use for from the flame emperors tomb.

If she can gain further control of the border then the option to trade and transport cattle and other livestock would become available.

Many things could help improve the northerners way of life, secure more land and power for Ki but also help create more influence for herself and the family while also stopping any signs of war that may break out that would be caused by the northerners desperate state.

All this would begin with a single meeting and then would slowly take shape over time if everything went according to plan but even the best laid plans encounter some resistance so she had to be careful.

On her way back she had noticed a few watchful and unfriendly pairs of eyes.