Lion-Man David

"I think you should buy up all the shops nearby and break down the walls. You could also consider demolishing some buildings," Agif suggested thoughtfully.

Having seen Corvinus discussing cooperation with her brother, she knew that whether it was for sugar production or brewing, Corvinus was clearly preparing for something big. However, while the backyard was spacious enough, it would not be conducive for long-term development or expansion.

"Buy them all?" Corvinus was taken aback.

"That must be quite expensive, right?" He looked at Agif, unsure of the local property prices, and whether the nearby shop owners would even be willing to sell.

"This area is on the outskirts of the East District, far from the main street, so foot traffic is sparse. Otherwise, why would I sell my shop? It's because it's not profitable, and most of the shops nearby are in the same situation. As long as you offer a little more, I doubt anyone would refuse," Agif explained.

Now that she was Corvinus's woman, she naturally wanted to help him by offering ideas and becoming a supportive partner.

She understood that relying solely on feelings wouldn't last long; she had to make herself indispensable or gain some power in the relationship. Only then would the man in front of her not be able to live without her.

"Is that so?" Corvinus nodded, acknowledging that the foot traffic was indeed low.

However, aside from the money he had brought back from the tribe, he didn't have much left.

Especially now, neither sugar production nor brewing had turned a profit yet, and he had already spent quite a bit.

Buying up the nearby properties would be impossible without a few thousand gold coins.

"There's no rush; let's wait and see!" Corvinus smiled.

However, buying up the nearby shops was indeed a good idea.

Agif nodded, her fiery red hair dancing in the wind.

"Well, I should head home now!"

"Home?" Corvinus was taken aback, pausing in his instructions to the werewolves building the stoves.

"What, are you going to miss me?" Agif asked playfully, her flawless cheeks showing a teasing expression.

Corvinus smiled and waved her off, signaling for her to go home.

He was surprised mainly because Agif was choosing to go home on her own.

This woman usually didn't return until dark!

"Hmph! Silly boy..." Agif pouted her lips and left the backyard with a hint of annoyance.

...

"Make the soil a bit thicker here!"

"And here too!"

Corvinus looked at the ten earthen stoves that were about to take shape, feeling quite satisfied. These guys were learning quickly; in many places, he didn't even need to speak, and they could complete the tasks on their own.

"Young master, there are people outside asking to see you!" Suddenly, a boar man rushed in and respectfully said to Corvinus.

"Who are they?" Corvinus asked.

"They say they're all wine merchants and request to meet you, sir," the boar man guard replied.

Wine merchants?

Corvinus's eyes lit up. Could it be that fox-man, Gando?

But was he really that quick to act?

Corvinus hurried out of the backyard and arrived at the front door, where a familiar face appeared before him.

It was indeed Gando, the fox-man.

Behind him were about ten orcs, all dressed like wealthy merchants.

"Ah, Gando! Please come in!"

"All of you, please come in!" Corvinus quickly invited.

"Too kind, too kind!" Gando waved his hands repeatedly. Given Corvinus's status as a brewer, he felt he had to show respect, even reverence.

Although he was a wine shop owner, he had his own ambitions. It was only after learning that Corvinus was a brewer that his ambitions began to take shape.

Knowing a brewer was a golden opportunity to become a major wine merchant.

Soon, Gando and the eleven orc merchants took their seats.

Among these eleven orc merchants, six were fox-people, which clearly indicated the high proportion of fox-people among orc merchants.

The remaining five were two werewolves, a cat-person, a rabbit-person, and a lion-person.

To be honest, Corvinus was quite surprised.

He had seen cat-people and rabbit-people before, especially in the mixed environment of Canyon City. He had encountered them many times.

But this was the first time he had seen a lion-person.

Orcs had existed in an orc empire thousands of years ago, albeit in a tribal form.

At that time, the orc king had a very high level of control over the orc tribes.

Only two major races had produced orc kings: the tiger-people and the lion-people.

Thus, these two races were also referred to as the orc royal families.

Of course, other races no longer recognized this.

Cat-people and fox-people were about the same height, while rabbit-people were only about one meter tall, which Corvinus found quite small.

But the imposing lion-person in front of him was even taller than Corvinus, probably close to three meters high.

However, when Corvinus used the system to investigate, he found that the lion-person was only a sixth-tier warrior, not particularly strong.

After all, freaks like his brother-in-law Fisher were still rare.

"This is Mr. Corvinus, who is also a brewer!" Gando quickly introduced.

"Master Corvinus, hello! My name is David Templeton, and I am a wine merchant. I heard from Gando that you have new wine here. May I taste it?"

Gando glanced at David, then at Corvinus. David's tone clearly carried a hint of skepticism.

Corvinus understood David's meaning.

Among the eleven orc merchants, aside from David, the rest were all wine shop owners like Gando.

And since David was a wine merchant, it indicated that he was quite capable.

"Cabby, go fetch a bottle of white wine and bring me eleven small wine cups!" Corvinus instructed.

"Yes, sir!"

A boar man guard stationed at the entrance quickly responded.

Before long, the boar man guard returned with a wooden wine bottle and a stack of cups.

"Pour wine into each cup!"

The boar man placed the cups on the dining table and quickly filled all eleven cups with wine.

"Please!"

Corvinus sat in his chair, slightly raising his hand to signal them to taste.

All the orcs stared intently at the wooden table filled with wine cups, as the rich aroma of wine filled the air.

Gando was the first to stand up and lift a wine cup.

He had drunk a cup at noon, and now seeing it, his throat was already itching.

As Gando lifted the cup first, the other orcs quickly chose a cup for themselves, including David the lion.

"So fragrant!"

"So rich and smooth, it's incredibly delicious, with an endless aftertaste!!!"

"I can't help but wonder if the wine I sold before was even real wine?"

"Don't say that; I feel the same way!"

...

Instantly, aside from Gando, the expressions of the other orc merchants varied, and they began to praise the wine.

"I'm sorry, Master Corvinus, I apologize for my earlier rudeness!"

"Also, please, I definitely want to collaborate with you. I'm willing to seriously consider any of your cooperation proposals!" David the lion said, setting down his wine cup and immediately rising to bow slightly to Corvinus, speaking sincerely.

At the same time, he felt a bit regretful. Initially, when he heard Gando mention knowing a brewer, he had been skeptical, as brewers were such distant and unattainable figures.

How could someone like that come to a remote place like Canyon City?

Especially after tasting such a unique wine, his skepticism only grew.

If it weren't for his long-standing partnership with Gando, he wouldn't have come at all.