Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 390 Coral Courtyard
“The church, the governor’s office, and the Gulf Chamber of Commerce.”

"These three forces are like three cables twisted together, pulling the big ship of Suoyu Bay."

"Sometimes when they exert their force in different directions, the boat rocks violently; occasionally when they exert their force together, the boat moves faster."

"But at least most of the time, they know that sinking the ship would not benefit anyone, so overall they are relatively stable."

"As for those of us crammed on deck and in the cabins..."

Paddy grinned, revealing his slightly chipped and yellowed teeth.

"The greatest skill is to learn to find food in the gaps between the planks, to hold on tight when the ship is rocking so as not to be thrown overboard, and to stay away when the cables are taut so as not to get caught."

Listening to the small businessman's introduction, Xia Nan's face showed a thoughtful expression.

The power distribution in Suoyu Bay is now clear.

The Governor's Office controlled order and power, the Church manipulated faith and divine authority, and the Gulf Chamber of Commerce controlled the economy and trade.

Although the three often clash for various reasons, they are all bound together by the same goal and share common interests. After years of working together, they are unlikely to have any major conflicts.

With their own support and the rich resources accumulated over the years, these three organizations together control almost 95 percent of the resources in the entire Suoyu Bay.

Anyone who wants to make a living in this bay port city will inevitably come into contact with them.

Even those homeless people who couldn't afford to eat, if they chose to beg near the shops of the Chamber of Commerce, the generous "gentlemen" would casually give them a handful of copper coins, which would be enough for them to live a good life for a while.

Needless to say, their relationship with the governor's guards responsible for maintaining street order and the church that frequently distributed supplies was also very close.

In the entire Harbor Bay, relatively speaking, the only one who can remain somewhat uninvolved with these three forces is probably an adventurer like Xia Nan, who has relatively low material desires.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, Xia Nan raised an eyebrow and asked Paddy beside her:
"The Adventurers' Guild? I remember there should be a branch of the guild in Barracuda Bay, right?"

What are its relationships with these other three forces?

In terms of both sphere of influence and sheer size, the Adventurers' Guild is undoubtedly a colossal behemoth that completely overwhelms the three forces currently controlling Barracuda Bay.

The Gulf Chamber of Commerce, a merchant organization mainly engaged in economic and trade activities in the coastal region, is not worth mentioning.
The Governor's Office is the local administrative body of the Kingdom of Servia. It's not even a place for the governor of a small seaport; even their king wouldn't be considered a high-ranking official there.

As for the church, it was a disorganized mess, unable to resolve the conflicts of faith among its members and the filth between gods. If any conflict arose, the so-called "heretics" who were hostile to the church would take action on their own without the association even having to take the initiative.

In this situation, even though Barracuda Bay has a branch of the Adventurers' Guild, it is excluded from the major powers, so there can only be one reason:
It doesn't care.

It could even be a power struggle in which someone voluntarily withdraws.

Suddenly recalling what she had learned in River Valley Town about the association's style and organizational structure, Xia Nan had a vague answer in her mind after asking the question.

Paddy's answer was exactly what he had guessed.

"Adventurers' Guild..." The middle-aged man with gray hair and beard looked up at Xia Nan's face with some caution, carefully choosing his words, "Mr. Xia Nan, you certainly know more than I do."

"The association itself has its own resource channels, and compared to the port's interests, it should care more about developing and cultivating adventurers."

"They will generally not get involved in disputes within Barracuda Bay, and the other three major powers will also tacitly exercise restraint and reduce contact when it comes to matters related to the Adventurers' Guild."

The Adventurers' Guild is more like a platform for adventurers to interact than an "organization," and this doesn't change just because it moved from Riverdale to Barracuda Bay. It rarely participates actively in the power struggles of the local forces, nor would it mobilize its core members for some trivial benefit.

As before, it simply provides a platform for adventurers operating near Barracuda Bay to accept quests and earn bounties.

This relieved Xia Nan.

He came to Suoyu Bay primarily for two purposes:
Trade the [Tidal Surge Lure] and search for the [Dream Corridor] key.

I might take on a few more commissions in between to earn some extra money for food.

It would be best to avoid getting involved in the conflicts between local forces.

"Take me to the Adventurers' Guild first, I'd like to familiarize myself with the way."

Seeing that Paddy had finished introducing the general forces in Barracuda Bay, Xia Nan made a suggestion at the right time.

"of course can!"

The middle-aged man nodded repeatedly and led Xia Nan and Colin to the other side of the street.

……

The Adventurers' Guild branch is located in the Cormorant District, which is quite a distance from where Xia Nan and the others are currently.

Paddy couldn't just lead the way without saying anything.

Along the way, he also introduced Xia Nan to the noteworthy buildings and shops along the road.

"This is 'Silverfrost Cellar,' which sells some local vegetables and fruits. If you like to cook for yourself, you can come here to buy them. The prices are reasonable for the saltwater area, and the freshness is guaranteed if you come in the morning."

"This is 'Xili Textile Shop,' which sells affordable everyday clothing and also offers custom-made services. The outfit I'm wearing was bought from their shop. If you think the clothing stores in Luzi District and Baiya District are too expensive and don't want to spend that much money, you can consider this one."

"After that……"

Paddy paused involuntarily, and even slowed his pace.

The gaze directed toward the street carried a strange undertone.

Xia Nan followed the gaze.

What comes into view is a three-story building with exquisite and luxurious decorations, while clearly highlighting its functionality.

The exterior walls were painted a pale red with an unknown material, and all the windows were fitted with blurry stained glass. Under the ever-burning orange and dark purple lights inside, the blurry figures moving around in the glass took on an ambiguous and unclear appearance. The porch was supported by two coral-colored stone pillars carved into a spiral shape, with two specially made small lanterns shaped like seashells hanging at the top. Several voluptuous women with heavy makeup greeted and solicited customers in front of the door.

The lettering on the sign above the main entrance is made of coral branches, with some curves and tiny pearl particles embedded in the edges.

It looked somewhat like some kind of artistic lettering. After a while, Xia Nan finally managed to recognize the building's name:

——"Coral Garden".

　I'm a bit late today, so I'll post one chapter first. The other chapter will be posted around 1 a.m.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)