017 Commodification of Corpses

Logically speaking, the most suitable candidates to manage Karen’s market would have been Flor or Cliff. Both possess the necessary resourcefulness, intellect, and established networks of subordinates. Under their guidance, the market’s operations would have been far smoother than under Ogolen.

However, both Flor and Cliff explicitly stated they had no desire to take over the market. Their primary reason was that Karen had yet to truly secure a firm footing. They were both acutely aware that Karen still had a long road ahead before his position was truly stable. While the trade demands between the Silver Hand and the Bourbon Kingdom allowed the market to open successfully, its growth would inevitably attract covetous eyes. Dorn and his associates were merely the first; others were sure to follow.

Under such circumstances, if Flor or Cliff were to take over, it would be tantamount to openly aligning themselves with Karen. Should any major power decide to target him later, they would be the first to suffer the consequences. Handing the reins to Ogolen, however, presented a different dynamic. It created the illusion that while Flor and Cliff maintained a cooperative relationship with Karen, they were not truly united with him—that Karen did not even trust them enough to let them manage the market, preferring to cultivate his own people from scratch. By fostering this facade, they could even feign a rift between themselves and Karen down the line. If anyone ever moved against him, they would be spared, or perhaps even positioned to act as a wedge against him.

In a sense, this was a grand strategic move by Flor and Cliff, and poor Ogolen was the one who suffered for it. Initially, when Karen lacked prestige in the market, everyone treated him with indifference, causing him endless trouble and grief. Now, thanks to the unintentional assistance of Dorn and his two companions, Karen had finally established his authority. Just as Ogolen was settling into his role as the market overseer, he found himself overwhelmed with work.

Karen, opting for convenience, simply dumped the operational rules designed by Flor, Cliff, and Dorn onto Ogolen, leaving him to handle the fallout. With no staff under his command, Ogolen had to implement everything himself. Just as he was struggling to get things in order, Karen threw another massive project his way: the monetization of "Whispers of the Dead" and "Corpses." Karen had passed this task to Flor and Cliff, who fine-tuned the price list Dorn had provided, and once approved, threw it back at Ogolen. In short, it was the most critical task of all, and Karen demanded immediate implementation.

Upon receiving the order, Ogolen nearly coughed up blood. He couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't killed this bastard Karen back in Dorai Village instead of letting him exploit him like this. But complaints were useless; the work had to be done. With no subordinates to call upon, Ogolen was forced to enlist the help of the Black Iron, a creature Karen had left at the market. A fourth-tier Black Iron possessed significant intelligence, and after some basic training, Ogolen taught it to recognize money and classify the quality of corpses, linking the currency to the "Whispers of the Dead."

Once the training was finally complete, Ogolen had the Black Iron sit at the market entrance with a chest of gold coins, formally beginning the exchange. It was a somewhat perfunctory arrangement, but Ogolen had no other choice. Whether Karen was satisfied or not was beyond his control.

To Ogolen’s surprise, however, his makeshift solution had an immeasurable impact. Merchants are, above all else, sensitive to profit. Wherever the scent of gain lingers, they will go, regardless of how desolate the location or how desperate the measures required. Ever since Dorn had first proposed the monetization of "Whispers of the Dead" and corpses, many merchants had been tempted. These items were worthless elsewhere, and this new channel offered a chance to turn nothing into gold.

Countless merchants had been waiting for Karen’s next move. When the Black Iron appeared, clutching a chest full of gold coins, it ignited their desires even further. That very day, over a dozen merchants ordered their respective guilds to begin collecting "Whispers of the Dead" in bulk. Clearly, while greedy, they were not yet reckless enough to trade in corpses, preferring to test the waters with the whispers first.

Not all merchants were so cautious. Among them, there was no lack of those willing to gamble. While most were focused on the whispers, one human merchant from the Bourbon Kingdom had a more radical idea. His name was Bailey, and he hailed from a city east of the City of the Moon. He was among the weakest of the merchants currently at the market. To make matters worse, his guild was on the brink of bankruptcy following a string of failed ventures. He had rushed to Karen’s market hoping to find a lifeline, but for days, he had found no opportunity. As a newcomer with limited resources, he had been met with cold shoulders everywhere.

Just as he was about to give up, Karen’s decision to monetize the whispers and corpses appeared. For Bailey, the drowning man, this was a final straw he could grasp, and he threw every ounce of his remaining energy into making the most desperate gamble of his life.