Summoner Online: I Became the Tutorial Boss with a 999+ Villainess-Chapter 111: How to set a trap.

The Elder Dragon’s laughter still echoed in the back of Kai’s mind as he ascended through the tunnels, leaving the sealed chamber behind.

It had spoken to him. Acknowledged him. Even laughed.

But the moment Kai had attempted to push the conversation further, to ask its name, its history, or even how long it had been sealed beneath the dungeon, the dragon’s eyes had dimmed.

The amber light flickered once, then twice, and then the massive creature let out a long, shuddering exhale before its head sank back to the stone floor.

It had fallen asleep mid-sentence.

’Figures. It has been dormant for centuries. The fact it woke up at all is already remarkable. Trying to hold a full conversation with it right now would be like interrogating a man who just came out of a ten-year coma.’

He stopped at the mouth of the tunnel and turned to Teriam, who had followed behind him in silence the entire way.

"Seal the area. No one enters that chamber without my direct permission. Not even the Pillars."

Teriam dropped to one knee.

"It shall be done, my Lord."

"And Teriam."

"Yes?"

"Let it rest. Whatever that creature is, it will speak when it is ready. Until then, I do not want it disturbed."

"Understood."

Kai gave the tunnel one last glance before walking away.

The system notification was still hovering at the edge of his vision, the words "New Progression Path Available" blinking faintly like a promise waiting to be claimed.

He dismissed it.

’I will deal with you later. Right now, I have a kingdom to run.’

...

By the time Kai returned to the First Floor, the city of Valdris was alive with its usual controlled chaos.

Skeleton Knights patrolled the streets in disciplined formations. Imps hauled building materials across scaffolding that stretched toward the cavern ceiling. A group of goblins were arguing loudly over who gotto use the new forge bellows first, while Azeal’s soldiers kept the peace with the kind of quiet menace that only undead warriors could project.

Kai walked through the main avenue toward the throne room, his shadow cloak trailing behind him. Lucifer followed in silence, her wings folded tight against her back.

He had barely taken his seat on the throne when the doors opened again.

Leo and Sophia walked in.

They looked tired but carried themselves with the unmistakable energy of people who had good news to deliver.

Leo was holding a leather-bound ledger under his arm, and Sophia had a rolled-up parchment clutched in her hands.

Both of them dropped to one knee before the throne.

"My Lord," Leo began, his voice carrying that familiar blend of nervousness and determination. "We have returned from Rambosa and Gatevally with the latest sales report."

"I have been expecting you."

Leo opened the ledger and ran his finger down the columns.

"The Eye for Eye artifacts have sold out completely across both cities. Every single unit from the last three batches has been purchased. The total revenue from this cycle alone comes to approximately 420,000 Cens."

Sophia unrolled her parchment and held it up.

"Additionally, we have received formal purchase requests from four other cities. Three are within the Kingdom of Traona, and one is from a border town near the Nexus Empire’s territory. The demand is growing faster than we can supply."

Kai leaned back in his throne, his chin resting on his fist.

’420,000 Cens. Combined with what we already have in reserve, the treasury is looking healthy. But healthy is not the same as sustainable. These numbers are impressive, but the current model is fragile. Leo and Sophia are running back and forth between two cities, handling everything from sales to delivery to security. I doubt they can last any longer at this rate.’

"How long did it take you to complete this cycle?" Kai asked.

Leo hesitated.

"Twelve days, my Lord. Six for travel, three for selling in Rambosa, and three more in Gatevally."

"And during those twelve days, the other four cities that sent purchase requests received nothing."

Leo winced. "That is correct."

Kai tapped his finger against the armrest.

’This is the bottleneck. I have the product and the demand. What I do not have is a distribution network. In my old world, this would be the point where a company opens regional offices and hires sales teams. But this is not my old world. The product is being sold from a dungeon full of monsters, and the merchants doing the selling are two humans who look like they have not slept in a week.’

He looked at Leo.

"You have done well. Both of you. But this model will not scale."

Leo’s face fell slightly. "My Lord?"

"You are two people covering an entire kingdom’s worth of demand. The moment a fifth city comes knocking, and a sixth after that, you will collapse under the weight of it. The product does not need better salespeople. It needs a proper trade network."

Sophia nodded slowly, clearly having thought the same thing but unsure how to bring it up.

"What do you propose, my Lord?" Leo asked.

Kai was silent for a moment, his golden eyes staring into the middle distance as the gears in his mind turned.

’A trade guild? Not just Leo running around with sacks of artifacts. An actual, organized guild with merchants stationed in every major city, handling sales, logistics, and security independently. The Undead Market Company needs to stop being a cart and start being a caravan.’

"I want to establish a formal trade guild," Kai said. "An expansion of the Undead Market Company that operates out of both Rambosa and Valdris. Merchants in every city where there is demand. Warehouses stocked and managed locally. Dedicated trade routes with security escorts."

Leo’s eyes widened.

"A full trade guild? My Lord, that would require dozens of merchants, hundreds of thousands of Cens in startup capital, and formal agreements with every city’s Merchant Guild."

"I am aware."

"And..." Leo trailed off, his expression troubled.

"Speak freely."

"My Lord, with all due respect, no human merchant will willingly travel to Valdris. The Jaun Land is known across the continent as monster territory.

Even with the sovereignty agreement, the common people still see this place as a death sentence. If word spreads that the Undead Market Company operates out of a monster city, we would lose every business relationship we have built."

Kai did not react to the words, but internally, he acknowledged the truth of them.

’He is right. That is the fundamental problem. Valdris needs trade to grow, but trade requires merchants, and merchants require the basic guarantee that they will not be eaten alive on the road. No amount of sovereignty agreements will convince a human merchant to walk through the gates of a city run by demons and undead. At least, not yet.’

He closed his eyes.

’But what if they did not know where they were going?’

The thought arrived like a match striking in the dark.

It was devious, manipulative, and exactly the kind of plan that someone who had spent years playing a game about deception and resource management would come up with.

Kai opened his eyes.

"Leo. Sophia. Return to your quarters and rest. You have earned it."

"My Lord?"

"I will handle the recruitment personally."

Leo and Sophia exchanged a confused glance but knew better than to question their lord’s decisions. They bowed and exited the throne room.

The moment they were gone, Kai stood from his throne.

’Time to become Aron again.’

...

Two days later. Rambosa City.

The city had changed since the fall of Duke Eloit.

The scars from the dragon attack were still visible in places. Collapsed buildings, scorched walls, and empty lots where homes used to stand. But the people of Rambosa were resilient, and reconstruction was well underway.

More importantly, the political landscape had shifted.

With the Duke gone and King Desmond’s authority extending directly over the city through a temporary governor, the merchant district had experienced a renaissance of sorts.

New shops were opening. Trade was booming. And at the center of it all, the Undead Market Company had become one of the most recognizable names in the city.

Kai walked through the main gate in his Aron disguise.

Black suit, black mask, hands in his pockets. The persona of the mysterious merchant who had single-handedly killed four dragons and saved the city was, at this point, more famous than most nobles.

People pointed.

’Being famous is inconvenient. But in this case, it is also useful.’

He made his way to the Merchant Guild Hall, a large stone building near the center of the merchant district. The interior was bustling with activity.

Merchants filed paperwork at the counters, argued over trade permits, and haggled with guild officials over tax rates.

Kai ignored all of them and walked straight to the notice board at the back of the hall.

He pulled a folded piece of parchment from his coat and pinned it to the board with a clean, decisive motion. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

The notice read:

"FRONTIER TRADE OPPORTUNITY. The Undead Market Company is seeking experienced merchants, caravan drivers, and trade specialists for a new settlement venture. Generous compensation. Housing provided. Exclusive access to high-demand artifacts. Interested parties should report to the Undead Market Company warehouse in Rambosa within five days. Inquire with Leo or Sophia for details. Endorsed by Aron."

The last line was the bait.