Dorwinion?
Garrett tried to recall what he knew of that distant realm.
If he remembered correctly, this land should lie east of the Sea of Rhûn, in the far reaches beyond Lake-town, bordering the territories of the Easterlings
In Middle-earth, it was common for kingdoms to experience the cycle of "rise–fall–rebuilding," but Dorwinion had always remained untouched, never experiencing conquest or turmoil.
As a realm whose prosperity was built upon foreign trade, Dorwinion maintained very flexible policies. Whether it was Gondor or the Wainriders, when their dominions expanded into this region during their respective heights, they had never considered Dorwinion an enemy worth conquering.
This allowed the land to remain prosperous and flourishing, with wealth flowing in continuously.
And they themselves never participated in any wars or conflicts, always maintaining a neutral stance, minding their own affairs and focusing solely on their vintages.
"I've heard of it."
Garrett nodded as he led the way, saying, "There are rumors that it's a place of long-standing peace, known for producing high-quality wine."
"We're honored that word of our homeland has reached these lands."
The head of the traveling merchants spoke respectfully, "If it would please you, I'd be delighted to gift you our finest cask, as a token of goodwill."
"Oh?"
Garrett turned his head slightly to regard him:
"I'm quite sure we've never met. Why would you give me a gift?"
The merchant took a deep breath and replied quickly, "If I'm not mistaken, you must be the legendary warrior of the wild lands, the dragon-slayer, the one they call... Garrett?"
After speaking, he took another deep breath to compose himself. He had nearly run out of air. Addressing this man with proper respect was genuinely overwhelming.
"Haha, didn't expect to be recognized."
Garrett wasn't the least bit embarrassed, he simply smiled calmly.
The merchant explained, "Before arriving here, we passed through Lake-town. There were fewer folk there than in years past, but strangely, the prosperity had increased dramatically. That puzzled us greatly. After making inquiries, we heard tales of you. They call you the 'Legendary Black-Armored Dragon-slayer,' the 'Master Builder.'"
"So you actually recognized me from the start, huh?"
"Forgive me, I simply wasn't entirely certain..."
"It's fine. Since you're here, come and take a look around. I really am interested in your goods. And in your homeland as well."
Maybe I'll visit someday.
As they chatted, the group soon arrived at the stronghold walls.
The merchant guards looked up at the towering walls, eyes filled with wonder. Truly worthy of the title "Master Builder."
Even some royal capitals didn't boast walls of such impressive height.
Garrett raised his hand in signal, and the guards atop the walls immediately began opening the gates.
The merchant caravan entered the stronghold without delay.
Citizens who were working paused to glance over curiously.
The caravan members were equally curious about this prosperous settlement and its busy inhabitants.
"Are those merchants?"
A citizen paused his labor and stepped forward a few paces.
Their assumption was quickly confirmed.
But before the they could grow excited, another matter came to mind, they had no coin!
Though material resources were abundant and life was comfortable, their pockets were always empty. Because money hadn't been necessary before, everyone had overlooked the issue. Now that traveling merchants had arrived, they all suddenly realized just how barren their coin pouches truly were.
On one hand, the merchants from Dorwinion were calculating potential profits: this settlement seemed so prosperous, people were well-dressed and appeared vigorous. Surely their purses were heavy with silver. Fortune was waiting to be made.
On the other hand, the citizens scratched their heads helplessly.
The merchants waited patiently... but no one approached to ask about prices.
They were perplexed.
"Could it be that our goods are truly so undesirable?"
"No, they just don't have money."
"No money?"
The merchant was bewildered.
Even Lake-town, which Garrett had casually aided, had become wealthy, yet the territory where Garrett himself resided had no money?
How could that possibly make sense?
"Because they don't need it."
"Do you accept bartering? Goods exchanged for other goods."
"We do, but please understand, we don't take just anything."
Garrett nodded and said, "We have premium leather, fine wool, silk thread, fresh cuts of various meats, all kinds of recently harvested crops like wheat, barley, potatoes, carrots, turnips, onions, herbs, garlic... Oh, and some large, perfectly round, crisp apples. They are fresh, unblemished, and of superior quality."
These were all items the citizens could produce themselves. Every household possessed at least some quantity of each.
"That's quite acceptable. If the quality is truly as you describe, we're willing to trade."
"You all heard that, right?"
Garrett called out to the gathering crowd.
"It's not every day a merchant caravan passes through, put down whatever you're doing."
"Hurrah!"
Nearby citizens cheered and rushed to their homes, or ran to the work sites to spread the word. It didn't take long for the merchant caravan to experience the citizens' enthusiasm firsthand.
Wine, after all, was a cherished commodity in this age.
Especially during winter, if one could sit beside the hearth and take a warming sip, that was the pinnacle of comfort. Life held few greater pleasures.
"By my word, the quality of these goods is truly exceptional, especially the foodstuffs. Considering it's the depths of winter, such items should be quite scarce... But why is there such abundance here?"
By the time the traveling merchants grasped what was happening, two entire wagons of their wine had already been traded away. In return, their carts were now piled high with premium materials and fresh produce, with not an inch of space remaining.
They had certainly profited, what they could sell these goods for in other settlements would far exceed the value of the two wine wagons.
It was simply... at present, their wallets were still kind of empty.
The lead merchant was resting on a bench beside the road when Garrett suddenly approached and said, "Looks like no one else is coming to trade."
"Indeed, my lord. I must say, your people are most enthusiastic and seem quite prosperous... just, without any coin."
"Indeed, no money."
"But I do."
Garrett patted him on the shoulder and said, "Leave all the remaining goods here. I'll take them all."
"What?"
The merchant's jaw dropped.
In the end, not a single cask of wine remained behind.
In truth, with the wealth Garrett possessed now, he could have easily bought out all of Dorwinion's wine reserves, not merely this single merchant caravan's stock.
"You're most welcome to return in future."
The merchants departed with their coffers filled to bursting, hauling several wagons' worth of goods, continuing their journey westward.
The inhabitants of Bree, the Shire, Lindon, and even the Blue Mountains were destined to miss this rare Dorwinion vintage. But in exchange, they would encounter the specialties of Wayfort. And perhaps, they would be seeing them regularly in times to come...
---
In the cheerful, festive atmosphere, Garrett made his way through the crowd and returned alone to the keep. He opened the wine barrel the merchant leader had gifted him, the one proclaimed to be the finest of their selection, and took a small taste.
It was potent.
There was a hint of sweetness, but more tartness, with lingering notes of oak and fruit.
Though he wasn't precisely a wine connoisseur, he found that this vintage brought him more satisfaction than any he'd sampled before.
If it brought you joy, then it was fine wine.
"Not bad."
Because it was a bit heady, he refrained from drinking more. He set the cup aside and opened his crafting interface.
This merchant caravan had indeed brought some pleasant surprises.
Their arrival had unlocked a new craftable item for him: Wine Barrel.