Magus Tech

Chapter 106: Real trade unions in the Middle Ages

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After entering the city, Richard saw that the roads in Cuijin City were very wide. The main roads were more than ten meters long and were paved with flat bluestone slabs. However, it may be that the construction took too long, and most of the bluestone slabs were damaged. The surface in some places was covered with cracks, and in other places it was pitted, with black sewage filling the depressions.

Pedestrians come and go, be careful to avoid difficult places. Occasionally, there would be people on horseback shouting and galloping, and the hooves of the horses would trample the sewage and splash it in all directions, causing pedestrians to yell and dodge.

The air is a bit turbid and the smell is a bit bad, but other than that, the rest is acceptable.

Along the wide road, two- or three-story buildings were built on both sides. There are shops in a row. The clerks are smiling at the door and enthusiastically soliciting customers. Inside the shop, there is the sound of bargaining between the customers and the boss. There were noises and laughter from time to time in the tavern, the blacksmith shop was clanging, and weapons or farm tools were being forged and put up for sale at the door...

Pandora carried her suitcase and looked at the surrounding scenery with wide eyes. She felt a little disgusted by the bad environment. She felt that it was far from the freshness, cleanness and nature in the forest. But I was also curious about the busy appearance of so many people, which I had never seen before in the forest.

Richard pulled Pandora along and finally walked into a hotel that looked good.

As expected, the first floor of the hotel is still a tavern, with many people sitting here, drinking, talking and laughing with wine glasses.

Richard didn't pay much attention to this and walked to the counter.

Behind the counter, standing was a store owner in his forties who was as fat as a ball. When he wasn't smiling, there was a hint of treachery on his face. When he was smiling, his narrow eyes disappeared, and the corners of his mouth were raised up to his nose, making people subconsciously cover their wallets.

"Hey, hey, this guest, what do you need? Are you staying in a hotel, or what are you doing?" The hotel owner took the initiative to say hello before Richard could say anything, "If you want to stay in the hotel, we have rooms of various prices to choose from. , you can stay there for a short time or rent it for a long time. We also have other services, such as helping you find a girl who can relax, or helping you find some manpower to deal with difficult problems... "

Richard raised his eyebrows. He already knew the role played by the hotel owner behind the counter. He should be a broker, that is, an intermediary businessman in the Middle Ages. They take advantage of their contact with various people in hotels and taverns to introduce businesses to people and earn commissions from them. In fact, in the Middle Ages, many innkeepers and other shopkeepers also held this profession. This is why some craftsmen, mercenaries, etc. like to gather in taverns and other places.

The so-called mercenary unions, thieves unions, etc. cannot exist in a world that is truly similar to the Middle Ages. Even if it exists, it is very different from what is described in some novels. After all, according to the description, various trade unions can easily contact the organizational power of several cities or even half a continent, and they are fully capable of building a country. How can they still be content with pumping water and earning service fees? And the ruler of a country, as long as he is in his right mind, will never allow similar trade union organizations to exist.

Therefore, truly similar to the medieval world, taverns and inns are union task halls in a sense. People can find ways to get a job or find someone who can work for them by communicating with the shop owner.

But... Richard just wants to find a place to stay temporarily.

Looking at the shop owner, Richard said, "Just give me a room. I don't need anything else for the time being."

"Uh, okay." After hearing what Richard said, the hotel owner was not unhappy because he couldn't make extra money. He still kept a smile on his face, but he was much more efficient. He quickly stretched out his hand and said crisply, "The best room is one silver coin a day, which is one hundred coppers, and the worst room is five coppers a day. There are also ten and fifteen coppers in the middle. The one with twenty copper coins and the one with fifty copper coins, you see..."

"The best." Richard said, handing out a silver coin.

"Okay, I'll make arrangements for you right now..." the hotel owner said with a smile on his face, pretending to greet the waiter, but as soon as his eyes glanced at the silver coins in his hand, his voice suddenly disappeared in his throat, and the expression on his face His expression froze for a few seconds, and he frowned slightly.

The next moment, the innkeeper looked at Richard, his eyes flashed, and his words were still polite, and he asked in a long tone: "This guest is from out of town, not from the Emerald Kingdom, right?"

"Uh, yes."

"Well, that's it. The price of the room I just mentioned refers to the silver coins circulating in the Emerald Kingdom. It seems that what you gave me is not that, but from other countries. Well, don't get me wrong, I didn't mean anything else. Maybe your silver coin is more valuable than the silver coin of the Emerald Kingdom, but... this is Emerald City, not outside the city, nor the rest of the Emerald Kingdom. Some foreign currencies are not very recognized, and I don't want to take advantage of you... "

Richard listened and nodded. He was not angry and had no reason to be angry. After all, just as not the entire world speaks the same language, the entire world does not use the same currency.

It is true that the use of the same language, the same currency, and the same weights and measures facilitates communication. The same culture and the same political system are even more conducive to mutual joint development. But reality is reality after all...

Richard was prepared for the fact that the currency was not universal, so when he left the Blue Lion Kingdom, he brought with him a small amount of gold and silver coins, and more luxury goods such as gems. Richard's original plan was to reach a strange country and sell gems in exchange for local currency.

But now considering the many types of currency obtained from the mysterious wizard's iron ring, there is no need to take out the gems.

Looking at the hotel owner, Richard lightly touched the iron ring on his hand, activated it with magic power, and flipped his hand over to reveal another kind of silver coin, "Is this the official silver coin in circulation in the Jade Kingdom?"

The hotel owner shook his head: "Well, no..."

"What about this kind?" Richard took out another one.

"Well, it's not..."

"This kind?"

"Not yet..."

It wasn't until Richard tried the sixth type that he finally found the real official circulating silver coin of the Emerald Kingdom and handed it into the hands of the innkeeper.

Seeing that the hotel owner finally accepted it, Richard's eyes flashed and he asked: "In addition to silver coins, is it also okay to use gold coins?"

"Well, of course, as long as it's circulated in the Emerald Kingdom, as long as you have the guests. But..." the hotel owner hesitated and then said, "But... if the guest stays here for a short time, if you give me a gold coin, I will It is not convenient to give you a lot of silver coins. Therefore, I suggest you that it is best to pay the bill with silver coins."