Maoyuu Maou Yuusha - "Kono Watashi no Mono Tonare, Yuusha yo" "Kotowaru!" - Vol. 4 Ch. 16 - What Can You Do With a Single Coin?

[MangaDex]

 

[ichypa]

Young Merchant x Fire Dragon Princess OTP. IT BEGINS.

 

[Oculunus]

I would wager a guess that the Young Merchant is buying out all the wheat, so that in the future the crusaders will have to buy from him for multiple times the current market price, just because it will be the only way for them to gather food supplies for their expedition. Smart. It earns him a ton of money and indirectly supports the Southern Kingdoms.

 

[sagefox]

@Oculunus True that. It's a merchant's method of attack. However, it's not the only reason. What Young Merchant just gained as profit for his "purchase" is "destabilization". Since Union is buying all the wheat, they are leading Central to ruin by forcing people to go hungry. When that happens, people will become discontent, unruly, and desperate. If it's not resolved, unrest will occur, and an emigration and revolts will happen naturally after.
Of course, this plan only works in aiding Southern by the nature of potatoes being transitioned as a staple. With a different, secure foodsource with measures to prevent the rapid depletion via the butterfly effect, this won't hurt Southern so much.
It is a seriously nasty attack...and that's not yet adding adding what you said to the mix.

 

[Nunally]

@sagefox and on another plus is he (and his employees) will not go hungry because they already has the wheat/can be payed with wheat.

 

[acart-e]

What's even more is the "bonds" which can be used to arbitrarily demand whatever little wheat they can muster, or face a even deeper economical breakdown. Damn, the young merchant really is ruthless (not that I mind)