The Merchant Guild always claims it is not a tightly structured organization, merely an open alliance of mutual exchange. But in truth, its invisible hand has a firm grip on Asterleeds' commercial lifeline.

Verified reports show they secretly provide exclusive sales channels to their guild members. This puts unaffiliated merchants at a great disadvantage, creating an unfair environment for independent sellers.

For example, traditional handcraft industries in Asterleeds have been steadily declining under the Merchant Guild suppression. The export channels are monopolized by the Merchant Guild, so these artisans can now only sell pottery to tourists for meager earnings.
Moreover, the Merchant Guild obtained imitation formulas from traditional artisans who joined the alliance. They modified the processes and used cheap materials to start mass-producing knockoffs. These replicas are then shipped overseas, rebranded as luxury crafts, and sold for dozens of times the original price.

This behavior has caused numerous traditional craft shops to shut down, while the guild glorifies it as economic liberalism.
What they won't tell you is that once you join the Merchant Guild, you must pay a hefty annual fee, and the guild takes a cut from every single transaction. This is not much different from robbery.

Everyone, if we don't stop the Merchant Guild now, they'll continue devouring the market and eventually control prices entirely.
We should go stand in front of the Council with signs, urging councilors to implement anti-monopoly measures and address the root of the problem.