Chapter 283- Contracting merchants (Patreon)

Contracting merchants

Chu sat on a weathered log under the evening sun. From his position on top of the hill, he had an open view of the grasslands. Most importantly, however, he held an unobstructed view of the road in the far distance. Tapping lazily against the tough but hollowed log, he listened to the little redhead sitting beside him.

"And so we thought why not form our fire like this. Ishara and the goblin shaman showed us the secret of casting a fireball. The bang of a fireball fits perfectly with our lightning ability. Because our talisman and magic seem to have a good relation, melding the two into one better ability was easy."

"I don't think you know how lucky you are. From the little I gathered during our stay in the academy, most Sersens seem to favor the strong demon beasts. The boar and the wildcat demon beasts are common since they tend to find tunnels and valleys to bypass the battlements in the north. The mages have a belief that the Sersen should act as warriors to defend them in battle."

Sighing on recollection, he continued,

"A Sersen can hone their ability while a mage requires time and effort to increase their starfield so as to cast more spells. The time and resources required to train a dual Sersen/Mage make it unfeasible. Remember, the main attacking spell of the Tower is a fireball. Who would have known that the useless Bitzer demon could yield a complete lifestone that made use of the fireball spell."

"Maybe they never thought about it because of the halfstone secret. Remember how Mr. Thomas showed us what happened when you try to put the two halfstones together? If they could have made the box you built to contain the lightning, I am sure the Tower would have formed a Sersen/Mage army."

"I think finding a demon beast that possesses an ability suitable to practice together with magic is difficult. Unless a party dares to venture beyond the northern battlements in the North Pass, the type of demon beasts who enter the pass are limited."

Chu said. He had always wondered why the Mages never tried to become Sersens themselves. Only after when he found out about the difficulties of increasing the stars in the starfield did he understand the reason. A mage had to dedicate their entire life to that one focus.

As for using the potion created from lifestones to unlock stars in the starfield, only Chu could afford to be so extravagant. The Bitzer might earn a label of useless to the Tower, but to Chu they turned out as a blessing in disguise. Even he never expected the talisman's abilities to be able to harness mana.

Even if the Tower wanted to follow such a path, they had a high hurdle to overcome. Modifying their watered-down talisman into an advance one like his was near impossible. Currently, he not only owned his own cave of the rare gemstone ingredient, but he also had the stamp press and the quality paper. Without his stamp engraving and smooth paper, the Tower fell far short.

"But you know, Chu. We once saw an apprentice once cast a spell to cause the air to move. It wasn't much, maybe a fart from Ming might have done better. Just like how we use the Bitzer and fire spell why can't the Tower grab a few wolf demons and train in the wind spell. The wind blade Lucy has is near unstoppable."

Dyna commented. The one-shot kill ability she was developing used her Bitizer ability while being boosted by her mana sea under the starfield. Every day, she meditated and tried to increase the stars in the sky within her mind. As the stars increased, the sea of mana below grew.

Her explosive palm strike as Chu called it, leveled up from the simple pop when she created it to a fatal blow. By channeling a huge amount of mana for a brief second, the effect resembled that of a lightning strike. Similarly, Lucy used mana to boost her Wind Blade.

Chu looked into the green eyes next to him and then knocked the girl on her wild red hair.

"Do you think wolf demons grow on trees? Where would the Tower find a pack of them to have mages practice Wind Blades? Don't even begin to think about the number of lives lost to kill such a beast."

Chu shivered at the prospect. Apart from the recently seen Kurat, the fear of the wolf demon remained etched in his heart. One day, if he hoped to truly walk the path of an adventurer, he would need to overcome it.

Presently, he held no such goals when camping out in the open grassland. For the past few days, he and Dyna remained camping out in the grasslands with two of the wolves. Ming led the rest of the party to the farm to requisition a few wagons. Laughing at the little girl holding her head, Chu stretched while standing up.

"Come on, I spotted a few fresh paw prints of a rabbit near the brook we discovered over those hills. What do you think about roasting a few tonight?"

"Great, Fenrir has been nudging me towards those hills since yesterday. I say we dig a few roots of wild onions and roots to add to the roast."

"I knew you would like this idea. I'll race you there. Let's see who can use their skills to gather the most provisions for our dinner. And stop referring to yourself as we..."

***

Frost City.

Merchant Quin guided the horse from his wagon down the lane. His nostrils twitched as he tried his best to stifle his breathing. As usual, when he arrived at the next junction, he saw a head nod and a hand raise to point in a particular direction. Since entering the slums, he was lost, yet not lost while navigating the dark streets and lanes.

Sometimes they appeared as hobbling beggars, old women, and even ragged children. But always, they paused on noticing the torch on his approaching carriage and then silently guided him. He glanced at the red colored cloth securely fastened and hanging underneath the torch. Probably if not for this along with the instructions from the little servant girl in his household, he truly would have become lost in this maze.

Halfway down this lane, he noticed a light bobbing up and down like tree branches swaying in the wind. As the wagon drew closer, he spotted a young boy holding a red cloth in one hand while waving a small branding torch in the other. He had only halted the wagon when the boy spoke.

"Merchant Quin, sir. Please follow me to see the Boss. You can leave your wagon, we don't have much passing through here, especially at night. Rest assured, nothing will be stolen."

"Ah, yes. Of course."

The balding man replied as he climbed down the wagon. Only now did he notice a few figures in the shadows who tethered the horse. With his options limited, Merchant Quin bit his lip as he followed the moving torch. It was he who succumbed to greed and decided to hoard grains during the demon beasts raids.

Instead of netting him a profitable return, the resulting loss rendered him bankrupt. To keep himself afloat, he ended up signing a contract that led him here tonight. Ignoring his trembling legs, he urged them forward to meet the devil who now owned him.

The boy led him to a crooked shack and after knocking, followed with a polite whisper when the door cracked open. His words proved positive as a tall, well-built person pushed the creaking door to allow entry. Merchant Quin found himself ushered inside the illuminated dilapidation on hearing the closing sound. His heart skipped while his eyes darted around as he cursed his luck once again.

"Greetings, Merchant Quin. Please have a seat. Give me a moment to finalize this document and then we will begin."

"Ah, yes..."

The balding merchant managed to voice a reply as his eyes gathered their information while sitting. What caught his eye first was the bluish-white light diffusing from the cylindrical paper shieldings on the wooden table. Never had he witnessed such a glow. The light failed to emit the smoke and black soot prevalent with oil lamps.

On the table, neat stacks of parchment and scrolls occupied half while a large ledger filled in the rest along with writing materials and the lighting vessels. A brunette, a child in his eyes, sat on a raised chair behind the organized clutter as she scribbled into the large ledger.

From the two strange lamps, he clearly noticed the outstanding calligraphy from her quick but confident strokes of the quill. When she raised her head, his initial assessment proved correct as the fair face belonged to a girl much younger than a lady.

The blinking coal-black eyes, however, unsettled him. Behind him, his raised hairs on his neck confirmed the presence of the one who opened the door. On either side of the girl stood two other men who watched him like hawks savoring a timid rabbit.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Merchant Quin but it has been a busy day. Let's see now, ah, here it is, please skim across this and indicate if this is your contract with us."

The brunette said while casting an all-out businessman smile. Merchant Quin reached out only to see a sturdy hand collect the scroll from the side. With a glare as if warning him, this short, stout, young man politely handed over the contract. Merchant Quin scanned the scroll before nodding in agreement.

Given his status, he could have easily torn this contract to shreds and defied this child. One glance at the other occupants informed him that after conducting such an action, he would not leave here tonight. The gang of thugs at the entrance to the slums ensured he traveled alone and the route confirmed no one could follow undetected.

Since he placed his seal on this contract back then, he knew the futility of escaping from the clutches of this shadowy group.

"Brother Fole, you can stack it with the others. Mr. Quin, you can abide by the contract and provide half of your profits every year to us. Your only other option is to share a quarter of your profits with us while assisting us with a new venture. You will run your business as usual but remain ready for any orders from us."

"Orders?"

"Yes. Like if we ask you to stop trading with individuals you must cease immediately. Similarly, if we send word asking you to provide aid, we expect a prompt response. Rest assured, you will always be compensated for these infrequent requests."

Merchant Quin exhaled while maintaining a stiff expression. The contract he signed tided him over from certain poverty but his profit margin would prove detrimental to his current lifestyle. This new option lessened the burden but now placed him under the control of an unknown group.

"Pardon, but is there another option?"

Sakura smiled at the question.

"Only the two I spoke about. I believe Merchant Quin is smart enough to know what happens if he refuses to choose one."

"Very well, I choose the second. I trust this venture will be profitable?"

Sakura laughed while signaling Green. The stout man bent behind her chair and then placed a prickly blue fruit the size of a melon on top of the table.

"Merchant Quin is truly a shrewd man. Let's talk business..."

****