Royal Blood : Chapter 16 (Patreon)

Chapter 16: Sharp Dealings

Nezza shot a betrayed look at me, as I drew attention back to the chest of wooden talismans. Leiroc only seemed more interested.

“Hoh? I, truly, am surprised you would be so interested in ‘roll of the dice’, this is how you say, yes?” Still, he gestured, bringing over that chest. Some of his crew slowed in their unloading to watch the ongoing discussion.

Deals were important to demons, I’d heard, but seeing it was something completely different.

I shrugged. “I’ve always been lucky.” Really, my Luck stat was quickly approaching abnormal levels. It made me wonder if this whole encounter was just because of my inflated Luck stat. It was only supposed to nudge things in your favor, but honestly, I’d be surprised if there were many people who’d ever put as many points into Luck as I had.

Or maybe Leiroc would have been here already, and the lucky part is just that he noticed Nezza at all.

“Ah but the talismans are more expensive, yes.” Leiroc spread his hands. “Things from so far, I must charge more to recoup my costs.”

I grinned, elbowing Nezza in the side when she started to say something. “Ah, so you’re saying that the Rithatra Mersuz isn’t all the expensive then, since it came with you from your home kingdom?”

Leiroc made a chuffing sound deep in his chest. It took me a second to realize he was laughing. At my left, Nezza finally seemed to realize what I was doing.

“Ah, but if we were not trading, I would gut you for such insult to my wares, yes?” Leiroc moved forward, looming over us.

I shrugged. “It’s a good thing we’re trading then.” I narrowed my eyes. “And that I know enough that two slips is hardly the entirety of the Rithatra.”

Leiroc’s smile became less frightening. Still uncanny valley as shit though. “Ah, so word of holy books has spread even to the great Empire of Norvusk? I, truly, am pleased to hear this.”

I bobbed my head. “So yeah.” I shrugged. “I might be interested in your pocket scripture, but don’t try to sell me on them like they’re the goddess’s tears.”

He hummed, conceding the point. “Is of interest to I, Leiroc, how one so young would learn of Domain of Sheb’Ritha.” He tilted his head. “Perhaps, this could be considered part of payment. Knowledge for knowledge.”

I raised an eyebrow. “How much knowledge are we talking here?”

Now most of the ship was watching the two of us. I got the feeling that it wasn’t because I was some master trader, but because I was holding my own against Leiroc at all. I bet you didn’t become a merchant captain from the Demon Kingdom unless you could talk fast.

“You amuse me, human boy,” Leiroc said. “And in truth, I had despaired of finding a buyer for my little trinket, this.” He waved a hand magnanimously. “I shall trade this,  first Idone of the Rithatra for three things.”

I hemmed and hawed for a second. “Three things for two tablets?”

“Ah, it is a fair point.” Leiroc smiled. “I shall also furnish you with the box, yes.”

I crossed my arms. “Am I going to have to bargain for the straw cradling those little tablets as well?” I shrugged. “At this point I might want to take my business elsewhere, maybe we should just wait to buy that from whomever you sell it to, and at a better price, too.”

Leiroc sighed, but it sounded almost happy. “Truly it has been too long voyage, yes.” He waved a finger at me, even as Nezza’s eyes bounced back and forth between the two of us. “If you came  onto my path another day I would not have such an easy bargain.”

I nodded. “But you have had a long voyage.” I glanced over towards the magistrate. “And I don’t imagine that the Nobles of Port Royal deigned to bargain with you.”

“It is so, yes.” Leiroc clapped his hand. “But three, three is a good number. Therefore, this is what I offer, and I shall not part with more. For two tablets, and one amulet with which you are so fascinated, I shall ask three pieces of knowledge.” He held up three fingers, before pausing. “And three full silver as Empire reckons such things.”

I gave a bark of laughter. Thirty silver, or three full silver coins was a good bit of money. But still, we were probably getting a steal, so I nodded for him to continue.

He raised his first finger. “One, Story of how you became a wielder of one of near-kin.” The second finger. “Knowledge of how you came to hear of Rithatra Mersuz.” The last finger. “And choice of three such amulets…luckiest that you might lay your hands upon. Yes.”

My eyes snapped back to Leiroc’s just in time to see his eyes flash.

Those Demon Eyes again. My gaze went back to the Rithatra. There might be information about Nezza’s eyes there. I was starting to suspect that they were an extra system skill.

Or maybe they were related to Nezza’s blessing.

I sucked my lip. “How much of the story do you want, from the start of all things? Or would just the day of my birth be fine?” It wasn’t like I could come out and tell some random merchant, devil or no, that I was a kidnapped imperial prince.

He chuffed. “If you, human, could remember day of your own birth, it would be tale of interest indeed.” Joke’s on him. Of course I could remember the day I’d been dumped in this world. “But perhaps…I have treated fairly with you, yes?” Leiroc nodded. “So treat fairly with me in turn.”

I quirked my lip. That felt more significant than just a ‘fair’s fair’, but it was quickly becoming clear that I knew a lot less about Demons than I thought.

It made sense; most of my education had been focused on the demon lords, not nameless merchants like Leiroc and his crew, who barely set foot on Norvuski soil before turning around to leave again.

“If you promise not to share this information with those that would harm us.” I smiled. “Out of respect for your near kin, of course. She’s important to me too.”

Leiroc shook his head. “You ask much, yes? What kind of merchant would I, myself, be if I could not sell my wares?”

I shrugged. “I never said you couldn’t sell it, just that you don’t sell it to people who would harm us.” I reached out, grabbing Nezza’s hand. “It’s a real story, how we managed to get together.”

Nezza gave a pointy grin, one much more natural than Leiroc’s. She leaned forward. “We burned down a bar.”

Leiroc hummed, cupping his chin. In the background, the unloading of chests had slowed so much it looked like the magistrate was about to start yelling.

“Child of man, I offer you fair goods for a song, and you ask me for more?”

“You’re the one who asked,” I said. “Did you expect me not to bargain?”

That sent a frission of laughter through the crew. Yes, I was beginning to see just how much they loved their deals. I guess that’s what the scholars meant, when they wrote things like ‘Demonkin do not see the world through the same lens as humanity’.

“How would you have me determine who means to do you harm?” Leiroc asked at length.

I spread my hands like he’d done. “I have dealt fairly with you, so treat me fairly in turn.”

Leiroc threw his head back, chuffing merrily. “Ah, truly the bloodless kin of these lands have lost the art of a deal, if such child is to give me best sport, yes.” He held out his hand. “This I offer, for one year to hold my tongue from those whom would do you harm. Let the bargain be struck.”

I swallowed.

But then, backing out now would be a coward’s way out.

I grasped Leiroc’s hand. His skin was smooth, like scales. “Let it be so.”

This, at least, I knew about.

Leiroc pumped my hand once before letting go. I pulled my arm back, I didn’t…feel any different, but Leiroc had a relaxed expression on his face, like a big cat that just had a satisfying meal.

“Wow…”

I looked over at Nezza; she was watching the two of us with wide eyes.

“It is different, seeing things done properly, yes?”

Nezza nodded.

Ah shit, now there were two of them. “Guess you have to learn how to haggle.”

“I got you fer that.” Nezza shrugged. “I wanna learn how to deal.”

“Then you shall be well served with this.” Leiroc replaced the lid over the Rithatra, pressing it into Nezza’s hands. “Commensurate with its first and most important lesson.” He placed his palm over her face, causing Nezza to twitch in surprise. “Open your eyes, child of Shib’Ritha.”

She stumbled back a second after, but I saw her red eyes flash. Leiroc nodded.

“Well.” I turned to the chest of talismans. “We’d best hold up our side of the deal, yeah. Nez, why don’t you tell him how we met? I’m sure Leiroc, himself, is more interested in your side of the story.” I squatted in front of the chest. “I’ll pick out three amulets.”

“Right!”

As Nezza began the story of how she once tried to steal my lunch, I started sorting through the amulets.

I’d never heard of the Forgotten Sea, go figure, but honestly with a name like Seishima, it had to be the Japan expy country. Isekai stories loved those things. Hell, even Tournament of Sovereigns had Ti-Yi. I wasn’t really surprised when I saw what looked like Japanese characters were carved into the wooden charms, and then painted over with what looked like brush strokes.

Nothing jumped out to me, but then again, Leiroc didn’t want me because of my appraisal skills. He wanted me to pick three amulets because of my 131 luck. So I shrugged, grabbed three that I liked the look of, and put the rest back.

“Done.” I stood up, turning back to the Demon and my Daemon. “So I get to keep one of these, yeah?”

Leiroc nodded, only half-listening as Nezza pantomimed me smashing a lantern into a man’s head. I chuckled, waiting for her to finish the story. After Nezza detailed our grand getaway, the demon turned to me.

He took the three tokens. “Hmm, this one, we did have appraised.” He lifted one. “Was said to be quite strong, yes. I do not think this bargain wasted.”

“Honestly, I’m a little surprised you bought them without knowing what they all did,” I said.

“Ah, but where there is uncertainty, there is also opportunity.” Leiroc flashed his teeth, tossing it to me. “Here, uncertainty and opportunity of your own, yes.”

I shrugged, taking the proffered wooden talisman and pocketing it. I’d have to figure out what it did and how to use it, but you never said no to a free McGuffin. “Next you’ll want my part of the story, yeah?”

Leiroc nodded.

“It’s not as interesting as Nezza’s.” I kept my voice quiet, so the magistrate and the guards couldn’t overhear. “I used to live in the Imperial Palace. I read a lot about demons in the royal library, though…less than I thought I knew.” I gave a smile. “The royal archives are mostly concerned with the odd Demon Lord that comes to Norvusk with their retinue. There were only a few throwaway lines about bargains, nothing about merchants.”

He hummed, eyes flashing again. I kept my face placid, but I knew he could see my first title. From there, it probably wouldn’t be difficult to piece the rest together. Still, I had offered to deal with him fair.

I lowered my voice, so that the Magistrate and guards, who’d drawn back a ways, couldn’t overhear. “I was kidnapped, about a year ago. Still, it’s turned out better for me than I thought it would. I have a reason to stick around, before I make my own way.”

“Interesting story indeed, yes.” Leiroc nodded, chuffing. “I declare this bargain done fairly, and I shall keep trust fairly as well. It is always good, to do fair deals on foreign shores.”

I dipped into a quick bow, fishing out the 30 silver from my coin purse and handing it over without a fuss. “Always glad to make a good first impression!”

Leiroc nodded, and, deal done, he turned back to his crew, barking an order at them in the siblant hisses of Demon Tongue. They sprang back into action as well. Seems like they weren’t much interested in small ltalk.

“C’mon.” I grabbed Nezza’s hand. “Let’s go.”

She cast a quick glance towards the guards and the magistrate, who were eyeing us with barely disguised interest. Fortunately, we were able to slip away into the crowd.

Well, at least after that, stalking my assassination target would feel practically mundane.

“So.” I looked at Nezz. “What did you get?”

She grinned back, eyes practically glowing a brilliant red. “I can see!”

“Ah.” I nodded. “Secret Eye Powers. A classic.”