HC:Pacifist | Ch. 74 - Slaving vs. Contracting (Patreon)

The Golden Mountain's old, dilapidated building was exactly like he had left it. He hadn't returned since that first time when he'd met the old man. He hoped that Soros had been able to sell the merchandise and procure the necessary items. He was counting on Soros to get him a good deal for the goods he had entrusted to him. After all, he was splitting the profit with him. If Soros didn't do well, it would take a massive chunk of Roth's income. He had seemed a capable merchant, but the Gazpachos had his hands tied! The more Roth thought about it, the more anxious he felt.

"Hello," called out Roth.

"Coming!" answered Soros with a tone of joy that hadn't been there five days ago.

Soros soon came out of the office in his signature silken clothes. Today he wore a turban that was orange instead of blue. More than his clothes, however, there was a significant change in his demeanor. He walked with lightness in his step and a genuine smile. He also seemed to have a bit more flesh on his cheeks and a pinker tone to his skin.

"Soros, you look..."

"Younger? Because that's how I feel, young broker. I'd forgotten the feel of a successful transaction, the sound of coins clinking, and the smell of gold." Roth felt excitement well up in his heart. Soros looked like the bearer of good news. "Those items you gave me were a real success with my friends. They tried to kick me when I was down and give me a bad price for them, but those [Power Truffles] got them eating off the palm of my hands."

"Were you able to get a good deal for all of it?"

"See for yourself."

Roth's [Broker's Ledger] instantly appeared in Soros' hand. Why did NPCs have the power to pickpocket him? The old merchant grabbed a black feather that seemed suspiciously like one of the ones he'd brought and dipped it in an inkpot. He wrote on Roth's accounting pages and then handed the book back to him.

Sales Profit, November 6th, 2088

100x[Pine cones]

100x[Raspberries]

50x[Wild Onion]

30x[Glowshrooms]

30x[Wild Garlic]

20x[Acorn]

40x[Elder Berries]

10x[Morelshroom]

20x[Fox Ginseng]

1x[Power Truffle]

10x[Crown Feather Earring]

3x[Crow Feather Tiara]

5x[Crown Feather Necklace]

7x[Badger Great Claw]

4x[Boar King's Tusk]

100x[Raven Feathers]

10x[Bucket of Mud]

10x[Badger Claw]

14x[Miniaturizing Potio

10x[Lapidated Quartz ]

10x[Polished Pirite]

TOTAL: 24.530 gold

PROFIT - 25%: = 104 gold

"That's not bad. Not bad at all." Soros was not a merchant that could be trifled with. Even after splitting a share with him, Roth came out of the exchange looking good. The reason why he had come to an NPC instead of coming to an auction house was because of his [Supplier's Fortune] skill.

Suppliers' Fortune

Skill description: NPCs treasure the business relationship you have cultivated with them.

Skill effects: Passive. NPCs pay you 1%+(REP.CHA.INT) more when purchasing goods from you.

When he met with Soros for the first time, he had over 300 charisma, which was one of the stats that influenced how effective [Suppliers' Fortune] was. That had to do something with how well it turned out for him.

After all, he'd only been able to turn out a 150 gold profit when he had sold things in the Auction House because he had 20 [Miniaturizing Potions] and five [Power Truffles]. This time he'd brought much less than that. The difference from having five [Power Truffles] to trade to having only one was immense.

Roth was satisfied with Soros's performance. He had made good money even after giving the old merchant his share. Roth couldn't wait to get to Green Woods and see the face of his customers. The reputation points he'd gain would be massive!

"You did good, Soros. You did well!" The old man waved it off with his hand but was radiantly smiling. He looked like a fish that had learned the taste of being in the water again. He coughed the embarrassment away.

"Now we have to discuss our next step. When are you going out to get the merchandise to our customers?"

"Well, I want to leave today. Do you have everything ready?"

"Yes, as I told you, the merchandise these races desire is not difficult to get a hold of."

"But how did you do it? The Gazpachos are spying on you. When I left the other day, one of their goons appeared out of thin air and threatened me. How did you escape their notice?"

"Well, you have your secrets, and I have mine. But let me tell you this, my young broker: if you can't evade thieves, there is no point in you being a broker." Thoughts of Oscar berating him for being unable to catch a cat resounded in Roth's mind. Did he look like a baby? Oscar and Soros spoke to him as if he didn't know what he was doing. They all kept criticizing him and calling him out.

Nevertheless, he did appreciate the words of wisdom and wrote them in his heart. It reminded him of when his father tried to teach him.

"I've managed to prepare a bunch of different cheeses," continued Soros.

"Gouda? Pecorino? I thought the only item on the procurement list was old cheese."

"Broker?! You can't wait for the customer to tell you what they need. You have to show them what they need. I've prepared some samples of all the cheeses a friend of mine manufactures here in the city.

Young man, listen to me. This is a golden rule of a merchant! Never stop increasing your catalog. Increase the number of goods that your customers get."

The words of wisdom from old Soros resound in your young broker's hearts. +300 experience in the broker profession.

What? He could gain experience from just listening to the old sultan talk. In that case, let him talk!

"What else can you teach me, oh wise one?"

"Haha! That's more like it, broker! That shows that you still have the desire to learn! That is an important step to becoming a successful broker. How much weight can you carry? Do you even have a horse or a camel?"

Hearing the animals being mentioned rang a bell in Roth's mind.

"Soros, I had an interesting conversation with a camel."

"A conversation with a camel?" Soros seemed genuinely intrigued. "Oh! Of course. I forgot you were a Zoomorph!"

How did he forget he was a Zoomorph if he was half ratan right now? Roth shook his head and tried to continue with his line of reasoning.

"Soros, tell me... are all animals intelligent?"

"Since the Rain of Fire, yes."

"Then why are people still using horses and camels to carry their goods around? Are they OK with it?"

Soros scratched his beard, contemplating how to answer his young disciple best. Roth tapped his foot nervously.

"I wasn't expecting to have to explain this to you so soon, but I suppose there's no harm in telling you right away. Here's the thing, young man. You have essentially two different types of merchants: slavers and contractors."

Roth froze. "What?" He had hoped this wasn't the case, but when he thought about what the camel had done, he couldn't think of any other explanation. "So that means that when I walk around the street, all those horses and camels are slaves?"

"No, not all. Most of them are contracted from the transport guild. Most merchants close contracts with the transport guild and pay the animals for their help. It's just a contract agreement. A partnership."

"Soros, what kind of merchant are you?" Roth would not have it if Soros told him he was a slaver. He'd rather start over with someone than see someone he worked with exploring others like this.

"I'm a contractor. I always have been like my father and his father before him." Roth sighed in relief. "Word of advice, young friend. You have to work on your poker face. As a broker, you will come across many customs and cultures. Many things they will do in front of you might feel wrong or even evil. But remember, that's all they know. All that they've ever known. As a broker, the best thing you can do is open trade routes, hoping that knowledge and compassion will follow."

The words of wisdom from old Soros resound in your young broker's hearts. +500 experience in the broker profession.

"And how does this slaving work?"

"Well, essentially, there are slave markets. They go around different regions hunting herds of wild camels, oxen, or horses for the most part. They catch them, train them, and then sell them as slaves. Although slaves are not cheap, it's a one-off payment. Because of that, many unscrupulous merchants that favor profit prefer slaving than contracting."

"How do I make a contract?" After asking the question, Roth thought of the camel he spoke to and the writing it left on the sand. "They don't suffer? Right?"

"No. Heavens, no. It's honest work, like laying bricks or hammering in an anvil. But I'm afraid that you still have to learn a bit more about being a broker before you can enlist the help of the transport guild."

"Very well, I'll keep working hard and I'm sure that later on, you'll tell me how to do it."

"Of course. You know, we merchants can't be everywhere at the same time. In time, I will teach you how to set up a caravan. They will deliver your goods while you focus on establishing contacts and settling deals."

Roth's ears perked up at the mention of this. If he could get a caravan between the Green Woods and Hilsford, he would save a lot of time in traveling. That would enable him to focus more on developing his avatar. After all, no matter how fast he traveled, it was just like Soros said. He would never be able to be everywhere at once.

"So, going back to how much you can carry, you never answered me."

Roth checked his stats. "About 70 kilos before I gain a weight debuff."

Soros jolted upright.

"No, no, no! That's not nearly enough." I have well over 100 kilos of things for you to take with you!"

"100 kilos?" Roth wasn't expecting Soros to get him such a heavy load. "Wait a minute; I think I can do something to increase my carrying load."

"Very well, I'm waiting."

Boar form!

Roth felt two of his molars grow bigger until they came out of his mouth. His hair and face grew longer and his hair became brownish. He felt his muscles bulge and inflate. With that, he received a cascade of notifications showing him he had gained more strength.

Your Strength has exceeded 100

You have unlocked [Inner Might]

Your Strength has exceeded 150

You have unlocked [Stone Bones]

Your Strength has exceeded 200

You have unlocked [Herculean Might]

In the meantime, he saw the effects of these stat bonuses. The [Stone Bones] was just the upgraded version of [Healthy Bones].

Stone Bonus (Stat Bonus)

Bonus description: Your strength has seeped deep into your skeleton. Your bones are now as hard as a stone.

Bonus effect: +100HP

Inner Might (Stat Bonus)

Bonus description: You can perform mighty feats by finding the energy within you.

Bonus effects: +10% physical attack

Herculean Might (Stat Bonus)

Bonus description: By harnessing the energy within you, you can show strength as mighty as a hero's.

Bonus effects: +20% physical attack

"Well, with this, I have 140 kilos of carrying capacity. Is that enough?"

"My oh my! What an incredible skill."

Soros dumped items on top of Roth until he was packed to the brim. It was so much stuff that Roth felt dizzy looking at the listing. He would check it on his way out.

"Soros, if you don't mind me asking: Is there a bathroom in the building?"

"Well, of course. What kind of business do you think I run here? I would rather starve than not have a bathroom." This old man seemed to prefer to starve than let many different things happen.

"Can you point me in the right direction? Oh, and don't wait for me. I'm going to swim down the toilet."

"You will what?"

Ch. 73 - Bad Feeling

INDEX

Ch. 75 - Downstream