Mastery Is Earned

Two gold coins might not amount to much for the wealthy Church, but providing Raymond and Henk with a meal was no trouble at all.

Both men rubbed their stomachs as they left the cathedral, occasionally letting out a satisfied belch. There was something especially satisfying about food that cost nothing.

Determined to eat back at least a little of the sixty silver Henk had paid in fees, they had both stuffed themselves. It was not until a cleric reminded him that the kitchen still needed to prepare dinner that Henk reluctantly set down his utensils.

Rather than return to their inn, they went to the Salted Herring Inn to ask Bob when the caravan would be leaving. Fortunately, he was there drinking ale, so they did not make the trip for nothing.

When Bob saw them, he gave them a knowing smile. “I heard you sold the ore—and made quite a bit of money?”

“Word travels fast.” Raymond raised an eyebrow. “Yes, we sold it for two gold and eighty silver.”

There was no reason to hide the price. The transaction had taken place at the warehouse, and anyone willing to make a few inquiries could learn exactly how much they had been paid.

“That much?” Bob’s eyes lit up, but then he shook his head regretfully. “That woman took advantage of you. If she was willing to pay so much, she must expect to make a tidy profit reselling it. You’re awfully young. Don’t tell me she really managed to charm you.”

Raymond chuckled, accepted a mug of ale from a server, and drank without answering.

Tessa would certainly make money from the deal. How much she made depended on her own ability. That money had never belonged to Raymond, so he did not see it as profit he had lost. As far as he was concerned, receiving the money that was his was enough. He had no intention of treating every coin someone else earned as money that should have been his.

“Ah, women.” Seeing Raymond’s reaction, Bob could only sigh helplessly.

“When are we heading back?” Raymond asked.

“In a hurry already? Don’t you want to spend more time with that woman?” Bob teased. “The day after tomorrow. I’ll buy a few more things tomorrow, and we’ll leave first thing the following morning.”

“The day after tomorrow. All right. Buying things? That reminds me, I...” Raymond’s smile suddenly vanished. “I just remembered—I gave them the wagons too! Those must be worth quite a bit, right?”

“Did you give them the wagons, or did you tell them to collect the goods themselves?” Bob asked.

Raymond thought back and answered uncertainly, “I don’t think we made that clear. I only told them to collect the shipment themselves.”

Bob burst out laughing. “Don’t worry. Everyone makes mistakes on their first trade. I stopped by the warehouse before coming here. After they unloaded your ore, they left the empty wagons behind. One of the warehouse workers even asked whether you still wanted them.”

“That’s a relief. Thank you.” Raymond looked at Bob gratefully.

A wagon and horse together had to be worth at least thirty or forty silver. Even without the draft horses, each of those sturdy old wagons ought to fetch several silver. If he had simply lost them, it would have been far too late for regret.

Raymond let out a long breath, then asked Bob tentatively, “Could I take some goods back to sell? Since we rarely come to Brightwater, it seems a waste to return empty-handed.”

Bob’s smile faded. He looked at Raymond, then at Henk beside him, and sighed. “Raymond, sometimes being too quick-witted brings trouble. No one will care if you take a few things back and conduct a little trade in Blackstone. But hauling three wagonloads home is a different matter.”

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Raymond fell silent for a moment before looking at Bob. “Then how do you do business? Or rather, how did you get started?”

Bob sighed again. “People call me a steward, but the truth is, I work for others. There are a lot of people and interests behind this business. You’re young. You can’t handle all of that yet. Running a caravan isn’t as simple as you imagine, either. Horses need fodder, grooming, water, and shoeing. Without a suitable trade route, they’ll only cost you money.”

Raymond had to admit that Bob was right. If large-scale trade in Blackstone was already controlled by others, there was no reason for him to force his way into it. Even so, this was an excellent opportunity, and letting it pass without trying would be a terrible waste.

“Then I’ll carry the goods under your name. No matter how you divide it, you’ll receive a share of the profit,” Raymond said seriously after considering the matter.

“Oh?” Now interested, Bob looked Raymond up and down once more. “You really are a clever lad, Raymond. You can haul the goods back under my name, but selling them will be your responsibility. Whatever happens, I want ten percent of the profit. Understood? And I’ll inspect everything you buy. I have no intention of taking the risk of smuggling contraband. Understood?”

“Ten percent?” Raymond considered the terms and decided the venture was still worthwhile. “Deal!”

“Just like that? You don’t even know whether I meant net profit or gross profit.” Bob rolled his eyes. “You may be clever in some ways, but you still have a great deal to learn about business.”

Raymond grinned. “It’s not as though I have a choice. Whichever one you meant, I’d still have to agree, wouldn’t I?”

Bob paused mid-drink. “Fair enough. But don’t worry. I’ll only take ten percent of your net profit.”

After saying goodbye to Bob, Raymond and Henk rushed to the warehouse. Raymond did not relax until he had confirmed that Tessa’s people had left the wagons behind.

Compared with the valuable ore, three battered wagons and their draft horses might not look like much. Raymond knew better. For two men with no land, shop, or steady income, the wagons were actually the most valuable spoils they possessed. They might be their best opportunity to build up some initial capital.

But the wagons did not belong to Raymond alone. Henk owned an equal share. Moreover, Henk had just sent two gold home and probably had only a few silver left. Whether they sold the wagons or risked using them for trade, Raymond could not make the decision for him.

After leaving the warehouse, Raymond looked at Henk. “What do you want to do with the three wagons?”

“Whatever you decide,” Henk answered without hesitation.

“You own a share of those wagons. I plan to buy goods and take them back to Blackstone, and I’ll provide all the money. After deducting every expense, we’ll divide the profit into three shares. I’ll take two, and you’ll take one,” Raymond said seriously.

“Fine with me.” Henk looked at him. “How much are you planning to buy?”

Raymond rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “This is our first trading venture. We shouldn’t risk everything at once. Better to play it safe and start with one wagonload. If we buy too much, it may be difficult to sell. The two of us can hardly set up by the roadside and hawk each item one at a time.”

Henk chuckled but did not respond. When he knew nothing about a subject, he rarely spoke.

Raymond and Henk spent the rest of their time in Brightwater purchasing supplies. In principle, Raymond could have handled everything himself. However, the same petty thieves were still following them, and Henk did not feel comfortable leaving him alone, so the two remained together throughout.

Frequent fishfolk attacks had driven up the price of seafood in Brightwater. Raymond expected prices to climb even higher, but prices in Blackstone and the neighboring towns had yet to follow, so he bought neither seafood nor dried fish.

In the end, he purchased two large barrels of inexpensive wine shipped in by sea, several sacks of coarse sea salt and raisins, along with soap, lamp oil, and a few small crates of pepper, cloves, and cinnamon. The goods cost sixty silver in total, with the spices accounting for nearly half the expense. Together, they filled most of a wagon.

The day before their departure, Raymond had Bob’s drivers add all three wagons to the caravan.

Early the next morning, Raymond and Henk paid another visit to the black market.

The kobold had grown weaker by the day, yet no one had shown any interest in buying it. After a little bargaining, Raymond purchased it for six silver.

The kobold was not contraband, but it was not the sort of slave that could be openly bought and sold either. To avoid inspection at the city gates, Raymond arranged for a small boat in advance. He and Henk took the kobold aboard and left the harbor by water, planning to meet the caravan outside the city.

The boat followed the coast for some distance before putting them ashore at a secluded spot beyond the walls. After waiting for a little over an hour, they saw Bob’s caravan appear on the nearby road as arranged.

Bob already knew Raymond’s plan, so when he saw the two men return from the shore with a kobold, he could only pretend that nothing had happened. The other mercenaries and drivers were not nearly so composed. They all stared curiously at the strange creature, which looked like a young dragon but barked like a puppy.

Under everyone’s curious gaze, Raymond and Henk led the kobold onto a wagon. The wheels slowly began to turn, carrying them westward along the coast.