Chapter 167: A merchant has no country

“If the highest aim of a captain were to preserve his ship, he would keep it in port forever.”

Thomas Aquinas.

They gave one another a wide berth as they left the hall. Neither happy to leave until they knew that the other would be leaving at the same time but not willing to get any closer to one another than necessary. I could already tell that I had made a killing in terms of my profits, skills and experience.

The version of me called Caelus was mentally rubbing his hands in glee. “Who knew they would be so competitive?”

“The compass kingdoms hardly sound like they are particularly peaceful.” Callen shrugged. “Looks like racial along with geographical prejudices are as rampant here as they have been throughout earth’s history.”

“Whatever the reason, it was certainly profitable.” I grinned.

We were sat inside my mind fortress having a break from reality as we contemplated our gains. We had finally ticked over enough experience to gain a level with our general experience. Not only that but we had started to level our Merchant Metier as well adding a level to Singer and Sailor as well which meant we had nearly 400 points awaiting distribution once the world finally recognised as being old enough to do so. At this rate we might be able to double our attributes the day we turned ten (16 years old). I was looking forward to the day.

I checked the lock out once more. Status locked 62 months. It would have been nice if after all this time the system noticed my maturity and allowed me to allocate my hard-earned stats. Still, it nearly a hundred months less than the first time I looked so there was that. We returned to my status to enjoy the glow of a very well-rounded character sheet. At level 33 I was stronger than anyone younger than 30 on the island. Although I did not have full access to my locked-out strength I more than made up for that with my traits and skills. Maybe it had even been my luck that drew the two merchants here at the same time. That reminded me I needed to test my probabilities again to see how it translated into games of chance. The house always wins but what if I was the house. I was not sure about the pros and cons of introducing gambling to the island and beyond the influence of luck I was unsure of how skills would affect any games of chance.

Level: 33
Title: Lord   
Métier: Singer Lv 9
Metier: Sailor Lv 6
Metier: Merchant Lv 2
Name: Callen Kai Caelus Silversea
Age: 6 years (Old world 8yrs) 2 month
General Experience: 200 /1,638,400

Health: 1120/1120 Stamina: 1120/1120 Mana: 1120/1120 Psi: 1120/1120

Trait: Long-Lived, Fast Learner, Super Senses, Source of Mana, Quick Witted, Celerity, Durability, Supreme Strength, Charming, Lucky

Vitality:     112
Endurance:     112    
Strength:     112    
Dexterity:    112    
Senses:     112    
Mind:     112
Clarity:      112  
Magic:      112
Charisma:     112
Luck:      112

Free Points: 371 (Locked)

. . .

Looking deeper into my skills I enjoyed the condensed version consolidation had allowed me to form. There were still some skills to consolidate but I was not in any rush. The longer I left them to grow the more thresholds they would have passed when I consolidated them into a higher tier skill. It would be worth the wait.

. . .

The end of our meeting ran through my mind.

“I too wish to be a merchant for your house.” Captain Kashif bowed low.

“You cannot seriously be considering this . . . man to be a Silversea Merchant.” Mercurio hesitated visibly searching for a suitably polite word to use in our presence.

“It would be a risk for our house.” I hedged looking to Aleera and our advisors for their opinions on the matter. Arawn seemed indifferent, Lady Acacia seemed to be deliberately leaving it up to us, surprisingly it was only Namir who had something to say.

“He was honest enough after a gentle reminder. I do not doubt that the ship has seen its fair share of notoriety but . . .” Namir looked pointedly at Kashif. “Provided he remembers both our warnings and our abilities I believe he would be true to his word.” It was hardly a ringing endorsement but honest enough. Aleera deferred to my judgement and I was left wondering whether this was a wise decision or not. Would it be worth it to take the risk on the man? We were not a huge fan of slavery but better the devil you knew than the one you didn’t. While he was not exactly a force for good it didn’t mean that we could use him to create some.

“All of life is a risk.” Kashif countered, “And to sail the Azimuth Ocean, doubly so.” He said referring to the ocean that surrounded the compass continent as well as the sea encounters with man, monsters or Mer which could end both journey and ship. “If you want to reach the zenith you have to take some risks.”

“You are hardly convincing me.” I dodged not yet convinced enough to commit. I wanted reassurance from the rogue captain before I risked tying our fate to his future no matter or lightly the ties were made. “Mercurio has been honest enough even if for any merchant their honesty is only another form of financial speculation. Why should we let you sail under the Silversea name? What will it be worth for us?” Mercurio had begun to nod his head in appreciation when he realised that the statement was as much criticism as it was praise.

However, that did not deter him from continuing to argue, “Any pirate can prevaricate the truth and cite the Lore of the Lodestar for his own purpose.” He argued still vehement against his competitor gaining a similar standing to his. Would it make any difference to him if another secured similar taxes? Doubtful. Would the taxes we could levy against Captain Kashif be worth the potential conflict it could cause? Possibly.

“I would be happy to pay 10% taxes of all profits to your Lordship for the priviledge of sailing under your name and ask for nothing more.” Captain Kashif started.

“40%.” We countered already happy that we would be earning more from Captain Kashif than we had once bargained for from Captain Mercurio. Unsurprisingly Mercurio was no longer arguing against the Libeccian possibly in fear that we might renegotiate his taxes if he continued to cause a scene.

“15%”

“35%”

“20%”

“25%”

“Agreed.” We argued back and forth finally settling on a quarter of profits made by his vessel. It was a win as far as I could tell and over twice what Mercurio was paying us for the pleasure of his company and escaping the grasping claws of the Ponentian nobility. Hopefully a quarter of his profits would be enough to ameliorate any damage this new relationship might cause.

“Thank you, Lord Silversea for the priviledge of sailing under the Silversea Crest.” Captain Kashif bowed low.

“On behalf of the Silversea’s your gratitude is noted. We hope you have in turn have noted Namir’s earlier comments and that no further reminders of acceptable behaviour befitting our noble crest are ever needed again.” We cautioned the piratical merchant against possibly returning to his former methods of turning a profit. We now had two ships sailing under the Silversea Crest we were a multinational noble family.

After that the meeting finished quickly as did the petitioning with me eager and quick to spend some time reviewing my own progression. Mercurio made no more waves clearly worried that if he rocked the boat any further his taxes might be raised to truly create some equality between the two captains and our house.

. . .

On board the Swift . . .

“That pirate must be part Mer.” Mecurio muttered to his first mate after returning from the Hall of the Silverseas. The sales had been made and they knew their trading partner well enough to trust the goods arriving and leaving were as stated. Although he would be checking them one final time before departure.

Looking across the water within the cliff cove they were docked within his first mate replied, “Looks Libeccian enough to me from the time that I saw him. He’s certainly no Siren.” He countered used to the merchant’s tirades when business or life was not going his way. He missed sailing with Alderman Cadmus. The man had been poor sailor initially but his presence had curbed the captain’s bemoaning the turns of fate be they weather, monsters or man. The captain always performed better with an audience he viewed his equal. Working for the man meant that he would never be that and was resigned to listening to his complaints a little longer while the men unloaded and loaded the Swift.

“Well how else to you explain the charming offensive he managed in the Silversea halls. The man has to have unlocked the Charisma stat to have swindled such good fortune for himself. That, or be part Mer, he’s no noble!”

If there was one area that the merchant was most bitter about it was the fact that he had yet to be able to unlock the Charisma stat and it still galled him that selling the patent of nobility had been enough to give an infant the stat. True it was what set apart the nobility from the commoners and there was no way in which he would have been able to survive operating the alone without substantial amounts of subterfuge or hidden support had he used the patent of nobility for himself. Besides he would never have been able to amass enough funds to purchase the patent without the noble family he had worked under finding out and putting 6 feet under or dropping him to the bottom of the Azimuth.

“I noticed no gills, no colouring, neither were his hands webbed. If he is part Mer then it is several generations back. But business makes strange bedfellows of many a man. Especially if beached on unfamiliar shores. What else would you call Wester Ponente than a land out of myth and legend where even their lords fly or so I’m told.” The first mate aired some of the things he had noticed himself and heard since landing.

“I’m not shipwrecked yet. No need to run your mouth on those rumours the Silverseas hardly need any more attention on them after the visit by the Lodestar Church last year. The longer they last the greater my profit, and your cut of it.” Captain Mercurio cautioned.

“Right if we are going to have some competition then the sooner we make headway the sooner we can return and make our next journey. We might need to take a more direct route if we are to keep the majority of the Silversea products for the people of Ponente and not let other nations profit off of them. A merchant might not have a nation but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to see the Princedom of Ponente perform poorly.” The mercurial Mercurio switched from lamenting his future losses to attempting to mitigate them.

“At least we are not laden to the gunnels this time.” The first mate gestured to the other ship that was still being loaded with vast quantities of salt. “We should be ready to set sail soon.”

“See to it then.” Captain Mercurio commanded turning aft to his cabin to plot a shorter course to the capital.

. . .

Meanwhile on board the Safina

Captain Kashif was likewise watching wares he would have bought be loaded up onto the Ponentian Merchant’s ship. So much treasure for the plundering made his fingers itch but there was nothing to be done sailing this far from the Libeccian coast he would never outrun any retaliation especially as full to the brim as his boat was becoming with his own treasure. Slaves had never made him such a profit before and that was not counting the other goods he was trading from the southern and south western coast of the compass continent.

“Will Emir Ishtul truly let the Safina sail freely so easily?” asked his first mate.

“For links to a new noble not yet bound into the games of the hundred lords of Ponente, certainly,” Captain Kashif casually answered unconcerned. “The House of Lords in Ponente is finely balanced with the Prince playing the Western Coastal Lords against the Eastern Landlocked Lords. With the possibility of putting a finger on the scale and influencing the policy of Ponente in Libeccio’s favour or simply improving the current poor relations the Emir would do far more to gain such favour under the Caliphs eyes.” A Pirate Captain Kashif might occasional have been, but no idiot was he. The power of politics was worth far more than half of a single merchant’s taxes. Although he had been making a lot more recently. Still the Emir did not need to know just how profitable his recent trips had been now that he had the Silversea crest to sail under. The only fly in the ointment was that with the Lord’s grandfather present he had been forced to pay the full 25% of his profits rather than being able to get away with paying less of the 50% he usually managed to do.

“I’m sure the gift from the Silversea’s to the Emir will also smooth over any ruffled feelings or pride.” The first mate continued. Referring to the rather large bolt of exquisite golden sea silk accompanied by a set of deep sea pearls. A princely gift indeed and worth enough that Kashif was sorely tempted to fleece the Silverseas for it alone. Still he was wise enough to know not to kill the goose that laid the golden eggs. A single score now would prove that pompous Ponentian Merchant right and cost him a lifetime of wealth that was only just beginning. He had his pride and a healthy dose of respect or fear for what Namir and Arawn might be capable of if suitably motivated. He would have to play it straight for the foreseeable future. That didn’t mean to say that he could not take out a few pirates of his own if they were foolish enough to attempt to board his vessel if it looked like they were unable to run. That in itself was a fun enough tactic. He looked over the side of the boat at the markings on the hull disappearing under the water as the mounds of packaged salt on deck rose. They would soon be laden up to the gills and ruse would become a reality. Unable to outrun any pirates in the Libeccian waters they would find an unpleasant surprise if they attempted to board his Safina.

. . .

“Did I make the right decision?” I asked Lady Acacia as we watched the Swift disappear over the horizon and the Safina start to set sail. The Swift was loaded heavily though lighter than the Safina. With the quicker ship already disappearing over the horizon and their divergent bearing it was unlikely they would meet for a second time this year on the Azimuth ocean. Nevertheless, we had ventured forth to ensure that the two competing captains did not re-enact the conflict between their two countries within our sight at least.

“Time will tell.” Lady Acacia prevaricated, allowing me to stew a little longer, before answering more openly, “Namir might lack some subtlety but he is still a good judge of character. Every man is shaped by the society that surrounds him. Captain Kashif while rough around the edges by the standards of Ponente is not an inherently evil man. Merely one who will chase profit over morals. In the future the Silversea name will earn him more money than any others and he will not wish to jeopardise that.”

“I hope your right.” Aleera whispered worried about whether the gift we had sent would ever end up with its intended Emir. We already had trade links with the Royal family of Ponente, the Lodestar church and now two merchants from the neighbouring kingdoms. It would not hurt to build those relationships with those a little further afield in Libeccio and maybe even as far as Ostro. The whole world was our oyster and we were busily harvesting pearls.