Chapter 27 - The Merchant - Mr Peabody

Sitting on the outdoor bench, Mr Peabody casually observed the humans walking up and down the street. The majority of them were quite poor, barely able to afford the clothes on their backs and feed their families.

Mr Peabody had already performed some research and determined that although there were certainly a myriad of reasons for the level of impoverishment amongst Endem’s citizenry. The current state of affairs was actually the result of three key factors, Opportunity, Production and Accessibility.

Currently, the town of Endam was suffering from a number of issues relating to widespread unemployment. The somewhat recent innovation of artifice in the field of production had launched fresh waves of industrialization across the country. Suddenly, many goods were able to be produced more cheaply, with greater speed and less expense than before. Unfortunately, it also required far fewer workers, and those workers were paid less since the job was considerably easier to do.

Despite Endam lacking any industrial production facilities of its own, local artisans and businesses were struggling to compete against the lower prices and market saturation of their industrial competitors from the larger cities and the capital. It was as unfortunate as it was inevitable. So one by one, local businesses would close and people would be out of work.

This was indeed quite unfortunate for the people who lived in the town and could not afford to migrate elsewhere. But for Mr Peabody, this was an opportunity.

Desperate men and women were less likely to ask questions regarding from whence their sustainment arrived. This was why organized crime in the town had seen a marked increase over the past few months alone.

For Mr Peabody, an individual who wanted people's attention but not their sustained or intense scrutiny, this was very close to an ideal situation. The golem had already decided its initial venture would be humanitarian in nature. After all, Mr Peabody would need humans to serve as both a labour pool and mask for its other ventures to operate more smoothly.

As if on cue, a dishevelled pair of vagabonds had materialized in the mouth of an alley to his left in what they must have assumed was his blind spot. Truthfully, they may have escaped Mr Peabody’s notice, if he had not been waiting for them.

Hungrily eyeing the waxed paper parcel of sausages and doubtless praying that the fat merchant would prove too absent-minded or distracted and abandon them. For its part, Mr Peabody was deliberately appearing distracted by reading a news report from the capital on the Guild’s network. The golem wondered how long the pair would take before making their move.

Mr Peabody did not have to wait very long. After about ten minutes, they had apparently made up their minds and formulated a plan.

The young man had disappeared and now the young woman was cautiously yet boldly approaching Mr Peabody directly.

Dark waxy hair hung from her head in tangled clumps and her bedraggled dress was almost as torn and filthy as her bare feet. Trying her best not to stare at the parcel of sausages, the young woman sat down on the opposing side of Mr Peabody as if declaring her lack of interest.

Amused, the golem waited to see what tricks the pair had come up with, determinedly appearing to still be engrossed in reading a crystal tablet.

The young woman coughed, but it was too quiet to serve as a signal or as a means to seize the golem’s attention. She quietly cleared her throat and timidly made as if to touch Mr Peabody’s arm, “Mister?” The young woman asked nervously.

Aware not to show too much interest, Mr Peabody sniffed his nose disapprovingly as he glanced in her direction, but said nothing.

A little intimidated, the young woman took a moment to collect herself. “Mister?” She asked again, this time more confidently.

Mr Peabody lowered his tablet and turned its head slightly towards the young woman to indicate that she had its attention. Mr Peabody made a point of slightly curling its lips in disgust. It was important to behave as others would in this position after all.

“Would mister want to buy some of my time?” The young woman asked, biting at her lower lip and shrugging her dress sleeve off one shoulder. It was clear that she was propositioning him in what she probably thought was a provocative and alluring manner. If she were not so filthy and if Mr Peabody were human it might have worked.

Unfortunately, facts being as they were, Mr Peabody was not taken in for a second, easily spotting the young man closing in behind them and reaching for the sausages.

“AGH!” Just as the young man was about to touch the wax paper, Mr Peabody’s left hand snapped out like a snake and closed around the young man’s hand tight enough to cause him to cry out.

“I was wondering what your plan of approach would be,” Mr Peabody mused aloud.

The young woman’s complexion paled and her eyes grew wide in fear, “P-Please-” she began to stutter.

Mr Peabody cut her off with a derisive snort. “What? Let him go?” The golem shook its head and chuckled in amusement, “Now why would I do that?” Mr Peabody smiled reassuringly, “I have been waiting for this opportunity to speak with the both of you after all."

The young woman’s face paled. Now visibly trembling and hiccuping silently, she had frozen as if facing down a great beast in the night.

“Well, now that I have your attention. I would first like to reassure you that I do not intend either of you any undue harm or distress. In fact, I was very much hoping to offer you both gainful employment,” Mr Peabody grinned encouragingly. “That is of course provided you are willing?"

The young woman just stared back at the golem in shock, her lips trembling.

“I’ll do it!” the young man gasped painfully, “Whatever it is, just let her go!"

Mr Peabody was impressed by the young man’s conviction, but regardless, did not let him go.

The young woman now stirred back to life, “N-no, hic! l-let M-Mathis go! Hic!” She pleaded “I... I’ll do hic! What you, hic! Want...” Tears had begun running down her cheeks in dirty streaks.

“No, I am afraid that is not how this deal works,” Mr Peabody interjected disapprovingly. “My offer is for the both of you. I have little need for you as it currently stands, and that you are both proving satisfactorily loyal to one another is why I am making this offer at all."

Mathis, the young man, grunted in pain as he tried to pull his hand free from Mr Peabody’s vice-like grip. “Claire... Just run!” He gasped desperately.

“No!” Claire immediately replied, more tears rushing down her cheeks. Obviously adamant that she would not abandon him.

“I think that if you just stopped with the melodramatics for a moment and listened to my offer, you would both realize that it is a wonderful opportunity for the both of you,” Mr Peabody stated rather huffily.

Finally, they both appeared to be listening to what Mr Peabody was saying and fell silent.

“That’s better,” Mr Peabody noted appreciatively, “Now, I believe an introduction is in order.” The golem lowered its head briefly to Claire and glanced back at Mathis for a moment before doing the same again. “I am Mr G. Peabody, a merchant and speculator of finance and development. As I have already mentioned, I have a unique opportunity for the pair of you.” Mr Peabody held up his index finger as if suddenly remembering something, “That is, provided you are willing to follow orders and maintain a presentable appearance with the clothing I will provide for you.” The golem grinned good-naturedly, “I am willing to offer room, board, a weekly allowance and one day a week to be left entirely to your own whims. Now what do you have to say to that?"

Claire just stared for a while before seeming to understand what Mr Peabody had said. “You, hic! Are offering us, hic! A job?” She asked incredulously, clearly unable to believe what she had heard.

“Yes, my dear. I am indeed offering you both jobs,” Mr Peabody replied amiably.

“Just like that?!” Mathis demanded incredulously, also struggling to believe what he was hearing.

“Yes,” Mr Peabody repeated, “Oh, you could also consider the sausages as a sort of signing bonus. I had never intended to eat them myself anyway." Mr Peabody then released Mathis’s wrist and after dexterously hopping to its feet and walking a few paces into the street, Mr Peabody smiled. “I will give you both time to think it over. I shall return in an hour and provided you have accepted my offer, we shall then adjourn to my new offices."

Now face to face with the young man, Mr Peabody could see that Mathis was in little better shape than Claire. His hair was similarly greasy, overlong and unkempt. However, unlike Claire, Mathis’s clothes were threadbare and falling apart.

The pair were both visibly malnourished, with dark rings under their eyes. But contrary to Mr Peabody’s initial expectations, they did not appear to be blood relations. Mathis was tall with dark hair and eyes, while Claire was only average height with light hair and eyes. The way they subconsciously moved in each other's presence heavily implied they were in a romantic relationship of some kind. Now taking note of the otherwise unexplainable minor protrusion of the young woman’s belly, it would be safe to assume she was with child. The pair’s instinctive shift to shield her belly all but confirmed it.

With these thoughts in mind, Mr Peabody couldn’t help but congratulate itself on its fortuitous find. Desperate, impoverished, malnourished, in a committed relationship AND expecting a child? This was too perfect.

The golem had desired to use the vagabonds as a temporary camouflage at its newly acquired offices and warehouse. But the circumstances of these young lovers were ripe for exploitation. Their gratitude from being lifted from squalor and filling their bellies would wane with time, but the dependence of a spouse and children? Mr Peabody could leverage that primal need for security and surety for a long time indeed.

Smiling to itself, Mr Peabody gave them both a shallow bow before slowly walking away.

Confident in its assessment, Mr Peabody beelined for a modest clothier and selected ten sets of smart but modest clothing that would serve as Claire and Mathis’s uniforms. Then selected two pairs of footwear for each of them as well. Arranging for the uniforms to be delivered to the office in the warehouse district, Mr Peabody then made its way to a general goods store and arranged for living materials to be delivered to the office as well.

The current level of expenditure was still within expected levels, so Mr Peabody was quite pleased with itself.

Still possessing more than enough time to reconnoitre with the young couple, Mr Peabody then visited a carpenter and placed a custom order. To even the keenest observer, the expensive display case would not seem worth its price for the minor utility provided. This was of course by nature of its intended design.

It would have an integral part to play and it was important that no expense be spared in the aesthetics. Mr Peabody would see to the functional aspect of its purpose in due time.

Just as Mr Peabody had expected, the young couple, Claire and Mathis, were anxiously awaiting the golem’s return. With a wide smile, Mr Peabody waved to show that he had seen them and slowly walked towards them to avoid any potential misunderstandings.

“Am I correct in assuming that you are willing to accept my offer of employment?” Mr Peabody asked giddily.

Mathis nodded, but with visible reluctance, “We are,” he clenched his fists in anger, doubtless frustrated at having literally no other alternatives.

Claire leaned on Mathis’s shoulder and whispered words of encouragement while directing his hand to her belly.

Mr Peabody smiled, “Very good!” The golem clapped its hands excitedly, “Let us be on our way then! There is much to do and I would sooner see my assistants washed and presentable than not!" Mr Peabody excitedly waved for his new employees to follow, “This way, the sooner we arrive the sooner the pair of you can be washed and clothed."

Mr Peabody’s office building was somewhat smaller than its benefactors, only two stories tall. However, it was more than adequate for Mr Peabody’s immediate needs and was attached to a warehouse, which would be useful later.

After assigning the new employees their living quarters, Mr Peabody began receiving the assorted deliveries and directing the delivery staff where each of the packages were to be deposited before sending them on their way. The golem also made sure to tip each of the delivery workers a penny before allowing them to leave. It was a necessary expense to project the image Mr Peabody required for future business inquiries to go smoothly.

Mathis and Claire still could not believe that the room full of furniture, the large package of clothes and parcel of shoes were for their personal use. There was no water pump inside the office building, but a stone basin in the warehouse made it possible for Mathis to fill a pair of newly acquired buckets and slowly fill the brass bathtub in the bathroom across the hall from their new bedroom.

While Mathis slowly filled the bathtub, Mr Peabody took the opportunity to make a few final alterations to the furniture on the ground floor. Consisting mostly of display cases and seating for guests, the golem had no trouble moving the furniture around on its own. The previous renter of the property had kept the building in good condition, so besides a light cleaning, it needed very little work to become truly presentable. Even so, Mr Peabody was formulating a list in its mind of additional accessories and changes to the waiting room, entry hall and Mr Peabody’s own office. They needed to better provide the proper atmosphere and tone for the business to avoid undue suspicions.

Mr Peabody was not at all surprised that Mathis and Claire wanted to bathe as a couple, it was why the golem had bought the larger tub after all. What Mr Peabody had found somewhat surprising was their willingness to bathe in cold water. The golem made a note to rectify both the water temperature and provide for better access. Hot bathing water would better ensure their cleanliness, and by extension, their presentability and long term usefulness. While the golem could work with a widow or widower, it would soon present a number of its own complications.

Content with how things were proceeding at the office, Mr Peabody made its way to the glassworks and placed a commission for a myriad of varied works and arranged for them to be delivered to the office upon completion.

Mr Peabody then made sure to spend at least a half-hour at each of Endem’s noteworthy drinking establishments. The primary goal was to establish the presence of the golem’s Mr Peabody’s merchant persona in the region as well as the attached backstory. Satisfied with its initial impressions on the populace, Mr Peabody returned to the office.

With nothing else to do, the golem locked itself away in its office until the following morning. Receiving the first of what would become weekly deliveries from the grocer, Mr Peabody deposited the foodstuffs in the kitchen and waited for its prospective staff to awaken.

“In the future, I will expect at least one of you to be awake and prepared to accept deliveries and messages by this hour,” Mr Peabody commented pointedly as Claire and Mathis apprehensively entered the kitchen, drawn by the smell of pottage.

Mouths practically watering, the pair of them quickly sat down at the table and nodded enthusiastically as Mr Peabody heaped ladles of pottage into the bowls set in front of them.

“I also expect that you will organize and prepare your own meals. Weekly deliveries from the grocer have already been arranged. Besides the specially packaged goods for entertaining guests, the remainder is assumed to be your weekly food allowance,” pausing momentarily, Mr Peabody withdrew two shillings from its coin purse and deposited them on the table, “This is your first week’s salary in advance. You are free to spend it how you wish, of course. Beginning now your primary duties are limited to accepting the delivery of packages and entertaining guests in the waiting room. However, I must insist that at least one of you begins said duties at sunrise and persist until sundown. This is of course non-negotiable I am afraid."

Claire and Mathis glanced at one another before the latter spoke up, albeit with visible reluctance, “Is that all?"

Mr Peabody smiled, fully understanding the cause for their subverted expectations. Truthfully, the golem required no assistants to carry out its primary commands. However, long term performance would be much greater with even minimal attempts at camouflage, so here they were. Since Mr Peabody was paying them anyway, it would be best to give them a purpose to limit idleness. “That is all, for now,” Mr Peabody agreed, thinking that perhaps suggesting a further increase in future duties may better set them at ease.

Seemingly having the desired effect, Claire and Mathis both visibly became less anxious.

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“You are both of course allowed to wear the work garments outside of working hours, but I must insist that they be kept clean and presentable. In part, this is why I have given you both your first weeks wages in advance. I will be giving both of you until noon today to go shopping for any necessities or comforts you may still require." Mr Peabody briskly got to its feet and energetically rubbed its hands together, “Now this is for you,” the golem withdrew a small iron key from its pocket and placed it on the table alongside the coins. “This is a key to the front door. Please make sure to lock it behind yourselves if you go out."

Claire and Mathis were both visibly shocked by the degree of trust Mr Peabody was showing them. Too stunned even to eat, they just stared blankly at the key.

Smiling and chuckling to itself, Mr Peabody waved his farewells and left the building. There were still a great many things to organize and the sooner they were underway the better.

On the way to the town hall, Mr Peabody detoured to the carpentry workshop to both check on the progress of his commissioned order and to order a new sign for the office.

Strutting up the town hall steps, the golem took careful note of the somewhat shabby condition of the building. Unlike the adventurer guildhall, which was in near immaculate condition, it was a stark contrast.

Of course, Mr Peabody understood the primary reason why one administrative building was in decline and not the other, and it was quite simple. The adventurer guildhall was frequented by the nobility and the town hall was not. The majority of visitors seen by the town hall of such a small town would be representatives of minor trade guilds and everyday members of the township wanting to vent grievances. It was clear that the noble entrusted with Endem’s care had a bias in their allotment of funds for the town's various expenses.

It was understandable. Dungeons had to be cleared and closed to ensure the safety of the citizenry. Bounties were deliberately priced as high as possible to entice adventurers to undertake the otherwise unenviable and dangerous tasks.

It was somewhat apparent that the local lord had not yet discovered an efficient balance. It was evident in a number of otherwise small things that independently were of little note, but combined were quite alarming indeed.

Besides the poor state of the town hall, a similar level of dishevelment was evident throughout Endem. Many of the roads were in dire need of cleaning, raw sewage and garbage were near omnipresent the moment you left the main roads leading in and out of town. Similarly, the roads themselves looked to be in somewhat urgent need of repair, broken cobbles and eroded mortar had made one such street nearly impassable for the golem while running its errands.

The final point was heavily interconnected with both its root cause and inevitable effect. The level of unemployment in Endem was growing daily. Desperate and with few options, many turned to banditry and theft. When caught, their remaining family would have little choice but to commit the same crimes to stave off starvation before being executed or incarcerated themselves. It was a vicious cycle and was already nearing critical levels. If nothing was done to remedy the issue, then quite soon the town would collapse and the populace that remained would flee where they may. Some were already leaving the town for the cities in hopes of doing better there, but unfortunately for the truly poor, they would be turned away at the gates as vagabonds.

This was one of the reasons why Mr Peabody was here today. The golem had no illusions about turning the town around and fixing all its ills, that is, not for free anyway. Mr Peabody, in fact, had a number of ideas to both stimulate economic growth while improving the conditions in the town, the golem was just making absolutely certain that it would be adequately compensated for doing it.

Mr Peabody had drafted a number of proposals overnight in its office. Some of these initiatives would be undertaken at a minor loss to generate goodwill with the mayor, while others were strictly to earn Mr Peabody a tidy profit.

Or at least that is how it would seem to those who were not intimately familiar with how exactly the golem’s public service initiatives would be run and why. For example, under Mr Peabody’s sewer maintenance initiative, men would be hired on to patrol the sewers and eliminate blockages to prevent the storm drains from overflowing when it rains.

That is essentially what would be happening, although unknown to the mayor and other residents, Mr Peabody would be employing these men with the intent of keeping the curious away from the tunnels while they shepherded the benefactor’s slime golems throughout the sewers harvesting mana. Essentially Mr Peabody was applying to legally occupy and harvest the sewers for profit under the premise of civic duty and public health.

So long as the sewers were secured, Mr Peabody was confident that the town would not only be saved but prosper as never before.

So with this in the forefront of the golem’s mind, Mr Peabody smiled warmly at the bleary-eyed clerk as the golem was shown to the mayor's office.

The elderly man behind the desk was neatly dressed with a thinly trimmed moustache and goatee. Already visibly distressed by the dozens of letters opened on his desk, the mayor did not seem enthusiastic about Mr Peabody’s sudden appearance. Nonetheless, the ageing public servant made a commendable effort in suppressing his aggravation. “Good morning Mr Peabody, I hadn't expected you quite so early."

Mr Peabody smiled, “My good mayor Quinn, the early hour of our meeting is to better expedite the execution of my philanthropic civic initiatives and, of course, secure the required permits and business licences."

The mayor was temporarily taken aback before managing to gather his thoughts. “You said philanthropic civic initiatives?” He was visibly stunned by the idea of someone besides the church engaging in what was effectively thankless charity.

“Indeed. I know that for some it can seem somewhat counterintuitive to expend time and resources for the betterment of the public good, but at a certain point measures must be taken to be able to continue commercial interests." Mr Peabody took a seat across from the mayor and calmly explained what it meant, ”Mayor Quinn, I understand that Endem’s financial situation is in decline and shows no signs of independently recovering. I suspect that your allocated budget from tariffs, taxes and guild dues has been insufficient for quite some time."

Mayor Quinn blanched but said nothing, obviously aware of the precarious state of the town entrusted to his care.

“With this in mind, I have a multitude of proposals to both stimulate and revive the economic recovery of the town through private investment and privately funded public services,” Mr Peabody gingerly removed the messenger satchel from off its shoulder and deposited it on the table before gently tenting its fingers, “Now, are you prepared to take a look at my proposals?"

Now looking markedly more enthusiastic, mayor Quinn graciously opened the satchel and began reading through the multitude of bound pages. All in all, there were thirty-seven proposals, formal requests and applications for various licenses and binding contracts. Just reading the summaries of Mr Peabody’s reposals took the poor mayor a good half an hour before finally skimming through the applications for licenses.

“Erm, Mr Peabody? Perhaps you could explain this?” Mayor Quinn asked, holding open one page in particular,“It seems like you are requesting to buy people... Surely that can't be right?"

Mr Peabody’s grin widened, “No, that is effectively what I am asking for,” the golem agreed.

Mayor Quinn’s complexion paled, “No matter how dire Endem’s financial situation may be, I can't just sell its citizens to you like cattle!'' The old man was positively shaken by the very idea, a good sign that they could do business long term. Anyone willing to immediately sell another human for the promise of solving their problems, would in turn generate many more problems for Mr Peabody down the road.

“No, I think you have misunderstood,” Mr Peabody sighed and waved its hand placatingly, “I am not requesting to purchase law-abiding citizens. I am asking to purchase the debts of criminals who have committed minor offences and have them enter into a predetermined period of indenturement to serve in lieu of their previous sentence."

Mayor Quinn just stared blankly for a moment before replying, “But why would you want such a thing? And I am afraid I do not have the required authority to make such a decision."

Mr Peabody suppressed a chuckle, “Actually, you do.” The golem leaned forward somewhat eagerly, “In states of crisis, senior officials designated by those with the authority of governance by the crown, are granted powers to raise levies to provide protections on the crown’s behalf to ensure that properties and lands maintain existing sovereignty.” Mr Peabody eased back into the chair again and then pointed to one of the larger leather-bound books in the mayor’s bookshelf. “I have of course paraphrased the article somewhat but I believe you will find that this is currently well within your authority."

Mayor Quinn was visibly confused, “I don't understand what you mean...” He said while standing to retrieve the book of laws.

“It is quite simple,” Mr Peabody began to calmly explain, “In this current state of crisis, and yes this is honestly a crisis, a senior official such as yourself has the authority to draft levies for the purposes deemed necessary to end said crisis. Mr mayor, I will be blunt with you. Without the funds and labour made available from an indenturement agreement, it is doubtful the town will be eligible for most of my proposals and will begin experiencing mass migrations into the surrounding regions before eventually being abandoned."

Mr Peabody’s words had an immediate and intense sobering effect on the mayor. Shoulders drooping, thumping his fist on the desk in frustration, it was obvious that the mayor was no less aware of Endem’s rapid state of decline than Mr Peabody was.

“I think you are still grossly misunderstanding my intent. The intent of the indenturement contracts is to mobilize a motivated workforce to undertake much-needed civic works while also generating much-needed revenue for the town and lessening the burden on the prison. All indentured workers will be protected under contracts ratified by you or other senior officials and will be paid a garnished wage for personal upkeep with the remainder reducing their term of indenturement.” Mr Peabody smiled amiably, “It is my intent to rehabilitate and offer new opportunities for those who are in desperate need of assistance while also serving the needs of the town."

“Then why not employ the unemployed citizens of the slums?” Mayor Quinn asked somewhat desperately.

Mr Peabody tapped his chin somewhat thoughtfully, “I intend to provide work opportunities for them as well, but first, the damaged town infrastructure and available finances need to be addressed to allow it. I have no intention of monopolizing labour and production markets. To the contrary, it is in my best interests to enable the development of a healthy competitive industry within Endem."

“But why?” The poor mayor just couldn't understand why such a seemingly well off merchant such as Mr Peabody would deliberately put themselves so far out of pocket for so little gain. Merchants, by their nature of seeking profits, were almost always seeking to monopolize their area of trade. To not do so, was incredibly odd.

Knowing the mayor now only needed a final push, Mr Peabody leaned in somewhat conspiratorially and whispered loudly, “I intend to provide the means for powering industrial production. So naturally, it is in my best interest to pave the way for those industries to take root and grow right?"

Again, mayor Quinn was seemingly at a loss, “But why Endem?...” He slumped back into his chair with a look like he was grasping at straws, “Surely one of the cities or even the capital would be a better choice? Rumours from the factories are always mentioning mana shortages eating into profits."

Mr Peabody nodded agreeably, “That is indeed true, but it is the will of my benefactor, provided certain officials are willing to cooperate, to reinvigorate this region explicitly. Since he is providing the funding and means for this undertaking, it only makes sense for me to acquiesce."

Now, this had the mayor’s attention, “You have the backing of a noble house?” He asked, more than a little surprised but now rationalizing why Mr Peabody had cause to be so bold.

Mr Peabody smiled wide and tapped his nose conspiratorially, “Perhaps,” the golem lied.

As if it had now changed everything, mayor Quinn’s expression changed to one of insane optimism. “Is it perhaps house Chavare? Or maybe Mourne?” He muttered excitedly to himself before coming back to his senses. “Ah, well. Since it is now clear that you do not have nefarious motives, I would certainly be accused of being negligent in my duties to refuse your requests!"

Mr Peabody smiled amiably, “Your consideration is all I ask."

The mayor nodded somewhat absently as he now excitedly began reading through Mr Peabody’s proposals in detail.

Pleased by its success, Mr Peabody congratulated itself on the preliminary steps going relatively smoothly. Besides the lie regarding a noble house's backing, Mr Peabody had meant every word it had said. Monopolizing multiple industries was bad for business and the overall economy. Furthermore, given that Mr Peabody was very soon to monopolize the production and distribution of mana for commercial, public and private use, it would only cause additional trouble if the golem permanently dominated other areas of production.

In fact, Mr Peabody planned to provide financial backing to worthy candidates to form their own competitive enterprises of labour and production. The drive of competition would stimulate the economy, raise the levels of employment and living conditions in the town, all while earning Mr Peabody and its benefactor substantial stable revenue and perhaps even a few staunch allies.

The golem was unconcerned with its intended monopolizing of mana production and distribution for one primary reason. Mutual self-interest. The relative codependency of Mr Peabody’s mana industry and the other prospective industries in the town and the senior town officials would all theoretically rally against outside interference on Mr Peabody’s behalf. Because otherwise, they would lose their access to the mana powering their industrial artifices.

Similarly, Mr Peabody did not plan to limit mana production to Endem indefinitely, because it was inevitable that powerful noble houses would become unreasonable and cause problems. The golem’s goal was to give Endem the greatest chance at recovery and stable development to steadily accrue power and prestige for its benefactor.

Mr Peabody already had an application form and petition ready to request an unlanded knightage, which was essentially just a non-hereditary title of nobility. Once Mr Peabody had earned the requisite one thousand crowns to accompany the petition, the golem would make the application through the adventurers guild. According to law, any child of established nobility or individual possessing class abilities to manipulate mana could make this application.

The real trick as Mr Peabody saw it, would be when it leveraged the benefactor’s role in the prosperity of Endem to depose its current lord. Theoretically, the golem anticipated such an outcome in less than six months at the latest. Many of Mr Peabody’s initiatives would begin showing positive effects within a couple of weeks and others would not take much longer than that. With the mayor now firmly on board, it seemed like everything would go according to plan.

It was with a broad grin on its face that Mr Peabody left the bank later that morning. Having just negotiated the rental of a full third of the Endem’s residential district, the golem was confident in being able to house the first wave of indentured labourers and their families. It said a great deal about the sad state of the town's prospects when an outsider could freely snatch up a third of the sanctioned living space on such short notice. In fact, Mr Peabody conservatively estimated that most if not all of the occupants in the slums and debtors prison could be comfortably relocated within.

Granted, Mr Peabody had to apply for a rather substantial loan, with an otherwise unreasonable interest rate. But that did not matter particularly much, because the golem would be solvent again very soon.

Mr Peabody’s reasoning behind renting so many properties in otherwise abandoned neighbourhoods was actually to provide a sense of security for both the relocated residents as well as the, as of this moment, law-abiding citizens. With some minor remodelling and the addition of a couple of gates, the district of rented houses and apartments would become a, more or less, controlled community.

The golem’s primary intent was to crack down on criminal influences attempting to intimidate or predate on the indentured workers. Conveniently restricting entry and exit for additional control over the community was just an added bonus.

Browsing the copy of the town registry stored in its mind, Mr Peabody located the registered residence of Mr Thomas, son of Glenn and Sarah. Mr Thomas was the man previously in charge of maintaining the sewage network beneath Endem. He had been fired, along with his workers five months ago, most likely because of the poor state of the town treasury.

Rather than going directly to Mr Thomas’s house, Mr Peabody instead headed to the tavern nearest his residence. Given the early hour of the morning, the tavern was nearly empty, save for a pair of barmaids and a rather dour man wiping down the bar.

“Good morning,” Mr Peabody announced cheerily as it approached the bar.

The barkeep just grunted unintelligibly in reply.

Taking a seat at the bar, Mr Peabody removed a shilling from his coin pouch and dexterously flipped the coin to the barkeep.

Although initially shocked and stumbling a little in response to Mr Peabody’s sudden action, the barkeep still managed to catch the coin. After staring at it in surprise for a moment, he quickly shifted his attention to Mr Peabody, “What can I get ya?"

“Information,” Mr Peabody grinned.

The barkeep nodded, obviously understanding what Mr Peabody meant and waiting for the request.

“One, Mr Thomas, previously employed in cleansing the sewers. I would like to speak with him about an employment opportunity,” Mr Peabody stated rather bluntly.

Bobbing his head slightly, the barkeep ducked briefly into a backroom before returning shortly after with a young boy, most likely his son or nephew, in tow. “Now see you fetch him sharpish!” The barkeep warned, clipping the back of the boy's head none too gently to accentuate the point.

To the boy’s credit, or perhaps because Thomas was in the neighbourhood, he didn’t take long in fetching him and was back within a few minutes. Mr Peabody flipped the boy a penny to keep as his own regardless, both appreciative of the effort and to demonstrate that coin in Mr Peabody’s company would be safe to be considered abundant.

Thomas appeared much the same as his census picture in the registry. Average height and build, middle-aged with a short scruffy beard and piercing eyes. He was dressed in stained but otherwise clean labourers clothes.

Mr Peabody smiled and gestured to a nearby barstool, “Please, take a seat mister Thomas. I am Mr G. Peabody."

Cautiously looking around the room first, Thomas warily walked across the room and took a seat by Mr Peabody at the bar.

Smiling reassuringly, Mr Peabody withdrew a second shilling from its coin purse and deposited it on the bar, “For your time,” the golem gestured for him to take it.

Thomas was surprised but quickly palmed the coin off the table. ”Alright, you have my attention, what is it that you want?"

“To offer you and your former colleagues long-term employment,” Mr Peabody answered matter of factly.

Temporarily stunned, Thomas clearly couldn't believe what he was hearing.

“While employed by the town council, your weekly wage was one shilling and three pence. Mister Thomas, I am offering you three shillings per week to take a supervising role. Likewise, I am willing to employ your previous subordinates, and those you can personally vouch for, at two shillings each, per week. How does that sound?” Mr Peabody tented its fingers and waited.

Thomas did not answer right away, no doubt struggling to understand what kind of work would pay so much and whether it was liable to land him in prison or worse, be hanged.

Mr Peabody smiled reassuringly, guessing what Thomas was thinking. “I can assure you, Mister Thomas, that the work I am offering is perfectly legal, endorsed by the mayor even. In fact, it is more or less the same as what you were doing for the town previously, with a couple of additional responsibilities. This is a part of my benefactor’s revitalization project to restore the town. I do hope you are willing to consider my offer. I would very much prefer to take on those with existing experience and familiarity where possible to smooth the transition period."

“You just want to hire me and my boys back to muck the sewers?” Thomas barked incredulously, “For more than that skinflint was paying before throwing us out on the street?"

“Essentially? Yes,” Mr Peabody agreed happily.

The barkeep who had been staying quiet this whole time leaned in toward Thomas, “Think you’d better take it Tom. Work's hard to come by nowadays, legal ahn well payin' to boot. What’ll the missus say’n she hears you turn’t it down eh?"

Thomas's expression underwent a number of rapid changes, from worried to panicked to resigned. He nodded his head, “Alright mister Peabody, I will work for you."

Mr Peabody grinned, “Very good! I am expecting a delivery with all the necessary equipment sometime this evening. So I would very much like to meet both yourself and your prospective subordinates at my office in the warehouse district early tomorrow morning so we can get the contracts signed, explain the full nature of your duties and see you off to work!” The golem clapped its hands excitedly.

Looking somewhat excited himself, Thomas gave thanks for the opportunity and hurriedly left to spread the good news to his former and soon to be again, subordinates and out of work relatives.

“Thank you for your decisive and timely wisdom,” Mr Peabody withdrew a final shilling from its coin purse and left it on the counter for the barkeep. The golem was quite pleased with the outcome of the recruitment effort and did not begrudge compensating the barkeep for his timely assistance. “I will be recruiting others for civic works in the coming weeks and the continued support of citizens such as yourself is greatly appreciated."

While the barmaids looked somewhat surprised, the barkeep just smiled and knuckled his brow at Mr Peabody, demonstrating both his thanks and that he understood Mr Peabody’s intent. It never hurts to have trusted locals vouch for and lend you their credibility.

Returning to the office, Mr Peabody was pleasantly surprised to find that an important delivery from the carpenter's workshop had arrived ahead of schedule. At first glance, it looked like an ornate glass case, liberally decorated with gold and silver inlay on the wooden frame with a large drawer beneath. Technically, that was more or less true. Mr Peabody’s expense on this one item had almost entirely resulted from making it look more expensive and high class. This was deemed necessary since it had to be at least passably acceptable by the gaudy standards of nobles for it to be successful.

From back to front, the display case had a forty-five-degree tilt that passively kept the recessed lid firmly shut. The accompanying internal lock was actually more for show than function, Mr Peabody planned on enchanting the lock to only work in conjunction with the quartzite crystal key. Temporarily hardening its fingernail, Mr Peabody carefully inscribed and enchanted them before moving on.

Next, the golem turned its attention to the inlaid quartzite viewing panel in the lid. Etching sigils into both the interior and exterior surfaces around the perimeter of the pane. The enchantments laid into the quartzite were deliberately complex and sophisticated. Besides strengthening the quartzite, the other enchantments were specifically related to conditionally transferring mana and information. Thinking about it, Mr Peabody was wondering how close the display case was to being a golem like itself.

One final step remained. Unlocking and opening the large desk drawer revealed a chunk of processed quartzite nearly twice the size of the golem's head. It was currently anchored in the centre of the space by a bronze cage and padded cloth to hold it tight. Unlocking the quartzite from its confinement, Mr Peabody slowly carved large sweeping curves and tiny sigils into its surface. More artistic than functional in design, it was intended to throw off the guild or rival Artificers attempts to understand the network of enchantments circulating through the display case. More visually striking and arcane than the rest of the components combined, the quartzite was little more than a glorified power source that would recharge itself from other reserve power sources Mr Peabody would have installed in the office.

Before replacing the quartzite inside, Mr Peabody felt somewhat cheeky and decided to etch sigils into the bronze cage as well. The very idea of someone trying to steal the golem's hard work rankled Mr Peabody’s sensibilities to the core. Intellectual theft was marginally worse than traditional theft of physical property.

After fixing the quartzite back in place and locking the drawer, Mr Peabody gave the display case an appreciative once over with a cleaning cloth before moving it out of the way and draping a linen sheet over it to keep the dust off. The golem would have been more concerned about keeping it somewhere safe, but it was currently close to indestructible and was impressively heavy, so the chances of anyone damaging or stealing it without the golem knowing, were quite low.

Incredibly pleased with itself, Mr Peabody left the office for a long walk around the town. Fully intending to keep its promises to the mayor, Mr Peabody took careful note of the conditions in each street on its way to the adventurer guildhall.

Still, quite early in the morning, there were only a few adventurers and retainers loitering in the guild. This was about what Mr Peabody had expected, so the golem just made sure to smile and nod perfunctorily as it passed on the way to the front desk.

“Good morning,” Mr Peabody waved a warm greeting to the pair of clerks.

The junior clerk, a young man in his twenties bowed somewhat respectfully while the senior clerk, an austere woman in her forties only bowed her head slightly in return, “Morning, sir."

Mr Peabody chose to ignore the woman's rather cold greeting and pressed on with a smile on its face. “I am Mr G. Peabody, I believe Mrs Anabelle has lodged an application on my benefactor’s behalf to demonstrate his latest artifice breakthrough?” The golem boldly withdrew a guild identification tablet from one of its pockets and held it out for the clerks to see. It was both a forgery and functionally legitimate since there was no difference to one issued by the guild itself. Mr Peabody had simply enchanted the tablet itself and inserted the corresponding information into both the adventurer guild‘s registry and the records in the town hall.

The senior clerk’s demeanour changed in an instant, clearly familiar with the posting of her junior colleague. “Ah, sorry, I was not aware of your relationship to Mr Farus. Please, forgive me.” She bowed low and the junior clerk, somewhat flustered himself, bowed along with her.

“Perfectly understandable,” Mr Peabody chuckled, “Water under the bridge, my dear,” the golem excused magnanimously. “Due to my benefactor having other matters to attend to, I shall be making the presentation of the Artifice Invigoration Station.” Mentioning the specific name for the artifice had the desired effect, eliciting shock, awe and no small amount of curiosity from the clerks. “I just intended to stop by and make sure the guild master or a suitable representative would be able to attend the demonstration tomorrow afternoon?”

Still somewhat flustered, the senior clerk stammered something unintelligible and quickly rushed up the stairs.

Chuckling to itself, Mr Peabody turned its attention to the wider room while it waited. Everything was going according to plan.