Ryan stared at the scroll in his hands, his mind racing with the implications of what he'd just read. The contract from Looter's Heaven seemed like a dream come true at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it was nothing short of a nightmare. He rolled it up carefully, his eyes narrowing as he considered his options.

"Veron's beard," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "What a mess."

The day had started so promisingly. Ryan had opened his shop with the same package deals as before: three potions for a hundred silvers, five for a hundred and seventy silvers, and the premium package of ten potions for three hundred and ten silvers. Within moments of fully opening his shop for business, he had throngs of customers coming to patronize him.

A couple of familiar faces from the previous day turned up. The most notable was the dwarf from the previous day. The moment the dwarf stepped up to the stall, Ryan put his game face on and his mind was whirring with a deal for the dwarf.

"Good day," Ryan called out, his voice carrying over the crowd. "New deals available for minor health potions. Purchase three potions for a hundred silvers, five for a hundred and seventy, and our premium package of ten potions going for just three hundred and ten silvers. We also have teleportation stones for a special price."

The dwarf's bushy eyebrows rose at the mention of teleportation stones. "Yer merchants and schem-y deals," he grumbled, but there was a glint of interest in his eyes. "What's this teleportation you got?"

Ryan couldn't resist the smile that broke through his game face as he hurriedly went into his stall to bring out the teleportation stone. Going back to the front of the stall, he cooked up the best pitch he could.

"With this common teleportation stone, you can teleport ten meters in any direction," Ryan began, his voice taking on a showman's cadence. "All you have to do is throw it on the ground and step on it to crush it while imagining the direction you wish to go. If the spot you choose exceeds the maximum distance, you will appear at the ten-meter mark. This stone was first—"

"I don't have time for all yer sugary words," the dwarf interrupted, practically growling the question. "How much does it cost?"

Ryan paused, considering his options. He decided to go for a high price, anticipating some haggling. "Well, the teleportation stone costs five gold coins only," he said, mentally preparing for the bargaining session to come.

To his surprise, the dwarf nodded. "Fine, I also want the premium potion package. Total it up quick, I'm in a hurry. Wasted my blasted time queuing here."

The shock must have been apparent on Ryan's face because the dwarf impatiently snapped his fingers. Ryan went into motion, bagging the order and doing a little mental math.

"Your total is five gold and three hundred and ten silvers," Ryan said, then quickly added, "but you can pay five gold and three hundred silvers." He held his breath, hoping the small discount would please the dwarf.

The package and coin quickly exchanged hands, and the dwarf prepared to leave, but not before dropping a word of advice.

"Aha, so the lad has some business sense, giving me a discount without me asking," the dwarf said, a hint of approval in his gruff voice. "Good on you, lad. To make us even, I'll give you a piece of advice: move from this dump. People don't like coming to the eastern part of the city. Too far out and rarely worth it. Good luck, boyyo."

Ryan tried to respond, but before he could, the dwarf had disappeared into the crowd. He barely had time to dwell on it before the next customer rapped on the side of his stall to alert him.

Ryan quickly got back into the job, shoving the words of the dwarf into the back of his mind. It turned out to be a human like him, a young man with tousled brown hair and an eager expression.

"Well, I couldn't help but overhear your conversation about the teleportation stones," the man said, leaning in conspiratorially. "Those things are lifesavers in the dungeons. This is the first place that sells them this cheap. Looter's Heaven sells them for six gold and five hundred silvers. Can I get three teleportation stones and your premium potion package?"

Ryan was shocked by what he just heard. Six gold and five hundred silvers for what he just sold for five? That was probably why the greedy dwarf was in a rush to disappear with the items. But it was a win-win situation since he had purchased the stones for half the price he was selling them for.

"Unfortunately, I only have a single teleportation stone left," Ryan said, trying to mask his disappointment. "But I have a new batch coming in tomorrow if you don't mind stopping by then?"

The man's face fell slightly, but he quickly recovered. "For a discount like that, I don't mind coming back next week. So, I'll take the single stone off your hands and your premium potion package too."

Without wasting time, Ryan got the items out and bagged them. "Your total is five gold and three hundred and ten silvers only," he said, maintaining eye contact with the customer.

The human looked like he wanted to protest but thought better of it midway. The transaction was completed swiftly, and Ryan moved on to the next person in line.

The rest of the day went by in a blur. Ryan had sold almost two hundred and fifty potions before the end of the day. So many people were clamoring for his discount that at one point, some adventurers were using seniority to cut in line. It was a heady feeling, being in such high demand, but Ryan knew better than to let it go to his head.

As the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the street, Ryan finally saw the crowd thinning. He was exhausted but exhilarated. His stock of potions was nearly depleted, and his coin purse was satisfyingly heavy.

Just as he was about to start packing up, a burly-looking man approached his stall. Ryan straightened up, sensing that this wasn't a typical customer.

"Hello, good evening. Am I speaking with Mr. Ryan Lionheart?" the man asked, his voice formal and clipped.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Yes, who's asking?" Ryan responded, trying to keep his tone neutral despite the sudden unease he felt.

"My name is Mr. Coman, from the Trader's Guild. I'm here to inquire about your trading license."

Ryan's heart sank. This was one of the few things he'd managed to escape over the course of starting his merchanting profession. They couldn't tax him when he was barely afloat, and there wasn't anything worth seizing his shop over. Now, on the other hand, he had a lot to lose.

"I was going to get my license tomorrow," he lied, hoping his face didn't betray his nervousness.

Mr. Coman's expression didn't change. "Well, no need to stress yourself. The Trader's Guild has it on good authority that you've been trading for the past four years without a license and has decided to fine you thirty gold plus an additional five gold coins for a new license for a year." He paused, then continued, "Failure to complete the payment within a week gives the Trader's Guild the license to confiscate your shop and all the items in it. Please visit the Trader's Guild for more information. Have a good day, Mr. Lionheart."

With that, he simply dropped a scroll with a cart sigil on the wax used to seal it and left without another word.

Ryan couldn't think straight for a while. Thirty-five gold was more than the money he'd made in his entire life combined. Where would he even get that kind of money? He was already owing the Banking Guild, and now this.

The license wasn't something that he needed at the time, to be honest. It wasn't something he could've possibly afforded, and since his shop was at the eastern part of the city, he was left alone by the officials in charge as this part of the city was usually very slow and unprofitable when it came to business.

The only reason he could think that the officials would have approached him at this point was if someone felt threatened by his newfound success and fame amongst the players and was trying to find a way to put an end to him.

He never looked for trouble; in fact, he tried his best to avoid confrontations as much as possible. He never flaunted what he had, probably because he never had much before the last three days. The biggest question at this point was who, and as fate would have it, he didn't have to wait long to find out.

A few minutes after Coman left, Ryan was visited by another official. This time it was one that needed no introduction, one that he'd hoped for a very long time that he'd meet: Mr. Darius, the SRO — Static Relations Officer of Looter's Heaven. He was the man who gave out contracts to promising merchants.

"Good evening, Mr. Darius," Ryan said with a wide smile, trying to hide his nervousness.

"Yes, good evening, Mr. Lionheart. I've heard a lot about you," Darius replied, his voice smooth and practiced.

Ryan couldn't help but let the smile on his face stretch. Veron's balls, Mr. Darius had heard about him, a nobody. Today had to be the day.

"Good things, I hope. So, what can I do for you, sir?" Ryan asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Well, I'm here for a simple reason, my friend. To offer you the opportunity of a lifetime to become a partner of Looter's Heaven."

Ryan couldn't believe what he'd just heard. He wanted to jump up and down in joy, but he maintained his composure. "Wow, I'm so honored to have been considered, sir," Ryan said, his voice betraying his excitement despite his best efforts.

"Well, I'm sure you're getting this offer because you merit it," Mr. Darius said with a practiced smile. "Anyway, some of the benefits include a new shop at the center of the town, a signing-on bonus of thirty gold, automatic renewal of your trading license for every year that you are contracted to us. The rest of the details are in the scroll I'll provide to you."

Mr. Darius handed over a scroll with the initials LH on the wax seal and turned to leave. "I hope to have a positive answer from you by tomorrow, Mr. Lionheart."

As soon as Mr. Darius was out of sight, Ryan wasted no time opening up the scroll to read the terms, conditions, and benefits. After giving it a once-over, a couple of red flags stood out.

The first was the fact that their contract was basically a slave contract. He'd have to sign over a minimum of thirty years of service to them, thirty years that he could spend building relationships and connections to grow his business.

The second was that he was only allowed to sell products supplied by partners of Looter's Heaven and products he could produce himself. A big red flag, as that limited his business opportunities.

The third was the profit split and monthly fee. All shops operating under the banner of Looter's Heaven were required to pay a monthly fee of twenty percent of their total profits every month. Note that this fee was separate from the profit split of the contract, which stated that Looter's Heaven must receive sixty percent of the profit from each day's sale.

In other words, it was a clever way for Looter's Heaven to split the profits eighty to a measly twenty, with them taking the lion's share of the profits.

The fourth and mildly infuriating red flag was the clause that stated that all products must be sold according to the fixed price distributed to all merchants operating under the banner.

All those were signs of a predatory contract, but the final nail in the coffin was the last clause: All merchants who sign the contracts cannot in any way or fashion legally null and void the contract, nor neglect the contract in any way before their tenure is over. The consequences would be dire if any merchant decides to escape.

Ryan felt a chill run down his spine as he read the last clause. If he wasn't scared before, now he was terrified. How could people even sign these kinds of contracts of their own free will?

Although it did kind of check out, the timing of Mr. Coman and Looter's Heaven screamed foul play. If this was how they subtly forced merchants into signing these slave contracts, then it made a lot of sense.

The only thing that gave Ryan a sense of calm was the fact that he still had Mr. Gerhalt's offer on the table. Because if he was only selling potions and skill tabs, there was no way he could come up with the money to pay his Banking Guild debt and the Trader's Guild's fine. All in all, he was forty-one gold in the red. If he didn't get his money up, he would be doomed.

"Veron's beard," Ryan couldn't help but exclaim at the well-placed trap that he'd almost fallen into. If Mr. Gerhalt hadn't approached him earlier, he would've had no other choice. Well played, Looter's Heaven.

As the night grew darker and the streets emptied, Ryan found himself sitting alone in his stall, surrounded by the remnants of his most successful day yet, but feeling more trapped than ever. He stared at the two scrolls before him – one from the Trader's Guild demanding payment, and the other from Looter's Heaven offering a deal that was too good to be true.

He thought back to the dwarf's advice about moving from this "dump." Maybe the old codger had a point. The eastern part of the city might be holding him back, but moving would require capital he didn't have. Unless...

Ryan's eyes fell on empty space that held the teleportation stones. He'd sold them for a hefty profit, and there was clearly a high demand. If he could get his hands on more, maybe even learn to craft them himself...

But that was a big if. For now, he needed to focus on the immediate problem. He had a week to come up with thirty-five gold for the Trader's Guild, or he'd lose everything. The Looter's Heaven contract seemed like an easy way out, but Ryan knew better. It was a trap, plain and simple.

He thought about Mr. Gerhalt's offer. Selling artifacts could be lucrative, but it also came with risks. What if he couldn't sell them quickly enough? The daily fee would eat into his profits, potentially putting him even further in debt.

As the candle on his stall flickered, casting dancing shadows on the walls, Ryan made a decision. He couldn't sign with Looter's Heaven – that much was clear. But he couldn't just sit back and wait for doom to come either. He needed a plan, and he needed it fast.

First thing tomorrow, he'd visit Mr. Gerhalt and take him up on his offer. He'd also need to look into crafting his own teleportation stones – the profit margin was too good to ignore. And perhaps most importantly, he needed to start building relationships with other merchants and adventurers. Information was power in this city, and right now, he was sorely lacking in both.

As he packed up his stall for the night, Ryan felt a mix of exhaustion and determination. The road ahead would be tough, but he'd come too far to give up now. He may be in over his head, but he was Ryan Lionheart, and he'd be damned if he'd let Looter's Heaven or anyone else push him around.