The next dawn brought clear skies and a hint of warmer weather. The start of spring was still a few weeks out but Nick took the break in the frigid temperatures as a positive sign of his intentions to move on from Frellon and head south. He was finally ready to start his journey beyond the safe confines of Frederick’s home and the opportunity to explore a newly opened frontier seemed like a good fit.
Frederick had already left for the day to head into town after he had taken the morning to assess the custom orders Callum had brought from the capital. Nick had broken the news of his fast approaching departure and received a warm smile of support in return.
He found himself sitting in his familiar spot on the bench in Frederick’s cottage with Vander standing nearby ready to provide the assistance he would need.
“Vander, it’s time for us to plan for the future. I have always had a desire to be an entrepreneur and after learning about mercenary companies it seems like this world has provided a golden opportunity for me to start my very own.”
It may sound bizarre for a level 1 [Merchant] but Nick’s plans were dependent on the freedom that came with operating independently. His discussions with Frederick about his time as a mercenary gave him confidence in the decision despite the upfront costs. He would have total control as the sole owner and felt he could build the reputation and size over time as he grew in level and experience.
Vander nodded and carefully adjusted his glasses. “A company offers many benefits for organizing and signing contracts, trading goods, and building reputation.”
Nick had learned the stations helpfully handled the bureaucracy of all types of organizations including mercenary companies. There was a fee but it was worth doing things officially to have the backing of the station network to enforce contracts with debilitating penalties for negligence and contract breaches.
"This will be our first step toward establishing ourselves as a premier company. With your help, we have a significant advantage over most so we will do our best to take advantage of it." Nick said with a hint of excitement in his voice.
“First thing’s first we need to set up a company. From what Frederick described, if we want to take contracts issued by the kingdom, we need to set up one classified for independent mercenaries.”
Vandar nodded and waved his hand with a flourish. A screen flickered into existence with a list of pre-populated options in a registration form for creation of a new mercenary company.
Name: <>
Ownership: Sole Proprietorship
Type: Company
Sub-Type: Mercenary
Affiliation: Independent
Maximum Capacity: 50 + 1 (Owner)
Registration Fee: 1 Gold, 50 Silver
Vandar began to explain the details, “You can change the type of ownership in the future if you see fit but without investors you will be restricted to a sole proprietorship. However, this will give you full authority over contractual terms entered by the company. The affiliation will impact the areas the company can accept contracts and tax rates based on local station control. Some station owners will only allow companies with certain affiliations to accept contracts or do business. The initial fee for registration of a new organization is 50 silver. The capacity is measured in units of 50 with a 1 gold fee for each unit.”
“This seems like the right fit for now. The upfront cost is high so we will need to be strategic with our remaining funds. I guess I will need to select a name.” Nick said in reply. He had been mulling over several names but had not yet landed on one.
Nick wasn’t sure why he already started addressing Vandar as part of his company but it seemed like he was as much a partner as himself. He was tied to his skill which in turn was tied to himself so he considered Vandar an integral part of his plans.
After a couple minutes of tossing around a few names in his head Nick landed on a decision. “Solis Trading Cooperative or STC for short.” Nick said as he placed the required fee onto the table.
Vandar nodded and the funds vanished. A new line entered Nick’s status screen indicating his ownership of a new mercenary company established with the station network.
“Well that was a bit underwhelming but now we can move onto the more exciting stuff.” Nick said with a smirk.
"Vandar, let's start by filtering for contracts that provide bodyguard services. We need someone that can be both a valuable addition to the team for their skills and also advise me and help us avoid common pitfalls. I guess that advice part probably applies to anyone we hire in the short term. I have still got a lot to learn."
A screen appeared and a cascade of listings appeared with the auction timer expiring on some of them as soon as they appeared. The costs varied depending on the level and skills. The variety seemed endless with some contracts for individuals and others for full teams fit for high end nobility.
Nick tapped a description from one of the postings and dug into the listing to find it was a small team of four with a Level 85 Air Mage commander looking to sign a 30 cycles contract for 5 gold. Vander clarified cycles were days and they were approximately the same length as Earth at 24 hours with 30 cycles equally one month.
He had no explanation for how another planet could be so similar to Earth, not to mention the fact everyone seemed to speak a common language. He had to simply shrug and point to the deities and the stations as an explanation. It was worth more consideration in the future but he decided to table those rabbit holes for another time.
"Pricey. Is there a level cap?" Nick asked a question that came to mind to get refocused.
"There is no cap but the higher levels become increasingly difficult to achieve."
Nick nodded understandingly. He wasn't clear on how difficult it would be to level up but Fredrick shared he was only Level 89 after many decades which indicated it was a slow process. It also seemed support classes would be slower to level than combat oriented ones but the risks were much less considering you didn’t have to frequently fight in potentially deadly situations.
"Do you have the ability to assess the capability of these contracts and find a team that can be discrete and are experienced enough to keep me safe while we establish ourselves into a fully operating company?"
Vander waved his hand and the listings filtered down to three. "I've narrowed the available contracts to those that may best meet your requirements and budget. These contracts are undervalued based on current market conditions."
Firebranded Bodyguard Unit
Commander: Lundrick Drakfall - Level 45 Dwarf Fire Mage
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Reputation: 5/10
Status: Mercenary, For Hire
Roster Size: 4
Roster Breakdown:
1 - Dwarf Fire Mage
3 - Dwarf Axe Berserkers
Price: 1 Gold, 15 Silver
Contract Length: 30 Cycles
Nightfall Mist Bodyguards
Commander: Larissa Nightfall - Level 58 Night Elf Archer
Reputation: 4/10
Status: Mercenary, For Hire
Roster Size: 2
Roster Breakdown:
1 - Night Elf Archer
1 - Night Elf Assassin
Price: 1 Gold, 25 Silver
Contract Length: 30 Cycles
N/A - For Sale
Commander: Darren Krin - Level 23 Human Swordsman
Reputation: N/A
Status: Slaves, For Sale
Roster Size: 5
1 - Human Swordsman
4 - Human Spearman
Price: 80 Silver
Contract Length: None
Nick read through each listing thoughtfully. The last listing surprised him the most as they were slaves and not mercenaries.
“I don't understand how mercenaries are more expensive than slaves if the contract terms are limited."
“Slaves, while bound by the station contract to not harm their owner, still must be motivated to perform. The contract price goes to their owners making them unreliable and difficult to control without appropriate infrastructure. Mercenaries are incentivized by coins and maintaining their reputations.”
"What do you mean by bound?"
"All slave purchases through the station market have three oaths they must follow. One, they can't attempt to harm their owner or their owner’s compatriots. Second, they can't willingly leave a one kilometer radius from their owner without permission. Three, they can't access any station without their owner's permission."
"And what happens if they don't follow one of these oaths?"
"They are stripped of their class and blacklisted from using any station in the future. It is worth noting that owners are required to feed, cloth, and provide general necessities for any owned slaves or else similar punishments may be levied against them. There will be warnings given to both slaves and owners before a punishment is applied to allow compliance."
Nick sat in thought for a few minutes. It was clear slavery was not frowned upon on Proelium and even incentivized through the use of station contracts. It was hard for Nick to not feel a bit disgusted by it, but he refocused on the matter at hand and asked, "How is reputation score generated?"
"Reputation is based on completing contracts in line with agreed terms. They provide potential employers with a baseline but many reputation scores suffer from poorly constructed contracts."
"Are you able to better assess reputation beyond the scores found in the market listing?"
"Yes, the scores for these units are close to perfect if you remove uncontrollable events from previous contracts."
Nick rubbed his chin in thought. He was extremely uncomfortable with buying slaves, especially human ones but he considered the idea of freeing them and trying to negotiate a contract with them for protection. That would be ideal if he had more coins but with his limited funds he knew that was a huge risk if it didn't work out. It would have to be a future goal to try and work out a way to free slaves and convert them into mercenaries for his company but that would have to wait.
"Tell me more about the night elves." Nick said.
"Highly skilled sisters trained to protect high value nobles, but were forced to flee their home when an invasion overran their city. They are an excellent value based on their levels and background despite being the most expensive and smallest unit."
"Refugees. I imagine there are a lot of people out there forced from their homes due to war. Okay I think they are our best bet. I am drawn to the ranged and stealth aspects of their classes as well. I plan to hire plenty of warriors and mages directly for the larger company ranks. How do we negotiate a contract with them for protection while venturing into the frontier?"
“The base criteria for the contract is satisfied in the contract listing. In this case,
bodyguard services. The more specific details of the job can be communicated through the station market for acceptance. I’ve drafted a contract that should meet your requirements.”
With another hand flourish, a contract appeared on the hovering display. Nick gave it a quick review and nodded as he read through each section. It seemed to cover anything he would encounter to accomplish his goal of exploring the frontier and mainly focused on ensuring his safety as a priority.
“Excellent Vander. Nice job. Let’s send it for acceptance.”
A few minutes later a message displayed confirming the elves acceptance of the contract. Trusting Vander's assessment, Nick confidently tapped the purchase option and a shimmering door appeared in the middle of the cottage. After a few long moments, the door opened and two lithe women with skin the color of ash and long braided hair walked out fully armed and looking ready for battle.
They wore dark cloaks over leather armor that was covered in daggers and pouches. They both carried small packs on their backs but the one in the lead stood out with a large bow the color of obsidian on her shoulder. They had similar features but the bow carrying woman was taller and more muscular with an air of confidence. The other elf was shorter and thinner with a softer more approachable demeanor.
As the door closed and then vanished behind the two women, they were immediately on alert scanning the room and drawing long daggers from sheaths on their hips. Their movement was so fast a dagger was at Nick’s throat before he could get a word out.
Dagger drawn and at his throat the lead elf said, "What is this place? Where is the station transfer hall?"
Nick gulped nervously feeling the cold metal against his neck before getting words out, "Uhhh.. right. I apologize I didn't think about that part. I'm Nick Solis, your employer. I guess this isn't normal for station travel but I have a special skill."
Vander flickered and then reappeared facing the women before saying, "Perhaps I can help explain."
The ladies glanced toward Vander threateningly but hesitated briefly and their eyes both widened in awe as they received a station message from Vander before they stepped back and sheathed their weapons.
The front woman kneeled and said, "A station avatar. We are honored to be in your presence. I am Larissa Nightfall and my sister is Nuri Nightfall. Please forgive our rudeness."
Nuri joined her sister in kneeling. Nick looked on awkwardly for a moment before clearing his throat to get their attention.
"Please stand. I am looking for bodyguards to help keep me safe while I put together a mercenary company to travel to the frontier. I seek experienced warriors that can share their knowledge and protect me from threats we may face in this endeavor."
The sisters both gave Nick a calculating look as they rose and the tense air seemed to dissipate allowing him to take a deep breath of relief. He was learning the sleepy town of Frellon was a poor representation of the broader world.
--
Further introductions went surprisingly well with the Nightfall sisters despite the shocking first interaction. The elves were eager to work for Nick after finding out he owned a personal station node and the contract included a confidentiality clause that would protect his anonymity which was a standard for bodyguards. Nick was interested in learning more about the sisters but it was clear they were all business until they were more comfortable.
He learned their initial reaction was due to the unusual arrival location. Station to station travel was conducted through standard trade halls that housed units waiting for contracts to be filled. The bodyguards were expecting to enter an adjoining trade hall and instead ended up in Fredrick's cottage.
Nick checked his remaining coins and realized they wouldn't go as far as he initially hoped. He was pleasantly surprised however when he checked his status to find the transaction resulted in his first level up. and although he did not receive any new skills it felt like progress.
Name: Nick Solis
Age: 22
Race: Human
Class: [Merchant]
Level: 2