The Nightfall sisters were immediately diligent in their bodyguard duties. They demonstrated their experience by quickly establishing a perimeter around Fredrick's cottage and even questioned the man himself to ensure he wasn't a threat when he returned from his workshop to check in on how things were coming along. Nick felt a little guilty for intruding on Frederick’s hospitality further but he still had some planning and purchases to organize before they could depart.
Nick carefully stacked his remaining coins onto the table. 1 Gold, 99 Silver, and 74 Copper. It was a hefty sum for a simple villager but it wouldn’t go far in hiring mercenaries and equipping a company with all the gear and supplies they would need. Nick knew he would need to be careful about how he spent his remaining funds until he could establish a reliable source of income.
Sitting around the small stack of coins on the table were Frederick, Nick, and Larissa. Nuri had barely spoken a word since the sisters arrived and was still outside the cottage monitoring for threats despite Nick’s assurance the village was completely safe. He was thankful to have someone watching his back after all of Frederick’s warnings though so he didn’t actually mind the extra vigilance. He was certainly going to be relying on the sister’s expertise to keep him out of trouble in his new world and anticipated the threats were yet to come.
Nick began laying out the next steps of his plan for Frederick and Larissa in order to get their input, “Alright, we need some transportation south. After speaking with Vandar, the station transfer fees seem a bit too steep for us at the moment but we can afford some simple mounts. The new frontier campaign is being organized out of the town of Torrst. Assuming the weather cooperates we can make it to Torrst in about a week based on the maps Vandar can provide. From there we can look for a contract and hire some muscle.”
Nick learned a bit more about how fees were assessed for transportation between stations from Vandar during one of their late night chats. In short it was expensive, especially if you were not part of an organization affiliated with the station owner. Being an independent company came with plenty of benefits but it would cause increased costs and taxes to be assessed compared to those affiliated directly with the kingdom who controlled the station. The transfer fees to hire the Nightfall sisters were included in the contract costs and were significantly reduced based on them being in a nearby nation.
Nick was learning the station infrastructure created significant complexities to economics and trade between nations that had to be carefully managed to ensure stability. It helped to have a specialized support class like [Economist] or [Accountant] with their associated skills but as a [Merchant] he would need to figure out how to best manage the impact fees and taxes would have on his company. At some point it may be prudent to even hire his own support team to ensure he was optimizing things as much as possible. Fortunately, he had a bit of a cheat when it came to selling his goods as he could exempt himself from taxes when selling from his own station.
He would need to be careful to not raise any suspicions but once he made it to the frontier he was confident there wouldn’t be anyone around to cause him problems. It was also a slight bonus to the members of his company that used his station to purchase and sell goods that could be added to contracts.
Frederick brought Nick’s thoughts back to the present as he vocalized his thoughts, “The trip south will be harsh this time of year but with the right supplies it shouldn’t be a problem beyond some cold nights. The temperatures will be warmer once you make it through the Gazt mountain pass. It is about three days south by wagon. The roads are kept clear of ice by the kingdom patrols with some special alchemical products. They came through a couple weeks back so you should be able to make steady time.”
Nick chuckled internally at the thought of a medieval society essentially salting their roads to make it easier to maintain commerce. It was fortunate for him though as it would make travel far more pleasant during the current season.
Larissa chimed in to provide her input next, “We will travel the most efficiently without a cart or wagon. There are plenty of reliable mounts that would be suitable for this climate and can manage a rider as well as supplies. I leave it to your discretion. Nuri and I are trained to ride any mount suitable for humans.”
Nick thought it over before turning to Vandar. He had previously reviewed the market for mounts for sale but he didn’t recognize many of the species names and lacked any real experience even during his time on Earth with ridable animals. The most he had ever experienced was a guided horseback ride as a kid.
“Vandar can you sort mounts for something that fits our requirements for climate and hauling capacity?”
“Certainly.” Vandar replied politely.
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A new screen flickered into existence visible to all three participants of the conversation. The display shifted until only a handful of listings remained.
“These listings meet the basic requirements and offer the best value under current market conditions.”
Heavy Stock Horse
Vendor: Prism Breeding Incorporated
Type: Mount
Status: For Sale
Price (Per Unit): 8 Silver, 49 Copper
Eastern Krora
Vendor: Bastion of the Green Forest
Type: Mount
Status: For Sale
Price (Per Unit): 12 Silver
Miniature Strox
Vendor: Mutation Munitions
Type: Mount
Status: For Sale
Price (Per Unit): 9 Silver, 99 Copper
Nick scanned the list and took a moment to view the display images of the krora and strox as the names were completely unfamiliar to him. The krora looked similar to a deer or an elk but it had multiple tails and its skin appeared to be made of a thick tree bark. The strox was intimidating. It was clearly related to some type of ox with massive shoulders and thick muscles but it had a thick coat of dark fur and an additional set of back legs. Both creatures were bizarre as far as Nick was concerned.
“I can't say I am familiar with these options besides the horses. Any opinions?" Nick asked with a bit of embarrassment at his ignorance.
"They are all acceptable mounts. Strox are slow but sturdy and never tire, making them excellent for hauling monster corpses back to stations. Krora provide the most flexibility and won't shy away from predators but are limited in their hauling capacity. Horses are nothing if not reliable and offer a reasonable middle ground but would not be capable of operating as efficiently in the frontier." Larissa replied.
To Nick, that made the decision easy.
"In that case, kroras are the optimal choice. Vander, will the station market hold the mounts in the until we are ready to depart?"
"Certainly. You will need to make a deposit and the remaining funds have to be held in escrow. The hall will allow purchases to be held for up to 24 hours for this vendor. Other vendors may offer different criteria which may be a consideration for future purchases." Vander added helpfully.
"Excellent. Please proceed with the purchase of three kroras and we will take possession once we have our other supplies sorted."
With a simple hand wave the stack of coins on the table shrunk and a helpful chime confirmed the purchase allowing Nick to shift focus to his other needs.
It didn’t take long for Nick to pick out the remaining supplies needed with minimal input from Frederick and Larrisa. Food, water, temporary shelters, and some miscellaneous sundries were cheap by comparison to reliable mounts and totaled 1 Silver and 76 Copper. Nick wasn’t required to pay for food and sundries for his bodyguards but felt it would earn some easy goodwill with the sisters and purchased them climate appropriate supplies and food for their journey in addition to his own.
With the final supplies purchased and a clear morning there was nothing to delay Nick’s departure any further but he was still hesitant to leave the now comfortable cottage and village. He knew it was necessary to seek out his own fortunes but it was still bittersweet to leave Frellon and Frederick after spending close to a week with him. He was more emotional than he expected and had to take a few moments to settle himself as the final supplies were being loaded onto his new mounts in front of Frederick’s home.
Fredrick noticed Nick’s far off look and approached to offer some final advice and best wishes.
"There will always be a warm place for ya here, not that ya would need to come back to this sleepy hovel. I know we haven't known each other long but I know ya will find your way in this world. Stay safe and let your bodyguards do the heavy lifting. You can send me a message through the station for a small fee if ya ever need anything." Fredrick said as he slapped Nick on the back, sending him stumbling slightly.
Nick smiled at the man with a little regret at the back of his mind at not getting to know him more. He had only known Fredrick a short time but he considered him a friend and knew he would be grateful for a long time to come for having had their time together.
"You don't have to worry about me. I've got plenty of protection thanks to your wisdom. I hope we meet again when I'm swimming in coins and I can come back to buy this town." Nick replied with obviously exaggerated confidence.
They shared a quick embrace before Nick nodded toward the Nightfall sisters and loaded up onto his mount. He was happy to note the saddle was well padded and the creature had a smooth trot that was easy for his body to adapt to as they made their way out of the yard. The three members of his small company gave some final waves goodbye before directing their kroras onto the well worn road heading south and into a great unknown for Nick.