First thing first, decide who’s going to be my additional set of eyes. There was much that a single person might miss while distracted, and everyone seems to ignore slaves so long as they aren’t directly in their way. I went back down to the stables where everyone had just finished settling in as best as they could.
They perked up when I entered, all of them looking at me expectantly for what would happen next. I tried to look as confident as possible before talking to them. “So, I think it’s time for a little scouting. I need one of you to serve as an extra pair of eyes for me, taking on a sort of assistant role and remaining in the background while I do the talking. We’ll be in the thick of it, so you have to be confident in your ability to remain as unnoticed as possible while still taking in whatever might be of importance. Who thinks they can pull this off?”
Three of them almost instantly looked at Kala. She appeared to be rather flustered by the sudden silent election that designated her for the position of assistant spy. “Why are you all looking at me? I haven’t done anything like this before, I probably won’t be any better at it than you.”
Otar took it upon himself to explain the thought process they were going through. “True, but you are also the one with the most experience behaving as a slave would. You know how to make yourself appear small, not worth paying attention to, which is perfect for this.”
Kala looked around the group for any dissenting opinions, but everyone was only giving affirmations that they agreed with what Otar had said. She deflated a little with a sigh, giving in to the vote that was unanimously favoring her. “Fine, so I'm going, what’s the plan then?”
“We are going to the banker’s guild and I'm going to try to get a meeting with someone. If I can get them to reveal where they keep their signatory stamps, then that will take a lot of the guesswork out of this. While I'm focused on keeping up appearances, you will have to absorb everything around you. Room locations, number of doors, layout of the building, posting of guards, anything that is remotely important.”
“Great, no pressure, right,” she quipped with a smirk.
“I’ll also be paying attention, but I might get distracted with my role. Two is better than one after all.”
“Do I need to have something for my role as assistant?”
“Probably a few things, and we can go shopping for them around the town. I think you’re going to need at least a satchel for carrying things, some paper, ink, quills, and then a few ‘gifts’ for convincing them to meet with us.”
“So, the first stop is the marketplace?”
I nodded. “Yes. Meanwhile, the rest of you should keep your heads down. If anything happens, I might not be able to stop the results. Be smart, be safe, and don’t draw attention to yourselves. We’ll be back in a few hours.”
With that, Kala and I left the stables for the main street. Most of the businesses of any note would be located along it, and many of the items we were looking for would probably be considered types of luxury goods. Frankly, I was worried that they wouldn’t have any of the things we were looking for, but considering that this town was on a major trade route, the odds were good that someone would.
Walking has become a conscious process for me since my training. Each step measured and calculated for a smooth flow of motion with no bobbing, stomping, or loud steps at all. Kala was also changing her movements which were normally spritely and full of energy, but now were restrained and dower. She was focusing her gaze solidly on the back of my heels in a submissive manner that unfortunately was well practiced. She was the picture of an ideal slave, and I couldn’t have been more upset.
There was no room to show my displeasure though, I needed to maintain my picture of refinement as I scanned down the rows of shops and stalls for the goods I needed. I spied a place that sold backpacks and other things for transporting personal items. Making a slight change of direction across the road, I pushed the door of the business open.
The smell of the leather and cleaning products was prominent in the air. Bags of many shapes and sizes were hung around the room on simple wooden displays or the walls themselves. There was only one person manning the front desk, a middle-aged man with brown hair and a full beard that had begun showing signs of grey. He almost immediately noticed our entry and gave me a professional smile and an energetic greeting.
“Welcome, sir! In the market for a bag, are you? We have plenty of stock at the moment and I'm sure that there is something here that will take your fancy.” He noticed Kala behind me, and his professional demeanor faltered for a moment. “Pardon sir, but could you tell your slave to wait outside? We have had incidents in the past and it distracts from my business.”
Despite myself I could feel my eyebrow twitch, but I quickly adapted and used it as irritation about my intent here. “I’m afraid she is the principal reason why I have come here. I intend to purchase a bag for her to carry my things with, and she would of course need to be present for any fittings, would she not? If this becomes bothersome, I will find another vendor to give me what I want.”
He quickly dipped his head a little. “I apologize sir, of course I can make an exception for your circumstances. What do you plan to have her primarily carry and what is the conditions that it must endure?”
“Paper, parchment, and ink will be a few of the things she would carry. It should nonetheless be able to hold miscellaneous items as well as be robust enough to survive the road.”
The man thought about the list of requests I had made. “I believe I know just the design you are looking for.” He wandered off around his shop scanning through the many bags hanging around before selecting the one he was thinking of off the wall. “Here we are. This one has plenty of space for all your supplies and even internal pouches for organizing. It is treated for resistance against the elements so it can survive the road, though I wouldn’t suggest throwing it into the mud.”
He handed it over to me for inspection and I looked it over, opening the flaps, checking the available space, and otherwise doing a quality assessment. It was fairly lightweight, but still felt like it was sturdy. Little brass buttons and rivets were placed in functional or strategic ways to improve its durability. With it passing my initial check, I handed it over to Kala with a terse command.
“Try it on.” She bowed her head a little while she reached out to accept it with both hands. She brought the strap around her head to rest on her shoulder, only making a small adjustment so the bag itself was positioned properly by her hip. “Opinion on it?”
“Whatever you think is best, sir.” She would not give her opinion as it was not her place to without good cause. I decided to push for it while remaining in character.
“Unhelpful. You will be carrying my things with this and dropping or damaging any of them will not be tolerated. Now, does it fit?” I felt slimy as shit having to talk to her like that, but it was necessary for now.
She reevaluated the straps and adjustments now that she had what was essentially an order to tell me what she thought. “The straps are a little long sir. I might end up hitting the bag with my thigh.”
I took the bag back and turned towards the owner of the shop. “Can they be adjusted?”
“Of course. Just one moment.” He took the bag to the back room of the shop, leaving us to stare at all the other merchandise he had until he returned. It was a few minutes before he reemerged with the bag sporting a slightly smaller strap. It was tested once more and Kala gave an approving, yet meek, review of the adjustments.
The price was discussed next, and while I could more than afford it at whatever price would normally be offered, as a merchant I had to haggle a little. It wasn’t exactly a strong point of mine, but I did a decent enough job to the point where I lowered the price by a single silver down to two and ten coppers.
Now that we had the bag, we needed to fill it with all the things that would make our disguise convincing. Paper and ink would probably be the hardest to find out of everything on the list. From what I had seen in my limited time in Thrainian cities, they didn’t have a large amount of machinery and relied quite heavily on magic to do things. I couldn’t help but imagine what could get done if they were to combine the two. Questions for another time, right now I needed to get this done.
I found a scribe service that was willing to sell me some of their excess supplies, though they were pretty adamant about the cost, not budging more than a few coppers in price on all the goods. In the end, I walked out with all the paper and ink that I would need to sell Kala as an assistant. Now it was time for the ‘gift’ that I would give in order to get me past the front desk and skip some of the bureaucracy. It was a necessity that we get a look at what goes on in the back rooms, maybe even a glance at where they keep their documents and stamps.
I thought about what a, most likely, very rich Thrainian would like as a gift. Jewlery and clothes were not a good idea because I did not know their sizes or their tastes. Simple offerings of money or gemstones would probably just be lost in the haze of their wealth and not looked upon favorably. With the list narrowed down a little, I came to a realization of what I could do. It was a simple vice of many with far too much money and not enough to spend it on. Alcohol.
What I needed specifically was a nice bottle of wine, which probably correlated to an expensive bottle of wine. Something that they would be able to indulge in as well as show me to be a man of means. While I had wine in the cart back at the inn, it was not the kind of highbrow wine I would need, it was more for general consumption by people with some extra income. Now with a specific goal in mind, I went out to find a winery.
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With the number of grape vineyards that were nearby, a winery was not all that difficult to find. When I asked for directions, I received several locations of interest. I might even get a competitive price considering they must be trying to make their product stand out over the competition. I decided to hit up the closest one to us first, just a little off the main road.
It turned out they didn’t have anything expensive and usually supplied local taverns or inns, so it was on to the next. We went through two more who could not help me before I had some luck. This last one was exactly what I was looking for. The building itself was lavish, with plenty of glass adorning its windows, smooth stone exterior, and carefully maintained bushes and flower arrangements outside.
The inside matched the outside in terms of quality. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, paintings adorned the walls, and some upholstered furniture was around the main lobby. I was greeted by the receptionist, who annoyingly said that Kala had to wait outside. There was no argument for it this time, so I told her to do so, and she left with a little bow of her head.
I got right to the business end of the conversation and asked if they could recommend a fine wine for a cultured taste, feeling particularly ridiculous for having to phrase it like that. “Of course, sir, we have a selection of wines available that would suit your needs. All of them are of a fine quality with a rich color, certified taste, complex flavors, and an excellent scent profile.”
Frankly, I could only understand why half of that was important, but I was far from a wine connoisseur, so I just nodded along in a thoughtful manner. They led me to a cool cellar that was covered wall to wall in bottles of wine. Selecting one off the wall, they presented it to me while spouting off a lot of information about the year, maker, and other little things that to an actual wine drinker probably would have made a world of difference. The only thing I really paid attention to was the price of each bottle.
After three different bottles were presented to me, I just chose the one that fell in the middle of the prices at fifteen silver pieces, a significant sum all things considered, but it had to be in order to turn heads. I was thanked for my patronage and went on my way, picking up Kala who was dutifully waiting outside, seemingly trying to blend in with the wall behind her. Handing over the bottle to her for safekeeping, we now had everything we needed to proceed to the main target.
I admit that my nerves were feeling rather frayed as I thought about it. My chest tightened even asking for directions to the banker’s guild. It got to the point where I had to do some subtle breathing exercises to keep myself calm. Eventually, I was standing before the impressive and imposing building wondering just what the hell I was supposed to do.
It was a two-story building that was as wide as it was long and constructed out of what appeared to be marble. Every window had iron bars over the front of them, so there was no going through those without making a hell of a racket. The set of double doors on the front entrance looked like you would need a battering ram to breach it. In summary, the entire building was a giant safe that would probably be very difficult to get into without being invited.
With one last fortifying breath, I stepped up to the door and opened it. The opening parlor was met with a row of teller's desks being the first thing that you see. Each separate cell of the desks was protected by iron grates that rose up to the beginning of the second floor. There were a few chairs placed around the walls, none of them looked particularly comfortable, which was probably a strategy used to their advantage. Other than the people behind the counters, there were a few armed individuals standing by doors that probably led to the backrooms or places of importance.
Not wanting to look like I was lost, I cut my observations short and walked up to an open booth to talk to one of the workers. The man at the counter looked up from his writing as I stopped in front of him. He immediately launched into a line that was probably well rehearsed and often repeated.
“Evening, sir. If you are looking to acquire a loan, you may step over to booth C and ask for an LF-13 document, which will need to be filled out in its entirety. If you are attempting to buy or sell property you may head upstairs to the office of land management, and they will provide you with all the documentation needed. If you wish to open or contribute to an account, then I will need to know the account number and the owner's name. And if you are in need of assistance for reading any documents, then we will have a staff member join you shortly.”
I guess those are the most common things people come in for. “I’m afraid that none of those meet my particular needs, sir. I am looking for someone who oversees the distribution of licensing for commercial resale of goods. I wish to know the process that I would need to go through in order to acquire such documentation.”
The teller reached below his desk and shuffled through some papers that were out of sight. He returned a moment later and slid a piece of paper through the small gap in the bars that separated us. “If you wish to schedule a meeting with the director of mercantile affairs then you must fill out this form with all the relevant spaces. A time will be scheduled, and you will receive a meeting date in the next one to two weeks.”
Yeah, I don’t have that kind of time. I knew that demands and general disruptive attitudes would fall on deaf ears at best and result in me being thrown out at worst, so I enacted my plan. “I see. If it must be done, then very well. However,...” I turned slightly and opened my hand in Kala’s direction as a signal to hand over the wine. She quickly and accurately handed it over and I held it up with the label facing outwards. “Might I at least present the good director with this little gift as a show of appreciation for his assistance to all us merchants?”
The teller stared at the bottle for a moment with a slightly raised brow. He let out a sigh and stood from his desk. “I will ask if he is available, please wait in the meantime.”
I smiled and dipped my head a little in a show of thanks before turning and finding a seat in the room. All told, Kala and I waited there for about ten minutes before the director showed up. He was a portly man with a well-kept beard and fancy looking suit. He had a monocle attached to his breast pocket and a few fancy-looking rings around his fingers. His black hair line was receding a little bit, showing signs of early balding.
The man smiled widely as he approached and offered up a hand to me. “A pleasure to meet you, sir...”
I took his hand, which was slightly sweaty and very unpleasant to hold. “Arkin, Arkin Sothalis, and the pleasure is all mine. I take it you are the director of mercantile affairs then?” After a quick shaking of hands, I let go, glad to be rid of the appendage.
“That I am, sir, that I am, though in the interest of being less formal you may call me Larkson. Now, come to my office. We can have a little conversation there and enjoy some pleasantries.” I stood to follow him, noticing how he didn’t even mention anything about Kala, which I don’t know if that meant he did not care, or she was just doing a good job of acting invisible. A guard also stepped to follow behind us at a respectful distance, probably a security measure for guests.
Regardless, we walked with him into the back rooms taking the opportunity to absorb everything. Most of these rooms appeared to be offices of some kind for the higher ups who worked here as they were simple, yet clean, wooden doors. However, a quick glance down a hallway we passed revealed a pair of guards stationed outside an iron-gated room, probably something important, though if it was what we needed, I could not know.
We arrived at his office, a much more furnished place than I would have imagined. He had a very nice, comfortable-looking chair behind his desk, with two more equally nice, though probably not as expensive, chairs in front of it. The desk itself was polished to a shine and held a collection of papers, ink and quills upon its surface. Two bookshelves took up most of a wall on the left side of the room and I could not tell if the books upon them were personal, or business related. The opposite wall held but a single painting of the man himself, dressed in finery and posing with a richly-colored tapestry hanging behind him.
He sat down behind his desk, and I took a seat across from him. Kala occupied a corner of the room, doing her best to remain as forgettable as possible. Larkson spoke up after everyone was situated. “Now, I heard you have a little something for me?” You could feel, let alone see, the greedy look in his eyes. I once again had Kala deliver the wine to me and presented it to the corpulent man.
He snatched up the bottle and looked upon its label with glee. “Ahh, silver moon, and from an excellent year, one of my favorites. You have good taste, Mr. Sothalis.” He reached down and opened a drawer in his desk, removing a pair of small glasses and a corkscrew from within. With a pop and a quick whiff of the cork, he poured two glasses of wine, sliding one across to me.
I matched him as he held up his glass. “To new meetings and new business then,” Larkson said for a toast. I dipped my head in agreement before going for a taste. It didn’t escape my notice that he let me drink first before taking a sip of his own. “Now, what might be the reason for this pleasant experience between strangers?”
“It is simple, sir. I wish to start a merchant enterprise and must acquire the correct documentation for doing so.”
“I see. Yes, I do get that request every now and then.” He took another sip of his wine.
Before he finished, I asked another question that might get me some information. “I must profess my curiosity, but how does one come to be trusted with such a thing as giving a seal of approval for such important documents? Such distinctions must be rare indeed.”
Larkson chuckled a little as he placed his cup on the table again. “That they are.” He reached into his desk once more and actually removed the damn thing I was looking for. He shifted it between his fingers and observed its simple polished features. “Some may say that such a small thing is not worth the effort required to obtain it. Ten years of faithful service on my part, but now I hold the authority in the palm of my hands. I feel another ten years might see me become the director of this bank, that is if that twit Barris doesn’t steal it from me. Oh, how the man grovels before the current director of the bank, licking his boots to a shine, but I will distinguish myself through talent alone.”
I tried not to look too hard at the seal he was holding as I talked to him. “I am sure that you will be seen as the better option should such a decision need be made.”
He grinned and placed the seal back into his desk drawer. “As am I. Now, let us talk business. You wish to acquire the correct documentation, though I must ask if you have all the correct proof of identity. Family registry, lineage, proof that you have suppliers lined up, things like that. There is also the matter of paying the fee for the documents, which I'm sure you could afford.”
I adopted a thoughtful expression, though I knew I would never be able to present any of that. “I may be missing a few papers about my family, unfortunately, and I assume there is no way around this?”
“I’m afraid not, Mr. Sothalis. I must keep the records clean and untainted with black smudges. Though if you return with the documents, I will be sure to help provide you with the necessary papers.”
“I greatly appreciate that, Mr. Larkson. However, it would pain me to waste any of your undoubtedly busy time with my matters. Is there a way for me to get the correct papers so I may expedite the process?”
“Unfortunately not, I'm afraid. The documents must be collected by myself from the archive room, so aspiring merchants such as yourself are not allowed access.”
Bingo, archive room. Things like that would probably be marked, making it easy to find. “I see. That is too bad. In that case I will return when I have everything prepared to ask for your assistance.”
He raised his glass to me. “I look forward to another visit from you then.”
I raised my own glass before taking a hearty drink from it, finishing what was left. Standing up, I gave a slight bow to the man and a quick thanks for his assistance before exiting the room. The guard was there outside the room to escort us back to the entrance. I now knew where everything we needed was. Now the only issue was figuring out a way inside without tripping any alarms. Easier said than done.