Disceroa, 30th of Rainwane, year 179 BN

Richard sat at the wooden counter in the bar with his mug full of water. His eyes seemed unfocused as he stared down at his mug with his index finger going around the brim of the wooden mug.

"What's troubling you?" inquired a familiar voice, snapping Richard out of his reverie.

Richard glanced up and spotted the old man who ran this tavern here in Disceroa. He was bald with dark skin and a graying beard that Richard would have sworn had crumbs in it. His name was Tom, and Richard only talked to him a couple of times but from what he could tell the man was pretty chill. Tom enjoyed talking to his customers, even if they were speaking nonsense while drunk.

"Huh? Oh, nothing," Richard replied, slightly startled by Tom's sudden appearance.

Tom, who was busy cleaning an empty mug, gave Richard a skeptical look. "Where's your towering friend? He's usually hard to miss," he remarked, referring to Big Oar.

Richard turned, realizing that Big Oar and his companions were nowhere in sight. He thought they were here because this was the first place they came early in the morning. Benjamin was outside laying in the carriage because someone tried to steal it and his verlpax yesterday night.

The whole situation was a mess as a bunch of kids, teens actually tried to mount Dave while he was sleeping and run off with the carriage. What they didn't know was that one, Richard and Benjamin were both sleeping in the carriage, and two, verlpax's had terrible sight at night. Dave didn't want to budge an inch because it was probably so dark in his eyes that he couldn't even tell where the ground was.

The teens ran off when Benjamin came out, but he managed to catch one of them. The man beat the kid so hard his face started to turn purple.

"No idea, kind of thought they'd be here if I'm being honest. Why do you ask?" Richard asked Tom.

Tom gave a nonchalant shrug. "Just noticed them hanging around Ben lately. Your group's been alright by me, no trouble or anything. Heard you might be moving on soon?"

Richard nodded at that, as they were planning on leaving in two days. Since he's been here for a couple of days already he gained some valuable information about Disceroa. Yes, Lumber was in high demand here, but so were stone, blacksmiths, and bakers. The reason why the town lacked stone was due to them not having any mines within the region. They were in a similar situation to Evergreen.

The quality of blacksmithing in Disceroa was another matter. The human smiths here, though diligent, couldn't match the finesse of dwarf craftsmanship. Their work wasn't great, necessitating greater quantities of ore to achieve what a dwarf smith might with less. This inefficiency led to Lord Luke imposing strict regulations on blacksmith resources, inadvertently causing many to leave the town in search of better opportunities.

The situation with the bakers puzzled Richard. The market for baked goods seemed underdeveloped, lacking enough profit margin to attract more practitioners.

"In a couple of days," Richard replied, gesturing vaguely northeastward. "We're heading to Valewater."

Tom acknowledged with a nod. "Might be wise to hold off. There's talk of skirmishes near the border. Though," he added with a noncommittal shrug, "it's hard to say when the fighting will let up."

"You happen to know where exactly? If so, I could just bypass the area."

Tom shook his head, his expression serious. "Can't pinpoint it, but I'd advise against heading north from here. It's too risky for a group like yours."

Richard raised his eyebrow at this remark. "What do you mean?"

Tom paused his cleaning, placing the mug on the counter. "You're a trader, right? Erik was talking about a newcomer matching your description. And you've been seen making the rounds at the local shops. Carrying any sort of merchandise would paint a target on your back—fleeing civilians, bandits, and even armies might see you as a ripe opportunity for plunder."

He shrugged again, a gesture that seemed to punctuate his cautionary words. "Just something to consider."

Richard nodded slowly. "Kind of have some items to get there, and have business back home in Evergreen," Richard explained.

The prospect of waiting out the border skirmishes in Disceroa was far from appealing, especially with the uncertainty of their duration. With the technological constraints of the era, conflicts could drag on indefinitely. And while Richard was still refining his trade strategies, efficiency remained a priority.

He contemplated a trading loop that could maximize his profits and efficiency. Starting with lumber—either sourced from Evergreen or elsewhere—he could bring it to Disceroa, exchange it for Ice Fish or another commodity in demand, and continue this pattern through Suncrest and Valewater, each step carefully planned to ensure he always had goods to trade. However, Richard was well aware that reality often diverged from such idealized plans.

Understanding Evergreen's needs and its shortage of traders put Richard in a unique position to dictate market prices, provided he could secure a reliable supply of essentials like food and beer at competitive rates. Roxanne had hinted at Valewater being a resource-rich destination, and with their travel speed, Richard estimated a journey time of just over a week to Valewater, barring any stops for trade or information gathering.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

To avoid overtaxing Dave, his verlpax, Richard knew they couldn't rush the journey. Thus, he needed to identify goods that Valewater lacked, ensuring he had valuable cargo to trade on arrival. Additionally, since their route back to Evergreen passed through Disceroa, it made sense to consider Disceroa not just as a stopover but as a midpoint. By transporting items from Evergreen to Disceroa, and then from Valewater back to Disceroa, Richard could establish a profitable trade route that benefited from each leg of their journey.

With the goal of hiring other people to do this loop for him at a set price, while he himself manages other affairs.

What he had to do was find a reliable merchant here in Disceroa that would be able to give him a steady supply of items he'd need. But so far, he hasn't had such luck.

"To each their own, just be careful."

Richard appreciated Tom's parting advice with a nod. "Thanks," he responded, his mind already turning over the new information. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about Valewater, would you?"

"I've never been myself," Tom admitted, wiping down the counter with a practiced hand. "But Mitch over at the port might have the insights you're looking for. He's there often enough and knows a thing or two that could help. Mitch is hard to miss, just look for the largest man there, if that doesn't help he has a birthmark on his face that'll shake you."

Appreciate it. I'll seek him out," Richard said.

"Might cost you though, he doesn't do anything for free." Tom said.

Acknowledging the tip, Richard offered a gesture of goodwill. "When I swing by Disceroa next, I'll bring a Delhar fruit for you. On the house."

Tom's laughter filled the space between them, a sound of genuine amusement. "That'd be a day to remember. Haven't tasted a Delhar in years. Hard to believe anything from Evergreen could make it out, all things considered." His tone turned serious as he leveled a final piece of advice at Richard. "Just watch out for Ben and his plots. He's got a knack for drawing folks into his schemes."

...

Disceroa, 30th of Rainwane, year 179 BN

As they strolled through the bustling streets of Disceroa, the laughter of Carl, Earl, Big Oar, and Ben merged with the voices in the marketplace. Evergreen wasn't like this, they knew it. It felt like this was where they belonged, and the first night they came here already showed great promise. The nights that followed slowed down a bit, but Disceroa was a town worth staying in.

"We've been through a lot of shit, haven't we?" Ben remarked, a knowing smile playing on his lips, as his eyes scanned the stalls coming up.

"Yeah, we have," Earl agreed. "So, what are you up to these days, Ben?"

Ben chuckled, he snagged an apple off one of the trader's stalls when the man wasn't looking. It was quick, much better than what the three of them were used to seeing from their old friend. "I'm not up to anything specific," he said smoothly before taking a bite out of the red apple he snatched. "Just a bit of this and that. Taking whatever work pops up."

Carl wasn't satisfied with the answer they received. "Just this and that, huh? Sounds like you're keeping busy."

Ben smiled and handed the apple he took a bite out of to a random child on the street. It was unexpected, but the child in their brown shirt took the apple in stride.

"What about you guys? Said you came here with a merchant, how's it been?" Ben asked as he turned to face them while walking backward.

Big Oar shrugged, "Been alright so far. Not sure if he's a merchant or blacksmith though."

Ben raised an eyebrow, "A blacksmith, you say? Why'd you think that?"

Earl scratched his head, recalling something from a while back. "Roxanne mentioned it a while back. He has a workshop and everything, never seen him sell anything though."

"Made that carriage," Carl chimed in to the conversation.

"Ahh yeah, I've seen that thing outside the tavern. And that verlpax," Ben whistled at that. "That thing something else, that's for sure. Never heard of a blacksmith being able to afford one. Especially one in Evergreen."

Big Oar glanced at Ben. "Not sure what you're trying to ask, but none of us here know how he managed that. The carriage, that's been helpful for travel. Turned a five, six day walk into one day."

Ben rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "And what do you make of Richard? Seems like he's got you lot doing alright for yourselves."

Carl nodded. "He's alright I guess. Hired us as guards and has been paying us daily."

"Better than working on the farm, that's for sure," Earl said with a light laughter.

Ben joined him. "Interested in earning more?"

The question caught them slightly off guard. Ben was always one to plot something, they knew that but so far they've just been catching up on the past. Reliving their old memories as if they were still young men.

"We're listening," Carl said as he spoke up before anyone else.

Ben smiled and turned around as he signaled them to follow him. They chatted about everything but more ways to earn money. This continued until they reached the port, and the sight was something. Wooden ships of various sizes were anchored, some modest and others imposing, all bustling with activity. The air was thick with the scent of salt and sweat, underscored by the shouts of foremen orchestrating the loading of goods and, notably, people.

Individuals were being herded like sheep onto the ships under the crack of whips and the weight of chains. They were used to seeing such a sight, in Evergreen people had slaves as well and kept them in various conditions. Being chained and beaten was just one of the worse treatments for slaves here.

Among the laborers, a group of individuals stood out markedly. Their delicate features, blonde hair, and piercing blue eyes, framed by subtly pointed ears, drew involuntary attention. They were elves, unmistakably beautiful, yet chained and wore a look of pain.

Ben, seemingly unfazed by the scene, spread his arms wide as if to embrace the entirety of the port. Inhaling deeply, he presented the harbor to his companions with a grand gesture. "This right here, this is the port of Disceroa."

Seeing that the others weren't giving him a response, Ben shook his head. "You know," he began, his voice taking on a serious tone, "in a way, we're not so different from them." He gestured towards the laborers with a sweep of his hand. "We toil at someone else's command. The key difference? They don't get paid, they work without choice, no tales in sight, and bound by chains."

Ben's attention shifted as he pointed to a ship where a tall, imposing man was harshly disciplining a slave. "That's Fuller," Ben said, his voice laced with disdain. "A cruel bastard, but he's open to... negotiations for the right price. Wouldn't think twice about acquiring 'misplaced' goods."

"What are you thinking Ben?" Carl asked.

"Just wondering, why keep working for Richard when you can start over here? Think about it, no one's ever gave us shit in Evergreen. Hell, no one's ever given me anything here either, but I made a place for myself." Ben paused to look them over one at a time. "The verlpax, the carriage, and all its goods could fetch a high price here. Verlpax's are rare in Disceroa, not too many breeders you see. And that carriage? Well, shit, that thing one of a kind. Those nobles would sell their own kin to own that thing. Imagine what we could do with that much money."