The furious departure caused quite a commotion, with maids scurrying in various directions to tidy up everything that had been thrown to the floor.
“My lady will attend to you shortly,” a maid informed.
Alex nodded and gestured to Kragash, who was the only one to follow him into the room.
“Sir Alex, and... Krag’ash, I understand. It is a pleasure to receive you. Please, have a seat.”
A beautiful woman greeted them inside the room, which had been hastily tidied up after the previous man's outburst.
“Lady Sara, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Alex responded, placing his right hand on his chest and making a slight bow before taking a seat across from the woman’s desk.
Kragash followed suit with a bow but remained standing behind Alex, refusing to sit at the table. The young man had studied royal etiquette from various sources and understood how to behave in formal situations.
“I’ve heard many things about you, Mr. Alex, though most are rumors.”
“I’m impressed that you’ve even heard of someone as insignificant as me.”
“Too modest, Mr. Alex. Anyone who can live and move in the forest is far from insignificant.”
“Bah, they overestimate me. I told the Dwarves not to exaggerate their stories, but you know how they are—they love their epics.”
They exchanged pleasantries until a maid brought tea and cookies, along with some other sweet pastries.
“So, Mr. Alex, I was given a general idea of what you need, but could you be more specific?”
“I need to establish a branch to handle the more technical and advanced tasks for my kingdom. I think Nikrim could be a good place to start these tasks, such as alchemy, enchantments, and blacksmithing.”
Sara was surprised by his complete honesty, expecting Alex to be more resistant in revealing his secrets.
“That sounds quite beneficial for the city. If you indeed open such shops, our city’s reputation will surely soar and could attract more talent. However, as a council member, I would also like to know about any potential dangers involved in this proposal.”
“I understand that the free cities, including Nikrim, were founded to escape the tyranny of both sides. In my case, it’s similar, as you may have seen in your report there.” Alex pointed to a folder with information that Sara kept nearby.
Sara discreetly moved the folder off her desk, a blank smile on her face.
“You understand, Mr. Alex, that the free cities do not take sides. It’s impossible for us to survive in this world if we were constantly at war with both sides.”
“That’s fine. I’m not seeking allies here in my fight, but rather just a commercial partnership.”
“And you’ll keep it strictly commercial?”
“Of course.”
“It might also be necessary to change some names to avoid causing a stir.”
“If necessary, that can be arranged.”
Sara looked Alex in the eyes, searching for any sign that he was deceiving her. There was nothing to suggest dishonesty or trickery in the human.
“Is there anything else I can do for you?” Sara asked. It was common practice to try to form good relationships, and it was well-known that doing a favor for someone was the best way to make a good impression—a textbook tactic.
“I will soon acquire commercial licenses and some properties. I would like to form my own trade fleet, but I lack a captain. Since I don’t know many people, could you recommend someone?”
“Oh, I haven’t heard anything about the council approving a new license,” murmured Sara, though Alex’s confident look made her reconsider. “There really aren’t any captains available. Almost all have long-term contracts that are too generous, although if you’re interested, you could try to start a price war.”
“I’m not trying to poach anyone. Is it true there are no captains available to start my enterprise?”
“It’s not that there are no captains, it’s just that most I wouldn’t recommend due to their lack of discipline, losing their fleets, fleeing from other places, or a variety of offenses that honestly don’t make them trustworthy.”
“You’re right. I wouldn’t trust my money with such people. If there really is no one experienced in navigation, I’ll have to settle for someone greener,” Alex said, sighing.
“Well, there is one. There’s an old corsair captain. I heard the kingdom she used to serve has fallen into civil war and severed ties with her. However, I must warn you that many have tried to hire her, but she has been very unreasonable with her demands.”
“What about her skills? That’s what matters most right now.”
“Her skills are guaranteed. Many have tried to steal her nautical routes, but no one has succeeded.”
Alex was pleasantly surprised by how fruitful his meeting with Sara had been. He knew that at some point she would come to claim favors, but he also understood that this was how the business world worked, and there was nothing to be done about it. He didn’t expect a friendly hand in this city.
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
The meeting continued with more miscellaneous talks, both sides superficially sharing things about their lands and potential trade goods. Though Sara wanted to be more skeptical about what she heard, she knew there was a not insignificant chance that Alex was downplaying what he told her. She knew from reports that the Dwarves were purchasing exorbitant amounts of food to transport to the forest, not only from here but from other places as well.
Finally, Alex and Sara came to an agreement, with Alex opening the deal in a way that would nullify the previous favor Sara had done for him.
“My lady Sara, please accept this gift from me.” Alex gestured, and Kragash approached to present a medium-sized bag containing several smaller bags filled with a variety of extremely valuable resources. Each bag, of course, contained a small amount of each item.
When Sara opened some of the bags to verify the value of the gifts, she nearly went into shock at the considerable value she was being given.
“Thank you very much for your gift, Lord Alex,” she responded with a broad smile. “I don’t want to sound rude, but I would like to know if you might have more of these items. Of course, my family is willing to pay a high price for your products.”
“Don’t worry, my lady. I understand your duties to your family, and yes, I have more of these products that I was hoping to sell to obtain the necessary funds to stay in the city. I might have to be here for a period of three to four months and will need amounts of money.”
"If you want, my family could lend you money to..."
"Don't worry, there's no need for that. I wouldn't want to complicate a budding friendship with such matters. I'll simply use the resources I obtain from selling my products."
"If that's the case, of course, my household doesn't wish to jeopardize our friendship. We'll buy whatever you're willing to sell us for 30% above the market price."
Sara gestured to the butler in the room. Alex, on his part, whispered a few things to Kragash and sent him along with the butler to inspect the products he wished to sell. He was generous due to the goodwill and offered about 3% of his merchandise to this house. Unfortunately, he had no way of knowing the problem this would cause.
Soon, another person dressed as a butler, but younger than the previous one, came running into the room where Alex and Sara were still conversing casually. The woman, annoyed by the behavior, shouted, "Did you forget your training?"
"Oh, my apologies, my lady. Esteemed guest, this servant lost his composure."
"Don't worry about it, boy. Whatever it is, it seems important. Go ahead."
Sara's gaze could kill.
"My lady, there's a problem with, uh..." the servant hesitated to say it out loud, so he approached the woman's ear, which displeased Sara as it was a breach of protocol. However, when she heard, her opinion changed immediately. "There’s a funds issue. We don't have enough money to pay for everything they're selling us."
Sara was stunned. They didn’t have enough money to pay for what they were buying? It's true that they didn't usually keep that much cash on hand, but the amount in their warehouses was not insignificant either. As a good administrator, she made sure there was always enough to operate for six months, which was the usual contract payment period.
"Is there a problem with my products, Lady Sara?" Alex asked, sipping his tea.
"No, the problem is on my end. Due to some contracts ending soon, I don't have enough liquidity to pay for all the products. Could we reach a long-term agreement?"
"What kind of agreement?"
"I can pay you in installments. You'll receive half of your money now, and the other half will be divided into two payments over the next two months."
Although Alex had no immediate use for so much money other than finding a place to stay and eat, he decided to show a displeased face. He knew he couldn't allow others to dictate commercial relations entirely, and consenting immediately could give an impression of submission.
Sara, seeing Alex's displeasure, understood immediately. She would have felt the same if, in a commercial exchange, someone offered to buy from her and even pay more, only to then say they needed credit. The situation had made her look like a small-time opportunist, and she hated herself for such poor foresight. Although, honestly, there was no way she could know or prepare for this. After all, Alex managed a faction with millions of people; this wasn't his personal money but rather kingdom funds.
Viewed another way, Alex's kingdom had a GDP much higher than the city's, although in terms of GDP per capita, it was much lower. Alex's Gnolls lived below the city's poverty line. But again, Alex's kingdom was newly founded and had arrived not long ago, with most of its resources dedicated to the war effort.
"Furthermore, I understand that Mr. Alex plans to have a relatively permanent presence in the sector. Obtaining permits to buy houses here might be difficult; however, I could help expedite that process."
"I don't think it's necessary. Soon, these properties will be transferred to my name," Alex replied, showing a transfer document granting him a couple of properties: three houses in a relatively affluent but not exclusive residential area.
Sara, however, did not give up but saw an opportunity.
"If you haven't reviewed the sector before, those properties have a small problem: they surround a larger estate that doesn't belong to you. Previously, the entire sector belonged to one person, but for some reason, it was auctioned off in parts. However, I personally know the owner of the large estate and could easily arrange the sale to you."
"Very well, under these terms, there will be no problem. I'll be able to oversee my transactions from that villa and house my people in the nearby residences. It's a good plan."
Sara breathed a sigh of relief. The amount of resources offered was too enticing to pass up, as resources in good condition from inside the forest rarely flowed out, with the only exception being the band of Dwarves who had recently started trading. But they were also related to Alex to begin with.
"When will I be able to occupy the estate?" Alex asked.
"If you wish, it can be arranged immediately. After all, that person owes me several favors, so a simple communication will suffice, and you can start using it. Of course, the paperwork could take a few weeks. Additionally, instead of paying you the last month's installment, I can cover the estate's price with that value," Sara replied.
Alex felt somewhat nervous about the change. He didn’t know how much the estate was really worth or if he would get a return on such a payment.
"I won't find an abandoned, run-down estate by any chance, will I?" Alex asked bluntly.
"You need not worry, Mr. Alex. The estate was vacated recently. It still retains its furnishings and is in good condition. The owner had other reasons for leaving, mainly due to a lack of activity in this city."
"I see. If that's the case, then I'll take your offer."
"You won't regret it, Mr. Alex." Sara gestured, and a butler served wine to both. The woman then called for a toast, "To a happy cooperation."
"To a happy cooperation," Alex replied, clinking glasses gently and sipping the exquisite wine.
Alex felt strange as he continued chatting and walking with Sara, who had offered to take him to his new estate. Not even half a day had passed, and he was already squandering the kingdom's money.
That strange sensation of power that the obtained wealth gave him was as sweet as the exquisite wine, an intoxicating power. However, it came with a price: there were hundreds of thousands of Gnolls working for these resources. He had bought a stupid estate at the cost of the relentless labor of hungry and poorly clothed Gnolls and Resh, ill-prepared for the harsh winter ahead.
Little by little, the reality of his kingdom sobered him up from the stupor the wine had induced. He had come for concrete reasons, and it was imperative not to forget them.