Chapter 89
Familiar Faces
There was an awkward silence as Erin and her group stared at the kobold before them. It was hard to blame them, as the person before them was very much like Lexton in almost every possible way. His looks, his mannerisms, his clothes and even his voice were all completely similar to their red-scaled companion. Had he not been green, they would have assumed that it was either a long lost brother or a clone.
“Now my good people, I know that I’m a handsome one, but even I don’t like to be stared at that much,” the green kobold said with a chuckle. “Are you here for business or did you simply come here for pleasantries? As a businessman, I do hope it’s the former.”
“Uhh… Yes! We are here to make a deal!” Erin said, breaking out of her stupor. “We saw something in your possession and were wondering if-”
“Erin, a quick moment. Please?” Ryle quickly said, cutting off the redhead and pulling her away from the caravan leader. Once they were far enough that they could whisper to each other without being heard, she said: “I don’t think we should make any deals with this guy.”
“What the-? Why? Why are you against making a trade with him?” Erin asked, confused by her friend’s behavior. She then realized what she was most likely referring to. “Don’t tell me… It’s because he looks like Lex, isn’t it?”
“Well, yeah. What else do you need?” the blonde asked in return.
“Ryle, for the love of… Can you please leave your childish grudge with him behind for a moment?” the redhead asked as she let out a frustrated sigh. “I’m honestly trying to look out for what’s best for the whole group here. I don’t need you to bring up your goddamn bickering into every little thing. Besides, I thought you two had already worked out your issues.”
“Hey, we might be generally cool with each other, but it doesn’t change the fact that he’s one crooked and slimy piece of work,” Ryle said. “Besides, I can work with one Lex. I’m NOT okay with a second one! That can only bring us trouble!”
“I am honestly struggling to have the patience to deal with you and your goddamn antics right now,” Erin said as she felt a massive headache already starting to form. “I get that Lex isn’t exactly… a model citizen and that our first meeting with him was kind of bad. But that doesn’t mean every kobold that resembles him is similar at all! So would you mind and not ruin our chances here!?”
“While I am somewhat offended by your remarks in regards to me, I do agree with the blonde bonehead here,” Lexton suddenly said, joining the conversation. “We should just walk away from this one.”
“Lex!?” Erin squeaked out in surprise. “How long have you been listening to us!?”
“Pretty much the whole time you two have been skulking here and whispering like a couple of schoolgirls,” the kobold replied nonchalantly. “Being so small might not help out much when it comes to surviving in fights, but it does have its uses. Such as being able to sneak around unnoticed. You’d be surprised how often people ignore what moves down at the ground right under their noses.”
“Yeah, I’m sure you have used that for many of your legitimate business dealings,” Ryle said sarcastically.
“Far more than you could ever count, dumbass,” Lexton said with a glare. “I know it’s not a high number, but still true.”
“Why you…”
“Ryle, not now,” Erin said, stopping the blonde’s angry outburst. “Still, why are you siding with Ryle on this, Lex? You know we are trying to get equipment that isn’t just very useful, but is actually something that’s very important to you.”
“I am well aware of that, but I feel like it’s better if we pass on this chance. I’ve got a bad feeling about this guy,” Lexton began to explain. “This isn’t just your average merchant, selling some burgers at a roadside grill here. This guy is obviously a truly dangerous merchant, willing to do almost anything to fill his pockets.”
“So he’s basically just like you?” Ryle asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Shut it, mongoloid,” the kobold said in response, before continuing his explanation. “When you think about the situation we’re in, it either doesn’t make sense or it spells bad news to us. Think about it for a moment. Why were we allowed to meet the boss of the whole caravan so easily?”
“Isn’t that simply because they like money and want to make as many deals as possible?” Erin asked.
“While that’s true, it’s not the reason what I’m looking for. What if we were assassins sent by someone with a grudge? Or just some robbers? Hell, we are all armed here! Why would they let such suspicious and possibly dangerous people meet with their boss like this?” Lexton said. “The answer is that they have made sure that nothing will happen to him, no matter what me might try to pull in here. The same happened to you guys when you met me!”
“When we met-?” the redhead began to ask, only to realize what the kobold was referring to. “You mean how you had your guards at the ready?”
“Bingo. I knew I didn’t have to worry about any harm coming my way, because my golems could keep me safe from any threats,” Lexton replied. “I’m sure they have similar countermeasures in place. Had that guy been built like Durge, I could have rested more easy, but I’m sure that not only are there a few of his goons waiting outside for any reason to bust in and kill us, but there are certainly traps all over this place. That guy himself must have something on himself as well for protection.”
“So what’s the big deal? Anybody with any common sense would take precautions to keep themselves safe these days,” Erin asked. “As long as we don’t start any trouble, we should be fine.”
“That might be the case in the best scenario, but I can already tell that guy isn’t trustworthy in the least,” the kobold continued. “I’ve seen many merchants and I can tell just by looking which ones are looking to simply make some extra cash and which ones are looking to outright rob you. This guy is the latter. If you get caught up in his schemes, he’ll drain you dry of everything you’re worth.”
“You do know the saying about the pot calling the kettle black, right?” Ryle asked with a raised eyebrow, which earned her a hit on the head from Erin, who was sick of her snide remarks.
“Thank you for that, Erin. But the thing still is that we are dealing with an experienced con artist here. We kobolds can barely put up any kind of a fight against any of the other races due to our weaker bodies. That’s why we either become subservient to those stronger than us or do anything in our power to serve others and thus gain their favor. That’s why a lot of us become merchants to earn a living,” Lexton explained. “The fact that this guy has been able to gather so much for himself tells me that he’s either an incredibly skilled at selling his goods or he knows just how to manipulate people to get his way. Whatever the case is, if we start dealing with him, I fear that he will pull us into some scheme that will leave us worse off than before or he can have his goons rough us up.”
Erin thought about this. While she didn’t want to make negative assumption of others based on their looks and such, which was something she had some unfortunate experience of, she knew that Lexton was someone she should always listen to. She knew that she could always trust the kobold and that he had more knowledge about these types of things in general, so what he was saying held some real weight behind it. However, was he simply being too paranoid for his own good and this was a chance they couldn’t pass on? Or was he right on the money?
“You know, it’s rather impolite to whisper about others,” the green-scaled kobold suddenly said as he appeared next to the whispering trio, surprising them all. “I’d at least appreciate it, if you had the common sense to do so outside my home. I mean, if you’re going to badmouth someone, do so when they’re not around. It’s only common sense.”
“What the hell!? Since when did you get there!?” Ryle asked. “And why the hell didn’t the others say anything!?”
“Oh, just around the time for me to hear the most of your little conversation,” the caravan leader said nonchalantly with a smirk. “As for why your companions were silent about me moving around, it’s rather simple. You want to get something out of another person, one of the best ways to do so is to give them something they like. It’s honestly a basic for any merchant.”
Erin, Ryle and Lexton looked at their companions and saw that their attention was taken by something else entirely, which had allowed the green-scaled kobold to sneak past them without any issues. Arkay had been given a small magical item, which he was now inspecting closely, wondering what it could do. Durge had been given a high-grade sword that he was giving a few slow practice swings with, nodding in approval at how the weapon felt. Zeldana, on the other hand, had just been given free liquor, which she was happily drinking away.
Upon realizing that they were being stared at disapprovingly by their companions over how easily they had been distracted, they all turned away in embarrassment. With the exception of Zeldana, who happily continued drinking without a care in the world.
“Now that I’m here, I would like to correct a certain matter you three were discussing among yourselves,” the caravan leader said. “While your red-scaled friend here was making quite the baseless assumptions about me, he did say one thing that was correct. It was how people of our size tend to go unnoticed by those bigger than us.”
“Baseless assumptions, huh? I beg to differ,” Lexton said with a slight glare. “After all, I can tell just by a glance that you’re not one to be trusted.”
“Your words cut deep at my heart, good sir! How could you ever say such things about this honorable me!?” the green-scaled kobold said in mock hurt, before smirking. “Then again, I suppose it’s not truly your fault. It’s all about experiences, isn’t it? I can tell just by what I heard and looking at you that you’ve certainly had plenty of bad ones.”
“What are you talking about?” Lexton asked.
“Well, from they way you were speaking, I’m guessing that you’re also a merchant of some kind, correct? I’m also assuming that you’ve met your fair share of troubles most likely due to being a kobold and the bad reputation we have. Not to mention, having to work with some rather not so pleasant people as well,” the caravan leader explained. “However, while you might have decided to take actions that only further paint a bad picture about our kin, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t paint me with the same brush. After all, while it can be tough for us, some of us try to build an actual reputation as truly trustworthy merchants. People like you only serve to drag us down again, but I suppose that only shows how much of a merchant you are yourself in the end.”
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Lexton didn’t say anything in response, as he simply grit his teeth and glared at his green kinsman. He knew blowing off would only be playing into his hands.
“No witty comeback? I guess I hit the nail on the head then,” the green-scaled kobold said before turning his attention towards Erin. “Anyways, lady, I think you were looking to make a deal with me, correct? Was there something specific you were interested in or are you simply hoping that we have what you’re looking for?”
“There is actually something specific that I’m interested in,” Erin said, forcing a smile on her face to hide her anger at the merchant’s mocking of Lexton. “However, before we get to that, might I have your name first?”
“Oh dear, where are my manners?” the green-scaled kobold said in mock shock. “The name’s Zadar, the most reliable merchant on the Western Continent. If there’s anything you need, I have it. Even if you yourself don’t know it yourself yet.”
The green-scaled kobold offered his right hand for a handshake, only for the redhead to give her left hand in return. Before he could ask why she did so, she showed her missing right hand to answer his question.
“Goodness! My dear lady, you have not been treated well by these lands!” Zadar said in surprise, before giving his left hand to the handshake. “On behalf of the whole Western Continent, I’m terribly sorry for what you’ve been through. I do hope that you won’t take this as a sign that this is all that these lands of ours can offer you.”
“Of… course. I know that these lands aren’t just full of the most horrendous things,” Erin responded as she shook hands with the green-scaled kobold. “After all, I have met all of my companions here.”
“Ah yes! The beauty of friendship and companions! It truly helps you get through life!” Zadar said with a smile. “Now, you were talking about something that I we have in our possession that you are interested in?”
“Yes. You see, we saw that you were towing a RV with you that has a rather nasty smell to it,” the redhead answered, causing Lexton to curse silently as Ryle snickered. “That happened to catch our attention.”
“Oh? That’s a bit surprising,” the green-scaled kobold said. “We happened to find it while driving towards here. Since we had a free tow truck with us, we decided take it along and see if we could make some money out of it. I didn’t expect to find potential buyers this fast.”
“Is there any chance that we could take a look at some of the items inside of it?” Erin asked. “We would like to see if there is anything inside that we could find to be useful.”
“Well, that might be a bit harder for me to allow. Not only would I have to put someone there to make sure that none of you stole anything, but with what you’ve told me, I can’t help but wonder just what wonderful goodies we have managed to pick up by accident,” Zadar said with a smirk. “After all, you know what’s inside, don’t you?”
The redhead’s eye went wide from surprise. She had come here knowing fully well that these wouldn’t be the type of people that would depart with anything they’ve found simply because it used to belong to someone else. That’s why she had tried to hide the fact that she knew about the vehicle as much as possible, thinking that she might be able to work out a more favorable deal in their favor. Yet Zadar had somehow seen through her completely.
“W-What are you talking about?” Erin tried to bluff. “I don’t know anything about-”
“Let’s not play this game, alright? Your reaction just now pretty much confirmed it,” Zadar said. “Besides, it was obvious the moment you brought it up. For starters, I don’t mean to brag, but my group has gathered quite a bit of interesting objects along our travels. The fact that you’d be interested in that old thing would catch the attention of any decent merchant. There’s obviously something special within it or else you wouldn’t have pointed it out specifically. It’s like someone picking the lone rock from a pile of jewels. Either there is something wrong with that person or they know something others don’t.”
“...Alright, that does sound reasonable, but is it really good enough to base your whole theory around?” the redhead asked. “After all, I could have another reason for that RV catching my attention. Maybe it looked so busted that I believe whatever is inside of it can’t be of much value, thus allowing me to buy it at a reasonable price.”
Lexton once again cursed at his former workshop being talked about in a negative manner, causing Ryle to snicker more.
“While that certainly would be a possibility, you said something else that caught my attention,” Zadar said. “You mentioned how the RV smells, correct? Well, how would you know that, unless you were either the previous owner or someone who had been inside it at some point?”
“Well, the stench is pretty strong. You have to admit that,” Erin replied. “How could I not notice that?”
“That would be understandable, but the smell isn’t strong enough for your nose to catch, unless you either have a very enhanced sense of smell or got close enough for your nose to pick it up. Seeing as you are a regular human, I doubt your nose is anything special and the latter is simply impossible, as my people don’t let anyone near the merchandise, unless we’re making a deal,” the green-scaled kobold explained. “Now, why don’t you come clean and tell me the whole story behind that hunk of junk and why you are so interested in it?”
Erin looked at her two friends to see if they had any advice for her. However, Lexton simply shook his head while Ryle could only shrug, telling her that they couldn’t help her in this situation. Seeing as how the jig was up and there was no way to recover from it, the redhead decided to simply come clean about the whole thing and hope for the best.
“Fine. I’ll admit it. I know about that RV already, as it used to be my friend’s vehicle and workshop not too long ago,” Erin said as motioned to Lexton. “You see, we not only used it to travel around, but Lexton also made some very helpful items there. We need the tools from within in order to help us on our journey. Could you possibly consider selling them to us?”
“But of course! What sort of a merchant would I be, if I wasn’t willing to sell something? After all, it is for the money that people like me get into this business in the first place,” Zadar said happily. “However, I’m afraid that you might not have anywhere near enough cash to buy whatever you’re looking for from me.”
“What are you talking about?” the redhead asked. “I haven’t even told you yet what it is that we wish to buy.”
“That might be the case, but someone of my caliber can easily make an educated guess as to what it actually is,” the green-scaled kobold said. “You told me that our fellow kobold here used to make some useful things in his workshop, correct? This means that what’s in there are tools for possibly creating weapons and armor or potions, possibly both. But if we are truly fortunate, then there might even be tools for enchanting. After all, that is something us kobolds know about quite a bit.”
Erin’s lone eye went wide and nervous sweat ran down the side of her face. She had been seen through completely.
“Right on the money once again, I see. I just love how good I am at this,” Zadar said with a smirk. “Now don’t you worry, though. I’m not so heartless as to not allow you to buy said items from me. Any customer that is willing to pay the appropriate price is always welcome in my books. It’s just that this might get a bit costly…”
“...How much are are you asking for the things we want?” the redhead asked, already dreading the answer.
“Well, the price might change depending on the quality of the tools, but enchantment tools do have a certain base price for them. However, since I’m such a nice guy, I’ll be willing to sell the whole set to you in one go,” the green-scaled kobold said thoughtfully. “The price is going to be at least ten million. That is the lowest I’m willing to go.”
Erin almost fell on the floor from shock, as almost all of her companions turned to stare at Zadar with wide eyes. The only ones who didn’t were Lexton and Zeldana, The former had already expected such a high price, while the latter was unconcerned with the whole situation and simply kept drinking.
“T-Ten million?” Erin practically squeaked as her body shook. “Why the hell is the price so high!?”
“High? I’d say it’s rather low all things considered,” Zadar said with a smirk. “Do you have any idea how precious such equipment is? Due to how heavily controlled magic and magical artifacts are, barely anyone gets to see, let alone own, enchantment tools. The control over such things is so strict that even low quality tools can easily fetch you small fortune. Knowing this, do you think I’m just going to sell them to you for whatever pocket change you might have collected? Please don’t mock me.”
Hearing the green-scaled kobold’s explanation caused the redhead to start panicking on the inside. It was necessary for them to get Lexton’s tools back, otherwise not only would their journey be a lot tougher, but she wouldn’t be getting a replacement hand anytime soon. She needed to figure out how to get through to Zadar and quickly.
“Look, I understand that you’re a merchant and that you need to make money. I am not so naive as to think otherwise about this. However, do you think there is a chance that you might be willing to sell them to us at a discount?” Erin pleaded, hoping to get through to the caravan leader. “You see, the equipment that we are looking to buy aren’t just any enchantment tools. They used to belong to Lexton’s father, so they’re essentially family heirlooms. Can you find it with you to make a deal to help out a fellow kobold?”
After making her plea, the redhead glanced around at her friends to see their reactions to what she had just said. While most of them looked at her approvingly, with the exception of Zeldana who seemed just uninterested, Lexton himself simply let out a deep sigh and shook his head. Before Erin even had a chance to ask about it, Zadar surprised them by beginning to laugh loudly.
“That’s a good joke! You actually think that I care to help someone just because they share the same species as I do!?” the green-scaled kobold managed to say while laughing. “Why in the world would I ever consider doing such a favor for him or anyone else for that matter!?”
“What are you talking about!?” Erin asked, angered by the mockery and dismissal of her desperate plea. “How can you say something like that!? Don’t you all kobolds face prejudice and have to help each other out!?”
“Because helping others just because we are of the same species is nothing but a big joke,” Zadar said in a stern tone that surprised everyone, except for Lexton. “The idea that people belonging to the same groups are out there helping each other like big families is nothing but a dumb fantasy that people like you use to their advantage to get what they want. It’s something I’m certain your kobold friend over there is more than familiar with.”
“Lex?” the redhead asked, completely confused. “What do you mean by that?”
“It’s true what you said about us kobolds. Species like ourselves and those similar to us, like goblins and gnomes, often get pushed around due to us being physically far weaker. But to think that we are all allies with each other because of this is utterly ridiculous. In fact, it’s often our own kind that can be our worst enemy,” the green-scaled kobold began to explain. “Do you have any idea how many kobolds have asked me for help, using the same arguments you just used? And just how many of them turned out to be nothing more than backstabbers that tried to use me to their advantage? I’ll tell you right now that it happened far too many times for me to ever consider such things again. And I’m sure your red kobold friend over there has experienced the same thing as well.”
Erin looked at Lexton and saw that he was pretty much confirming what Zadar had just said. There was no attempt or even a sign of him wanting to deny such claims. The redhead couldn’t even imagine what he must have gone through.
“In the end, do you know what I trust? Money. That’s it,” Zadar continued. “The fact is that everyone has something that they are ready to trade their morals or honor or whatever high and mighty fantasy they claim to champion. And you can bet that the only person you can and should truly look out for is yourself alone. Thinking about assisting others based on anything you’re implying is just asking for a knife to be put through your back. So take that crap to someone who is dumb enough to believe it. I won’t.”
Seeing as her last desperate plea wasn’t getting through to the green-scaled kobold, Erin began to lose hope. She could no longer find any possible way to convince Zadar to sell the enchantment equipment they needed.
Just as she was about to give up, Lexton decided to speak up.
“Listen, forgive my friend here. She’s a bit too kindhearted for her own good and can be a bit naive at times,” the red-scaled kobold said. “Now, I’m not going to ask you to do me any favors at all, but as a fellow businessman, I think we can come up with a deal of some kind.”
“Oh? You actually think you can come up with a deal that would sway me? That’s quite the bold statement,” Zadar said, growing curious as to what his kinsman had in mind. “And just what exactly would you like to offer? I do have to remind you that we are talking about quite the expensive objects here, so you might want to prepare something good for me.”
“Trust me. I am more than capable of making you a deal worth your time,” Lexton said, before turning his attention to his other companions. “Guys, let me handle this. Go outside and wait for me, okay?”
Erin was about to protest, but a hand on her shoulder from Ryle stopped her. The blonde gave her a look that told her to trust their kobold companion on this one. Deciding to respect his wishes, all the members of Erin’s group with the exception of Lexton walked outside.
Now that they were on their own, Lexton went to take a seat at the couch with Zadar sitting at a nearby chair. The green-scaled kobold looked at his red kinsman, wondering what he had in mind.
“So, mind telling me what this deal you had in mind is?” Zadar asked with a smirk. “You sounded quite confident just a moment ago, so I hope that wasn’t just some bravado. It would be quite the letdown.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve got something in mind thay will certainly interest you,” Lexton said as he slightly glared at the green kobold. “Tell me something. What is your passion?”
“My passion? Making money obviously! Isn’t that the case for any merchant worth a damn!?” the green-scaled kobold said with a laugh. “I must say, if this is the best you could come up with, I don’t see how you could ever call yourself a businessman of any sort!”
“How about you get real with me here?” the red-scaled kobold asked in a serious tone. “You know as well as I do that money is never the ultimate goal itself. It’s more of a means to an end. You want money in order to get something else that you really want. Whether it’s food, a shelter or anything else, money is the way to get it. Just by looking around this place, I can tell that you have more than enough money already, so what is it that you want to get with it?”
“...And what if I do want something?” Zadar asked, now intrigued by what his kinsman was saying. “What do you propose we do with that information?”
“Whatever it may be we’ll get it for you. If it’s some object you want to be brought to you, we can do it. If it’s a service of some kind, we can provide it,” Lexton answered. “Or if you simply want to get your adrenaline racing by watching us take part in something dangerous for your entertainment, we can even do that.”
The smirk on the green-scaled kobold’s face had now turned into a toothy grin. This was proving to be very interesting to him.
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Right outside, Erin and the others were waiting for their red-scaled companion to come out and join them. All of them were wondering what he had in mind, but no one could make a guess what it was.
Finally after what felt like hours to them, the door opened and Lexton walked out, soon followed by a smiling Zadar.
“What happened, Lex?” Erin asked. “Were you able to make a deal with him?”
“Yes,” Lexton answered. “However, it might not be what you guys were expecting.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Before the red-scaled kobold could answer, Zadar stepped up to answer instead.
“What he means is that you guys are going to get what you want through entertaining me,” the green-scaled kobold said, still smiling. “In a couple of days, we will be having a little race for your enchantment tools.”