I didn’t manage to snag the good bed this time, but at least it was something. I would probably have to return to the annex at some point. I couldn’t keep intruding on Mr Cedar and Mark’s cuddle time.

I was the one making the joke, and it was in my own head, but I still regrated it. trying to get the ickiness out of my head I went out and bought some biscuits. When I returned, I set to boiling some tea to flush the impurities away.

Mr Cedar woke up in time to join me for tea.

“any plans for the day?”

“I was thinking that we maybe look into sorting out a supplier for the apothecary.”

“For that I had a few ideas, it might eat a little into the profits, but we could post missions at the guild for collecting ingredients. We could also grow them ourselves seeing that they are mostly plants that the nutjobs in the west spread. We could also encourage the townsfolk to take up growing the plants."

“That is a good idea, but we can’t grow rocks.”

“Yes, that is a problem. It will have to be sorted with either my previously mentioned guild missions or a dedicated supplier.”

“How much do you think this will cost?”

“a few gold a month.”

I could earn a gold a day with the help of the two old men, but they had years upon years of experience. To justify such an expense…

“In that case what do you expect our profits to be?”

“Possibly one or two number three notes a year.”

Strangely enough I knew what a number three note was, but I didn’t know its worth. A number three “note” was a thin sheet of metal that fit within a palm and on it was information about the register and the recipient. The metal was imperial alloy 453, an alloy only allowed to be made by the royal alchemists and engraved by… I didn’t actually know who did the engraving. The empire had other notes, and they ranged from 2 to 11.

“How much would one of those be worth in gold?”

“It would be about a thousand gold.”

That is more gold than I have ever seen in my life. I could buy a horse with that amount of money… no I couldn’t, but one can have hopes.

“Just curious, how much does the barony make each year?”

“About 12 to 20 number five notes on a bad year. A five is worth about 13000 gold give or take a few depending on the exchanger’s mood.”

“This isn’t even going to put a dent in the debt is it.”

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“It might, we make 12 to 20 number fives after the emperor has taken his cut. I can’t actually say the true profits of the manor because I have been away for a few years… but your mother does have quite extravagant taste, and she does know how to cut bac on spending.”

“Great, so my only solution to a problem my mother created is waiting for her to magically solve it.”

Mark entered the room and decided to give his two cents.

“Does she know about the crown loan?”

Mark obviously asked Mr Cedar but I was intent on figuring out what he just said.

“what’s a crown loan?”

Mark ignored me and received Mr Cedars dirty stare before answering himself.

“No?”

“Oi, what is a crown loan?”

“None of your business.”

“It is, it’s a loan is it not?”

Mark decided the best course of action was to leave and I wasn’t in the mood to follow him.

Mark headed to the door, opened it, looked out, and then shut it again. The grown man held his back to the door and crossed his fingers muttering something. he continued to do so to the but of many jokes from Mr Cedar but there was soon a knock on the door.

“Fuck.”

Mark exclaimed, and then explained.

“Boss, an acquaintance of your friend is here.”

Hearing that, I didn’t give a response. I had no friend, and that friend didn’t have any acquaintances.

Despite his obvious reluctance Mark opened the door.

The image that greeted me was rather unpleasant. The hobgoblin’s face poked through the doorframe and introduced itself.

“Hello there, my name is Ethan Mari… Bartly, my surname Is Bartly.”

“Did you just forget your name or are you impersonating someone of noble heritage?”

“Neither, Neither I can assure you that I am who I say I am. However, I didn’t the that a mere mercenary had the right to question nobility.”

“I don’t, but you sunny, you ain’t no nobility.”

“I have already said that…”

“Yeah, yeah, you said. but I hear the baron only acknowledged one of his kiddos. You ain’t a noble if the guy that actually held the title didn’t even think you were ‘is son.”

“Let us cease this mindless squabble, I have come to you to ask a question, it would do you well to answer.”

“Oh, wow, Mr Fancy pants want ask dumb me question.”

At Marks words Mr Cedar called out.

“OI! I don’t think that’s going to work on him. he ain’t a Mr and his pants aren’t that fancy.”

I tried my hardest to hold in laughter, but I feared that if this continued on for much longer, I would burst.

“Just answer my damn question.”

“Then ask yer damn question.”

“Did you deal with those bandits?”

“Well duh, who else was going to do that but three idiots in a trench coat?”

The hobgoblin’s eyebrows furrowed, and he went to point his finger but took it down. The answer he got was sufficient enough it seemed, and right after that, the door slammed shut.

“Problem dealt with.”

Indeed it was, indeed it was.

The rest of the day was filled with a lot of walking. Our goal was to find suppliers, but not for the more complicated items. For most of the minerals we would have to import them into the region, or in if we are lucky there might just happen to be some in a neighbouring territory.

Plants on the other hand were easy to source. Most of the ones we needed were spread by the west and grew all year and everywhere. There were of course exceptions to that everywhere such as the south, but it was pretty much common sense that nothing grew there.

This walking bore quite a bit of fruit. It was mainly thanks to a rather well-built old lady by the name of miss Nicnally. She happened to know most of the folk that were interested in gardening and told us of plenty places where the new additions would be welcomed. it would take a dew months before we could reap rewards from this, but it was a step in the right direction.

In terms of setting up a few guild postings we decided to hold off. It was better to understand how much of what we needed before spending a bunch of money on sending people into forests.

And just like that another day came to it’s end. It seemed like the day could have been so much longer, but things just kept falling neatly into place. Well atleast the things that didn’t involve the Hobgoblin.