11. Merchant of spice

Malden, a spice merchant, walked through a long corridor dimly lit by torches while his eyes looked around. It was his first time here in the estate of Lord Arzan and he couldn't help, but feel uneasy.

An imposing guard walked alongside him. He had introduced himself as Feroy.

Malden's sharp, beady eyes glanced at him from time to time.

Why would Lord Arzan even want to see me?

He thought to himself as his eyes darted nervously.

From the light that came from the torches, he could see his shadow in front of him. His wiry hair kept waving left and right as he continued to take steps ahead, and his fingers were quick to try and comb them neatly.

He parted them to his sides from the middle and realised that it was the most tidy that his hair could get.

Soon, his mind started spiralling with questions again.

He remembered what he had heard of Arzan.

A lord with a questionable reputation who hardly showed his face in public and seemed to spend time in his room. Only recently he had heard rumours of him stepping out of the estate.

Other than that, there were only a few things. In the first place, a Duke's son was as rare as they came. Although Arzan was one, he didn't seem to be well-reputed or important enough.

It was too small of a canvas for him to make any conclusions.

Why would a Lord, particularly one with a questionable reputation, invite a relatively small-scale merchant like himself? His spice trade, though successful in its own right, hardly gained the attention of a noble.

When he had first gotten the invitation, he'd not even believed it. At least, until he had seen the official seal of the kingdom which was used for such an invitation.

He had accepted it due to his curiosity and because he wanted to keep doing business in the city, but now that he was soon going to be in front of Arzan, he just felt uneasy.

I doubt he wants to buy spices.

Malden walked down the corridor. The guard's long strides were almost hard to keep up.

The questions in his mind began to increase as he realised the corridor was about to end. He needed more information if he was going to meet such a person.

In his experience, nobles with almost no noise in the public sphere were either worthless or chaotic. He didn't want to take any chances.

"How long till we reach the room?" Malden asked, striking a conversation with Feroy who slowed and looked back.

"Just a bit longer. Lord Arzan is waiting for you, so you won't be held for too long."

"That's good. Lord Arzan seems to be a caring man. I wonder what he wants with a merchant like me."

He looked up at him expectantly, hoping he would give him something, but he shook his head.

"I have no idea of that. You would have to see for yourself."

"Are you sure?"

Malden held out a coin and the guard stopped.

He stared at it for over a second as Malden waited for him to take it. After all, money was never enough, but he started walking again.

"I told you I have no idea of it."

Malden frowned. He hadn't expected a guard to have such loyalty. It also sprung up more questions in his mind.

"Lord Arzan will be waiting for you inside," Feroy said, stopping at a door and looking back at Malden.

Malden simply nodded.

The large, wooden door was in front of him. His fingers played nervously at the hem of his cloak, as he thought of possible motives that Arzan might have wanted to meet him.

Again, I just sell spices, what could I possibly have to offer?

Malden thought to himself and let the guard knock on the door.

When it opened, it revealed two men, sitting beside each other, drinking tea.

It was a large room which was probably used for casual meetings. There was one maid in the room. The wooden table in the middle was where the two men sat, both their attention on him.

From one glance, Malden could tell who was the lord. Arzan was young with glossy black hair and his features perfectly matched the descriptions he had heard.

The man next to him was Francis. Malden had met him twice since he had become a merchant and both of them were brief meetings, so he hardly knew what to expect.

He simply walked inside.

"It's an honour to meet you, Lord Arzan," Malden said, showing the best smile he could manage. With years of experience, he had just gotten better at making a fake smile look as natural as possible.

Arzan's eyes kept on him and he had an inkling he was being judged.

"Malden, you are on time," Francis said, nodding at him. "Have a seat."

Malden obliged quickly. He sat and looked in between the two men. The maid swiftly poured him a cup of tea.

"I apologise that I wasn't able to bring in any gifts. The invitation was just too abrupt and I didn't know what to bring. My men would be bringing in batches of spices later on for the estate."

"There's no need for that," Arzan spoke for the first time. "It's good enough that you were able to make it."

"Can I ask what the reason is for you calling me here?" He asked, deciding to be straightforward. It was a strategy that had served him well since a lot of nobles didn't like spending their time with merchants.

His curious eyes continue to look at the Lord.

"I have a question to ask you," he said. "What do you think about the city? Is it doing well?"

Malden barely stopped himself from frowning.

Is it supposed to be a trick question?

He immediately looked at Francis, but the man simply sipped his tea, barely looking at him.

Is he a Lord who lacks complimentary words?

Malden looked at Arzan and grinned widely. "The city is prosperous, Lord Arzan! The people are happier than they have been-"

He was cut short with the glare that Arzan threw at him. His smile immediately fell. He could sense that it was the wrong track to take. He wasn't called here to compliment the lord, there was something bigger going on.

Malden sighed. He leaned back in his chair and shifted uncomfortably. His hands fell to his lap and his fingers tangled.

He cleared his throat.

Arzan's glare was still on his face.

"Well, my lord… If that's what you want—the territory is facing challenges. People are struggling for coins and food. The cold is the worst it has been in years. It's common news inside the city about debts to Tradeheart," he paused to take a good look at Arzan. His stare stayed the same, judging every word of his. "It's no secret, my lord. Due to debts to Tradeheart merchant company, you're on the verge of losing your farmland and mines."

Arzan's expression remained impassive, though a subtle nod indicated his understanding.

He leaned back in his ornate chair and, after a pause, opened his mouth. Malden flinched hearing his next words.

"If you were in my place, Malden, what would you do in such a situation?"

His question rang in Malden's head. If the lord was looking for a solution from him, he was asking the wrong person. He knew how to run a business, but a city was a completely different matter.

"Uh—I wouldn't know how to rule a city, my lord. I'm a simple merchant. I would rather focus on selling me-"

Again, he was cut short by a glare. This time, his eyes looked even more stern.

Malden's mouth ran dry as he stared back.

"Malden, I insist on hearing your genuine thoughts. I'm aware of the situation around the city, so do tell me. Don't skirt around the issue."

From the corner of his eyes, he saw the old man shifting in his seat. "Well, you questioned why you are here. Here it is, Lord Arzan wanted to know and gather opinions on specific questions, so it'll be better if you cooperate with him."

Malden turned to look at Arzan again. His words came in a stutter. "My lord, it's not a simple matter. The situation is complex, and, um, there's no straightforward solution."

Arzan shook his head. "Complexity is no excuse for silence. I want your honest opinion."

At the moment, he felt like Laxlar was putting him into some sort of a trial. He had only been a God of Light follower because his blessings were known to grant economic benefits. There was nothing about such challenges when he joined the church.

Malden sighed. "Well, my lord. The truth is, due to the debts to Tradeheart, there is nothing I'd be able to do if I were in your position. Unless a sudden miracle happens. A large number of people are currently unemployed due to the mines being not active. Even if we manage to revive the mines again, the bandit issue still pertains. Getting the economy on track would take a very considerable amount of time and resources… A year, at the very least."

He looked at Francis this time, his eyes glinting with a hopeless stare, "There is just no realistic way."

"What if there is a product that would sell extensively well, that even nobles and common people alike would want it if it reaches them?" Arzan asked out of the blue.

Malden looked at him strangely, but nodded, agreeing. "If… something like that is there to sell, I'd say yes, it can help the economy by a leap. But, again, realistically, it's impossible to make something like that. Lord Arzan, the truth is, it's nearly impossible to initiate any significant change. The focus here has always been on traditional means of wealth— finding mines, selling basic products and providing weapons in wars and conflicts. There's a lack of innovation and mostly, it's handled by Mages. You very well know how they are."

Arzan stayed silent throughout his explanation, but as soon as he was done, he kept something on the table.

***

Kai's eyes were on the man whose appearance resembled a rat. He had high cheekbones and a narrow face, with a short height. It wasn't a striking face, but it would attract attention just because of how unique he looked.

He saw how Malden's eyes bore into the glistening Heat stone. He looked confused, checking them.

"This is a Syphon stone, my lord. What are you showing it to me? Moreover, how can we even earn through this, unless you are going to sell them as mana batteries to Mages? A merchant I know tried that once, but it never worked out. They are too volatile. He lost an arm due to his idea," he said, shaking his head.

"This is a Heat stone." He said, but Malden's eyes remained the same. He had no idea what it was. "Put your hand over it for a while."

"I don't understand."

"Just do it."

Malden glanced at Francis before putting his hand on the Heat stone. Kai had a suspicion he was scared of the stone blasting off his hand.

Seconds ticked by and soon, he blinked his eyes, looking down at the stone. His eyes flickered with realisation.

"It's giving off heat."

"Yes, that's why a Heat stone. It takes your mana and gives off warmth. Though, if you just put it into a room, it would take the ambient mana and won't drain you until you get too close to it."

Malden removed his hand from the Heat stone and picked it up, looking at the seals.

He seemed to be lost for words before looking at Kai.

"Lord Arzan, this would solve a major problem. I have never seen something like this before. How many have you got?" he asked, looking at Kai with a glint in his eyes, completely different than before.

Kai leaned forward and looking at Malden, he said, "I have a surplus. The manufacturing side is complicated, but we can manage more than a dozen a day. What we need is someone to sell them to different places in the kingdom."

Understanding what he was saying, Malden's eyes lifted from the product. It seemed like he was contemplating something and barely holding himself back from jumping to the opportunity.

Though, Kai could almost feel his greed reeking from across him by the way Malden looked at him.

The whole kingdom was covered in a blanket of snow and something that gave more comfort than even fur was easily going to be a rage.

"Can I ask a few questions about these?" he finally asked.

"Go on."

"How long do these last? And these are made from Syphon stones. Are you sure there won't be any complications?" Malden questioned immediately.

"They will last a year before they need to be changed. As for complications, no, we have not noticed anything yet. We have distributed a few of these to the public and heard no complaints," he said, confidently.

"So, you do have a price in mind?" Malden stared at him.

"Yes, we do, but it depends on where the product is going to be sold," Francis replied this time, entering the conversation. "For common people, we are going to offer reasonable prices that a family could afford and for nobles, it will be more. We will make bigger ones for them. Think of 2 gold coins for a Heat stone. For nobles, we will do 5 gold coins."

"Hmm. I see."

Malden rubbed his chin while thinking to himself. It was clear that wheels turned inside his head as his gaze fixated on the Heat stone.

"Lord Arzan, I would love to work with you and distribute the product to the whole kingdom, if you wish," he said in the sweetest voice Kai had heard till now. "I was thinking in between the lines of 60-40. The 60 percent will go to you of course."

Kai huffed. The man was clearly trying to get a better deal than he deserved.

"You're not responsible for making the Heat stones, Malden, nor for the materials to make it. You're just going to distribute them. Do ask for a fair share in this."

Malden shook his head. "Distributing is the biggest factor, I believe. Like you said, this product needs to reach every corner in the kingdom and I've good connections inside the big cities to sell these easily, and for a price much higher than what you have in mind," he said and looked at Francis. "How about 70-30. I can only reduce my share by that."

This time, Francis scoffed. "That's way higher than we expected. We cannot go for that. It is not reasonable."

Kai nodded while agreeing with Francis. "You have been doing well in the city, Malden. I've heard about your spices and how well you do the distribution. But, in a cutthroat business like yours, you need something big to become a top merchant. You simply are nowhere to be that; but with this product, your fate might change."

Malden nodded slightly and looked down at the Heat stone.

Kai took the opportunity and gave his final opinion. "I appreciate your role, but again I'm implying, you won't be manufacturing these, and you won't be responsible for the raw materials. Your task is distribution. I'll give you 20 percent, and that's final."

"But, my lord…" Malden hesitantly started by saying but was soon cut off.

"No more negotiations. Take it or leave it." Kai's stern look fell on him.

The merchant fell silent. Kai knew he was closer to agreeing to a 20 percent share. He wouldn't have gone for someone like Malden otherwise.

"My lord, the risks involved in distribution are significant. I should be adequately compensated for—"

He didn't seem to give up on his idea of gaining more. At this time, Kai frowned and Malden flinched.

He shook his head, disagreeing clearly. "I won't go beyond 20 percent."

"My lord, this is an opportunity for both of us. I should have a more significant share. AT least, I think—"

Kai saw how his nose scrunched up in frustration.

"I understand your concerns, but my terms are non-negotiable. Take a moment to think it over," he said and leaned back. "This is a very fair deal, Malden. I hope you're smart enough to realise the terms on your end and how fair they're to you." Kai calmly said.

Malden visibly looked like he was contemplating the biggest decision of his life. His hands clenched and he sipped on the tea.

It had already gone cold, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Very well, my lord. We have a deal of 80-20." Finally, he spoke, looking up at Kai.

"Alright, you made a wise decision. I will send you a batch of them very soon. You can talk further details with Francis," Kai said with a smile and nodded at Francis.

Now that they've gotten a distributor, things could move fast.

***

Malden passed the guards who stayed outside the room with their spears in their hands.

He couldn't help the smile that crept to his face. They in return, looked at him weirdly. But it didn't matter to Malden.

80-20! I have a jackpot on my hand, and to think I almost lost it due to greed. The man played all the tricks right from the start.

His valuation of Arzan drastically changed in his mind. He was no worthless discarded noble. Opposite to that, he seemed to be someone who knew what he wanted and wasn't one to budge.

He had no idea how he had gotten the Heat Stone, but if the partnership continued, he would know of it sooner or later.

From the start, Malden had only been called because he fit into a position where he wasn't a big merchant but had all the networks of one. So, he was naturally inclined to not negotiate further, in case he lost the product.

He didn't know what to think of it, but if the Heat stone worked as expected, the Tradeheart merchant company would certainly regret burning the bridges with Arzan.