Move 13: Builder

When Oli got back from the library, Michael and the others were already back at the pub.

All of them were sitting, and it seemed they were waiting for Oli.

"My Lord, you are here."

Michael immediately greeted Oli, and the brothers followed afterward. Eli also welcomed Oli as Michael glared at him.

"Find something?"

Oli immediately asked after he sat down.

"There are a lot of wealthy and capable merchant shops we could trade-off, but knowing you, My Lord, I know you don't want to take a lot of attention, so I list down all the shops and compare them to each other.

And out of all the shops here on Kuku, there is one shop where one could freely trade anonymously.

And based on the information I got after I asked questions regarding that shop, it seems that the owner of that shop doesn't care about the traders' identity. As long as the goods were marketable, the owner would buy or trade.

They were also selling seeds, farming equipment, and livestock."

Michael explained.

Oli deeply thought when he heard this.

'This shop… Were the right shop I was looking for.'

Then Oli remembers a book he read at the library at the same time, planning to steal.

The books were all about the recorded plants here on Chronos. From edible and not. Venomous and not. And Oli's assumptions were correct. There are no spices here. More specifically, seeds of spices.

'If I could use that shop to trade the spices I have in my apartment. I don't have to worry because I could trade anonymously in that shop. And the money I would get would be invested for the development of Leefside.'

Oli thought. And after a few seconds, he asks Michael.

"What is the shop's name?"

"The shop was called Silent Shop."

Michael replied.

"That shop… The owner of that shop is the Archduke of the Literra Empire.

The older brother of the current Emperor.

The eldest son of the previous Emperor and the former crown prince of the Literra Empire, Wyatt Stuart."

Eli said. Oli and the others looked at Eli.

"Archduke? Not a Duke?"

Oli asked. He knows that there's a Duke, and this is the first time he heard this Nobility title.

"There's a title of a Duke, but there was also a title called Archduke.

The difference between the two is that an Archduke was a direct member of the Imperial Family while a Duke was not.

The territory ruled by the Duke was called Duchy, and its a vassal territory of a King or Emperor.

While the Archduke were ruling a territory called Archduchy. An independent region inside the Empire.

A Kingdom within a Kingdom. My Lord."

Michael explained. Oli nodded after he heard the explanation. The Archduke was a title given to the brother of the Emperor.

"Then, tomorrow, we're going to that shop. How about the other group? Zack? Do you guys find any builder slave?"

Oli said.

"I'm sorry, My Lord, but we're not. We searched the entire slave house here on Kuku, but there was no builder slave available at the market." Zack replied.

'It's going to be hard. If we don't find any builder slaves, the plans to rebuild the walls will halt. And Michael estimated that there were two to three months left before the soldiers from the Credia Empire attacked.'

"Wait a second."

Oli stopped thinking when he heard Michael.

"Sir Eli… You're a builder, right? You're the one who designed and built the church located at the Dioceses of Rado?"

Eli froze when he heard Michael.

"W-w-what a-are…" This bulky and bearded man stuttered while talking.

"You…"

"This old man!!"

"You're a builder, and you didn't even say a word! We searched this entire place looking for one without knowing that our guide was a builder!"

Zack, Zeck, and Zick shouted and jumped into Eli.

***

"So… Eli's job was originally a builder?"

Oli asked.

"Yes, My Lord. Sir Eli was a builder, a veteran. My father and Sir Eli were friends, so I have known him since I was a child. And before I left my birthplace and immigrated to the Vedrain Kingdom, Sir Eli told me that he bought a place here in Kuku and he plans to open a tavern.

But it's been years since we saw each other, so I forgot that he's a builder. Like what we're looking for."

Michael answered.

"Do you quit as a builder, Eli?" Oli asked.

"I never quit as a builder. Being a builder was a profession our family practices, but it's just I wanted to open my very own pub." Eli replied, but the last words were said in a shy tone.

"Heyy… Is it me, or is he being girly?" Zack said.

"No. He's being girly." Zeck said.

"This fucking old man!" Zick blurted.

Oli sighed internally, and before the three started to gang up on Eli, Oli restrained them and voiced what he was planning.

"Why not work for me? We've been staying here for two days, and I notice that no customers are coming here. So, instead of locking yourself here and wasting that talent, come with us back to Leefside. And if you want to open a tavern-like this, I will give you a suitable place where you could build a tavern.

You will only work for me if there's a project. I plan to develop Leefside, and to achieve that, I need the help of experts like you, Eli."

Eli deeply pondered when he heard the offer from Oli, and for him, it was a great offer. He'll only work as a builder when there's a project, and if none, he could focus on the tavern.

'And Baron Oli was a great man. He's not like the other Nobles who think only of themselves and Their selfish needs. And this is the first time I saw a Noble personally go to buy things needed in the village he ruled.

And lastly, before my friend drew his last breath, he entrusted Michael to me after Michael left the Holy Theocracy and immigrated to the Vedrain Kingdom, and because of some problems that occurred, I was not able to do it.'

Eli took a deep breath, and with a deep voice, he said, "I'll do it. I'll become an exclusive builder for you, Baron Oli, My Lord."

Eli said while bowing his head.

"It's great to hear that. Well, I'll welcome you, Eli." Oli said.