Chapter 8 - The Power of Capitalism

As I flipped through the pages of the ledger book Zephyr had handed me moments earlier, I could hardly contain my shock.

It started benignly enough, a few mishaps here, some minor lapses in judgment there, some dubious calls, chancy propositions, and the such. But then it became like the proverbial snowball, rolling and rolling until it drowned out the terrified screams of the women and children in the village below right before it crushed the breath from their tender bodies and ground their bones to dust. Then the snowball would really get to work on them poor suckers.

Yes, it was that bad. Worse, if at all possible.

Zephyr might be a truly talented physician, but as a merchant of wares and seeker of profits, he was hopelessly outgunned, outmatched and just plain simply outclassed in every meaningful, measurable medium.

Take, for instance, the record of him buying 450 units of milk from the hands of the desperate farmer who had missed the harvest market and could find no buyers for the highly perishable goods.

“Well, fear no more my good farmer,” I mentally intoned in my best mock-Zephyr-esque imitation. ”I shall contrive with the full power of my faith in the Guardian Deity of Greed and Usury to buy this goddamn useless third-rate crap which I couldn’t foist on anyone for 200 miles around because it is already half spoiled and soured to boot. Har har har.”

Yeah, I’d taken a little creative license with my interpretation of Zephyr’s thought process when he made that deal. So sue me.

Worst part was, it wasn’t even the worst part - by far. Oh no, Zephyr had endeavoured - quite thoroughly, I might add - to add one horrifyingly senseless act after another, piling insult on top of injury. Ad nauseum. The tally list of his mercantile crimes would have been enough to earn him quadruple consecutive life sentences with no option for parole. He ought to have been grateful they didn’t just tie him to the electric chair straight away.

Nah, he’d probably try to buy the electric chair because it looked so worn and creaky, and would probably offer to sell them a brand new one - at cost, of course, because how could he profit from the demand in the market he’d created himself. He’d pay for the shipping, delivery and installation charges, too. Hell, he’d probably offer to foot the bill for the electricity they used to fry him as well!

I finally had to stop lest I scratch out my eyes and bawl like an innocent babe who has been told where babies REALLY come from, at the tender age of 4. Make that 3. Yes, that horror, that unimaginable cruelty visited upon an innocent mind - that was precisely what had been done to me.

I blindly thrust away the offending relic of darkness that likely was the source of all that is wrong and evil in the world of commerce, well, everywhere. On Earth and Aeterna and any other planes of reality and beyond. Like a prototypical Pandora’s Box, only this was a ledger book, and of the two it was the nastier one by far.

I had been mentally ravished, savagely and repeatedly, and had not come away unscathed. Oh no, I would bear these scars to my grave. That’s what I get for trusting that beatific smile still glittering like gold - fool’s gold - on Zephyr’s solicitous face. As soon as he took back the blasphemous tome, I quickly averted my eyes and shuddered, hugging my arms around my chest and rocking back and forth while mumbling comforting childhood rhymes to myself.

The humanity.

“So, might I inquire as to your opinion on my past transactional history, Lord Seth?” asked me a completely oblivious Zephyr.

“...”

I did not even know where to start. It was the strangest feeling in the world. I felt all these crazy emotions, like sharks madly cavorting about in the waters, inches away from a tender, bloody chunk of meat trailing blood for miles and miles. In their mad frenzy to tear into the object of their desire, they tore at one another to bloody ribbons while the happily oblivious fisherman lounged on top of the bait, reading up on his favorite “Dear Angie,” column with a mug of warm coffee in his other hand.

Enough. I had to control myself.

I took a deep breath. Fine, several deep breaths. You still have no idea of what had been perpetrated on my virginal mind, but I’ll let it pass.

“Z.. Zephyr,” I whispered hoarsely.

“Yes, Lord Seth? How may I be of assistance?” Bright as sunshine and fresh as a melon in summertime, that was our good Zephyr.

“Do.. do you actually want to be a merchant?”

Zephyr frowned as though he considered this to be a trick question. It wasn’t. Truly, it was one of the most sincere and earnest questions I have asked in my whole entire life. When he realized that this matter was of some import to me, Zephyr finally answered.

“Why, that is assuredly so, my Lord Seth. What other reason might there be for me to profess to belong to the hallowed Order of-”

“Waste and Consumption..” I muttered under my breath.

“Commodities and Exchanges,” finished Zephyr smoothly. “Is something the matter, Lord Seth? You don’t look so well..”

A grunt from Jae’thun’s corner of the room told me at least someone had witnessed the unspeakable crime perpetrated here. But if he had, I was not getting any help from that quarter. His answer would probably be to run down every single last name in that accursed tally book and have them drawn and quartered for their sins. Which would be entirely just deserts for their crimes, against Zephyr but mostly against me. However, that would also mean I’d have to endure the company of that abominable ledger book for weeks on end.

I shuddered involuntarily.

Well, the past was the past. Time to look into the future. I walked over to inspect the bales of cloth crowding out most of one side of the tent with my good hand. It looked to be made of decent quality material, and the color looked good as well.

“How much did you say you acquired this for, Zephyr?” I asked without turning around.

“That would be ten golden solari and five silver eagles, unless I misremember.”

Small risk of that. I’d found that for all of his appalling business sense, Zephyr had an impeccable memory and a very good head for mental calculations.

I did a quick mental figure myself. “So, that’s about 20 coppers per bolt of cloth, give or take?”

“Indeed so.”

I put my hand on my forehead and used my fingers to try and massage the massive migraine I felt rapidly approaching. “What are you selling it for here?”

“I have been tendering offers to the amount of 25 copper shields per bolt,” responded Zephyr proudly. A resale prospect 25% higher than the original amount. Sounded just about right, no?

I wanted to strangle some sense into him. Perhaps if I squeezed hard enough for his temples to pop I might be able to exorcise the parasitic demon spawn ambushing and butchering every decent business-minded idea that crossed the narrow divide between Zephyr’s grey matter and his consciousness. I struggled with the impulse for a while, teetering on the edge: Musn’t do it, it’s not his fault, he’s innocent, might as well slaughter a dog for barking or a rooster for crowing.. but on the other hand.. Ah, it would feel so, sooo good.

I shook my head to clear errant thoughts from it. “And your travelling expenses from the point of purchase to the location of the sale, meaning this shithole, were..?”

Again, the answer came in an instant, as though he’d been ready with the answer the whole time, “The cost for the transportation of goods was 1 solari, caravan fees and dues tallied to yet another solari, border taxes were set by the good magistrate in charge of the border station at 7 eagles and 50 copper shields, and market stall licenses are estimated to reach the final price of another eight silver shields. Thus, the grand sum comes to the amount of 3 gold solari, 5 silver eagles and 50 copper shields.”

Bloody amazing. He knows all the answers, and yet he doesn’t seem to care at all. I prodded him a little, partly in sick fascination as I just had to wonder what made a rare phenomenon, an aberration such as he was, tick. “So, you are already operating at a loss of exactly three silvers and 37 coppers.”

“That does indeed seem to be the case, does it not?” came the serene reply, sounding as though he were remarking on the fact that it was sunny out, and would therefore be a pleasant day for a stroll or a picnic. He was definitely not talking about a catastrophic loss of revenue on a failed return investment.

“And it doesn’t account for the fact that you still have to pay for your trip back out of this hellhole,” I pointed, helpfully.

“You speak with outstanding candor and enviable foresight, my Lord Seth,” Zephyr chimed in, unflappable. Probably thinking about the vintage he’d take for the picnic.

“...”

Wait a moment. I was missing something here. I didn’t know anything about the prices for commodities in Aeterna. However, if Zephyr was selling at 25 coppers a bolt, that was actually quite a decent price for prospective buyers, considering that he’d purchased them for 20 originally, and it was a long and treacherous trek across the desert. Normally, such a trek would double, if not triple the associated costs. Yet, here they stood, in a glaringly obvious state of not being sold. Why?

Then I added another piece of the puzzle. Zephyr. Not just any merchant, but Zephyr had bought these bolts. At a decent price. Almost, it seemed, the going rate. Coppers were the lowest denomination of currency on Aeterna, and if a whole bolt sold for 20, that seemed just about right for such a commodity.

Ah, realization struck. I sighed heavily, then startled to dig through the piles of cloth, almost afraid of what I would find. Over my shoulder, I asked, “So, was it rain? Mildew? Vermin? Bubonic plague?”

“Pardon me, Lord Seth? Bub.. Vuvornik plague”

“.. never mind.” I had found the reason. Took me all of 10 seconds to do so. “Botched dye job, huh.”

“Your boundless knowledge and incomparable wisdom continue to humble me, Lord Seth,” came Zephyr’s reply, bright as morning sun.

“Does the same flaw run through all the merchandise? Every single bolt?” Perhaps there was something to be salvaged.

“Every last one. How did you come by this knowledge? Are you perhaps a seer?” quipped Zephyr, with good-natured humor.

“So, you bought at market price damaged goods that should have fetched one third of the actual rate. Then you crossed one of the largest, most desolate areas of the known world, and only then you thought of inspecting the wares?”

“Well, in actuality, Lord Seth, I am rather embarrassed to admit that this humble servant of the Lord of Scales failed to detect the flaw in the merchandise until the very moment one of my most worthy clients attempted to acquire a number of bolts from my person.”

That was just what I needed. By now word would have spread to every corner of the marketplace. No one would want anything to do with these ruined goods now. No chance to foist them off on some unsuspecting fool. Though, glancing sideways at Zephyr, I had to admit we’d be sorely pressed to find someone more lacking in that department than my newest venture partner.

The truly confounding part was that Zephyr seemed to be, by any standard of the word, an intelligent person. His vocabulary was truly mind-bogglingly diverse and florid. His observational skills in regards to anything, other than merchandise he was to purchase or sell, was impeccable. He even was gifted with that truly rare mix of earnest self-effacing good humor, and discerning flattery towards others that was genuinely believable. That was quite the trick. It was near-impossible to pull off, that delicate balance between sounding insincere, whether for lack or want of trying, and coming off as an insincere, bootlicking lapdog willing to whore out compliments for others’ approval.

When Zephyr complimented your smile, you truly felt as though he saw the reflection of Lustria, Goddess of the Moon, reflected on your pearly white teeth. If he praised your wisdom, you’d be hard-pressed not to spill out all of your most dearly held secrets just so you wouldn’t make a liar of him. That was Zephyr’s truly awe-inspiring gift.

Yet, as a man of means, as in, the procurer of goods and the orchestrator who ensured that those same goods actually meant something.. well, he was a complete and utter disaster. Again, for emphasis, not for lack of ability or intellect, but rather due to the most infuriating, bewildering mix of bottomless good will, and boundless faith, both towards his fellow men and the gods they all professed to worship.

As a man with very real and deeply rooted commitment and trust issues, I simply could not understand. That was the exact moment when it struck me, like a peal of thunder and a flash of enlightenment. I almost shouted, “Eureka!” then stripped my chest bare in preparation of a mad dash about the village’s flimsy, waist-high wooden fence.

Almost.

I finally understood why Zephyr made me so uncomfortable. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust him, well not precisely. I still didn’t completely trust him, but that was just my trust issues along with my inability to comprehend the true nature of this man. I had to admit, I already trusted Zephyr as deeply as I ever would, no matter the trials and tribulations we suffered together in the future. Yes, he had broken me in, like a feral dog that finally lowers its ears and wags its tail.

There’s a good boy.

No, the reason my skin itched and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end whenever Zephyr drew too near was because he was my anti-thesis. My nemesis. The twin brother I’d never known from that odd dimension where everything is exactly the same as here, only in a polar opposite.

I mistrusted anything and everything, just on general principle, whereas Zephyr had a seemingly inexhaustible supply of faith he could parcel out at will, to one and all comers. Oh, you’ve squandered your portion of Zephyr’s faith? Flushed it down the drain and flipped the trash atomizer switch to literally decompose it into its component molecules? Not a problem, Zephyr always has more.

I burned with an intense hate for any and all authority figures, particularly the higher powers that be; the arrogant, self-styled gods who ruled with a petty, capricious hand over the fates of countless mortals who were little more than slaves to their whims and mood swings. Whereas Zephyr, he also burned with a fire, but that of an all-consuming zeal, an absolute devotion towards all divine beings and their unalienable right to command utter, and unswerving obedience and loyalty from him simply due to the fact that they were gods, and he a mere vessel of their will, a thrall to their purpose.

And this was the man who was to become my most crucial partner if I was to put my hands on the power that was absolutely necessary to enact the next part of my brilliant plan to end the world.

Ah, the things we do to lay our grubbly little hands on some money. Very well, time to get to work then.

“Zephyr, I’m going out for a while. Would you care to accompany me?”

Zephyr’s expression darkened slightly. Which is to say, it still looked twice as cheery as mine was on my best day, but the small change from the normal Zephyr still warranted a second glance.

“My Lord Seth, your body is still recuperating from the taxing ordeal you endured at the hands of those poor, misguided souls.”

Calling Tarik and his band of jackals ‘misguided souls’ was like calling the Arioch Wastelands warm.

However, sensing an opening, I seized the moment, “Which is why I’d appreciate it if you would be by my side to offer assistance should I require it.”

Of course, I’d rather fall flat on my face, then be trampled by a herd of wild mammoths rather than ask anyone for help. Still, it was all for a higher cause. I really wanted those bastard gods dead. Soonish.

In the end, we negotiated an uneasy compromise where I would only go out for a couple hours at most, accompanied by Zephyr, who was anxiously hovering near my side while obviously trying to pretend it wasn’t so in order to soothe any wounded feelings I might harbor due to his lack of confidence in my physical prowess - or lack thereof; and Jae’than, who having finished the last of the flatbreads had no choice than to wordlessly nod his agreement when Zephyr had not-quite asked him to become our guardian saint for the life-threatening endeavor that a simple tour through the tiny village marketplace would entail.

No matter. I needed to wrap up this whole matter as soon as possible, since I was operating under a deadline. As I the task that lay ahead of me..

*Ttirring*

You have received a quest: “The Power of Capitalism.”

The Power of CapitalismDifficulty: DDescription:

Few powers on Aeterna can match the impact a singular concept has made upon the history, culture and inclination of all its sentient beings: that of selling and buying. Whether the coin is gold, valuables, favors, pride, reputation.. Ultimately, there’s little difference. One constant remains.

Money is power. Goals:

[/i]

Earn some money before the quest timer expires.

Secure a steady flow of income before the quest timer expires.

The more money you earn at once, the higher the rewards.

While not necessarily an “essential” building block on the road to happiness, money is nonetheless, a weighty factor which cannot be understated. That said, remember it is a double-edged sword.

Go forth, then, on to the pursuit of money.

Time remaining: 71:59:23Requirements:

Must not use violence in any shape or form.

Must adhere to the standards of local law and custom.

Results will be tallied after timer for current quest reaches zero.

Quest Rewards:

XP and monetary rewards will differ depending on the amount of money earned through a single transaction.

Increase in Zephyr’s loyalty.

???

Great, a quest. That would come in handy.

Now, first things first, I needed to generate some income. Fast. Then I needed to secure a steady trickle of income. I also wanted to get ahold of any information I might be able to acquire on Tarik, especially the sort he wouldn’t want circulating in public. Finally, I had to find a way to prevent my current bodyguard from killing me in 10 days’ time.

That was about it. Oh, right. I also needed to reclaim the lost Empire of Korandur from the sands of time, and then find a way to depose all the gods and end the world. When I looked at things from that perspective, all my current troubles seemed to shrink considerably. Amazing, what a little perspective can do for you.

I just needed a break. C’mon, luck.. c’mon.

And then, roughly thirty minutes after sniffing about in the marketplace, I struck gold. Jackpot! The break I needed. I almost couldn’t believe my eyes as I counted the goods in question once, then recounted once more. Perfect!

I hastily pulled Zephyr aside and whispered urgently in his ear, “You mentioned paying for transport. What kind?”

Zephyr was taken aback by my sudden line of questioning, and understandably so. “Ah, well. It was a four-wheeled cart made of the stoutest oa..”

I hissed him into silence, “What kind of beast of burden?”

“Oh. Why, what other beast would be more suitable for the harsh trails and inclement weather of..”

“Zephyr!” I snarled.

“An, an auroch!” the young merchant finished, off-balance and still obviously puzzled by my sudden line of inquiry.

“Perfect! I guess that luck stat really can come in handy sometimes..” I murmured, and shrugged off Zephyr’s uncomprehending expression. “Never mind that. Zephyr, bring your auroch here now. And by now I mean 5 minutes ago. Then at my signal take it to that herd of aurochs over there. No time for questions. GO!”

Zephyr looked as though he wanted to argue, but when he saw my eyes he swallowed whatever he’d been about to say and rushed away. Good. I hadn’t lost the old drill sergeant glare. Comes in handy when you need an order obeyed, no silly questions asked.

As I waited for Zephyr to come back, I slowly made my way around the edges of the small crowd of onlookers that had gathered about a particularly feisty shouting match taking place right next to what seemed to be one of the more popular watering holes in the village.

Three men, likely brothers or otherwise related, judging by their resemblance, were shouting imprecations at one another and waving some nasty-looking scimitars in the air. Looked like blood would be spilled soon enough, brothers or no. All over some aurochs, of all things. From what I’d heard shouted over the din of the crowd, I’d gotten the basic gist of it. It was the perfect opportunity for me to acquire some working capital.

Glancing back over my shoulder, I saw good, trusty Zephyr rushing back, an aged auroch that looked to be in its last legs trailing behind him. Figures that’d be the only animal he’d have. Had I really expected anything else?

Aurochs are huge beasts of burden, bearing some small resemblance to the water buffalo species in East Asia. However, they are twice as tall and weigh at least three times as much. They are tough, hardy creatures that are highly priced throughout Aeterna for their ability to draw prodigious amounts of weight behind them, as well as being able to defend said cargo from most small predators without any help from their drivers.

Walking into the middle of the ring of onlookers, I cleared my throat as voices began to speculate on what the crazy foreigner in the beggar’s outfit was trying to do. Ah, perhaps I should have minded my appearance beforehand. Too late now, I’d just have to roll with it.

“Greetings, mighty warriors. May I ask to partake of some of your water?”

By tribal custom, it was extremely rude to outright refuse a request for water when standing by a watering hole. Grudgingly, the three brothers slowly lowered their swords as they cast misgiving glares towards me. I blinked as though surprised to find myself the object of scrutiny from three burly men wielding wicked blades who didn’t look the least bit happy about the fact that I’d just prevented them from butchering one another.

“Who are you, stranger?”

“Draw your water and begone, beggar.”

“Of all the times..”

I could sincerely echo the last one’s feelings, but I had an act to put on. I blinked as my gaze traveled from face to face. “My, I hadn’t noticed, but you have the look of brothers, all bearing the same rugged lines of good, hardy desert stock, perhaps descended from the great Jar’we himself.”

I’d done my research prior to coming to the Arioch Wastelands. It was a well known fact that most tribes claimed to be the last descendants of the last clan chief to have united them all and claimed the title of Great War Leader - The Great Khan, Jar’we.

Their expressions softened just a little, and they seemed genuinely surprised to find themselves gripping their swords quite so tightly. Why had they been doing such a tiresome thing in the first place? I vocalized that very same question, right on queue.

“I must wonder, however, why such worthy descendants of the Great Khan were arguing with one another?”

This was the touchiest part of the whole plan. Of course, I’d grasped the general situation just from the shouts I’d overheard while I’d still been walking with Zephyr, but I needed them to answer my question, thus acknowledging me as a part of the discussion. The reason why this was dangerous was because they might forget all about my flowery words of praise and go at each other’s throats at any moment, under the slightest provocation.

Fortunately, my luck seemed to hold. The eldest of the brothers returned his sword to its sheath and turned towards his kinsmen. “These are my brothers, Cassim and Jabes. I am Zoar. Our father has passed away and left us his auroch herd, his life’s work, as his inheritance. His last words before death were that I should receive one half of all the animals, as the eldest. Then Cassim would receive one third, as the second son. Finally, the third and youngest, Jabes, was to receive one ninth part of the herd.”

I stroked my chin thoughtfully, “A grand gift, worthy of a great man as his legacy for his offspring.”

Zoar vigorously nodded his agreement, “The problem is that there are 35 aurochs, and this makes it impossible to carry out father’s last will. Half of 35 is 17 and half.”

Cassim cut in, “And a third of 35 is eleven heads and part of another auroch.”

Jabes finished, “My portion, a 9th part of 35, is to be three of the beasts, and then some. But aurochs are costly beasts, and we would lose a great deal if we were to butcher one just so we can split it between us all.”

Zoar slapped a hand on the stone of the well next to him with a loud SMACK.

“Which is why..” he began ominously.

“Ah, I see the quandary that lies before you now,” I called out loudly, to forestall any further discussion among the brothers. They hardly looked any brighter than the beasts they were arguing over, and in fact I was surprised they were able to do the necessary math. What wouldn’t surprise me at all was if they resumed their pointless feuding and got themselves killed before I got my cut.

*Ttirring*

You have received a quest: “A Father’s Legacy”

A Father’s LegacyDifficulty: DDescription:

The three brothers Zoar, Cassim and Jabes are quarrelling over the execution of their departed father’s will. According to his well, Zoar is to receive one half, Cassim one third, and Jabes one ninth part of the herd of 35 aurochs.

Resolve this conflict peacefully before a tragedy occurs. Goals:

Give Zoar half of the herd.

Give Cassim one third of the herd.

Give Jabes one ninth of the herd.

Few things can sour a relationship faster than money. So it is with the brothers. You must find a solution that satisfies all parties equally while none are willing to compromise in the slightest.

Avoid bloodshed at all costs!Requirements:

Avoid violence!

Must adhere to the standards of local law and custom.

All brothers must be satisfied by the final arrangement.

Quest Rewards:

The brothers’ gratitude.

???

Excellent. All preparations complete. Time to make my move.

“Great kinsmen of Jar’we the Unifier, allow me to suggest a solution which I swear by all the gods will satisfy all three parties equally and fully. Zephyr, if you would.” I motioned to my partner, and he led his auroch to the herd of the three brothers’ animals, as I had instructed beforehand.

“Allow me to make a gift of this animal to you, for the sake of solving this unfortunate quarrel with any needless bloodshed.” I hastily motioned Zephyr to silence behind my back, worried that he might protest. Upon turning to look upon him, however, I could see that he stood steadfast and willing to place the fate of his auroch - likely the only thing he had left other than the clothes on his back and the useless pile of ruined fabric in his tent - entirely in my hands.

Fools never learn, do they?

The gift obviously pleased the brothers, however.

“Speak on, stranger,” Zoar gestured expansively. “You speak words of wisdom. Perhaps you are a descendant of Jar’we yourself.”

Not a chance, you great, lumbering fool. Taking a deep, steadying breath to keep my contempt in check, I nodded my thanks to Zoar, and resumed my prepared speech.

“As you can see, most worthy warriors, you now have 36 aurochs in your herd. Zoar, you were to receive half of 35, which would have been 17 heads and one half. Instead, please accept half of 36, which is 18. Do you swear by the gods to take this as your part in the will, and no more?”

Zoar promptly nodded his agreement, likely fearing I’d retract myself. The cretin. Like taking candy from a child.

I nodded to Zoar, then turned to Cassim, who was stroking his chin with all the indications that a thought might be about to dawn for the first time upon his virgin mind. Then, it was gone, replaced by the blank, dumbfounded expression indicative of his appalling intellectual capacity, which was essential for the successful completion of my plan.

“Cassim, as the second son your share was one third of 35, which would have amounted to 11 heads and part of another. Since there are now 36, you may take 12 heads. Do you swear by the gods to keep these as your part of your father’s will, and no more?”

“By the Guardians of the Dunes, I do!” shouted Cassim, likely thinking the same thing as Zoar. This was just too easy.

I turned to the final brother, who far being suspicious, instead sat beaming a great, big, expectant smile of complete trust at me. Not one to disappoint an audience, I continued.

“Jabes, your share would have been a 9th part of 35, which is 3 heads and then some. Will you accept a 9th of 36, which is 4, and swear by the gods that you will take no more?”

“I do so swear, and may Ashkari the Huntress drive her spears through my black, treacherous heart should I be fail to keep my word!”

“It is agreed then, with the gods as our witnesses. Go gather your well deserved inheritance, my friends.”

With hoots and joyful hollering, the brothers left to gather their animals, while the crowd quickly dispersed, grumbling their disappointed at the lack of sport. They’d been hoping to see some blood.

Jae’thun came up to my side and sniffed.

“You have cost the merchant a great deal to help strangers, Khazik. Cattle herders. Maybe I have misjudged you,” he drawled out, and his expression let me know what he thought of catering to the whims of cattle farmers while calling them warriors.

I simply grinned a great, toothy smile at him, and waited.

Before long, there it was, the exclamation of surprise I’d been waiting for.

“But.. how can this be..?”

“I don’t understand..”

“.. Count again.. surely..!”

I placidly strolled up to the three brothers, who wore identical faces of consternation and befuddlement, and murmured, “Is something the matter, brothers?”

Zoar squinted at me as though he knew exactly what he was supposed to say, but just couldn’t put it to words. Perhaps there was hope for this one yet. Then Jabes promptly jumped in before he could do anything.

“We finished gathering our animals together, but it’s the most damnable thing!”

“And just what might that be?” I asked casually.

“We have each taken our share of the herd, and we have counted and recounted them. Yet.. there’s two animals left with no owner.”

Of course there are, you misbegotten spawn of a goat. Learn to count, will you? 18 for Zoar, 12 for yourself, then 4 for Jabes. That’s a total of 34 aurochs. It’s the simplest bit of arithmetic. A child still suckling on his mother’s teat could have seen that from a mile off.

I clapped my hands in front of me once, as if to say, what a coincidence. “Ah, perhaps one of those is my good friend’s beast?”

I could see that indeed it was. Obviously, no one had wanted to claim the ageing beast as his own. As for the other animal..

“But wait, there’s one last beast remaining.” I lay a heavy hand on Cassin’s sweat-soaked shoulder. I’d have to wash my hands thoroughly after this. “Perhaps it is the will of the Gods. They have seen fit to reward your piousness and integrity by giving you one more auroch. May the gods stand witness that I have completed my oath to assist fairly and without thoughts of selfish gain.”

Yeah right. Well, at part of the show folks. One last meaningful pat on Cassin’s shoulder while gazing up at the skies as though I half expected a godling or two to boom his approval, then I slowly turned around and walked away.

*Ttirring*

You have completed a quest: “A Father’s Legacy”

A Father’s LegacyDifficulty: DDescription:

The three brothers Zoar, Cassim and Jabes are quarrelling over the execution of their departed father’s will. According to his well, Zoar is to receive one half, Cassim one third, and Jabes one ninth part of the herd of 35 aurochs.

Resolve this conflict peacefully before a tragedy occurs. Goals:

Give Zoar half of the herd.

Give Cassim one third of the herd.

Give Jabes one ninth of the herd.

Few things can sour a relationship faster than money. So it is with the brothers. You must find a solution that satisfies all parties equally while none are willing to compromise in the slightest.

Avoid bloodshed at all costs!Requirements:

Avoid violence!

Must adhere to the standards of local law and custom.

All brothers must be satisfied by the final arrangement.

Quest Rewards:

300 XP.

10 fame.

25 reputation with the villagers of Koma.

1 gold solari.

Special reward: New trait acquired - “Shameless manipulator “

Special reward: New trait acquired - “Devious mastermind”

Special reward: New trait acquired - “Mathematical wizard”

Increase in Zephyr’s loyalty.

Increase in Jae’thun’s loyalty.

Old manuscript.

[i]

*TIRRING!*

Congratulations! You have gained enough experience to reach level 2!.

Hell yes! Quest completion, and a level up! About damn time!

“W.. wait, my friend! Hold your steps!”

I wheeled around with the most innocent expression of genuine confusion on my face. “Yes? What is it?”

It was not easy. To be honest, this moment proved to be the most difficult part of the whole quest for me. I had to struggle mightily not to let my gloating sneer rise to the surface, pointing a mocking finger at them while holding on to my convulsing sides as I cackled madly. My fingers were twitching with the urge to just knock these three simpletons aside and take my well-deserved prize. But alas, it was not to be, so I endured.

The brothers exchanged a long look, one that bespoke the terrible pain of letting a perfectly healthy auroch slip from their hands, balanced against the debt they felt they owed me. What tipped the scales were my barbed comments regarding their piety and standing by a solemn oath made to god. Ah, the virtues of advance planning and careful preparation of the battle ground. Sometimes it allowed you ambush an enemy out of nowhere, catching them completely unawares, as was the case in this instance.

Gullible fools..

Finally reaching the inevitable decision, Zoar stepped forward. “Stranger, maybe it is the will of the gods. It only seems fair that you should receive the last auroch, as you have..”

I immediately snatched the reins of the auroch in question, without a single word.

“..Eh.. and.. Ahem, I would like you to have this ancient text handed down my family for generation after gener..”

I practically ripped the manuscript from Zoar’s paws. Mine!

“.. Ah.. well, and this gold we planned to use for our father’s memorial bier..”

I swooped in, and in an instant said gold piece had vanished into my pockets, leaving Zoar staring in confusion at his empty hand. Then, without further ado, I firmly tugged on the reins of my newly acquired auroch, and turned around to walk briskly away, gesturing for my companions to follow suit.

“...”

“...”

“...”

So long, suckers.

The brothers could only stare in consternation as I led my new auroch away. Next to me walked Jae’thun, who was still busy scratching his head and looking as though he’d just swallowed a turd.

“Though I can not argue with the results,” commented Zephyr, who was walking his own beast next to me. “I can not help but feel that there is something amiss in this whole scenario, Lord Seth.”

“You think? I just got me a free auroch worth..” I looked expectantly at Zephyr.

“Two gold solari, five silver eagles, at the very least. As much as four gold solari, perhaps.”

“5 solari,” I crowed happily. I was sure I could get that much at least, judging from the quality of my competition. I tapped the tattered book I held in my other hand. “As well as a valuable treasure. All for 10 minutes of my time, and some second rate acting.”

A book! At long last! Oh, I could cry from the joy of it, I never thought I’d be so happy to see another book in my life. The first such I had seen since my arrival upon Aeterna. Finally, I would be able to unlock the full might and latent potential of the Scholar class. I veritably shook with the excitement of unwrapping my new present from the three fat, senile santas I’d left behind.

We walked in silence for a while, then Zephyr mumbled, “I do not believe that was very nice of you, Lord Seth.”

I grinned my huge grin once more. All teeth.

Ah, the sweet taste of victory, how I have missed you.

“That,” I pointed out, in a voice so heavily dripping with smugness that it hung on the air like syrup. “is because I am not a very nice man at all, Zephyr.”

Zephyr nodded calmly back to me, sudden and deep understanding swirling in his eyes - as though he’d just witnessed something both terrible and fascinating for the very first time, and for just a moment I felt as though I had just robbed the world of something far, far more precious than the price of an auroch.

Then the moment was gone, and I went back to grinning like a wolfhound.

Damn, but I loved to win.