Vol. 2 – Chapter 65 - The Fatty Merchant

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On another alley, Mathias made his appearance with his body fully covered in black feathers, with a small change in his face being frowned as if he suffered a bit. Those feathers dropped down, revealing his still unchanged clothes, but he touched his legs with his face frowned, gritting his teeth from the pain he was starting to suffer.

{This is what you get for trying to combine Phantom Step with that Raven Movement. You didn't even learn Phantom Step to actually attempt to modify it. Little Mathias, you are only a little pup, why rush yourself? Do you want to leap over the experience of an old wolf so fastly?}

'Sigh, this was another failure. It will be fine after some minutes. Plenty of time for me to change my clothes.'

Shifting back on his old clothes, and chaperone covering his entire crimson-hair, not allowing anyone a glance of his hair, he continued after waiting for his pain to leasen, having the Grand Market in mind.

This new alley he stepped inside to make his escape in an epic fashion, was a place he rarely frequented, it was a more recused zone, that was close to the Grand Market, quite silent in itself.

It was expected since it was winter, but compared to the other streets of the district, this alley was thoroughly cleaned up, allowing for another layer of snow to build up, which made him wonder who was the person living in this alley to be so diligent in cleaning up the snow.

While he was walking forward, not finding anything strange with this place, just a neighborhood that put extra work on the cleanliness of their street, yet inside a slightly larger house of this street, underneath the ground a group of people were having a conversation that seemed frosty.

This room was lit by the candles, and looked more like a cellar from all surrounding view, where in the middle of a cellar room, at a table sat a group of 6 people with one specific guy at the head of the table.

He had short black hair with a pair of glasses that gave him a scholarly appearance, but the scar on his neck gave him away being a souvenir a scholar would never survive to receive. It couldn't be said if he was tall or small as he was seated on his chair, but he was at the same level as the other 5 at the table.

His clothes were something a rich person would wear in a medieval age which made him stand out from the group but not by a lot as even the five guys around him had decent clothes.

"I want the reports for yesterday's operations." ordered the scholarly man in a casual way, with his tone sounding slightly detached.

"Boss Clark, first I would like to mention that because of the harsh winter our slavers have put a pause to their operations. I've put my men to find alternatives and keep the slave trade available even at this times." responded one of the five guys as he stood up being of an average height.

"I see sent a letter to the orcs in the North to begin their raiding on Gelder and Dehakel Duchies. They had it easy for the whole year, while this one pocket has started drying up. Next report, the gambling den."

"Boss, similar to the slave trade, because of the harsh winter we couldn't open the dens. Most nobles are uneasy with the current situation of the winter and they keep to their money like how the plague is to death."

"Next, tell me about the other syndicates, are the Black Spades once again barking, wishing to enter the gambling business?"

"This one I can respond to, boss. That rat Irenaeus has stopped annoying us, sending his ants to disturb our dens, but from what the whores in the prostitution district of the Pink Widow told that he bought a mansion in the Inner City that he plans to remodel after our gambling den."

"... We'll see about that. I worked hard for the monopoly of the gambling industry."

"Next on the order of today's reports. The outlanders." when Clark mentioned "outlanders" there was some annoyance in his tone, but nonetheless, since the apparition of the players, his Underground business took a harsh hit in profits from the "over-glorified heroism" of the players wanting to put an end to him and his Syndicate.

When he asked that, the 5 guys in the room all turned quiet as if someone caught their tongues and used their knives to pin it on a chopping block. It took some minutes for someone that looked the youngest in the group to raise up, and bow respectfully to Clark.

"Brother Clark, I think we settled the problem of the outlanders, from what information my rats managed to get from the ones we captured, and after organizing all the information. Those people only care about fighting monsters and doing something they call quests, which in a sense is them adventuring like the Adventurers Guild."

"Since I told my rats to not act so bossy around, and having to kill some of the incompetent idiots who questioned me, things turned normal as you could have noticed."

"Noted down, sit down Fylo, I know I could leave that annoyance to you." mentioned Clark in a calm voice, and as he was prepared to wrap things up and end this meeting of the Syndicate, a henchman of the Syndicate entered the meeting room in the dark room, and trembling when everyone placed their gaze on him, he said.

"Master, one team has disappeared. Some of the small rats said it was the outlanders, but when they tried to get closer, they got scared shitless, and couldn't see properly who."

"Fylo?"

"Brother, as I said, we had a calm for four months, there's no reason that our approach is wrong. It must be some crazy outlanders who simply don't get this silent rule."

"Damned immortal zombies." mentioned Clark in a cold voice, looking sharply at the simple henchman, telling him to piss off.

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On another hand, Mathias reached the Grand Market without any incidents, and once there he began searching for the girls without asking Fayrene where she was situated, and it took some minutes for him to strike luck, and find them looking at a stall that held some utilities equipment.

"Boo."

Making that sound behind their backs, trying to spook them, it failed as Jeanne turned her body and almost slapped him for trying to pull something on them. However, once she saw Mathias, she stopped as if she was a car breaking from a fast speed impact.

"You arrived faster than we expected."

"Do you girls want to spend more time alone? I can take a stroll around the market in the meantime."

"Stop jesting Mat, should we visit Elias and see if he would work again with us? He helped us a lot in the past, so I hope it works out well for him this time too." said Fayrene after giving him a quick kiss, turning into her professional mode, where she stopped messing around with Mathias.

Standing beside the two, Mathias took note of her proposal, and while looking at the stall in front of him that was prepared for winter, he responded to her calmly.

"Then Elias will be first, if it doesn't work out, we will look for other providers of fabrics and threads."

Jeanne had a small idea of who Mathias and Fayrene referred to from her brief conversation about the merchants after she stepped inside the Grand Market, but couldn't interfere in their decisions at all, feeling left out from this Workshop Project. Yet, Mathias noticed that her state of mind changed a bit, and wrapping his hands around her waist, he told her in a warm tone.

"Relax, you don't have to help us here at all, just watch us make a fool of ourselves while quarreling with old men."

Fayrene looked at Jeanne and told her also in a calm way, trying to ease her worries.

"Jeanne, I am sure there will be a point in time where we will need your help, but right now we are simply acquiring the necessary materials to start the Workshop. Don't feel bad that you can't take part in the discussion of tailoring."

"Actually, you can always ask us about the things you don't understand after we get to the fabric merchants." remarked Mathias, while flickering Fayrene's nose in a gentle way, as he was trying to be the balance in this relation, not leaving one side to feel rejected.

"Thanks, I will do exactly that."

Sorting out the balance, Mathias and the girls began walking side by side, with the young man at the center holding the girl's hands, where he started facing the jealousy of the men, mostly the players who still didn't have a grasp of the legal side of the Saharan Empire. Such stares embarrassed Jeanne a bit, but after getting teased by Mathias in the process, she pouted a bit and continued walking, not caring about the others.

Taking some minutes until they reached the part of the Grand Market that housed the fabric merchants, and immediately the merchants who recognized Fayrene from the past when she only arrived at Titan from Cidarian, and was negotiating to the last fragment of coins for her materials, started looking down at her.

The whispers between the merchants and their assistance, like the gossip of old women, could be heard by Mathias and the girls, and turning his face at Fayrene, the young man could see the raven-haired girl look undisturbed by such reaction from the merchants.

"You've matured." said Mathias with a small smile on his face.

"Maybe, but their gossip about me really doesn't matter at this point. At first I could say I was slightly upset for being treated as if I was some beggar, but now? Even with my own money I can buy the materials I need for my clothes without bickering too much on their stupid prices."

Jeanne who felt annoyed by the gossip about Fayrene stared at the merchants and assistance with a furious stare where her eyes shined a bit with divine light, a pressure Mathias felt, and immediately to not let her do something stupid, he tightened his grip on her right hand where he released his Red Energy inside her body.

"Calm down, Jeanne. This is how people will act when they think about themselves as superior."

"Ahhh, sorry I just didn't like how they talked about Fayrene." replied Jeanne, who felt a warm relaxing sensation wash over her body.

Passing by stalls, they finally arrived at their location, where a middle-aged merchant that was slightly fat was standing in his booth wrapped around some warm clothes, while he was giving orders to his assistants to build the platforms to keep the products out of the snow reach.

It was Elias, the merchant Mathias made a deal to supply Fayrene with fabrics for her shop, and the reaction on his face was similar as in the past, saying the exact words from the Beta Phase encounter.

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"Lad, you don't need to bother with me. I will not lower the price if you are trying to help that girl."

"Nothing to worry sir, just give me a chance to check on your goods? Can you show me the fabrics that at least pass a quality check?" asked Mathias in the same way as before, but knowing what to expect from this merchant he had his fair share of runs in the Market in order to take his orders.

"Sure, Aken, show the customer around the stall. For record, all my products are good quality fabric, brought directly from Typhon Duchy. Silk, cotton, velvet, best quality sheep wool, damask, linen, fur, leather, hemp, you got everything there, young man. Look at it how much you want." pointed the merchant to Mathias, a part of his large stall while making one of his assistance to show him around.

"I see, no problem, sir." replied Mathias calmly, moving to the stall closer and checking on the fabrics prices with a careful expression, but it was him contemplating his next steps, and after he was done looking around, he turned to Elias asking him in a calm way.

"Sir, I have a question for you. Well, more a curiosity."

"Ask away."

"How inclined would you be to supply someone with fabrics? A contract of sorts?"

"Wait, I thought you would ask me about the fabric prices and why they are expensive. Ranting about how they are unfair and other nonsense like that lady beside you mentioned in the past. This is the market price, and I have no say into this, we buy the fabrics from the one producing them, and only sell it in Titan." said Elias, surprised at the unexpected approach Mathias took him now, which made the young man wearing a chaperone smile a bit.

On another hand, Fayrene snorted a bit, not liking the scorn she received from Elias for her past behavior.

'Sorry for being naive. In the future, I will rip off all of you jerks.'

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"None of my concerns. As tailors, we only want the best materials at a fair price. You didn't respond to my question. How do you feel about it?"

"First my name is Elias. Use it, since it is annoying being called that way, it makes me feel older than I am."

Nodding while introducing himself too, later on, Elias who pondered for a bit, responded to Mathias's question.

"Obviously it would be advantageous for me if I have a long-term partner to sell my goods. But with the Tailors Guilds having a monopoly over the trade, they don't care about having a single supplier, since they can pick from anyone around here at any day any time. You are a tailor, Mathias, just like that young lady, so you should know how the Tailors Guild operates."

"Actually, Elias, I am not part of the Tailors Guild, thus their regulations don't apply to me. I don't have to respond to a Guild Master like most tailors who are part of the guild."

"I see, then let me see if I understand what you imply from that question of yours. Do you need a supplier for the cloth fabrics and materials?"

"Something like that. A partnership you might call it."

"Hah, partnership. Let me hear what your offer is and what you might require from me?"

Mathias seeing Elias give room to his talk, took out some paper from his inventory bag that contained his plan for the materials he will require in order to make his first orders, the Rebecca Church uniform for the priests and nuns, along with other parts for individual projects that he and Fayrene have cooked together.

Elias brought his pair of glasses to read carefully the content of Mathias plans, in what ensued the materials and was surprised to see the large quantity of fabric he required. It was his first time when he saw such a big order, and out of shock, he gave Mathias and later Fayrene a look, thinking in his mind.

'This girl, don't tell me he married some rich noble that wants to play with the idea of tailoring? Nevertheless, it is none of my business, but such an order is risky for me. If it is something akin to a one-time deal, this would be the best case scenario, however, for a long-term supply, I need to invest also into acquiring the fabrics he needs.'

"You want a long-term deal, correct?"

"Indeed, since I doubt it would be efficient if I would constantly be required to take myself and negotiate with each merchant for the materials I need, don't you think?"

"That is correct. Can I have a word with my assistance before I give you a response?"

"Take your time, I will continue looking at your materials. Jeanne, come let me see if you have any idea what those materials are."

At the time, Elias and his younger assistant walked at the back of their stall to discuss in a serious way, Mathias and Fayrene were teaching Jeanne about all sorts of fabrics, telling her the places one might encounter them and so on, something that surprised the Priestess. However what gave a pleasant startle to Fayrene was the fact that Mathias really developed his knowledge about the fabrics she taught him, and even learned something extra that she didn't tell him.

When Elias returned after 15 minutes of talk, he first apologized for the wait, which the couple of three had no problems about.

"It is a risky endeavor even for me, however, can I see an estimate to how much you are willing to pay?" asked the merchant, as he settled back on his chair in a spot protected from snow, kept warm by some rugs similar to how the Mongols would warm their huts.

Mathias expected such a skeptical reaction, and after he walked at the place he was sitting, he passed him another paper that was written in a splendid calligraphy with a bold title stating [Partnership Agreement].

Reading that contract, carefully, the other thing that got into his eyes was the name this young man proclaimed himself with [Mathias Arundell].

'By the gods. Could it be that he is from that Arundell Family? The most prestigious family of tailors in the Saharan Empire? Now it makes sense why he would want such a large quantity of materials, by why go to me when you could have the Tailor's Guild sort this problem for you? Are you a bastard of the family? Hah, why should I care, I got an Arundell in front of me. I need to be careful what I say now, or it will come to haunt me later on.'

Elias continued reading the contract, which had empty parts left out for him to fill in, but the last piece of the contract was the sum of money Mathias was willing to invest, a high 50.000 gold.

'This will be enough to pay all my loans and have plenty to reinvest back in fabrics.' thought the merchant, while trying to contain his excitement, only to ask a simple yet humble question.

"Lord Arundell, why would you give me this chance when there are so many merchants around Titan?"

"Because my lady told me that from all the merchants around this part of the Market, only you sold her fabrics to continue with her dream. Besides, I might like fatty people, it gives you that confidence that they are greedy enough to jump in a pit of fire with me."

"Hahaha, you give me this chance just because I helped your partner? This is so stupid from a business perspective. What if I scam you with all your money?"

*Chuckle* "It is very unlikely, go read the last part of the contract, on how we will conduct business." laughed Mathias while pointing with his finger at the last part of the contract which stated that before receiving his due pay, Elias will be required to deliver the materials placed in question.

"But what if I don't have the type of fabrics you require?"

"Ohh but you do, for this batch I need, I bet you do have the right amount. When you send me all that is on the list, I will give you the money calculated at the market price."

"Then, what about the remaining sum of money?"

"That is for later batches, or when you might need to order for me something you don't have in store. I am not that crazy to believe you will sacrifice your business just to acquire what I want using your own funds."

"Heh … Who knows."

"Anyway, what is your response seeing the amount of funds I am willing to invest?" asked for a last time Mathias, the merchant who was still reading the piece of paper, trying to convince himself for this deal.

"I am in!" agreed Elias as he hit his table with the palm, making Mathias smile in an evil way seeing the fat merchant enter this play with him.