(Honey’s POV)

Hmm if I can get him to sell his furs 2 coppers cheaper I can sell them over there for a 1 copper profit every 4 furs. Not the best but there is a literal mountain of furs to sell from the small stall the male elf has set up once again this morning and the bald dwarf salesman did say he was willing to buy furs at a set price.

Of course little is stopping me going out and hunting for them myself, except no knowledge of what is outside, but the swamp we went through was a hell of level 15-20 monsters and quicksand and just general things that tried to kill us the whole way through. I don’t suspect whatever else is outside to treat me nicer.

And since I need money because in a civilization one always requires currency, the least dangerous way would be to trade.

Though I am close to broke and know little about the market.

Spending the first day just watching the stalls being set up and actively talking about buying and selling from all the merchants I could, I’ve gathered a decent amount of information: firstly without bartering I’m not going to make much of a profit if any, and secondly I can’t just buy from one and sell to the other: I saw one of the fish-beastladies, Nerispi I believe try that and getting succintely reprimanded by the stall owners.

I guess they have their own code of conduct.

So the most logical solution to my slowly growing financial crisis (since I’m actually In debt to the Adventurer’s guild already) would be to go out hunting…or get an accomplice.

“Morning Honey, what are you doing up so early, staring at these poor hard working people” the lighthearted voice of Joat pierces the morning crowd’s buzzing and I turn to see him coming up from the eastern gate, hair slightly damp.

“Good morning to you, I didn’t expect you to be on today”

“Ah, I’m readjusting my schedule, so I should only be offline when it’s night, you know can’t be missing out on all these skills”

“Very true” Right, I can definitely use him. “I’m just browsing at the stalls, thinking about buying something”

“Ooh, what can it be, some honey?”

The irony of that statement isn’t lost on me. “I don’t know yet, whatever takes my fancy I guess”

Say goodbye to me, I need to talk to you here, undisturbed

“Ah, well good luck on your endeavours, I’ve got something else to do, probably drying my hair should be aaaacho good start”

Nodding goodbye, I watch him disappear into the Adventurer’s guild.

Ok so what do you want from me? He messages back to me rather quickly

I’m planning on buying and selling within the market, but while I’m buying I need you to sell.

This doesn’t exactly seem legal.

Well there isn’t anything illegal about it, just rather frowned upon I guess. But I’m just taking advantage of the market here…you need some money too I guess?

…if I gave you a gold, how much money could you make?

A gold huh? I swear Joat hasn’t made any money with me so where did he suddenly come up with so much money? I guess since I’m doing something rather societally distasteful I won’t question it that much.

I’d be able to make at least 35 silvers profit, but could bump it up due to buying in bulk

Hmm, what’s the most gold you could use and how much profit could you make out of it?

How much gold has he got? I really should ask where the money is coming from…but then again as long as he didn’t kill or rob anyone for it that should be fine. Though I’d prefer it being clean…

Ok so thinking about it, I could spend about 5 gold on the fur stalls, another 12 on ores and in all honesty there isn’t much else I could spend it on that wouldn’t be too obvious or something perishable.

Or I just spend it all on furs…

I could use about 17 gold if you had it

Cool, tell me what to buy, what price is the maximum I can buy it for and where to get it

He seriously has that much gold? That’s slightly insane.

Go to the elf with the furs, 14th down on the right hand side, buy all his furs and haggle with him, to the point where he’ll sell it at most full price WITH his cart for free.

His cart’s the important thing?

Yep, if we can get his cart he won’t be able to transport shipments wherever he gets them from, so if he doesn’t have his cart his business will essentially go bust.

But we’re talking about multiple days ahead right?

Not exactly. Just go do your part and take the cart to the artisan district, oh and call someone strong looking to help once your there.

Right, will do.

While I stand peering at the potato-looking vegetables, I keep the corner of my eye on Joat as he exits and makes his way towards the nearby fur stand.

“Hello there good sir, I’ve come to buy some furs” Joat goes straight into it without any sort of tact.

“Oh perfect, I’ve got rabbits, wolves, something more bristly like a boars fur perhaps?”

“Hmm. I’d like them all” I think I might regret asking Joat to do this…

The elf’s face contorts in disbelief, but quickly recovers into his mercantile guise.

“Well then, it’d be…si…seven gold, 2 silver and 60 copper”

“How many pieces are there and how much do they each cost?” Ok so he’s not a complete idiot.

“612 rabbit furs each at 5 coppers, 452 wolf furs each at 50 coppers and 223 boar furs at 2 silvers each”

Hmm, he buys rabbit furst a 4 coppers, wolf at 30 and boar at a measly silver usually…

so for us to turn a profit, we’d need to buy the rabbits at 3 coppers a piece, should be easy enough. The wolf could be sold at 35-40 but then we’d need him to buy it at around 40-45. The boar would be a difficult one, unless making a market for it, where he could potentially believe he can sell it at higher than 2 silvers…it’d be hard to sell it at a profit.

Seems like I wasn’t the only one thinking deeply.

“Hmm, it’d be great to buy it all but how do I transport it?” Joat almost talks to himself…almost.

“Ah don’t worry, I can give you my cart, for a gold of course”

“You’re already turning a pretty profit from all these furs”

The elf spends a moment thinking “I’ll give it for 50 silvers” It shouldn’t be that expensive to buy a new cart then, hmm maybe I should’ve spent longer thinking about this.

Just buy it

The two of them finish their transaction and then Joat heads off into the distance.

Good job, now I want you to give it to whomever is there and also, call everyone you can and get them to the central plaza. Tell them to be talking about leatherworking and looking for furs, have them ponder over the prices for a bit. Quickly!

Setting my plan ahead in motion, I hope Joat can convince a large number of people to come, or I would’ve just had Joat waste almost 8 gold.

*Shiver*

That’s a lot of money.

Walking casually over to the other, Dwarf fur merchant who is closeby but not in sight of the Elf fur merchant’s stall, I lean on the wooden counter towards him.

“Psst, want to buy a rumour”

Everyone, get to the main plaza, find the dwarf fur merchant (2nd on the left side) and ask about furs. Buy some rabbit furs and head over to the elf fur merchant (14th on the right side) and talk about the fantastic prices of let’s say 50 coppers (or something absolutely exhorbitant but still quite realistic) per fur. I’m paying everyone 1 silver for their efforts if you come plus expenses but don’t spend more than a silver unless I’ve given you the go.

I send that over to Joat who transfers it word by word to the whole group. Many ask about it, but Joat replies with a business-like silence.

“Who the ‘ell are you? I don’t want to nitpicky rumours” He scowls at me, obviously not remembering me from yesterday it seems.

“Alright, just so you get to trust me, first one’s free. I heard a lot of leatherworkers came with the new people…and when I say a lot, I mean dozens, and they’re going to want to need some furs and a lot of it at that” Seeing his rather interested glare deep within his scowl I continue on “What I’m trying to say is, raise your prices because the demand is going to be high.

“I’ve got a competitor over yonder, if I raise my prices they’ll just buy from him”

“Well” I place an open palm on the counter “I saw someone bought out all his furs, and his cart too just a short while back…so you’re the only one with furs right now”

His scowl lessens into a look of shock, then greed, before he places 2 silvers on my palm and thanks me.

As if dissatisfied with his goods, I leave and walk away from the dwarf, only circling back out of sight from the elf fur merchant.

“Who’s selling furs?”

“I really need some furs right now”

“Man I wish someone was selling furs at a good price here”

“Oh I heard the dwarf over there is selling boar fur at only 5 silver”

Wow the aspect of 1 silver really did some people in. already hearing the buzzing for furs, I quickly make my way over to the elf’s stall.

“Hey where’s all your furs gone?”

“Ah, I sold it…all of it”

“Man the dwarf over there’s selling his boars for 8 silvers I mean I’d buy it, but if there was just something cheaper to buy” Someone perfectly comes in and delivers some beautiful lines.

Seriously 1 silver is quite a lot but with the massive amount of buzz behind me, it really shows just how broke everyone is.

“Damn sounds like your competitor’s getting quite a lot of cash out of this. I would totally start up my own store and sell all my furs…but I don’t have a license yet”

“You’ve got furs?” He verbally jumps on my words, his merchant’s greed encompassing his eyes.

“Quite a few, around 1000, maybe more now. I have a large amount of members hunting furs since selling is quite luxurious”

The merchant nods knowingly and impatiently “Of course, I’ll buy them at 7 coppers a rabbit fur….40 for wolf and 1 silver 20 coppers for boar”

“50 coppers for a rabbit fur is a pretty good price right?”

“You still got one when it was at 50? Mine was 52, seems like the less there is the more expensive they’ll get, but still a good price”

The elf was almost drooling at the mouth and I stay silent for a little longer, watching the two pink-rabbit-beastladies known and Pinky Juniour and Seniour both carry a few wolf pelts talking about the great price of just 3 silvers a piece. Following them was Bone Cracker and Charmine with a boar fur (obviously carried by Bone Cracker) talking loudly about 10 silvers a boar fur being slightly high but still manageable.

I mean they’re going slightly over the top but seriously this elf is buying it. Probably the fantasies of profits is making him go slightly illogical in his thinking.

“Give me 25 coppers for each rabbit, 1 silver 50 coppers per wolf and 5 silvers per boar. That should still give you a 50% profit…if not more”

“Done, give me all of it within the next 10 minutes”

“Say 15 and we can do it and how much money do you have?”

“About 50 gold, but after this…” he gives a wide, hungry grin as he fantasises about the profits.

Joat, have someone buy all the fur from the dwarf, cart if they can, don’t bother about bartering.

Really I’ve heared the dwarf is selling rabbit at 8 coppers a piece now, and boars at almost 3 silvers.

Immediately

I could not stress how amazing the price difference is right now.

After around 10 minutes of tapping my finger on the counter beside an ever stress growing elf merchant who sees people talking about the prices, ever so slightly rising, finally from a small distance, I spot Thrash walking towards me, pulling a cart full of furs, the mound slightly larger than before…oh maybe people are putting their furs back?

Checking the full village group messages, I indeed see that Joat told them to put all the furs on the cart surreptisiously.

Thrash gives me a nod and I began my transaction.

933 rabbit furs, 721 wolf furs and 460 boar furs.

The elf merchant, although slightly balking at the buying price was almost orgasming at the thought of selling at 5 times the usual price, after being multiply reinforced with the dozens of people all continually stating their happiness at the prices of fur.

In total, it was all sold for, including carts for a nice round 37 gold, and seeing as though we bought all of it for 17 gold, 4 silvers and 48 coppers…that’s over 100% profit…wow.

Though when seeing as though basically all 100 people helped out, at least 1 gold went away, plus any extras for actually buying furs and since people were acutally really helpful I had Joat give them all 3 silvers. All in all, with a quick calculation from what I’ve seen, we still made around 17 gold profit, if not just slightly over.

All the while this large transaction of furs was happening I had everyone leave as if going hunting and satisfied with their furs, going unnoticed by the greedy elf merchant, who was busy salivating at the thought of sales.

Thanking him, I quickly depart, not waiting to see the utter terror at his exhorbitant spending.

Entering the Adventurer’s guild, I see the usual milling about of people, all greeting Joat, money changing inventories, invisible to both Npc and Player alike.

Heading over to him, he gives me a hello and I responds with 5 gold. Taking 12 for myself…as I’m guessing is my right. We hadn’t expressed cuts beforehand, but a 7/3 seemed about right, for all the planning and effort I had gone through and his foreground work.

I believed he’d be cheeky and try get more but seems like he was happy enough with something else and after accepting the trade and feeling the lightened chink of gold in my pockets, I turned to continue my day.

*Ding*

Congratulations! Through buying and selling goods in large quantities you have gained the title Merchant

For buying goods at a low price and selling them for a higher price to the same person your title has been altered to the exquisite title Swindler

For selling at a profit over 100% without showing your true nature and still being unblamed for actions your title has become the Rare Title Master Swindler

RARE TITLE: Master Swindler

You have swindled someone, giving them back something they already had, at a massive loss to them and an equally massive gain to yourself, even against the rules of trade that were in place. But unlike normal swindlers, you are unknown, hidden in plain sight as an ally when you are the culprit.

This title gives in-game bonuses

For gaining this title your Communication and Eloquency stats will increase by 10. Your Darkness Stat will also increase by 1

If these stats are unused the additional points will be added once the stat is active.

This title also increases trade skills effectiveness by 10%

If you are ever caught swindling you will lose this rare title, and possible even gain demerits for being caught

Xp increases by 100%

…

..

.

Well the system did recognise my swindling then. Fair enough, the bonuses are good too…plus gaining Communication and Eloquency stats is rather amazing too.

Joat what did you get?

Swindler title, as well as the accomplice title and the bartering skill. I quite liked that.

Seeing that I’ve got a few more notifications. I acutally sit down to begin reading through what else this endeavour has given me.

Congratulations, through commercial transactions you have learnt the skill: Bartering

SKILL: Bartering, Beginner [Lvl1] (passive), {Trade-based skill}

1 point of positive change to person’s attitude when bartering with them

Master Swindler Title: +10%

Cost: n/a, Duration: n/a, Cooldown: n/a

Xp increases by 5%

…

..

.

So with all the new benefits I’ve just gained…+1.5 to someone’s attitude change to someone’s attitude which at the moment is basically nothing…but if I grow the skill it could make quite a big change…

Also I’ve finally come across the notifications about my new stats:

Congratulations. Through repeatedly talking and convincing people to give up information you have discovered a new stat

STAT: Communication

Points in communication will affect your communication related skills

xp increases by 10%

Congratulations. Through persuading someone to do something to their own loss and your gain through speech you have discovered a new stat

STAT: Eloquency

Points in eloquency will affect your eloquency related skills and speech related abilities

xp increases by 10%

So that is rather interesting since I would have though eloquency and communication are the same thing but the speech related abilities is what gets me. What could that be, singing? Maybe bartering would count as a speech related ability.

But then it would be a speech related skill…

The ever growing system is slowly starting to do my head in but hopefully I’ll understand it soon as it seems to be almost teaching us as we continue to gain new things.

Moving back into the street, feeling rather happy about myself, I do notice the wails of the poor elf fur merchant. Well he didn’t deserve it but there wasn’t really a better way to get a good amount of money within the week…

Swerving far past him, I make my way into the Artisans district and towards a large gilded building with almost golden wood door frames and a sign with a painted glittering moneybag swining side to side with the light breeze.

The Merchants guild.

Using my Adventurers armband to get me in, I go up to the front desk, a young beautiful blonde human woman with business kept hair and more than a lot of cleavage.

“Hello sir what may we do for you?” Her voice is light and serene, almost inticing even. These merchants really are shrewd getting such a beauty to claw people in.

“I’d like to become a merchant”

“Ah, well for a license go down the hall to the left, 3rd door on the right” I gracefully let her finish her sentence.

“Sorry you misunderstand, I wish to become a merchant so that I may travel with companions, buying and selling the many goods of our travels at a fair price, or at a better price than normal”

She smiles slightly “An uncommon request these days as travelling merchants spend too much on too unstable mercenaries for protection. But if that is your wish, second floor, all the way down the right corridor, then left, then down the sta…you know what I’ll take you there myself, it’ll be less of you walking about” She gives me a genuine smile as she stands up, gesturing for me to follow her voluptuous body in a tight-fitting, knee-high dress.

Heading up to the second floor we begin going down the right corridor.

“So your travelling companions are they trustworthy?” She blunders slightly at my questioning look “I’m sorry I meant are you sure they will take you on your journeys and not leave you behind in town as happens often for travelling merchants”

“I am not sure but I’m not one for killing so I’d like to make my role something valuable for everyone nonetheless. Plus it’s a good excuse to travel the world, no?”

“You aren’t wrong” She goes silent after that, leaving me to glance at people working on shipments and logistics in the massive underground warehouse space that is visible all from the open bridge that is the second floor. It seems many of the offices are solitary boxes held up by the ceiling and attached to an open bridge, quite a nice view I must say.

After going down a flight of stairs and a zig zagging corridor we finally reached an old looking corridor, barely used and not as well kempt as the rest of the building.

“This is the World Merchant Corporation, better known as WMC, Branch Manager’s office. He’ll explain all the details” She begins to turn around, going back to her desk most likely.

“Thank you madam” I call out to her before turning towards the dusty wooden door at the end of the short corridor.

Walking up to it and giving it a quick knock, it’s almost instantly opened by a small blue-haired fellow with a slight twitch in his hands.

“Hello there sir come in come in. I am Marcantus, branch manager of the World Merchant Corporation and who may you be?” His voice is high-pitched and excitable as if it’s his first time seeing someone in a long time.

“I am known as Honey”

“Ah a delicacy, meeting you and the name. it’s great, perfect for a merchant. Anywhooo, so why are you so far into the Merchant’s guild. Did you get lost perhaps?”

“No actually, I am looking to becoming a travelling merchant, since I-”

“Perfect, let’s get you started” Cutting me off with an enthusiastic clap he jumps back to his desk taking out multiple forms, mumbling rapidly to himself. “Right you’ve got a WindWhistler’s armband but due to this being a world based organisation there is a required fee, minus the Dekin nation’s cost but we can get to fees later. First off what goods will you be transporting?” He motions for me to sit down in a rather impeccable wooden chair, cushioned even, on the other side of his desk.

Taking a quick peek around the room as I think about what I’m going to be transporting, I notice it’s overly clean nature, an eternal contrast to the outside. The contents of the room are quite numerous, from a cabinet of scrolls on the left to a wall full of commendations, and other written manuscripts of sorts paned and hung.

“I will be transporting people”

“Ah…well within the Dekin nation that won’t be possible, but if you were to travel to the Karraïïün Conclave then it’s their main source of trade. But sadly we’re not over there so if that’s your business then-”

“Sorry that answer was mere curiousity, acutally my goods will be ambiguous, from livestock, to furs to consumables, ores, weapons, armour, magical items, in short anything that I come across from one town to the next”

“Ah a merchant of all, it has been a while and rather uncommon since it’s easiest to stay to a single trade since there is only one type of market to look at and analyse at each city so having all the markets would be rather difficult you could say. But anywhooo I can completely and utterly give you a merchant’s badge and license to sell goods to the general public within the Dekin nation for free but for other nations you will need to pay. Would you like a license for other nations?”

“No thank y-”

“Simple, right we’ll start off with some basic rules, guidelines but I’m not really bothered about that. Read this and read it well because if you mess up on it we’ll be the one to blame and the corporation doesn’t like that. The more important thing is your merchant badge. It works the same as an Adventurer’s card, starting with the stone level and moving up as your reputation as a merchant grows. The badge itself gives slight discounts and slightly better selling rates, so get selling. Right apart from that there isn’t anything else! We’re a no nonsense type people who get in, do stuff and get out” He gestures for my hand, which I give and he cuts letting blood drip onto the badge. Taking the badge away and heading towards the room exit, he asks me to sign in the forms before disappearing.

The forms were the same as the adventurer’s guild; next of kin, basic details and a risk assessment. After signing them, the instant I put down my pen Marcantus bursts in hurriedly.

“Now that you’re a merchant, welcome to the guild and good luck” handing me a thick tome produced from his desk, he quickly walks me to the door and shuts it lightly with a smile on his face.

Well that was…quick.

I guess instead of learning all about the rules by asking questions this manual should help answer everything. And by the size of it, I imagine there’s quite a few more questions than I’m thinking of that need answering.

*Ding*

Congratulations you have earned a class! Your class slot is now filled

Due to your Rare Title Master Swindler, your title has merged with your class.

Your class has been altered into a Rare Variant

RARE VARIANT CLASS: Master SwindlerMerchant

A Master Swindler Merchant is one who’s means of earning money are less than savourable but unnoticed by the people. Truly what one would call a real merchant.

Master Swindler Merchants can have their goods appraised to 1 ranks above what they are naturally.

All non-trade related skills or proficiencies cannot be improved beyond beginner rank.

All trade related skills, abilities or proficiencies can only be improved to Master rank

All combat-related skills have a 100% penalty

Class Bonuses:

+10 to Int

+5 to Darkness

+25 to Communcation

+25 to Eloquency

+10% bonus to trade-related Skills, Abilities and Proficiencies

Have learnt Appraisal

Have learnt Glamorise

Bartering has increased to Intermediate rank

Bag space is tripled to 297 slots

Class Penalties:

Cannot learn magic

Cannot learn non-trade related abilities

Due to becoming this Class, Merchant class has been unlocked

This Class is permanent unless another Class is chosen upon character creation.

So titles can affect the class we have creating variants…interesting. So in essence titles are our quantifiable personalities and thus make a difference on our role, well class. That is acutally rather interesting. Overall the class is fantastic, with more bag slots, lots of stat upgrades (although I lost the ones from the Master Swindler title, so in essence a little less than it looks) and a few new skills.

Though losing pretty much all my combat ability is pretty scary. And that abilities thing again…so I must assume it means I can’t actually fight beyond punching and developing my stats as a means of combat. But I did decide I didn’t want to fight so I hope there’s someone to fight for me in the near future.

Anyways let us look at these new skills of mine.

SKILL: Appraisal, Beginner [lv1], (active)

Appraisal is the skill to determine the value of something by inspection:

Gives a rough estimate of value, within 2 ranks

Master Swinder Merchant bonus: +10% less ambiguity

Cost: None, Duration: 3-10 minutes, Cooldown: None

RARE SKILL: Glamorise, Beginner [lv1], (active)

Glamorise is a Rare skill to make something seem better than it is:

Increases the value of an object by up to 1/10th of a rank

Master Swinder Merchant bonus: +10% increase in value

Cost: 1 copper, Duration: until re-inspection of targeted object, Cooldown: None

Hmm interesting skills, Appraisal obviously being necessary so as to give a more accurate value of objects, especially when dealing with people who will be like me. And the Glamorise, very nice although I don’t know how it will use a copper.

Well I guess since I’ve got a good portion of the day, as it is barely a little past the morning, I think it is time to try out being a Master Swindling Merchant.