Chapter 6: The Merchant's Dilemma and the Registrar's Price
The afternoon sun beat down on Aethelburg, but Kaelen barely noticed the heat. His mind was alight with purpose. He had secured three new clients this morning, bringing his client count to four. Just one more, and his first mandate would be complete. He needed to find a client with a significant, immediate need for his unique service.
He decided to focus on the more established, but perhaps still wary, merchants. They dealt with larger sums, faced greater risks of theft, and were likely more open to innovative solutions if they saw a clear benefit. He bypassed the produce stalls and headed towards the textiles and rare goods section of the market, where the transactions involved higher value.
He spotted a bustling stall overflowing with exotic silks and finely embroidered tapestries. The merchant, a plump woman with sharp, intelligent eyes and an exasperated expression, was currently in a heated argument with a burly, impatient-looking guard from what appeared to be a noble house.
"I tell you, my lord's payment for these fabrics was in gold, five full coins! Not four and three silvers!" the guard boomed, his hand on his sword hilt.
"And I tell you, you gave me four gold and eight silver!" the merchantess retorted, her face flushed. "Do you think I cannot count? The last time you paid, two days ago, it was five gold! Now you wish to shortchange me?"
Kaelen recognized the classic dilemma: a dispute over payment, likely due to a miscount or a subtle attempt at fraud. Physical coin was messy, prone to error, and a constant source of contention. This was his perfect opening.
He stepped forward, projecting an air of calm authority. "Pardon my intrusion," Kaelen said, his voice cutting through the escalating argument. "But perhaps I can offer a solution to this... arithmetic challenge."
Both the merchantess and the guard turned to him, their expressions ranging from annoyance to utter disbelief at his youthful audacity.
"And who in the blazes are you, boy?" the guard snarled, clearly unamused. "Meddle not in matters of coin, lest you find yourself with fewer fingers."
"My name is Kaelen," he replied, unfazed. "And I specialize in ensuring the precise and secure transfer of coin. I possess a method that eliminates miscounts, prevents discrepancies, and offers an irrefutable record of every transaction." He met the guard's gaze, his red and amber eyes unwavering.
"If you both have your respective payments, I can verify the exact amount paid from the Lord to the merchantess, and deposit it into her secure ledger, accessible only by her, at a fraction of the cost of such disputes."
The merchantess, while still wary, seemed to grasp the implication. "An irrefutable record?" she asked, her sharp eyes assessing him. "How is this possible, lad? Are you a scribe of the King's Treasury?"
"No," Kaelen said with a slight shake of his head. "I am something far more advanced. I offer a service of perfect accuracy. Allow me to demonstrate. Each of you, present the amount you believe was transferred. I will verify it instantly and demonstrate its security."
The guard, seeing an opportunity to prove himself right, sneered. "Fine. My lord sent five gold coins. No more, no less." He pulled a heavy leather pouch from his belt and carefully counted out five shimmering gold coins onto the merchantess's counter.
The merchantess scoffed. "And I received four gold and eight silver!" She produced her own pouch and counted out four gold coins and eight silver coins.
Kaelen watched, his mind already calculating. This was a significant sum. He held out his hand. "May I?"
Hesitantly, the guard pushed his five gold coins towards Kaelen. The merchantess, after a moment's internal debate, pushed her four gold and eight silver.
Kaelen scooped up the guard's five gold coins first. "System, Deposit 5 Gold from Lord's Guard." The coins vanished. Then he took the merchantess's four gold and eight silver. "System, Deposit 4 Gold, 8 Silver from Merchantess."
These also vanished.
The blue interface flickered, showing the two separate deposits, along with his own mental note of the dispute. He quickly checked the transaction log for any prior payment from this "Lord." Nothing. This confirmed that the payment was supposed to be the five gold coins just received. The merchantess was likely either mistaken or attempting to skim a little extra.
"The Lord's payment was indeed five gold coins," Kaelen stated calmly, looking at the merchantess. "However, the amount you received was indeed four gold and eight silver, as you state. The discrepancy lies in the transaction itself, not necessarily in your counting. There was a shortage."
He then turned to the guard, his eyes firm. "Your lord sent five gold. Only four gold and eight silver reached her. You are short two silver coins."
The guard's face immediately flushed with anger, but also a hint of dawning comprehension. Someone had shorted him before he handed it over, or he had dropped the two silvers. His job was to deliver, not necessarily to know the exact breakdown of coins beforehand.
"Prove it, boy!" the guard demanded.
"Proof is in the ledger," Kaelen said. "And in the immediate verification." He turned to the merchantess. "Madam, if you wish, I can return to you exactly the amount you received, or I can hold the full five gold from the Lord's account, and you can withdraw from it as needed."
The merchantess, seeing Kaelen's unflappable demeanor and the visible proof of the disappearing and reappearing coins, made a quick calculation. A system that could track exact amounts, even when she might have miscounted? Invaluable. And it had just revealed someone had tried to cheat her out of two silver.
"Deposit the full five gold into my name!" she declared, looking at Kaelen with new respect. "And I'll deal with this thieving cur myself later." She then looked at Kaelen. "And how much for this… service?"
"A small fraction of the transaction, Madam," Kaelen said, his smile genuine. "Or, for your first service, simply the opportunity to prove my system's worth." He knew the system took a 0.1% fee, but the completion of this mandate was far more valuable.
The merchantess, whose name was Lena, eyed him. "Very well, Kaelen. Consider me impressed. And I do have other coins I need secured. Perhaps we can speak more later."
[Mandate 1/5: Establish Client Base] Progress: 5/5 clients secured. [MANDATE COMPLETE!]
Another brilliant flash, unseen by Lena or the guard.
[MANDATE 1/5 COMPLETE!] Reward: 10 Silver Coins, 0.5% increase to [Credit Limit] growth rate.
Current Balance: 2 G, 48 S, 91.8 C (from Lena's deposit, plus Mandate rewards)
A deep, primal hum of satisfaction resonated through Kaelen. Five clients! He had built a small, nascent client base. The credit limit increase was an intangible but crucial long-term boon, signifying his growing financial potential. He quickly transferred Lena's 5 gold to her personal system account, explaining the access process in simple terms.
He deftly extricated himself from the now-heated argument between Lena and the guard, leaving them to their renewed bickering. His task here was done.
Now, for the bank location.
Kaelen immediately made his way to the City Registrar's Office. It was a less imposing building than the Guildhall, but still solid, built of sturdy grey stone, nestled between the city watch barracks and a quiet scribe's shop. The air inside was cool, filled with the scent of aged paper and beeswax.
A thin, bespectacled man with a perpetually tired expression sat behind a high desk, meticulously scratching away with a quill. He looked up as Kaelen entered, his gaze scanning Kaelen's youthful appearance.
"State your business, boy," the registrar said, his voice dry as old parchment. "This is the City Registrar's, not a playground."
"My name is Kaelen," he began, adopting his mature, no-nonsense tone. "I am here to inquire about the acquisition of property within Aethelburg. Specifically, the unoccupied two-story stone building on the corner of Eldrin Way and Silverleaf Lane."
The registrar paused, his quill hovering over the page. His eyes, though still tired, sharpened with a flicker of interest. "That old place? Been empty for a decade. Belonging to the Farrow family, fell into disrepair after the last one died without heirs. The city took it on a few years back for unpaid taxes and maintenance fines." He dipped his quill again. "It's… available for purchase. For the right price."
"And what would that price be?" Kaelen asked, trying to keep his voice even, despite the eagerness thrumming within him.
The registrar leaned back, a slight, knowing smirk on his lips. "Well, for such a prime location, a solid structure, and a good amount of space, the city requires a fair sum. We're asking… twenty-five gold coins."
Kaelen felt a momentary jolt. Twenty-five gold. He currently had just over two gold in his System balance. It was a substantial amount, far more than he could earn in a few days of odd jobs. This wasn't a purchase; it was an investment. It would require significant capital, or a very strategic loan.
"Twenty-five gold," Kaelen repeated slowly, letting the number sink in. "Is that negotiable?"
The registrar snorted. "The city doesn't haggle, boy. The price is the price. Unless you have substantial backing or a royal decree, that's what it is. And you'd need another five gold upfront for registration fees and initial permits for any... improvements."
Thirty gold coins total for the initial outlay. It was a daunting sum. But Kaelen's half-dragon blood, rather than recoiling from the challenge, pulsed with exhilaration.
This was the scale he was meant to operate on. This wasn't just acquiring a building; it was claiming a stake, making a statement.
"And how does one go about acquiring such a property?" Kaelen asked, already shifting into negotiation mode. He needed to understand the process, the timeline, and the legalities.
The registrar sighed, sensing this wasn't just a curious boy. "You present a formal offer, with proof of funds or a letter of intent from a reputable backer. Then there's the review process by the City Council. It can take weeks. Sometimes months. And a deposit is required upon formal acceptance of the offer."
Kaelen nodded, absorbing every detail.
Weeks, months. He didn't have that kind of time if he was going to take care of his mother quickly. And he certainly didn't have thirty gold coins just lying around. Not yet.
"Thank you for your time, Registrar," Kaelen said, a thoughtful expression on his face. He knew the challenge ahead. He needed to accelerate his wealth accumulation. He needed to prove his System's worth to those who held real capital in Aethelburg.
He walked out of the Registrar's Office, the image of the old stone building vivid in his mind. Twenty-five gold. A monumental sum. But not impossible. He had completed his first mandate, and the taste of success was invigorating. He now had a clearer target, a concrete goal. The King of Banking needed a castle, and he had just found its foundation.
Now, he just had to earn enough to buy it.
This chapter successfully secures the final client for Kaelen, completing his first mandate and granting him a small but significant reward. It then moves into his inquiry about the bank building, revealing its substantial cost and the bureaucratic process involved, setting up a major financial challenge for him.
What would you like Kaelen to prioritize next?