Velbrax Market looked different in daylight, less menacing, more desperate. The neon signs that seemed sinister at night just looked cheap and flickering in the sun. The vendors who moved like shadows after dark were just tired people trying to survive in a city that ate the weak.
Rei kept his hood down this time. No point in hiding when he was about to make himself memorable anyway.
Kael Venrik's stall sat in the same position, tucked between the weapons dealer and the data broker. The merchant spotted Rei before he was halfway across the market square, those amber eyes narrowing with recognition and something that might have been respect or wariness.
Hard to tell with professional liars.
"Well, well." Kael's smile was sharp as broken glass. "The boy with quick hands returns. Come to try your luck again?"
"Came to talk business," Rei replied, stopping in front of the stall. "If you're interested in making actual money instead of just scamming scavengers."
Several nearby vendors turned their heads at that. Bold words in a market where reputation was currency.
Kael's expression didn't change, but something flickered behind his eyes. "That so? And what business would an eighteen-year-old with no reputation have to offer me?"
"Information," Rei said simply. "The kind that's worth more than whatever trinkets you're peddling here."
The merchant leaned back, adjusting one of his many rings, the nervous tell Rei had catalogued during their first encounter. "Everyone thinks they have valuable information, boy. Most of it's worthless gossip or obvious predictions."
"Try me." Rei met his gaze evenly. "Ask me something. Something you actually care about. Something that would be worth real money if the answer was accurate."
Kael studied him for a long moment, weighing risk against curiosity.
"Alright." He leaned forward, voice dropping low enough that only Rei could hear. "Merchant Hadrian, runs the textile imports through the eastern docks. Word is he's about to make a major move, but no one knows what. If you're as insightful as you're claiming, tell me: what's Hadrian planning?"
Rei's mind raced through memories of the future. Hadrian. Textile merchant. Eastern docks.
There. Four months from now, no, five. Hadrian secures an exclusive contract with Aurelia's military for uniform production. Makes a fortune. Becomes one of the city's major players practically overnight.
But to do that, he needs to invest heavily in new equipment first. Which means he's currently leveraging everything he owns to secure loans.
"He's overextending," Rei said confidently. "Taking out loans from multiple sources to upgrade his production facilities. Betting everything on landing a military contract from Aurelia within the next six months. If he gets it, he becomes untouchable. If he doesn't, he's bankrupt by year's end."
Kael's eyes widened fractionally. "How the hell"
"Is that accurate or not?"
The merchant's jaw worked silently for a moment. "My sources said he was acting strange. Spending money he didn't seem to have. But the military contract angle..." He trailed off, amber eyes sharp with new assessment. "That's not common knowledge. That's not even uncommon knowledge. That's insider information."
"So." Rei smiled slightly. "Do I have your attention now?"
Kael was quiet for several heartbeats, his merchant's mind clearly calculating probabilities and profit margins.
"You want something," he said finally. "People don't give away information like that for free. Especially not to people who embarrassed them in public."
"I want an introduction," Rei replied. "To someone who operates at a higher level than market stalls and black market components. Someone who deals in real trade, real contracts, real money."
"You want to break into merchant circles." Kael laughed, a short, sharp sound. "Boy, that world chews up and spits out people twice your age with ten times your experience."
"Then I'll learn fast or I'll fail fast. Either way, I need the introduction."
"Why should I help you?"
Rei leaned in slightly. "Because I just gave you information worth at least fifty gold. Because I can do it again, accurately, consistently. And because if I succeed in what I'm planning, having been the merchant who gave me my first real introduction will be worth considerably more than whatever you're making here."
The audacity of it hung between them.
Kael's expression cycled through disbelief, amusement, calculation, and finally, grudging interest.
"You're either brilliant or insane," he muttered.
"Can't it be both?"
That earned him a genuine laugh. "Alright. Alright, you arrogant little bastard. I'll make you a deal. You give me two more predictions, accurate ones, and I'll introduce you to someone. Not the top tier, you're nowhere near ready for that. But someone legitimate. Someone who can give you a foot in the door if you don't immediately screw it up."
"Deal," Rei said immediately.
Kael adjusted his rings again, nervous habit stronger now. "This is either going to be very profitable or very entertaining. Possibly both."
He pulled out a small notebook, flipped through pages covered in merchant's shorthand. "Second question: The mining operation in the western foothills, Iron Ridge Company. They've been struggling for two years. Most people think they're going under. Are they worth investing in or should I write them off?"
Rei's mind clicked through future memories.
Iron Ridge. Western foothills. They struggle for another year, then,
then Mira awakens. Then awakened individuals start being discovered. Then the Order realizes awakened with earth-based powers can locate ore deposits with impossible accuracy. Iron Ridge gets "recruited help" from the Order, their production quintuples within months, and they become one of the region's most valuable assets.
But I can't say that. Can't reveal I know about awakenings before they happen.
"They're going to find a new vein," Rei said carefully. "Within the next eighteen months. Richer than anything they've found before. If you invest now while they're desperate, you could buy in cheap and sell high later."
Kael's pen paused over his notebook. "New vein. You're certain?"
"As certain as I was about Hadrian."
The merchant made a note, his expression unreadable. "Last question, and this one's personal interest: There's a merchant from the Isles, Marlen Crest. He's been making moves, buying up debt, positioning himself politically. Smart money says he's going to be a major player soon. Should I try to work with him or avoid him?"
Rei's blood went cold.