by Tamryn Tamer
“It’s true,” Madam Gardenia said. “I lose about thirty percent of my shipments.”
“And I assume Lord Sebastian has a way to avoid those pitfalls,” Master Crawley said pensively. “It’s true. We lose anywhere from twenty to fifty percent of our product to bandits, pirates, or payoffs. But if this is true, why do you need to be involved with the demihumans? You could just sell your products at a reduced cost to a smaller company or purchase your own shop and undercut the prices of other companies.”
“Conflict is bad for business,” Frost said “Let’s say I import my goods and sell them to a small company that decides to undercut a member of a large company. They’re going to find out who imported those items and they’re going to respond. It’ll eventually turn into a price war which hurts all of us. If I focus on customers nobody wants, then there’s no conflict.”
“Fair enough,” Master Crawley glanced at Eldon. “Does this satisfy you Eldon? You were curious as to why he was staying in the menagerie.”
“It does,” Eldon answered.
“Assuming what you said is true, you have already invested a great deal of time and energy in what you’re planning and membership of this company was part of that plan,” Master Crawley sighed. “It’s clear why you would need a company capable of getting you the various licenses and permits you need and your connection to Lady Bloodtail makes us the obvious choice. But I have yet to be shown a reason why I should accept you. Hundreds of merchants approach us on their knees, begging for membership. We’ll sometimes grant it, but most of the time they’re not worth the effort. Much like you, they expect to join our company and use our connections to enrich themselves. What makes you any different?”
“Besides having a demihuman sponsor,” Hillard scoffed.
“Hillard,” Master Cawley shook his head in disapproval.
“I suppose this really is an interview then,” Frost said. “I know that Lady Bloodtail mentioned my connection to Zira’s royal family but also said she never gave you specifics. Am I correct in assuming that you’re interested in those connections?”
“That is correct,” Master Cawley said.
“Hm,” Frost stared up at the vaulted ceiling while trying to think of the best way to approach the topic. “I’m concerned about how you intend to use the name. If you or one of your agents were to approach this person directly, they would likely have them killed.”
“How convenient,” Hillard scoffed.
“Out with it,” Eldon snapped.
“So, it’s an ambitious noble,” a slender old man with shiny grey-hair said. Based on the names Master Cawley gave at the start, Frost figured he was Fletcher.
“Surely you don’t believe this?” Hillard said in disbelief.
“It would be out of character for Lady Bloodtail to lie for some random merchant,” Fletcher said calmly. “In all of her years with the company this is the first time she’s ever sponsored somebody. And I believe Master Cawley’s uncle, the former head of the company, would have agreed with me.”
“That shameful commoner is dead and good riddance,” Lady Cawley said. In a blink Master Cawley’s hand was flying backward as his body twisted. He smacked Lady Cawley in the mouth so hard she fell to the floor.
“That shameful commoner is my father’s brother,” Master Cawley said while looking down at Lady Cawley. “His hard work and insights built this company and provided the resources for me, my brothers, and my cousins to all purchase noble whores like yourself. That commoner purchased you as effortlessly as I purchase meat from the market. Seven-hundred thousand rel. That was your price. That is what your bloodline is worth. So, a seven-hundred thousand rel whore has no right to speak about my uncle. Am I understood?”
“Yes, my lord,” Lady Cawley said, trembling as she rose back to her feet. “May…I…take my…leave…”
“Get out of my sight,” Master Cawley said as she sprinted out of the room. He stared at the table and after several deep breaths he returned to his previous condition. “I apologize. That was inappropriate. My wife has been rather insistent that she be involved in my affairs and against my better judgment I allowed it. Where were we?”
“We were discussing Lord Sebastian’s connections,” Madam Gardenia said as the other men stared awkwardly at the table.
“Right,” Master Cawley said. “Lord Sebastian, I assure you that no connection named will be used without your knowledge. Our personal connections are just that, personal. Many of us have high-value contacts and are equally protective of them. In fact, I am relieved to know that you are protective of your contact. Our company does not document connections such as these. They are treated as rumors and if a man wished to use your contact, he would first need to ask your permission. It’s all bartering really. I simply need to know what wares you’re bringing to the market.”
“Okay,” Frost nodded. “I have several connections but I’ll name one. Will that do?”
“It would depend on the connection,” Master Cawley. “I am aware that King Leaucault has a large number of children, many of which merely leech off of the kingdom’s treasure. So, if you intended to throw out names like Morris or Quincy, we can end this now.”
“Grand Councilor Valencia Leaucault,” Frost said as the table stared at him.
“The mother of Isabelle Leaucault, the likely heir to the throne of Zira?” Fletcher said in disbelief. “It would explain why you were protective of the name.”
“Wait,” Eldon said. “Didn’t her other daughter just get engaged to that fucking warlord in Rilia?”
“Fiora,” Frost said. “Yes, that’s correct.”
“Fucking hell,” Hillard said. “I don’t know whether that’s good or bad. Could that blow back on us?”
“Interesting,” Master Cawley said. “That was admittedly unexpected. I thought for sure it would be one of the princes or princesses, not the counselor queen. How close is the relationship if I might ask? By that I mean, could you possibly negotiate a meeting?”
“If I showed up in Aequita she’d meet with me,” Frost chuckled as he imagined knocking on her door. “But I would have to show up in Aequita. And knowing her, she would probably make a big show of making me wait. But she would meet with me.”
“That was a much bigger name than expected,” Master Cawley said while leaning back in his chair. He glanced at Madam Gardenia. “Were you aware of who his connection was?”
“I was aware she was one of them,” Madam Gardenia answered. “But I thought he would use one of the others.”
“Others?” Master Cawley smirked. “I see why you sponsored him.”
“He could still be full of shit,” Hillard said. “Come on. Do you really think he would be standing next to her if he was as influential as he claimed to be? She’s a fucking demi that’s barely influential in a shit city like Blackwater. She only earns four hundred thousand rel annually.”
“Most members only make a fraction of that. In fact, a lot of members fail to make their dues and need to take out loans,” Fletcher said. “She’s paid her dues for twelve years without fail.”
“This man is fucking lying,” Hillard scoffed while slamming his fist on the table. “He’s conveniently dropping names we can’t verify and yammering about the business opportunities with demis. For all we know he’s some random pauper she picked up off the street.”
“He has a point,” Eldon said. “We haven’t had time to do a proper investigation. This all seems rather rushed.”
Frost could feel the group slipping away. It was true that the meeting was rushed and they wouldn’t be able to validate any of his claims. He could be some random Blackwater merchant hoping to exploit their connections or a spy looking for access to information. But there was one thing he could prove.
“How about we make a bet?” Frost asked while glaring at the old man. “Do you like to gamble?”
“You already said you can’t prove shit,” Hillard scoffed.
“I can prove something,” Frost
said while pointing at the three banker’s guild employees sitting in their cage. “I assume you’re fairly wealthy since you have a seat at this table. Am I right?”
“You are,” Hillard said.
“So, this game might appeal to you,” Frost said. “And you don’t have to play if you don’t want to. But if you don’t want to play, you keep your mouth shut. I propose we walk over to those banker’s guild members and ask them to compare our assets. What’s the annual fee again?”
“One hundred thousand for those that might reflect poorly on the company,” Hillard answered.
“Okay,” Frost said. “One hundred thousand. Doesn’t seem like much of a gamble, does it? How’s two million sound? Whoever has fewer assets pays the other two million rel.”
“What?” Hillard said, looking around the table with a concerned expression.
“Alternatively, we simply ask one of the bankers to declare your assets,” Master Cawley said politely. “Hillard would have his evidence and nobody would be out any rel.”
“That’s not how this game is played,” Frost while staring down the nervous old man. “I’m not interested in revealing my wealth so the bankers won’t be announcing exactly how much either of us have. Instead, they’ll just say who the winner is and transfer the rel. Come on Hillard, it’s only two million rel.”
“Only two million?” Hillard said through clenched teeth.
Two million was an obscene amount of rel. Most commoners would need to work ten lifetimes to see that amount of rel. Even amongst the nobility, Frost noticed that finances were an issue and many of them struggled to pay their bills due to the cost of maintaining their lifestyles.
“We can drop it to five hundred thousand if you’re okay with that,” Frost said. “I just wanted to keep it interesting.”
“Drop it to five hundred thousand,” Hillard growled. “Five hundred thousand is plenty.”
“This is rather fun,” Master Cawley said with a grin. “I’m rather curious as to who’ll win this little wager.”
“I’m not going to be made a fool of by some arrogant bastard,” Hillard said.
“Says the man too frightened to make the bet interesting,” Frost said smugly. “But five hundred thousand is fine if that’s what you can afford.”
“Why not meet in the middle?” Madam Gardenia asked. “A million.”
“Good idea Lady Bloodtail,” Master Cawley said, enjoying the spectacle. “How’s a million sound Hillard?”
“Fine,” Hillard said as he stood up from his seat. “A million.”
“Very well,” Master Cawley said while waving to the bankers. “Excuse me, please send a representative over immediately.”
One of the bankers left the confines of their protective cage and rushed over to them with a large enchanted pack.
“What can I do for you today my lords?” the man politely asked.
Master Cawley explained the situation with the wager as the banker pulled out a parchment and took notes. After several minutes, the banker presented the paperwork to Master Cawley for review and once he signed off the banker presented copies to Frost and Hillard. It was a straightforward document indicating that the banker’s guild would have the final say on the winner and guaranteed the specifics would remain secret. Hillard instantly signed off.
“Review this to see if there’s anything I’m missing,” Frost said while handing the contract to Madam Gardenia. The fox-eared woman read the document line by line looking for anything suspicious and handed it back to him.
“It’s fine,” Madam Gardenia confirmed.
Frost smirked at Hillard while signing the document. Although the man was likely very wealthy, he doubted that he could compete with the enormous amount of rel he’d recently gained by marrying Olivia.
“Wonderful,” the banker’s guild representative said while pulling out a red orb. “Who would like to go first?”
“I will,” Hillard growled while rolling up his sleeve. He placed his hand on the orb and announced himself to the representative. “Sir Hillard of Yarg.”
The representative stared into the orb as it began to glow and after a few seconds he nodded.
“Your identity has been confirmed,” the representative said while pulling out a separate orb. The man briefly stared into the orb and afterward placed it back in his pocket. “Thank you, Sir Hillard. It is now your turn.”
“Okay,” Frost said as he approached the young man. He placed his hands on the orb and leaned in close to the representative, so only he would hear. “The Herald of Shalia, Lord Sebastian Frost of Pluma Territory.”
“Lord,” the representative nodded politely.
Frost was impressed by how scarcely the banker’s guild representative reacted to the information. Scarcely because he did react. The reaction wasn’t something obvious like a wince or an uncomfortable shift. It was his hand. He visibly tightened his grip on the orb to prevent himself from showing a more noticeable reaction.
“I am afraid I’ll need a moment,” the representative said.
“What’s going on?” Hillard asked as the representative returned to his counter and spoke to the other representatives. “What the hell? What the fuck did you say to him?”
“They’ll be back in a moment,” Frost said. “Just give them a minute.”
The representative returned with the two other representatives following behind. Once they arrived at the table the two additional representatives pulled out a pair of engraved boxes and placed them on the table.
“My lord,” the first representative stood in front of Frost. “Please remove your clothing.”
“All of it?” Frost asked.
“You may keep your pants on,” the representative said. “If you’d like, we could go somewhere more private to…”
“Like hell,” Hillard said. “What kind of fucking trick are you pulling?”
“Please calm down Hillard,” Master Cawley said. “Lord Sebastian’s account seems to have additional security. I’ve been through this many times. It is nothing to be concerned about.”
“Additional security?” Hillard scoffed. “You’re one of those paranoid bastards, huh?”
“Very,” Frost confirmed as he tossed his coat on his chair and began to undress. He smirked at Master Cawley as he removed his vest and shirt. “Good thing you had Lady Cawley leave, huh?”
“Thank you, my lord,” the representative said. “Please place your hand on the orb.”
Frost placed his hand on the orb as the two other representatives opened their boxes and pulled out small needle-like daggers. The first representative walked up to him and nicked his ribs with his dagger and let the blood drip onto the orb. The second representative cut into his back and did the same. The men alternated between his body and arms, gathering drops of blood and letting them drip onto the orb. The men wiped down their daggers and returned them to their boxes. Once completed, they pulled out small vials of healing tonic and doused his cuts, wiped away the blood, and burned the handkerchiefs they used to wipe everything off.
The bank had several security levels based on what the customers wanted. The standard level was the orb and virtually everybody in the world used it. The orb was a sort of full body retinal scan that ensured that a person was who they said they were. Some nobles, primarily those that were involved with nefarious people, also added a blood offering as a way to further confirm
Frost figured that he had enough enemies that the highest level was justified. To access his account the representative had to take several samples and randomize where they were taking the blood. It was irritating but fortunately he only needed to go through it when he was making a withdrawal or for certain legal proceedings.
“Your identity has been confirmed, Lord Sebastian,” the banker’s guild representative said. “Thank you for your patience.”
“That’s fucking excessive,” Eldon said with a chuckle. “You might just be fucked, Hillard.”
“Fuck yourself you loudmouthed ass,
” Hillard responded.
The representative pulled out a small orb like he’d done with Hillard and closed his eyes. After a few seconds he returned the orb to his pocket and pointed at Frost.
“Lord Sebastian is the winner,” he said politely. “I will transfer the funds immediately.”
“Mother fucker!” Hillard growled while preparing to throw a glass.
“Sir Hillard!” Master Cawley snapped. “You will conduct yourself with dignity. You wagered, you lost. You will have plenty of opportunities to earn back what you lost.”
“Fucking ridiculous,” Hillard said. “And I don’t even get to know how close it was?”
“It wasn’t close,” Frost said while calmly getting dressed. Madam Gardenia reflexively began buttoning his shirt for him which clearly irritated the men. “If you’d like, we can play again and I’ll give you a five million rel handicap.”
“Which is really only three million given the transfer,” Master Cawley nodded at the banker’s guild representative. “Please take care of things. You’re no longer needed.”
“Thank you for doing business with the banker’s guild. As always, it’s an honor,” the representative said as all three men bowed and returned to their stations.
“You may be more trouble than your worth Lord Sebastian,” Master Cawley said. “For one, taking you in will aggravate the existing tension between us and the Swiftwing Company. They are rather upset over the slaughter of their men as well as the damage to their reputation.”
“They brought that on themselves,” Frost said.
“It’s still upsetting to them,” Master Cawley said. “They would have preferred the entire crew was eliminated so that their humiliation wouldn’t be so public. As I stand here, I’m weighing the benefits of accepting you into the company. You have a referral from a member in good standing but she is a Kina and some of the other members are less than pleased with her presence. You have supply lines and connections but they’re halfway across the continent. You have wealth but your business interests revolve around demihumans. Finally, you’re not even a member and I’ve received complaints from two different companies about you.”