Chương 374: 9.6

Robin considered the man sitting on a cushion across from him, he had a face that had a family similarity to the guildmaster they had dealt with in Ouenetoia. They had met his wife and children, all housed comfortably in the palace grounds. His first son was apparently in the line of succession to the Árpádok principality that bordered Viznove. That was such a strange thought. Magarska was a story, a monster in the night, an army of beasts that people spoke of in whispers.

Yet Robin had shown the second in line to its northernmost territory how to play dice and besides the glittering embroidery to his garments, the boy was just like any other child he'd met in villages or cities. The boy's mother (daughter of the Árpádok prince) had equal parts scowled and smiled at her son's enthusiasm for the game just like peasant and merchant mothers anywhere in Viznove.

It was so strange, the language might change, the skin could be light from dark and clothing rich to poor, but children all loved a good game of dice. What an odd thing that is, still it had saved Robin from having to strain his skill in "Magarskan court's tongue" which was arguably harder to keep straight than the solar vault language spoken in Ouenetoia. And now it was late in the day and they were settled down to proper business.

Otto Orseolo was dressed in the style of the nobles of Terminapolis, robes heavily embroidered with what looked like gold weave, glittering rings and more were worn by the man, the kind of treasures that would have made him a solid mark on the road or alley. Robin was thankfully not the one speaking, he was considered a 'partner' but with them off of the road this was now solidly the part of the enterprise for the craft of Leandro.

The old trader did a fair job of not showing a single hint of how agitated he actually was, Robing could tell of course, it was in the way his feet flexed while folded over on top of the cushion. The Master Merchant flexed his toes when he got annoyed, even when his face was all smiles.

"Help me understand again my lord Orseolo, is or is not the product available as your family promised you would have?" Magarskan was close enough to Ridgevaul that it could almost be understood without any training, Leandro warned that Robin's accent was terrible and his grasp of the proper order of words disgusting. All the more reason for the Master Merchant to speak for their part in the 'enterprise' to the contact here in the Palace.

Otto Orseolo, the man certainly looked like he was rich enough to treat in the absolute heaps of silver, gold and other fine goods they had caravaned into Magarska. All Under Robin and his band's watchful eyes (there were the other guards as well but only Robin was doing guard duty as a wholly 'invested partner' in the 'enterprise'). That smile on the Orseolo was a bit weak, and his eyes seemed just a bit too forced to a steady gaze fixed on Leandro.

"The true and proper product is available, but in fewer numbers than originally told. Several lords once willing to make a deal are now reluctant to part with the responsibility passing through their hands, now that the Vanand regent has been retired." A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Leandro's smile began to fall ever so slightly.

"How many fewer Orseolo, and why the reluctance at all? Every word across the solar vault is that Magarska is harvesting eggs across its lands for the bounty from the pantheon." The former 'Doge' of Ouenetoia winced at those words before offering in a hushed whisper.

"That is what the lords have said for eight years, but for every ten wyrm lairs the hunters scour and every ten wyrms slain there is at best a single egg that actually passes to market. Before they announced the Wolf Prince it seemed like it was maybe that the High King and his princes were hoarding them for transport together, but now? The word is that the high court is trying to hatch them!" The master merchant's smile fell away entirely.

"Otto, if we return empty handed it is your family that will suffer the disgrace for this." The bejeweled and shining clothes of the man ruffled before he took a fortifying breath, if he was waylaying the man for his riches this would be the moment that Robin watched for him to pull a knife.

"Good Trademaster, I can assure you that I have two interested parties in the palace more than eager to provide eggs! But the price may-" Leandro's smile returned, but it was not kind.

"Excelent good Lord Orseolo, I applaud your wisdom in making the arrangements for our meeting and the exchange by whatever means you saw fit. The full payment will be passed onto you first of course upon securing the eggs in our lockboxes. To be distributed to your interested sellers in as discrete a manner as they require. I must inquire though, were you truly only able to garner two for us?"

It was interesting to see a man being robbed by his own greed, Robin had seen similar tricks used by Leandro in their journey into Magarska. Using local merchants and their own lust for silver to accept heavier prices than they had initially wanted for the possibility of taking a cut between Leandro and another party. The former 'Doge' seemed unaware that he had even been misdirected.

"I, Well! Of course I have made such arrangements, Trademaster. Alas I can only assure you of two sellers in the palace at this very moment, recent circumstances being what they are you understand? Out of a poor exile's curiosity, how many were your caravan prepared to pay for at the original price?" The old trademaster's smile was stretching to be almost predatory despite how warm his tone rang.

"Oh what wonderful news, Well if it is not too much of a bother for you or your sellers we came here prepared to purchase and transport under sufficient guard up to five eggs, perhaps we could be convinced to take on six, but given the circumstances-" The man covered in riches who was apparently 'disgraced' and 'exiled' from his position as the highest authority of Ouenetoia beamed as he rushed to speak into the obvious pause Leandro had left him.

"Oh not all the circumstances are all bad! In fact some of the developments today opened up potential avenues, I will just need to reach out quietly among the court to secure them but- Yes I think I may in fact be able to get you another two, maybe even three. Just this is an unsure thing." Leandro's smile gentled ever so slightly and he leaned back and raised his hands towards the man bedecked in jewels and shining golden thread.

"Oh of course Lord Leandro, I am confident your magnificence and acumen will see us right, and that your genius already has anticipated securing the first two eggs and our bounty for them to better smooth your endeavors for the rest." The man nodded hard and smiled blithely.

"Indeed! I had considered such a course, I will have the first two eggs available tonight, make sure your payment is ready." And then the business portion of the meeting was done, the deal to be sealed with a shared meal that evening, Robin considered his new 'partner' in this 'trading enterprise', Mercantilism was surprisingly similar to banditry when you got around to it. Just more use of clever words and people were not quite so upset with you about it at the end.

Robin was not sure he'd ever understand how the richer people were the happier they seemed to be to have their wealth stolen and tricked out of them by the Trademaster.