Side Story:
Lahki’s Merchant Diary, Part 5
The large port town of Lamburt was located on the western edge of the Rhoden Kingdom.
Located between two massive waterways that entered the bay of Bulgoh, Lamburt enjoyed thriving trade with the Nohzan Kingdom on the far side of the bay. Many of the goods it imported would ultimately be shipped off to Olav, the capital of the Rhoden Kingdom.
The waterways were wide enough for both large freight ships and smaller paddle boats laden with goods to pass through.
Though Lamburt was also surrounded by walls, they were only around five meters tall.
A massive dock had been built along the edge of the town, boasting multiple piers that jutted out into the water. All manners of vessels, both large and small, were docked here, the piers crowded with people loading and unloading cargo.
After it was unloaded, the cargo made its way to the old town district, which had been around since the port was first founded. Beyond the innermost canal lay the new town district, which sported narrower roads and more densely packed buildings.
In the southern part of the new town district was a massive market. Stores selling all manners of goods lined the streets, and the townsfolk could come here to shop for their daily needs.
In one corner of this market stood a small store that had just opened for business: Lahki’s Shoppe.
Lahki, the owner of this little shop squeezed between two massive storefronts on either side, had recently made a bit of a name for himself among the other business owners. Until recently, he’d been pounding the proverbial pavement as a traveling merchant. He was a friendly, well-dressed young man, somewhere in his twenties, with tousled brown hair and a ready smile.
He hardly looked like he was cut out for the life of a merchant, one that relied on traveling the globe, living by your wits, and surviving by any means necessary. Yet what made this young man and his new store the talk of the merchant community were the products he sold.
A merchant’s wares indicated what kind of person they were, and the connections they’d made throughout their life. This meant that trade deals weren’t only for the products themselves, but also for the merchant’s connections.
Lahki’s Shoppe dealt mainly in bits and bobs from monsters.
When he’d first opened, it was with parts of a grand dragon. Not only were these rare in their own right, but the sheer volume was impressive. Grand dragons were large, frog-like monsters, sporting tough skin and shells as hard as stone. They were considered one of the toughest monsters around.
Grand dragons lived in rather remote regions, and were typically only spotted in the forests near the Karyu and Furyu mountain ranges in the northeast of the Rhoden Kingdom—places few humans dared travel.
Even just traveling to where the grand dragons lived was no easy feat, as one would face countless monsters along the way. Assuming someone were to survive all that, make it to the grand dragons, then slay one, the person would still need to overcome the intense physical challenge of hauling the body back.
This made grand dragon parts quite valuable.
Yet this merchant, Lahki, had come out of nowhere with a large supply of grand dragon parts. It was only natural that he became the talk of the town.
The most famous part of the grand dragon was its boulder-like shell. Each and every one was slightly different in shape, making them popular for carving. These incredibly valuable pieces were used to decorate the palaces and manors of the nobility and other members of the upper classes.
Grand dragons’ tough and supple hides also served as excellent armor, prized among the knights and nobility, since they were even stronger than many types of metal armor.
All sorts of rumors had sprung up about Lahki the day he’d ridden into town, his cart brimming with such valuable materials, which he’d quickly sold off to buy a large supply of grain and other staples.
Coming into such riches and then blowing it all on a new commodity was hardly unheard of among merchants, so it was widely believed that Lahki had simply made an unfortunate mistake.
Yet, this wasn’t even remotely the end of him. After opening his own shop, he continued sourcing all sorts of rare and even never-before-seen materials.
In short order, Lahki’s Shoppe was known throughout Lamburt as the place to get monster parts. There was never any shortage of visitors stopping by simply to see if he’d gotten anything new in stock.
At present, a man stood in the spacious waiting room on the second floor of the shop. The room had been decorated with all manner of exquisite items.
The man was well dressed and had white hair, with a white beard to match. Despite being small in stature, the man was well-built, and didn’t seem to be showing any signs of old age.
“So, how’s it going? It seems like you’ve gotten into the swing of things, yeah?”
The man was Doktor, the owner of Doktor’s Emporium, one of the largest grain dealers in Lamburt’s new town district.
The young man sitting across from the renowned merchant smiled sheepishly and scratched his head.
“Well, it’s certainly been quite a challenge getting all these goods together. It’s the first time I’ve even laid my hands on so many of them. But I really appreciate all you’ve done for me. I couldn’t have gotten this far without your support.”
Lahki bowed his head at the older man, who waved off the gesture.
“Don’t talk nonsense, m’boy. I told you before, didn’t I? One of these days, the time will come for me to ask a favor of you.”
Doktor offered up a smug grin, but there was nothing in his smile to suggest any sort of maliciousness to his motives.
“By the way, who’s that knight who keeps offloading goods on you?”
Lahki offered up a sheepish smile. “So, you noticed, eh?” He lifted the teapot sitting on the middle of the table and poured some for himself and his guest.
“We’re neighbors, aren’t we? What do you take me for? There are all sorts of rumors surrounding that knight and his exploits.”
Doktor smiled as he blew on the hot tea before taking a sip.
“Well, I suppose that’s true. Arc… Well, he doesn’t really go to any of the other shops for some reason. He only comes by from time to time to talk. I first met him back in Diento. We just happened to cross paths here again in Lamburt. To be completely honest, it’s a mystery why he’s so kind to me. I just can’t wrap my head around it.” Lahki’s shoulders slumped, and he let out a sigh. He lifted the teacup to his lips.
Doktor nodded several times. “Hmm. Well, I can see where he’s coming from.”
Lahki was taken aback by this. He’d expected Doktor to agree with him on the matter.
“Oh, what makes you say that?”
“Just a hunch. The knight isn’t visiting you out of the kindness of his own heart. There’s something he wants too. But regardless of what that might be, you should take advantage of the relationship and sell everything you can.”
Doktor let out a raucous laugh. After sniffing his cup, he lapped at the tea with his tongue. “Y’know, I’ve never had tea quite like this before.” He took another whiff and tilted his head to the side.
Lahki smiled brightly and held up his own cup. “Ah, this? It’s also from Arc. Smells great, doesn’t it?” He took a swig of the tea.
Doktor’s face suddenly turned serious, and he leaned in toward Lahki, lowering his voice. “Now, this is just between you and me, but I’ve heard rumors that the knight is actually an elf. Is that true?”
Lahki was caught off guard by this question and accidentally inhaled some tea, sending him into a coughing fit. “Hyack! I, umm, well…”
His eyes darted around the room as he thought of how to respond to Doktor’s question. Before he had a chance, however, the older man spoke up again.
“Hahaha! No worries. Just forget about it.”
Lahki’s reaction was all the answer the older man needed. Doktor smiled and shook his head before finishing his tea in a single gulp and standing up.
“Well, I think I’ve overstayed my welcome. I’d best be on my way. If you ever happen to need any wheat, you know where to find me!”
“Uh, of course! You’re the first on my list.”
Doktor was already halfway down the stairs by the time Lahki got out a reply.
After seeing Doktor off, Lahki rested his head on the table and thought back on his reaction. Arc was well known around town, and there were all sorts of rumors surrounding him, but Lahki had done his best not to confirm any of them. Yet he just wasn’t able to hide his reaction when directly confronted.
While he was reproaching himself for being so weak-minded, his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone walking up the stairs.
“Lahki, you’ve got a visitor!”
He looked up and spotted a familiar figure.
The woman had semi-long chestnut-colored hair and was dressed in clothing that de-emphasized her chest. She was neither masculine nor feminine, but somewhere in between.
Rea, a childhood friend of Lahki’s, was a mercenary who’d made something of a name for herself here in town. Back when Lahki had been a traveling merchant, she’d served as his bodyguard. Now she was both his trusted aide and a clerk in his shop.
She cocked her head, looking quizzically at Lahki as he sat there with his head on the table.
“What’re you doing?”
Lahki lifted his head weakly.
“Arc’s here!”
“Wha?!”
Lahki bolted up from the table and hurried down the stairs. Upon arriving on the first floor, he found a cart drawn by two horses parked inside.
Though smaller than the buildings on either side, Lahki’s Shoppe was still big enough to accommodate a horse-drawn cart for loading and unloading supplies, thanks to how far back the building stretched.
A large cloth was pulled taut over the contents of the cart, making it impossible to see what was inside.
A man hopped down from the driver’s seat, dressed head to toe in gleaming silver armor etched with ornate designs in white and blue. The black cloak he wore fluttered as he moved.
Even the most ostentatious royal plate didn’t hold a candle to the armor this man wore. As soon as he noticed Lahki coming down the stairs, he offered a casual wave in greeting.
“Sorry to intrude on you like this.”
The man cheerfully crossed the distance between them and offered his hand.
“N-no, not at all! I’m sorry for making you wait.”
Lahki took Arc’s hand and gave it a shake, bowing his head.
“Kyii!”
When he looked back up, he spied a green ball of fluff hopping from Arc’s shoulder up onto his head. Lahki pulled his hand back in alarm.
“Ah, sorry. Ponta gets nervous around humans.”
A light laugh escaped from Arc’s helmet as he watched Lahki and Ponta’s interaction.
Lahki shook his head. “So, what brings you here today? Did you come to sell another slain beast?”
Arc took a look around the shop before rubbing his chin and nodding. “I did, I did. But there’s also something I want to ask you about.”
He stopped, waiting for Lahki to prompt him to continue.
“Have you ever thought about owning a boat?”
Lahki tilted his head to the side, unsure what to make of this question.
“A…boat?”
Arc responded with an enthusiastic nod.
Lahki thought of all the boats that made their way through Lamburt’s waterways. “I guess it would be useful to have a boat…maybe…”
“Useful, huh? Well, you see…I got into a fight with some human pirates, and they kind of just…abandoned their ship. I figured I’d sink the thing, since I didn’t really have a use for it, you know? But for now, a friend of mine is hanging onto it for me.”
“P-pirates?!”
That singular word kept echoed in Lahki’s head. He was almost afraid to ask his next question.
“The pirate ship…it’s not a galley by chance, is it?”
Arc’s answer was pretty much what he’d expected.
“It’s a sailing vessel. A bit on the large size as far as human ships go.”
Lahki brought his hand to his forehead and looked up at the roof. He let out a heavy sigh.
“A sailing vessel is too much for a shop this size. I also don’t really have any use for a ship right now.”
Undeterred by Lahki’s refusal, Arc pointed a finger at the young merchant.
“How about this then? I’ll sign the boat over to you, and you can lease it out. Any money you get from the lease can be reinvested in your shop.”
The knight continued pressing the issue, eliciting a nod from Lahki before he quickly corrected himself and shook his head firmly.
“Ah, well that does make… No, wait, I can’t! Why are you so kind to me anyway, Arc? I know I’m not really good at this whole merchant thing.” Lahki offered up a rueful smile.
A faint laugh escaped Arc’s helmet as he crossed his arms. “I have my reasons. Think of it as an investment in my trading business.”
Arc pulled a piece of parchment out of his bag and handed it to Lahki. The merchant quickly skimmed its contents.
“You’ve already gotten a ship holding permit approved by the lord?”
A permit was needed to own and operate any type of freight vessel, large or small. On top of that, there were other costs associated with having a ship, like taxes on a berth at the dock, taxes for ownership, and more.
Without enough sales to justify the expenses, it would be difficult to break even.
Lahki was completely speechless at how much background work Arc had already gone through, but his business was hardly large enough to even fill a ship, to say nothing of the connections he’d need to make use of it.
Even if he were to lease it out, he’d still need to find clients.
“Well, uh, Arc…while it’s definitely every merchant’s dream to have their own ship, right now, I just don’t think I can use it. I don’t really have the connections.”
He tried explaining the current market in as nice a way as possible, so as to not offend the man who’d done him so many favors.
Arc put a firm hand on Lahki’s shoulder to stop him. Then he brought his other hand up to chest level and stuck his thumb into the air. Even though Lahki was unfamiliar with the gesture, the meaning was clear. There was no problem.
“Don’t worry about all that. I’ve heard talk that the Rhoden Kingdom is about to begin trading with Canada, primarily for cultivation rune stones. I asked the lord here to help get a ship that could run the route to Limbult, where the trade will take place, but he wasn’t able to secure a big enough ship in time. So that’s where giving you this ship came in.”
Lahki’s eyes grew wide. “W-wait! You mean the Rhoden Kingdom will begin trading with the elves?!”
Lost in excitement, Lahki grabbed Arc. He could hardly believe what he was hearing.
Every merchant worth their salt knew that the Grand Duchy of Limbult was the only human civilization the people of Canada, the largest elven settlement, would trade with. As such, the Grand Duchy had incredibly deep coffers and wielded unparalleled political influence despite its small size.
The cultivation rune stones Arc spoke of were one of the many highly sought-after magical items created in the forests of Canada. By crushing the stones and sprinkling the powder on the ground, one could make even the most barren spot of land fertile. Considering the limited space available to humans for agriculture, given all the monsters on the loose, anything that improved their crop yield would be a blessing.
The more crops a field could grow, the more valuable the land was—and by extension, the more income it would bring in.
The mere idea of the Rhoden Kingdom establishing a trade relationship with Canada was enough to send a jolt of electricity up the spine of any merchant.
This was truly a landmark deal, and the knight in front of Lahki was talking about it like one would the weather.
“Lord Petros hadn’t heard about it yet, either, so I understand your surprise.”
By the way Arc was talking, it sounded like Lahki owning the ship was already a done deal. He’d informed the lord and gone through the work of acquiring a ship holding permit. A merchant would be foolish to turn down an offer that had already been accepted by the lord.
Left with no option but to accept his lot, Lahki asked the one question that had been bothering him.
“You said this was a pirate ship, yeah? Was it damaged at all when you attacked it? I mean, if it was, that’d require the work of some pretty specialized shipbuilders to repair, and I can only imagine all the money…”
Arc punched his fist into his hand as if he’d just remembered something, cutting Lahki off. “Now that you mention it, one of the masts is broken, and there was a little damage to the hull.”
Lahki started feeling dizzy. “H-hold up. One of the masts was broken? Is there any way I can have you fix all that in Canada?”
Arc looked at Lahki and let out a laugh. “No worries, Lahki. I’ve brought you some stuff that should cover the repair costs. You can either sell them, or maybe even use them to bargain for repairs.”
Arc opened up his rucksack and pulled out some items wrapped in hemp cloth, which he handed over to Lahki.
Every time Arc pulled something new out of his bag, Lahki felt as if his heart would stop. He slowly unwrapped the cloth and examined its contents.
There were several thin, diamond-shaped objects inside.
Each was about the size of Lahki’s palm and seemed to emit a faint blue glow. Though they looked to be made of metal, they had a slight squishiness to them. The objects clinked as they rolled against each other.
“Wow, those are pretty.”
Rea was now standing at Lahki’s side and looking on with great interest.
Lahki nodded in agreement, though he still was unsure of what exactly he was holding. They were nothing like he’d ever seen before.
“So, um, what are they?”
Arc plucked one of the objects out of Lahki’s palm and squashed it slightly.
“Dragon Lord scales.”
Lahki felt a chill run up his spine.
Surprised at the lack of response, Arc scratched the back of his head in confusion. “Well, uh, I kind of thought they might be valuable. I mean, if this isn’t enough to cover the ship repairs, then I can…”
Lahki realized that the other man had grossly misinterpreted his reaction. He shook his head emphatically. “N-no, it’s not like that at all! Do you mean to say that these are real Dragon Lord scales? I’m not doubting you or anything, of course…”
Rea’s eyes went wide. She took a step back from Lahki. Picking up on her reaction, Lahki noticed just how ecstatic he was and paused to take a deep breath. After calming himself, he turned back to Arc, trying to control his tone.
“Sorry about that. So, um, where did you get these scales?”
Arc brought his hand to his chin and hummed lightly. “Well, to be honest, these were scales I found at a spring atop the mountain where the Dragon Lord lives. So I guess I can’t actually say for sure that these are scales from a Dragon Lord and not just a really big lizard.”
Lahki looked down at the faintly glowing scales resting in his palms. “No, I believe you. It should be a simple matter of having an appraiser look them over. But I really don’t think it would be proper for me to accept such a valuable gift.”
As far as humans were concerned, Dragon Lords were at the top of the animal kingdom. Since time immemorial, tales had been written about their immense power.
In one such story, a king decided to slay a Dragon Lord and turn its scales into armor, hoping to claim such power for himself. However, the Dragon Lord eradicated his army in the blink of an eye and, out of annoyance, wiped the entire kingdom off the map.
In spite of—or rather, because of—these stories, Dragon Lord scales were highly prized.
And here were five of them.
Not only would these be more than enough to repair the mast, but if he sold them all, he’d probably have enough left over to buy another small boat of his own.
Arc cocked his head, still confused by Lahki’s reaction. “Huh, really? You know, I just kind of found them while I was cleaning the bath.”
“B-bath?”
The two men exchanged confused glances.
“I have no particular use for these scales, so if they really are that valuable, and if it will help you boost your reputation, then by all means, I want you to have them. The bigger your business grows, the easier it will be for me to gain access to the market.”
Arc placed the scale he was holding back into Lahki’s hand and crossed his arms.
“Sorry for coming in so suddenly, but I’d really like you to do this for me. Is that okay with you?”
Lahki pulled the Dragon Lord scales close to his chest and bowed his head. “Th-thank you, Arc. I’ll do my best to not disappoint you.” He looked back up. “Now, what is it you came to buy?”
Arc reached into a pouch, pulled out another sheet of parchment, and showed it to Lahki. There was a picture drawn on it.
“I’d like to make a brick oven, kind of like this. I’d like to ask you to get the supplies together. Is this something you can help with?”
Lahki looked down at the picture. He nodded to himself. “Of course I can help, but are you going to be making it yourself? I could send out a craftsman, you know.”
Arc crossed his arms and shook his head. “It’s kind of in the middle of nowhere, and not really a place I can bring just anyone to.”
Lahki bowed his head again in apology. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to overstep!”
Arc laughed. “It’s no big deal. Anyway, I’ll leave the cart here, so just put the supplies for the oven inside. I’ll come by in a few days to pick them up.”
“Understood. I’ll calculate the costs and write up an invoice by the time you return.”
Arc replied with a firm nod before turning around and making his way out of the shop. Rea watched with great interest as the knight left.
“How does he plan on getting home if he’s leaving his cart here? You think he’s staying at an inn or something?”
Lahki just shook his head. “The less we think about it, the better. Anyway, help me break down the list of supplies so we can start looking!”
Rea sighed. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same.
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