Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy. One week of freedom starts today, and I’ve got big plans.
My first stop is Agrele, a mining town built into the side of a mountain that has prospered in recent years. If you want to sell precious metals and gems without drawing attention to yourself, this is the only option. I considered visiting my old groomer, Sophie, when I found a large diamond, but I’m afraid she would interpret that as a proposal.
The town is impressive from the skies; it’s significantly larger than most in the Kingdom, and its layout is unique. Several buildings and roads start halfway up the mountain and wind down into the flatland a short distance north. In any other town, a small market and residential area would exist here, but in Agrele, there’s a bustling city center adorned on either side with merchants and food stalls. The citizens are dirtier than most, but it’s a mining town; that can’t be helped.
I used to sell the precious metals I’d find to a man named Dante in a town bordering my Father’s domain, but success drove his business here. I approach a food stall selling meat skewers. This guy looks bored, perfect for striking up a conversation.
“Excuse me, sir, two skewers please.”
“Coming right up, awful long hair you’ve got if you’re mining. Are you a merchant?”
That’s because I’m in my Sio the hunter/traveler disguise. “A traveler, actually, I was hoping to find an acquaintance of mine named Dante; he’s in the precious metals trade.”
“Hah, so is most of the town. HONEY – do you know a man named Dante around here?”
His wife walks up from the cooking area and, she’s old? The man doesn’t look young, but his features are soft, and his hair isn’t grey. This woman looks like she started greying while I was living my past life. “Hmm, Dante, there’s a new merchant in town named Dante. Short fellow, likes making crude jokes.”
“That sounds like the right Dante. Do you know where I can find him?”
“Yea the newcomers get stuck towards the end of the block, prideful fellow, so his name is above the shop,” she says bitterly.
“Understood, thanks very much.”
I give the woman a polite bow, but no right hand across the chest. I need to look a little rough around the edges.
The man holds up skewers. “Meat sticks are ready, six copper for the two.”
Better be good meat; that’s pricey if it’s as chewy as I’m expecting it to be. Ah, well, I want to make a good impression, so I’ll leave a tip.
“Here’s 8, good information is valuable to me. Thanks for everything.”
With a wave, I leave and make my way towards the end of the block.
*DANTES METALS & JEWELS*
The old lady wasn’t kidding about the sign; grammatical mistakes aside, I think I found the place. I step in and am surprised by a full shop with a young lady at the counter. She’s a cute blonde with –
FUCK! Oh, ok, I thought that was Sophie. My heart feels like it’s going to pound out of my chest, and a layer of sweat has formed on my head. Is this how veterans feel when they hear fireworks?
She’s cute, but it seems I’m afraid of blondes.
As I make my way into the shop, I see Dante counting coins from his most recent transaction, and I make my way over to greet him.
“Sir Dante, it’s been a while.”
Still looking at his coins, he responds before turning to me. “Sir Dante? There’s only one twerp who’s so respectful to a bastard like me. Ah, so it is. Sio, my boy, how are you?”
“Doing well, Sir Dante. I have some items to sell – should I join the line?”
But he shakes his head while an evil grin spreads across his face. “No, no, if you knew how much money you’ve made me, you’d shit; never once tried to screw me either. Show me what you’ve got.”
I pull out a small bag and place it on the counter between us. “I’ve got something new this time, I think you’ll like it.”
“Oho, well don’t just tease me, kid, show me the goods.”
I remove a mid-sized gold piece first, then take the diamond I found in my hand and move it closer to Dante before opening it. His eyes widen before he reaches down and forces my hand back closed. “Ahem, right, come to the back with me. I’ll need to get a closer look at that.”
His eyes dart around the room before leading me further into his shop. “Kid, how the hell did you get a diamond that big?”
Balls. I knew it was a bigger one, but he seems more worried than excited. “Same as always, Sir Dante, I check out the mountain areas on hunting trips. This was lodged in some stone near the base of one of those mountains.”
“Right... the mountains. I normally don’t ask, because I don’t care – but this isn’t stolen, is it?”
“As I said, it was stuck in a mountain in the middle of nowhere; you and I are the only people to have ever laid eyes on it.”
“Ok, right, ok, well there’s a small problem,” he says while moving his lips back and forth.
I see neuron activation in Dante, this is a good sign for a deal. “What’s that?”
“I can’t afford that diamond; it’s probably worth 1000 gold coins, and if I spent my entire day mustering up funds, I couldn’t pay that for it. Also, a gem of that size is expected to be sold to the royal family…”
I love Dante. He’s perfectly devious. Maybe the royal family thing is true, but if it is, then I need to get this diamond all the way away from me. It’s an attention magnet, and Dante knows that. I bet he’ll make me a lower offer on the condition that he conceals where this came from.
“I see, what kind of price could you pay for it?” I ask, knowing I’m about to get fucked.
“Oho, my boy, you’re a wonderful business partner! If you come back tonight, I could probably get 400 gold and 1000 silver. It sounds like I’m pulling one over on ya, but I’ll have to come up with a legit source for this thing before I can sell it in the capital, ermm, to the royal family, you see.”
Yep, he’s screwing me. It must be worth an insane amount of gold. I’ll be paying for his grandkids' education, but I don’t mind if Dante screws me. His reputation is awful. If he tried to out me as his source someday, no one would believe him. That’s a quality I just can’t find in anyone else.
“Well, I’d be happier with 500 gold and 1000 silver, but I’d rather not deal with the royals…”
“Boyo, what would you even do with that much money? You could’ve already retired five times over with the money I’ve paid you – ah, but you have your secrets; it’s fine. I’ll try to get a few extra gold just for you. Do we have a deal?”
“We do, Sir Dante. Anything you’d recommend doing in this town now that I have a day to waste?”
“Hmm, all anyone does is mine and trade what they mine. To mine the mountain just south, you need to pay for a pass from the domain lord. But a little further west, there’s a mountain that’s supposed to be stripped bare, costs nothing to work it, and with your luck, maybe there’s something good you can bring back.”
“Aha, alright, I’ll take a look at it. Thank you, Sir Dante, I’ll come back just before sundown.”
I leave Dante’s shop and walk outside of town before kicking off into the air. I’m pretty comfortable with heights now, so I can fly close to the sound barrier without making noticeable wind for those on the ground.
I land inside a trash-filled mine, and let my magic go all over.
“Oh, you poor bastards…”
THUD
A gem flies into my hands, one three times larger than what’s on me.
Sigh. It’s cool and all, but Dante put on his best swindler performance for the last one. I can’t show him this; he’ll try to have me killed before taking it for himself.
Into storage you go, my shiny little friend.
I kill some time, then return to Dante’s shop as the sun falls behind the mining mountains, and swing the door open. “Sir Dante?”
“SHHHHHHH! Over here!” Dante’s standing behind a counter, looking back and forth like there are ninjas in the room with us.
I walk up to him and place the diamond I’m selling on the counter. “How much were you able to get?”
Dante’s paranoia breaks enough to form a smile. “402 gold THUNK and 1000 silver THUNK.”
This fucking guy.
I hold in my sigh and make the agreed-upon trade. “Thanks, Sir Dante.”
Dante tucks the gem into his clothing and ducks his head before cackling. “Ehehe! Thank you, Sio!”
What a prick.