"All right then," Kivamus said. "This plan is final. When you visit Ulriga, use your contacts to strike a deal with a reliable coal rchant there, and with a captain in Cinran who owns a dium-sized sailboat."
Duvas nodded in approval. "It sounds like a good arrangent. Just make sure you trust the sailors you hire, Trevalo."
"I'll do my best to look for a reliable one," Trevalo agreed. "I'll leave for Cinran with my wagons tomorrow, and then sail with a ship captain to Ulriga on his boat, so I can see for myself how long the journey takes."
"No," Kivamus said. "I still need you to bring more wheat from Cinran first. You said the Count is unlikely to ban outside sales for now. So try your best to bring all six wagons loaded with more wheat in a week. After that, you can go back and make the deal with the ship captain in Cinran and the trader in Ulriga. I'll tell the guard captain to assign you so n for protection on this run too."
"Well… I guess that's fine," Trevalo said after a pause. "It won't be easy to buy that much—like I told you earlier—but since I won't need to buy from Cinran after this, I can lean on my contacts for one last big purchase. After that, though, you'll really have to buy from Ulriga."
"That's fine," Kivamus said. "Now let's settle today's trade." He looked at the majordomo. "Duvas, have you finalized the prices?"
"Yes," Duvas said. "We had already negotiated the rates when I was walking with him to the manor hall. We've agreed on five gold and six silvers per sack of wheat—which is an outrageous price compared to last year's rates, but that's the best he could do. He's brought forty sacks, so the total price will be 224 gold. We're selling six wagon loads of coal, which will earn us about 61 gold, which ans we owe a net amount of 163 gold. Wait, we also have to pay around 29 gold for the bottles of wine he brought us. So the total we need to pay is 192 gold."
Kivamus nodded and turned to the rchant. "Are those prices acceptable?"
"They are," Trevalo said. He gave Kivamus a curious look. "I didn't take you for much of a drinker, especially that of the pricey wines. But you are a duke's son. You can probably afford it."
Kivamus laughed. "I've hardly had a drink since I arrived here in the autumn," he said, recalling consuming so ale during the two feasts, while keeping the real reason for buying the wine to himself. "But in so sense, you're right."
"Either way," Trevalo added, "you also owe 156 gold from my last visit."
Kivamus nodded, face tightening. "Yes. That puts us at... 348 gold owed." He took a deep breath. "But you know our current situation—we can't pay that amount now. For today, we can pay just over 65 gold. That's all I can spare. I'll pay the rest in the next few weeks."
Trevalo shook his head. "You want to buy on credit again?"
Kivamus exhaled deeply. "That's our only option right now..."
Trevalo sighed. "Usually, if soone wanted to run such a huge tab with , I'd simply refuse to trade with them anymore." He thought for a while. "But... I guess this is a different situation. Once I close the deal with the ship captain and a buyer in Ulriga, you'll be my only trading partner until this deal remains valid, and I don't want you going under before we even start that new trading route. Still, buying wheat in Cinran without being paid up front is not easy—especially if you want six more wagons in a week—but by the goddess's grace, I'm not short on coin right now, so I can give you so slack."
The rchant continued, "I realize that you must not have been able to sell any coal in the winter and I know you're spending the gold to feed every villager from the manor's coffers, which is why your financial situation is so bad. But from what I've seen, the villagers only sing praises of you and your benevolence. However, commoners praising a noble is... rare, to say the least." He smiled. "I guess sending you here as the new baron has to be the goddess' will, and I can hardly throw an adzee bone in her plans. So, as a gesture of good faith, I'll sell you the wheat I brought today, and the next Cinran load in a week, on full credit."
Duvas seed to be taken aback. "This is..." He glanced at Kivamus for a mont, before he gazed upwards and murmured a short prayer under his breath.
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Trevalo explained, "For a rough estimate, the cost of sixty sacks which I'll bring next ti will be around 350 gold—because the price will be higher for buying such a big amount again. Add the 348 gold you already owe and it'll be around 700 gold. I've never let anyone run such a huge tab in the past, but I know you are the Duke's son, and you'll be good for it. If not right now, then in the future. But this is all I can do. Don't ask to sell you on credit after that, because I simply don't have the gold for it." He smiled. "You also don't have to worry about that 65 gold for now. Just keep it. It'll hardly make a dent in what you owe , and you seem like you'll need every copper right now."
"Thank you, Trevalo," Kivamus said. "I'll rember this favor."
"You'd better!" Trevalo said with a grin. "Anyway, I see it as an investnt. Once the new trading route is running, you'll earn enough for to recoup my investnt easily. Well, that's as long as you can produce enough coal, but I'll take your word for it. Now, about the written guarantee...?"
Kivamus looked at the majordomo. "After this eting, write up everything we've finalized on a sheet of our paper and put my seal on it. Also include the amount we already owe. Trevalo, you'll have it by the ti the servants have unloaded the wheat and loaded coal on your wagons. Let's say by late afternoon."
"Perfect," Trevalo said. "By the way, once the Ulrigan trading route is set, I can bring more than wheat—soap, cloth, iron tools, and even luxury goods if you want. Ulriga has everything."
"That might help us later," Kivamus said, "but for now, wheat and other edible goods are our highest priority with our limited funds. Let's focus on that and keep the rest for the future."
Trevalo stood and brushed his palms together, all businesslike. "Then we have a deal!"
Kivamus rose and offered his hand. "We do. Bring the next wheat shipnt as soon as you can, and travel carefully. If this works, it will help both of us for a long ti."
Trevalo shook on it. "Don't worry, my lord. I'll make sure that it works out." He turned to go, then hesitated. "About my wagon drivers—they are tired. That bumpy forest track is never easy to travel. I'll still take a room at the alehouse, and I'd normally have arranged for them to sleep on the tavern floor, but I am a little short on coin... Can you help out here? Even the stable floor will be good enough."
"Don't worry, I'll see to it," Kivamus said. "It's the least we can do for you after you've been so helpful to us. It's already approaching noon, so we can't help them for breakfast, but their lunch and dinner is on us for today. Duvas, get so space cleared in the stables, and put so hay on the floor. I don't want them sleeping in their wagons tonight. Arrange so food for them with our guards."
"Understood," Duvas said. "I'll speak to the stable master and Madam Nerida. The Rizako mushrooms are still coming in regularly, so she can easily stretch the stew. With the wheat we bought today, we'll even be able to bake so fresh bread for everyone."
The rchant gave a grateful nod. "They'll appreciate that. A roof and hot food go a long way."
As Trevalo left the hall, Kivamus's attention shifted to the practical steps. "Duvas, prepare the letter by afternoon and hand it to him before he leaves. Note the total credit clearly—348 gold until now, plus whatever the next Cinran load costs. Also, put in that request about Trevalo naming Cinran as the buyer when he's dealing in Ulriga, so he doesn't forget it. I want Tiranat kept out of any gossip there."
"I'll handle it," Duvas said. "I'll add your seal and keep a copy for our strongbox."
"Good. Send word to Hudan—tell him I want four guards to join Trevalo's caravan this ti. He can hold back one hunting group for this, so the other group can bring so more at. Once they've returned from Cinran along with the next delivery, as well as the four new rented wagons, we'll add four more guards to ride escort. Hudan can pick the n—preferably those who have previous experience of escorting caravans. Make sure to include Tesyb in that group so he can try to convince his sister about moving here."
"I'll find the captain," Duvas said. "He was in the yard earlier with the training group."
Kivamus stepped to the open window. The low churn of voices and hoofbeats drifted inside. In the yard beyond, servants were already rolling away loaded wheelbarrows from the wagons. The first sack from the second wagon ca off as he watched, then another was thumped carefully onto the wheelbarrow, before a servant started pushing it towards the grain storage barn. A groom was already leading the tired horses toward water. He stayed there a mont, sorting the multitude of plans in his head.
He called out to the majordomo who had already reached the outer door. "Duvas, when you draft the written guarantee, add one more line clearly—that the guards we lend won't draw pay from him. They're ours. But in return, the savings on his end will co back to us in the coal price he offers once the Ulriga route starts. I don't want him to renege on this just because it wasn't written down."
"I'll put it in," Duvas said. "Do you want to inform Cedoron as well? If coal production needs to rise, he'll want to plan iron orders for forging new tools, more safety lamps, and so on. We still can't make those lamps fast enough, so we'll have to ask the village chandler to make more candles for lighting the mines. We have enough tallow for it these days, and we can pay him with the gold we saved today."
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