In the end it didn’t take much for Choice to join Robert Cloister’s caravan. Money as always was the answer to all questions. Even though she had left the palace without any guards following her, she didn’t leave without any resources. She had gotten some allowance from her father, after all, she was the only Princess of Legume. More surprising was her mother.
Sera had given her a thousand and five hundred gold. Choice had been shocked. This had been the first time her mother had given her money. However, she had calmed down when her mother told her that only five hundred gold belonged to her. The other thousand was to be used to ‘persuade’ people. Choice thought to herself that the gold was what her mother was really depending on to entice the people on her list and not on Choice’s diplomatic ability. Also, any remaining money from the thousand gold was to be returned to her mother.
Choice was going to make sure to persuade a lot of people. Thanks for the cash Mother. I will use it well for sure. Still, I can the five hundred as much as I want. Choice put her hand in her pouch and fingered the gold. Even though she was a princess, she’d never held more than a hundred gold before in her life. Which was how much her father had given her as allowance. Choice wondered again where her mother was getting all this money. First she spent over fifty five thousand on her brother’s proofing (the thought still hurt) and now she had casually handed over a thousand five. Oh well, I have enough time. I was thinking about starting my own business and generating my own source of income but there’s nothing wrong with ‘borrowing’ a little from my mother.
Anyway, all it took was a little talking, a little money (around ten gold, Choice had hoped to pay less but Robert was insistent) and they were allowed to join the caravan no questions asked. Choice wondered how many people were able to slip out of the capital like this without being caught. It had benefited her now but when she got the throne, she would have to tighten up the capital’s security.
Still I’m out. I’m starting my own adventure. Choice smiled and stuck her head out the wagon window to look at the rapidly disappearing capital gates. She was carrying some cash and was beginning her road to the throne. Nothing could bring her mood down.
Fucking bandits, Choice cursed internally. It had been five days of blissful companionship between the Cloister caravan and her wagon. She had paid to accompany them to the city of Loth. A city seven days away from the capital as well as the closest city to the capital with a temple to the moon spirit.
It had been a smooth journey. She’d engaged in constant conversation with Robert and had learnt quite a lot on the way money worked in the country as well as how merchants worked. Robert knew a lot for a minor merchant. Of course these conversations did not come cheap, Choice had had to pay around twenty silver for every talk they had. Robert was a thrifty man.
At night she spoke with the other merchants in the Cloister group over alcohol. Choice didn’t like drinking and this affected how much she learnt from these people but she at least learnt something. And this was that many merchants didn’t like the current monarch.
That wasn’t a surprise. The crown was always in conflict with people who liked to make money. No what was surprising was the information she learnt about places that were far and not so far from the capital.
“What do you mean that there’s a starvation crisis in Loth. It’s not very close to the capital but this is Legume. People don’t starve here. That sounds impossible,” Choice said, shaking her head in disbelief. Although to be frank, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is true. It only adds more fire to my desire to rule over this land. Surely I would be a better ruler than my father. Rachel quirked her lips at Choice’s words but chose to stay silent, her figure lit by the campfire.
Other members of the caravan were not so diplomatic.
“Ha, I bet you’ve never left your home before. People who live on rented land always enjoy the fruit of Legumian labour,” A stout man mocked, clutching his jug of wine. “Yeah, people say Legume is blessed and all that but if everyone just ate from the ground, who would work. How would those fucktard nobles earn money.”
“Oliver…” Someone said softly, trying to calm down the talking merchant.
“Ah leave me be, Titus. The pretty boy wants to know how things are in Legume. I bet he belongs to one of them organisations, although I thought they only used pure blooded Legumes. Well listen to me boy, you go back and tell your master that the King is bloody useless and people are suffering. Now if you don’t want to drink nothing, fuck off and let me continue drinking.” Oliver finished his diatribe and took a large gulp of his wine, then bared his coloured teeth at Choice.
“I’m not in any organisation,” Choice said, trying to assure the visibly upset man but Oliver scoffed and kept on drinking.
“Deka, maybe we should leave him be,” Rachel said. Choice was certain that she had been opposite her a few moments before but Rachel was now beside her. More proof that she’s not ordinary. Choice said nothing but walked away from the gathering back to her wagon.
“You’ll have to forgive Oliver,” A voice said behind her. Choice turned around and saw Robert walking towards her. Robert Cloister seemed to be either in his late twenties or early thirties and was already the head of a merchant group, a testament to his skills and prowess. He wasn’t a particularly tall man but he was slightly taller than average with brown hair and nondescript facial features.
Choice was certain that he didn’t believe the story she’d told him about buying food products for a rented area but as long as he took her money and didn’t ask too many questions, she was fine. It wasn’t like he could guess that she was the nation’s princess, after all, she had never being presented to the general public. That only happened to the King’s sons.
“I’m not upset, just surprised. Do you know why he reacted like that?”
“Yes and I wouldn’t mind telling you but I would prefer to talk in a less public place. Would you like to come in Mr Deka?” Robert asked gesturing to his carriage. It was in the middle of the procession and was comfortable to stay in for a few days.
Choice nodded in agreement and gestured to Rachel to wait outside the carriage. It was suitably furnished and looked more like a home than a traveling vehicle. Choice supposed that Robert may spend more time in this carriage than at any house he had. She rejected his offer of refreshments and took a seat, eager to get more information on what was happening in her kingdom.
“Oliver’s story is sad but common. He recently joined our group because the taxation on his town had increased but so had the bandits. A lone merchant is a tempting sight to those beasts. Around a month ago, his sworn brother died in a bandit attack and he blames the government.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Ah, you really don’t come out often , Mr Deka. In his eyes, if the government hadn’t increased the tax and yet heavily restricted people from using the land, they wouldn’t have had to go on that dangerous trip and his friend wouldn’t have died.”
“Oh. I’m sorry, I didn’t know,” said Choice astonished, “But it sounded like he didn’t like people who live on rented land and me specifically.”
“People who live on rented land are the crown jewel of this nation and as for you. Aren’t you a noble? Or someone important?”
“No, I’m not. I’m just a normal worker.”
“No worker on rented land is normal. Particularly when they’re from the Queen’s country. And I’m sorry to point it out to you but if you’re trying to claim to be a commoner, it won’t work. You’re a commoner and yet you’re walking around with enough money to pay me for our conversations and also to join my caravan. You’re a commoner and yet your clothes look new and stylish and are made of smooth cotton. Also, I noticed no calluses on your hand when I shook you earlier and your skin is quite smooth. Most importantly, you have the bearing of being someone important. If you were me, would you consider someone like you to be normal?”
Choice looked at him with surprise. She’d thought she’d hidden all the clues to her identity but it seemed like she was an open book in his eyes. Was she bad at disguises or was everyone this good at measuring others? For the first time, Choice thought to herself about whether she had underestimated this mission. But there was nothing else to do. If she had stayed in the palace, she would have enjoyed opulence and wealth but she all those things came with strings attached and she did not want to become anyone’s puppet.
Choice smiled strainingly at Robert and spoke after a few seconds of silence in a low tone of voice, “It seems like I’ve underestimated Mr Cloister. You think differently from normal people. Ah you sure you don’t want to join the police or better yet become a storyteller.”
“Thanks for the compliment,” Robert responded with a wide smile, “But I’m really not that smarter that other people and I’m satisfied being an ordinary merchant.”
“I bet you’d love adding extra to that description and I didn’t say you were smarter. I just said you thought differently, stop complimenting yourself,” Choice joked outwardly but looked cautiously at him. Her hands drifted towards her pocket. While two of her knives were on display for everyone to see, her third blade was hidden away in her pocket. If Robert became a problem, Choice did not mind removing him. It would be a pain to deal with the rest of the caravan but Choice wouldn’t mind revealing her abilities to deal with them. The only problem would be taking care of Rachel as well. No matter what she had told her, Rachel wasn’t cannon fodder; no one who was able to fight with aura was. Still, if she was fast enough, it would be possible. However, Choice would really like it if the situation never came to that, it would be so troublesome.
“Haha, extra as in extraordinary, I get the joke. No really, I’m happy with what I’ve got.”
“Really? If you’re so satisfied, then why did you let me join your caravan?” Choice’s hand was now touching the knife. The wrong answer and Robert would be dead before he hit the floor.
“Why? Isn’t it simple? Because you offered me money?”
“What?” That was not the answer I was expecting. Although, what exactly was I expecting? For him to start monologuing about his blackmailing or kidnapping attempts? You’ve got to stop reading so many books… Although, it’s not like I could read any “unnecessary fiction” at Perpetual. Stop thinking of Perpetual...
“Are you surprised? Don’t be. Do you know what I made at the Capital after selling my goods and buying more products? A hundred gold. But you’re able to pay ten gold to join my caravan, a tenth of what I earned, easily and you have no companions apart from Mr Richard. Why wouldn’t I let you join me? Especially when I can earn such easy money every time we talk. Speaking of that…” Robert gestured at Choice with his palm facing up.
Choice looked at him for a moment, then rolled her eyes at his shamelessness. She let go of the knife and move her hands to the money pouch. She brought out some silver, counted out twenty silver and then put the rest back in her pouch; all without looking away from Robert.
Robert’s eyes shined looking at Choice’s actions and as soon as the silver touched his palm, the money disappeared as if it had been an illusion.
“I guess the rumours about merchants are true,” Choice said airily. She was actually quite happy. She didn’t have to kill anyone and make a mess.
“Ah who doesn’t like money? Especially when it comes to you without a big fight,” Robert asked, his eyes still shining but he spoke with a lighter tone. An astute person like him, perhaps he had sensed the danger he had escaped.
“Nobody,” Choice answered, “Still, can you speak with Oliver? I’m really not with any organisations. I was just surprised when I heard there was a starvation crisis in Loth. I’ve never left the rented area before and I had always thought of Legume as a place where everyone can eat their fill.” Even though Robert had guessed correctly that she was not a common person, there was no way that she was going to actually going to confirm his guesses. She was stubborn like that.
Robert did not comment on her stubbornness. The person with the money was King. “Sure, I’ll speak to Oliver. It wouldn’t be good for anyone if our sides came to blows. But could you help out by staying separately from the other merchants, your companion as well, for the rest of the time both of you are with us?”
Choice had been unhappy and had been ready to make a complaint when a voice screamed in the night, “Bandits!”
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