Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 506 The Night at the Inn

It's not just businessmen who enjoy using business jargon; after uttering a classic line that left the other person speechless, the mage continued:
"If I want partners, there are plenty of wealthy and powerful organizations willing to invest, but what I want is a golden glove that can bring about change in the territory."

“I have investigated the past and present of your Golden Alfalfa. There’s no need to look at me like that. Many members of your chamber of commerce have left since that incident. If you want to know, there’s always a way.”

"Then, Your Excellency Wizard, Lord, since you are aware of the current situation of our merchant guild, what can we do for you?"

At this moment, the old chairman regained his composure. The other party, though seemingly forceful and aggressive, had also revealed his own demands. Besides…

The situation is the same no matter what, how much worse can it get?

For a mere adventure captain to have transformed into a dignified mage lord, it would be somewhat beneath his dignity to come and recruit a declining merchant guild like ours. If we were to continue to resist and offend him, he would simply leave without a trace, leaving us with nothing but regret.

So what if you sell yourself into servitude? Countless people would love to sell themselves into servitude but can't even get that opportunity!

Is it really more pleasant for a business association to live a miserable life with its future already bleak than to have a big tree to lean on for shade?

Of course, it would be even better if we could fight for some rights.

The subsequent negotiations went quite smoothly. After the initial probing, both sides had a clear understanding of the situation, and the discussions within the established framework were much more relaxed.

"My lord, may we, the merchant guild, delay in Waterdeep for a while until the aftermath of dealing with those assets and personnel is completed before proceeding to your territory?"

"Yes, but large-scale production of soap will take time. You should integrate your existing resources. Deepwater City is the largest city-state in the North and is not too far from the territory, so it will be an important market in the future."

"That's naturally unnecessary."

All the chamber of commerce members responded with smiles, and the atmosphere was no longer as tense and worried as before.

They couldn't help but laugh, for the contract, signed and finalized, clearly stated in black and white the sales commission of Golden Alfalfa on the special items.

They receive a 25% cut of the profits from goods sold through their channels, and within the territory of Deepwater City, this percentage is increased to 40%.

After all, this is their base of operations, and they have retained some stores and channels. The extra portion can be considered as dividends from their existing business.

Don't be fooled by the fact that it's only 15%. There's a crucial premise to understand: Deepwater City is the largest city-state in the Sword Coast. The title of Crown of the North is not just self-proclaimed. Its nearly two million permanent residents are an astonishing number that all the other Northland city-states combined cannot match.

The significance of population in the commercial market is self-evident, especially since Deep Water City is a bustling metropolis renowned for its commerce.

While the mage appears to have ceded a significant portion of the profits, there is a crucial point that neither side explicitly acknowledges but both are aware of—costs.

No matter how high the profit sharing is, it still depends on the supplier's attitude. The system devised by Master Zhang, who controls the fundamentals of goods production, is essentially the referee himself playing the game, which is truly unsolvable.

Fortunately, he was there to recruit talent, so he didn't act like a predatory bird, disregarding all decorum. He left plenty of room for profit. "Let's do it this way. I'll come back in about a week (a week in Faerun is ten days). I hope you'll be settled by then and ready to head north to the high cliffs."

After speaking, the mage stepped out of the mansion gate amidst the respectful farewells of the crowd. The light from the teleportation portal and the last rays of the setting sun faded away at the same time, and his figure disappeared into the darkness and silence.

"Welcome to Habasser's General Store, esteemed fellow traveler, a gold coin is at your service."

This time I didn't run into any familiar faces. After paying the fee as required, I left the Mage Tower and arrived at the bustling city gate area of ​​Baldur's Gate.

As evening approached and dusk fell, the once bustling streets became much quieter. Instead of rushing to visit Duke Flamefist's mansion at this hour, the mage went to the nearby Elf Song Inn.

One of Baldur's Gate's most luxurious hotels is located in the Gates district, near the Hábthors Tower, presumably due to considerations of the spending power of its clientele and security.

Pushing open the tavern's main door, secured with copper nails and iron bars, one is greeted by the light and melodious tunes of the lute and harp. Before one's eyes, sweet waitresses in cool and beautiful short skirts flit back and forth like butterflies, carrying trays full of wine glasses.

As each glittering little darling was stuffed into the already bulging, heavy bosoms of their clothes, the smiles on the girls' faces became even more genuine and endearing.

Speaking of which, the style of Elf Song is much higher than its peers. Although it also plays some ambiguous and borderline games, its main stage rarely features strippers on stage, striking poses and throwing off their bras or other vulgar tricks. They play with art and high society!
To simply strip naked, exposing one's shoulders and skin, is considered vulgar and obscene. But what if a group of well-proportioned, beautiful half-elf men and women were draped in sheer silk garments, dancing a magnificent and elegant dance?

That's called the beauty of the human body, that's called art!

Not to mention their clear and melodious voices, comparable to those of larks, some even reaching the level of professional bards.

The high-level, high-class song and dance troupe naturally greatly enhanced the hotel's prestige, attracting frequent visits from nearby mage apprentices and some less successful low-level mages.

Numerous rumors recount with certainty the ambiguous relationships between these half-elf entertainers and their mage patrons, or vividly depict the romantic escapades of certain patrons who, after enjoying a song and dance performance, suddenly fall in love with several dancers and spend the night with them.

These romantic tales have made many unsavory passersby feel envious. There's no way around it; high-class status inevitably means high barriers to entry. It's not as simple as just throwing a gold coin and someone will become your VIP.

The mage strolled slowly, enjoying the beautiful dance of the half-elf dancers, before finally arriving at the hotel counter. Other guests occasionally glanced at him, but it wasn't too unusual; they would quickly look away to avoid offending him.

Just as he was about to tap the table with his fingers, the bartender, who had been wiping the glasses with a cloth, suddenly adjusted his posture, bowing respectfully in greeting:
"Your Excellency, is there anything I can do for you?"

"Hmm, a tomato meat sauce lasagna and some gin,"

As he spoke, Zhang Yuan glanced at the crowded audience around the stage and pointed to a quieter corner:
"Put it on that table, and prepare one of your best bedrooms for me."

Leaving aside the bartender who hurriedly went to instruct the kitchen maids to prepare food and lodging, the mage, who had been lounging in his chair, leisurely began to appreciate the exotic art and culture of the Faerûn race.

Thank you to Wanliutongyuan, Haifeiduya, and Jakiro_J for your monthly ticket support!
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(End of this chapter)