The Merchant Who Would be King

Goblin Quest

They returned to the hamlet, Hadiin with a decided spring in his step, visions of gold coins in his head. The sky was suddenly bluer, the day, like his prospects, was brighter.

Then they emerged from the forest onto the hamlet's dirt streets and, surrounded by the little huts and shabby population, reality came crashing down. Hadiin came to an abrupt stop, the smile melting off his face.

Marian turned to him with a worried and confused expression. "What's wrong?"

"It seems that I've been getting a bit ahead of myself," he muttered.

"What do you mean?"

He sighed and watched a pair of chickens run past. "I mean that my ambition outstrips our current environment."

"Huh?"

"Well, there's no point in putting my brilliant idea into practice right now because the people here are too poor to buy anything. We'd hardly make a single silver piece in this village."

She shrugged. "Ok. So? We sell whatever you wanted to sell here and then go on to the next town later."

He shook his head. "Market advantage. Right now, we have it because I've just come up with a new idea. But the moment we put our idea into production, someone will come along and copy it. It is just an idea, after all. And if they have more money and means than we do, then they'll take off with our idea, leaving us in the dust of poverty."

"Ah, ok. What do we do?"

"Capital. Resources. We need to make sure that we have enough in place to not only be first to market but also to carve ourselves out a niche and grow so fast that it will discourage casual competition."

"So we need more money and a bigger town to sell our stuff in. What are we selling, by the way? You haven't said."

He ignored that last part. Better he kept the idea to himself, for now. "Right, capital and a bigger town. Is the next town nearby?"

She nodded and pointed north. "Just over that ways. It's an overnight walk, I think." She cocked her head. "Ok, I assume whatever we're doing has something to do with cryo slime. But how are we going to collect enough to sell? And how are we going to carry it all to the next town? Neither of us have magic bags."

"Excellent critical thinking, Marian!" he enthused, moving deeper into the village.

She smiled at that, suddenly flustered and hurried to follow.

He clapped his hands and strode with determination. "You're absolutely correct: our carrying capacity is far too low at the moment. As merchants, that will be a severe handicap. Ergo...ah." He changed direction and made for a farm on the edge of the village.

The farm was small, of course. Grain grew in a large square plot next to a crude wood-and-thatch home. A horse munched from a trough next to the house. A covered wagon sat by the edge of the field.

Hadiin waved and smiled at the man working the garden next to the field. "Hello, and good day, sir!"

The farmer was lean and older, with a mostly-bald head and gnarled hands around his hoe. He slowly straightened up with a groan. "Afternoon. What can I do ya fer?"

"Your wagon and horse. I would like to purchase them," Hadiin confidently announced.

The farmer laughed. "And how would I get to Belleville town, way over yonder? Or transport anything? Like this here grain, come harvest time." He chuckled.

"I'm sure that we can make an arrangement for future transportation in that regard," Hadiin answered. "But for right now, I'd like to buy the pair: horse and wagon. How much, my good man?"