The Merchant and Tavern Master

Brothers Night

"Brother Takahiko, can we talk tonight at Uncle Liu's tavern?" Kunihiko asked.

It was after we finished our dinner. Sofia insisted on helping Mother clean up the dishes, despite being told she didn't have to since she was a guest in our house. Her stubbornness and genuine desire to help seemed to win my mother's heart.

"Sorry, but tonight I must accompany Sofia since she's new here. I don't want to leave her alone," I replied.

"It's okay, Takahiko. I'll be fine," Sofia reassured.

"Why don't we bring her along?" Wakahiko suggested.

"Don't be ridiculous! Liu's tavern at night is not suitable for girls," Mother disagreed. "You boys can go, I'll keep Sofia company. Is that okay with you, Sofia?"

"Yes, I would love to chat more with you, ma'am," Sofia responded warmly.

"If Sofia is alright with that, then I guess we'll go," I concluded.

As we brothers gathered for drinks at our usual place, just like we often did in the past, we ordered our drinks and began discussing the future plans for our family.

"So, it's decided that Mother will accompany me to Goldkorb. The tavern master has already given her approval, so I plan to return in maybe two days," I started.

"I'll be staying for a while. The knight guards' initial assessment will be held in two weeks," Wakahiko chimed in.

"Which means I'll be the one taking care of the home in the meantime, huh?" Kunihiko mumbled with a hint of dejection.

"Do you want to start traveling, Kunihiko?" I asked, curious about his thoughts.

"Actually, I've been considering whether I should start selling something already, but there's something that's been bothering me about your idea, brother Takahiko," Kunihiko expressed, his brows furrowing with concern.

"And what might that be?" I inquired, eager to hear his thoughts.

"I appreciate all the knowledge of trading you've imparted to me, and I'm confident to say that I understand the fundamentals," Kunihiko began, his expression serious. "But let's say I started trading just like you did, brother Takahiko. I wonder how long it would take for us to build our wealth significantly."

"Oh, how significant are you thinking, Kunihiko?" I inquired, curious about his aspirations.

"I'm talking about a total sum so large that we can live without any worries and never have to work again," he explained.

"Hahaha, that sounds quite ridiculous, Kunihiko. How can people get money without work?" Wakahiko chimed in, chuckling at the idea.

"No, wait! I've seen how the lord doesn't have to work in the fields, yet he still accumulates vast wealth," Kunihiko argued. "This land is his property, and we can live here in exchange for our labor, right? But most of the lord's wealth comes from the grain he sells to the kingdom. Have you not noticed how many carriages come after every harvest, purchasing the grain in large quantities?"

"So, what's your point?" I asked, intrigued by his line of thought.

"I've calculated the increment of the wealth accumulated each month using your trading method, and then compared it to the amount the lord gains from selling the harvest each year. After deducting our monthly expenses, the number we accumulate in a year is still despairingly low!" Kunihiko's tone grew more intense. "Even if we work like horses until we grow old, we won't reach the amount needed to live leisurely without doing anything."

I listened attentively to Kunihiko's explanation, realizing that he was pondering about something I had also contemplated in the early days of our trading ventures. It pleased me to see him thinking about the bigger picture and considering ways to achieve what I might not be able to at the moment.