Great Journey: Whims of Fate

Chapter 156. Final Arrangements

Bastion, Seraphina, Lilia, Ariel, and Elyra sat together in the castle garden, gathered in a gazebo with tea laid out on the table, discussing their final preparations before leaving. Excitement buzzed through them, spurred on by the fatigue of their long, monotonous stay in the castle.

Sure, they had occasionally gone on trips over the past few decades, but never far or for long. At most, they had visited the three duchies and explored their borders, but most of the time they had been fully focused on their production work, stats, arts, and skills.

“The carriages have been built and upgraded to handle Rank 3 enemies. We’ve exchanged most of the duchy’s income for the cheapest goods the Kingdom of Brilliance can produce. Our inventory alone could earn us a thousand magic crystals if we sold everything here,” Bastion listed out before continuing.

“Everyone has reached Rank 2, and with Elyra’s Primal Cook class, it won’t take long to max out our stats. Our equipment is all Rank 2 and enchanted beyond reason thanks to Lilia’s eyesight. The only things we’re missing are a merchant’s license from the Merchants Guild, a map of the surrounding kingdoms from the Adventurers Guild, information on Seraphina’s new income from the Mages Guild, and officially giving up the title of duke,” Bastion finished.

“I can go ahead to the Mages Guild and find out the specifics,” Seraphina suggested. “Then I’ll swing by the Merchants Guild for the license. I don’t know what to do about the map though. We need to drop our titles before we can buy one from them.”

Because of the debt attached to the duke title, they weren’t allowed to purchase a map to plan their escape. They had to remain and pay it off, so traveling to other kingdoms wasn’t permitted until then. It was one of the major limitations that came with the debt.

“I’ll take care of the Adventurers Guild,” Ariel said. “I’m not married to Bastion like Seraphina or Lilia, and I don’t have an official designation like Elyra, so technically I’m just a solo adventurer as far as the Empire and the Guilds are concerned.”

“Sure, it should just be a quick visit for the both of you,” Bastion said.

They continued discussing the specifics of their preparation, including their plan to visit everyone they personally knew in the kingdom to say goodbye. They also discussed organizing and storing all the resources they planned to take with them.

By the end of their discussion, Seraphina set off by carriage for the closest Mages Guild in Brightstone. Once she arrived in the city and stood in front of the magic tower, she entered, walked to the receptionist’s desk, and asked for the necessary details.

“Hello, I’d like to inquire about the specifics of selling skill scrolls to the Mages Guild,” Seraphina requested.

The receptionist looked up from her book, her eyes widening as she recognized the duke’s wife. She quickly set the book aside and gave Seraphina her full attention before answering as accurately as she could.

“If you require materials to produce the skill scrolls, you’ll only get 10% of the selling price and you won’t get paid until your specific scroll is bought. If you provide your own materials, you’ll only get 15%. If the skill you’re selling is considered rare, which is highly unlikely given the Guild’s access to all the different classes on the continent, then the guild is willing to purchase it at 30%.”

Doing a bit of quick math, Seraphina figured she could easily multiply the cost of the materials they had in stock by making skill scrolls out of everything. The profit margin was huge for the most basic options, with greater options going up to three times the base value of 10% of the selling price at 10 platinum coins for an Apprentice Rank common skill scroll, 1 mithril coin for a Rank 1 common skill scroll, and 10 mithril coins for a Rank 2 common skill scroll.

Unfortunately, her specific skill scroll would have to be bought first, and given the Guild’s ability and politics, she doubted she would ever actually receive her profits. It seemed almost like a scam on the Guild’s end until she realized there were probably plenty of Scribes throughout the continent filling the Mages Guild’s inventory. It made sense why organizations would go to great lengths to have their own Scribe, as all the profits would go to them rather than the Guild.

“Are there any rules for selling skill scrolls?” Seraphina asked.

“None at all. You can go ahead and try to outprice us. Most Scribes make their money by opening their own stores or running caravans. The guild has access to every kingdom on the continent, so it’s hardly affected by competition.”

Seraphina’s eyes widened in realization. There were plenty of Scribes, but none could cover every kingdom on the continent. At most, a Scribe could fulfill the demand of a few cities or perhaps a quarter of a kingdom before their mana regeneration could no longer keep up. That explained why the prices were so high.

All a Scribe had to do was pick a kingdom without competition and control it for the rest of their life, growing richer by the day. Unfortunately, this went against their current plan to travel, so their only option was to sell as a merchant caravan.

“Thank you,” Seraphina said before making her way out of the Mages Guild.

Her next stop was the Merchants Guild at the center of the market in Brightstone. It was a building twice the size of the average house in the city, roughly the size of a well-off tavern. Its windows revealed mostly office spaces, and at the back stood a large warehouse used to store goods.

Once she made her way inside, she went straight for the receptionist’s desk, ignoring the greedy stares she received from the other patrons in the hall. Nobles were cash cows, after all, and having connections to one could mean the difference between guaranteed pay and a risky trade, especially for someone as rich as Seraphina, who was known for her exceptional skills in alchemy.

Unsurprisingly, she was recognized and given the proper respect afforded to a noble.

“Welcome, Your Grace. How may we be of assistance today?” the receptionist, a pretty young lady, asked.

“I’d like to register for a caravan license under my name.”

“That will be 20 silver coins, Your Grace, and you’ll need to sign this,” the receptionist said, placing an empty form on the desk. “Just sign your name on the bottom line, and I’ll take care of filling out the paperwork.”

“Thank you,” Seraphina said, doing as instructed while placing a gold coin on the table. “Keep the change.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

The receptionist received both the payment and the signed document before beginning to fill it out. As she was about to suggest that Seraphina wait in the lounge, Seraphina interrupted her with a question.

“Do I still need to get a crafter’s license from the Crafters Guild to guarantee my product’s quality?”

“You may, Your Grace, if you plan to sell your goods here in the kingdom, but I wouldn’t recommend it if you intend to sell elsewhere. Each kingdom has its own standards for quality, so you and any crafters who produced the goods would need to be tested to obtain a license of equivalent rank. It is a hassle best left for when you intend to sell all your goods at the highest quality.”

“You speak as if I were planning to leave the kingdom.”

“Just a common point of contention, Your Grace. We get plenty of merchants who try to place a guarantee on their goods, only to be told that the source of the products must be verified by the Crafters Guild in the Kingdom of Brilliance in order to justify a higher price. Otherwise, they are treated as general goods without a quality guarantee, relying only on the merchant’s reputation.”

“I see,” Seraphina said with a nod.

It was a pity, considering the license could add anywhere from 10% to 20% above market value. Still, it wasn’t that important given their plans to continuously buy and sell goods as they traveled. It was better to, as the receptionist said, wait until they had a major deal that would earn them the most profit.

While Seraphina waited for the paperwork to be finished and for her license to be issued, Ariel was at the Adventurers Guild in a standoff with the Guild Master in his office. He was a gaunt man with eye bags, unkempt hair, and sharp eyes, looking like he hadn’t slept in a week.

“For the last time, I can’t sell you the bloody map until your husband passes his title,” the man shouted.

“And for the hundredth time,” Ariel shot back, “I’m not married to him.”

“Everyone knows you’re practically part of his harem. It would put the credibility of the Adventurers Guild into question if he suddenly left the kingdom with the title still attached to him.”

Ariel was about to argue further when a thought struck her, suspicion slowly creeping in.

“What do you want?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.

The Guild Master smiled, clearly appreciating her wit. It had taken some back and forth, but she had managed to figure it out in the end.

“I want the Adventurers Guild’s payout doubled, with the policy made irrevocable by the next duke. Times have been hard since the stampede nearly a century ago. We haven’t been getting many requests to fulfill, either because the surroundings have been cleared or the criminals have been scared away. Either way, we could use an infusion of funds.”

Ariel raised a brow, not fully understanding the implications of the request, so she wrote it down on a piece of paper and dropped it into her shadow. The paper vanished as it touched the floor. A minute later, a delicate, pale hand emerged from the darkness and placed it back into her grasp, now holding a response for her to relay.

“Bastion says he can agree to a maximum of 20%. Beyond that, the duchy would suffer significantly whenever a stampede occurs. He also added that this is his gift as well as his bottom line. If you refuse to accept, he doesn’t mind visiting the Adventurers Guild in Aurenthal to grab a map on our way out. Also, register us as a harem party once the announcement in a week is made, and include all the information Rank 2 adventurers should know when starting their Great Journey.”

The Guild Master nodded, accepting the compromise without fuss. He had to admit that Bastion was an exceptional duke, far beyond his predecessors, considering how orderly the duchy had become and the significant increase in its wealth since he took the position.

“You have a deal,” he said, a smile spreading across his face that seemed to take a huge burden off his shoulders.

They finalized the paperwork, with Elyra helping everyone sign it, before Ariel was handed a few books and a heavily enchanted box labeled “God’s Continent.”

With her business complete, Ariel left the Adventurers Guild and found Seraphina waiting in the carriage just outside. It seemed she had managed to finish her business at the Merchants Guild just in time.

Now they were ready to leave, with only Bastion’s title of duke standing in their way.

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