Chapter 245 – Trust

Chapter 245 – Trust

 

“Of course I trust you.” Kai looked at the scaly features of the merman, taken aback by his sudden seriousness. Despite never having spent much time together, Reishi was one of his oldest friends and had always done right by him.

The merfolk leaned back in his chair, covering his face with a webbed hand. “You’re unbelievable,” he mumbled with a reluctant smile.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Do you have any idea how much all of this is worth?” Reishi waved at the bounty of mana treasures. “Without mentioning the stuff still in your spatial ring.”

“I don’t know,” Kai shrugged. “Probably a lot of money?” Enough that even a trip to the gilded villas in the capital’s upper city wouldn’t change his mind.

Reishi grabbed onto the edge of the mahogany desk—he might have slammed his head on the lacquered surface if a pink gem wasn’t occupying that space. “It’s not just a lot, Kai. I could double my fortune overnight. I’ve only seen most of these items in dusty old tomes.”

Hmm… Guess I’m proper rich then.

Even if he only sold a part of his hoard, money wouldn’t be an issue for a long while. “I really appreciate you helping me sell them.” The merman would undoubtedly make more if he bought them directly; it wasn’t as if Kai could go to anyone else. “You know I can still give you forty percent?”

“I don’t want more mesars!” Reishi glowered at him, then took a sharp breath. “Kai.” He uttered the word like a curse, lacing his fingers to keep his hands still. “This is the type of money most people kill for. Depths! I could hire a fourth-layer assassin and be spoiled for choice. The Republic wouldn’t even come looking for me since you’re officially dead!”

You really thought this through, huh? Though if you had any nefarious intentions, you wouldn’t be telling me this.

He wished Hobbes still sat in his lap for a distraction. Alas, the furball had blinked away after receiving his daily dose of belly rubs. “I guess it’s good that I came to you first, uh?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty damn excellent!” Reishi’s elbow hit the armrest of his seat. Swallowing a pained curse, he pointed a sharp finger at his nose. “I forbid you from speaking about this! The Republic will be the least of your problems if anyone else gets a whiff of how much wealth you’re carrying.”

“I can take care of myself.” Kai pursed his lips. “And I’m no fool. I’ll know the moment anyone thinks of harming me.”

The merman held his gaze, the fire gradually replaced by worried patience. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say you’re stupid. But you are ignorant. You have no idea what the world is like outside the archipelago. I’ve seen bandits murder for a fistful of silvers. For this much gold? Even honest people will be tempted to push aside their morals.”

The anguished honesty in Reishi’s pale blue eyes doused Kai’s mood. “Please, trust me. No matter what skills you have, there will always be someone out there with a counter that you won’t be able to predict.”

Well… he knows more of the world than me.

“I won’t let anyone suspect a thing.”

“Good. Now we need to decide what to do with your goods.”

Kai scratched his earlobe. “Can’t you hold on to them till you find a buyer and pay me back?”

“Haven’t you been listening to me?” The merman said, clearly exasperated. “I will have to look deep into the mainland to find appropriate buyers, and that will take time. You can’t just give them to me.”

“Hmm… It’s not that I don’t follow. But why not, exactly?”

Reishi slumped in his armchair, his colorful crest wobbling. “Because you don’t just give a barrel of gold to someone and trust them to bring it back.”

“I assumed there would be a contract.”

“Yes, with someone who’s officially dead. How do you think that will go over in front of a judge? Contracts are worthless without laws to uphold them.”

Hmm… being dead will be a bigger problem than I imagined.

“Well, Reishi.” Kai nailed the merman with his gaze, channeling the intensity Moui and Flynn had made fun of him for. “Are you going to rob me?”

Reishi gulped, wide-eyed. “No, but—”

“Do you pinky swear?” He extended his little finger like a dagger. The merfolk looked baffled by the request, but still shook it mutely after some prodding.

Kai fought to keep his face in a stoic composure. “See, I have little to worry about then.” Without Improvisation, the corner of his mouth curved upward the slightest amount. Reishi didn’t seem to notice. He stared on blankly, looking like he wasn’t even breathing.

Ehm… Did I break him? How do I restart a merman? A splash of seawater or a cup of tea?

“I said that I trust you. What else is there to add?”

Reishi finally blinked. “I see…” He took out ink and paper from a drawer, drafting a contract with mechanical movements. “The Republic holds a monopoly on soul paper and gems, but we can sign this in the name of House Tajira that my family belongs. I’ll be disowned and banned from returning to Kesyu if I dishonor the name.”

“Okay.” Kai bobbed his head, though he only understood half of what the merman had said. If this helped Reishi rest easy, he was happy to go along. “Where do I need to sign? After carefully reading each word, of course.” His grin received a pointy scowl.

“Blessed Waters, please don’t joke about that. I can feel my scales turning gray and craggy, I’ve already lost a decade from this conversation. I should charge you for that.”

“Please do.”

The merman gritted his pointy teeth. “I hate you.”

“Then you should rob me.”

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Reishi flared a deeper shade of blue, holding his quill as if he were ready to stab him. “I’ll need a few minutes to add up the items and their estimated price.” He furiously scribbled in the only free corner of the table.

If I knew it were so easy, I would have teased him more. Wait… am I a bad person…?

Kai cheerfully waited for the merchant to finish. Hallowed Intuition had been silent since entering the cabin, there hadn’t been the slightest bit of harm contemplated.

Before coming here, he had considered that the merman might rip him off, but there wasn’t anyone else who could buy his bounty. He had wanted to test the merchant’s response with the first three treasures. Now, guilt jabbed him for his doubts, only beaten by his elation. Despite the years without seeing each other, Reishi had proved their friendship was stronger than adamant or gold.

“Here.” Reishi thrust two copies of the contract on a wooden clipboard.

“Thank you.” Kai made a show of attentively reading each line of text. His brows climbed higher and higher; he went through the last clause three times.

Did I misunderstand something? One. Zero. Zero. Zero. And zero.

“This says you owe me ten thousand gold mesars in case of breach of contract or loss of the entrusted goods.” Kai gaped. “You can’t be right.”

Reishi remained poised in his armchair, unruffled and almost amused. “That’s a conservative estimate for the entire lot, though it doesn’t take into consideration my cut if I sell. Were you not listening when I appraised the items?”

“I— Yes, but…” The numbers thrown around had been hypothetical, and he hadn’t done the necessary math to add them together. Perhaps he understood why Reishi had been so peeved. “I appreciate your help and honesty.”

What else could he say?

The pale blue scales blazed into a new shade. “Just sign at the bottom if you agree. I feel anxious each second that these treasures remain in your hands.”

Yessir!

Kai added his full name and handed back one of the copies.

After meticulously studying the document, Reishi nodded to himself. “All right. Now we need to store this stuff. I don’t trust my crew enough for this, and there are a few new faces.” He walked to the painting of a verdant meadow and tapped the carved wooden frame in seven different points.

Iridescent motes fluttered over the canvas as wooden boards clicked open on an invisible seam. The magical mechanism revealed a long and narrow room that shouldn’t have existed; it ran along the wall of the cabin, brimming with cloaking and protection enchantments. The entrance was just wide enough for a single person to walk comfortably inside, housing rows of shelves with all kinds of curious goods.