Chapter 587: Chapter 587 - When Railways Redirect Profit, Smart Merchants Reconsider Their Long Term Reputation

A pair of dispassionate irises returned their focus on the man who ran the Silversky merchant group. He felt haggard after being witness to the familial moments between the young woman, who was once half her current size - and the sister that was getting closer and closer to that particular memory of height. He didn’t know ’children’ that well, so he couldn’t say it with any certainty... though El knew bodies and genetics well enough to agree, if he actually dare to make the passing thought a statement.

That Onya seemed likely to outgrow her elder sister’s height. At least some amount closer toward that of their mother, which was his primary measure of *women* in the first place... considering his still existing fondness for the duelist after more than two dozen years. As a cultivator with more knowledge of the Limited Reforge techniques (as well as the full Reforge versions more achievable in later realms), the brunette could have pushed things a bit throughout her teenage years to change the result of her form...

Ultimately still considered dainty at a glance. At least when compared to the likes of the many martially cultivating women finding their place on the continent. Something she also enjoyed, because it made others underestimate her for a beat.

"Problem with what you’re looking at?"

"No, ma’am."

He averted his thoughtful - or *thoughtless* - gaze quickly. There were already so many reasons to think back on his earlier years working with Elua and consider that he might have wanted to just take all the earning he had made at the time... and retire untheatrically to the western coast. But he’d never been able to give up the chase for more money or more control of the markets. It wasn’t about having enough to live on or enough for your loved ones to have what they need, for him.

"Mm. Just curious. Because you seemed to be considering something unfortunate about the tastes of my beloved when you release that look. As if something about me is a shame."

"No such thing. Many of my best staff are small women. Though I do question the Warden Patrician’s choice in mercantile relationships. The Valmenf-"

"Were giving far better rates and benefits than you. That was all."

Like before, dozens of documents appeared floating in the air. All of them copies of transaction bids that were sent to her, like El had requested of Qat during her years in the Exclave. Her husband-wife could have handled things fine herself, she was sure. But that didn’t mean she was going to sit calmly playing miner, architect, and farmer without any schemes running... even in a place so far away as the continent had been.

"I informed Qatrand gil Yecine to ignore all the objectively usurious bids when it came to lending her capital or goods, especially those on payment plans contractually structured to swell with time instead of clear renegotiation phases, like yours. Rather, more so I instructed to negate any if they came from the Silversky at all, considering our past."

"...Why?"

"It would have looked like I was the one funneling the gains out of my spouse’s legitimate attempts to lead, you know. There are other ways of making money and connections than siphoning from the closest source."

A grumble rolled in his throat, the answer to a question he hadn’t been going to ask directly finally provided. While at first, when the territory Qat earned was newly bustling with more requirements from those arriving than could be met by their own arrangements... the popular swordswoman who had yet to reveal her gender made use of her wife’s preferred merchant group extensively. Not just because of El, but because they had a record in their city that was known - and more importantly, they were still only one of multiple organizations providing their porting and pricing services at the same scale.

But at some point that he had always thought was simply when the Valmenf began making their bigger plays, with Nysoi as the local figurehead pushing their cultivator family agenda... it seemed like all of his new offers began being turned down. Instead of quiet social poison being dripped into the Hero of the Last Descent’s ear toward them, it was genuinely more like she had been taught well by the ancient cultivator. To not contractually agree to eat the bad-smelling poison being offered by others on their tarnished silver platters.

"I really appreciate that you did not escalate any of those matters into true retaliatory trading attempts, by the way. We would be having a very different conversation if my whim to use you for making my own money as a child turned out like it did with my relationship with the Saltfire Storm Alliance, wouldn’t it?"

"I didn’t tell anyone anything. About your keystone sales."

"Now, I wouldn’t care if you did, would I? The Guild itself knew of it and its highest members surely told investigators during that time period. That the sigilist prodigy of the Coiled Serpent had many little side projects and dealings. And that one of them had turned on me. Tried to target this child."

That was something Uvraneht would have just blown right past in her core motivations, as taking hostages was usually a delaying tactic at best... and you learned to ignore the attempt by those you considered ’evil’ - if only because the success rate of zero casualties on the side of ’good’ actually increased drastically if you hesitated and let that rally the other side’s morale. But in this life, Elua was a *sister* - and that changed the way all the factors routed.

"E-Elua, you’re squeezing too tight!"

Namely, straight over the nerves of ’rage’ within her brain.

"Apologies. Nothing broken? Good."

It was a far cry in her heart to actually label herself a heroic and responsible cultivator, but she was perfectly fine with being a vengeful and properly effective one. There were a series of questions she intended to ask Salghis er Nalbet some day, likely sooner than not. Considering the report that the former leader of that Guild once operating in Acid drenched territory was now seeking treatment for lingering injuries by Nohre er Talcres.

"They underestimated a lot of things with their choices, those people. Looked less at reality and more at some ideal bigger picture that is fuzzy and disconnected from the current world. In that regard they were no better than the cultists that have been ruining things for everyone. But you, you’re too smart to do something like that... something like not seeing things for how they are. Aren’t you?"

"Of course. Very smart. No children were ever... intentionally harmed in the course of our business."

"What was that hesitation?"

"Oh, just, that I recalled an incident last year where a water barrel held by failing straps fell from a wagon and crushed the leg of a young boy..." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"Urk..."

Moving her arms from squeezing Onya *still too tight* to physically covering the girl’s ears with cupped hands, even though she could achieve the same or better effect with Gases and her Element techniques alone, mint eyes then glared very hastily at the older man. Far from the threatening tones or false sweetnesses of the past, a low, hissing, maternal voice escaped her throat that even she didn’t entirely expect.

"That hardly seems like a nice story to share with little guests, does it?"

"We used to talk about the rate and types of work accidents in this field all the time. So dispassionately..."

"I was over ten and I was *not* my darling six year old little river-bend. Be more careful with what you say or bring up! It’s not like I openly said in this conversation that I would crush your arms and legs if you’d actually messed up big while I was gone, did I?"

"Would you have?!"

A confusing mess of ’fear’ and ’morbid curiosity’ pulsed out of the leader of the Silversky... reminding Elua of the time when his back had been used as a chair. Or the time she threatened him with her Negavigor scalpel. Her glare increased, pulling back her facial muscles around her nose with an edge of snarling disgust. She was glad she chose to physically hold Onya’s head, so the face she was making wouldn’t be seen!

"No. I don’t think I would. There are far more thorough ways to repay malicious mistakes or ignorant delusions. Now, lets talk more about what I hoped to come here for today, shall we? The Clearer Skies Society."

"Yatrel’s Guild? What about it?"

"You have an established account with them for their headquarters, thanks to your rock-bottom, on your knees for a single coin way of dealing with our mother."

"When you phrase it that way, I sound like-"

"But just like a lot of things going on in that territory, that connection is being underutilized since the Valmenf are the dominant force when it comes to standard goods being traded at sizes that makes it worth the trips. Or even most rarities, considering their reach on the southern coast."

The power of a harbor to channel goods from all over was incredible, but so too was the potential in a second centralized hub for over land transport. On the continent, the railway system was heavily tailored for civilian and freight transport loads aimed for pre-Descent preparation goals. Only secondarily was its great effect on mercantilism considered, when it came to placing new railways... which is why the current actions by the normally marine-based traders was so obvious to Elua.

"However, their operation is almost exclusively focused on funneling things upward at this point. Along the caravan line and rail being laid between their main port and the new settlement. That focus will be unlikely to change for a decade after their plan’s commencement, so you have some years left."

"That sounds... accurate. My reports say that while that family is making use of a number of smaller firms, they have not attempted to buy any of them out yet. The crux of their operations remains linked with the extension of the rail."

"Yes, *yet*. So what I want you to do instead is focus inland - the meandering excursions to the corners of the continent that the Society is bound to go post-Descent. I don’t expect you to perfect every route, but I do expect you to become my mother’s go-to merchant when they need materials, food, or any luxuries the entertainers might want or need for their performances."

While part of him brightened at the idea of working directly, or at least favorably, with the Dame Goltbred... outwardly he still grimaced. As she expected he would. Her hands finally folded softly onto Onya’s lap, as it became clear the little girl had had enough of watching the man’s lips move without actually hearing what was going on.

"It doesn’t sound like there is a lot of profit in that."

"No? Maybe not quick returns, but do you think people do not remember the name of organizations that helped when they were down at their worst? Villages and towns recovering will know the Silversky and the Clearer Skies."

"Oh, you’re talking about that kind of stuff."

"Reputation is its own currency, remember that."

Brown eyes glazed over just a bit, seeing that it turned into some sort of lesson. While she had been told it was going to be part of the conversation, she was about ready to leave this stuffy room. It did make her happy to be held by her sister, but her legs were getting very restless.

"You said we were going to go shopping..."

"Soon. I promise."

Reddish blonde hair shifted as the girl nodded once. She did believe Elua was not lying, but the fact was... walking here with the weight of all the things stuffed in the white leather bag had been a trial of strength all its own. Now it was seemingly one of intelligence and patience. Onya had half convinced herself that this fun, sister-only outing she had been brought on was just some sort of excuse to treat her like a cultivation disciple!

’Heheh... but getting to touch her is still better than stretching and singing with some silly fake!’