CHAPTER 237: VALUABLE TRADE SKILLS

The Merchant picked up the weapons one at a time and inspected them for flaws or defects, then set them back on the table with a satisfied nod.

"I will agree to this trade. It might take us time to find buyers for the weapons, but we certainly will find the buyers, and tractors are plentiful in our inventory." He agreed.

"If tractors are plentiful, perhaps you could arrange for a few more to be brought here? A machine that size will plow a forty acre allotment in a morning, but we’ve got many more acres waiting for residents." Dominic suggested.

"If you can provide Rare Quality pistols for our coach guards, I can send you a new tractor every week." The Merchant laughed.

"Now we’re talking. Soon, we will have the Techno Wizards and Artificer set up to produce trade goods as well, and a steady stream of Merchant Guild traders would save them a lot of hassle getting goods to market." Dominic suggested.

"I was hoping you’d say something like that.

But do you have guards to actually protect such a high-value community?"

Dominic shrugged. "Not as many as I was hoping for, but we’ve got a few, and I believe that we might be able to recruit one or two more from among the peasantry.

Once I am settled in properly, and the basic renovations are done, I will send a hiring notice to get more.

Actually, you can do that for me. I will write up a hiring letter with requirements, and I will give the Merchant’s Guild a finders fee for every qualified man that they send with a referral letter.

Up to the quota, of course."

The Merchant nodded. "Of course. Finding the right talents for the Nobility is a specialty of the Merchant’s Guild, just as much as finding the appropriate products."

Dominic quickly wrote out the list of talents that they needed, then thought about the list for a few more minutes before adding two more items to the list.

[One Cleric, if possible. One Guild Member for an official outpost, pending approval.]

The Merchant nodded at the list, then smiled at the last two.

"Those should be easy enough to find. But you have your Guild Member already. Though he’s now in your employ, Julio is still qualified to serve as the intermediary for Merchant’s Guild matters.

Finding a Cleric won’t be too hard. They’re in hiding all over the country. It’s kind of an open secret that the forbidden practices are still active all across Stansia Province."

Dominic nodded. "In that case, it should be easy. Julio is the one who is assembling our list of necessities, as well as the shopping list for the Manor.

We didn’t honestly expect to get most of it any time soon, but if the Merchant’s Guild is already sending convoys in our direction, he should have a list for you as well. Just common items that the household needs."

The Merchant nodded. "How is your funding holding up? I heard that the King isn’t allowing you to charge taxes for two years."

Dominic shrugged. "I’m good for a while, and I can hunt monsters to get cores for payment as well. But more importantly, I will start producing goods for sale. Even a single Magitech item of Rare Grade is enough to fund the basics of the estate for a year."

The Merchant chuckled. "You’ve got a point there. Until the price of Magitech items comes down again, anyone who can and will make them will become obscenely wealthy."

"I’m counting on it. After all, who respects a Duke who has to scrape together spare change to hold a banquet? Worse, who would respect one who can’t host a proper banquet when the King starts sending Barons to the lands under him?" Dominic replied.

"That would never do. Especially if they’re freshly promoted Barons from the younger generation. They won’t have anything but military merits themselves, so they will definitely request loans from the Duke to get their own estates in order."

Dominic had forgotten about that.

One of the essential functions that the upper nobles, who had lesser Nobility under their oversight, was to ensure that the dignity of the Nobility was upheld.

Not just by holding trials and sending lawmen as needed. But also by providing loans and sometimes even staff to assist the lesser Nobles in times of need.

The fact that Dominic had only been here a few days didn’t change the fact that very soon there would be rural Barons arriving with little more than the clothes on their backs, to estates that might have only recently removed their former Dagos overseers.

Everything that remained would be suspect, and the loyalty of any skilled household staff would be in question.

But that was a tomorrow problem, not a today problem.

The Merchant packed up the weapons, and Dominic escorted him out to the village, then went to check on the Khalil family.

They had many experienced businessmen among their ranks as well.

"Mister Khalil? Are you home?" Dominic called from the gates to the compound.

"Your Grace, please come in. What brings you here today?" A young woman greeted him.

"We had a visit from the Merchant’s Guild. If your family needs anything, you can still catch him before he leaves. I purchased everything that they had for sale, which didn’t amount to much, except a large steam tractor and some household goods for the manor.

But they also brought skilled workers to the village.

I remember that your family used to be businessmen. The town needs a Mercantile store and an outfitter if you have someone qualified.

If you have a manager, but need workers, the Alator family, on the farm northwest of here, has experienced store clerks." Dominic explained.

The young woman motioned for a teen girl and one of the older men who were watching from their windows to join them.

"Miss Maisey is a wonderful baker, and would like to open a bakery in town if there are people to purchase from her. Ravi was the manager at one of our Mercantile stores until the day we left. He’s plenty qualified to take over, though we’re short on supplies." She explained.

"In that case, you really need to catch the Merchant Guild member before he leaves." Dominic agreed.

"Go, you’re a good runner. Bring him over here, and I will see that grandfather gives you a bonus on your monthly allowance." Ravi instructed.

The girl took off running, and the dark-haired man known as Ravi bowed politely to Dominic.

"Your Grace. As she said, I am Ravi Khalil, an experience Mercantile store operator. I would be glad to go back into business again, in the name of the Khalil family.

It is family tradition that we keep our businesses in the name of the Family, not individually. The profits are split by contribution, so all share in the good times, and all share in the hard times." He explained.

Dominic shrugged. "I’m not particularly concerned how you split the profits of the shop, so long as I get my taxes after the two years are up. But I will not give you any trouble about paying as a family and not individually."