Chapter 47: Preparations

Over the days that followed, Raymond accepted no new commissions and continued sparring with Henk.

The town guard organized several more searches for the missing tracker, but never found any trace. In the end, they had no choice but to list the tracker as missing for the time being.

Raymond wanted to learn new sword techniques or other martial skills. Unfortunately, both Blackstone's local mercenaries and those from elsewhere had been drawn by the town guard's generous rewards and rushed into Blackpine Forest southwest of town.

With so many people pouring into the area, supplies quickly became scarce. Fortunately, Marcus had planned ahead. He established a temporary outpost at Graypine Village, the settlement closest to the search area, providing the mercenaries with supplies and a place to rest while making another tidy profit in the process. Even Raymond had to admire his business instincts.

Mercenaries could report the location of goblin camps or bring back goblin ears as proof. Once the outpost verified their claims, it paid the bounties on the spot. Most of that money was promptly spent in the village before the mercenaries set out on their next search.

As more supplies flowed into Graypine Village, enterprising merchants arrived to sell all kinds of goods. Several blacksmiths' apprentices even began offering weapon maintenance and repairs. The once remote and quiet village became unusually prosperous. Caravans that had arrived laden with supplies carried away cheap local timber, pelts, and other products rather than returning empty.

In Raymond's opinion, if this continued, Graypine Village would soon develop into a prosperous marketplace beyond the control of Blackstone's merchant guild. That was assuming the settlement could last, of course. It stood deep inside Blackpine Forest, and no one knew what might happen there.

Early one morning five days later, Raymond was awakened from a sound sleep by urgent knocking. When he opened the door, Anna stood outside. “Raymond, someone from the town guard is here. They say it's urgent.”

“The town guard?” Raymond raised an eyebrow, his sleepiness vanishing at once. After quickly making himself presentable, he prepared to leave. Seeing the worry in Anna's eyes, he gave her a gentle smile. “Don't worry. I'll be fine.”

“Mm.” Anna nodded and followed Raymond downstairs without another word.

After greeting Sophie and Mira, Raymond left with the two members of the town guard and hurried toward their headquarters. On the way, he asked, “Do either of you know what this is about?”

“No. We only know that the Sheriff asked us to bring you over,” one guard replied.

Even they did not know?

Raymond was surprised, but his expression remained unchanged. He lowered his head and continued alongside them to the town guard's headquarters.

He made his familiar way into Marcus's office and found the sheriff sitting in his chair, drinking a steaming bowl of soup. The sight eased Raymond's tension. It seemed that whatever had happened was not especially urgent.

When Raymond arrived, Marcus put down the bowl and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief. Only then did he stand and slowly ask, “Why don't you guess what I called you here for?”

“Judging by your appearance, it can't be anything too dangerous. I assume the goblin hunt in the southwest is proceeding without trouble. The gnolls are a serious threat, but not one that can be dealt with quickly.” Raymond raised an eyebrow. “The gnolls... I think I understand. You want me to dispose of a shipment of goods for you, don't you?”

“Clever lad.” Marcus burst out laughing. “I know you took the last shipment to Brightwater and made an astonishing return. To be honest, even I was tempted. I've heard all about the trade with the gnolls, and you made a major contribution. The three wagons belong to you as well. So this time, I want you to represent Blackstone and take the goods to Brightwater to sell them.”

“Dispose of them?” Raymond noticed Marcus's choice of words and nodded. “I understand.”

“Good.” Marcus smiled. “As for your share, this is what I have in mind. I don't need to know how you dispose of the goods, and I don't want to know. When you return, simply give me three gold coins. You'll cover every expense along the road yourself. Anything above that is your commission, including payment for the use of your three wagons.”

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“Would three hundred silver be acceptable?”

“Of course.” Marcus laughed again.

Raymond recalled the contents of the shipment. Two wagonloads of ore had sold for two gold and eighty silver last time. This shipment contained only one and a half wagonloads, so it would probably fetch a little over two gold. The exact value would depend on the ore's quality. Better ore would bring a higher price, while poorer ore would naturally bring much less.

The remaining goods would need to sell for at least one gold and thirty or forty silver before he could give Marcus three gold and still cover the round-trip expenses. To make a real profit, the final price would have to be higher still. This shipment contained none of the secondhand weapons from the bandit camp, but it did include an assortment of oddities.

Raymond's mind raced. He wanted to accept immediately, but he knew better than to agree on the spot when he was this eager. “I need to discuss this with Henk first. The wagons don't belong to me alone.”

Marcus nodded noncommittally. “That's fine. Once you're ready, leave as soon as possible.”

After saying goodbye to Marcus, Raymond immediately returned to the inn and repeated the entire conversation to Henk. The half-orc agreed almost without hesitation.

With Henk's approval, Raymond had nothing more to consider. He briefly washed and tidied up in their room, then returned to the town guard's headquarters.

To his surprise, Marcus gave him no official documents. This felt less like a formal commission from the town guard and more like a private task Marcus had entrusted to him.

Raymond understood the situation but said nothing. After briefly discussing the practical details with Marcus, he left the headquarters again.

This time, Raymond would be responsible for everything on the journey to Brightwater. He could not rely on Bob to handle every problem as he had before. To save money, Raymond had no intention of hiring separate drivers. Three wagons required three people, so besides himself and Henk, he needed another companion who could both drive and fight.

They also needed food for the road, fodder for the horses, and a long list of other supplies. Preparing everything would not be easy, but the potential profit was enormous. If they sold the goods for a good price, Raymond and Henk stood to earn a substantial sum.

Moreover, Graypine Village was full of mercenaries with a strong demand for every kind of supply. If Raymond bought another shipment in Brightwater and took it directly there, surely Blackstone's merchants could not extend their control all the way to Graypine Village.

Unlike the shopkeepers in Blackstone, the mercenaries at Graypine Village cared nothing for the local merchant guild. They would buy from whoever offered better goods at lower prices. Mercenaries who risked their lives every day would not be easily intimidated.

Raymond spent the entire morning preparing and paid five silver for everything they needed. He and Henk then checked their baggage repeatedly to make sure nothing had been forgotten.

The only problem was that Raymond could not find another mercenary to accompany them. There were several people he could hire, but he had never worked with any of them before and did not want to travel to Brightwater with a stranger.

There was one other difficulty: what to do with the kobold currently following him. Raymond had promised that once the matter with the gnolls was over, it could decide for itself whether to stay or leave. But that affair was far from resolved, and the kobold showed no desire to go anywhere.

It had been living in a storeroom Sophie cleared out for it. With plenty to eat and drink each day, it had not tried to run away. Instead, it behaved remarkably well and even helped carry light objects from time to time.

While Raymond was struggling with the problem, another member of the town guard came looking for him. “There you are, Raymond! The Sheriff wants to see you!”

“What? Again? What is it this time?”

“I don't know, but the situation is extremely urgent. You have to come with me.” The soldier's expression was grave.

Raymond and Henk exchanged a glance. They had no choice but to shoulder their packs and follow the soldier to the town guard's headquarters.

“Finally! Thank heavens you haven't left!” The moment Marcus saw Raymond, he rose from his chair at once and spoke excitedly.

Raymond glanced at the soot-covered mercenary trembling nearby, then asked Marcus, “Sheriff, what happened? What's so urgent?”

Marcus struck the desk angrily. “The situation is dire. A large group of goblins attacked Graypine Village last night and destroyed the entire settlement. He's the only person who has made it back to Blackstone with the news. We don't know what happened to anyone else. It's all those damned merchants' fault for sending so much wine there!”

Raymond turned to the mercenary and studied the ash and soot covering him. “A group of goblins destroyed the entire village? How did you get covered in all that?”

The mercenary looked at Raymond, his expression dazed. “One goblin breathed fire. Burned house where we slept. I happened to get up to piss, so I survived. Most people staying in village were drunk last night. When goblins rushed in, many didn't even have time to grab weapons.” He appeared to be a northerner. He spoke the common tongue of Goldvale poorly and with a heavy accent.

A fire-breathing goblin?

Raymond's expression grew grave. He questioned the mercenary carefully. “A goblin that could breathe fire? You saw it yourself? Did it have any other distinguishing features?”

“Other features?” The mercenary paused. After a long silence, he finally spoke. “I remember! It had only one eye!”