Chapter 171: A Great Deal
Caelen nearly choked on his own saliva upon hearing the figure. Varis, however, remained calm and countered.
"That is disproportionate, Great Shaman," said Varis, shaking his head. "Such a volume of metal and slaves would require a fleet of wagons that we could not haul through the Shadow Forest without being slaughtered. If you demand so much, we can only offer to buy twenty of your fire-tubes and two thousand rounds. We cannot risk the company’s capital for so little weaponry."
"Twenty weapons do not protect a border, Varis," said Kellar. "My craftsmen spend weeks purifying the steel for a single barrel. If you want volume, the minimum batch will be one hundred rifles, ten thousand rounds of steel ammunition, and one hundred horns of the sacred powder measured for those ten thousand charges. And so you understand the scale of our defensive power, I will include ten of those underground traps that made the earth tremble."
Caelen opened his mouth in surprise upon hearing the inclusion of the explosive traps, while Varis ran calculations. The old man knew that with one hundred rifles and ten traps of that caliber, they could crush any rival house in the capital or resell them to the army for ten times their value. Even so, he pushed to lower the company’s costs.
"One hundred rifles, ten underground traps, and ten thousand rounds is an enticing offer," said Varis, narrowing his eyes. "But five hundred slaves, fifty tons of pure metals consisting of copper, silver, and gold, and two tons of specialized medicinal herbs for curing hemorrhages and neutralizing poisons is our limit. If you demand a single slave or a single kilogram of metal more, the deal is off and we will return north with nothing."
Kellar feigned pondering the offer for several seconds, keeping a stern expression to make them believe he was being pushed to the edge. In reality, he was satisfied: fifty tons of pure metal and five hundred workers were what he needed to catapult the tribe’s infrastructure, while producing one hundred rifles and ten mines cost him a fraction of his resources.
"I accept the terms," said Kellar.
"Excellent," said Varis with a smile. "We will require a period of three months to gather such a cargo and transport it through the Shadow Forest. However, Great Shaman, we would like to take a pair of sample weapons with us to present to our superiors."
"No," said Kellar with a sharp refusal. "The first batch will be delivered complete, or there is no deal. Not a single rifle nor a single trap leaves this village until I see the entirety of the payment before me."
"Please, Great Shaman, be reasonable!" said Caelen, stepping forward with his hands outstretched. "We will pay you three thousand additional gold coins right here! We only ask for one rifle and a handful of that sacred powder to show to the Company’s board!"
"Five thousand gold coins," said Varis, clenching his fists on the wooden table. "Five thousand extra coins this instant for a single sample. With that, you could buy food for your people for years."
"No," said Kellar in a low voice.
"It is a fortune we are offering you for a single iron tube!" said Caelen, desperate to convince him. "Why refuse such a sum?"
"Because an iron tube in the wrong hands is worth more than all the gold in your capital," said Kellar, leaning back into his throne. "If I hand over a weapon to you today, your alchemists and armorers will not sleep trying to dismantle it to steal the Bear God’s secret. There will be no samples."
"We will honor the pact!" said Varis.
"The first batch will be delivered complete in three months, when the entirety of the five hundred slaves, the metals, and the herbs are inside my walls," said Kellar, cutting off any further reply. "If that does not suit you, the door is open and you may return north with your empty wagons."
Chapter 172
At dawn, the first rays of sunlight painted the sky in an orange hue over the central plaza. The Golden Rose Company caravan was finalizing preparations to set off on their return journey north. The urgency on the faces of Varis and Caelen was plain to see; they needed to cross the Shadow Forest as fast as possible and initiate the logistics to gather the quota agreed upon.
In the center of the courtyard, Kellar supervised the resource transfer. The merchants’ servants were unloading the reserves of precious metals in pure ingots alongside the ownership and binding scrolls for slaves that they carried with them.
"Here is the silver, gold, and the servitude scrolls we agreed upon to seal this contract, Great Shaman," said Varis, handing Kellar a wooden chest reinforced with iron.
Kellar picked up one of the leather scrolls, examining the control runes and official seals before passing it to Mentz.
"Everything is in order," said Mentz after reviewing the contents.
"Excellent," said Kellar, staring at the two merchants. "To ensure you cross the Shadow Forest without incident and arrive safely in the north to prepare our order, I will assign you an escort."
Kellar gestured with his hand, and ten elite soldiers from the personal guard stepped forward, bearing their heavy axes and spears. Standing at their head was Grok, Kellar’s silent personal bodyguard, whose massive frame commanded respect.
"Grok and ten of my finest men will accompany you to the outer perimeter of the forest," said Kellar.
"We thank you for the gesture, Great Shaman," said Varis with a bow. "Having the protection of your warriors will grant us peace of mind along the trail."
"Depart; there is no time to waste," said Kellar firmly.
Without wasting a second, the caravan’s wagons set their wheels in motion, exiting through the tribe’s massive gates escorted by the ten guards and Grok.
Once the procession had moved into the thick undergrowth of the trees, Kellar turned slightly toward the roof’s shadow. From between the rafters leaped Frejya, his white cat with silky fur and gleaming eyes. The creature landed on Kellar’s shoulder without making a sound.
"Follow them from a distance, Frejya," whispered Kellar into the beast’s ear, his voice low and icy. "Remain hidden in the treetops. If those merchants attempt any treachery, if they try to deviate to map our trails, or if they make a move against Grok and the boys... leave none alive. Exterminate them all."
Frejya let out a soft purr, nodded her head, and leaped into the tall grass, vanishing into the forest like a white phantom behind the caravan’s trail.