Chapter 295: The Greatest Method
The group settled down during the night. Hex sat near the bonfire with Gronke, Sterling, Quid, Rublena, and Dollaire.
During the night talk, Hex learned that the journey would take a month. He also learned more about the Silver Serpents and the Merchant Union.
The Silver Serpent was a world-spanning organization, much like the Temple. Sterling even argued that they might have more followers than the Temples. After all, very few people didn’t like to trade.
In reply, Hex inquired why they weren’t even among the top five factions in the world. To which Sterling grumbled about distrust, greed, and desire to overtake others as the reason for their weak standing.
What shocked Hex was that the Serpents had existed since the Second Age. They didn’t openly reveal this, but neither was it a secret. Their ancestor’s eye and wit helped her build an emporium that even had the Divine among its customers.
In that Age, their name was something else though. What, Sterling didn’t reveal. Based on the curious glances from everyone at the fire, Hex concluded that they didn’t know it either. Not even Quid, who also belonged to one of the main branches within the organization.
The old name was among the secrets only revealed to the heirs.
"Are there several heirs? What are you inheriting if there are many more like you?"
Hex had to ask. Being an heir lost meaning to him when his inheritance seemed irrelevant in the eyes of the royals. They nearly gave it away. Perhaps, Hex thought with a heavy heart, they already gave it away.
Sterling fell silent for a while at the question. The sound of twigs and dried leaves cracking in the fire hung in the air.
"There are indeed several heirs," Sterling said, staring at the fire. "Being an heir isn’t trivial. Merchants rever materialistic things more than they do Heaven or Deities. We don’t want to lose what is ours. Not without proper compensation, at least.