Chapter 21 – Birth of a Merchant Company
The journey back from the Valebridge estate should have ended in peace, but Glic Goldbear's mind was far from rest. His steward had fallen asleep in the corner of the carriage, yet he remained awake, fingers drumming against the window frame.
The Reputation Module hummed faintly in the back of his mind, whispering calculations and probabilities.
> Persona: Master of Fusion — Seed Stage.
Passive Influence: +5% effectiveness when interacting with merchants and nobility.
Growth Requirement: Establish official recognition under Wizard Commerce Law.
The meaning was obvious. If he wanted the artificer alter ego to truly hold weight, it could not remain a whisper in the halls of nobles. It had to be etched into law, tied into guilds, and protected by contracts.
And there was only one place to achieve that in Fae Wood—
The Three-Legged Crow's Hut.
Farathra's merchant quarter buzzed with activity as Glic approached days later, cloaked once more in his artificer guise. Unlike his trip to the Valebridges, this visit was not one of deception alone. This was to carve a place in the world.
The headquarters of the Three-Legged Crow's Hut was unmistakable. Built in the form of a colossal roosting tree, its branches extended into towers of polished oak and obsidian. Stained-glass windows gleamed with the image of a three-legged crow, one eye golden, one eye silver, one eye dark as the void.
Merchants, wizards, and nobles alike moved in and out of its wide doors, each transaction within protected by strict magical contracts and overseen by one of the wealthiest auxiliary wizard organizations in the Empire.
Inside, the air was thick with incense and parchment. Quills scratched furiously, enchanted crystals floated in the air, and clerks scurried like ants, guiding clients through labyrinthine rules of wizard commerce.
A clerk in gray robes approached him, bowing slightly. "Welcome, honored patron. Do you seek registration, trade arbitration, or loan services?"
"My intention," Glic said, letting the illusion cloak his voice in rich authority, "is registration. A wizard merchant company."
The clerk blinked, then bowed deeper. "Of course, honored master. This way."
He was led through corridors until at last they arrived in a hall lined with blackwood counters. Behind one sat a tall, gaunt wizard, his robe embroidered with the crow sigil. His eyes glimmered faintly with power.
"I am Serran of the Crow," the man said, his voice clipped. "Ten-ring Adept Wizard, head registrar. State your name and business."
"I am the Master of Fusion," Glic intoned. "I seek to register a merchant company under my patronage, tied to the Goldbear family, for the sale and distribution of enchanted goods and alchemical products."
The words carried through the chamber like a blade unsheathed. Several clerks glanced up sharply.
Serran's gaze sharpened. "A bold claim. Many come here with illusions of grandeur, few leave with contracts. Wizard commerce is not for dabblers. You will require proof of product, proof of magical signature, and a bond of mana."
"Accepted."
The registrar gestured. "Show us, then."
Glic snapped his fingers. A crate appeared at his side—summoned from his storage ring. Inside gleamed the Blade Ward Armors, the Firebolt Crossbows, and several Mending Bandages.
Serran's brows arched. He lifted one of the crossbows, whispered a trigger word, and a bolt of fire exploded into the testing range behind him. The clerks gasped.
"Mass enchantment?" Serran's voice carried a note of grudging respect.
"Yes," Glic replied evenly. "Affordable. Reliable. Reproducible."
The registrar placed the weapon down carefully. "Impressive. Now the bond."
A crystal orb was placed before him, swirling faintly. "Place your mana within. This will tie your identity to the registry. Fraud will be punished by backlash. Do you accept?"
Glic hesitated only a moment. The illusion masks my face, but the mana…
The System chimed:
> [System Assistance Available: Mana Signature Masking Enabled.]
A slow smile crept beneath his hood. He pressed his hand to the orb. Energy flowed, his mana sinking into the crystal, shaped and hidden by the System.
The orb flared briefly, then stabilized.
"Accepted," Serran said after a long pause. "Your merchant company is now recognized by the Three-Legged Crow's Hut."
A golden parchment appeared, words writing themselves across its surface:
> Charter of the Goldbear Fusion Company
Registered under the authority of the Three-Legged Crow's Hut
Patron: Master of Fusion (Wizard, Registered)
Domain: Enchanted Goods, Alchemical Products, Auxiliary Magic
Rights: To trade, produce, and distribute within the bounds of the Fae Wood Kingdom and Empire territories.
Protection: Violations of contract by other merchants are subject to arbitration by the Crow.
The parchment burned faintly, then folded into a sigil-bound contract.
Serran extended it toward him. "Welcome, Master of Fusion, to the Crow's Nest. You are now under our protection… and our scrutiny. Do not abuse either."
As Glic left the hall, the weight of the document in his hand, he felt the System stir once more.
> [System Notification: Reputation Module Advanced.]
Persona: Master of Fusion — Sprout Stage.
Passive Influence: +15% effectiveness in commerce and noble negotiation.
New Function: Trade Reputation. Reputation can now be tracked numerically among merchants and wizards. Current Value: 10 (Novice).
He paused in the shadow of the great roosting tree, a slow, cold smile spreading across his face.
Now I am not merely a rumor. I am law. I am written into the bones of wizard commerce. Anyone who dares strike at the Goldbears strikes at a registered wizard merchant company protected by the Crow itself.
That night, the steward nearly wept with relief as Glic presented the charter.
"My lord—no, Master! Do you realize what this means? Even rival nobles cannot move against us openly now. To harm a registered merchant company is to draw the wrath of the Crow!"
"Exactly," Glic said. "And with their protection, we can expand. Factories, caravans, storefronts. We will choke the trade routes with our goods until even the Tower must take notice."
He gazed toward the horizon.
The Valebridges thought they were lords of trade. Soon they will be paupers compared to what I will build. For I do not merely sell goods. I create them, fuse them, weaponize them.
Before he retired, the System pulsed one more message:
> [Optional Quest Unlocked: Establish Trade Network.]
Objective: Create 3 branch outposts under the Goldbear Fusion Company.
Reward: Reputation Growth +20, Unlock Merchant Fleet Module.
Failure: Loss of Influence.
Glic's lips twitched. "So the game grows larger still."
The candlelight flickered over the charter on his desk.
Let them scheme. Let them whisper. While they fight for scraps, I will build an empire of steel, spell, and spirit. And when the time comes… even the Crow will bow.