Brigand Lancaster had been fascinated by the concept of trades since childhood.
He had always been relatively tall while possessing a physique on the greater side of things. His round, brown eyes and straight nose gave him a certain charm that would make a few girls woo him from time to time.
Coming from a well off family in the Krakow Empire, he had been given a fair education and had been exposed to the world from a young age.
However, even while being encouraged to pursue academics, he had always been reprimanded by his teachers, frequently caught in reveries he seldom revealed.
In fact, these same reveries were what had propelled him forward.
His classes had been given in a small room littered with windows that was located next to a small market that sold various trinkets and products.
During long days, his favorite pastime had been watching merchants set up their stalls and pitch their products.
Some had cunning looks, some had zeal in their eyes, and some simply seemed bored by their situation.
But what Brigand really saw was... a bunch of complete buffoons. A circus of untalented fools who sullied the merchant profession.
How could people be swayed by such trash?!
After 'suffering' another few years in class, Brigand then reached the age of 13, which allowed him to confront his parents.
He frankly told them he'd become a merchant and that it was his calling.
When they heard his passionate speech, his parents hadn't been surprised.
They could tell their son had been waiting for a long time, and that he was ready to chase his dreams.
They decided to fully support his endeavors and, to their incredible surprise, struck it rich in the end.
That's when they realized that their child was a once-in-a-century economics' genius who could foresee trends and markets' behaviors.
By the age of 15, Brigand had transformed the Lancaster family into an influential baronage that spanned across multiple cities, whilst also swaying a lot of policies.
However, such an expansion didn't go unnoticed. Blinded by his own talent, Brigand had failed to notice the warning signs being sent by the other economic powerhouses.
At first, they hadn't taken the young lad seriously, mostly attributing his success to luck, but his constant and meteoric rise quickly changed their plans.
They tried to recruit him under their banners multiple times, only to be ridiculed at every attempt.
After enough humiliation, they had finally decided to retaliate.
The result was a temporary alliance that slowly bent the Lancaster family into submission.
His parents, after being exposed to extreme opulence, had transformed into greedy beings who only saw their son as a fountain of wealth.
But with it already in their grasp, he was now seen as an expandable.
They had thus decided to banish him while forbidding him from ever coming back, in hopes of appeasing their enemies' wrath.
At first, Brigand had thought that it was a misunderstanding. After all, they were his parents who had always been caring and loving. He simply refused to believe it...
That's when he had seen their faces filled with derision and disgust. They had truly turned their backs on him, only caring about their newly acquired wealth and influence.
His banishment then sent him in a cycle of depression and rage, while also leading him to the depths of poverty. He lived like a beggar, constantly wallowing in self-pity and barely eating a meal every two days.
It wasn't until a few hellish years had passed that he had heard of some shocking news.
Apparently, his family had even gone to the lengths of denying his existence, saying he was simply a beggar that they had taken pity on.
This had been the last straw.
His previously dead eyes were now shining with a dangerous glint. It was time to take his life back and make them pay for their sins.
His first decision had been to move out of the province, since his identity was compromised. He knew full well that he couldn't grow here.
He would only come back once he was able to expand his empire.
Six long years had already gone by since that decision.
Brigand had moved to the border of the Empire and had built a robust network that made him one of the richest man in the region. He even wielded more influence than some towns' rulers.
However, there was something frustrating him to no end. His products were the most in-demand locally, but he hadn't been able to pierce other markets, since their needs were already fulfilled by goods of the same quality.
As he came back from a business trip and waited in line, he saw something that caught his eye.
A few meters away from him was someone about to be scammed by guards.
***
Derrick turned around and watched as the opulent man invited him to his carriage.
After some reluctance, he proceeded. He was in a new city, so declining help wouldn't be wise.
"If you don't mind me asking, why did you help me?"
Brigand grinned at the inquiry.
He had only caught a glimpse of the weapons, but it had been enough to make him realize that they were special.
That was how he always operated : find something new, and then ask about it. His curiosity was just insatiable.
"I'll be honest with you. I saw the weapons that you showed to the guard, and I became interested. My name is Brigand Lancaster. What's yours?"
Derrick was surprised by the man's straightforwardness, but he liked it. He hated individuals who talked in a roundabout way.
"Derrick Tarlin"
He had decided to tell his real name, as he needed someone to show him around the city. He also knew that relationships always required a bit of trust.
After a few seconds of silence, Brigand continued.
"Would you allow me to inspect them?"
"Go ahead. I came here to sell them"
Not waiting a second longer, Brigand took the spears and started examining them.
As time went by, his eyes got bigger and bigger until they looked like saucers. Small gasps also kept coming out of his mouth involuntarily.
His gaze went back to Derrick, who was clearly amused by his behavior.
What he didn't know was that Brigand had finally found the 'white whale' that'd allow him to expand everywhere on the continent.
"You have to sell them at my auction house, or the others will fleece you"
This sentence sent Derrick reeling. What the hell?!
"What!?"
"Frankly, it's the first time I've seen weapons of this quality in this region. The others won't know their true value. May I ask who made these?"
Derrick pondered on whether telling him or not before deciding on the latter. He had to evaluate this 'partner' for a while longer.
"It's an artisan who is secluded in the woods. What's the value of these weapons?"
The direct tone in which Derrick had spoken made Brigand worry. He couldn't lose this opportunity.
"Are you familiar with the currency system?"
"There is copper, silver and gold, with 100 coppers equaling 1 silver, and 100 silvers equaling 1 gold, right?"
"Yes, these are the basic currencies, but there are also rarer tiers above them. Since Empires are humongous, they also introduced platinum and rhodium. They follow the same growth in value, meaning 100 gold equal 1 platinum, and 100 platinum equal 1 rhodium"
Derrick was surprised by this, but he figured it made sense. After all, billions of people couldn't only use gold, as that would greatly restrict the amount of flowing currency.
"Only the very wealthy can use them, and you might soon fall into that category"
A gigantic smile appeared on Brigands' face, and he continued before Derrick could even respond.
"These weapons are a game changer, and it wouldn't surprise me if they generated 2-3 platinum each during the auction. Of course, I would auction them at a base price of 100 gold to insure initial bids"
Derrick was ecstatic, as he had never expected his craftsmanship to be so valuable. He had come here with 50 gold and was guaranteed to walk away with another 400.
This unexpected loot would finally allow him to address his urgent need of specialists.
He tried toning down his emotions before even faking a frown, which caused Brigand to sweat bullets.
The necromancer needed a bit more time to see what else he could obtain.
After what seemed like an eternity, Derrick shrugged.
"I can sell the weapons at your auction house, but I'll need lodging and a guide. It's my first time in this city, and I'd like to visit it"