This was the plan Edgar had laid out on the way to their house, taking over the Siren Song Merchants' business and establishing a monopoly on the island. After Dagger's Rock Island, they would proceed to take over Fish Scale Island and Black Whale Island, which also housed slave camps and were only 34 and 56 kilometers away. Currently, this was nothing more than an ambition. Much more manpower would be necessary if they wanted to establish a commercial empire spanning over several islands.
As he did with Sturm, Edgar planned to raise more promising young slaves in the future. The day Sturm was capable of running most of the business by himself, leaving the merchant with few official duties, was the day Edgar would semi-retire and concentrate on teaching the next generation.
"To accomplish our goal, we will first need to make our business thrive and multiply our funds. I have been contacting a northern tribe supplier who offered me many different types of goods, which are uncommon in the Pirate Seas. That is why I called you here, to decide what we are going to sell in our new shop. In the end, both of you are part of the Thunder Merchants and especially you Sturm. I am expecting you to follow in my footsteps."
Out of those several options, the group instantly discarded most of them, like, for example, seafood and furs. Seafood was abundant in the Pirate Seas, and most local taverns already had fixed suppliers, whereas furs were unnecessary as even the winter was not cold enough to warrant them.
Left were timber from the exceptionally sturdy northern oaks and black iron, which improved the quality of both weapons and tools even in small amounts. Additionally, both whetstones and soapstones were viable options, and after a lengthy discussion, the three still could not come to a conclusion.
"Mister Edgar, why don't we just sell all four?" Sturm did not see why they should limit themselves. In his experience, it was always better to have multiple options instead of one, and a more extensive portfolio would increase their market presence as well.
"Hmm… you are actually right, Sturm," Edgar's face brightened up as he seemed lost in his thoughts. "I wanted to concentrate on a single venture to control our expenses, but if we want to expand, we should not play it safe. Let's sell the raw materials to other shops for now, and when I find some artisans to craft goods for us, we will be able to open shop officially. Opening a shop just for whetstone won't cut it, but maybe we can partner with local smiths and weapon shops."
While Edgar had already found a supplier, finding artisans would prove quite more difficult. The Pirate Seas were not known for their craftsmen, and even their shipyards paled in comparison to the Empire. The merchant wanted to make use of his connections to find some skilled workers that had been recently sold into slavery.
Slaves were easier to control, as escaping or rebelling was close to impossible. And as much as Edgar hated slavery, there was no escape from slaveship. The most Edgar could do was give them a decent life and treat them well.
"All right, now that this is settled let's go to sleep. Sturm, you will still attend my classes in the morning, but other than that, you are free to do whatever you want for the next two weeks. Reinhardt, please take care of him."
Reinhardt saluted in response. "Yes, boss. Don't worry. I have something planned already."
Sturm sent the Guard Captain a confused look. <
Reinhardt noticed it and slightly tilted his head towards the side while looking at the boy. <>
Sturm opened his eyes wide in response. <
Their pseudo-telepathy came to an end when Edgar gave them a strange look. Their antics would have been visible to anyone, let alone an experienced merchant. The Guard Captain had been nervous already and finally cracked under the pressure.
After explaining why he wanted to take Sturm outside the city for as much as possible, Edgar actually agreed, but when Reinhardt explained what exactly he wanted to do with Sturm, his boss could not help but frown.
"You want him to go hunt with you… are you insane? Did you forget those wolves that assaulted us? They had to at least Tier 3 bronze beasts with the intelligence and strength they demonstrated, maybe even close to Tier 4. Their alpha may even have been Tier 6! Do you want to kill Sturm?" Edgar could not believe that Reinhardt even had the guts to propose something like that.
This was exactly the response they had been preparing for. Reinhardt straightened his back and responded in a serious tone.
"We will not go far into the forest. I promise that. At most, we will hunt Tier 1 bronze beasts, and I will swear to protect Sturm at all costs, but with all due respect, Boss, he can't be wasting his time in the pit fighting mediocre junior combat slaves. You have seen his talent. Fighting beasts is the best way for him to improve and prepare for the future. He will never even reach the first step. Without experience, any Tier 1 bronze beast will have the possibility to kill him in the future."
The world was relentless, and most beasts could discern weak targets. Even to early-bronze beasts, which comprised Tier 1 to Tier 3 beasts, slaves were nothing more than easy prey and stood at the bottom of the food chain. Sturm had already proven his ability to defend himself even against commoners, but beasts were an entirely different problem.
Sturm also understood this. No matter if a professional fighter has been undefeated throughout his career, most if not all would be at the mercy of a bear or a tiger. Their strength, speed, endurance, and ferociousness were something humans just could not compare to without tools of some kind.
In this world, the situation was different. The more celestial steps a human took, the more powerful he became, and contending with the strength of beasts was not an impossibility anymore. A fifth step commoner could rip apart a tiger from Earth with his bare hands, whereas a sixth or seventh step noble could probably lift an elephant and throw it a few hundred meters.
If Edgar wanted Sturm to be safe, relying on guards would not always be possible. Increasing one's own strength would always surpass relying on outside help, and the fact was that his future right hand did show a knack for combat. If Sturm could get his combat standards to the level of a commoner mercenary and learn how to deal with beasts, Edgar would have to worry less about his safety.
"Alright. I can see that this is also what you want, Sturm. You know I want you to replace me as the head of the Thunder Merchants in the future, but this will be an incredibly treacherous path for you. Any hardship you overcome now will be another step taken towards reaching that goal. Both of you are to take care and exercise utmost caution when hunting. Reinhardt, you will be in charge of getting Sturm some equipment, don't worry about the price. And also take Daga with you, tell him I will pay him handsomely for his service."
Edgar had been reluctant, but Sturm was already 13 years old, and the wolf attack had shown that death could strike at any time. It was better to let Sturm accumulate experience in controlled situations rather than getting surprised and dying due to inexperience.
"Yes, boss. Leave it to me."
"Mister Edgar, I promise I will always listen to Reinhardt and not take any unnecessary risks."
Both were excited that they managed to convince Edgar, while the merchant wondered if he had taken the correct decision. He sent them to sleep and took out a worn-out book when they left the room.
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