Elydes

Chapter 186 – Greedy Merfolk

Under the disapproving gaze of old Alfred, Kai knocked twice before walking into a different study on the upper floor. The room was gaudy and welcoming. Lacquered furniture carved from expensive wood, blue curtains woven with silver threads and incredible lifelike paintings. On the desk, a shimmering crystal lotus was used like a paperweight.

Reishi waited on the velvet sofa, holding a book and a cup of tea. He didn’t turn to look but poured another cup. “You came quickly. Please, sit.”

His nerves had buried the hunger from skipping breakfast. “Thank you.” Kai accepted the drink and took a sip of the amber liquid out of politeness. The spicy herbal tea didn’t soothe his jittery mind, though the porcelain cup stopped his hands from fidgeting.

He had waited a week for this, slowly warming his parents to the idea of the enhancing elixirs. He had fixed and upgraded every enchantment in the house, adding a condensing array in every room when he heard it might help the pregnancy.

They all wanted what was best for the baby. A higher grade would give the child a substantial advantage. Alana and Moui had agreed to go ahead if the troubles of getting it weren’t too great.

When Kai opened his mouth, the words came in a flood. “I told my parents they could come talk to you after we work out the deal. They want to ask you a few questions, I hope that’s okay. I know you’re very busy. I’ll make it up to you, just tell me what you need.”

It was a gamble to give the merman an open request, but Reishi had already been so helpful that Kai couldn’t bring himself to care. The future of his sibling was on the line. He would spare no expense.

“Slow down a moment.” The even tone of the merman dragged him back to Elydes. Reishi rarely showed excitement. Today, his tone also lacked his usual wry amusement.

“I’m sorry I didn’t ask you first,” Kai said. “When they agreed to the elixirs, I was too thrilled and didn’t think it through.”

“That’s not a problem,” Reishi put down his cup and met his gaze. Pensive and serious. His colorful crest flopped with signs of tiredness. “But acquiring the elixirs might be more complicated than I thought.”

Kai cocked his head. He tried to ignore the foreboding that loomed ever stronger. “Do you mean you can’t get them?”

“No, that’s not—”

Thank the spirits! Then what’s the trouble?

He had the worst thought. “Can we not verify their quality?” That was one major problem when buying from unofficial sources, there was no guarantee on the quality of the goods. He had stupidly thought Reishi would solve it, like always. But if they couldn’t work it out, the deal was off. He’d never give his mother anything dubious.

“Kai, shut up and let me speak.” Reishi punctured the sentence with a dab of irritation. Kai mumbled an apology, nailed by those icy eyes. “As I was saying, there is a problem. I told you I didn’t deal with these kinds of wares. I trust the supplier on the quality, but I severely underestimated the cost.”

“Oh,” a weight lifted off his chest. Kai slumped into the plump couch. “It’s fine. I told you I don’t care about the price. I’ll pay all the silver and gold that it takes if the product is legit. And I can increase the alchemy production.”

“Kai,” the word rang again like a command. “Maybe I wasn’t clear enough: unless you’ve hidden a pile of gold somewhere, you can’t afford this. Expanding our alchemy business won’t change that.” The merman waited for the words to sink in before continuing, his thin blue lips pursed in distaste.

“The government put an embargo on any kind of enhancing elixir. What’s worse, they’re enforcing it to ensure their hold on the supply. Merchants always find a way when there is a demand, but my acquaintances are charging a steep premium. The supply is limited, and there is no way to lower the price since there are families in Higharbor willing to pay.”

Why does the Republic always need to ruin everything? Damned jerks.

“How much is it?” Kai braced for the blow, ready to wish goodbye to his newly wealthy status. He still wasn’t ready.

“A gold, a bottle.”

Blood drained from his face. His precious shiny coin. No, it didn’t matter. He was willing to bleed for his sibling. “That’s not too bad.” Kai forced himself to chuckle. “You almost had me worried. How many do I need?”

Reishi gave him a pitying look. “Your mother needs to take a bottle every week for three months to be effective.”

“That’s…” The math carved a trench in his soul. That was way too many mesars, by a long shot. If he poured together his savings of years, he might get to four golds, perhaps a little more. Double that if he sold his serpent blades, though he would need to accept worse trades to sell them rapidly. “What are the chances to improve the grade of the baby by using them for two months instead?”

I’m Favored, I can take the bet.

“Too low to matter,” Reishi stated mercilessly. “Three months is the minimum period, ideally it should be closer to five or six. Enhancing elixirs are always unreliable. Even if your mother took them from the day she conceived to when she gave birth, there is no guarantee of success. Given that would be extremely unlikely for the baby to get no benefits, but still possible.”

The merman took out a fold of papers and offered it to him. “I researched the numbers for you. By taking a standard red elixir for three months, you have a fifty-fifty percent chance for the baby to gain red ★★, and ten percent for red ★★★. It increases by about a fifth for each extra month.”

Kai raced through the papers. There the report was extensive, a lot of words and details for what Reishi had already told him. He had been sold on the idea, his mind had already envisioned the future of the child. In a blink, it was ripped away from him. He couldn’t accept it.

There was still a possibility.

“I can’t afford it, but you can.” Kai reasoned out loud. “You can lend me the money, and I can pay it back in time.” It would mean drastically altering his plans for the next two years. He’d have to spend a large share of time brewing and enchanting.

It’s doable. What’s a couple of years for a lifetime of benefits?

“I’m sorry, Kai.” Reishi sounded truly regretful. “I should have been more cautious before making promises, but I can’t lend you that much money.”

“Why not? I know you can afford it!” he snapped. He didn’t know the exact net worth of the merman, but it was definitely enough. “I’ll pay interest on the loan. How much do you want?”

“It’s not about that.” Reishi massaged his temples. “Hiding the purchase from the Republic was already problematic before I knew they took it that seriously. What if you get into debt and then your sibling is born at the beginning of red anyway? It’s a terrible deal with dubious benefits. I won’t do it.”

Blood pumped in his ears, Kai forced his mouth closed to maintain a semblance of calm. “You don’t get to decide for me! Am I your friend only when it's convenient?” He immediately knew he wasn’t being fair, but the words had already left his mouth.

Instead of losing his temper, Reishi turned to frozen stone. “Think however you like. Hate me if you want, but it’s my money and my choice.” The merman said icily. “I imagine you also wanted me to lie to your parents about the cost?”

“I—” There was no way Alana or Moui would accept it if they knew.

Fuck…

The thin thread of hope snapped, letting the future he envisioned fall into darkness. His anger deflated to nothing. He was empty, void, watching his body from the outside. His accusing words sounded more and more like a childish tantrum. Unfair. Unreasonable. Stupid.

Spirits, I’ll cringe at this for years to come.

“I’m sorry.” A whisper through the quiet room, shame choked his throat. He stared at the embroidered carpet beneath the coffee table, following its golden swirls. Anything to avoid Reishi’s gaze.

I can’t believe I actually said that. Elijah was right, I’m a brat.

Silence stifled the air, the merman sighed heavily. “It’s fine. I know human kids can be… temperamental during their teenage years. Maybe I’ll tell your mother to spank you more often.” The smirk was evident in his tone.

“Maybe you should,” Kai made a mighty effort to look up and meet the mocking blue eyes. “I’m sorry. I had an idea in my head and couldn’t accept there was no way.”

“It’s nice you realized. You're stubborn like a barnacle glued to its rock. Sometimes you must let go if you don’t want to get smashed by the waves.” Reishi poured himself an abundant cup of tea, still steaming hot thanks to the enchanted porcelain. “I’m afraid this is one of those times.”

He added a sugar cube, stirring slowly. “The only option would be to get on the Republic good-boy list and buy from them at a fifth the price. You might have a chance if you show them your status and sign a contract, though I’d advise that even less than taking a loan. And you might still not get the elixirs in time considering their bureaucracy.”

“Yeah.” After avoiding them for years, Kai wasn’t going to walk up to them like a wrapped present. That might be a choice for a lifetime. “Hmm… can’t you buy them for me? Don’t you have contacts in the governments?”

The merman shook his head ruefully. “I would have considered that if it had any shot of working. My friends are happy to take my money off the book, but the sales of restricted items end up in the official records.”

“You’re not important enough to get on their good-boy list? I can’t imagine there are many better merchants in the archipelago, if any. And I know for a fact the governor likes money.” Kai raised an eyebrow, teasing him. “Did you do something naughty? Or do you need to prove you’re pregnant to buy them?”

“Neither of those.” Reishi gave him an awkward smile. “They’re happy to let you pay for the elixirs for someone else, if you don’t abuse it.”

“Then what is it?” Kai leaned forward to sip his spicy tea. Desperate for anything that might distract him from his shame.

The merman searched his face as if he expected to find the signs of bad humor. “Kai, you know I’m not human? These shiny scales aren’t just a handsome quirk.”

“What does that have to do with buying elixirs?” Kai frowned, genuinely perplexed.

Reishi gave him another long look and burst out laughing. “Oh, Glorious Waters.” He fell into another bout of hilarity upon seeing his continued confusion. “Did anyone ever tell you how adorable you are? Please, don’t change.” He produced a purple silk handkerchief to dry his tears.

Kai felt his face heat up from embarrassment and annoyance. “What’s so funny?”

“Do you know the Merian Republic is a human kingdom?”

“Yeah, I know humans are the majority.”

“They’re not the majority, humans are the only ones who can become true citizens. That’s how it goes for most kingdoms. The Republic tolerates merfolk since we bring gold and trade, but they won’t sell us any item on the restricted lists. Even the least of them like red elixirs.”

“Oh…” Kai gaped dumbly, unsure how to respond. He had rarely seen the merman interact with anyone apart from his underlings and sailors.

Due to the isolation of the archipelago, the islanders didn’t really have stereotypes of other races. They gawked at anything and anyone different, from the merfolk to the humans from the mainland. Eventually, they got used to it and moved on. He had always attributed it to the shock of a country bumpkin rather than discrimination.

He had no idea of the disposition of the people on the continent towards the other races. Was it about distrusting people from rival nations? What were the relations between humans and gnomes, elves or any other sapient lineage? Were there racial wars going on?

“Do I need to call a healer?” Reishi observed him amused. “I didn’t want to cripple your mind.”

“Huh,” Kai nodded. How did he ask the merman any of that? “I mean, no. There is no need for a healer, I’m good. I should probably go, I don’t want to take more of your time.” With a thousand thoughts swirling in his brain, he opted for a retreat. “Do you still plan to sail back to Higharbor in two days?”

“Yes, I’m happy to give you a ride,” Reshi answered the implicit question. “And Kai, you should really consider expanding our alchemy business anyway. Better to be prepared the next time you need a pot of gold. Trust an expert on this, wealth can’t solve every problem, but it's damn convenient to have.”

“I’ll think about it.” He halted at the doorway. “Thanks for everything. It must have taken you a while to research everything.”

“It was fun to explore new avenues.” Reishi waved him away. “See you soon.”

Kai didn’t notice where he was going till he reached his house. He gathered the courage to explain the news to his mom after he sold her on the idea. Alana didn’t seem to mind as much.

“It wasn’t fated, sweetie.” She cupped his head gently. “Don’t worry, the spirits will take care of your little brother.”

It would have been nice to get some more concrete help. I appreciate your support, but how many blessings can you guys bestow?

Neither Yatei nor Kahali bothered to answer.

He spent the morning training with Kea. Her progress was notable, inching closer to Orange ★★, but the distance between them had not closed.

Kai was still figuring out how to best help Flynn get a decent profession. The main question was if his friend wanted to discard Keen Spotter as soon as possible or aimed to enhance his grade first. That would impact how many skills they could change.

In the meantime, Flynn had plenty of catching up to do with Mana Sense. Years of fun exercises he had missed out on. Who was Kai to deny him any longer?

It’s all for his sake. He’ll thank me one day.

Speaking of progress, Kai even learned to look at Ele’s annoying boyfriend without the impulse to punch his perfect face. He didn’t forget to impart a few words of wisdom, in case Sabe thought to break his sister’s heart.

The tall man looked amused when he heard Kai’s reasonable warnings, a little less when the temperature dropped and the water dripping from the docks froze.

And that’s done too.

He performed a final check of the enchantments around the house and left a little pile of silver that would only be found after he was gone. Flynn’s gift would help them keep in touch over the distance and mollified his mom's displeasure at seeing him gone.

It was time to sail back to the capital. Aboard the Silver Edge, Kai was still lost in his thoughts. He had had little interest in making money since there wasn’t anything he cared to buy. He hadn’t realized the Republic hoarded the good stuff.

He couldn’t do much about it right now, though it would be different on the mainland. Reishi had confirmed the government didn’t control the market there.

I’ll need to get my finances in order. How fun…

“Did your mind recover?” Reishi appeared in a flutter of silk on the deck of the ship. “I’ll call the ship medic if you need.”

They hadn’t talked again since that day, and Kai was grateful the merman didn’t treat him differently. “I think I’ll manage. You just gave me a lot to think about.”

“I know you really wanted them, but buying those elixirs off the books is asking to be robbed. If you want to help your sibling, you’d be better off hiring tutors with that gold.”

Kai nodded, “You’re right. Huh… I just had a random bout of curiosity. How closely tied to the Republic do you need to be to buy them? Like would the daughter of a councilor in Higharbor have access to them?”

“It’s possible. It depends on how influential they are and their ties to the governor.” Reishi peered at him. “Why? Do you have friends you didn’t tell me about?”

“Mhmm… more like a stalker.”

No harm in asking.