Skyrim System In Westeros

That evening, Renly rushed into Wright's room to talk.

"We're out of money," Renly said, frustrated. "You had me spend all the remaining money on this outfit and accessories. Are we sure we're going to make money from this?"

Wright looked at Renly's lavish clothes and accessories. "Doing business requires packaging. Even if you're broke, you have to look wealthy. This builds trust with others."

"I'm still the Lord of Storm's End! Do I really need to do this? Am I supposed to become a merchant?" Renly was confused.

"You're a Lord, but you're a ten name day," Wright replied. "And there are two types of Lords: the rich ones and the poor ones."

Wright answered Renly's questions one by one.

"By creating the image that you're wealthy, over time, even if you're penniless, others will still think you have money. They'll want to do business with you. For example, with the cocoa beans—I'm negotiating for payment next quarter. By then, once the first batch of chocolate sells, we'll have money."

Wright and Renly were partners in business, with a 70-30 split: Renly contributed 70%, including capital, workers, premises, transportation, and sales, while Wright took 30%, providing the technology, sales strategy, and training for the workers.

"I don't need to showcase myself like that. I could recite the speeches from the hall; I've been practicing them for days," Renly said, now starting to care more about his image.

"Every new venture needs a leader, and you, Lord of Storm's End, are not only the seller but the best leader for it," Wright said, placing a hand on Renly's shoulder.

"Once you create your wealthy image and maintain a good business reputation, in the future, when you're doing business, all you need to do is stand there. Even if you don't say a word, your mere presence will seal the deal."

Renly, excited by the idea of making business just by standing there, instantly became filled with energy. "When i will give it a try?"

"There's no try. Every morning, you just need to repeat to yourself: 'I can do this', and soon enough, you WILL."

Renly nodded enthusiastically.

Since childhood, Renly had always known that his younger brother was exceptionally clever and had even taught him magic. When they were young, he was forced to study and practice swords, but as he grew, he realized how much ahead of his peers he had become. His brother always thought of him first and never betrayed him.

Renly, while deeply grateful and admiring of his brother, sometimes wondered who the younger sibling really was. Had their parents mixed up the birth dates?

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After finalizing the business arrangements, Wright and Renly decided to head to the tournament to watch the competition.

Stannis had also arrived, having been hired by Lord Mace to help organize the tournament. The reason Wright hadn't seen him the day before was because Stannis had been busy with preparations for the event.

In the twenty years that Tywin served as Hand of the King, he had advocated for the holding of tournaments. Back then, each tournament was funded by individual nobles, who used their own money and prize funds to display their strength and gain some honor, though these events usually resulted in a significant financial loss.

However, after the tournament at Storm's End a few years ago, Stannis began making a considerable profit from these events. Once Robert became King, he found various excuses to hold tournaments, with Stannis handling the organization each time.

King Robert's extravagant lifestyle and massive expenditures, coupled with the lack of a dedicated treasury official—now Jon Arryn was handling both political duties and finances—meant the crown had to borrow money from various sources. They borrowed from Tywin, from Highgarden, and from Storm's End. Yet, after every tournament, they managed to repay a portion of the debt.

Over time, the members of the Small Council became aware of this arrangement. The Master of Ships, Stannis, was hardly focused on his naval duties; he relied on the gambling profits from the tournaments to replenish Robert's coffers. Robert kept this a secret, but of course, the news still spread.

The people of Westeros worship the Seven, and the Seven's teachings condemn gambling, bastards, and most severely, incest and regicide. While incest and regicide were considered serious crimes—punishable by death or exile to the Night's Watch—gambling and bastards were less severely condemned. In practice, what people said and what they did were often two different things.

Other nobles had tried to imitate this practice of organizing betting on tournaments, but determining odds was difficult, and in one case, a noble even sold his castle after holding a tournament.

In King's Landing, Robert couldn't hold tournaments every month, especially now that peace had settled. Stannis, often idle during peaceful times, was contacted by Lord Mace to help organize a tournament in Highgarden, promising him a generous reward.

Wright found Stannis, and though the tournament was being organized by Highgarden, it was Stannis who brought in his own people to handle the betting operations. His uncle, Lomas Estermont, had also arrived, as had Stannis other relatives. Lord Mace could only manage the accounts; as long as money was made, he was satisfied.

Lomas, who had been sent to Dragonstone, was now a vassal to Stannis, while his older brother remained a vassal of Bluegarden, a typical case of hedging bets on both sides.

"Stannis, Uncle," Wright and Bluegarden greeted them.

"Ah, Wright, you wrote to me saying you had something good to show me?" Stannis asked, not one for pleasantries.

"Had it not been for your letter, Stannis wouldn't have agreed to come to Highgarden. We'd still be training the navy," Lomas immediately spoke up, unabashedly.

"You're training what navy? Don't try to fool me with that excuse. I know exactly what you're up to. Come, let's sit at that table," Wright said, pulling back the curtain on their motives.

The family spoke freely among themselves. Wright set a wooden box on the table and arranged chairs for the four of them to sit around.

"This is called Mahjong, 144 tiles in total."

He opened the box and began explaining the rules, showing them how to play.

"It's a game of intellect, although there is some luck involved, but skill is the key."

"But it requires four players, and it's not a game for the poor. Stannis, you could find a large, spacious venue in the noble district of King's Landing. Ideally, a multi-story building with comfortable seating, high-quality Mahjong tiles, and private rooms upstairs."

Both Stannis and Lomas eyes lit up at the thought.

"Making these Mahjong tiles is simple enough, but the key is who you play with. If you can find a luxurious venue, attract some nobles to join the game, the other nobles will surely follow. The real money isn't in selling the Mahjong tiles, but in room fees, drinks, and a cut of the winnings, you understand what I mean."

Wright wasn't sure if Mahjong would catch on; after all, there were places in the real world where no one played it no matter how much you promoted it. It was a matter of cultural acceptance, and some things just couldn't be helped.

"I'll leave this to you. In exchange, all the Mahjong sets you use in King's Landing must be ordered from Storm's End. These are just samples for now, but I'll have Renly procure the finest materials for crafting them, so they'll feel perfect to the touch."

"Very well. I'll talk to you more about it when we're done here," Stannis replied, as always, succinctly.