Chapter 171 - 171 Making A Deal

True to his word, the innkeeper found them a spot among a group of large rooms, looking like they were each designed for the majority of a ships crew to all be bunked in the same area. Instead of the expected beds, there were hammocks, the more familiar sleeping location for most sailors, as they remain mostly stationary as the boat rolls. Cain decides he might need to get one for himself, that was one of the better nights sleep he's had.

"Those things are great. They're soft, flexible, and perfect for cuddling." Kone declares, stretched out in a hammock with Su. Misha considers pointing out they're usually intended for one person, but since she and Cain also shared one last night that would just be hypocritical. 

In fact, she believes everyone did. Vala and Laura shared one, the Demon enjoying the cooler skin of the Dragon and the Dragon enjoying the warm Demon wings, while the Nila clones each grabbed a copy of Nemu, still in her mostly human looking Neko transformation. Half the hammocks in the room were never used at all. 

"If you're up and about, the sun is up and you've got visitors." Sam, the innkeeper calls after a quick rap on the door. 

"Well, time to work. Let's see what we can get for those extra properties. I'm hoping for a transport circle that doesn't need to be in a Guild House. If we can go from here to Montauk, everyone can enjoy a beach vacation without risking their lives in the desert to get there." Cain says hopefully, his body language saying he'd rather stay in bed with Misha. 

"I just hope they've got good alchemy supplies. I'm really low now, and the old potion recipes I know are mostly irrelevant at this level." Kone suggests. It is a trading town, alchemy supplies should come in fairly regularly. 

"So we're hoping for Alchemy and Tailoring recipes and materials? Maybe some blacksmith ones to send to the Guild? Anything else?" That covers the essentials, other than materials for Cain's own Inscription Skill. But many of them are extremely expensive, and particular to the book he wants to copy, so getting them in advance might not be practical. He doesn't know what he will need for whatever higher level books he might manage to find. 

What he does need though, are the ones for the Dark Elven Blade Forms. At least three copies, as both Candia and Cixelcid will want them, plus one copy for the Guild Library. The thought of the two Vampires using the delicate but lethal looking style somehow just seems right to Cain. In the legends from his past life they were supposed to be unnaturally fast and graceful, but here, that largely depends on their class. 

With that in mind, Cain writes out the needed materials, skipping the ones for [Cloud Dancing], because that skill was just evil to copy. That's still quite a collection of materials, and a small library of books to complete the essentials of the style. Dual Wield, Parry, Offense Basics, Defensive Footwork.

Then the advanced version of Offense and Offensive Flows, plus Blade Aura. Because, as Lloran said, you can't be a proper swordsman without a Blade Aura. It's also a very good area damage technique. Only ten percent spills over to the area, but it all adds up and the [Intimidate] effect it causes slows enemy attack speed. 

None of the materials for it were too ridiculous, but Cain wishes he'd remembered to take one of the Inscription Desks. Though they might have a limitation he doesn't know about, a time limit on the conjured materials or something similar. Still worth going back to get one when he's got a chance. Now isn't the time though, the token they got as a Quest Reward will take them to the hidden city, but he'd have to spend all day flying back to Assah.

They make their way down to the dining room, the hotel doesn't have a tavern in it, though there's one nearby, and are greeted by six members of the Nut Up Guild and Duke Lancelot himself. 

"Greetings. It's good to see you well this morning. I've got all the paperwork plus the payment ready for your signature." The Duke announces, getting right down to business. 

Cain nods and takes a seat, picking up the tea and wincing at the flavor. Has Elven Forest Tea spoiled his taste buds? This stuff is godawful. 

"Sam, can you bring me some hot water? I've gotten used to Elven Forest Tea, so I'll make my own." Cain calls, knowing the Dark Elf will be listening in. 

"Exactly how much of that Tea do you have? The Elves of the Sarrah Woods in the far south have placed a trade embargo on theirs and we haven't been able to get it for years." Lancelot asks. 

Cain looks in the Guild Storage, finding that someone has bought an entire bulk tote of it, a full ton of tea. Maybe they're using it to trade? 

[Can we get more Elven Forest Tea? I need a bunch of it in Assah.] Cain sends in Guild Chat. 

[Use as much of that bag as you need. Sunnybrook Council traded it for higher level gear I made, and I can ask for it as partial payment again next week when the next shipment is ready.] Dimnys responds in seconds. 

"I think I could spare a few hundred kilos of Elven Forest Tea from the Beginner Valley. I'm not certain it's the same as what the higher level Elves produce though." Cain says carefully. 

"That is close enough. It's hard to get, even if not enchanted like the Sarrah Woods Tea, but it's still worth it's weight in silver to sell it to the trading ships." Sam says, bringing out the hot water and a teapot. 

Cain nods his thanks and adds leaves to the tea ball and puts them to steep before looking back up at Lancelot. 

"200 kilos of Elven Forest Tea for 200 kilos of Silver Coin?" The proposal makes the assembled members of the Darklight Host turn pale at the staggering amount of money, but Lancelot nods and pulls a chest from his inventory, then a large sack and a scale. 

The chest opens to reveal a huge pile of silver coins, which Sam runs his fingers through to verify it doesn't contain blocks of lead or any other artificial weights. 

"It's good. The chest is 6 kilos itself, and the sack is 1, so we add five in weights to the scale and we're ready for the tea." The innkeeper has clearly done this before. Possibly a great many times before he settled down to run an inn. Cain has a hard time telling Elven ages apart until they get truly old or very young, so he can't really tell how long Sam might have been around. 

The tea is in bundles within the bulk tote, so Cain pulls them out one after another, dumping them into the sack until the scales balance. 

"Perfect. That's one deal done, now if you'll sign off on the house transfer I'll pay you for that and be on my way to discipline my dimwitted heir." Lancelot smiles, happy to have obtained rare, high quality tea for his kingdom. 

"How much money is that anyhow?" Laura says, looking into the chest. 

"They're quarter ounce silver coins, so about 141 to a kilogram, and 28,200 in the chest, give or take, the coin weights aren't always precise, and they wear down with use, so weight trades will have a few extra coins." Sam tells the curious Opal Dragon, who is already mentally celebrating. 

"If you're impressed by that, maybe I should have gotten all silver to buy off the smithy with." The Red bearded Dwarf from the Nut Up Guild laughs. 

"Why's that?"

"You see, it's ten silver to a Gold Coin, and purchase price is set at fifty times a months rent, so I'll be paying 7500 gold today to buy out my shop, if your boss is willing." The Dwarf explains. 

"A huge mountain of silver coins." Laura says dreamily, making everyone chuckle at her priorities. 

"I see no problem selling off the shops. My Guild isn't big enough to need all of them, and we're keeping the house by the wharf as a trading post." Cain explains and the Nut Up members nod in understanding. 

"The other shops rent at a hundred gold each, so that's five thousand from each of us." A gnome from the Nut Up Guild adds. 

"If you prefer to trade items, we need Alchemy, Tailoring and Blacksmith Recipes, as well as the materials associated with them, and this list of Inscription materials in the listed quantities." Cain says, setting the sheet with the materials for the Dark Elven Blade Forms books on the table.

"Making a Dark Elven Skill book are you? Maybe a couple from the quantity. I've got everything there in stock, but it's not expensive. In total, barely a hundred gold." A human member of their group frowns.

"I'll need more materials later, but not knowing what I'll need if I find the books I am looking for in the library, I can't really prepurchase them.." Cain shrugs and the girl nods.