DoDS 4 Chapter 5

Five days passed in Ruipur without Nox being able to confirm or prepone his meeting. The city’s councilwoman who had initially agreed to meet with him postponed her meeting again, leaving him to wonder whether to wait a while longer or give up. He wanted to start the return journey soon so they’d at least have two weeks before the new semester began. Nox took solace in the fact that his week in Ruipur wasn’t fruitless. Louis's contacts helped put him in touch with two local alchemists who were willing to start a partnership. 

Instead of selling them a complete product or recipes, vessels from Sen’s Watch or the City of Ygg would bring partially processed versions of Ratra contraceptives, cosmetics, and sterilizing fluids. Their purchasing costs were much lower than the average shelf price. The alchemists would complete the concoctions, which would be no issue for any competent journeyman. Nox encouraged them to process only smaller batches at a time and adjust based on sales since finishing the brewing process significantly lowered shelf life.

The alchemists would have the freedom to set a price, but selling and turning a profit would be their responsibility: if they made a markup that was too high, the risk of suffering a loss was theirs alone. Orders sent back with the vessel or through trade ships would decide the size of future shipments. The model had worked with the City of Ygg’s neighbors and in the northern city-states. Vendors and alchemists seemed to like it. They kept their freedom and maintained autonomy. Nox maintained a steady stream of earnings while his reputation continued to grow.

Intelligence whispers and talk among merchants suggested that Nox’s competitors weren’t fond of his tactics. The strategy made his products more accessible to the average artisan or shopowner and, therefore, affordable for the middle class. Crystalize Essence ensured his processes were far more economical, and labor costs remained lower than other alchemists with extensive manufacturing operations. Nox’s tactics ensured he was indirectly undercutting everyone else while still turning a massive profit.

Nox suspected that his business model was part of the reason why the Imperium hated him. Production and manufacturing were tied into their government structure and were a source of significant earnings through taxes. His domination of markets west and south of their borders likely hurt their coffers significantly. He didn’t care. Nox had extended an olive branch, proposing a partnership directly with the government, but they were too greedy and tried to lowball him. Now, they needed to deal with the consequences. If they ever changed their minds and returned with their tail between their legs, he intended to lay down terms that favored him more than them.

“They’re calling you an upstart and a cutthroat, you know,” Queen Mercer had said when she picked up Bella at the end of the last semester. “You’re pissing off the people at the top.”

“But winning the favor of the people at the bottom of the food chain,” Nox had replied, grinning. “The market is neither a monopoly nor tyranny. The little guy and general consumer will favor whoever gives them the best deal. You taught me that.”

“You do realize that the same attitude almost caused a war between the Imperium and Trade Empire, right? I wouldn’t have had to marry a Gedge and spend close to two decades biting my tongue and with my hands tied behind my back.”

“Do you think the Imperium will declare war on the City of Ygg because of one organization?”

“No. But they might hire pirates and mercenaries to mess with your shipments and caravans. That’s what they did to us.”

“Which is why I don’t use my own vessels or tradesmen to operate near their borders. You do and earn a tidy cut for your efforts.”

Queen Mercer sighed, shaking her head. “Pallav always worried that his creativity and my ruthlessness would make for a dangerous combination. And here you are. Evidence.”

Aria also distracted herself from the discomforts of pregnancy with work. She had graduated six months after Nox and served as the Galleria’s and Edelweiss Barony’s primary recruiter. During Woodson Unversity’s semesters, while Nox was busy with running the Galleria and research projects, the Greywing was at her disposal. She visited with suppliers, renegotiated deals, and stopped at struggling settlements or villages, finding people who needed jobs, wanted to start over somewhere new, or seeking apprenticeships to start their careers. Nox trusted her not to favor her father or him and to divide talent fairly.

Like most cities, Ruipur had young people and seasoned tradesmen or artisans who wanted to relocate. Some lacked the reputation to flourish in their current location, others needed a change of scenery, and many wished to escape their families' control and find their independence. The strong family units and cultural deference to elders meant the final category was huge. 

Aria’s work also demanded attending social events and rubbing shoulders with the rich and powerful. Nox hated accompanying her to the seemingly but tolerated them for her sake. His business had grown to the point that he no longer needed to make appearances to turn a profit. He accepted the social commitments as a cost of marrying a future baroness. Watching Aria enjoy herself made it all almost worthwhile.

The evenings didn’t go to waste either. Nox saved his spellwork and research for late at night when everyone else was asleep. It gave him privacy and ensured the lack of distractions. He also kept track of April’s comings and goings. The young vampire went out under Ingrid’s supervision to investigate Ruipur’s underbelly and find criminals for feeding. Her stealth and speed ensured she fed without getting caught. Ingrid kept April from draining someone to the point of death. Her target woke the following morning sickly and weak. Most doctors wrote it off as anemia.

To ensure his friends didn’t complain, Nox spent plenty of time with them. They explored Ruipur and the sights around it and sampled the food. Several rivers passed through the city or along its borders. Freshwater fish form a significant part of the diet. The food was far milder than that of the other Daksinisthani cities the Greywing visited. Ruipur’s chefs seemed to prefer fresh aromatics over elaborate spice blends. The dishes were light and didn’t agitate Aria’s delicate stomach.

“We might as well head home,” Nox said over dinner. The ambassador’s manor was almost ready, and Louis had arranged an elaborate dinner for all of the Greywing’s passengers. “This is pointless. The cow on the council will keep me waiting forever. I suspect she just wants to waste my time.”

“Just give her a few more days,” Louis said, glancing at his fiancee. “Things are far more hectic around here than you think.”

“I'll be honest.” Swati sighed, looking embarrassed. “My aunt is the one you're supposed to meet. It's nothing personal. She just has a lot on her plate, and you aren’t a priority. The need for your slimes in Ruipur aren't as great as they are in the north.”

“Is there nothing we can do to hasten things?” Nox asked. “I appreciate you asking, but if this is it, we might as well leave at first light tomorrow.”

Louis and Swati hesitantly glanced at one another. “Well, there is something you could do,” he said. “Part of the problem is how the local dungeons have been behaving recently and the frequency of powerful rifts forming around us. We have delvers in the plentiful, and more have been flying in from the north and east, but it's not enough. Something is wrong in the ether, and we're struggling to put our fingers on it.”

“A low-expert dungeon that manifested after Death Walker's passing is the root of our concern,” Swati added. “It's full of powerful undead and shadow creatures, meaning standard light spells aren't as effective. We don't have powerful enough delving teams to deal with the threat, and all our efforts are going into containing the frequent dungeon breaks.”

“So if we calm or destroy the dungeon, will your aunt have time for us?” Nox asked, eyebrows raised.

Swati nodded. “I know it's a lot to ask, but you'd get more than the deals and signatures you need. Ruipur is the hub of trade with the Southern city-states. We also have good relationships with the island nations off the western coast. Winning the council's favor will open several new markets for you and probably several valuable trade contracts.”

“Swati and I would accompany you into the dungeon, of course,” Louis said. “I understand that three isn't enough. My star is near the peak of adept, and Swati has not long ascended to low expert.”

“There are five of us,” Joey said. “April and Ingrid might just be new adepts, but they're more than capable and extremely competent.”

“It would be nice to stretch the old muscles,” Caitlin said. “It's been almost three months since I've seen live combat.” She paused, looking at Nox and his wife. “The decision isn't mine or Joey's, though. There is risk and also our journey back to the City of Ygg—”

“Don't let me hold you back,” Aria said, leaning back on her chair. “I love Ruipur and her food. All of you are fun and great company, but I'd love some time to myself before the baby comes. Just a nice balcony view, an endless supply of fish and sweets, and a few books to keep me busy. It's been a while since I've also had a good spirit walk.”

“Is Spirit Caller's Tea a good decision for someone in your condition?” Swati asked. 

“It's not, and I've progressed far past relying on it. Now, I just need a simple ritual and meditation to achieve a fugue state. You never know. I might find an answer to what is going on to cause the unrest.”

All eyes turned to Nox. It was all down to him. “Seven is a crowd. How about you brief us on the dungeon Swati, and we can strategize how best to deal with this? It might be best if we work as two separate parties. A forward, more stealthy group and then the rest.”

“We do have an abundance of stealthy fighters among us,” Caitlin said. She pointed at Joey. “Shadow and Fae fire.” She moved on to Louis. “Illusionist.” Then, April. “Vampire.” Finally, Nox. “And whatever you are.”

“Don't forget me,” Ingrid said. “Thief turned space mage. I'm sneaky like a fox.”

“We can't all be on the forward team,” Joey stated. 

“Might be best to leave such decisions until after the briefing,” Swati told the group. She smiled, looking over everyone. “So it's settled? We're going to delve?”

Nox nodded. “It's good enough a reason to stick around. If it means your aunt will give me some time, great. If not, I might just get the necessary push to get Temporal Sphere to high expert. There are quite a few things I want to test in live combat, too.”

“Someone, please ensure dear husband doesn't get carried away and get himself killed,” Aria said, leaning her head on Nox’s shoulder. “He's been itching for a real delve forever, and I won't stop him. At the same time, I'd very much like for him to meet his child.”

“Don't worry, Aria,” Caitlin said. “We'll keep your man alive. He's in excellent hands.”

Fun?

Otis’s voice echoed in Nox’s head. The gremlin was excited. He wished to test the moons and planets connected to him against real opponents. The foes in Hogg’s Lair no longer felt like enough to him.