Crossroads Troll (1) - The First Rental Contract
With Idwild joining the staff, my workload lightened up a bit, giving me some breathing room. The customers still weren't overwhelming, so aside from handling the cooking during mealtimes in the kitchen, Della and Idi could manage everything just fine.
That left me free to take Kali and wander around Rosens during those off-hours. It was the city where I'd be living and running my business, after all, and I'd been too swamped until now to really explore it properly.
Rosens sat right in the middle of the Vurn Mountains, that brutal range slicing across the kingdom from east to west. The only viable pass through those jagged peaks was here, making Rosens an unavoidable stop for anyone traveling north-south. Sure, you could detour west where the mountains tapered off into hazy foothills, but that'd take three or four times as long. Plus, that roundabout route crossed through countless lords' territories, stirring up all sorts of headaches. Lower nobles might call themselves aristocrats, but half of them were just rich thugs or bandits in fancy clothes—like that Baron Benson I'd smashed to pieces not long ago.
Anyway, that's why Rosens had boomed in the old days. Proof was all around me: the wide, quiet paved streets I was strolling, lined with sturdy buildings on both sides. You didn't see neatly cobbled roads and brick gabled houses like this in just any town. Most places were muddy quagmires after rain, with rickety thatch or wood shacks in the countryside.
It was empty now, but give it time—soon it'd be crawling with people. Word of the Golruk's defeat had spread, and folks had started trickling back a few days ago. Most were returnees who'd fled their homes out of necessity back then.
But people alone wouldn't revive the city overnight. It needed its core functions back online first—public order, administration, infrastructure—before it could reclaim its former glory without a hitch.
Hildeva had administration covered, and security was looking up too. The guard vanguard had just arrived today. Turns out it was Illian Sergeant's squad, the same one that had stopped by the inn before. The main force was a full platoon; her team had come ahead to prep the barracks.
I swung by to say hello, but they were slammed, so I just watched from afar and headed back. Once the main group settled in and things calmed down, we'd have time to chat.
After looping the city, I returned to the inn and spotted a stranger standing in the yard. New face. He spotted me and bowed.
"You the innkeeper here?"
"That's me. Who're you?"
"Looking to rent the forge."
The guy was a blacksmith. He'd heard Rosens was bouncing back and rushed here to set up shop. Couldn't afford to buy the place outright, so he wanted to lease it and do business. Came straight to me to negotiate.
I led him inside to a table in the hall and hollered to the bar for some chilled lemonade, a pen, and paper.
Idwild brought it over, and the man's jaw dropped as he stared—right at her chest.
"Sir?"
"Uh...? Oh... yeah..."
I snapped him out of it, and he blinked like he'd woken from a trance, turning back to me.
Idwild was wearing one of my shirts, but it did nothing to hide those ridiculous tits. No wonder his eyes were glued; they demanded attention.
"No standard contract form handy. Help yourself to the drink. I'll draft one up."
He sipped while sneaking peeks at her. I noticed, but what was I gonna do—tell him to knock it off? No reason to, and no heart for it either.
I filled out a basic template, leaving blanks for the details we'd hash out: rent and term. We settled on two years, standard fare.
Rent sparked a little friction. I quoted nine gold a month; he winced.
"City's still this empty—nine's steep."
"Fair enough. Check other towns, then."
I shut down his haggling cold. Rosens would boom soon; blacksmiths wanting in would line up. Build a new forge without my building? That'd take a fortune in gear and setup. To stake a claim now, my price was reasonable. He knew it; this was just him fishing for a discount.
I stood to show him out, and he grabbed my arm, pleading for a tiny cut.
"Hmm... You're my first tenant, so... eight and a half gold."
"Can't do even a bit less?"
"How 'bout this: eight gold flat, and we buy all our iron goods from you."
I dangled the upcoming fence around the vacant lot—wire and all—and fibbed about expanding the annex behind the inn by year's end. Looked like a steal with the early-bird perk, so he bit.
Lock it in now; raise rates later when business booms. He'd be established by then, stuck renewing no matter the hike.
Signatures, handshake—deal done.
By evening, a few folks showed up. Dressed like officials, and sure enough—from City Hall. Drafted from Bue a few days back, assisting Hildeva. Thought they were dining as a group, but one asked:
"Boss, long-term stay rates?"
They'd been crashing on the Hall's second floor—miserable. Perfect: four of them, so I offered the suite cheap, below average.
Cozy up to civil servants? Nothing to lose.
"Stay for dinner."
"Gotta head back. Bring simple grub to the Hall?"
Short-staffed and slammed, skipping supper. I prepped sandwiches and snacks for on-the-go eating, sent Della with a basket.
Watching her trot off downtown, I mused: Need a dedicated delivery girl soon. With the horses, strap baskets to saddles, loop the streets. Charge a bit extra for feed costs.
Hm... Not bad.
A few days later, Mollo dropped by. He visited twice weekly—deliveries to locals, plus my steady volume.
I tasked him: Post notices at Bue's town hall. Recruiting for the weaving mill, bakery, brewery, mill I'd bought—leasing 'em out. Plus, good carpenters, stat. Time to fence that vacant lot across the street.
Merchants bypassing Rosens were stacking up; front and back yards couldn't handle the wagons anymore. Vacant lot was temporary parking, but they still pulled guard shifts by caravan, not collectively—lest someone swipe from rivals. Nights lit up with their torches dotting the lot.
Solo merchants squeezed one wagon? Ate here, slept cramped in the cargo hold.
"Hurry 'em. Free lodging during construction."
"Got it. But Bertrand, that statue smack in the lot's center..."
"Off you go—urgent stuff."
I shoved Mollo out before he dwelled on the statue that looked just like me.