Commerce Emperor

Chapter One: The Devil's Coin

My torch didnt shine half as bright as Eriss staff.

Robin Waybright. Thats a nice name. The Wanderers footsteps echoed on the soggy stones. You certainly do not live up to it though. I can hardly see a few meters forward.

We should reach the exit soon. Truth be told, the darkness didnt bother me half as much as the smell. The escape tunnel below the church briefly intersected with the citys sewers, and the putrid sludge flowing in the canals next to us stank worse than corpses. And youre the one with a staff topped with light runestones. Cant you illuminate the path?

I could, she conceded. But light runestones dont come cheap, my little lamb. As a Merchant, you must understand I cant use them frivolously.

I suppose so. In this world, all witchcraftersexcept for the Mageneeded to store essence into an object to fuel their spells. Runestones were the best medium for that purpose, and suitably expensive. The fact half a dozen decorated Eriss staff meant she possessed either deep pockets or a powerful organizations backing. Im a bit jealous. Ive always wanted to become a witchcrafter, but I never had the chance to go through the Awakening.

Lucky you then, she replied. Now that youve earned your mark, you can do magic now.

I squinted at her in confusion. You suggest I could buy the ability from someone else?

Why buy what you can do for free? Eris abruptly stopped in the middle of our path and then pointed her staff at my nose. Sharpen your gaze and focus on your surroundings.

I did as she asked. The tunnel was wide enough for a small wagon to pass through, its stonework chipped and worn by time. A layer of dust covered the walls, soiled droplets dripped from the ceiling. Id already explored this place before, so nothing appeared out of the ordinary at first glance.

Yet as I focused on Eriss staff, I began to notice oddities. The light she cast on the walls reflected strangely. A faint, nearly imperceptible gray, lifeless aura coated the stones. It was as if I could see their smell radiating off their texture. A similar halo emanated from the polluted droplets, albeit sickeningly green and purple.

Is this essence? I turned my gaze to the staffs runestones and noticed the yellow aura radiating from them. Its strange. The tales dont do it justice.

Indeed, Eris replied. All things in this world carry a specific essence. Individuals who have undergone the Awakening ritual can see and affect it by becoming spellcasters but the first of them took clues from the heroes marks in the first place.

My pulse quickened in excitement. I can cast spells?

With proper training. Eris glanced at the dagger sheathed to my belt. Lend it to me, please.

I agreed to her request after a moments hesitation. I kept two more hidden on myself, so I could always strike if she meant mischief.

Eris touched my daggers tip with her staff. I watched as one of her runestones aura flowed into the blade, reddening the iron until it turned crimson. I touched the edge with my finger and quickly pulled it back. Though the daggers handle hadnt changed, the blade was now searingly hot.

With time, you will learn to store and infuse essence, Eris told me. Heres a free fire dagger to brighten your way, Sir Waybright.

Oh my, Ive never heard that one before, I replied with a deadpan look. How enlightened of you.

Thank you, youre quite the luminous fellow yourself. She returned the dagger to me, which I promptly sheathed. The mark strengthens the body and the mind. It makes us faster, stronger, and healthier than we were before. More dashing too.

Ill take you at your word. I made a mock reverence. Thank you kindly for the gift and lesson, oh eminent teacher.

Youre welcome, my little lamb lost on the way of life. She was a teaser, this one. It will cost you the color of my eyes.

Oh right, I still hadnt returned it to her yet. Since I had become the Merchant, I guessed I should act the part. I will sell it back to you for a lock of your hair.

Thats more than I bargained for, she mused. Trying to shake down a fair lady is a sin, Robin. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Shame? Id never learned the meaning of that word. I will bear that lock as a mark of your favor, Lady Eris. All my good deeds going forward will be in your name.

Your silver tongue will serve you well, oh Merchant. Eris picked a few strands from her raven hair and offered them to me. I accept your offer, but please, keep my name to yourself. Discreet is my middle name.

Of course. Her whitened eyes regained their pale green hue the moment I grabbed my due. Interesting.

Have you gleaned some insight from our unfair exchange?

I did. I put her hair in my pocket. Maybe I would keep it as a souvenir. Since I could sell you back the same conceptual good for a different, tangible good, then this means that nothing has intrinsic value.

Which begged the question, who set the price? The seller or the buyer? Did both need to agree? Would it be possible to lie? I needed to run tests to figure out the limits of my power. I figured I should start by asking a specialist.

What do you know about my Merchant ability? I asked Eris. You said I could buy and sell anything, but there must be limits. I doubt I can buy the moon and sun, no matter the price.

Im sure youll figure them out on your own time.

A flowery way to say you know nothing, I teased her. How disappointing for a nun.

I know the tales and scriptures, thank you very much. I cannot confirm that they are accurate though. Eris raised an eyebrow at me. How did you guess I was a nun?

You bear the colors of the Arcane Abbey, and after studying your staff I remembered seeing Ermelines high priest bear a similar one during the seasonal celebrations. Id heard a whore boast that she had spanked him with it during one of their not-so-secret trysts. Finally, your name sounds like an Erebian one, and only priests call others lambs.

You would make for a great inquisitor, Robin.

Thank you, I replied. The real mystery is how you could become a nun without losing your sense of humor.

With the right connections, of course. Her staffs light reflected upon a stone archway, revealing the shape of the stairway leading to the surface. It appears our days of slithering in the dark will soon be over.

The stench of waste started to smell like freedom. Thanks for escorting me so far, Eris. Can I call you Eris?

Of course, my little lamb. She leaned in closer to me and started whispering into my ear. Now do tell, did you cuckold someone important to exit the city like a common thief? What crimes do you have to confess?

Too many to count. I took out the trash.

A foul deed that hardly warrants a secret trip through the sewers. My evasive answer only made her more curious. You can tell me everything, Robin. The goddess will forgive you if you do.

I would have to start calling her a naughty nun from now on. Its a long story, I said. Too long to tell, unless you want us to travel together. I need to make a stop in Archfrost, but afterward my schedule will lighten up.

Eris chuckled at the last part. This accursed woman was starting to make me feel ashamed of my own name.

Sorry Robin, but Ill have to decline. She sounded genuinely contrite for once. Youre the first on a twenty-long list of heroes, and I cant take anyone with me when I wander. Ive tried, and Ive failed. Vassal classes arent as powerful or flexible as the core seven.

Did my ears deceive me? Her response puzzled me. Youre not taking me to the Abbey?

Eris laughed in my face. Lady Alexios tasked me with identifying the heroes, not kidnapping them back to Erebia. I love my freedom too, Robin, so I understand where youre coming from.

Lady Alexios She probably meant Lysandra Alexios, the current Fatebinder.

Ill be honest. I gazed at the mark on my hand. I shouldnt have gotten it. Im grossly unqualified at fighting demons, and the prospect doesnt appeal to me.

Eris put a hand on her waist and gave me the strangest of looks. Do you think being a hero is limited to fighting and killing evildoers, Robin?

Her question gave me food for thought. I glanced at the bag I carried on my back. It held documents rather than swords, but they could help drive evil from the realm nonetheless. Not all battles were waged with blades.

I daresay that of all the classes, the Merchant has the potential to do the most good. Eris raised a finger and coyly pressed it against my chest. If your heart remains in the right place.

I wasnt sure how to answer that, so I simply smiled. Im still not too eager to fight the Demon Ancestors. Ive heard they eat children and punish disobedient boys like me.

Oh, theyve done far worse than that. The Lord of Wrath alone put a city to the sword in such a gruesome way that it is still haunted seven centuries later. Eris shrugged her shoulders. As I said, my task is to find Heroes, not coerce them at swordpoint. Youll come around to fulfill your destiny eventually.

How can you be so sure?

Because the mark wouldnt have chosen you otherwise, silly Robin. A spark of mischief flashed in her eyes. Unless you want to sell it to me? Ill give you a kiss on the cheek if you do.

Only on the cheek? I chuckled. You drive a hard bargain for a nun. I always get my kisses for free, and usually the whole package too.

Thats not a no, she replied lightly. She was a naughty nun indeed.

I would be the madman to sell you a class, especially one of the great seven. If that was even possible. Somehow I doubt the goddess left such an obvious loophole when she forged them. The witchcrafting freebie alone is too much for me to relinquish.

See? You do have a Merchants soul. Eriss playful smile abruptly faded away. She glanced at the stairs leading outside, her gaze hardening. Did you expect to meet with someone upstairs?

I swiftly drew my dagger and hid another throwing knife up my sleeve. No, I did not.

Prepare yourself then. Eris warily raised her staff. I sense something vile.

I smelled the air and immediately noticed a scent coming from outside. A sickly sweet, metallic aroma, like rusted iron. Not even the foul stench of the tunnel could overshadow it. I had grown far too familiar with this particular smell in Ermeline, and its presence always screamed danger.

Blood.

You should wander away, I warned Eris. I had a pretty good idea of who could be waiting outside this tunnel, and he was unlikely to spare either of us. At least she could save herself. This isnt your fight.

I appreciate the noble sentiment, but it's uncalled for. Eris raised her staff, its runestones glittering in the dark. I would be a poor nun if I abandoned one of the goddess chosen heroes in his hour of need.

I was tempted to insist that she leave, but I wised up. Eris radiated confidence and carried her weapon in a way that subtly showed some combat experience. She was no sheltered nun who had never left a convent. She had seen battle before.

Very well, I said, though I did walk before her. Id heard mages worked best at range. I dont suppose you would be willing to teach me how to cast combat spells in a pinch?

I could sell you my knowledge, but Ill need it more than you do, Eris replied calmly. You will have to find another wizard to con.

Wait, did she imply selling knowledge to the Merchant caused the seller to lose it? Very interesting. I would have expected intangible assets could be easily duplicated. I truly needed to run tests.

Besides, you should have more faith in your class, Robin, Eris said as we climbed up the stairs. The Knight alone might possess the strength of countless men, but we arent short on might and speed ourselves.

I hoped our foe hadnt brought countless men with him. I could settle for two, maybe three.

The stone steps led us to the exit, an archway hidden under a waterfall of vines and thorny vegetation. A clearing sitting in the middle of a ring of pine trees and weather-worn stones welcomed us. The night wind whistled between the verdant grass and leaves, though it sounded a bit too much like a shriek to me. The spring moon shone at its zenith above us, its greenish moonlight piercing through the canopy. Blooming flowers and sweet grass filled the place with a fragrance that failed to hide the stench of death.

He was waiting for us atop a moss-covered rock, surrounded by dead men.

Oh Robin, finally. Sforza smiled at us, his bloodshot eyes shining red in the moonlight. Youve kept me waiting.

My pulse quickened. How could he be here? The fact Sforza still lived after I gave him enough poison to kill a horse was one thing, but the fact he had beaten us to the other end of the tunnel in such a short time defied my understanding. Had he become a second Wanderer?

Moreover, something was utterly wrong with him. The syphilis scars on his face were gone and his eyes had turned red. They watched me with a predatory, unblinking gaze. I had never seen such unsettling focus from Sforza.

And then, of course, there were the corpses. I counted three, or rather two and a half; one had been severed at the waist and was missing the legs. Though I recognized the three thugs that escorted Sforza earlier in the night, it was only because of their clothes. A savage beast had run bloodshed through them, eating their faces and leaving fist-sized bites in their flesh. Yet nowhere did I spy a trained wolf or lion that could have done the deed.

I only saw Sforza and the fresh blood staining his armor.

Whos this? Another girlfriend of yours? Sforza rose up from his stone seat and stretched his legs. Was Mersie too smart to elope with you?

Is he a friend of yours? Eris asked, her brow furrowing.

If he were, I would be better off with enemies, I replied as I let my bag fall to the ground. I would need all my speed and agility to survive the inevitable brawl. You knew all along, didnt you?

Sforza smiled back with scarlet teeth, sending a shiver down my spine. Ive told you before, Robin. Most of my men are disloyal or incompetent and it doesnt hurt to check on those who are neither. Some are only loyal when they think Im not watching over their shoulder, you understand?

His teeth were sharper than daggers now. My eyes wandered to the dead men on the ground. The wounds were too large to have been inflicted by a mans jaws, but now that I looked more closely

Now, I was fine with you skimming a little now and then. Half my job is knowing when to look the other way. I was even willing to forgive you for this escape attempt after teaching you a sharp lesson. But skipping town after trying to poison me?

He shook his head, his ghastly smirk fading away.

I cant let that slide, Robin.

If Sforza thought I would beg for mercy, he had misjudged me.

Im truly disappointed by the merchandise, I replied. Id hoped to settle this quietly, but I could settle on slicing Sforzas throat myself. The poison should have made you croak by now. That alchemist cheated me.

Oh no, Robin, you got me good. Sforza stepped onto the grass, his feet leaving footprints into the earth. He had never been a lightweight, but he seemed heavier than before somehow. What was going on here? I collapsed on my way to this place, spitting blood and bile. If not for my lucky charm, I'd be sleeping in the dirt right now.

His lucky charm? I didnt understand. What did you do with that coin, bribe the Seacup to spare you from death?

No, of course not. Eriss confused expression morphed into one of utter disdain. That witless fool sold his soul to a demon and became one himself.

A demon? I wondered, but Sforza began to laugh before I could ask for details. To my surprise, reddish smoke emerged from his armor. Whats going on here?

You know me, Robin. Ive never been too faithful. But tonight, a fair goddess smiled upon me. Sforzas voice deepened as he drew his sword from his sheath. She bestowed her favor upon me, all for a trifling price and a favor.

The crimson miasma emanating from him grew more potent and distinct, until I realized it wasnt smoke at all. A foul shroud essence rose from the depths of Sforzas soul. It infused his flesh the same way Eris empowered my dagger with the power of flame, transforming and reshaping him. His limbs stretched and bent in unnatural ways. They grew thicker and more crooked than an old trees trunk. His armors joints broke under the pressure, exposing pallid, pustule-ridden skin at the knees, elbows, and belly.

To my horror, Sforzas jaw lengthened into an animalistic maw riddled with fangs. His nose turned into a boars snout. He had always been taller than me, but he had gained a good three feet in height and shoulders wider than a bulls. It made his sword look comically short in his hand.

I could only stare in shock at the monster before me.

Your flesh smells so sweet, Robin, the transformed Sforza rasped as he raised his sword, his eyes brimming with bloodlust. A forked tongue slithered between the monsters fangs. Nothing like these rancid drunks I employed my palate deserves better meals.

He lunged at me with a bestial roar. Im going to savor you all night, Robin!

Sforzas speed took me by surprise. Something so big had no right being as quick as a cat, but he quickly covered the ground between us in a single leap. For most people, it would have been over then and there. They would have frozen in surprise and lost their heads.

But Id had my fair share of back alley fights.

Instead of retreating and leaving Eris exposed, I charged back at Sforza. My dagger flashed under the moonlight and left a trail of embers in its wake. The monsters eyes darted to it as he raised his sword.

Exploiting his distraction, I revealed the knife hidden in my other sleeve and threw it at his eye.

I immediately noticed something unnatural about my body. I had always been dextrous and light on my feet, but now my hands moved like the wind. My throwing knife flew through the air faster than an arrow and nailed Sforzas left eye. The monster let out a roar as thick golden blood surged from his wounded face.

I had yet to kill someone with throwing knives. I mostly used them for distraction, and in this case it worked perfectly. Sforza moved a free hand to his wounded visage and wildly swung his sword with the other. When I dodged his strike, hed left himself wide open.

My first instinct was to aim for the jugular, but he was now too tall for me to reach the neck. Instead, I struck at his exposed belly. My daggers blade cut through skin thicker than a horses hide and cauterized what lay beneath. The smell of burned flesh filled my nose.

What is he made of? I grit my teeth as I drew back my dagger for a second strike. I should have reached the bowels!

Back away, Robin! Eris shouted behind us.

Sforza swung his arm at me with a roar. I barely had time to lower my back, his hand hitting the nearest tree with enough strength to shatter the bark. I retreated with a backstep, my feet making no noise as they touched the grass.

A stream of wild fire swallowed Sforza right after. The bright flames illuminated the clearing and drew a shriek of pain from the monster. They burned Sforzas skin and heated his armor, cooking him from within. I glanced at the source of this miracle.

One of the runestones on Eris staff breathed fire into the world. My new senses witnessed the essence within the crystal erupt from it in the form of searing flames. It was as impressive as watching a lightning bolt strike.

But it wouldnt last. The spell quickly drained the runestone of its power and color. She couldnt keep up the spell for long.

Realizing the danger, Sforza powered through the fire and lunged at Eris next. The flames exposed the bone from his skull, yet they did not slow him down much.

Dodge! I shouted a warning and ran after the monster, but he reached Eris first. Sforza swung his sword and aimed for her pretty neck.

Eris did not show fear, nor did she back down. Her body turned to white mist before the blade connected. She vanished in a blink, and Sforzas sword hit only air. The nun reappeared a few feet away, unharmed.

So this was the Wanderers power.

I cant believe you looked better with syphilis, Sforza! I shouted at the monster, trying to get his attention. The outside finally reflects the inside!

Sforza turned his last baleful eye at me. Eris flames had disfigured him with blackened burns, and my throwing knife remained embedded in his skull. He grabbed his sword with his two hands and lifted it to the sky.

Sforza lunged at me with all his might and speed, his sword falling upon my head like an executioners axe. The blow would have cut a horse in half, but his missing eye caused him to slightly misjudge the distance between us. I moved to his left, watching the blade barely miss me. The sword landed a thumb away from me and into the ground.

The bellys skin was too thick for my dagger. The throat was a safer bet, but Sforza was too tall for my hand to reach it.

So I jumped.

The Merchants mark on my hand glowed with a golden hue and newfound strength swelled into my legs. I leaped at Sforzas throat with a cats grace, my daggers edge whistling as it cut through the air.

Sforza barely had time to blink before my steel kissed his throat.

Carried by its momentum, my blade sliced his thick skin and all the way to the flesh beneath. The full weight of my body tacking against his chest caused Sforza to fall onto his back. I removed my dagger and stabbed him again before we even hit the ground.

Die, die, die, die! I snarled with burnt golden blood sprayed all over my clothes. Arcs of flames blazed to light after my dagger. Die, you slavering bastard!

Id never beheaded a man with a dagger before. I sliced their throats at best. This time, however, my blade cut through flesh and bone alike with the sharpness of a butchers knife. I relentlessly stabbed Sforza again and again, with years of silent rage guiding my hand. I continued even after he dropped his sword.

At long last, Sforzas head rolled off his shoulders.

I had waited for this moment for so long. Even the foul stench of burning blood couldnt wipe the smirk off my face.

Sforzas arms lost all strength. The red mist from earlier consumed his flesh, his bones, and even the blood on my clothes. Nothing remained of the Thief-Taker, except for an empty suit of armor, my throwing knife and a familiar golden coin glittered where Sforzas skull used to be.

You did not falter. Eris walked back to my side. One of her staffs runestones had turned translucent, its essence spent. Have you done this before?

Ive met monsters, but never one that could talk back. I rose back to my feet and glared at Sforzas empty armor. What was that?

An ogre and a fool. Eris joined her hands in prayer. Surrender yourself not unto the Devil of Greed. For her words are wicked, and her promises false.

I would have to study the Abbeys scriptures. I had the feeling they might help me a great deal in the coming months.

I searched the grass and grabbed Sforzas last coin. His lucky charm remained ghoulish after its owners death. The skull on its surface seemed to stare at me with malice. Now that I observed it closely, I noticed a faint, nearly invisible wisp of red mist rising from the eyes. The more I looked at it, the more uneasy I felt.

Sforza said that without his lucky charm, he would have perished from my poison

You said he had sold his soul to a demon? I flipped the coin in my hand. It felt so light between my fingers, and yet deadly. Did he bargain with this?

That is a Devils Coin, Eris confirmed with a nod. It is a tool of the Demon Ancestor of Greed to tempt men astray. If the coins holder is consumed by a desire so great that they would do anything to satisfy it, then the Devil of Greed will kindly fulfill their wish for a trifling price.

Let me guess, their soul? It was always the soul with the Arcane Abbeys tales.

Clever boy, Eris confirmed. Those who accept this fools bargain join the ranks of demonkind, their hearts forever denied the goddess grace. This man wont return to the Soulforge. He will not reincarnate.

Then Sforza would trouble me no more, whether in this life or the next. Good. Somehow, though, I had the feeling I couldnt say the same for this coin. I applied my fiery dagger to it, but the gold didnt even heat up. Whatever cursed essence dwelled within this thing protected it from harm.

How do we destroy it? I asked Eris. I suppose we cant melt away a magical coin?

We cant destroy these coins. Not until theyve all been found, at least. She snatched the coin from my hand. But Ill take it to the Abbey for safekeeping. Weve got a vault full of them in Erebia.

I fought off the urge to keep the coin as a trophy. After all the headaches Sforza caused me, I wanted to keep something from him; if only to remember that his kind deserved a knife to the throat. Instead I began to search his broken armor.

Are you robbing the dead? Eris scolded me. Perhaps you should have been the Rogue indeed.

Its not like he will have use of it in whatever Hell awaits him, I pointed out. We harvest beasts for their fur and fangs. Why should a humans belongings be any different?

Fair enough.

As I suspected, Sforza carried a hefty purse with him. His transformation had damaged the armor beyond repair, but I would keep the sword. I also recovered my throwing knife and hid it back inside my sleeve.

Why did he eat his own men? I wondered as I scavenged their remains for coins. These guys were rotten enough to work for a demon.

Eris shrugged. The transformation must have left him hungry.

A shiver ran down my spine as I registered the implications. What else could take a missing souls place but darkness? By surrendering his humanity, Sforza had become nothing more than a cunning beast.

Or perhaps he had always been one and the transformation simply unveiled the evil within.

Sforza said that a fair goddess revived him. I reminisced over his words, trying to find the meaning in them. That she asked for a favor.

The Demon Ancestors have not forgotten their defeat at the hands of our predecessors, Eris said. They will hunt us to the ends of the world if needed.

As I feared, that monster would be the first of many. Then we can expect more ogres to come after us?

Except you cant teleport in a pinch. Eris chuckled darkly. If youre caught by demons, I suggest you bite your tongue and drown in your blood. Ive heard that an ogre can keep their dinner alive for weeks.

I scoffed. Has anybody ever told you're a scary woman?

Thank you, she replied. People respect you more when they find you unsettling.

On that, we agree. I frowned at the mark on my hand, which no longer glowed. Did it strengthen me only in deadly situations? Im starting to reconsider selling away my class now. Is there a way to remove it?

Easy. Eris raised a thumb to her neck and mimicked a gutting motion. You die. When your soul returns to the Soulforge for its next incarnation, the class will travel back to the Fatebinder until its next assignment.

As I suspected. I wasnt serious about removing my class, but the fact I had no choice in keeping it left a sour taste in my mouth. I would rather have been asked about my opinion before the class was forced upon me.

Well, I had no time for anger. What was done was done. When life threw a wrench at you, it was better to make the best of it rather than complain. I had learned that lesson at a cost.

How did the Demon Ancestors escape their seals? I asked Eris. It has been seven hundred years, or so Im told. So why now?

Because mankind has forgotten why it should fear them, Eris replied evasively. Another way to say that she didnt know. Anyway, it was fun while it lasted. I should go check on the other heroes. I see youre a big boy, youll do well on your own.

And here I thought we had something going on, I teased her back.

Oh? She gave me a playful smile. Have you fallen under my charms already?

A bit, I replied. I wasnt too bothered to see her leave though. My gut told me that we would meet again soon. Heres a tip: I've seen another mark falling into the city or near it. A vassal class, I think.

That doesnt surprise me. Heroes tend to congregate together. Im sure youll encounter the bearers of your vassal classes soon enough.

"Well, please tell them hello on my behalf," I said. "I'm done with the place, but I wonder what kind of hero Ermeline produced."

"I'll be sure to give them your regards." Eris waved her staff at me. See you soon, Robin.

She vanished in a puff of mist, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

After confirming no hidden assailants would avenge Sforza, I slipped the mans purse inside my travel bag. The coins let out a small, pleasing sound as they landed next to my parents funeral urn.

My new class changed nothing about my destination. I had a promise to keep.

As for what came afterward becoming the Merchant presented new challenges, true, but also new opportunities. This power could make me rich and powerful. It could also help people. So many options opened up to me.

Seems like were going to share a bit of road, you and I, I told the mark on my hand. How about we go on to see the world? Ive heard its for sale.

I could have sworn the mark glowed in response.

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