Chapter 346 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 4 - The Dominant (I) (2/2)
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*Eldovian Era 1714, 2nd day of the 12th month*
Rassa woke late the next morning with three sets of lips c.a.r.e.s.sing various parts of his n.a.k.e.d body. He was not in the least bit inclined to stop them. The young women had been more than generous the night before, and having the three of them meant that they barely missed the blood he'd taken from them. Of course, he'd erased that part of their encounter.
Rassa had been positive that they'd been hired at first, but he'd been mistaken. He had no idea what Iah and Ebony had said or did to convince these women to offer themselves up for no-strings-attached s.e.x when giving up their maidenhood, but that was exactly what had happened. Still, he appreciated the distraction – and of course the pleasurable free meal.
Another two hours later, and Rassa allured them to wash up and dress before they left. Their 'bows' lay strewn across his bedroom, and Rassa took a moment to appreciate the beautiful chaos of it all before he instructed his shadows to clean up. He stepped towards his wardrobe, raising his voice slightly as he did.
”Sel!”
The Eunuch dropped down from the roof onto the balcony attached to Rassa's bedroom.
”Master?” Sel asked.
Rassa raised an eyebrow at the Eunuch, ”How did Iah get them to cooperate?”
Sel gave a rare smirk, ”I believe it was they who approached her, Master. Rumours of the handsome but mysterious head of Moonshadow are quite abundant these days”.
Rassa huffed a laugh, ”Though both are true, I would appreciate a warning next time, which I hope there will not be”.
Sel raised an eyebrow, ”You sounded happy enough to me, Master”.
Rassa raised an eyebrow back, ”And you would know”.
Sel rolled his eyes at the Eunuch joke, ”I'm just saying, Master-”
”I know,” said Rassa as he picked out his clothes and moved to walk to the bathroom, ”But Eternity is an awfully long time to become stuck in a routine”.
Sel bowed his head, ”Now that, I certainly wouldn't know, Master”.
Rassa gave a small smile, looking over his shoulder, ”Anything to report?”
”Ishta Alamone sailed into Port Cresh this morning. Apparently he was delayed by Pirates on the trip from the South,” stated Sel.
Rassa chuckled, ”Very well, thank you Sel. Inform Iah I'll be at the Moonshadow Dinner tonight. It should appease her for now considering both she and Ebony would have my head if I didn't go”.
”Yes, Master,” Sel stated before he turned and leapt over the balcony rail.
Rassa sighed. Sel had proven himself loyal and trustworthy over the past year. He'd taken to staying outside Rassa's room when he was on Rouke Island. Layton, the youthful a.s.s, had taken up residence with the Crafters at the base. He'd taken an interest when Rassa had suggested to Kei that there could be a method to combine the Evanine with the metal of weaponry if they could get a furnace burning hot enough. A job now made easier with the handful of Fire Magicians now in employ at the Moonshadow Base as Charm Craftsman.
The Recruitment had been another thing that had gone surprisingly easily. Magicians had flocked to join Moonshadow. Far more than he had expected, and had been none-too-surprised nor unhappy to find that the requirement for employment at Moonshadow involved breaking from the Guilds. Some had been unhappy at the prospect of the blood contract though. It had been almost amusing to see how many had backed out of the deal upon realising what the blood contract would do. There were one or two that had tried to test it or find a way around it. The blood within them had warmed painfully as a reminder of how bad of an idea that was, and Rassa had visited them soon after.
The Blood Contract had been a good choice. His Crafters were guaranteed to never reveal his method, even after their term of service ended. Their terms were anywhere between two and ten years, whichever they had felt comfortable with. Upon hearing the other terms of the contract, most had chosen longer ones.
Dressed in a simple white cotton shirt and black breeches with a leather jacket, Rassa pulled on his boots, flipped his hood up and descended from this apartment and out onto the street, electing to walk in the afternoon sun towards the Ruin.
The streets were busy here, and dressed so simply, the only thing that made people take a second glance at him was his deep hood that shielded his face. Charm Street was just as busy as ever. The foot traffic seeming to congest around the Charm Shop itself. Rassa stepped into the shadows of a nearby café, watching for a moment as customers came and went before he stepped into an alley and climbed easily up onto the roof of one of the buildings. He stepped over onto the roof of the Ruin, then slipped down onto the balcony of Iah's office.
Iah's voice echoed from within, ”Good afternoon, I trust you were well looked after”.
Rassa sighed, leaning against the door as the sea breeze came up from the port, ”Whilst I appreciate the sentiment behind it, and the easy meal, please don't do it again”.
Iah stood, moving across her office to stand by him, ”I apologise, but we have all sensed that something is wrong, Ebony and I only wished to do something to fix it”.
Rassa turned to looked at Iah, stepping forward to put a gentle hand on her cheek as he looked at her.
”It is not your job to fix it,” Rassa replied, ”Though I do apologise for my lack of involvement over the past few months. I found myself pushing for a world that does not understand the power and advancements I can give it. There is so much I d.e.s.i.r.e to achieve, yet pushing too far, too fast…I fear that will only end in disaster”.
Rassa dropped his hand, and stepped inside Iah's office.
”Will it help if you speak of it?” asked Iah, ”You say you have plans, yet you rarely endeavour to share them with any of us until you see fit to implement them”. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click for visiting.
Rassa sighed, ”You are too young”.
Iah frowned, ”I am older than you”.
Rassa chuckled, ”In years lived, perhaps, but that is not what I am talking about. You may have gained immortality a year ago, but with it comes the cost, and you must learn to accept it and be it's master before I can diverge more burdens upon you. Or any of the others for that matter”.
”I think we have accepted it,” Iah replied, crossing her arms over her c.h.e.s.t.
”Not in its entirety,” Rassa replied, ”You'll know when you're ready”.
Iah huffed, ”Alright, enough with the cryptic answers about your future plans. We know there is something more to it anyway…you miss Aegin, don't you?”
Rassa turned to look over his shoulder at Iah with a sad smile, ”Of course I do. But he made his choice. Just as he will have to make the choice to return on his own”.
”Then you haven't been searching for him? That time when you were gone?” asked Iah with a frown.
Rassa shook his head, ”No”.
”Then where have you been?” asked Iah.
Rassa shrugged, ”Everywhere and nowhere”.
Iah sighed, ”Fine, stick with the cryptic answers routine, we'll talk about business instead. What are our plans after the festival?”
Rassa sunk onto one of the couches as Iah stepped over to join him, ”Our Eldovian stores seem to be going well”.
”Profit hasn't slowed since opening,” said Iah, ”If anything it increases the longer we are open and the more uses for the charms that are discovered”.
Rassa nodded, ”Then perhaps we will hold off on more new products for now. What of the staff?”
”Including the Base at Shigeni, we have a workforce of just over a thousand, including those we employ for transport,” Iah stated.
”And they are loyal?” asked Rassa.
”Well those at Shigeni most definitely, nobody enters there without having signed a blood contract. Even the Transporters are only allowed in the outer courtyard,” Iah replied, ”As for the rest of the staff, I would say about 80% are loyal, the remining 20% are either new or have questionable behaviours that we have taken note of”.
Rassa nodded, it was understandable to have spies amongst his staff. But as Iah had mentioned, none were allowed into Shigeni without having signed a Blood Contract.
”Then, how long would it take to triple the workforce?” asked Rassa.
Iah's gaze snapped up, ”T...Triple?”
Rassa nodded, ”The south is comparatively larger”.
Iah's eyes widened, ”You want to expand to the southern continent?”
Rassa shrugged, ”It certainly seems like there is a demand there. I saw six southern merchants make large purchases just within the last few hours”.
Iah nodded, ”I cannot deny that. Interest from foreign parties has increased since our expansion. I often get inquiries as to our plans to expand South”.
”Being located in a Key Trade Port between the continents you would,” stated Rassa.
”Still, I thought we discussed with Falla that there would be a supply problem if her Mine was to support the southern continent as well,” Iah supplied.
”Yes, that was why I was going to make alternative arrangements,” said Rassa, ”I started on that a while ago, now it seems I should enquire whether or not the leading party is still interested”.
Iah's eyes narrowed, ”The leading party? You mean the one with the biggest supply of Evanine on the Southern Continent? Is that not Ishta Alamone?”
Rassa gave a small smile, ”He arrived in Port Cresh ahead of his flagship last night”.
Iah frowned, ”You can't be serious? You're going to attempt to make a deal with Ishta Alamone?”
Rassa put a finger to his lips, ”The deal was proposed when I first came back Iah, he had favourable thoughts of it then. I can't imagine, with all the success Moonshadow has had, that he would be any less sincere now. If anything, I may be able to demand more”.
”But he-”
”Is an asshole?” asked Rassa, ”Yes, you'll find most businessmen are in one way or another. The key is knowing how to control them. Ishta bows to profits. You, out of everyone, should be the last to deny how much profit Moonshadow can make”.
Iah sighed, conflicted.
Rassa nodded, ”You concentrate on the workforce. I'll handle Ishta and our source of Evanine in the South”.
”It'll take at least half a year to train them all, not to mention that we'll need to expand the fleet,” Iah replied.
Rassa stood and headed back towards the window, ”I'm sure Talo will be thrilled”.
Iah stood quickly, ”Don't forget the dinner this evening!”
”Yes, yes, I'll be there,” Rassa waved her off then jumped back up onto the roof.
Iah huffed, ”It's like talking to a wizened old tree. One minute they're giving you all the wisdom of the world, the next they're so caught up in the spring breeze you can't capture their attention to save a life”.