3. Accumulation


    Mercurius slept in his apartment, tossing and turning, he did not sleep well. Nonetheless he did not get robbed, nor did any of his belongings go missing. He decided to go to the money changers of the Northern Kingdoms, a hodgepodge of Church of Order states whose timber yards were boundless. He had accumulated a lot of Trade Points and quickly went backwards and forwards. He left 50 gold coins in Mardonius pocket, as he had 300 Raja gold coins. He met in the blacksmith again, depositing some coins, as three statuettes had been made for him. Mercurius tapped them, six Trade Points a second now flowed into him, he thought about the God Power.


    “I need to make some enquiries,” Mercurius said.


    “Sure, see you later.”


    The smacking of metal was heard in the background. Their hands were filthy with the residue of burnt metal. Mercurius disappeared around a corner before appearing in Balna at Marston. He then teleported to Busur to change his coins and then came back to Marston.


    “How can I help you intrepid trader?” A local merchant asked.


    “Where do I get permission to buy land?” Mercurius asked.


    “Land?” The trader gasped.


    A man wearing fur coats, and clearly in the business of selling game and furs, he had never heard of such an ambition before.


    “Is there something strange in wanting to buy land?” Mercurius said.


    “Balna is an aristocratic country, you get land awarded by the king, buying land is deliberately made expensive so that commoners and merchants don’t do it. You can buy a house, but the land is still owned by the lord,” the merchant said, “such is the way around here.”


    Mercurius stared at the merchant with serious intent.


    “Goodness you are serious,” a passerby interjected.


    Mercurius went to the local administrative office, and what was essentially, a wooden building with a clerk.


    “Lord Kastor can’t see your requests at the moment, he is at Bethyr talking with some other lords.”


    “I would like to buy some land,” Mercurius began.


    “You mean a house?” The short clerk said looking up at him, “a house costs 10 gold coins.”


    “I want land, and permission to build on it,” Mercurius said, to the astonishment of the clerk.


    “Lord Kastor owns the land here, to own land, means to make you a lord. Since you have no aristocratic pedigree and were not gifted land by King Balar, it will cost 2000 gold coins,” the clerk said.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    He adjusted his spectacles and looked up at Mercurius who nodded.


    “2000?” Mercurius repeated, “is that just for rights to buy, how much land does the 2000 get me.”


    “A few hectares I believe,” the clerk said. He paused and stared at Mercurius, “you can’t be serious?”


    “I will see you in some days, but what rank does that give me?” Mercurius asked.


    “Well, you are effectively buying yourself nobility, so I guess you become a baron. Lord Kastor is a mere count. But anyway, surely you don’t…”


    “Thank you for the information,” Mercurius nodded, leaving the clerk to gawk at him.


    Mercurius was determined to own some land, for it was not just houses he wanted to buy.


    “Build me a temple, and you will get 100 Trade Points a second, 100 God Power a second.”


    What do you mean? Mercurius said in his own mind.


    “Conversing with me is expensive, but I just wanted to inform you of the fact, your progress is good. Keep going.”


    Mercurius bought Balna iron and sold it in the Zhong Empire, a fearsome enormous empire to the east that hungered for resources, again Mercurius got phenomenal returns. Turning 50 Balnan gold coins into 400 Zhong gold coins in approximately 4 hours. He had 700 gold coins, spending a gold coin on an even more extravagant lunch and tip. His coins lounged with his blacksmith buddies, while he sat and feasted.


    “Apple juice?” One of the waitresses laughed, “do you not like ale or mead?”


    “Can’t stand the stuff!” Mercurius said.


    The inn keeper laughed, and the woman carrying ale to other tables also smirked. Mercurius’s reputation began to precede him. People openly looked at him with extreme curiosity and wonder.


    How can he have so much money?


    Who was he?


    Perhaps he’s secretly a lord’s son?


    People were extremely polite to him, the rumours of him buying land had not circulated yet, so people entertained all kinds of delusions as to his origins. For one thing he had not a shred of aristocratic pedigree. He ate well, and drank well, a fat tip given to the servers.


    “Stay with us,” one of the servers said, “we’ll make it worth your while.”


    I am not taken I guess. Mercurius thought. Why not?


    A ginger woman with an athletic body, muscular abs, strong legs, arms and a worked out arse; and a blonde innkeeper with big tits and a big round rear, both looked at him like he was the tastiest thing, eyes filled with desire and hunger.


    I guess I can relax. I should deposit my cash with Mardonius and Salutius, I hope they’re not wasting it.


    He went outside and teleported to his friends, giving heavy bags of coin as they looked at him wide eyed.


    “I don’t mind if you take some, the God of Trade is generous after all,” Mercurius said to his confidants.


    “What are you up to then?” Mardonius asked.


    “Going to relax with some women,” Mercurius said simply.


    The old man laughed a little, the middle aged man laughed a lot more, both tapping Mercurius’s shoulder.


    “Enjoy the evening!” They both said.


    “2000 gold coins for land and a minor noble title,” Mercurius informed them.


    “I imagine it’s the same everywhere, it’s to avoid merchants gaining titles,” Salutius said, “that way the King gives the majority of the titles, that’s so the lords are loyal to the king, no man, no ordinary man could purchase land, it’s basically impossible,” Salutius explained.


    Mercurius addressed them both, getting the attention of the old and middle aged man with his eyes.


    “I promise lots of riches for you, I first need land to cement our place. To build a temple, to have a base.”


    “A temple,” both Salutius and Mardonius said in stage whispers.


    Shushing themselves and each other mere moments later.


    “A country…” Mercurius whispered, to even more awed expressions from the two men, “but I leave the large dreams for later.”


    “Go enjoy yourself, then think of these schemes and dreams,” Mardonius said.


    I still only have 700 gold coins, and those two very well might have been tempted to steal some of the coins, or ‘appropriate’ it for their own ends, I will not begrudge them, but nonetheless, it’s not a given that I have so much, and the cost of land is still far off. He thought.


    He took five gold coins, and thought about the evening he was about to have.