8. The Temple


    It took roughly five days, five agonising days, but the structure was complete, fully furnished with a large statue in the middle, and a lovely plaza and steps. The workers turned to their own lodgings, but Mercurius stood on the steps and looked at the amazing structure. He tapped the temple and another 100 Trade Points flowed into him, he tapped the large statue and 20 more came to him. 160 Trade Points flowed into the devotee to the God of Trade. Mardonius and Salutius surreptitiously took in the small statuettes into the complex. Mercurius realised he had to address the workers, soon to be citizens of his Barony. Tired, but nonetheless well remunerated. They looked up at him.


    “Thank you for your fast work,” Mercurius said to them all, “this building is not a palace for me, the payments we could give you, it is thanks to the God of Trade! All of this was possible because of him.”


    A lot of gasps and shocked faces stared at Mercurius, wondering what he would say.


    “That is blasphemy! Idolators…”


    “The gold you have is thanks to the God of Trade!” Salutius shouted to the crowd, interjecting at just the right moment.


    There was a lot of whispering and murmuring. Mercurius teleported amongst the crowd and then back to the temple mount.


    “Do you understand!” Mercurius said, “your riches, and I suppose my riches, are due to the God of Trade. Do you wish to refuse us?”


    Many murmurs were heard as people were confused, the Church of Truth contingents were wide eyed in astonishment, the church of Light Balnans’ were surprised by the state of events, they did not expect what they heard. Some were almost relieved to hear the news, but most were astonished that such words were even spoken.


    “Is the God of Trade the one who brings such riches?” A nomad Hunur man asked, “if so, I shall become a worshipper of such a god.”


    “Me too,” a Balnan said finally.


    Once a few deemed it acceptable, a lot more converted rather openly. 50 men and their wives, their children looking confused, the other 50 looked in confusion.


    “Non believers are free to stay here, although believers will be paid a bonus for worshipping at the temple,” Mercurius said, “2 gold per person per week this includes children.”


    “Are you sure you can afford that?” Mardonius whispered into his ear.


    “I’ll make it work,” Mercurius replied.


    Another wave of people began converting.


    “If the Church of Light will tax people for not being their faith, then we shall pay people to be ours. The God of Trade is generous like that.”


    20 of the workers and their families refused the faith, outright choosing to walk away, while the remaining 80 workers and their families accepted the full glory of the God of Trade. Some were probably opportunists, happy to accept gold for worship, but even then the extra God Power was felt.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    “I feel an extra 140 Trade Points,” Mercurius said to Mardonius, “our operations can expand.”


    “Is 2 gold per week even feasible Mercurius? Most people barely get a few silvers for a months pay, a lot of people use iron coins, for basic goods,” Salutius whispered to Mercurius.


    “We are cementing their loyalty, besides every week is doable, if we did it daily then yes you are correct, that would not be doable after a while, and especially once the population expands.”


    “Don’t forget a lot of people would kill for a gold coin,” Mardonius whispered in a lecture.


    “I know, that’s why I’m giving them that amount, although I don’t like killing.”


    Mardonius and Salutius looked at the trader with a concerned stare.


    “You are championing a new religion, it will come whether you like it or not. No religion lives without state power. Remember that,” Mardonius prophetically warned.


    “Right…” Mercurius said, trying to soak in the information.


    Again Mercurius went to exporting various goods, selling iron and wood to the Chenep and Hunur nomadic confederacies, receiving a significant amount of Uruq gold. He could teleport more frequently without stopping, 300 trade points a second allowed him to purchase and sell and purchase and sell at ever faster rates. Gold was now stored in the temple, befitting the status of the trade gold. 500 gold coins were made in an hour. He bought Northern Kingdom wood and sold it to the Zhong and Raja states. It was only afternoon and he had made 1500 extra gold coins. 3500 gold coins were in the temple, the local devotees were astonished at the work, as was Mercurius. He sat with the Hunur converts who served him soup and wine.


    “Our God is generous, our God is wise! I apologise for not having told you sooner, but the temple needed to be built first.”


    “It is no problem milord,” a woman said, “we are merely glad for the prosperity.”


    “Make sure to thank Mardonius as well, without him, probably none of us would be here right now.”


    Mardonius at that time was with a single Hunur woman. A raven haired woman, who giggled and laughed and proceeded to jump into Mardonius’s lap. Salutius and Mercurius laughed, as he was quickly whisked off to her abode.


    “Don’t catch a heart attack!” Salutius said, to much mirth from people nearby including Mercurius.


    “Are you sure he’ll be ok?” Mercurius said quietly.


    “He’s old but not that old, don’t you worry and focus on yourself, do you have anyone?”


    “Not love anyway,” Mercurius said in a depressed voice.


    “You did that to yourself,” Salutius said, “that kind of pleasure is only temporary.”


    He’s right. Mercurius thought.


    When people prayed the Trade Points were massively increased, but meanwhile Mercurius bought significant amounts of spices and sold them in western markets, this increased the gold reserves to 4200. Everyone was thrilled with the gold that sat in their vaults. Almost everyone.


    While the new community of the God of Trade worshipped at their new temple, Church of Light workers, zealots really, went and narked on them to local constables of other nobles farther north.


    “A pagan has a established a temple to the ‘God of Trade,’ we saw him use infernal sorcery to teleport around!” One disgruntled worker said.


    “Really now,” a small time Lord said, “which lord was this?”


    “Baron Mercurius,” the workers said to him.


    The Lord looked sceptically at first, but since it was more than one person telling him, he chose to believe the rumours. Of course he was a marcher lord, whose whole purpose was to protect the frontier, but if such seditious and blasphemous activities were taking place, he could marshal some forces to correct it, and he slowly did.


    “Gather the retainers, we need to investigate this.”


    The local hill tribes were quite fiercely devout too, either fiercely Church of Truth or fiercely Church of Light, but for now there was a lull and peace. Mercurius gathered another 500 gold coins through trade before resting for the evening, sleeping in a newly constructed structure, with quilts, beds and even a rudimentary glass window. Mercurius drifted off to sleep, having worked exceptionally hard, his Barony now exceptionally wealthy, with an astounding gold vault.