Chapter 8: Blades in Silk
The wind carried the scent of spring blossoms—and danger.
Blackhollow's fields were green, trade was steady, and the forge had just started to breathe fire. But peace was a lie. Beneath it moved forces far more dangerous than wolves or bandits.
[Spring Exchange: 5 Days Remaining]
[Warning: Rival Trade Power Expanding | Tax Collection Incoming | Political Activity Detected]
I didn't share the notifications with anyone. They wouldn't understand. The system was still my secret—my advantage. They thought it was my knowledge of history or games. Let them.
What I was really doing was playing a game that only I could see.
Thread One: Whispers Behind the Curtain
"They're here," Lena said, entering my office. "Grey Antler men. Vern Laister is buying out Windmere's surplus—everything."
Ray crossed his arms. "He's buying influence. Positioning himself for the Spring Exchange."
"And we," I said, "will cut the legs out from under him before he arrives."
I tapped into my secret menu, selecting a covert option I had unlocked quietly:
[Deploy Operative – Discreet Merchant Contact (Windmere)]
Name: Kael – Profile: Greedy, Unnoticed, Talkative]
Kael didn't know he was part of a system. He thought he was doing this for gold—and fear. I told him to embed himself in Vern's entourage, not as a spy, but as a servant who listened, delivered wine, and remembered everything.
I never told Ray or Lena what Kael really was to me. Only that he "owed me favors."
Thread Two: Recruit the Unwanted
While Vern amassed allies, I needed talent.
Using an old map from Blackhollow's cellar, I marked two potential contacts—odd names half-scratched out. I sent Bran and Toma to investigate:
Alric: An ex-noble blacksmith who was once charged with illegal forging of weapons during a civil war.
Ardenn: A fugitive alchemist accused of "reckless experimentation" and possibly necromancy.
Only two could be recruited before the Exchange. I chose Alric—because a forge would give us legitimacy—and Ardenn, because… there was something strange about him.
They returned three nights later.
Alric got to work immediately, cursing the state of our tools.
Ardenn said only this:
"You walk with something old clinging to you. Be careful, my Lord. Power loves to burn its bearer."
I froze. But I said nothing.
[Crafting Industry Unlocked – Smithy Operational]
[Innovation Industry Available – Requires Laboratory and 2 Rare Components]
Thread Three: The Spring Exchange
Norfall was a city of silk tents, politics, and merchants who smiled with knives behind their teeth. I arrived with Ray, Lena, and two carts: one full of Blackhollow grain and the other with our first forged tools and simple blades.
Across the square, I saw him.
Vern Laister. Cloak of velvet. Surrounded by minor lords. His smug grin widened when he spotted me.
"Come to see how business is done, boy?" he sneered.
"I came to trade," I said evenly. "Not beg."
Phase One: Undercut
Kael had delivered key information. Vern's plan: flood the market with livestock and secure exclusive textile contracts.
So I sold our surplus grain hours before his shipment arrived—at low prices, just enough to crash the market briefly.
By the time Vern's wagons rolled in, buyers had already spent their coin.
Phase Two: Introduce New Value
Alric's blades weren't fancy, but they were sturdy—and bore the Blackhollow crest. I had Lena stage a mock demonstration: one of our blades slicing through a Grey Antler sword.
Three minor lords signed private contracts on the spot.
"Reliable," one of them whispered. "And not tied to Drevan."
Phase Three: Play the Long Game
A noble inspector from Baron Drevan was present. The man was watching Vern closely—and was surprised when I requested a discreet conversation.
I handed him sealed ledgers showing clear taxes paid on all transactions.
"No tricks?" he asked, skeptical.
"I want to build legally," I said. "If that's still allowed."
He didn't smile. But he nodded.
[Tax Compliance Noted | Favor with Regional Authority: +5]
[Drevan's Interest Shifted: Monitoring Both Factions]
As we packed to leave, Vern watched us coldly.
He said nothing, but the crack in his confidence was clear.
I'd stolen his contracts. Undercut his trade. And made sure my name was written in three new ledgers.
But no one knew the real reason I'd stayed one step ahead.
Not Lena.
Not Ray.
Not even Ardenn.
They saw a clever boy with book knowledge.
They didn't see the silent interface I used at night.
The one quietly charting every move.
[Mission Updated: Path to Conglomerate – 3/7 Industries Secured]
Next Objective: Establish Laboratory, Expand Logistics, Investigate Forgotten Vault near Iron Lake]
Blackhollow wouldn't just survive.
It would own the map.