Chapter 719: The Bean Shop — Recruitment Contract and Rewards

A box of money was quickly tidied up; to tell the truth, there wasn't much money in it.

Not only was there not a single high-value Gold Coin, but there weren't many secondary Silver Coins either. All in all, the total value was less than five Gold Coins. There were mostly Copper Coins, and a few Iron Coins for change.

"Mr. Steward, what should I call you?"

Jier asked. By this time, after the two of them had finished organizing the coins together, Jier's tone was no longer as stiff as before.

The tall, thin, middle-aged Steward looked pleasantly surprised and hurriedly whispered: "Raul, Raul Binte. My friends all call me Broom-Beard!"

"Since Ms. Feiniya calls you Raul, I shall call you Raul as well. So, Mr. Raul, how many years have you worked and served here in this 'Abundant Pod'?"

"Reporting to you, Sir Knight, I have worked in this shop for over four years; I came here to manage it almost as soon as it opened. That this shop has been able to keep running all these years, and has had a surplus of income every year, is entirely due to my skills and the effort I have poured into it."

Jier looked the man over carefully, making the other party feel bewildered. Jier then asked: "Then, are you a local? Or did you come from elsewhere to do business? How long have you been in Duoen Town?"

With an awkward laugh, the middle-aged Steward Raul explained stammeringly: "I am from a village in the north of the town. When I was young, I followed a merchant Caravan, working and traveling all the way here. Although I don't come from a local Merchant Guild, I have worked in several merchant guilds along the way and understand the details of many types of merchant guild operations and trade goods! I won't hide it from you, Sir Knight, I have been in this town for eighteen years. I am thirty-two this year; the time I've spent in this town is already longer than the time I spent in my hometown."

Jier rubbed his chin with his fingers: "So, you are very familiar with the various merchant guilds in town, as well as the merchants from all walks of life?"

Jier's question left the middle-aged Steward Mr. Raul not knowing how to answer. He didn't know what the Knight in front of him actually wanted with this information, so he answered cautiously: "Sir, I wouldn't dare say I know all five of the Merchant Union, but I am familiar with other small and medium-sized merchant guilds, as well as the various shop owners and stewards on the nearby streets. When there's nothing to do, we often have small gatherings, play cards or chess, drink some Ping Guo Jiu from the north, and talk about our respective troubles and nearby business opportunities."

Jier's eyes lit up: "It seems your relationships are quite good; you can get in touch with people you can talk to, right?"

"Uh, you could say we can talk. If anyone has a business opportunity, although they won't notify others immediately, if they truly can't handle it alone, they will indeed join forces to think of ways."

Jier lifted his chin at this moment and said with a smile: "Then you are in luck today. Although the Refugees under my command lack everything—food, self-defense items, vehicles, livestock, tools, clothing, and so on—they do have some things."

"I don't know?"

The middle-aged Merchant asked tentatively.

Jier snorted with disdain: "Hmph, from the Baishi Chengqiang Guanka all the way east, although my people and I total several hundred, there are always some blind fellows who try to rob us. What a bunch of idiots; isn't it better to stay alive? Although those Bandits were a bit poor, when we raided their lair, we still dug out some goods that had been plundered in the past."

"As for the quantity, it's neither too much nor too little. I wonder if any merchant friends you know would be interested in taking a look? The items are laid out at the entrance of the newly built open space south of town. They are all goods and cargo that I and the poor Refugees have no use for. If you spread the word, interested merchants can buy them at a low price."

The middle-aged Steward blinked; he seemed interested in this, but upon hearing that it was black-market goods from a Bandit lair, and knowing Shanlang Bani, he didn't know at this moment what the relationship between this Knight and Shanlang Bani really was.

"Sir Knight, do you know Shanlang Bani?"

He asked tentatively.

Jier was waiting for him to ask exactly that, and gave his pre-rehearsed answer: "Ms. Feiniya's old lover, right? I know, a rather cunning fellow. But don't go spreading that around. Personally, I think he and Ms. Feiniya are actually a very good match. You know, the two of them are actually the same kind of people."

The middle-aged Steward Raul and the young Knight laughed softly in tacit understanding for a moment.

It was just that the middle-aged Steward laughed somewhat cautiously, fearing that bad-mouthing a Bandit Leader behind his back would get back to him and cause trouble. But Jier laughed much more casually, because that was exactly what he thought.

Afterwards, he responded to the matter the Knight had raised earlier: "Sir Knight, it seems the shop's operations can't be done for the time being anyway, so I will go out in a while to help you contact the friends I know."

Jier sat on a sturdy wooden barrel and shook his right index finger vigorously, making a gesture that meant 'no': "It's not helping me, it's helping you. How about this: if ten merchants come to the site—I mean merchants who can actually purchase the goods I captured—if at least ten come, I will give you one Gold Coin myself. If half of my goods are sold, regardless of whether you were the one who contacted the buyers, as long as half the goods are sold, I will give you another Gold Coin. If they are all sold, again regardless of whether you put in the effort, I will give you yet another Gold Coin."

"Think about it. Although these three Gold Coins aren't much, they are paid directly to you by me in person. Unlike the shop, it doesn't have to go through the accounts, it's not your earnings, and it doesn't have to be taxed by the town. As long as you use your local connections and the sales eloquence you've honed from years of managing the shop to help me contact merchant friends who want to buy cheap goods at a low price, you can easily earn this money in the two or three days I am staying outside the town to rest."

It was obvious that the middle-aged Steward Raul was tempted. His own annual salary for managing the shop was only a few Gold Coins, and that was only after working for many years, with the shop consistently generating income, and knowing the backer behind the shop owner Ms. Feiniya—Shanlang Bani.

In just a few short days, he could easily earn three Gold Coins; well, that wasn't bad at all. Especially since the first Gold Coin would be a breeze for him; after all, the Knight only said he needed ten local merchants to buy his loot. Even if they bought one item each, ten people buying one item each would count as an alternative way to fulfill the Knight's requirement.

Although that would be exploiting a loophole, and it would certainly annoy the other party.

"Sir Knight, raising funds for the resettlement of the Refugees is something I, as a believer in the God of Wealth, ought to do. In order to help those poor people as soon as possible, please leave this matter to me!"

Jier chuckled and waved his hand: "Although a verbal agreement is fine, in order to ensure you put in your best effort and to have some guarantees, how about we find a blank sheet of paper and draw up a contract that both parties are satisfied with?"

"If that is your wish, then I shall certainly obey."

At this moment, the middle-aged Steward changed from the vaguely resistant attitude he had when Jier first arrived at the shop. Not only did his attitude change drastically, and he smilingly went to find paper, a quill, and ink, but the other thugs and Shop Assistants who had overheard bits and pieces were also itching to earn a share of this money.

Although they had salaries to collect in the shop even if they didn't work.

But no one thinks they have too much money; three Gold Coins made them envious, after all, everyone's annual salary was only a few Silver Coins, or a few hundred Copper Coins.

Because the shop provided room and board, the money paid out was naturally a bit less.

But wanting to get involved and being unable to, they were busy working while scratching their heads in anxiety.

The smart Shop Assistants already knew to get on the Steward's good side and get a share of the harvest from him through their own efforts. As for the not-so-smart ones, they were just there, unable to think of a way, sweating profusely.

It was hard to tell if they were tired from moving Beans or just anxious.

Jier found it amusing to watch.

He estimated the value of those goods to be around three hundred to five hundred Gold Coins, mainly because there were some high-value items that were difficult to sell, but the final transaction price for selling them in a hurry to the local merchants of Duoen Town would certainly be much lower than the estimated price.

After all, against the backdrop of the gradually chaotic Southern Province, food, weapons, armor, horses, and carriages were the true hard currency that one could always find buyers for, no matter where one went.

The few foreign merchants he had rescued from the Bandit lair were the ones who had spotted this opportunity and traveled thousands of miles to come and take a bite.

But in a chaotic situation, how can one conduct trade without sufficient strength?

If the other party takes your goods and doesn't pay, in normal times, one might be able to rely on evidence to demand the due income from management institutions like the Government Office in various towns.

But now?

If the local merchants, in league with the local town authorities, eat both the people and the goods, it is already considered a result of their soft-heartedness and extra mercy.

Of course, Jier was not afraid. If anyone tried to play hardball with him, he would lead his men to storm Duoen Town. Even if there were heavy casualties, he wouldn't lose out; after all, the armed Refugees under his command were free, while the other party's Security Guards were trained and equipped at great expense.

As long as the administrators of Duoen Town had sense and insight, they would naturally understand that young Refugees who had nothing but their lives were the most dangerous and were the ones who needed to be appeased.

This kind of thing would not happen to him.

After fussing for a while, the middle-aged Steward Raul had the paper and pen ready. He diluted the ink and found some blank, sturdy paper used for bookkeeping in the shop.

Jier checked it and didn't find any of the tricks often seen in Bard stories, such as double-layered paper or invisible ink. Nor was there any trap contract with flowery, decorative script intentionally prepared by a devil to deceive humans, as in heroic legends.

It was just ordinary paper, ordinary ink, and an ordinary quill.

"I speak, you write. Come on, Mr. Raul Binte."

The smile on the middle-aged Steward's face was like a blooming chrysanthemum. He quickly drew up a simple yet effective trade contract according to the requirements stated by Knight Jier.

He himself was to contact merchants in Duoen Town for Knight Jier, and the Knight would reward him with coins. The three tiers of rewards were also clearly and plainly written down.

After checking that there were no problems, he signed his name at the bottom of the blank space on the paper first.

The middle-aged Merchant Raul handed the quill, dipped in the appropriate amount of ink, to Knight Jier, but the Knight pushed it away and refused. The young Knight said: "Let me make one thing clear: when a true Knight signs a contract or agreement, he doesn't rely on a signature to indicate his identity. It is done like this."

At this point, Jier took off the steel gauntlet from his right hand, revealing his right palm with its thick knuckles and thick skin.

He extended a finger, held his breath, and pondered for a moment; then, the tip of the index finger on his right hand began to shimmer slightly with light.

Jier pursed his lips tightly, gathering his own Life Energy at the tip of his index finger—a feat that looked effortless when Kela the Knight did it, but was quite difficult for him to perform himself.

He then carefully wrote his name on the contract with his index finger; wherever his fingertip passed, a mark of Life Energy, radiating a strong sense of presence and a faint glow, remained on the paper.

"Phew, done."

Jier exhaled a breath he had been holding for a long time; it was the first time he had left his own Life Energy on a piece of paper.

"Is, is this what a Knight is?"

Lao'er, the middle-aged Steward, hung his mouth agape, only then realizing the difference between a Knight and an ordinary person.

"Of course, this is where a Knight differs from an ordinary person. You didn't really think that powerful people like Priests, Mages, or Knights would be the same as ordinary people, did you? Remember, this is what a Knight is; anyone who doesn't do this is just a fraud without any real ability."

Jier picked up the contract with satisfaction to admire it; although it was his first time doing this, the glowing name he had written with his fingertip looked good no matter how he viewed it.

"Take it, keep it safe yourself."

Once satisfied, Jier handed the paper with the contract to the middle-aged Steward.

"Sir Knight, shouldn't we write another copy? You take one, and I take one. If there were witnesses or guarantors, there would be a third copy, right?"

Jier stood up straight and smiled, responding to the other man with the words Kela the Knight had once used: "I am a Knight, and you are a commoner. The contract is meant to guarantee your interests, while my interests are not guaranteed by a piece of paper, but by force and strength."

The middle-aged Steward was stunned after hearing this, then suddenly realized the truth and bowed, performing a solemn salute: "Sir Knight, shall I go and contact my friends now?"

Jier waved his hand: "Do as you please. I will wait here for Ms. Feiniya to return. If she comes back and asks, I will tell her you went to run an errand for me."

"Sir Knight, farewell."

After saying this, the middle-aged Merchant stuffed the contract tightly into his clothes for safekeeping, then first returned to the back of the shop to retrieve some items, before striding out the shop's front door.

He did not forget to take a Shop Assistant and a hired thug with him. The others were left behind in the shop, distracted, busy moving the large quantity of Beans stored in the shop's cellar, bag by bag.

The Shop Assistants used wooden boards with pulleys and Ropes to retrieve the stored Beans from the cellar beneath the house, and then the hired thugs, who had some strength, carried the unopened bags of Beans and transported them to the carriage cargo hold outside the shop.

A Shop Assistant wiped his sweat-covered face with a tattered, old cloth, and approached the bored, sitting Jier while bowing and lowering his head: "Sir, the various Beans in the shop can fill about three of the carriages outside. The first one is already full now. Where should the rented carriage be sent? Where should it be unloaded? Who should I hand it over to?"

Jier watched them work and naturally knew the first carriage was full. He replied: "The open ground south of the town where a troop stayed a few days ago; do you know the place?"

"I know, I know. The alarm bell rang then just like it did today. I've been in town for many years, and that was the first time I heard the alarm bell. Later, everyone was curious and ran to the south of the town to secretly look at the army stationed there. It seemed they came from the north of the Kingdom. There were so many carriages; although their equipment didn't look as good as the town guards, their momentum was much stronger than those bullies!"

Jier smiled, not mentioning that he was also a member of the Kendall Army: "It's that same place. The Refugees I lead were arranged there by Mr. 'Flat-faced Aolier'. You take the carriage there, tell the Captain of the Armed Civilians guarding the gate of the open ground that it's grain brought by Knight Jier, and have them help unload it right at the camp gate."

"Yes, Sir Knight, I understand."

Having received his instructions, the Shop Assistant, amidst the envious gazes of the others, quickly ran to the carriage at the shop entrance, pointed out the direction to the driver of the rented carriage, and the carriage slowly moved onto the street with the crack of the driver's whip.

Everyone else in the shop envied that Shop Assistant for being able to chat with a Knight; although it was nothing much, at least later when drinking and bragging, he would have one more achievement that others didn't have.

After a good while, all the Beans in the cellar had been transported up, filling a large amount of space in the shop, and the first carriage from earlier returned empty.

"Sir Knight, the carriage of Beans has been unloaded at the gate of the open ground as you instructed."

The Shop Assistant from earlier jumped off the carriage and ran over eagerly to report.

Jier nodded: "Then everyone continue your hard work and start loading the second carriage. To give everyone some energy, come over here; each of you can collect some money."

All the Shop Assistants and hired thugs were stunned, looking at the young Knight in unison, as if they couldn't believe their ears.

Jier nonchalantly tapped the shop's Money Box sitting by his feet with his combat boot: "What are you all standing there for? Come here. No distinction between Shop Assistants and hired thugs; everyone can collect a small stack of copper coins."

Seeing that the young Knight wasn't joking, the group was tempted. The Shop Assistant who had spoken to the Knight earlier was the first to approach; he bent his knees and knelt directly on the ground, then lowered his head and held up his palms.

Jier lightly kicked the man's knee with his foot: "I don't like others kneeling to me. Only enemies I have defeated are qualified to kneel before me. You don't have that qualification yet; stand up and just reach out your hands."

Upon hearing this, the Shop Assistant climbed up with a red face amidst the snickering of others, still extending his hands, but his legs stood straight.

"Very good, your work is important, so I'll give you a little more."

With a pleasant jingle of coins, Jier casually grabbed twelve copper coins, stacked them into a pile, and placed them in the man's hands.

The Shop Assistant accepted them happily and hurriedly tucked the twelve copper coins into the inner pocket of the clothes he was wearing.

Although it wasn't much, this money was free; who wouldn't be happy?

Then another Shop Assistant came; this person imitated the previous Shop Assistant's actions, also extending his hands to receive the coins rewarded by the young Knight.

"You were in charge of the pulley transport earlier; not bad. Eleven copper coins, take them."

Unable to say any words of thanks, the Shop Assistant accepted the money with a smile on his face.

Then another Shop Assistant came; this guy was a bit of a slacker. Although he had a smile on his face while coming to collect the money, Jier was not polite: "You seemed to be working for a good while earlier, but it was all for show. So, eight copper coins, take them."

The Shop Assistant had an awkward smile on his face, but still shamelessly took the money. After getting the money, he wasn't awkward anymore; although it was less than the twelve copper coins the first Shop Assistant got, it wasn't a small amount—enough for him to spend a whole day at the tavern.

Of course, a cheap tavern.

Next were the hired thugs; they had all worked very hard, and Jier rewarded each of them with nine copper coins. They were all happy, whispering to each other about where to go to have fun that night.

And the hired thug who had been watching the horse for Jier at the shop entrance was also called in temporarily. The others didn't expect that Jier would reward him with a small handful of copper coins at once—at least twenty!

"Find a hairbrush and brush the horse's body while you're idle watching my horse."

So that was it. The others then put away their envy, jealousy, and hatred. Brushing a horse wasn't complicated, but Sir Knight's prairie horse was two heads taller than the horses they usually saw; it was not only difficult but also dangerous.