The Slime Farmer

Well, Vodren was the type to be high-strung about many things, but his tone today was more outraged than usual. The man"s voice was loud enough to be heard in the corridor.

Tennar entered the room, with the lady lazily sauntering after him, to see Vodren glaring at two young people. His a.s.sistant Caria stood behind him, lips thinned in disapproval.

There were two of the company guards book-ending the seated youngsters.

Vesia, a junior clerk if he remembered correctly, was cringing in her seat. Tennar narrowed his eyes. Why was it her and not Darred who was showing the creator of their newest vinegar products around?

Tennar glanced at the boy. Defi of the Lowpool was sitting calmly, an expression of intent listening on his face. Dark eyes briefly glanced at them upon their entry. Despite his features not changing, Tennar got the impression of a smile from the unperturbed gaze.

Bluzand"s lady definitely had an eye for talent. The vinegar products alone were set to be at the top of the company"s product offerings. This was the first recommendation of the lady in five years. Considering how the last recommendation was still creating some of their top-selling products, Tennar had placed great consideration on the barrels sent for testing from the Lowpool.

He had not expected the creator to be so young. Possibly the lady had given pointers, or it was a family craft. There was no way to make that vinegar in less than two decades. Full-flavored, deep and rich – even now the taste lingered in the back of Tennar"s mind.

To make such a taste, wouldn"t it take a hundred years to slowly coax the flavor into the vinegar? It had to be a family recipe, and the young lad was the lucky successor of the already prepared barrels. He imagined a bas.e.m.e.nt full of barrel upon barrel of top quality vinegar and swallowed.

No, enough with the fantasies. He didn"t even know if the imagined bas.e.m.e.nt existed. Even asking the lady only got him an amused smile.

Speaking of the lady, he could see her glance meaningfully at him.

It seemed the situation was his to manage. The lady did not meddle much in company affairs these days, and by her glance just now she seemed to have no inclination to return to active management. Still, it was indeed more expedient to hide that their newest business partner had such proximity to the owner of Bluzand. 

It would distance the young man from their current problems.

Tennar stepped forward.

"What is happening?" he greeted in mild tones, making four faces turn to him. "Vodren, your voice is reaching the lower floor."

Every merchant knew that even if the business was crumbling to dust, the customers must always see a smile on their faces. Any rumor may affect profit. Any deluge of gossip may turn a crack into a dam-breaking catastrophe.

Vodren lowered his voice, but did not relent. "These two were in the rare section of the warehouse! You must agree, manager, it is suspicious!"

If people did not know that it was the lady who recruited Defi, then yes it was suspicious. But the lady herself did not want Defi to be involved with internal matters, which the young man would be if it was known he was her recommendation. 

It was true that Defi would not be staying in Ecthys. But he lived in the same town as the lady, who did not want her whereabouts noised around. Yes, clarifying the connection between the two would be detrimental for both the lady and the boy.

He felt a glare bore into the side of his head, felt a cold sweat on his neck. 

Should he laugh or cry? 

My lady, if you wanted to protect the child, shouldn"t you speak up yourself? Just a word would clear all of this up. 

He looked at the two seated young people. The young clerk was looking at them in despair and slight hope. Defi however, was still studiously calm. Tennar was a good judge of people, and the lad did not appear to expect the lady to a.s.sist him. Did not expect anyone to a.s.sist him, in fact, and was waiting for a suitable time to speak.

All the lady"s recommendations were interesting, weren"t they?

"He was given permission," Tennar cleared his throat, face serene. "Young Defi is our newest business partner."

"Manager! My lady! Even if he is a new partner, do we let outsiders walk around our secrets like they owned the place?"

At Vodren"s incredulity, the lady smiled. "Your care is commendable."

Tennar despaired inwardly. That"s all you say? My lady! Are you condemning the child? What if he leaves? Think of the vinegar, top-notch secret vinegar!

"Defi"s craft needs certain ingredients," Tennar continued, voice still mild. "It was my decision to let him have the run of the warehouse. Though, I a.s.signed someone else as his guide."

He lifted a brow at the two. It was Defi who answered the silent query. Vesia was too overwhelmed to speak. Tennar supposed it was not everyday that a junior clerk meets the company manager, the company owner, and a head clerk of one of the major departments at the same time.

"Mestre Darred was called away by an emergency." Defi said, his voice clear and unrushed. "Someone lost a contract, if I heard correctly."

Vodren nearly choked in fury at that incompetence. Tennar narrowed his eyes. Beside him, the lady gave a nearly inaudible sigh.

Contracts were the lifeblood of the merchant world. The commerce ministry only moved to protect and uphold transactions that had an official contract. A contract that needed a senior clerk to manage, not just a senior clerk but one from the company manager"s own offices, would not be an insignificant contract.

Defi"s words changed their focus neatly away from the two young people in the room.

And compounded the dread Tennar had been feeling since he saw the anomalies in the company accounts. 

*

Defi and Vesia were unceremoniously kicked out of the discussion that occurred next.

Vesia doubtfully looked at the pouch of coin that had been tossed to her by the manager, as if she and Defi were children to be placated.

Defi let himself laugh. "It appears I"ve come to Bluzand at an interesting time."

"Are you really a new business partner?"

"I suppose." Not quite. He had signed nothing yet.

Vesia glanced at him, sceptical. But she had been with the company long enough to know not to talk too much about contracts. She lifted the pouch of coin. "Since we have been shooed off while the adults talk, are you hungry?"

The door opened, and Sarel came out to hear the question. "How is the food in the company refectory these days?"

"My..my lady?" Vesia"s eyes widened. "The same…as always?"

Sarel clicked her tongue. "That Tennar is as stingy as ever."

She waved over a clerk that was younger than Defi. "Send five meals from the regular kitchens to this meeting room. See how they like it."

"Yes, madam!" The boy scurried away.

Sarel glanced at the two of them. "Come. I"ll treat you two to a meal at Watersiders."

"How good is it?" Defi followed in Sarel"s wake.

"Good?" burst out Vesia, looking surprised at having been invited. "It"s excellent! One of the best foodhalls in the city!"

"Oh?" On the scale of one to hidden master chef, what does "best" mean?

"The tables and private rooms are always packed," Vesia murmured. "Not even n.o.bles can easily eat there. The lady is truly incredible, to be able to get a table."

"I know the owner." Sarel glanced back at them. "The food there is acceptable."

Vesia blushed at having been overheard. Defi nodded in antic.i.p.ation – if Sarel said the food was acceptable, then wouldn"t it be better than average?

He said instead. "Aren"t you supposed to be working?"

"It"s not so serious." Sarel led them down the stairs. "Tennar can handle it without me."

 On the first level of the Bluzand company was a s.p.a.cious shop whose shelves were laden with various labelled bottles, boxes, jars, and pots. Somewhat like the warehouse, but in smaller quant.i.ties. The containers were also of better quality than the ones in the warehouse.

Unlike the warehouse, the scent of spices lingered in the air.

Perhaps like an advertis.e.m.e.nt?

Defi looked around in interest. "These are all mixed condiments?"

"This is Bluzand"s primary shop and headquarters. All the products that are made under our banner are showcased here. We mostly deal in condiments yes." Sarel exited the shop, trailed by the two. A youth wearing a vest with the Bluzand mark quickly led them to a light carriage. "You actually made Tennar seriously look into expansion into a market other than food."

Defi took that to mean that the slime lotion had few uses in the food industry. Had Tennar come up with a viable selling point, he wondered.

He hadn"t pitched the savras extract yet, but he thought it could be used to make a solid entry into the beauty market, made into a skin-rejuvenating cream or something similar.

He was well aware that to many who flitted under the banner of "society", the concept of dignity was almost synonymous to vanity, after all. The concept of beauty being alike to virtue was well-developed in Ontrea.

It was not so prevalent in Ascharon, but the idea also existed. Otherwise the apothecary"s guild would not be so well-advertised.

"Bluzand is expanding out of the condiment business?" Vesia looked shocked. "I…my lady, that is why you returned?"

Sarel smiled at her. "At the moment, it"s just speculation."

Vesia nodded. "Of course. I won"t talk about it."

"How long have you been with the company, might I ask?"

"Three years as an apprentice and five as a junior clerk, my lady."

"Just three as an apprentice?"

"I…I started at sixteen. My mentor said it was too old, but took me anyway."

"After graduating from a scholarium."

Vesia lifted her gaze to meet Sarel"s calculating eyes, surprised. "Yes?"

"Hm."

The junior clerk looked slightly intimidated by the shortly hummed syllable.

Defi glanced at Sarel. A junior clerk who knew just a little too much for her own good. There were several ways to deal with the matter.

He returned to watching the bustling streets of the city, so noisy and redolent with various smells. So different from the slower pace of the Lowpool. The carriage stopped by a four-storey high building. The large decorated banner fluttering on one side proclaimed that it was the Watersiders" Foodhall.

**

Chapter End

**

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