Diaries of an Ooze Witch (Entry 3.1) (Patreon)

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3.1

The rebuilding efforts continue in Placedo as I take stock in how little my Brother did to expand the family business into the city. Searching the public records for any sales made on the market for our iron, I found precious little information pertaining to such endeavors. Even his exploits in the city seemed sparing or non-existent to the public, instead keeping his vices hidden from public view. Save for some earlier transactions made in the year, William was essentially a ghost within the city. If I am to trust what I’ve found, there is no way William could have sustained himself in the city on such paltry sales and returned appearing solvent… At least, not legally.

Immediately, my suspicions turned to the Black Markets, truly dens of inequity where everyone could get anything for a price. But it didn’t make any sense, if Brother sold the family iron normally, it would have fetched more than enough to support him in the city for quite some time. Was there something impeding his progress in the city markets that made selling it there less profitable than the Black Market? It was too much of a risk, selling it there would potentially bring down the wrath of the local authorities upon him and ruin the Steel Family name, miring it in scandal.

I decided to leverage the options I had open to me: Jeru, having a closer connection to the social etiquette of pubs and taverns, was more adept at gathering intel on the Underground scene of Placedo than I. Meanwhile, I would approach the city’s more eclectic tastes by ingratiating myself toward the local nobility as that was where my talents were more suited for. Surely between the two of us, we could find some sort of information on where my Brother was wiling away his time here, right?

My earliest efforts have been stymied by of all things, the lack of name recognition my family actually has in Placedo. Trying to break into the public markets, I find myself lost amidst a sea of fellow merchants hocking their own wares and forming their own contracts. Attempts to lean on my family name by brandishing my crest are met with indifference and ignorance. None of the buyers are at all impressed with the Steel Family Name and seem to devalue the iron stock in my possession by more than half. The insult to not only the family name but my understanding of market prices is completely intolerable! I had half a mind to strike my detractors right there for their insolence. Still, I stayed my hand and tried my best to absorb the offense. It was not worth the conflict over such trifling idiots, especially being so new to the city as I was.

Did my Brother do no work in promoting our family name in Placedo? Was it this stonewalling that caused him to sell on the Black Market? No, it was too early to make those assumptions. While troubling, the lack of name recognition was not an insurmountable task. It just meant that I would have to work harder to establish the Steel Family Business inside of the city. Still, not being able to find a buyer in their right mind to sell to was bound to set me back if I was incapable of addressing it. Perhaps I could find a patron in the nobility to sponsor our business enterprise? That would take time and a good deal of hobnobbing with the rich before I could effectively form enough rapport to even try that.

Perhaps it would be best to wait to hear back from Jeru before plotting my next move…

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