Well, this is very familiar. I got the same spiel from the guys at Nimbastra, too.
"Skyfarer Captain Leon Maxwell. We are here to complete a guild delivery mission, do some trade, and I have information and pirate prisoners to sell to the navy. Also, I wish to sell this captured pirate ship."
As soon as they confirm the details I send along using the communication crystal, we make our way into port, and I am directed to pull into dock 5. There is enough space for us to dock even with the captured ship still attached to us.
Upon arrival, there is already some kind of navy officer waiting for us on the docks, flanked by two guards.
He is wearing a military style greatcoat, a deep navy trimmed with muted brass. The double-breasted front gleams with regulation-polished buttons, each stamped with the imperial sigil.
Beneath the coat, reinforced woolen trousers disappeared into tall black leather boots, worn but cared for, every scuff a remnant of battles won.
A sidearm, sleek and mechanical, rests at his hip beside a saber whose hilt is very well worn. Across his chest, an officer's cord, deep crimson, signals command.
His gloved hand adjusts the peaked cap low over his eyes, and beneath its shadow, a flicker of cold precision.
He salutes and then reaches out his hand for me to shake. "Captain Derrik Grizmund of the Aurevela defense fleet."
"Captain Leon Maxwell. We encountered some pirates while travelling here, and after destroying most, we captured these three. I would like to ransom them to you, and also sell information obtained regarding the location of their hideout, internal structure of said hideout, and force composition."
"How did you verify the information?"
"I used a method where I had each pirate relay the information individually to me, then draw me the layout of the hideout, and then write the force makeup of the pirates. They were all pretty much the same, despite not being able to communicate when giving me the information."
"Understood, in which case we will take these 3 into custody. Your reward will be 2000 GP per pirate. In regard to the information about the hideout, we are willing to pay you a sum of 50,000 GP for that."
"I agree to your terms and transfer custody over to you."
The navy soldiers who are following him begin the process of shepherding the pirates away.
"If the information checks out, there will likely be a large-scale operation to assault the pirate base. We usually contract skyfarers to help out in those situations. If you are interested, we will leave details with the guild when it is decided."
I thank the captain, and then we part ways. I make my way down to the cargo hold, where I find Kaelin dealing with the guys from the guild confirming the delivery of the 2 sealed metal crates.
After they leave, the merchants arrive, and the haggling begins.
First, the wine. As I suspected, the winery representative was trustworthy. I try to get a higher price for the wine, but the merchant offers a lower one, and we meet in the middle at the exact prices the representative told me to expect. The total amount we receive for the 10 crates is 630,000 GP.
Second, the cheese. I am surprised by the cheese's performance. The representative told me to expect to sell the wheels at 250GP per wheel, but I manage to up the price to 290 through my negotiations. Considering that each crate holds 100 wheels, and we have 10 crates, the total we receive is 290,000 GP.
Then, we have Pops's weapons, which is what I am really looking forward to. There are 3 weapons sellers here all trying to get their hands on the stuff Pops makes, and they show it by starting a kind of bidding war.
I show each of the the list of items we are carrying, and they completely exceed my expectations.
"I'll offer you 680,000 right now."
"Ignore that scam-artist, I will give you 700,000!"
"That much is chump change! I will pay 720,000!"
This continues on for a little longer until we settle on a price of 743,500 GP! Unreal! Pops's goods are really, really popular!
After the traders leave, we check out the pirate ship. It is filthy and I really don't want to spend too long here. The cargo bay is empty, so I assume that there is nothing of value on board, we must have been their first catch of the day.
A shipbuilder on the docks informs us that the ship itself is basically scrap, but he will pay 80,000 GP for the mana shield in it and the propulsion system. I gladly accept.
Finally, we make our way to the guild where we can collect the bounty for our pirate kills. They pay out the 6000 for the captured pirates, and the 50,000 for the info. On top of that, the pirates we took down had a bounty total of 36,000 GP.
To my utter shock, the guild will also pay us for killing the sky gobbos. 2000 per ship! That's another 46,000 GP to add. The delivery quest pays out its 60,000 GP.
After requesting a resupply of ammo, we head back to the ship to confirm our earnings so far and store the necessary stuff in the safe.
Sitting at the galley table with Kaelin, I calculate that our total income from this trip is 1,651,500 GP!
"Leon, that number is absurd! What are we going to do with it?"
"First of all, you are getting paid." I count and push over 8258 GP to Kaelin. She says nothing, just staring at the substantial pile of coins.
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-Shameless author's request!
Guys, I am really enjoying writing this story. I have tried to include elements of fantasy from books, games, and other things that interest me.
If you could leave a positive review, and maybe stones, that would be great! If over 10 people leave a review, it will be displayed on the book page and attract more readers!
Hope you are enjoying it so far! - OverworkedMisfit