An Unforgettable Gift

"Can we develop anything from that camp?" Luna asked Darren and Richard when they enjoyed the warm summer night breeze. Unlike the choking cold of winter nights, the summer air felt warm and calming. "I still don't know your full plan. From my point of view, that camp seems impossible to build without capital."

"Darren, tell her what we gained from Narima Beach," Richard said while puffing the cigar Rich had prepared.

"We've got a cash reserve, three thousand gold coins. That should be enough—or maybe more than enough to live in the camp for a few months," he replied comfortably when they were sitting on the porch of Rich's house. He took pride in exploiting every loophole in this game to keep gaining the upper hand.

"Three thousand gold coins?! How in the world did you get that much money? Did you steal it from the palace?!" Luna asked in shock. The woman sitting across from Richard and Darren leaned in, lowering her voice. "Tell me how you got that much money?"

"Sold all the paintings from my room and Darren's," Richard answered, causing Luna's eyes to widen further. How could they stay so relaxed when what they had done was stealing imperial assets?

"Does anyone know about this?" Luna asked again.

"Evan and Max sold them. They met with a merchant in Narima Beach who often comes to buy and sell antiques," Richard explained.

"We still have another ten thousand," Darren added, leaving Luna dumbfounded. They were seriously going to become rich in this game. Ten thousand gold coins.

Luna repeated it to herself—ten thousand gold coins!

As the night deepened, the city center festival in Mierre-Park grew even livelier. Even from a distance, they could still hear the music, despite Rich's house not being on the city's main street.

"What are you all doing out here?" came Kael Moonveil's voice, followed shortly by the man himself stepping out of the house and stopping beside Darren.

"Are Max and Evan asleep yet, Kael?" Darren asked as Kael pulled up a chair and joined the conversation.

"I don't know. I just came from the kitchen to grab some food," he replied, not knowing what his two friends were up to.

"Let's make a deal, Kael." Out on Rich's porch, Darren turned to Kael Moonveil. "I want to build a large house like we planned. If I have the money, how much can I allocate to build a house that can withstand both summer and winter?"

"Do you have any special requests?" Kael asked in return.

"As long as it has a kitchen. Don't forget about sanitation—we'll need a bathhouse and a well," Darren replied before continuing, "Besides that, I want to build three smaller houses. We'll use the smaller houses for ourselves, and the big house will be for those working for us."

"If I only count the three small houses with a capacity of four people each, the cost would be around three hundred gold coins. But that doesn't include the large house," Kael replied, surprising Darren with how expensive the construction turned out to be.

"Darren, I think building three additional houses is just not realistic. It's too expensive. Don't we also need money to start our first business?" Luna chimed in, making Richard smile.

"You sound like my ex, Luna. And you're right—I agree," Richard said, joining the conversation. "How about we prioritize building a merchant lodge and some toilets? Then we can work on a restaurant and hire a few guards to kick-start our business. Meanwhile, we can sleep in tents. We still have a few months before winter, right?"

"Is it okay if we push this forward first?" Darren asked for the group's opinion, and Luna agreed with Richard's suggestion. "Alright. I need an estimated cost to build a merchant lodge, toilets, and a restaurant."

Kael stepped back into the house and returned with a piece of paper, a quill, and ink. In front of them, he started calculating the estimated expenses for everything Darren had requested.

One merchant lodge.

Several toilets.

One restaurant.

"How big do you want the restaurant to be, boss?" Kael asked while still doing the math.

"What about thirty people? Will that be enough?" Darren asked.

"Probably not. We're planning to bring in a lot of merchants, right? If we get ten merchants a day, they might stay longer, and the restaurant will be too crowded," Richard disagreed with Darren's number.

"What about a hundred people?" Luna suggested.

"Wouldn't that be too much?" Kael questioned.

"It shouldn't be. Look at Mierre-Park—many restaurants there can seat hundreds. I imagine our camp will be like that in a few months," Luna replied.

"If we were to build a restaurant for a hundred people, what's the estimate?" Darren asked.

"About five hundred and twenty-five gold coins for two months of work. But if you want it done faster, I could bring in more workers—around eight hundred and fifty gold coins for two weeks," Kael explained.

525 gold coins = 2 months

850 gold coins = 2 weeks

"How about we build a restaurant for fifty people instead? That would surely cost less than one for a hundred, right?" Darren listened to Richard's more serious suggestion.

"What if the place gets crowded in the future?" Luna asked.

"Then we build another restaurant. Wouldn't that be just as profitable? Besides, we'll need a variety of restaurants so visitors don't get bored," Richard's reasoning made sense.

Even if it was the only restaurant around for now, people would eventually get tired of eating at the same place. So the only option would be to build another restaurant, or invite city restaurant owners to open a branch at their camp.

"How much would it cost to build a fifty-person restaurant? Give me some options over different time periods," Darren said, prompting Kael to start calculating again.

"For two weeks, around four hundred and fifty gold coins. For one month, about three hundred and ninety. And for two months, around three hundred and fifty," Kael answered amidst their serious discussion.

450 gold coins = 2 weeks

390 gold coins = 1 month

350 gold coins = 2 months

"But the price isn't fixed. It depends on the materials—sometimes the cost goes up or down," he added.

"So, which one is the wisest choice for us, everyone?" Darren asked before making a final decision.

****

"I don't think the merchant lodge is that important for now, Darren. If our friends have to sleep in tents for a few months, they'll manage. Besides, we still have a few months left until winter comes, right?" Luna said as they walked toward a supplier shop that provided all the necessities—Choice.

"Seems like your phrasing needs a tweak, Luna. Not still a few months left, but only a few months left. I'm sure we'll be too busy to notice when winter hits," Darren replied as he walked beside her, while she scanned the line of large shops Rich had mentioned.

"Can we trust Kael?" Luna asked again. "I'm worried he might be like us."

"Kael's part of the game. I know because he doesn't move whenever I talk with Sasa." Darren stopped walking, prompting Luna to stop as well. "There it is."

Luna gazed at the large wooden sign bearing the shop's name: Choice. Darren entered first, followed by Luna. It was still morning, yet the store already had several visitors.

She took in the large room, noticing a long wooden counter that separated customers from several store clerks, all ready to help. Behind them, she saw stacks of boxes labeled with various brands of goods sold there.

"Can I help you, sir and miss? Looking for something specific?" a male clerk asked, noticing that he wasn't assisting anyone.

Luna watched as Darren signaled the clerk to come closer. The man leaned forward, understanding Darren's cue. Without hearing what Darren whispered, the clerk nodded subtly, smiled, and walked toward a room deep in the back of the shop.

"What did you say to him?" Luna asked quickly, nudging Darren's arm.

"Preparing a gift for someone you don't like," he replied with a sly smile, clearly proud of his mischief.