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nThere were two ways to upgrade a village into a town.

nTwo ways that would work for the draculkar nation in Redlands anyway.

nThe first is to apply for a charter from the Cyzar, once the wealth of the village grows and can pay the base trade taxes and the survey of territory that would become town land.

nThe second was for a noble to acquire the territory the village was in and then grant 'town rights' to the village.

nIn human and mafmet territories, a village can buy a town charter for themselves. Unfortunately, the government of the draculkar Cyzar didn't allow that.

nKrow was currently surveying the village.

nAcquiring a territory in Redlands cost hundreds of thousands of drax. Millions, to maximize the developments and upgrades.

nCould he bear the cost?

nThere were three draculkar towns that were as close to the border of the Forest as Cerkanst.

nKrow could start his journey in one of them, easily.

nBut not one of the said towns had the sheer potential of Cerkanst for monster hunting.

nThey didn't excite Krow as much as this place did.

nBut he would rather enter Zushkenar with less money and security than he expected, fully entrenched and influential in another town, than stick to Cerkanst and enter Zushkenar with the responsibility of a weak town on his shoulders, not having grasped its full potential.

nSo he was searching for a reason.

nWhat would make Cerkanst worth it for him to hitch everything on the future of the village, when it would take from him enough blood and sweat to paint half the sky red before it would be ready for the Quake?

nLocation was not quite enough.

nHe needed a product.

nTasseline Verdant Herbs were Rare, but sold at just 3 silver serpens per bundle on the Bourse.

nNot enough.

nThe tradition of herb-growers though, that backstory had some potential. Still not enough.

nHe left the village proper and traveled the surrounding land.

nRainbow Rattler Snake. No.

nTriceratop Forest Rat. No.

nJaderocktail Watersnake. Huh. No. That tail was more 'rock' than 'jade'.

nOtherwise, the jade would sell at 4 serpens per kilo of pebbles. How many snakes was that? Maybe twenty or so, to gain a full kilogram.

nGlassmouth Mole. No.

nWait.

nMole Quartz.

nThis was the source of mole quartz, right?

nHe took out the Tradebook, did a search. Mole quartz was Uncommon.

nC-quality mole quartz, 1 serpens per kilogram. Used in Good Leather Armor Polish, 7 serpens per fourth-jar. Profit: 4 serpens per jar.

nB-quality mole quartz, 2 serpens per kilogram. Used in Good Metal Armor Polish, 12 serpens per fourth-jar. Profit: 6 serpens per jar.

nA-quality mole quartz, 5 serpens per kilogram. Used in Superlative Armor Polish, 56 serpens per fourth-jar. Profit 27 serpens per jar.

nThese were current prices.

nA fourth-jar meant a quarter-litre of volume or 250ml.

nAssuming a cuirass, vambraces, and greaves, a fourth-jar would be used up in a week.

nArmor polish increased the Durability of armor items by 50% . The recommended application was every three days. It maintained an increased Durability of 50% on the first day, 30% on the second day, and 15% on the third day.

nA consumable item, relevant to the current climate.

nAn item only likely to grow in relevance in the coming months.

nWasn't it fortunate that he, who was a leatherworker in another life, knew the formula for Leather Armor Polish?

nAs of now, only craftmasters and NPCs sold armor polish.

nOne kilo of C-grade mole quartz to create three litres of Good Leather Armor polish.

nA single Glassmouth Mole could produce 5-7 kilos of mole quartz.

nThere was also a more specialized recipe. One kilo of B-grade mole quartz to create four litres of Superior Leather Armor polish.

nKrow tilted his head, surveyed the area, the holes in the mountain, the traces of clear rime on the lower leaves of certain plants. He knelt on the ground, reached to pick up the 'rime'.

nIt was hard, like stone.

nGlassmouth mole saliva, his mind supplied the information.

nHardened in contact with certain solutions.

nKrow lifted the thick thorned leaves of the succulent, to see the pale red underside.

nLike the sap of the Hidden Dawn Watermaguey plant.

nHe stood.

nThe leafblade was as long as he was tall, tapering to a sharp spike at the top, and as wider at the base than he was. The edges of the succulent leaf blades had curved thorns at regular intervals.

nWaermaguey was common in the wetlands.

nThe fibers were used to make rope, twine, and sacks.

nFar above, to his right, were the cliff pillars that Cerkanst was built on.

nWas this enough?

nNo.

nBut just within ten kilometers of the village, he'd found three monsters with fair earning potential and one that he could earn good profit from.

nAnd a plant with fair potential.

nIn the sixty-five kilometer radius between Cerkanst and the nearest town of Rakaens, how many monsters were there that he could list in the 'good to excellent profit' column?

nNot to mention going deeper into the Forest?

nIf he could find just three more before the craft upgrade….

nHe calculated, head tilted, fingers drumming on his thigh.

nIt would be enough to buy the village and some of the surrounding land.

nBut not much else.

nCerkanst was a hub of the monster material trade.

nThis was true.

nEverbud Fern, Untoxic Salamander, Amethyst Turtle, Bellear Wolf, Swordhorned Elk, Greatrose Eagle.

nUncommons, Rares. Superior materials.

nBut all that material had lesser value now, than after the craft update.

nSeven months.

nJune of 2096.

nThe craft upgrade would change the way Redlands was played.

nWould he make it?

nJudicious scouting and questions earlier told him that there were 300 people in the village, 37 families.

nA quarter of the families farmed grain, another quarter grew herbs, and the rest were divided among various professions.

nThe village had a general merchandise shop, a tavern, a crafting shop, and a blacksmith.

nThe crafting shop was only there because of the herbs that the villagers grew, it sold mostly paper and books, with several shelves of potion-making paraphernalia.

nAlso, with the herbgrowers, there were likely to be hidden apothecaries.

nCould he work with that much, for a start?

nKrow took a deep breath, mind going through, once again, the list of what was needed for a town.

nCould he?

nKrow smiled.

nHe was willing to make a wager.

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