Chapter 206 – Fishermen
I gave him my best smile.
“Don’t say that, my friend. I’m sure we can find ourselves a good compromise.”
“Ugh, don’t smile at me like that. I’m not into men!”
“All right, all right. What about this? I buy a few of your fish and you answer my question. It’s good for everyone.”
He thought for a moment before responding.
“Fine. I’ll tell you if you buy ten fish.”
“You understand my business only involves fish that’s still alive, right? That means whatever I buy here, I’ll need to consume it myself. Ten is too many. We’re three at home, so give me three.”
“I told you that wouldn’t work… Whatever. Buy six and eat fish for two meals. Then I’ll tell you what you want to know.”
“Deal. Give me two of those fish felines like. I’ll try them for myself.”
The merchant was back in a good mood and swiftly handed me the products after weighing them. The prices were relative to the total weight and didn’t depend on the type of fish or seafood, which made things simple. He was selling for 35 coppers per kilogram, which was quite a standard price in the city as far as I could tell. I gave him 2 silvers and 10 coppers, which he pocketed happily.
“You won’t regret it. My fish tastes the best.”
“How should I cook them?”
“There are many ways. You can boil them in water, cook them in a pan, or skewer them over a fire. I like to cook them in the oven with some spices.”
“Great, I’ll do that.”
We had one of the best quality selnic ovens at home due to Suuru splurging her income on home appliances. As for spices, we kept a decent stock of every kind for whatever cooking opportunity.
“So?”
He nodded reluctantly and spoke.
“The easiest way to get fish that’s still alive is to wait for fishermen to arrive in the evening when their day of work is done. The haul they fished last usually has some fish that’s still alive.”
“Great. Thank you for telling me. Then, I’ll wish you a great day, my friend.”
The information was kind of obvious, but that was what information gathering was all about. It was wrong to assume anything until it was confirmed by locals. I left and made my way toward the ocean and the port. There, the chaos was even greater than in the city streets. There were people everywhere, from sailors loading boats to travelers talking to one another or normal people going on their way. It was around noon right now, so most of the fishermen were at sea, far away on the horizon, with probably many more that weren’t visible from here.
There were also some shops and booths here, selling products to travelers, usually food, sea sickness medicine, or luxury goods to those who looked wealthy. After trying my best to ask around in the ambient cacophony, I was directed to a specific tavern, a place where fishermen often hung out.
The establishment in question was quite old and dilapidated. As I opened the door in need of urgent repairs, I was hit by the smell of cheap alcohol, food, dirt, and fish. While most of the patrons were away at sea right now, there were still a few having their lunch here and there, some in groups, some alone in the corners. Judging by their attire, most of them were far from being well-off, some even having looks suitable for your average bandit.
They all looked at me with a mix of curiosity and disdain as I made my way to one of those groups.
“Hello, good sirs. Is there anyone among you who is a fisherman?”
They scowled, clearly unhappy with being interrupted during their meal.
“This isn’t a place for foreigners like you, kid. Get lost.”
I tried to give my friendliest grin.
“Please don’t say that, I have an amazing offer for anyone interested.”
“We’re not interested.”
“I’m ready to pay double the normal price for future hauls. What do you think?”
That seemed to grab their attention since they all glared at me now.
“Double? What’s the catch?”
“There are only two conditions. I’m only interested in salmon, cod, and redfish, at least for now. And the fish needs to be still alive.”
A few of them scoffed.
“Ah, you’re one of those delusional traders. Kid, let me tell you straight. Whatever you’re thinking of won’t work. Do you think you’re the first one to try?”
“I’m well aware of the issues. Still, that’s a good deal for you, right? You do the same as usual and get double the money for your haul. No need to care whether my business succeeds or not.”
They shook their heads.
“The world isn’t so easy, brat. We have people we sell our haul to already. We trust they’ll buy what we fish, and they trust us to fish a certain amount. We won’t destroy our relationships for someone who’s going to stop buying as soon as he fails, like all the others.”
I nodded. Despite their looks, they knew their stuff. They might have been burned by similar situations in the past.
“You have a point. What about having a trial, then? You’re not working right now anyway, right? If you go out now and fish what I need, I’ll give you three times the market price.”
This might have been enticing because they hesitated a little now.
“Three times?”
“Yes. Only for today, those three fish, and for what’s still alive. But I trust that won’t be a problem for expert fishermen like you. I’ll test if my business idea works or not. If yes, then I can establish a long-term relationship with one of you. What do you think?”
They looked at one another. Some shook their heads, uninterested, while others hesitated. Only one of them looked me in the eyes. That one spoke next.
“If it’s only one time, then I’ll do it. Three times the market price, right? That’s 60 coppers per kilogram.”
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