Solomon didn't dwell on the horses. Instead, he pulled a palm-sized wooden box from his tunic.
The box was exquisitely crafted, with simple patterns carved on it to highlight its contents.
"Take a look at this," Solomon slid the box to the center of the table toward Roderick. "Estimate its price. How much is it worth?"
Solomon honestly didn't know the market price for luxury goods in Westeros. After all, the most expensive thing in his body's memory was his father's rusted sword.
A flash of excitement passed through Roderick's eyes. His body trembled. Finally. He had endured everything for this. He carefully opened the box. Inside lay a strange object.
Two crystal lenses, polished to a brilliant clarity, connected by a simple copper frame. The design was peculiar.
Roderick picked it up gently, breathing heavily, and examined it against the sunlight. The purity of the crystal was extremely high, refracting a dazzling halo in the light.
Beautiful! Too beautiful! But beauty wasn't enough. He wanted the effect of the monocle he used earlier!
Solomon pointed to his own nose. "Rest it on the bridge of your nose, close to your eyes."
Roderick did so gingerly. He was a merchant nearing fifty. Years of burying his head in dense ledgers had ruined his eyesight. Distant objects always looked like they were behind a layer of mist.
Recently, he could barely read his own ledgers, relying on others to read them to him. But in this world, the only person one could trust was oneself. Mistakes had been made.
When the simple glasses rested on his nose, he instinctively looked down, pulling a ledger from his robe to check the inventory list. It was a piece of parchment filled with tiny handwriting.
In that instant, a miracle happened.
Those fly-sized letters, which used to require squinting to barely distinguish, were seemingly wiped clean by an invisible hand. Every letter, every number became unprecedentedly clear! Distinct!
So clear his scalp tingled! A miracle! This was a miracle! What is this thing?!
Roderick shot up from his chair with such force he nearly knocked it over.
The anger and arrogance on his face were gone, replaced by a mix of ecstasy, shock, and disbelief.
"Gods... This... How is this possible?" Roderick groaned like he was dreaming. He took off the glasses; the world returned to that familiar haze. He put them back on; the world instantly became clear as water.
Roderick repeatedly took them off and put them on. Every comparison made his heart pound wildly. This was no longer a commodity. This was magic! A divine miracle!
Solomon's calm voice woke him from his trance: "Five hundred Gold Dragons."
"I want five hundred Gold Dragons."
"Deal!!!!" Roderick accepted without hesitation. His voice trembled with excitement. Like a hungry wolf smelling the blood of wounded prey, his eyes shone with greed and fanaticism.
"But I don't have that much cash on hand! I... I wish to leave all these goods intended for the North here! To offset the price!" Roderick pointed urgently at the long caravan nearby, afraid Solomon would change his mind.
Roderick's overly enthusiastic reaction startled Solomon. Damn it. I might have been too small-minded. He instantly realized he had severely underestimated the value of this thing. Five hundred Gold Dragons, in the eyes of this shrewd King's Landing merchant, was probably far below the price in his heart.
Just as Solomon was hesitating, wondering how to salvage this pricing error, a raspy voice spoke from his side. Barna the Tax Officer, who had stood silently like a background decoration, cleared his throat. He wore a humble yet cunning smile:
"Lord Roderick, you really are a straightforward man."
"Our Lord's quote just now was merely to test your sincerity."
Roderick froze.
Barna continued unhurriedly, "Those five hundred Gold Dragons are not the price of these 'Clear-Sight Glasses,' but a commitment fee for your cooperation with us."
"Our Lord's true meaning is..."
"You must pay five hundred Gold Dragons first before we can cooperate."
Barna paused, letting every word hit Roderick's heart, then slowly said:
"We split the profits seventy-thirty."
"Our territory provides the technology and the goods."
"You are responsible for sales in King's Landing and across the Seven Kingdoms to all nobles, Maesters, and septons who need it. All profits, we split seventy-thirty."
"You should understand the value of this item. Even at thirty percent, it is pure profit for you. My Lord is only suffering from a lack of channels to reach the high officials and nobles; he is not limited to trading only with you."
"As for those five hundred Gold Dragons," Barna pointed to Roderick's caravan, "consider it the initial cooperation fee for joining this business."
Roderick stood frozen by this sudden reversal. His brain spun rapidly. Five hundred Gold Dragons for one? I was foolish. How could such a thing be only five hundred? But a seventy-thirty split meant giving away half of a gold mountain.
But...
This meant he possessed the first batch of goods in the world!
He knew better than anyone what madness this would cause once released.
Imitations were only a matter of time. But before that, even with just a few months or weeks of exclusive sales rights, the wealth created would be astronomical!
Even selling ten! He would earn enough for a lifetime! No! Ten lifetimes!
And partnering deeply with someone who could continuously produce such magical crafts was far wiser than a one-time deal!
After a brief shock, Roderick's eyes erupted with an even more fanatical light than before.
"Deal!" Roderick almost roared it out.
Roderick clutched the glasses tightly in his hand as if holding the world's most precious treasure. "No problem! I don't have much gold on hand! This entire caravan! All goods intended for the North! Grain! Spices! Ironware! Cloth! All of it stays! As the cooperation fee!"
"I will return to King's Landing immediately! I will scour for the best crystals for you now! I need a batch of these Clear-Sight Glasses! The more the better! Hoard them until a unified time to release them to the market! Lord Solomon! This will make you and me the richest men in the Seven Kingdoms before those damn imitations appear!"
Solomon also knew that Great Houses would soon organize Maesters and craftsmen to imitate this craft. Maybe a few weeks, a few months. But in this time, he could monopolize the market and earn a substantial startup fund for the future. That was enough.
After finishing, Roderick didn't even have time for a formal farewell. He took his equally shocked subordinates and left hurriedly without looking back.
"My Lord! Your man is still here!" Solomon shouted at Roderick's back, looking at the young caravan representative who was unconscious and vomiting blood.
Passing the attendant whose tongue had been cut out, Roderick didn't even glance at him, walking hurriedly without turning his head. Hearing Solomon's shout: "What value does a merchant without a tongue have!"
How could a useless cripple compare to the gold mountain about to be in hand?
Solomon looked at Luchen and the soldiers behind him, finally putting away his gentle smile.
Luchen understood and looked at the soldiers: "Throw this man into the abyss."
The soldiers bowed and accepted the order.
Solomon's gaze finally landed on the mountain of goods that seemed to appear out of thin air—goods that now inexplicably belonged to him. He turned to look at Barna the Beggar beside him and Luchen, who was moving goods with the soldiers.
This is what it feels like to have talented people. Truly nice.
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