Chapter 59: Penalties
The Viscount blinked, not expecting Wade’s words. "What?"
"I don’t want any quests as a penalty for late payment.
Fairchild arched a brow, interest flickering in his eyes. "No quests? Then how do you propose to compensate me for lateness?"
"Money," Wade replied. "If I’m late, I’ll pay extra. A financial penalty instead of running your errands."
Fairchild chuckled at the idea. "So pragmatic. I like that. Very well, let’s test this."
"If you fail to pay on time, you will pay me an additional 50,000 coins alongside your 25,000. That makes a tidy 75,000 coins for a late payment."
Wade’s jaw nearly dropped. "75,000? That’s extortion!"
Fairchild smirked. "The quests are still on the table if you find that too harsh. Just five tasks."
"It’s easier than scraping together that kind of gold in a single week, don’t you think?" His voice was filled with amusement.
Wade immediately recognized the play.
Fairchild was inflating the penalty to make the quests look like a reasonable alternative.
He wanted Wade in his pocket, indebted not just financially but by obligation. That way, the noble could direct him like a pawn whenever he wished.
Wade exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "No. This is business, not servitude. I’ll take a coin penalty, but not seventy five thousand."
He could accept the 50,000 late fees, since he didn’t plan to make any late payments, but that would be stupid.
The Dimensional Ledger would also rate this deal, and if he let himself be played like that, he’d lose cosmic trade value and that would impact how fast he gets another dungeon key.
The Viscount leaned back, tapping his fingers lightly on the desk.
"45,000 coins in addition, then. 70,000 total. Consider it a generous concession."
"Too high," Wade shot back. "That would ruin me if I had a single bad week."
"15,000 additional coins. That makes it 40,000 total for a late payment. Enough sting to keep me cautious, but not a death sentence."
"Thirty five."
"Fifteen."
The two locked eyes, neither willing to give an inch.
Finally, Fairchild chuckled, breaking the impasse. His eyes shone with a new light, as if he just had a big idea.
"You’re a stubborn one. Very well. 15,000 extra coins. 40,000 total for late payment. I can respect your... conviction."
Wade allowed himself the smallest breath of relief.
The Viscount leaned forward again, smile widening. "I’ll shake on this, Wade. But only if you can give me one more thing."
"Which is?"
"A guarantee that you won’t simply make a habit of paying late, and laughing at me while you toss me a few extra coins."
"Tell me, what stops you from turning this into your convenience?"
He leaned forward, holding Wade’s gaze.
"Here’s my proposal. If you pay late two weeks in a row, regardless of excuse, you forfeit your skill stones at that moment."
"They’ll be ripped from you and given to me by the magic of the contract. That will ensure you don’t treat lateness lightly."
Wade’s breath hitched. That was harsh. Brutal even. The idea of losing his hard-won skills sent a chill down his spine.
Yet... he didn’t reject it outright. He carefully thought about it.
If this was what Fairchild truly wanted as a safeguard, then maybe it was the price necessary to not enter what could become a slave contract.
For him, it was better to be dead and broken than to become a slave.
But that didn’t mean he couldn’t negotiate.
He nodded, finally speaking. "Two weeks is too strict. Even the best adventurer can suffer setbacks. What if I’m injured? Or forced into an extended expedition?"
"If you want this clause, I’ll accept, but not at two weeks. I want four."
Fairchild tilted his head, as though amused by Wade’s nerve. "Four?"
"Yes," Wade said firmly. "Four late payments in a row. Only then do you take my skills. Otherwise, it’s just a stranglehold, not a contract. I won’t sign up to inevitable failure."
The room was silent for a moment, before Fairchild spoke. "Three consecutive weeks. Take it or leave it."
"Done." Wade said immediately.
Fairchild smiled, a slow, wolfish grin. "Three it is. I admire your resolve."
"Very well. If you’re late three weeks in succession, your skill stones become mine."
Wade exhaled. It wasn’t ideal, but it was survivable.
The Viscount extended his hand. "We have a deal."
They shook on it.
"Draft the final contract," Fairchild instructed, glancing at the scribe.
The man dipped his quill, the parchment before him filling quickly with the neat strokes of his hand.
As the scribe worked, Fairchild leaned back, watching Wade with an expression of calm approval.
"You’ve done well," he remarked. "Few would hold their ground before me. Fewer still would win anything in the bargain."
"I went easy on you, Wade, not out of pity, but because you show potential. You’ve got the instincts of a true merchant. Someday, I expect we’ll have more business together."
Wade inclined his head slightly, forcing a polite smile, though his mind was still tallying up everything he’d gotten out of the negotiations.
Minutes later, the scribe finished his work and laid two identical parchments before them.
One copy slid to Wade, the other remained in front of Fairchild.
Wade scanned the pages carefully, reading every line.
Each clause was there exactly as negotiated.
The 500,000 coin loan with 25% interest, 25,000 weekly payments, the 15,000 coins late fee, and the three-week skill forfeiture clause.
Everything was as it should be.
Satisfied, he looked up.
Fairchild had already pricked his thumb with a small needle, pressing it against his copy of the contract.
The parchment glowed faintly, binding the agreement.
Wade did the same, pricking his thumb and pressing it onto his own copy, then onto Fairchild’s.
The noble repeated the process with Wade’s.
The documents flared with golden light, sealing the magic.
It was official.
Fairchild leaned back with a satisfied air, then stretched out his hand across the desk.
"Congratulations, Wade. A deal well struck," he said.
Wade reached forward and clasped the Viscount’s hand, a translucent screen flickered into existence before Wade’s eyes.
[Exchange detected.]
[Would you like to receive 500,000 coins from Viscount Fairchild?]
[Yes / No]
This was it. The step that changed everything.
Without hesitation, Wade selected Yes.
The screen changed, informing him that the money was now in his inventory.
He navigated mentally, checking it himself.
It sat there for him to see.
[Slot 6: Coins (500,000)]
A thrill shot through him.
This was the Exchange skill at work.
"Excellent," Fairchild said with a sly smile, withdrawing his hand. "Congratulations on a successful loan agreement. You now have power, Wade. I trust you’ll use it well."
Before Wade could answer, another message shimmered into view.
Ding!
[Trade recorded.]
It was Dimensional Ledger.