CHAPTER 60: CHAPTER 59: THE MERCHANT’S RIGHT

"Then you have my attention," Lysandra said, folding her hands on the desk. "And my support. Where do you want the factory?"

"I’d like your help acquiring one of the old workshops near the city’s edge. They’re just sitting empty."

"That’s true..." Lysandra tapped a polished fingernail on the desk. "They were tanneries once. But the smell was so bad people complained. No one’s touched them in years."

"I’ll pay for all repairs and cleaning," Kael said. "All I ask is your approval—and maybe some help with the paperwork."

"You’ll hire locals?"

"Yup, as many as I can. I want to build something stable. I’ll train them too. Ginip could be known for more than small adventurers and wildland traders. Quality products, dependable work. That’s the goal."

That earned a rare smile from the mayor—one not just polite but genuine.

"Kael, you might be the first merchant I’ve met who talks about helping the city without asking for a tax cut."

Kael shrugged lightly, expression neutral. "If the city grows, I grow. It’s that simple."

She chuckled. "You sound like a ruler already."

"Let’s not go that far."

She opened a small leather folder from the drawer, flipping it open to reveal a map of Ginip drawn in careful ink strokes.

"There are three vacant workshops," she said, pointing. "One near the southern wall. Two by the old river docks. You can inspect them freely and pick whichever suits your needs."

"I’ll look into those," Kael said. "As long as the foundations are stable, I can work with it."

Her smile dimmed slightly, her gaze drifting. For a moment she said nothing. Then—

"You know... I always wanted to shut down the current soap makers. Their product is awful—harsh, diluted, sometimes even dangerous. But they’re one of the few manufacturing groups left in Ginip. If I’d driven them out, dozens of families would’ve gone hungry."

"Now," she said, brightening, "you’ve changed the equation."

"With your factory in place," she continued, "I’ll finally have the leverage I need to clean house. If they want to stay in business, they’ll have to match your standards. And if they can’t, they’re done."

Kael gave a slow nod. "That’s good for everyone."

"Very well," Lysandra said at last, straightening in her chair. "I’ll have a city clerk draft the transfer documents for one of the abandoned workshops. You’ll have to pay fair market value, of course—but I’ll make sure no one tries to nudge the price upward just because you’re ambitious."

"Thanks for that." He paused, then cleared his throat. "There is... one more matter I’d like to bring up."

Kael pulled a rolled parchment from his satchel and handed it to her.

"I want to register ownership of my soap recipe. And the brand under which it’s sold. In my country, we call this ’copyright’ or ’intellectual property.’"

Lysandra looked at him blankly.

He was ready for that.

"It means that no one else can legally copy my design or formula. At least not without permission. If they do, I can take legal action against them."

"But... that’s not how things work here," she said slowly. "If someone copies your design, you compete. If they make it cheaper, you lose. That’s the market."

"In most cases, I’d agree," Kael said. "But this is a product that took time and experimentation to develop. If someone steals it and undercuts me, the result is that we both fail—because the cheaper product will be worse, and people will lose trust in soap altogether."

"That makes sense," she admitted. "But how do you enforce it? Our laws don’t cover... ideas."

Kael placed the parchment gently in front of her.

"That’s what this is. A proposal. A new kind of merchant’s right. Registered with the city under my name. You can call it a ’Recipe Right’ or ’Craft License.’ Doesn’t matter. I just need it on record that this soap recipe and the brand it’s sold under—Kaelmart—are protected. If anyone tries to sell fake versions using my formula or my logo, the city can seize them."

Lysandra picked up the parchment and skimmed it, her eyes narrowing in concentration.

"Enforcement will be tricky," she murmured. "We’d need guidelines. Definitions. How do we prove something is your recipe? Or your mark?"

"I can submit sealed copies of the formula," Kael said. "And samples of the product. A city-appointed inspector could compare suspected counterfeits. As for the brand—I’ll mark each soap bar with a unique Kaelmart symbol. Burned into the mold. Easy to spot. Hard to forge."

"That could work," she admitted. "But... Kael, this is Ginip. What about other cities? What if someone in other cities copies you? My laws mean nothing there."

Kael met her gaze steadily. "That’s the risk. But if Ginip supports my claim, I’ll have a legal precedent to present elsewhere. If I grow strong enough, cities will want to protect my brand to keep me doing business."

"Hah," she said, impressed. "You really do think far ahead."

"I have to," Kael said quietly. "If I don’t protect my work, I won’t survive once I start expanding."

She stood and offered her hand.

"Then let’s make history. You’ll be the first merchant in Ginip with an official formula license."

Kael took her hand and shook it. "Thank you, Mayor. I’ll make it worth your while."

The mayor’s expression grew serious. "Before you go, there’s something you should be aware of. You may have heard of the Raven Merchant Guild?"

Kael nodded. He’d heard about them from Alenia.

"It’s a powerful guild in the Western Region—and they have a small branch here in Ginip. Lately, some of their people have been spotted near your shop. I’ve heard whispers that they’re taking an interest in your goods."

Kael’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"They’re always looking for new opportunities," she said carefully. "Or threats. Your shop doesn’t fit the mold—they’ll want to understand it. Maybe even control it."

"So they are a problem now?"

"Yes. They have strong ties with noble houses," the mayor said, her tone grim. "If they decide you’re a problem, they won’t come at you directly—not at first. But pressure, intimidation, interference... all of that is possible."

He gave a small nod. "I appreciate the warning."

She held his gaze. "I’ll help where I can. But you need to be cautious. Don’t underestimate them."

"I won’t," Kael said quietly. "Thanks again—for the support, and the warning."