Chapter 7 : the merchant identity
"First, I need a house to live in," I thought. "I can't just live on the streets like this. The only problem is, I don't know where to go to purchase land."
If I were to ask anyone, they wouldn't take me seriously; they would simply see a ten-year-old boy and ignore me.
Therefore, I needed to transform into someone much older—someone people would treat with respect.
Over the years, I had developed several skills using my psychic abilities, and one of them was about to come in handy now: Illusion.
With the help of Illusion, I could cast a spell over anyone, making them believe that what they saw was real, even though it was entirely fake.
I began to alter my appearance, taking on the guise of a middle-aged man. In reality, I was still ten years old, but to the rest of the world, I appeared to be a wealthy, middle-aged merchant.
I walked a short distance and stopped a passerby. The man turned toward me and asked, "What is the matter, Grandfather? Do you need some help? What can I do for you?"
I mimicked the voice of an elderly man. "Son, can you take me to the office of the official who handles property sales? I am a merchant from a distant land. I wish to start my business here and settle down, so I am looking to purchase a house."
As soon as I finished speaking, the man replied with some hesitation, "Grandfather, I understand your request, but I have to get to work. Surely you can understand my trouble."
Yes, I understand your 'trouble' very well. You just can't say directly that you want a reward for this, so you're beating around the bush. I didn't say this aloud but thought it to myself.
"Son, I am not asking you to do this for free. In exchange, I will give you one gold coin. Will that suffice?" I asked.
His eyes lit up; greed for the reward took over. He said, "Alright, since you are insisting so much, I am ready to help, albeit unwillingly."
...
I and the man were standing in front of a building.
The man said, "This is the place you were looking for; this is where property deals are handled. You won't go back on your promise, will you?" He looked at me, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
I took out a pouch and tossed it toward him. "Go. Inside is the reward for your assistance."
The man opened the pouch to verify if the coin was inside. When he confirmed it was indeed a gold coin, his happiness knew no bounds. This single gold coin was equal to his entire month's salary.
He looked at me with a sycophantic smile. "Sir, if you need any other help, you can find me."
Ignoring his words, I began to walk inside. At the gate stood two guards holding spears; their job was to prevent any riff-raff from entering.
As I passed them, they both bowed and offered their salutations, for they saw me as a wealthy individual.
If I had come without the illusion, they wouldn't have even let me enter, let alone listen to a single word I said, because caste discrimination is rampant in this era.
The 21st century also has caste discrimination, but not like this. In this era, people consider touching a lower-caste person a sin, and the Brahmins sit at the very top of this hierarchy.
I stopped thinking about this and stepped inside. In the room, there was a man wearing a turban, jewelry around his neck, and a dhoti. He was busy with some work.
In this era, officials were referred to as Mantris, so I shall address him as such.
"Mantri-ji, I have come to purchase a house," I said to the official.
The Mantri raised his head and saw a wealthy, middle-aged man standing before him. "Oh, you are here to purchase a house? Then why are you standing there? Come, take a seat."
I sat down on the chair and spoke. "Mantri-ji, I am a merchant. I have decided to establish a business here, though I am not commencing operations immediately."
"I did not understand you correctly. Please explain it to me clearly again," the Mantri requested.
"Oh, is that so? Let me explain from the beginning. I am a merchant, and as you must know, merchants do not reside in a single location; rather, they open branches in various places."
I continued, "So, I wish to open a branch here. However, I will not be staying here myself. Instead, I will place a boy in my stead to manage things. He is currently ten years old."
"A ten-year-old child? Are you certain he can handle the work?" the Mantri asked in astonishment.
"I haven't come to this decision lightly. I tested him, and I was surprised to find that the child is exceptionally intelligent. He possesses the natural qualities of a merchant."
I was praising myself. He was amazed by my words, as he had likely never encountered such a capable child.
Suddenly, he recalled something and asked, "Have you inquired about the boy's caste?
If he belongs to a low caste, we cannot grant you a house, nor permit him to conduct business."
I had expected these words from him. So, I replied, "It is not like that. He is an orphan, but I surmise that he does not come from a low caste."
The Mantri hesitated slightly. "But still, how can I be guaranteed of your word?"
I gave a knowing smile at the Mantri's words. "Here, take this 'guarantee'. Now you will believe me."
I took a red pouch from my pocket and placed it before him.
"Wait a moment, let me check your guarantee. What if it turns out to be fake?"
The Mantri examined the pouch thoroughly. It contained a total of fifty gold coins. He bit down on one with his teeth and felt the hardness hurt him.
"Yes, Merchant Sir, your 'guarantee' is absolutely genuine. I, too, feel that the child surely does not come from a low caste," the Mantri replied with a smile.
To be continued....