Chapter 162: The Price of Clay
The shadow was gone.
Aria stood outside the council building, staring at the empty street.
Nothing moved.
No footsteps.
No rustling cloak.
Not even the sound of someone running away.
Just the evening wind dragging dust across the road.
Kelme leaned against the wooden wall beside her.
"So," he said quietly, "we’re pretending that didn’t happen?"
Aria didn’t answer.
"You’re usually very good at pretending things didn’t happen."
Still nothing.
Kelme sighed.
"Wonderful. We’re doing the silent thing."
Aria finally turned toward him.
"Did you see their face?"
"No."
"Clothes?"
"Dark."
"Height?"
"Average."
"Direction?"
"Into the darkness."
Aria stared at him.
Kelme shrugged.
"I’d like to remind you that I was not expecting to investigate a suspicious shadow tonight."
"You’re a former vampire."
"Yes."
"You have enhanced senses."
"Yes."
"You’re telling me you saw nothing?"
Kelme raised one finger.
"I said I saw nothing useful."
"That is significantly worse."
"I know."
Aria looked back at the street.
"Could have been anyone."
"Exactly."
"Guild?"
"Possible."
"Authority?"
"Possible."
"Someone from the settlement?"
"Also possible."
"Someone who just happened to be walking past?"
Kelme paused.
"Possible."
Aria narrowed her eyes.
"You’re not helping."
"I thought we were establishing possibilities."
"We were."
"Then I’ve been extremely helpful."
She walked back inside.
Kelme followed.
The council room was still occupied.
Martha sat at the table with Lucan’s letter spread before her.
Duke stood near the window.
Three council members were quietly discussing the road construction outside.
Aria entered and placed both hands on the table.
"We have a problem."
Kelme dropped into a chair.
"We have several."
Aria ignored him.
"Lucan’s northern supplier isn’t shipping clay anymore."
Martha nodded.
"We already know."
"No. We know what Lucan told us."
She tapped the letter.
"That isn’t the same thing as knowing what happened."
Duke crossed his arms.
"What do you think happened?"
"I don’t know."
The room became quiet.
Aria looked at everyone.
"And that’s the problem."
Kelme blinked.
"You’re admitting you don’t know something?"
"Don’t make me regret it."
He immediately shut his mouth.
Aria pulled a second sheet of paper toward herself.
"Let’s start with facts."
She wrote the first line.
Fact one: Lucan’s supplier stopped shipping clay.
Second line.
Fact two: The supplier blamed revised trade restrictions from the Northern Trade Authority.
Third.
Fact three: The road agreement with the Authority was signed recently.
Fourth.
Fact four: Our pottery production is increasing.
Fifth.
Fact five: We now depend heavily on outside clay.
She stopped.
Martha nodded slowly.
"There is one more."
Aria looked at her.
Martha pointed toward the fifth line.
"You aren’t merely dependent on outside clay."
She leaned forward.
"You are becoming predictable."
Aria frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"You accepted five hundred pieces. Then two hundred plates. Forty cups. You increased production. Merchants noticed. Suppliers noticed."
Martha tapped the table.
"When a settlement grows quickly, people begin calculating what that growth is worth."
Kelme scratched his chin.
"So everyone is staring at us because we’re making bowls?"
"Not everyone," Martha said.
"That’s comforting."
"Some people are staring because you’re making money."
Kelme’s expression became serious.
"That is significantly less comforting."
Aria stared at the list.
"Then the question is..."
She circled the fifth line.
"Who benefits if our clay supply becomes difficult?"
Duke stepped away from the window.
"Careful."
Aria looked at him.
"You think I’m jumping to conclusions."
"I think you’re about to."
He pointed toward the paper.
"You have one supplier whose shipments were suspended."
"Yes."
"By an authority that recently negotiated a road agreement with you."
"Yes."
"And you saw someone watching this building."
"Yes."
Duke folded his arms.
"Those facts may be connected."
Aria waited.
"But they don’t prove they are."
She slowly nodded.
"Fine."
Duke’s eyebrow rose.
"Fine?"
"We investigate before accusing anyone."
"Good."
"And if they’re connected—"
"We deal with it."
Aria smiled faintly.
"That’s what I wanted to hear."
Kelme raised his hand.
Everyone looked at him.
"I have a question."
Aria sighed.
"What?"
"What exactly do we do when we discover someone is manipulating our supply?"
Martha answered before Aria could.
"Negotiate."
Kelme looked disappointed.
"That’s it?"
"No," Martha said.
"You negotiate while preparing alternatives."
His expression brightened.
"Ah."
Aria pointed at Martha.
"Exactly."
She turned to the council.
"We don’t panic. We don’t threaten anyone. We don’t break contracts. We don’t start accusing the Authority."
She began writing.
"First, Lucan gets the original notice from his supplier."
"Second, we ask why the supplier stopped shipments."
"Third, we determine exactly what changed in the trade restrictions."
"Fourth, we find alternative clay sources."
"Fifth, we calculate how long our current reserves can support production."
Duke nodded.
"Good."
Aria looked toward him.
"And you?"
"I’ll ask the Authority for clarification through official channels."
"Without mentioning suspicion."
"Correct."
Kelme raised his hand again.
Aria closed her eyes.
"What?"
"What am I doing?"
Martha smiled.
"Try not to create a diplomatic incident."
Kelme lowered his hand.
"That sounds less important than everyone else’s jobs."
"It is," Aria said.
He looked offended.
"I feel valued."
---
The next morning, Aria went to the pottery workshop before sunrise.
The first thing she noticed was the sound.
Scrape.
Turn.
Scrape.
Turn.
Clay being worked.
Kiln doors opening.
Workers carrying baskets.
Someone arguing about measurements.
Someone else arguing about who had taken their tools.
It was normal.
That was what worried her.
Nothing had changed.
New Beginning was still functioning.
And that meant the problem wasn’t inside the settlement.
Not yet.
Aria walked toward the storage building.
"Inventory."
The worker responsible for supplies handed her the latest count.
"Raw clay?"
"Enough for approximately twelve days at current production."
Aria’s stomach tightened.
"Twelve?"
"At current production."
"And if production increases?"
"Less."
"How much less?"
"Depends on how much."
She stared at him.
"That’s not a number."
"Because you didn’t give me a number."
Fair.
Aria took the inventory sheet.
"How much if we complete the five hundred-piece contract on schedule?"
The worker calculated.
"About seven days."
Aria looked at the clay piles.
Seven days.
That was not a crisis.
Yet.
But it was close enough to become one.
"Stop accepting new large pottery orders."
The worker blinked.
"Until when?"
"Until I say otherwise."
He nodded.
Aria walked away.
The workshop continued behind her.
She found Martha near the kiln.
"Seven days."
Martha’s expression hardened.
"That little?"
"At current commitments."
"And the road?"
"Still being built."
Martha glanced toward the distant construction.
"That road may be our greatest advantage."
Aria looked at her.
"Or our greatest weakness."
"Explain."
"Every merchant using it becomes a potential customer."
"Yes."
"And every authority controlling it gains leverage."
Martha nodded.
"Now you’re thinking like a merchant."
Aria made a face.
"I don’t know whether that’s a compliment."
"It isn’t always."
---
By midday, Lucan arrived.
He looked less polished than usual.
His coat was dusty.
His caravan had stopped outside the settlement.
Aria met him at the council building.
"You brought the notice?"
Lucan handed her a folded document.
"This is a copy."
She opened it.
The document bore an official seal.
Her eyes moved across the page.
Then stopped.
She read the sentence again.
"What does this mean?"
Lucan leaned closer.
"The restriction applies to unlicensed extraction and transport of certain mineral materials from northern territories."
Aria looked up.
"Clay is considered a mineral material?"
"Apparently."
"Since when?"
"That is the interesting question."
She continued reading.
The wording was complicated.
Licensing requirements.
Transport declarations.
Regional extraction limits.
Inspection requirements.
Approved trade routes.
Aria frowned.
"This doesn’t ban clay."
"No."
"It makes it harder to move."
"Yes."
"More expensive."
"Yes."
"Slower."
"Yes."
"And suppliers need licenses."
Lucan nodded.
"Correct."
Aria looked at him.
"Why did your supplier stop entirely?"
"Because he doesn’t have the new license."
"Then why not apply?"
"He says the process is expensive."
"How expensive?"
Lucan gave her a number.
Aria stared.
"That much?"
"For a small supplier."
She read the document again.
"And larger suppliers?"
"Can afford it."
The room went quiet.
Aria slowly lowered the paper.
"That’s not a clay shortage."
"No."
"It’s a licensing problem."
"Correct."
Martha stepped closer.
"And who issues the licenses?"
Lucan’s expression became careful.
"The Northern Trade Authority."
Aria said nothing.
Kelme, sitting in the corner, muttered:
"That seems inconveniently convenient."
Aria gave him a look.
He raised both hands.
"I said seems."
Duke entered the room.
He had clearly heard the last part.
"The Authority responded."
Aria turned.
"What did they say?"
Duke placed another document on the table.
"They claim the restrictions are temporary."
Aria opened it.
"Why?"
"Safety."
She looked up.
"Safety?"
"They cite concerns over uncontrolled extraction, road damage, smuggling, and unsafe transport."
Aria read the statement.
It was reasonable.
Annoyingly reasonable.
There was nothing obviously corrupt in the wording.
Duke continued.
"They also claim several northern extraction sites were operating without proper registration."
Martha frowned.
"So the restrictions may be legitimate."
"They may be," Duke said.
Aria leaned back.
That changed things.
If the Authority had simply invented a rule to hurt New Beginning, the answer was straightforward.
But this wasn’t straightforward.
There could be legitimate reasons.
There could also be economic consequences.
And those consequences could benefit certain people.
Those were different questions.
Aria looked at Lucan.
"Does your supplier know of any licensed suppliers?"
"Yes."
"Who?"
Lucan hesitated.
Aria noticed.
"Who?"
"A company called Northstone Materials."
"Large?"
"Very."
"Expensive?"
"Very."
Kelme sighed.
"Of course."
Aria ignored him.
"Do they have a monopoly?"
"No."
"Then who else?"
"Two smaller suppliers."
"Can they ship?"
"Not currently."
"Why?"
Lucan’s expression changed.
"They’re waiting for their licenses."
Aria stared at him.
"How long?"
"They don’t know."
There it was.
Not a conspiracy.
Not yet.
A bottleneck.
And bottlenecks were dangerous.
---
That evening, Aria walked alone through the settlement.
The road construction had transformed the landscape.
What had once been a rough path was becoming something wider.
Better.
Permanent.
Workers were laying stones.
Carts passed through.
Merchants had already begun stopping near the settlement to inspect the new route.
New Beginning was changing.
Fast.
Aria looked at the pottery workshop.
Then the blacksmith.
Then the bakery.
Then the houses.
People were building lives.
That was what mattered.
Not the pottery.
Not the money.
Not the road.
The people.
She couldn’t allow one supply chain problem to put all of that at risk.
Martha joined her.
"You’re thinking too loudly."
Aria smiled.
"I didn’t know that was possible."
"With you, it is."
They walked together.
"What happens if we run out of clay?" Martha asked.
"We finish our existing contract."
"And then?"
"We stop production."
"And workers?"
"They lose wages."
"And merchants?"
"They go somewhere else."
"And the settlement?"
Aria didn’t answer immediately.
Martha looked at her.
"You understand now."
Aria nodded.
"This isn’t just about clay."
"No."
"It’s about dependency."
Martha smiled faintly.
"Now you understand."
Aria looked toward the road.
"We need more than alternative suppliers."
"Yes."
"We need alternative sources."
"Yes."
"And eventually..."
She stopped.
Martha waited.
"We need to control enough of our own supply chain that one external decision can’t shut us down."
Martha nodded.
"That’s a much bigger project."
"Good."
"Good?"
Aria smiled.
"I was getting bored."
Martha laughed.
"You’re terrible at resting."
"I tried it once."
"And?"
"Waste of time."
---
Three days later, something changed.
A wagon arrived.
Not Lucan’s.
Not Martha’s.
A small merchant caravan carrying raw clay.
Aria watched as the driver climbed down.
"New Beginning?"
"Yes."
He produced a document.
"I heard you need clay."
Aria immediately became suspicious.
"Who told you?"
The merchant smiled.
"People talk."
"That isn’t an answer."
"No."
He laughed.
"I like you already."
Kelme appeared behind Aria.
"I don’t."
The merchant looked at him.
"Who’s this?"
"Someone who asks unnecessary questions."
Kelme nodded.
"Accurate."
Aria examined the clay.
It was good.
Very good.
Better than their current clay.
She looked at the document.
The merchant had a valid transport license.
Everything appeared legitimate.
"How much?"
The merchant gave her a price.
Aria nearly dropped the paper.
"That is absurd."
"It’s legal."
"Legal doesn’t mean reasonable."
"It’s the market price."
"No."
He smiled.
"Then don’t buy it."
Aria stared at him.
That was the problem.
He knew they needed it.
He knew they were running low.
He knew they had a deadline.
Someone had told him.
Or he’d calculated it himself.
Both possibilities were uncomfortable.
Martha approached.
"Who are you?"
"Garrick Vale."
"Supplier?"
"Independent trader."
"From where?"
"South."
Martha studied him.
"Why travel this far?"
Garrick smiled.
"Because the northern suppliers are having trouble."
Aria’s eyes narrowed.
"How do you know?"
"Everyone knows."
"No."
Her voice became quieter.
"How do you know that we are having trouble?"
Garrick’s smile disappeared for half a second.
Then returned.
"Your settlement is becoming famous."
𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞
Aria said nothing.
Behind her, Kelme shifted his weight.
Duke wasn’t there.
Martha wasn’t there.
Most of the council wasn’t there.
Just Aria, Kelme, Martha, and the merchant.
Garrick looked toward the pottery workshop.
"Big operation."
Aria watched him carefully.
"Getting bigger."
"That’s what I hear."
She folded her arms.
"Then you should also have heard that we don’t make rushed purchases."
Garrick smiled.
"Perhaps."
Aria turned away.
"We’re not buying today."
Kelme looked at her.
"You’re serious?"
"Yes."
The merchant looked surprised.
"But you’re running low."
Aria stopped.
Slowly, she turned back.
"How do you know that?"
Silence.
Garrick’s smile vanished.
Only for a moment.
But Aria saw it.
So did Martha.
Kelme definitely saw it.
Aria stepped closer.
"Who told you?"
"No one."
"Then how did you know?"
The merchant didn’t answer.
Aria looked toward the road.
Then toward the settlement.
Then back at him.
The pieces weren’t fitting.
But something was happening.
Not necessarily an attack.
Not necessarily a conspiracy.
But someone was watching New Beginning’s supply chain closely enough to know exactly when its clay reserves were becoming dangerous.
Aria looked at the merchant’s wagon.
Then at his papers.
Then at the road.
And finally at the official notice from the Northern Trade Authority tucked inside her coat.
Her expression changed.
She wasn’t angry anymore.
She was thinking.
"Kelme."
"Yes?"
"Go find Lucan."
"What for?"
"Ask him how many other suppliers have suddenly appeared since the northern restrictions began."
Kelme’s expression slowly changed.
"Oh."
Martha looked at Aria.
"You think the restrictions created a market."
"Yes."
"And this man?"
"I don’t know."
Aria looked directly at Garrick.
"But I’m going to find out."
The merchant smiled again.
This time, it didn’t look friendly.
It looked careful.
Aria smiled back.
"Leave the clay."
Garrick blinked.
"What?"
"Leave one sample."
"You don’t want to buy?"
"No."
She held out her hand.
"I want to test it."
The merchant hesitated.
Then unloaded a small sack.
Aria took it.
Garrick climbed back onto his wagon.
Before leaving, he looked over his shoulder.
"You’ll need more soon."
Aria watched him disappear down the road.
Kelme returned several minutes later.
He was breathing hard.
"Lucan isn’t here."
"Where is he?"
"He left for the eastern market."
Aria’s eyes narrowed.
"When?"
"This morning."
She looked at the road.
Then at the sample of clay in her hand.
Then at the official notice.
Three things had happened at almost the same time.
Northern suppliers had been restricted.
Southern suppliers had suddenly learned New Beginning was running low.
And Lucan—the man who connected them to the wider market—had left town.
Aria slowly closed her fingers around the clay.
"Something doesn’t add up."
Martha nodded.
"Then don’t guess."
Aria looked toward the road disappearing into the distance.
"No."
Her voice was calm.
"We follow the money."
Behind them, the hammering of the blacksmith continued.
The pottery wheels continued turning.
The road continued being built.
New Beginning continued growing.
But for the first time, Aria understood something she had never considered when she built the first kiln.
A business didn’t become dangerous when it became profitable.
It became dangerous when other people realized how much they could gain by controlling it.
And somewhere beyond the settlement, someone had just realized exactly that.