"Well, sometimes things need stabbed, too. I haven't wandered too far from the Inner Sea myself."

"Oh, sure, he does good work. Or might, at least, I wouldn't know. How'd you end up in Osirion particularly -"

"I wanted insurance. I also like the nice legible investment system, though I may eventually decide it's spoiling me or go to another country on some adventure and not bother coming back."

"Huh. The investors mostly seem like idiots to me."

"Well, their value-add is capital, not, uh, non-idiocy. I tell them a sad story or three and they give me money and I go zap stuff."

"Right, but why is the capital held by idiots? I guess less of it is eventually."

"I usually don't ask them how they made their money. It could be that adventurers are not a good investment so the non-idiots with capital are all backing, uh, grocery stores and smithies."

"I don't know. Merenre probably would."

"He hasn't seemed super interested in talking to me."

"Did you want to talk to him?"

"I don't know, should I? I usually don't know of total strangers if I will get something out of a conversation of them, let alone how to get something out of a conversation with them. You're unusual in this respect."

"Well, most people are boring to talk to because they're stupid, but none of my children are."

"If you want to introduce us I won't object."

"Sure." He walks over and knocks on the door. "Merenre!"

"- hmm - you. What?"

"You should hire her to go scout, get this thing started."

He looks over at Belmarniss more closely. "I haven't actually looked at our options yet. Luar'll probably have noticed, if it's a good idea. Are you done with your language lessons?"

"For now. She's very clever."

"I figured." He turns to Belmarniss. "I'm very glad you dropped by."

"So am I, I've been having fun."

"Oh good. You should get a discount," he says to his father. "For being fun."

"I wasn't behaving differently than usual."

"I did suggest that he could have saved money by waiting till there are more drow around some of whom are not wizards. Didn't seem a priority."

"Well, I don't know how long it'll take him."

"I don't know how long it'll take me. I have a betting market out on the question, though."