Making Bank

I look around my laboratory on the sixth floor, which will be my home for the foreseeable future. It is a large room, on the top floor of headquarters, with thirty-foot tall ceilings and a huge, floor-to-ceiling window with a majestic view of the city.

Of course, the room is completely trashed, and while my new hires have been moving in and working on the building, I have been clearing the debris and fixing up the lab. I have also set up some rudimentary workstations.

My living space and sleeping area are in the rafters of the lab, with my bed strung up high in the large room, looking down on everything below. I have gotten used to sleeping up in tall trees, so this setup is kind of comforting to me. It provides a level of security and frees up space on the floor.

With the help of some of my Goron workers, I have also brought a nice forge to the lab, as well as a worktable and rack of tools. But, this is just the beginning of my equipment, as I need specialized tools to craft powerful Shiekah weaponry.

Stepping outside the lab, I have of view of the main chamber of the embassy, to which all rooms are connected. The once desolate main chamber is now buzzing with life.

The Rito have taken the fifth Floor, setting up beds and stoves; the once bare walls are covered in woven blankets and artwork. Rito men and women fly from floor to floor, working on whatever projects they are assigned and sometimes delivering messages quickly for their coworkers.

The Goron have taken a liking to the lower floors. Their furniture and living spaces are constructed of different types of carved rock. They also like heat, so their rooms are kept warm by glowing hearths.

The Gerudo employees have staked out the middle floors, and they have more conventional spaces, with wooden tables and chairs and artwork. They really like money and collect precious items that they display in cases around their homes.

Heading down to the main floor, I talk to my five main subordinates about the situation in hq.

Garak starts, "Us Goron have finished the repairs on the foundation and walls of the building. There is a lot more we can do for aesthetics, but headquarters will stand tall."

Guy speaks next, "My workers were easily able to replace the windows with our flight, and we should be done with the main skylight by tomorrow."

Emri finishes up, "I have taught all my saleswomen the new systems you have taught me about. I've gotta say, account ledgers are genius; they basically completely negate the possibility of people stealing from the company."

"The total repair cost came out to about six thousand rupees, we spent another two thousand on those supplies you ordered. We are left with about a thousand rupees after salaries," Beetle says.

Josephine finishes up the debriefing, "I have hired the miscellaneous workers and they have settled in as well. I have also put up that board near the well. The employee of the month and week idea is genius, the bonus will really get people to work harder. Also, our employees are really coming together with the communal meals."

I take a second to process this information before clapping my hands together and nodding, "Great job, everyone. I think it's time to begin production of Sinclair Trading's first product."

"This tool will allow any traveler to know where they are wherever they go. It will prevent people from getting lost and revolutionize navigation."

"I call it: the compass."

The Compass is a great first product for my company. It is immensely useful, and other merchants will have no idea how to replicate it.

To be safe, I assign the production of the different parts of the compass to different workers, and only trusted employees will actually assemble the instruments.

Now that the repairs are done, it's time to start making money, and my workers get started crafting our first product.

The main floor becomes abuzz with activity. Gorons heat their forges, and the blows of hammers echo out across the room, turning metal into the bodies of the compasses.

Rito fill the metal disks with water and place magnets that only I and Beetle know how to prime into cork disks that float of lightweight wood. Gerudo use tools to inlay the cardinal directions on the compasses and box the instruments, sending them to the shopfronts in the front of the embassy compound to be sold.

A small crowd has formed outside of the embassy, word has gotten out about the Sinclair trading company. I have actually encouraged my employees to talk about the great pay and benefits, and I have even paid a couple of traveling bards to spread the word about a revolutionary product about to hit the market.

The end of the week rolls around; with my workers hard at work, we have made quite the stock of compasses.

Noon on opening day, two of my Goron pull open the gate to the compound, and a small crowd of people gushes into hq.

I plan to put a number of Sinclair shops selling various wares inside the compound, emulating a little town, but right now, I only have one selling compasses.

I blend in with the crowd to observe their reactions. Inside the neat navigation store, one of my salespeople is giving a demonstration of the uses of a compass.

"This device will revolutionize travel! It features one arrow constantly pointing in the same direction; when combined with a map or landmark, it will be able to orient its user wherever they are!"

The crowds' reaction is not what I hoped,

"....that's it?" A fat hylian merchant says, "It points in the same direction? And we are supposed to pay five rupees for this? What a scam!"

The other people in the tent listen to the fat man and start walking away, muttering to each other, "I was expecting some new Shiekah technology or something." "I heard the well was working again, and they would be selling water."

Before everyone is about to leave someone says something to make them stop.

"I will take fifty of them."

A large Gerudo says to my saleswoman, placing a fat stack of rupees on the counter.

"I would also like to begin selling this product in my stores. Would that be possible?" She asks my employee.

"I'm sorry, you will have to inquire with Mr. Sinclair about that. Please speak to our customer service representative Josephine, for more information.

The Gerudo merchant nods and takes the fifty compasses. Due to her actions, the other customers reconsider and begin thinking about the uses of a compass, eventually deciding on buying one for themselves.

When the fat man comes to the counter with an armful of compasses, my saleswoman says something that makes me smile,

"I'm sorry, sir, you have been blacklisted in this shop; you cannot buy our product."

This woman is employee of the month material!

Of course, the fat man doesn't take kindly to this.

He yells at my worker, spittle flying out of his mouth, "LET ME SPEAK TO YOUR MANAGER,"

My other customers are clearly scared, and they all take a step back, away from the angry Karen man.

I tap him on the shoulder, and when he turns around, the sharp tip of my saber rests on his double chin.

"I'm the manager, how may I help you?"