The primary goal in coming to work for Sam had been just to work for anyone and gain experience in business as a blacksmith. This was still Dev’s goal, of course, but it had fallen to secondary. What had replaced it was an interest in Sam and his being Bart’s original teacher. The fact that he was also allegedly the one that originally taught Cassius Butler, the current kingpin of the Seventh District, made him even more interesting. This old man held a world position based on the lives he touched, so Devroux wanted to find out his secret in doing that. As far as the mink could tell, this man was merely old as dirt, nothing more.

While the primary goal had shifted to figuring out how Sam earned his place in the world, Dev’s secondary goal was the one that was making the most progress. He was able to spend plenty of time in the back room of Sam’s shop, forging weapons for customers from dawn until dusk. Coming here originally, he had assumed the shop would lack customers, but there were days of heavy flow and some of none. The number of visitors depended solely on how fast his clients could burn through the product that they were given, which varied greatly upon their uses.

Sam’s shop was not a smithery that limited its products to those that held weapons. Sam's’ business had survived the economic decimation of the outer ring of shops solely by the fact that he had connections with the other craftsmen in the area. While other shops were popular, they tended to limit themselves to weapons or armor, seeing as their business with the Fourth District was most of their income. However, Sam could and would craft anything from nails for shipwrights, to components for scientists up to their specifications, and of course could still craft quality weapons to top it all off. His clientele was older, for the most part, but they were faithful, even having some of the older mercenaries drop by every so often to pick up a new weapon or have theirs sharpened by his hand.

This relationship with the consumers is what let the business survive for so long. However, as Dev would come to learn, it was also key in the progress of the Seventh District as a whole. Money wasn’t the only thing that exchanged hands among born craftsmen. Favors traded meant that Sam’s shop could be fixed and upkept at a fraction of the cost. Favors traded meant whole shops could be built on the dime of another man. The circle of business among craftsmen expanded the Seventh District at great speed in the past, having diminished returns as business from the outer districts and island visitors became more beneficial than trading favors. But even as that was true, the relationship built between the older generation withstood.

Devroux may have been working in the back the majority of the time, but the difference between the back of the shop and the front of the shop was almost nothing. He could witness Sam’s long-lasting and ever-expanding business from afar, yet still be part of it by forging the items that he sold. It would be an important learning experience for the future, if he ever became capable of opening a shop of his own.

While Devroux quietly watched from behind the scenes and took notes on how to properly run a business from Sam, he was also well aware of the success of the outer shops and was taking notes on them in relation to what he was witnessing watching Sam. Location, items, number of employees; these were important factors that would be remembered for the future, but how to handle customers was something they didn’t have when compared to Sam. Business was business to them, while Sam made it his personal mission to give them something of quality and his conviction always showed on his face, granting him a connection that the product otherwise couldn’t.

The emotional aspect of the business that Sam put forward wasn’t something that Dev could understand. The mink wanted to craft weapons of quality and have his name plastered all over the world as a standard of that quality. His relationship with the customers didn’t matter, but business did. Even though he couldn’t put forth this emotion truthfully, Devroux was very capable of fabricating it when it was necessary. Customer service and talking to people is something that he learned how to do back on Zou. It was a skill that carried over no matter who he talked to.

As the mink continued to watch Sam do business, he learned more and more about what was necessary in order to run a longstanding shop. His primary goal was still to find out whether or not Sam was important or lucky, but learning how to be a better blacksmith began to coincide with yet another goal – to build a customer base of his own through Sam’s connections, if given the chance.

Within the early hours of the day was when Sam’s shop was at its busiest. The individuals that came during the morning came with the intent of preparing themselves for the day’s work, but there were still others that prepared even further ahead. Those that chose to prepare the evening before came later in the day, when business began to slow down. It was also the time when Sam’s closest clients came to buy, choosing the time when the shop was slow to also be able to talk to Sam as a friend, versus only someone to do business with. To Dev’s eyes, it seemed as if these customers were also the oldest of their visitors, rivaling even Sam in age save when they brought in their younger relatives.

The old man that had given the mink the job in the first place was not blind to his desires. Sam was well aware of what Devroux had intentions of doing. It wasn’t spawned from reading the mink’s body language or seeing a certain gaze in his eyes, but from experience. An apprentice always comes with the intent of striking out on their own eventually, much in the same way that a child outgrows the need for its parent. Even Bart had struck out on his own, now one of the leading smiths in Drum’s blacksmithing industry.

Since the shop was slow in the evenings, the old man chose this time to call Devroux out from the back of the shop and introduce him to some of his customers. It wasn’t the first time and it wouldn’t be the last. Sam, however, was smart in when he chose to invite Dev into their conversation, choosing only the clients with younger family members present to introduce him to. With the older gentlemen getting along swimmingly, it was a chance for Sam to introduce someone to Devroux that could potentially be a long-time customer.

“This is Devroux,” Sam said, patting the mink on the shoulder as he came through the doorway separating the front and back of the shop. “He’s a new apprentice I’ve just taken on.”

Dev was being introduced to another older man and a child. Rather than someone that was somewhat older – old enough to hold a job – this was an actual child that Dev ballparked somewhere around the age of thirteen. Too young to be a true customer. But Sam’s judgement so far had been spot-on, so it was worth trusting him with his introductions as well.

The old man laughed, the child shrinking behind the man’s stout figure as the mink’s demonic visage came closer. “Apprentice? Ha! You haven’t had one of those in years!”

Sam nodded. “Can’t afford it. This one works for free though.” He winked, smiling and patting Dev again.

“I’m just here to learn,” Dev stated, wanting to alter their opinion of his own volition. “Paid or free doesn’t matter as long as I can learn how to be a proper blacksmith.” As long as they respected him, he could earn their business. No matter how cheesy it sounded.

“Oh. That’s some conviction you’ve got there,” the old man goaded. “Well, money is money. If you make a good product, you’ll have good customers.”

“Okay, back to work with you,” Sam shouted jokingly, ushering Dev into the back once again.

This may have only been one of the introductions that Sam would line up for him, but it was also inspiring to hear the criticism in the old man’s voice. It meant the act wasn’t as natural as he had intended it to be. He’d have to work on his delivery for next time. The child, on the other hand, was too fearful to count on as a future customer. Sam may be trustworthy, but maybe his judgement wasn’t as fine-tuned as he had been led to believe.

As he thought, these wouldn't be the last people that Sam would introduce him to. Throughout the day and days following, he'd be introduced to more and more people. All-in-all, Sam wasn't terrible at gauging what people would and wouldn't receive the information that not only the fact that their product was in another person's hand, but also that it was in the hands of a mink, well. Even among those that were on the fence, the introductions seemed to be more good than bad.

These are the people that, if Sam ever left this world, would for the most part end up being his customers while he remained on Baltigo. Those were plans for the future, however. Right now, these people were a little more important than that. They were messengers that there was a new blacksmith in town. Ultimately, that wouldn't mean anything to the general populace, but all those who had seen a decline in Sam's work due to his old age may end up returning to see his ideals come to life through another's hands.

Sam was smart. Introducing the mink may be a gamble for some, but it could also increase the amount of business they get as well. Little by little the business they brought in could inch them closer to closing down this shop and moving to the outer ring, but that thought made Dev's stomach weak. He wanted it and wanted more business, but something told him that Sam wouldn't be into the idea at all.

[EXIT]