Lahimes inherited wealth and a thriving Eslading trade from his father, and he proved equal to both. Careful but perceptive, he managed the business with integrity and steady judgment, preserving its prosperity before passing it on, intact, to his eldest son. His reputation in commerce remained unblemished, built on fairness, reliability, and a refusal to chase profit at the expense of trust.
Yet coin never held Lahimes as tightly as ideas did. Even at the height of his success, he found greater satisfaction in thought, conversation, and study than in accumulation. In his later years, he returned to a long friendship with Hile, setting aside the daily demands of trade to immerse himself in reflection and learning. Books replaced ledgers. Questions replaced transactions.
His household remained lively and warm. His youngest daughter, Shiba, grew up alongside Phine, their companionship deepening with time. Her fondness for Phine became increasingly clear, though Lahimes never pressed it, preferring to let relationships find their own shape. He watched quietly, attentive but restrained.
To Phine, Lahimes becomes something more than a family friend. He offers guidance without instruction and wisdom without insistence. Where Hile brings ambition and momentum, Lahimes provides balance, encouraging patience, perspective, and careful thought. He does not push Phine toward achievement, but toward understanding.
Lahimes’s first impression is of a man who has already proven himself and no longer needs to. Having secured his legacy in trade, he turns his attention to shaping people instead, believing that insight, once shared, endures longer than wealth ever could.