Send the caravan out before dawn with his reputation intact, enough supplies to avoid deaths, and no personal loss blamed on him.

The party can offer a scouting detail, a letter of recommendation, or proof that the ledger contains hidden charges.

• Spot the 5 gp rush fee with Intelligence (Investigation), DC 13.
• Read Tarsin's concern for his reputation with Wisdom (Insight), DC 12.
• Offer scouting help or rewrite the terms with Charisma (Persuasion), DC 14.
• Ask who benefits from the rush fee and force Tarsin to defend it aloud.
• Use the map, candlelight, or a tool to reveal the shortcut notation.

• Trade the rush fee for a party-led scouting detail.
• Cut 5 gp from pack horse feed in exchange for a promised letter of recommendation.
• Reallocate savings toward extra rations.
• Challenge the ledger line by line and make Tarsin justify every charge.
• Offer to accept slower travel in exchange for dropping the expedited travel fee.

• On a reasonable question, Tarsin slides over the ledger and says, “Then prove the number is wrong.”
• On a sharp observation, he covers the margin and asks, “Would you rather pay in coin or time?”
• On an offer to scout, he relaxes and says, “That saves me guards, if you sign for the risk.”
• After two successes, he produces a clean quill and stops arguing over small items.
• After one failure, he begins counting the party's coin aloud.
• At two failures, he closes the map and calls for the drivers.