A Merchant will approach the player after defeating their first enemy when first arriving in Calradia. The player can then assist the merchant in a series of four optional quests involving the merchant's brother and an investigation into the town's corruption. Although these quests can be ignored, they can help new players gain a feeling for the game and will provide a small boost to the starting funds.
After rescuing the merchant's brother from a bandit lair, he will reveal that the captain of the town's watch is letting looters and other bandits into the town.
If you revisit the tavern of the town you started the game in, the merchant will tell you of the outcome. He would have been forced to leave the town for disturbing the peace. Once you leave the tavern, he disappears from the game.
The quest merchant only appears in Mount&Blade: Warband.
If you decide not to help the merchant, he will stay in the starting town until you complete his quests. He will also disappear if you become lord of the town which the merchant was in, for example by besieging it.