Reeds was apart of an illegal kobold mining operation, led by a charismatic green dragon on the outskirts of Craigsted Kingdom. Reeds doesn't do much of the illegal mining, but rather he pretends to be but a humble forest merchant as he smuggles illegal alcohol to the dwarvern mining unions to keep them quiet and content. If anyone has a problem with that, a certain green dragon can either teach them how to dodge taxes, or take them to a super exclusive tax-haven in the belly of a certain green dragon.

Whether that actually happens is up to public debate, but that green dragon would certainly love an excuse for people not to pay taxes to the ones who made mining without a license illegal in the first place.