[quote=@Kronshi]
<Snipped quote by Spoopy Scary>

I understand but that's slightly the point, he got all this success while all the rest of the team has just now set out to find success and you will have already had it and plenty of it. [/quote]

I mean that travelling merchants typically don't find success. If perhaps for some reason that Middleman had his success and lost it somehow, could that be viable, and he could be travelling to earn it back? 

Maybe during the time that one single stall became an actual store and he some control over a small portion of the market back at one town? Because his wealth wouldn't travel with him and there aren't really any banking systems available yet. Most of his wealth would be back home. It'd be like a small isolated success. That'd be enough experience for Middleman so that he can provide as an actual asset to the party. Someone who is non-martial and is still learning the ropes of his trade wouldn't provide a thing. Even Furnace, as naive as the gnome is, has some powerful magic. The same can be said for Alula. Kelvin, while not really renowned for anything, can provide huge explosions. Carver is going through his rite of passage and has years of martial and religious training under his belt.