Despite the close ties between Nasiah and the orphanage, the shopkeeper seemed to hate Elincia. And Elincia seemed to fear Nasiah to the point she avoided the shop at all costs. I squeezed my brain trying to come up with a possible cause but the whole situation was too strange to even venture a guess.

It didn’t make sense. Why would Elincia, a non-combatant that liked to adventure into the dangerous Farlands, fear a simple shopkeeper? Nasiah had quite the presence but I doubted that was enough to induce fear in Elincia’s heart.

Curiosity got the best of me.

“If Lowell was such a close friend of yours, why do you hate the kid he raised as his own?” I asked.

Nasiah’s face suddenly hardened.

“Are you perhaps judging me, Scholar?” The woman’s smile sent a shiver down my spine.

My intuition told me she was using a skill on her voice. I didn't let myself be intimidated. From a business standpoint we were at the same level.

“Just in the same way you judge everyone who crosses the doorway of your shop. We settled a twenty-four gold deal. I’m trying to determine if you are a good trading partner for the next five or six batches.” I replied with a cold voice.

My words seemed to have the desired effect because Nasiah’s eyes shone with a golden glint. If my knowledge of this world was accurate, even non-combatants had a deep desire to improve their levels. Warriors yearned for battle while craftsmen yearned for their own recipes and creations. Logically, a Merchant like Nasiah yearned for profitable deals.

“Give me an extra five percent on the next four batches and I’ll tell you.” Nasiah said as she leaned back in her chair.

Just as expected, the woman’s mindset was pure negotiation. I smiled and eased the tension on my shoulders. My goal wasn’t to break the relationship between the orphanage and the shopkeeper. As unpleasant as the woman was, she was one of our few loyal allies.

“Five percent of shop credit on the next five batches.” I made my counteroffer.

“Five percent of shop credit on the next six batches, if there are six.”

I did mental math.

Five percent meant that around seven extra gold coins were going to end up in Nasiah's pocket by the end of our potions operation. That was the price of her secrets. I scratched my chin, deep in thought. If my math was correct, by the end of our deal the orphanage would have more than thirty gold coins as credit in the woman’s store.

I smiled. Thirty gold coins meant we would have no problem dressing the kids for years to come. Considering the existence of the Scy Ledger, Nasiah’s store seemed a safe investment in the long term.

“Deal.” I finally said.

Nasiah was a good asset for the orphanage, regardless of her ways.

“Seven gold coins for a small piece of the Governess’ life history… how romantic.” Nasia said with a mocking tone. “I wouldn’t even give a silver coin for my husband’s dentures.”

“Our relationship is merely professional.” I quickly replied.

The woman didn’t seem to believe me.

“Sit down.” Nasiah said, theatrically moving her hand.

A chair slid across the floor, pushed by an invincible force, until it hit the back of my legs. I sat down. Luckily, the chair didn’t show signs of being alive. Nasiah looked like the kind of person who would keep a Mimic pet.

“If you are so close to the Governess, you must know everything about Risha by now, don’t you?” Nasiah said.

“I know a couple things.” I replied.

Despite the fact curiosity was killing me, I was starting to regret the deal. Was it really my right to peek into a part of Elincia’s life she didn’t want to show me? I crossed my fingers and hoped she wouldn’t consider this a breach of her privacy.

Nasiah sighed and poured herself a glass of liquor.

“Risha is my nephew. Son of my deceased brother and an orc from the tribes, and my only living relative. If he’s still alive, that’s so.”

The news hit me by surprise at first, then I remembered orcs usually sent their mixed blood kids to live among humans until their strength matured.

“Your nephew living in an orphanage?” I asked, sounding a bit more judging than I pretended.

The woman shook her head.

“As usual, you don’t understand anything, Scholar. Lowell was an Alchemist with a vision. Lots of kids with living parents stayed at the orphanage. Farcrest was a lot poorer with the previous Marquis but Lowell always had a plate of warm food, a pair of good shoes, and a bed with clean sheets for everyone who knocked on his door.” Nasiah closed her eyes as if she was reminiscing about a distant past. “ Lowell’s house wasn’t just a place for orphans to live. The old man had a lot of friends. High level Scholars, Craftsmen, and Musicians from every corner of the kingdom taught classes for free at the orphanage. There was no better place for a kid than Lowell’s orphanage at the time.”

I nodded as my brain put the pieces of the story together. I always thought Elincia felt pressed to keep the orphanage afloat because her debt towards Mr. Lowell but this shed a new layer to the story. Elincia had lived during the true golden age of the orphanage. The bar she aimed for was higher than I initially thought.

I bit my lip.

“Lowell was branded as an eccentric man for training kids before they got their Classes, but it worked. Lowell’s kids always got good classes. Scribes, Herbalists, Minstrels, Craftsmen, even a few Advanced Classes like Alchemist and Scholar.” Nasiah explained as a warm smile tugged her lips. “I was a traveling merchant at that time, so leaving little Risha with my good friend Lowell was the right call. Farcrest was a shithole, but Lowell made it worth staying.”

I nodded again, prompting Nasiah to continue. Learning more about Mr. Lowell’s work helped me realize why Elincia had been so reluctant to accept my plans of sending the kids to the Imperial Academy. She probably tried to do the same with little success. It wasn’t a surprise Elincia believed she couldn’t live up to her own expectations considering what Mr. Lowell had managed to create.

“Enough of long gone Alchemists.” Nasiah said. “Risha and Elincia were like nail and dirt. You rarely saw one without the other. You can say they had the most exclusive brotherhood of Lowell’s orphanage, a club of only two if you want to call it that. Always causing trouble, running away into the Farlands, fleeing from the guardsmen, skipping classes.”

Having Elincia as a partner in crime sounded like a nice deal.

“Then, when I returned from a particularly long trip, I found that Lowell was dead and Risha long gone to fight among the King’s army.” Nasiah sighed. “Fighting in the Deep Farlands is a death sentence. Risha is probably dead and I’ll never forgive Elincia for not doing what was necessary to make him stay in Farcrest.”

Silence fell over the store.

Was Nasiah implying Elincia should’ve gotten pregnant with Risha’s children? I wanted to hate the woman for putting the blame on Elincia but I couldn’t. After fighting against the Lich, I knew what kind of fate awaited for those who ventured into the Deep Farlands.

Nasiah was right in one thing. Risha should’ve stayed in Farcrest.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

“Do you sell paper?” I asked.

Nasiah gave me a confused glance, as if she was expecting me to start an argument instead of asking for goods. She shook her head and rummaged through the chests and containers behind the counter. I was starting to understand her life philosophy. Business first, personal matters second, spiteful as a dwarf.

Maybe she had dwarf blood somewhere.

“I’ll take the whole lot. I’ll pay with credit.” I said as the woman returned with a bundle of yellow paper and coarse.

“Aren’t you going to say anything to defend the Governess?” Nasiah asked as she took notes in a non-magical accounting book.

I didn’t need [Awareness] to tell me Nasiah was smart enough to know Elincia wasn’t to blame for Risha’s life choices. However, I wasn’t going to be the one to tell her how wrong she was.

“I have other places to be and I want to finish my errands quickly to come back to the orphanage.” I replied. “I’ll bring the next batch as soon as I can.”

Nasiah closed her ledger and followed me with her eyes as I walked towards the entrance, as if she was expecting me to say something else. But I didn’t. Despite the old woman’s temper, I felt bad for her. After my parent’s death, I also blamed everyone for my loss.

With my coin pouch replenished and a bundle of paper under my arm, I walked towards the main street. Having secured funds for the orphanage’s future should’ve felt like a victory, but I couldn’t help but feel guilty. Researching Elincia’s past on her back was reprehensible at best.

I walked through the empty main street and sat on one of the benches. Without the looming danger of monsters and guardsmen, there was nothing preventing my brain to focus on my feelings for Elincia. I knew I had to deal with those feelings sooner or later.

One good thing about the Corruption was that the System had become silent.

“I don’t really like Elincia. This whole infatuation thing is due to my monkey brain being fed novels and movies about princesses in distress for decades.”

I waited. Even if I was asking for a snarky remark, no System prompt appeared to agree or disagree with me.

“Even if I like her, there is no guarantee she likes me back. In fact, we have only known each other for a little more than three months now. Even if those three months feel like a lifetime, they are just three months.” I continued.

Still, no System prompt.

“In conclusion, disregarding how I feel about Elincia, it would be a terrible decision to pursue a romantic relationship with her.”

The System remained silent, but my brain won't.

Who was I trying to fool? I liked Elincia. A lot. There was no way I couldn’t like her.

I walked down the street, looking for open bakeries where to spend some of my money but most of the shops were closed. Luck wasn’t on my side. I checked my to-do list. Visit Captain Kiln. Visit Ginz. Find someone to fix the leaks on the roof.

Before visiting Captain Kiln, I needed a proper gift, and to craft a proper gift I needed to amend my relationship with Ginz. I continued my way towards the man’s workshop, looking for a tavern and trying to stop my brain from thinking about Elincia’s cute smile.

I was down bad.

Was it a bad idea to romance a coworker? Absolutely.

Did we meet just not so far ago? Yes.

Was there a huge chance for things to not work? Definitely.

Was I jeopardizing my place at the orphanage? Totally.

Was I going to ignore my own good advice? Most probably.

Suddenly, the realization hit me.

Crap.

Crap. Crap.

Crap. Crap. Crap.

The last time I flirted with someone was back in Junior year, more than a decade ago. I closed my eyes and squeezed my brain to extract the memories from that era. Without [Awareness] projecting my memories like a movie, it was hard to get the exact details. My mother was right. I should’ve dated more.

As I tried to untangle the mess my mind was, I finally stumbled onto an open store. A tavern. I quickly grabbed two bottles of berry wine, paid in silver, and continued my way.

“Let’s put these thoughts on hold and let’s focus on my to-do list.” I muttered.

Luckily for me, the store I was searching for was open. Or rather the workshop.

Over the door hung a wooden sign with a hammer and a needle.

I opened the door, revealing Ginz’s wimpy figure hunched behind the counter. His brown eyes were hidden behind his thick spectacles and a cascade of black hair hid his face. Even if there was no one watching him, the craftsman seemed to do everything at hand to pass unnoticed. As soon as I entered, the smell of tanned hides hit my face.

“Welcome to Ginz Worksh…” Ginz choked as soon as his eyes fell on me. “W-we are closed for today. Monster Surge, you know.”

“The sign at the door says it's open.” I shrugged my shoulders.

Ginz looked around barely hiding his panic, but there were only the two of us. I didn't blame him. Our first encounter had required me to be ‘imposing’ to say it softly.

“Wanna have a drink?” I apologetically asked, putting the bottle of berry wine over the table.

“Excuse me?” Ginz replied as it ogled the bottle curiously.

At least he seemed relieved I wasn’t there to make outrageous demands. I swallowed the little pride I still had and put two silver coins on the table.

“For the materials from last time… and the inconveniences.” I said.

Ginz nodded in silence and brought two wooden cups from the backroom. I took it as an acceptance of my apologies.

“How’s the orphanage doing lately?” The craftsmen asked as I uncorked the bottle and filled the glasses to the top. His voice had a trace of guilt in it. I remembered from the last time that Ginz had shown the intention of amending things with Elincia.

“Better than ever, actually.” I replied. “Sold some potions, got some money. Kids are studying hard.”

Ginz nodded in silence and drank from his cup. His eyes lit up. The wine was better than the dirt cheap stuff I had drank with Elincia before traveling into the Farlands. Seeing his surprised expression made me want to return to the orphanage and have a drink with Elincia, but business came first.

“Is your order backlog too crowded lately?” I asked.

Ginz shook his head.

“Things have been going slow for the past couple weeks. You know, with the suspected Monster Surge people have been hiding in their houses.” The craftsmen said as he emptied the first glass. I refilled it. “I have been doing belts and boots, but no clue when I will be able to sell those.”

I couldn’t say the conversation wasn’t awkward at all. Ginz gulped the wine and his eyes fell on the stack of paper.

“Writing a book?” He asked.

“Actually, I was wondering if you work with paper. I have a couple ideas, you know, a one-of-a-kind item thing.” I casually said. If Alchemists leveled up by brewing potions, a Craftsmen like Ginz should level up on unique crafting requests.

My words seemed to pique his curiosity because he pushed his tools to the side and took out a wax tablet with a beautifully carved bone stylus. I wondered if Ginz crafted the stylus himself.

“Aren’t you a leather craftsman?” I poked him a little bit.

The wine seemed to have polished the rough spots between us, or maybe it was due to Ginz’s regrets regarding abandoning the orphanage, but things were going surprisingly well.

“I’m a Craftsman! Craftsman! There is no material out of my expertise!” Ginz slurried, suddenly in a better mood. “You are a Scholar, aren't you? I have seen your prior design getting more popular among the guardsmen. This time I want my name on any artifact you commission. I’m not manufacturing anything if it doesn't have my signature on it!”

I held back my laughter. Ginz was certainly passionate about his craft.

“Do you Craftsmen have intellectual property rights or something?” I asked, genuinely curious.

Ginz’s eyes shot wide open as if he had suddenly remembered something. Then, he jumped on his feet and stumbled into the backshop. I heard something falling down the stairs –maybe Ginz himself–, then a bunch of colorful language directed towards the architect who designed the shop’s storage room. A moment later, the craftsman returned with a single sheet of paper that he slammed on the table. Unlike my stack of paper, this one was a high quality document, with drawn ornaments, and silver lining.

The document seemed to be a simple production contract between a craftsman and an employer. In the bottom of the sheet I noticed the seal of the Craftsmen Guild. The contract was filled with magic.

“You don’t even know what I have in mind.” I pointed out.

“Then draw it on the wax tablet.” Ginz replied.

“Alright, alright, don’t push me!”

During the next hour, Ginz and I polished the blueprint of my creation. A standard deck of fifty two cards. In the end, the bottle of wine was empty and Ginz was pumped by the idea of starting working on the project. Not that he was sober enough to actually do it.

“Alright, I have to go back to the orphanage. I also need to find someone to check the roof before it rains again.” I said. Half a bottle of wine had made a dent on my consciousness. Working on the leaks on the roof seemed the smartest thing to do.

“I’m a Craftsman. I know one or two things about roofing!” Ginz replied proudly.

That's what I called killing two birds with one stone.

“Would you check it? We have several leaks and I don’t want some crooked repairman swindling us.” I said.

Ginz jumped on his feet and started gathering his tools. He was checking the mallets that hung from the wall when suddenly he stopped and turned around. His expression soured.

“Would it be okay for me to return to the orphanage?” Ginz asked.

Elincia was spiteful as a dwarf and probably hated Ginz for abandoning her, but, at the same time, Elincia also had a pragmatic side. If the kids were watching, she wouldn’t try anything against Ginz.

“I’ll put on the face if Elincia starts throwing blows.” I said.

Ginz laughed and continued putting tools inside his bag.

The truth was, I had an ulterior motive to bring Ginz with me. The idea of being alone with Elincia was making me nervous.