The men around me were quite confused, but as I walked passed them and stated heading toward the merchant district with purpose, they could only sheath their weapons and follow after me. We were in the city, and by all accounts, you weren’t supposed to have a weapon. Of course, it wasn’t impossible to smuggle a weapon. I had smuggled several if I counted the existence of my digitizer. Most people didn’t have such a convenient tool though.
I wasn’t sure if these were a local militia with smuggled weapons, or actual legitimate guards working under those who control Twin Elms. Compared to the guards working outside, they seemed a lot straggler. If they were guards, they weren’t as high quality as the others I had encountered. Either way, I could smell the corruption on them. They were after money, and they saw no issue with pumping their residents to get it. Was that what happened to Misty’s mom?
Well, I was also there for the money. Since we had similar goals, I saw no reason I couldn’t make use of these guys. Specifically, it occurred to me that the wasteland was a frightening and harsh place no matter where you lived. I had thought that since this was Twin Elms, there would be a semblance of civility and order in the community. Yet, after sleeping on it, I realized that this place was just as likely to eat you up and spit you out as anywhere else in the wasteland. If I wanted to survive, I’d have to be smart and quick.
“H-hey, where are we going?” The leader cried out as he ran after me.
Misty had also let out a squeak, and after quickly locking her little hut, she had thrown on some slippers and ran alongside us, still giving worried looks my way.
“Well, who would have thought that the great crystal that I plan to use to pay you fine gentlemen off is already currently on the line for a bit of a deal with a local cook,” I explained.
“The great crystal isn’t yours?” He frowned.
“No, it’s mine.” I shrugged and then shivered. “Dug it out of the ashes of an abomination myself. Yet, there is a tiny little disagreement that I need to settle. That’s where you come in.”
“Wait a minute here, we’re not doing you any favors. The merchants pay good money so that we don’t mess up… ahem… so that we can continue to keep the peace.” The man coughed. “We’re not going to strong-arm them on the account of a stranger.”
“Strong-arm? I wouldn’t dream of it!” I let out a laugh. “Here’s the thing, we have a little bet and I’m going to win. Once I win, you get your cut, right?”
He frowned. “Then, what are you from us?”
I grinned. “I just want you to keep things… honest. To ensure the right payments go in the right pockets.”
A flash of understanding crossed the man’s eyes. It looked like he wasn’t a complete idiot. This plan had only just come to me, but I had realized after learning about Misty’s mom that it was very possible that whether I won this bet or not, I would end up losing. For all I knew, the cook could have gathered a bunch of his friends and just jumped me. They might have wanted to steal all of my stuff, or even turn me into an indentured servant just like Misty’s mom. The cook had already sent me on what was effectively a suicide mission, and I had gone along with it because for me, it wasn’t an issue. However, thinking about it from his side, he had been expecting to send me to my death. These were not the kind of people I wanted to confront alone.
Thus, I was borrowing the guns of these corrupt guards. He had an invested interest in the great crystal I had offered him, and since the merchants already knew about the great crystal, he wouldn’t be able to just silently get rid of me. Plus, he’d have to take out Misty too. It was far too messy with far too many witnesses. With them coming along, the merchants would have to play fair. It was as simple as that.
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With the murky sun overhead and my Perco already having mapped out the route, I was able to return to the vendor’s place in quick order. As I arrived, I saw that their stand was closed up, and the vendor was waiting outside with three other men. They had been grinning at each other, but when they saw me walking toward them with several armed men behind me, the grin slipped and he straightened his back.
“Wh-what’s the big idea here?” He asked, holding out his hands.
“Apologies!” I spoke up before the guard behind me could say anything. “I had run into some acquaintances and we have some business to handle… after you and I talk, of course.”
“Acquaintances?” The vendor squinted his eyes. “I thought you said you’re new here.”
I let out a laugh. “Just because I’m new doesn’t mean I don’t know anyone. Why, I even stayed at a friend’s house last night, right guys?”
The guards shrugged or nodded, while their leader continued to watch me with unreadable eyes. Misty blushed slightly, but the vendor wasn’t paying her much mind, so he didn’t put together that the little girl was the so-called friend.
“Either way, I only said we’d talk in the morning. See? We’ve talked. I’m not interested in your bet.” The vendor held up his hands.
I had thought that he might try to back out.
“Hey now, let’s not be hasty.” As summoned the great crystal, which once again caught the eyes of everyone present.
Although great crystals were officially worth one hundred large crystals, they could be considered to be even more valuable in some parts because of their scarcity. Outside of Argos city where some mutants were able to grow to ridiculous sizes, great crystals might not be as impressive, but inside the city, such a crystal was a symbol of wealth. Furthermore, Cecelia had informed me that their use increased as size increased too. The energy seemed to rise exponentially. This was why a large crystal was only worth 10 small, but a great crystal was 100 large.
“I won’t be tricked!” He turned his head away defiantly.
“Tricked?” I gasped exaggeratedly. “You seem to have forgotten that I provided you ingredients last night. You questioned the quality of my goods. I’m only proposing a cookoff. I’ll make the same food that you sell at your store using my ingredients, while you use your own. If my product wasn’t as good or better, I even offered to pay you this for the inconvenience!”
He looked around in agitated. I had been speaking quite loudly, and the longer I went on, the more nearby merchants looked out to see what the commotion was about. A group of guards squaring off against a merchant was enough to draw their attention, and once they realized it was some kind of competition, it drew their interest
“This is an inconvenience!” He snapped.
“Why?” I blinked innocently, “Wouldn’t you want to advertise your products? If your food is better, then I’d be embarrassed and you’d show the entire market your high standards and care for your product. On the other hand, if I win, then you would buy my ingredients, and the market would know your food is even better than before. It seems like a win-win to me.”
“Even if you say that…” He sputtered, his mind trying to come up with a proper excuse.
“I’ll tell you what. We need judges for this to be fair, right? How about these gentlemen right here? I’ll even assume the cost of your portions of food. It’ll cost you nothing!”
The vendor’s face was red and full of frustration and reluctance, but facing my smiling face and the growing crowd, I had managed to push him into a corner. As the conditions of the bet became clearer, the vendor’s refusal would only look like he didn’t have confidence in his food. In all likelihood, he didn’t have much confidence in his food and had only been thinking I was a mark to either rob or exploit.
Sending me to die was likely the plan from the beginning. A dead person didn’t own anything. All he had to do was come the next morning, find my body, and loot it. That’s why he had been so angry and frustrated the night before when I had unexpectantly returned. I had soured his plans. Perhaps, he was still hoping to carry out those plans this morning, but the guards I brought with me made it impossible for him to quietly trick or rob me.
“Fine!” The vendor finally threw up his hands. “You want to bet, we’ll bet! However, if you lose, the great crystal is mine. What if you win?”
I lifted my hands. “I just want you to buy all of the seaweed I gathered for you at market cost.”
He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but then he spat in his hand and held it out. I hesitated for only a second before grabbing it. Some deals were meant to be dirty.