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I looked back at the conversation we had, trying to remember what I said wrong.

I found nothing hinting at me becoming a merchant.

“Sorry, old man, but I don’t get it,” I said, confused.

From what I could tell, he wasn’t just messing around with me, so I couldn’t guess what was his motive for suggesting that.

He smiled, clearly amused by my confusion.

“You told me you can’t find employment, you want to travel, and you have some money saved. That seemed the logical conclusion to me. Furthermore, you also claim to be a good fighter, and that will help a lot on the road. Especially in these times,” he said while taking a glass and filling it with water.

I waited as he drank.

“I don’t think that would be good for me. I wouldn’t even know where to begin,” I told him when he looked back at me. “Even if I found someone to teach me, I doubt I’d have the money to start a business. And how long would it take to learn? I didn’t have much of an education while growing up. Just some basic math like addition, division, and a few other things.”

He nodded.

“That’s less of a problem than you think, you don’t need to be a scholar, just know how to apply that basic math. Also, I don’t know the size of your savings, and I’m not an expert, but I think there are various ways you could go about it,” he began as he leaned on the counter.

“You could either become a peddler or assemble a caravan. They’re both viable options if you know what to buy and where to sell it. This would require some knowledge that you could pick up while you travel or from another merchant. This way, you can also start small and work your way up.”

He then motioned towards the quest board.

“You could also learn to do one of those, just directly for the client,” he continued.

“Quests for the Explorer Guild are mostly for special purposes. Shops usually rely on merchants to procure most of what they need. They already have their channels, but if you can procure them rare materials, or if you drop by while they’re low on some, you could make some profit there too. Given you wanted to register here, I don’t think you’d be against having a walk in the woods, right?” he asked.

“Not at all. I like it, in fact,” I told him.

“Good. The knowledge will also help you when you need to buy from other merchants,” he said.

“But how do I get that training?” I asked. I was sure the guild had those, but they were for guild members only.

The old bartender smiled.

“There could be various ways. But if you decide you want to do that, I can introduce you to some old friends,” he said.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“And speaking of old friends, there’s also one last option. Becoming a caravan guard. I have a friend who works as a merchant. He doesn’t move around much anymore, but his sons and grandsons travel around a lot. You could be employed as a guard and learn from one of them. Of course, that depends on how skilled you are as a fighter. I suppose there will be a test by one of his guards,” he told me.

“My suggestion is that you spend some time here learning the basics of hunting and some knowledge about herbs. Then I could introduce you to my friend. That would also give me some time to present the idea to him,” he concluded. “What do you say?”

I thought about it for a few seconds and shook my head.

“I have to leave in around a week for Caldris. And even if I wanted to come back here, it would take a few months at least,” I told him.

“I’m not going to run away, young man. I’ve been here all my life and I think I’ll be here for a while more,” he said with a smile. “You can also take your time to think about it. It’s an important decision, after all.”

“Great!” I said with a thumbs up. “Thanks for the offer then, I’ll think about it.”

I could see another customer coming to talk to the old man, so I talked to Freya while he was busy.

“What do you think?” I asked her. “Do you think it could be a good idea?”

She held her empty glass while thinking for a few moments, before saying, “I have no idea.”

I sighed. “Thought so.”

We then waited until the old man was finished and ordered another drink each.

“There’s something that makes me curious. You’ve been hella helpful, but I don’t understand what you’re getting out of this,” I said while he was preparing our order.

A helpful tip I could understand, but going out of his way to introduce me to his friends was another thing.

He shrugged.

“Some of my friends need some easy work, and teaching you some basics would be nice for them. Besides, since they’ll spend what you give them here, it would be good for me too,” he said, grinning.

I laughed. So I was paying him in the end.

Or not?

“Doesn’t the guild own the bar?” I asked. Maybe it was just for the company.

“I have a share,” he said simply.

“Oh.” I was paying him then… and maybe also the company.

“And I must admit that I am quite curious about you. It’s the first time I saw someone without a Class, and I want to know what you can do. Let’s call it an experiment on my part,” he told me.

I grinned.

“Well, anything someone can do with a Skill I can do better. You’ll see,” I said confidently.

“Excluding Skills that use mana,” I added.

For now.

“That’s quite the confidence there,” he told me, raising his eyebrows.

I shrugged.

“That’s how it’s been for combat Skills. Other Skills may be different, but I doubt it.”

He nodded.

“We’ll see indeed, young man,” he said. “I’ll wait for your decision.”

We then had a few more drinks while I chatted with the old man, getting to know him a bit more.

His name was Markus, and he owned a few more bars around the city. It seems he was a businessman himself, though he insisted he was just a bar owner. His children were all managing the other bars while he stayed here in the “easy hours” as he called them.

He also was quite passionate about liquors. I drank a few, and they were nice; some had quite a strong kick. He said he made them himself, and, if I ever found curious fruits or herbs, he asked if I could bring some back — I'd get a fair price.

He liked to experiment, it seems.

I was half suspicious that this was one of the reasons he was so helpful. If not the most important.

After I drank my fill, I went to the administration side of the building and received confirmation of what the old man said.

Then we left the bar and looked around the city some more.

I stayed mostly in the most crowded places. I wanted to explore all the city, but I wanted to do that while I was alone, just to be sure. It was easier to escape in case I ended up somewhere I shouldn’t.

When we went back to the inn, Zeph was already waiting for us.

“Did it go well this time?” he asked after we sat down at the restaurant table.

“The Explorer Guild is the same — Class and Skills required — but I think I found a direction. I just have to think about it some more,” I told him. “How did it go for you?”

“I need to ask around a bit more for the next part of the road,” he said. “I have some news about the Capital, though.”

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