The room was clean and brightly lit. Made of wood it reminded him of the kubo his great-grandmother lived in. That said, there was a scent lingering about that he couldn't aptly describe. Little stands in the way of furniture inside, only a cabinet and a bed without a sheet or a foam, just a wooden table with some kind of filling, a blanket, and a pillow. That said it was a huge upgrade from the previous night spent at the farm or at that 50-mark-a-day shared room.

As he buried his head on the pillow and lay on his stomach, only now did he realize just how tired his body was, not a single thought came into his mind as he entered into a state of resting and soon enough he fell asleep in that position.

So it was no wonder that when he woke up, part of his face was filled with that static feeling as he looked around. The smell of his saliva filled the right part of his nose as he wiped his cheeks, some of the hay had stuck onto his lips as he gathered his thoughts like a drunken man, he opened the window and was assaulted by the bright sun outside. The day seemed to hate him.

Having washed himself with a proper bath with soap this time, he returned to his room and quickly prepared for this day's adventure. As he raised his pants to his hips, he then checked on the wallet that he had hidden inside his underwear, only 600 marks appeared as he emptied its contents.

'Wiped out half of my net worth today on food, clothes, and bed.' He recounted his money hoping that somehow another 100 mark would appear but none did. Instead, he only found himself rather disappointed. 'Almost Five days of work, yet the pay amounts to just two-ish days of living, how do people live in this place? Is the economy that bad in the past or maybe money just passes hands quickly?'

He remembered that the stock market hadn't yet been invented so other than owning land there was little in the way of saving money. He placed the money back in his wallet and massaged his chin,

'I really need to work tomorrow, should I just focus on money for now and then deal with leveling up later on? I mean construction jobs pay 100-300 marks per day which is a lot more compared to how much I earned collecting herbs for five days... But the risk, the risk, the risk...' He slumped back into his bed looking up as he weighed his options, 'The risk...'

He was sure he could earn more money working for a company hauling cargo, with his magic he was bound to be fast-tracked into promotion. The problem was that he couldn't level up during the process as there were little to no monsters that he could encounter working for a pier, now it would be somewhat different if he started working for a ship, as pirates and monsters may be encountered while sailing, but the risk associated with that was too high.

'That said, I'd rather not experience that again... Five days of work and I only earned 300 marks for all the troubles, there was even a high chance I wouldn't be paid in the first place...' He was far too naive to think that adventuring was as easy as getting a quest and doing the quest, having trustworthy companions was the most ideal scenario when doing the quest, the problem was if Isaiah could trust the people in the guild. There was the problem of him being a slave in the first place and even if that was not the case, his incredible powers were sure to attract the wrong kind of people. 'Wait, slaves exist, should I buy a slave instead?'

Slaves don't complain, nor do they betray especially since some kind of slavery magic exists, they simply work as they are told. Sure Isaiah didn't want to participate in the ugly system itself but if he wanted to form a party, having slaves was the most convenient option. Slaves were expensive, but that's all, they were expensive.

'Right... Let's join a construction or pier job... Raise some money, then once I am ready go buy a slave in a far-away city so that no one knows who I am.' He pondered on his thoughts for a moment as he realized the magnitude of his decision, 'Should I really buy a slave?'

It would solve his problems but it would be far too unethical. This was the problem he was facing.

'I should, no, I will treat them well and even pay them based on our work, then once everything is done I can free them...' He nodded to himself, trying to convince himself that what he was about to do was right, 'Yeah... Yeah, that should work, after all, I only have one, no, two goals in mind.' He pondered for a while about the problem but things just didn't add up and he found himself in a moral dilemma. He was broken by this trance when a pigeon bumped into his window and fell.

Isaiah quickly helped the bird up and fixed its wings before letting it free, this made him feel guilty about his plans. He remembered the kitsune he met at the river and her assumed circumstance here in this society. 'Would she be happy with a slave? After all, she is in hiding and many of her species must be enslaved themselves.' He took out her necklace and rubbed its surface, 'I should find someone I can trust, not rely on those that are forced to... It's better that way, I guess... You know what, let's just earn money, then we'll see how things go. If I don't find someone I can trust to adventure with then I'll buy a slave.'

He took a deep breath and prepared himself for the day ahead,

"Let's go."

With a steaming hot potato in hand, or rather floating nearby, Isaiah arrived at the guild tavern. Many adventurers lay about asleep at the tables whilst some were sitting up in silence, periodically sipping at their empty bottles as if in a trance. Some had just arrived and were preparing for the day, and others had returned from an early morning or overnight quest. The overall mood of the tavern was calmer than when he first arrived.

Isaiah quickly made his way in, looking around trying to find if the kitsune was here, but when he finally reached the quest board she was nowhere to be found. He gave up on searching for her and instead focused his sights on finding a job, this time however he wasn't looking at a high-paying job but rather a job that was quick enough to be done in a day, and most especially one that didn't require him to leave the city, though just about all the bronze ranked jobs don't require you to leave the gates at all.

The search didn't last that long as he had found a perfect candidate that would allow him to use his magic even.

It was a job listing for adventurers to work at the pier, one of many. It paid 150 marks per day and had the bonus of free dinner.

He was just about to take the paper when an employee approached him,

"Oi, you not allowed to do that."

"Do what?" Isaiah showed his bronze tag, "I can take the quest,"

"Not that... I mean you're not allowed to take the paper off the board."

"Then how would I do this quest then?"

"You see that pin?" The employee pointed at the large white pin used on the paper. "Any paper with that pin signifies a permanent quest, so if you want to take it then simply go to the designated area, no need to take the paper too. They are expensive after all."

"Aah, I see..." Isaiah looked back at the board and found another quest that was pinned, here he saw a familiar pattern, almost all of the pinned quests were similar to recruitment banners for part-timers. "I get it... So I just need to go to the pier then?" He turned around but the employee was no longer there. "Okay... Nice talking."

***

Isaiah's ears were drowned by the busy noise of Koln's port, from the seagulls up top to the angry bypasser whose clothes were as wet as the ocean, then there were people moving boxes and crates towards the warehouses lining the port or the ships docked in one of its twenty piers, the hustle at the port was unlike what Isaiah expected especially compared to the city which was quiet even at peak hours.

As a lizard-like creature moved past them, his group then entered the wharves and their wooden docks where things were far busier and more masculine, in fact, not a single woman could be found amongst the hundreds of people doing their business in boats or the piers. Of the 20 docks built all of them had a ship, or ships, docked with practically no free space, more ships were anchored a few miles away, waiting for an open slot. Most of the vessels were small with less than two decks each but there is a good number of multi-decked large vessels. That said, none of them were as large as the small yachts of palm boats that Isaiah would find at Cebu's pier.

"Alright listen up your bronzies." The man who led their group of 15 turned around and pointed to a three-masted sailing vessel, "See that ship over there? That's where you will work today, now I don't want any complaints from the bosses got that!? Good." He then held his hand out and one by one the adventurers surrendered their tags, "I'll return them tonight at dinner."

Isaiah examined the ship as he handed his tag, recalling his memories it looked similar to a carrack, its wooden body looked old and worn-out while its underbelly that wasn't covered by a bronze plate was littered with clams. It had seven portholes on two floors, cannons protruding ready to fire at any who dared challenge it while two large sails were used for propulsion, a smaller one as backup. A much smaller flag proudly displayed the symbol of some nation or company.

The ship was unloading all sorts of stuff, from clucking chickens to rolls of hays, and even porcelain pots or whatever they are calling them here. Men came about carrying goods or exiting the ship, but the one that got his attention was a towering wooden crane that was as tall as the ship itself, masts included. It was made by a series of pulleys and gears made to shape like the cranes one would find in a modern-day pier albeit without the machinery and computers that modern cranes now have. It relied on physical strength for power, as men turned a huge gear underneath, but that gear and the pulleys multiplied the force they were able to generate meaning that cargo that would normally be too heavy for 10 men could be carried very easily.

Isaiah's eyes sparkled as he watched it in operation, he was surprised to see such technology in this time setting, though he knew that the Romans used them back in their days seeing one in person was a different experience altogether.

As Isaiah was reveling in the machinery like a country bumpkin, the adventurer in front had just finished reporting to the officer and was assigned his duties. Next was Isaiah but as he was too busy admiring the crane he didn't move in the line, the people at the back began to murmur which caught the attention of the officer,

'What's wrong with this...' He shook his head, 'Village kids really.'

"Oi, what you looking at? You here for sightseeing?"

"Oh, ah, I was sent here by Nicholas for the job, I am a bronze ranker, sir."

"Is that so?" He then began examining Isaiah's arms, "You don't look like you could carry those rolls now can you?"

"I can't sir."

"Then what the hell are you here for? Get out!"

"But I can carry them, sir?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, I can't myself, but I do have a way to."

"That is?"

"Magic."

"You mean iron magic?"

"No, not just steel magic sir."

The man was confused as he looked around, here he spotted a boy carrying a roll of hay, "You! Ere quick. Give that to him."

The boy obliged and prepared to transfer his load but before he could hand it over to Isaiah he held his hand out, then the roll of hay lifted itself out of the boy's back and floated in the air as if held by invisible hands, both were shocked, not just them but just about everyone nearby were.

"Hay?"

"What magic is that, wind?"

"Wooah."

"What the hell..." The man rubs his eyes, "Of all my years seeing magic, I've never seen someone lift hay before."

Isaiah once again was confused why they were freaking out about being able to lift stuff like this as almost anyone can with their arms however he decided to use this to his advantage, he might be taken advantage of if he acted dumb now.

"Well I could, and not just hay sir, everything!"

"Everythi-" He couldn't even finish his words when the feathered pen in his hand and even his hat suddenly started floating before landing on the box to his side, "You could huh..." Suddenly, his eyes flashed mark signs as he realized the potential of this mage, "This is... This is good."

***

Boom!

Dozens of sweaty and dirty men entered the bar leaving the dark cold sky behind them.

"Never thought we could unload it this quick!"

"Tomorrow we could go back home!"

"Hurrah for Isaiah!"

"Ehehe..." Isaiah scratched his head nervously as the men gathered around him and gave praise.

"Man, that magic of yours sure is handy huh!"

"We beat that old man Kairo at the other port, the look on his eyes as we got dismissed early because we did so good!"

"I heard the boss will give us bonuses for the whole deal, even the merchants were happy!"

"Ohh yeah, more money for booze and women."

"You have a wife idiot!"

"Who cares, they are not here!"

The men laughed and cheered as they sat around the tables, not too long later ladies began arriving with pots in their hands as they started distributing tonight's dinner. This was one of the perks of the job and the reason why Isaiah chose this group in particular despite the lower pay. Though dinner was simple, rice gruel with a side of baked beans and potatoes, they were far better than the banana-like fruit Isaiah ate, he even got extra potatoes from the ladies. There was also beer but Isaiah refrained from those he wasn't happy with their taste, soon the men began to eat whilst plenty talked and told stories.

Isaiah himself remained quiet and decided to just listen, whilst questions did come for him he answered those with short sentences and tried avoiding talking about his powers, he didn't want to have uncomfortable questions come his way but he did leave certain nuggets of information about his powers that if landed on the right ear, might net himself a really good job in the long run. Once dinner was over, Nicholas arrived with a huge smile as he gathered everyone for their pay, when it was Isaiah's turn however Nicholas told him to wait and once it was all complete he asked him to come with him inside a room at the tavern, there he saw the officer who was in charge of giving them their jobs.

"Hey kid, you did really well tonight." He handed over his bronze tag alongside a sack of coins,

"Hehe, thanks." Isaiah opened the sack and found 500 marks inside, "Uhh..."

"No need to ask, you did us a very good job! In fact, because of your magic, the ship could be ready to sail by tomorrow, normally a carrack like that would take four days for it to be unloaded and loaded with the goods, but you just did two days of work in a single day, so please, take that bonus... Just remember to return here tomorrow, okay? I'll pay you even more!"

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

"Yes, yes sir thanks."

"Haha, that's what I like. The merchants were happy with the progress, so it's good business with me plus there is a storm brewing at the sea so if the ship could sail immediately then even better."

Isaiah returned with a smile on his face, he had never expected this to be this easy. 500 marks in a single day, he realized he no longer had to leave his room today to find a much cheaper one, he could stay there forever as long as ships arrived for him to clean out. In fact, he might even buy a slave and have enough money to start a new life somewhere else much more quickly if he kept this up

'Damn, I should've tried this at first.' He told himself as he made his way over to the inn, the lady was more than happy to extend his stay for the same amount so Isaiah crashed into his old room and rolled around in happiness. 'The money I could earn...' He giggled at the thought of him having so much money, he nodded to himself and with a sigh made a declaration, "Let's do this! 10,000 marks, roughly 20 days or so..."

***

The very next day before the sun was up in the sky Isaiah greeted the pier and it waved back with a cool breeze, he loved the smell as it unclogged his nose from the heat inside the city, and most importantly was the job he got that paid well and had good benefits. Arriving at the port without delay he was even greeted by the officers like some kind of VIP, he felt really good as he prepared himself for the task.

Though the speed at which they did their work, thanks mostly to Isaiah, made the merchants happy, this did mess up with their logistics as the goods that were meant to be loaded were scheduled to arrive tomorrow, this led to revamping their schedules, although it allowed for the goods to arrive quickly they were not prepared to be loaded. This meant that more people had to be hired to continue operations, but the merchants were more than happy to pay the premium.

Now that Isaiah knew what to do at the port, his magic quadrupled the worker's efficiency allowing them to deal with all the preparations and load the ship in quick succession. Like a well-oiled machine, things ran as smooth as butter. The work only died down when the final load was late for arrival, the workers began to relax around the wharf playing cards or taking a rest, Isaiah himself sat down at the ship's bow, letting his legs hang on the holes as he rested his chin on its railings.

In front of him, the island where the lord of the two lived was surrounded by walls and three large mansions, then a bridge connected the island to the mainland where more people lived. The scenery was beautiful and surreal, it was, therefore, a shame that he couldn't bring his phone with him to take a picture.

"Start standing and working! We need to get this loaded to be sailing today!" The boss quickly turned to Isaiah with a smile "It's good to see you back here, hope everything's fine yeah? Anyway just want to confirm can you also lift things that are not hay?"

"Anything I believe..."

"Is that so? Good, then... How about those?"

As he pointed over to some part a long train of carriages arrived,

"Are they?" His eyes turned wide as he saw what the carriages were carrying.

"They'll be sold over to the other side, well too bad for them."

Isaiah's heart sank as he watched the dead look in the faces of the men and women in those cages, this was a slave trade.

"This is what happens when you try to escape the Iron Coffin." The old man then turned to Isaiah, "You can carry them, yes?" Only to find him pale white, as if he had seen a ghost, "Eh? What's wrong? Are you sick or something?"

"Ehh, wha..."

"??"

"I have to carry them?"

"Just the cages. They have to be placed inside. You can do that, right? The cranes might break if they carry those so I'd rather not waste them. Installing a temporary cage and then getting them in one by one is rather slow. Better to just place the cage with them inside in one go."

"Should-should I?" Isaiah murmured to himself, he found the idea of being an accessory to the slave trade rather horrible, especially since most of the slaves in the cages were women and children, and very few were men. Some even had animal ears in them and seemed to look at him, begging him to come save them, 'Can I just buy them?' He wondered, however as good as the salary had been he barely had 1000 marks with him at the moment, considering the number of slaves there it would cost more.

The old man turned to Isaiah, "You have a problem with that? Is steel your weakness or something?"

"No, just..."

"Look... Boy, just give it up, nothing we can do about those now can we?"

"Ahh..." He found himself nodding, it was true there was little he could do to stop slavery, doing so now would mean declaring war against the city or perhaps an entire country for robbery, then there was the question of whether or not he was strong enough to free them all in the first place. Slavery was not a problem he could solve, nor was it an issue that he could just magic away no matter how powerful he became, "Sorry, I was just."

"No big deal, I don't like it myself but what can we do... That said some of them become slaves because of the problems they created anyway."

"That-that is true..." Isaiah looked down, he felt ashamed in his heart but there was nothing else he could do anyway, "So I should just lift them inside right?"

"Yes, inside." The old man turned around and signaled for those on the boat to prepare to accept the cages, "They'll handle the rest so just follow their instructions."

"Right..." The best thing he could do now was to make the process as quick and comfortable as possible. He saw the eye of one young child in particular, he felt like crying... "Sorry."

He then reached his hand out,

Isaiah took a deep breath and then lifted the cage. It creaked at first but eventually, it began to float, the denizens inside panicked but there was little Isaiah could do to calm them. As Isaiah began slowly placing the cage onto the boat, he suddenly felt a flash of pain on his head, it wasn't that painful but it was bad enough for him to grit his teeth,

"Ohh..." It felt like he had eaten a bucket full of ice cream. Nevertheless, he endured until the cage could be safely lowered, then when the men gave him the signal he severed his connections, instantly the pain went away.

He took a deep breath,

"What the hell was that? Oh, right..." He looked up, here he saw the old man looking at him, "Ah yes sir?"

"You look... Anyway, the others are here, lets keep lifting ehh?"

"Right, right." Isaiah prepared himself for the next cage but the moment he had connected his magic with the cage the pain returned in his head, once again he endured it and carefully lifted the cage to the boat. Upon severing the connection it disappeared. 'It's the weakness all over again.'

"You don't look good boy? Anything wrong?"

"It's just that..." He turned to the old man, "Nothing, nothing..." He wiped his face, "I'm just hungry, I guess..."

"It's still early morning, dinner is still some hours away, better endure for now. Anyway, let's get this quickly done, I want the pier cleaned up for the next ship tomorrow!"

***

"Lower, lower, halt!"

"Roar"

At the order Isaiah severed his connections and the cages were set in place, the animals inside had even behaved very well despite the rough landing giving the beast masters at the deck a much easier time arranging the cages.

"Well done lad." The dockmaster of the ship spoke with a thick accent, "Tha' magic of yours sure is convenient eh?"

"Thank you, sir!"

It had been a week since he started working at the pier and though his job was mainly loading and unloading of cargoes, he was very good at it. So good in fact that the owner of the pier wanted to hire Isaiah directly as his powers shaved off days from working on the ships, this meant more happy clients and willing customers which the piermaster could then charge extra for. With business on the rise he wanted to ensure that Isaiah, the catalyst of this explosion, would remain under his service however despite the crazy benefits and high salary that was offered, Isaiah refused as he wasn't planning on staying at Koln for too long.

He was an escaped slave after all, and though the ruling class at Koln disliked the Azerbacks who owned the Eisansurburg, it is still unknown if they hated him enough that they would not do anything in the event that he is caught, heck there is an even bigger chance that they will blackmail him into doing their work if they realized his predicament. Isaiah wasn't sure if he was ready to take part in the power struggle between nobles. This is why he had planned on leaving the country and starting a new life somewhere far off, there he could buy a slave or find a partner and then begin his adventuring journey, for this, he needed money something which he wasn't struggling to acquire.

Though he had refused to be hired, much to their disappointment, his pay had been increased exponentially, from 500 marks to 800 marks. This allowed him to live a good life, stay in a good inn, and eat great food, while also having enough for the eventual journey.

"Ahahah, excellent! Very excellent!" The man with a thick accent clapped his hand as the last of the cages were dropped onto their carrack, this particular cargo was for a noble at Swadia, an eccentric rich man with a taste for collecting exotic animals.

As the sun was setting, Isaiah watched as the ship set sail from the port. Another day, another ship processed and took off, and yet another happy customer. However, the day was not over yet, on the other side of the pier was another smaller vessel awaiting its cargo.

Isaiah and others had cleaned the ship up from its previous wares however the guild in charge of the next batch of cargo hadn't prepared in time, they weren't aware that this pier could clear the deck in mere hours. Hence why the workers sat around the dock waiting for the stuff.

It didn't take long for a caravan of carriages to arrive carrying cages filled with slaves.

'Another...' Isaiah took a deep breath, it had been a week since he was last tasked with slaves, and yet another arrived.

This time, he stopped complaining and instead got to work. The quicker and smoother he did his job, the less the slaves would suffer.

***

Isaiah wiped the sweat off his brow as he leaned back to the boxes behind, the last of the cages having been secured the ship was getting ready to sail. Massaging his temple he couldn't help but wonder what exactly is causing these headaches of his.

'They only appear when I carry things over...' However, 'Not every time I carry stuff they happen... Why though?'

He had many guesses as to what causes them, however he could not yet prove any. It also wasn't helping that he had very little free time to do some experiments. Though the pay and benefits were great, they were worked to the bone from sunrise to sunset, only stopping for lunch and dinner. Not even a bathroom break as they were told to pee into the ocean instead.

"Hey! Get back!"

"Catch him!"

"Don't let that bastard get away!"

He looked up and noticed a commotion brewing on the ship when suddenly a young animal-eared child leaped from the decks and onto the pier, the child's landing was rough as he struck a bronze ranker who was working,

"You..."

"Aah!" The child raised his hand to protect their face as the adventurer lashed out,

"You slave bitch!" The adventurer pinned him down, but suddenly screamed out as the child unleashed their claws upon him, "Gaah!"

Isaiah would have ignored the whole situation, while quietly cheering for their escape when he found some sailors taking out guns, realizing the gravity of the situation Isaiah stood up and reached his hand out,

Boom Bang!

"Isaiah!?"

The guns flashed and fired but their bullets stopped mid-air before they could hit the child. However, the slave froze too, not of their own volition but rather because.

"Waah!" The slave's body was flown straight towards Isaiah's hands, "Wait... Wait,"

"Try not to run," Isaiah told the slave

"Please, please..."

"Fucking hell..." A slaver spat on the ground as he approached the escapee, "That brat really gave us a headache,"

"Wait, please, don't, not him... Please" The boy cried as he saw his former master arrive,

'Can you swim.' Isaiah whispered as quietly as he could,

"Huh..." Before he knew it his arms moved like they were possessed before scratching Isaiah up from behind,

"Gaah!" Because of the pain, Isaiah threw the boy overboard as his blood spilled on the ground,

"Damn, after that bastard!" The slaver pointed over the ocean before turning to Isaiah, "Use your magic again."

"Can't sorry..." Isaiah replied while seething in pain, "Mana is low, like really..."

"Bastard."

"Sir..." One of the guards approached the slaver,

"You found him or something?

"I don't think we need to."

"Why?"

"Nyans can't swim. Brats probably dead already."

Isaiah who stood from behind was more shocked by the news, he had hated this whole slave trade affair that he wished to help an escapee out but to think he instead sent him to his demise...

"Bruh..."

The commotion quickly died down as the slaver called off the hunt. The few injured were healed and the process soon went again. Isaiah peered into the ocean and found no signs of the escapee, realizing that he may be dead Isaiah offered a short prayer only to hear clawings from underneath, looking below the pier he found the child clinging to one of its pillars, shivering cold from the waters below.

It looked up and saw Isaiah peering over, the nyan gave a short nod as thanks before Isaiah waved back. He threw a lifevest, one made from cotton and cork as he deliberated between saving the escapee altogether or letting them be. But as he was pondering his next move, a bell rang from somewhere signaling the end of their workday, sailors started arriving in droves and boarding the ship while the piermen started leaving for the nearby tavern.

Isaiah wanted to look back but also didn't want to draw in suspicion so he slowly left alongside everyone else. As he looked up, the blue sky was meeting the orange shade of the setting sun creating a small pink-like color in between, he had never seen this happen on Earth but he hadn't seen much of Earth anyway. He stared into the sunset as he reflected on today's events.

"Alright, alright line up!" Their dinner had ended and the paymaster quickly began distributing their salaries. Everyone was happy after receiving their share, some got more others got less, while Isaiah got the lion's share of the reward, it was only natural, he did the most amount of work compared to everyone else thanks to his magic.

Bonuses had also been given as the ship belonged to a new customer, having been docked for two days it was already ready to set sail, an astounding feat given that most ships of their size require a week to get ready. Though its crew was saddened that their time offshore was shortened, the merchants who owned the vessel were smiling and happy, soo happy they were that they gave out bonuses to the port's crew.

Time is gold, after all, the faster they can conclude their business, the quicker they can begin the next one.

As everyone started leaving, Isaiah was told to stay behind before he was led to a merchant's guild that also owned the previous ship. It was called the Britanicca Guild and was specialized in transporting live goods, be it animals, monsters, or humans, free or slaves.

'This feels familiar.'

He was led to the second floor and as he entered the room, a smile crossed his face. One of the bronze-skinned merchants who owned the vessel was sitting next to the piermaster. He could already smell the money he was about to receive.

"Boss." Isaiah nodded to the two, "And good sir."

"I heard you were responsible for the quick loading. Your powers amazed me when I heard stories of it." The well-dressed man spoke with a soft voice as he smiled widely, the piermaster couldn't even say a word as he sat dejected. "I would like to thank you profusely, my master is most pleased with the speed of the operations."

"A pleasure working for you then."

The man then made a gesture with his hand in which a maid, whom Isaiah did not notice, suddenly arrived and gave him a large and heavy sack, it jingled when it was transferred to his hands "My masters would like to give you this as thanks to your hard work." Isaiah received the pouch and upon opening it saw 10 large silver coins, "Think of it as a gratitude, a sign of more to come."

'A sign of more to come.' He saw the man grin ever so slightly, '1,000 marks, and it's just gratitude, this guy.' He expected this to happen anyway, he knew his magic was worth more its weight than gold considering how broken it was, however, he wasn't expecting to be able to gain a week's salary in a single day.

"More to come you say?"

Upon hearing those words he saw the man's smile turn greedy for a brief second before it assumed a more peacable smile.

"My masters would like to extend to you a contract."

"A contract, is it the same as a commission?"

"No, almost... Commissions are a result of taking in contracts, once my master is satisfied with your work then you may gain yourself a commission to work personally at my master's employ and not just as a contracted adventurer. As you may have also known, commissions pay more than standard quest, I can assure you that contracts pay just as much."

"Ah, I see..." He was beginning to understand the context of taking in the quest. To think there was such a complex web in the first place surprised him the most. "And this contract, what is it?"

"Ah you will never regret taking up our offer," The man pulled out a sheet of paper from the bag and handed it to Isaiah "Now to tell you the truth my masters are already satisfied with your work and would love to hand you a commission, but as we are foreign traders we will need to satisfy the requirements of the guild. That said, once that is done we will extend you a commission immediately and without delay. Now as for the contract, we are merchants, and we travel from port to port delivering our goods to the markets, your mission will be to accompany us from those ports and lead the unloading and loading of our goods, you shall be treated of the same rank as a master but paid more than them, expect a salary of 800 marks per day on land, whilst 500 marks on sea. A bonus of 500 marks if we can complete the loading and unloading in two days."

"How long do we have to sail?"

"Oho..." The man beamed happily, "The port of Sardis lay about 3 days sail, 2 if the winds favor us."

'3,600 marks on a single trip, that is 7,200 marks per week. GG.' The sheer amount of money he could earn was making him salivate. Not only that since he gets to leave the city of Koln, it serves his plans, 'The money is tempting... But I would like to know if the guild could protect me in case.'

In this city, the nobles are indirectly protecting him, but outside, will the guild be a suitable replacement? This is why Isaiah decided to ask,

"Say... How big is the guild, I mean, your guild?"

"Oh, I'm glad you asked." The merchant smiled, he knew that adventurers took great pride in who they worked for, and being part of a large merchant's guild was more than enough to sway even the most hesitant of adventurers, "Our Britannica guild specializes in the transportation of live things, from monster to farm animals, even men, both free and slaves, however, we have started to focus on developing our own farms too, as of now we own hundreds of acres of arable land. Our guild is no small guild of course."

"Hmm." Isaiah felt satisfied, their guild wasn't the biggest as it didn't own a monopoly, or they didn't explicitly say so, but considering their 'power' and 'wealth' Isaiah felt pretty safe with them. Plus he was starting to feel that Koln was suffocating for him already and that he needed new space to grow "I, well, I accept then. When do we begin?"

"Ah, very good, very good, we shall be sailing at night, you have until later to prepare for departure."

Both the merchant and Isaiah then began signing the documents presented, though he feared not being able to read the letters written was translatable and after a throughout investigation, Isaiah found the terms to be exactly as they offered, with a stroke of a pen he signed his name.

"You will not regret this." The merchant declared as they were both escorted out of the office

"Ah, you're not mad right?"

"Why would I be? You're an adventurer and they are good customers, that said you will return here anyway... I will ask my boss to try and get you to work here, that's all."

'You have a boss too?' Isaiah was surprised upon the discovery, but right now he was on cloud 9. Everything was going well, his plans of leaving the city might come much earlier too.

'Well, well, well...' Isaiah grinned to himself, 'Looks like money is falling in my lap pretty good... Mama used to say let money chase you. Heh, I guess this is what it feels like to be chased by money.'