Ryan couldn't help but worry for his small shop, more important though was his own life, which would certainly be in alot of danger if the two adventurer's war with words turned physical.

He couldn't really put a pin on how few static bystanders survived clashes between adventurers. Infact as a static it was advisable to pack up and disappear when things got heated between adventurers if you didn't have a guard or adventurer of your own on ground.

However, some dumb statics never learnt how to walk out of dangerous situations, especially Merchant statics, too afraid to leave their shops and wares to the whims of inconsiderate adventurers.

Fortunately or unfortunately Ryan was never known to be a smart man.

"Gentlemen, I'm sure that you could sort this out at a later time. It's isn't a good look on high ranking adventurers constantly bickering like children in the open market " Ryan said throwing a little bit of flattery there to increase his chances of survival.

Boreas seemed to snort at Ryan's words while the elf's face was completely neutral as he just stared straight at Ryan like he'd just heard the stupidest thing ever.

Turning to look at the last member of the trio who'd been totally unconcerned about the entire conversation for help — the burly adventurer who was slouched against the wall, head bent while smoking a cigar totally unbothered.

"So you do have a spine in you merchant, Your kind are usually too scared to speak when we do. Must have a big pair of clangers on you"

Ryan was surprised to hear a hoarse baritone voice, coming from the previously unconcerned adventurer. The human male now that Ryan looked at him clearly, seemed to genuinely smile at his own words as though he found the situation Ryan was in, a funny one.

"Stay out of this shitface. Merchant man over here has decided to butt in on I and boreas'es little spat, maybe I should teach him a lesson". The elf purred with a dark smile.

"Let the man be, bird brain. We've already wasted the man's time, more importantly, you've wasted my time. Which I find very insulting, and unlike Boreas over there, I have no qualms ending you over an insult. Master silver can go fuck himself, respectfully of course."

The third adventurer said while flexing his muscles, an act that seemed to have the intended effect. The porcelain looking elf seemingly losing more color, something Ryan found to be both unsettling and hilarious at the same time.

"Count yourself lucky Merchant," The elf said while looking around before his eyes finally landed on the ring on Ryan's finger. "Give me the ring on your finger for wasting I and my conrades time and we'll call it even."

Ryan couldn't help but laugh, inwardly of course. It wasn't as if he had a death wish after all, he was dumb not suicidal.

Suppressing the feeling that had been bugging him all day that the ring was special or important, he let out a barely audible scoff.

Although on a more logical note, the ring would've served a special purpose, if losing it would be all it'd take to pacify the trio infront of him.

Ryan tried to slide the ring off his finger but the infernal thing wouldn't budge.

"What's taking time Mr merchant, too attached to the ring, it'll certainly make the taking all the more sweeter. Hurry up before shitface over here decides that you're wasting his time," the elf said, his earlier bravado seeming to return as the color returned to his face.

Yeahh, Ryan was definitely attached to the ring but just not in the way that the elf thought he was. The more he tried to pull on the ring the more it seemed like the cursed object was fusing to the skin of the finger his.

"Stop playing games with me merchant, just pull the dammed thing off and we'll be on our merry way, I'm sure you don't want Boreas here, to use you as a training dummy," the elf cackled, Boreas knuckles tightening while the third member of the squad seemed to let out a tired sigh.

"I'm trying, I really am, please believe me, please believe me," Ryan begged with beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, palms sweaty as he kept pawing at the ring, while it continued to tighten and his nose began to pick up the scent of burning flesh.

"Sure I'll believe you, as soon as I have that precious ring of yours in my hand, tick tock merchant." The elf hummed clearly enjoying the view.

"Alright, I think I've been patient enough. I'll start walking now and if you fall behind twenty steps of me, best believe that you're dead, your choice, your life or a worthless bauble. You pick." The third member of the trio said as he began to walk towards the city proper at a leisure pace.

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If Ryan wasn't so occupied at the moment, he would've whistled at the composure shown.

"Ohhh come on Levi, you never let me have any fun, this nice merchant over here was just about to sell me a story about how he can't pull off a ring on his finger," The elf said with mock exasperation.

Seeing as Levi had no interest in responding, the other adventurer content on focusing on his stroll. The elf let out a sigh before turning to Boreas and nodding towards Levi's walking form, the troll seemed to get the message as he began walking towards Levi who was probably ten steps ahead at this point.

"You lucky bastard, thank your god... I'll be back." the elf said before walking away.

Ryan's heart was beating really fast, he couldn't just believed what had just happened. Here he was on his own, and trouble had already tried to find him on three different occasions already, it wasn't something that Ryan could easily understand, was it the ring?.

With the adrenaline from the fear wearing off and his heart rate stabilizing Ryan remembered that his flesh had been burning.

It wasn't really noticeable before, but now that he was really paying attention, he could tell that something was off with the finger that the ring was on.

The ring seemed to have contracted around the finger and had—, how could he put this exactly — sunk in it or around it.

Ryan raised the finger to his face to make sure that he wasn't imagining things and yes the ring seemed to have fused to his finger... permanently .

"Ahhhh, get it offf , get it offffff" Ryan screamed to no one in particular as it was only him in the shop.

He couldn't believe what was happening, a ring that he was certain was inconsequential a moment ago had seemed to gain a mind of it's own and melded to his finger.

Ryan couldn't even remember being in that much pain, it was just a little bit of pain and he wasn't even downplaying the surreal experience he just had.

Ryan took a deep breath.

Okay i need to find the devil who sold me this,—this thing. I need him to take it off, what was his name again, uhh. Yimel, saran, remi, zerun ,nooo noo... Its an F, uhmm, Frank yes, no.That's not it, Frenkie... Yeah, how do I even find him? is that even his real name?

All these things were what were going through his mind at this point.

Ryan couldn't remember a time when he was ever so happy to not have customers up until now.

I am already weird enough, what would people say if they saw me right now. Screaming at the air. Looking into space.It would definitely be a sight for sore eyes.

Ryan let out a soft chuckle at the thought. Pulling himself back into order.

He needed to be logical in situations like this panicking hadn't solved anything for anyone, at least that was the general feeling.

A quick tug on the ring confirmed what he already knew — the ring had fused to the finger.

The area around the felt normal and it was as if there wasn't anything that had recently happened around that area, which was abit weird, but he'd take it in stride.

A cursory flex of the finger revealed that the fingers movement seemed to be totally unaffected by the fusion which was a fantastic and alarming thing.

Ryan didn't really have time to dwell on the ring as the sounds of other vendors and statics around him locking up their shops seemed to echo around him.

"Well, I best lock up" Ryan said as he began to arrange his shop for closing.

As soon as Ryan got out of the shop and closed it, he began contemplating if it would be better to have a few tankards today, he certainly deserved it with the week he'd been having.

Yeah, I definitely deserve a tankard, or two. Let the onlookers continue to judge me, I need an ale and I am definitely going to get one, but before then, I have an appointment to honor.

----------------------------------------

The Siren's call was located at the upper district, whereby Ryan's own tavern — the messy inn, was located at the lower district or as most of the upper echelon would call it, the slums.

The walk into the upper district was something that Ryan loved to do as a child the buildings there were wider and taller, the architecture a marvel to look at, even the cobblestones were better than that of the lower district. The entire place was a testament to the difference between the two — or well, three sides of the city. The upper, middle and lower district.

As Ryan grew older he went to the upper district less often, mostly because he had no business there, and a grown man like him in clothes that he wore going up and down between districts was sure to attract unwanted attention.

Something that Ryan hoped to avoid today. The city guards behaved quite differently to those from the lower districts than those in the upper districts, and it was an experience that Ryan would never forget.

As he walked through the upper districts, the change in scenery and smells made him start to reminisce about the fun times he had with Leo.

Sneaking into the upper district to see their friend Maria.

Maria had been adopted from the orphanage by a wealthy family, she'd been afraid to leave the orphanage as she didn't know what would be at the other side but Ryan and Leo had promised her that they'd visit as often as possible.

A promise that was easy to keep at the beginning, but one that started to become a burden the older they got and the more the social distance between them became apparent.

To be honest, that was more of a wake up call for Ryan and Leo. The moment Maria started to distance herself from them just after a couple of months with the wealthy people.

It was enough to spur them into a motivated mindset.

Now everywhere he looked he saw the signs of his failure to break into the upper class, he was barely hacking it into the middle class as it was.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts as he got to the open doors of the Siren's call.

The building was certainly less rowdy and loud as the messy inn, where Ryan usually had to rub his ears anytime he went upstairs into his room.

Ryan stepped into the tavern, which showcased eloquence at another level.

There was even spacing of the tables to ensure privacy. The adventurers there chatted amongst themselves with decorum.

The lighting was mild and the mood was somber. Glancing around the room, he noticed a man that was dressed in a leather cuirass with a dagger sheathed on his hip. He looked similar to the mud caked adventurer from earlier. The man seemed to identify him at the door, and he quickly waved Ryan over.

With a direction in mind, Ryan began to walk towards the table were the adventurer sat, alongside three others.