Ryan didn't know what to do; he couldn't afford to lose customers at this point.

"Unfortunately, we just ran out of teleportation stones. They'll be back in stock tomorrow. In the meantime, can I interest you in some potions?" Ryan said smoothly.

"Hmm, I didn't really budget for potions, but those buggers are always handy to have. I'll take ten," the adventurer said.

Ryan hurried to get the vials packaged and quickly had them at the counter in record time.

"Here are the potions. Hope to see you tomorrow for the stones," Ryan said as he passed the potions to the adventurer, receiving a gold coin in return.

"Sure, keep what's left," the adventurer said as Ryan tried to get his balance.

"Thank you," Ryan said.

"Don't sweat it. I'll see you tomorrow," the adventurer said without much stress as he turned and left.

Ryan watched the leaving figure with surprise etched on his face; he couldn't fathom how someone could be so generous with that much money.

Prior to the last two weeks, Ryan wasn't even making that much money in a month.

He couldn't put a finger on how he felt about the charity. He didn't know if he should've been offended or if he should accept it with joy.

Surely he didn't look that bad. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he let out a sigh and a yelp as the orb on his finger seemed to glow up close to his face.

He stared intently at the ring, and it looked as though it was glowing. The details on the inner parts of the ring becoming clear.

It was as though he was looking through clear glass, whereas the depths of the ring previously looked murky.

What really bugged him more was the fact that the ring was glowing, and Ryan couldn't tell if it was because he'd activated it mistakenly or if it was something else.

Suddenly, a ray of light covered his face—red light, to be precise.

Looking up, Ryan almost slapped himself. He couldn't believe that the rays of the sun of Denair were what was making the ring glow.

The red sun of Denair was always beautiful to look at anytime it rose.

The heat caressed his skin, and the warmth covered him like a warm blanket on a cold night.

Which was all good and nice, but Ryan was more concerned about the ring that was in front of him, his eyes glued to the glowing orb.

Did it have something to do with the sun? Was he supposed to speak a blessed word now?

Was this just light passing through it? He doubted it, as the first time the morning rays passed through it, it didn't glow that brightly and look so clear before. Or was it because he was hungover then that he didn't notice?

A part of Ryan couldn't believe that he was stuck here analyzing if the sun was tied to the 'artifact' on his finger.

It was ridiculous, as he could tell that the legendary Sarinth surely designed something more exquisite than that. Surely it had to be more intricate, more complex.

Or did he make it so simple to crack so as to confuse the really smart? What should he even do at this point? What could he even do at this point?

Where was Cicero with his damned information?

Ryan almost growled at the thought; the adventurer had him out here grasping for straws while he, well, did whatever the adventurers did.

There was something that he couldn't understand: why would the adventurer offer information he wasn't in possession of? More importantly, why did he even accept such a one-sided deal?

Ryan couldn't really dwell on those thoughts as he knew he was supposed to be working.

It wouldn't do him any good for more customers to see him absentminded. He'd already suffered enough embarrassment at this point.

There really wasn't any need to add more memories like that.

A singular thought did, however, manage to break through his resolve.

What was he going to have for dinner tonight?

He was already hungry as it was, and the sun had just hit its peak a couple of moments ago. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd eaten a good meal.

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Sometimes it felt like all he did was drink, and he honestly wondered how he managed to survive on just ale.

Bad habits—easy to get into but difficult to leave behind.

At this point, Ryan wished he'd never touched a tankard. But all the patrons of the Messy Inn had, and as soon as Ryan was old enough to have one, he did.

It was a peer pressure thing. No, that wasn't quite right. Nobody pressured him into having his first.

He just wanted to feel older; turning the age to be recognized as an adult didn't mean that he was one.

A lesson he'd learned over and over again, especially in the merchanting world. At this point of his salesmanship, he'd be regarded as a baby merchant even if he was still technically a merchant.

In fact, most statics would probably say that he was nothing more than a dabbler at this point, and they wouldn't be wrong.

On occasion, some statics did abandon their given class and profession to pursue something else, and almost all of them never made it far in another field.

Which was why Ryan knew that even though he could sing his way into being a bard, he'd definitely never have it better than an actual bard. He could still go around the world as a merchant, who knows.

It was a possibility but not one he'd really entertain, as he couldn't even afford to go to the closest city at this point.

It'd definitely be suicide for him to go it alone; Leo struggled even in the company of adventurers.

Ryan pinched the bridge of his nose to bring himself to the present.

The future could wait. He had to deal with the present.

———————

The day passed in a blur, Ryan managing to close a few deals here and there.

In fact, he currently had enough money to pay back his Banking Guild's loan and buy two t-stones for his shop.

Overall, it was probably a good day, except for a few hiccups here and there and a certainly embarrassing moment he shared with an adventurer.

He almost laughed as the encounter replayed in his head.

It had started out so promising before it descended into chaos—well, a sea of awkwardness.

———————

Ryan spied the short, stocky woman walking up to him.

Deciding not to take the chance that she wasn't actually headed for his shop, he decided to shout as loudly as he could to get her attention, which started the interaction in a bit of a wrong mood.

"Get your hands on the freshest minor health potions in Denair! Only the best! Guaranteed to save your life in a pinch!" Ryan said, practically screaming each word.

"Would you calm down, yer lout? I can practically hear your voice in me brain," the dwarf said in a loud voice.

Ryan couldn't really pick apart what the problem was. He wanted to make a quick retort, but the sight of her warhammer appearing in her hand out of thin air made him swallow the words in his mouth.

"What, did yer suddenly lose your voice, or did yer use all of it screaming like a wounded jenkal?" the dwarf growled, slowly approaching the window with poise as she swung her hammer.

Ryan immediately wanted to point out that jenkals didn't scream; in fact, he wasn't sure what sound they made, but they definitely didn't scream—they were beasts, after all.

Although he was pretty sure he'd rather listen to a screaming jenkal than the sound of the dwarf's voice, which seemed like a mix between the sound of gravel being ground and a squeaky wheel of a cart.

"Something funny, yer lout?" the dwarf asked, oddly calm.

That was when Ryan realized that he'd unconsciously begun to smile, and for a hot-headed dwarf to suddenly become quiet, it meant that something was... off. Something was really, really off.

"I sincerely apologize. Please excuse my behavior," Ryan said with a polite smile.

"Aw, look at that, the lout has a voice. Here I was beginning to think that I'd gone deaf because of the way yer screamed," she said with a maniacal grin.

A grin which Ryan found a little unsettling yet so... calming. It didn't make any sense, but he believed the laugh meant that he'd gone from a violent confrontation to what he hoped would be a civilized one.

Although he couldn't really be sure, as he'd just witnessed the dwarf switch moods within seconds.

"Sorry, I was just caught by how beautiful your voice was," Ryan said.

"Aye, a charmer. The lot of yer merchants just have silvery tongues, don't yer?" she said with a smile.

"It's part of the job, ma'am. So what would you like today?" Ryan asked.

"For one, I'd love those potions of yours that you almost took my hearing for," the dwarf said with a soft chuckle.

A sound Ryan doubted that he'd ever forget.

Ryan couldn't help the thoughts that streamed into his mind. He was mostly caught by her face though.

She had a really pretty face; one would've thought she was an elf if not for her build.

"Well, I'm currently running a limited special offer. Fifteen vials for three hundred and ten silvers. Would you be interested in trying that out?" Ryan asked, hopeful.

"Which dwarf could say no to a good deal? I'll take the potions."

Ryan didn't need to be told twice. He'd already written off the chance of a deal being agreed, but fate works in mysterious ways, as they say.

Bringing the potions to the counter, coins and potions quickly exchanged hands.

He wasn't one to really care about such things as insults, but the way she called him "lout" was a little off.

It was less insulting and more... fond. It was like how you'd insult a friend or someone that you were fond of.

He just shrugged his shoulders.

"Why are you shrugging your shoulders, lout? Ashamed to see yer potions leave your shop?" she asked.

Ryan honestly didn't know how to respond to that; it was certainly a weird question for anyone to ask. Why could anyone ask that, even?

She seemed to take his silence as a yes, as she shook her head sadly.

"Don't worry, I'll put them to good use," she said as she walked away with her purchase.

Yep, I've definitely seen it all now.

There was something off with the dwarf, and he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

But Ryan didn't really care, as he had fewer vials on the shelf and more silvers in his pouch.

——————————

The smile on Ryan's face at the earlier experience was totally justifiable.

Ryan couldn't necessarily fault himself for smiling at the situation; it was certainly unique for the most part, and Ryan doubted that he'd forget the exchange anytime soon.

As for the rest of the day, it went by quickly. A few more silvers here and there, and Ursula's blue glow began to creep up as the sun went down.

Ryan made short work of packing up, although there really wasn't much for him to arrange in his small stall.

He started the trek back to the Messy Inn, the streets dimly lit by the glow cast by Ursula high up in the sky.

He couldn't help but keep humming the song from his childhood, the stress of the day rolling off his shoulders with each step.