Tyrus and Fiona stood in front of a building that took up a good chunk of space in the plaza. Weirdly enough, the location was erected using wood instead of the regular stone, looking much out of place. The front windows sparkled under the sun's reflective rays, and a box of flowers ornamented the front. On top of the building was a hanging sign that said: Merchant's Exchange. Racks and shelves filled with breastplates and swords caught Tyrus's intense gaze.

"Welcome to Merchant's Exchange," Fiona said with a smile. "Reo, Grant, and I frequent this place a lot, so it's trustworthy. Other locations exist to sell materials besides the Explorer Guild. Given all the ruckus, I believed it best to go somewhere else."

"Yeah… I was getting a lot of stares when we left through the front doors. Felt like I was about to be hit from behind at any moment."

"Don't worry about that. As long as I'm here, I'll do my best to protect you from the others. Say the word and I'll burn them alive while you go ahead and loot their bodies."

Tyrus expected her to laugh at her own joke, but she remained determined as she moved forward. It became clear that she was completely serious and ready to follow through.

The thought of her going so far was frightening, especially since they were not that close. Already, she had done so much for him, and he had yet to repay the favor. Fiona had given him advice, food, and even a way to become an explorer.

I better work hard so that I don't disappoint her, Tyrus thought. He pressed the robes against him as he followed Fiona. Upon entering the emporium, a chime immediately welcomed them. A warm light bathed the interior of the shop through hung lanterns and chandeliers. Many ornaments were pinned onto the wall while a carpet decorated the front entrance.

To his left and right was an area filled with armor stands that housed shiny armor pieces and leather. In the middle of the store were racks of common swords of various sizes. In addition, he saw barrels containing spears, arrows, shields, and bows. As for smells, he picked up the scent of many spices and incense. The most recognizable ones were cinnamon and an earthy aroma. There was also a hint of fruit in the mix.

"Ah, Fiona, back so soon? What can I do for you?"

When the cheerful tone rang out, Tyrus lifted his head to behold a smiling face at a station. A man with gray hair stood at the helm; plastered on his angled nose were round spectacles. In his hands was a quill that had ink on the tip.

As for the station, it was wide enough for two people to leisurely do their duties. It had its own fireplace, and on top of it was the emblem of a shield. Next to the station was an area covered by two banners. Behind them was some shuffling and creaking; was there someone else in the shop? It was pretty empty other than him, Fiona, and the shopkeeper.

Fiona strolled up wearing a smile. "Hello, Clive. I take it you and the shop's been well?"

"Oh, you know how it is around these parts. Setting up shop in a busy plaza like this was the best decision of my life. Well, second only to separating from Mary. A real piece of work, that woman…"

"I'd love to hear about your love life, but we have something even more impressive."

His eyes sparked with greed. "Really now? You're not one to lie, Fiona, so I'll take your word for it."

Stepping out of Fiona's shadow, Tyrus came into the shopkeeper's view. The man arched an eyebrow at the newcomer. "Who's this supposed to be and why is he dressed like a crook?"

"His name is Tyrus. At the moment, I'm in charge of him. You don't need to worry. He's well-behaved and won't touch anything."

"Hm… Tyrus, eh? Nice to meet you, kid. Just make sure not to wander around or touch what isn't yours. You break it, you buy it–that's what I always say."

The shuffling from beyond the room grew louder and more frenzied. Soon, the pounding of footsteps echoed through the walls. Everyone turned their heads at the sound of fabric being pulled. A girl with gold hair peeked out of the folds like a mole; Tyrus recognized her.

"Tyrus? It really is you!"

He greeted Ivy with a wave as she jogged forward. "Hello. It's been a while since we last spoke. I think the last time was when you allowed me to use that book of yours. Thank you for that, by the way."

Ivy's cheeks turned red. "I-It was no problem at all. If it's you, I would gladly help you in whatever way I can."

"Really? That's nice to hear from you. If you need my help, don't hesitate to ask; I'll be right there for you."

Her gaze lingered on his face before turning to a smirking Fiona. "Oops! Hello to you too, Fiona. I hope you're doing well on this fine day."

"Oh, don't mind me. Please, continue with your conversation and just treat me like a ghost."

Clive cleared his throat, catching the three's attention. "We're in a store, not a play area. Let me see what you have so I can evaluate it."

Tyrus stepped toward the man and leveled his palm over the table. With just a single thought, he began releasing all the scales stored within the ring. Clive's eyes widened as every scale dropped onto the table. Once the last scale was out, Tyrus stepped back. The shopkeeper grabbed one of them and inspected it all over.

"Well, I'll be… How in Sthito's name did you get yourself drake scales?"

"That's a secret. If you want to know, I don't mind telling you in exchange for some money."

Clive scoffed as he examined every single one of them with focus. A silence stretched on as the man took his time, doing an array of actions that had Tyrus puzzled. He ran his hands along the surface, tapped it gently on the table, and even gave it a quick lick. After about a few minutes, he dropped them all.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"They're the scales of a lesser fire drake–a juvenile at that. You can tell by its size. Unfortunately, all of them have scratches. I'll have to decrease its value because of its condition and size. No magical properties either."

"Of course, there is a market for scales, especially for those of a draconian species like the drake. Since there are ten of them, I'll buy them off you for 100. If the scales were in good condition, it'd be 120, but you win some you lose some. Can't go any higher than that."

Tyrus stood there, wide-eyed. He hadn't expected he would earn that much sil in such a short amount of time. Compared to the ten he received before, that was a substantial amount! Buying his own meals and living at taverns and inns didn't seem so far-fetched now.

All those scales I could've gotten from the drake if I had a sack or a better ring… No, I can't start feeling regret. I should come back to Wildwood when I have the time and search for the corpse. It's practically a bag of money just sitting there!

His own thoughts were interrupted by the jingling of coins in front of him. Clive had just placed the scales on a tray and had brought forth a pouch. Tyrus watched with a hung mouth as the man handed Fiona the money.

"Pleasure doing business with you," Fiona said.

Clive nodded. "The pleasure is all mine. If you pick up any more scales–or something even better–in the future, don't hesitate to come on over. I reckon I can give you quite the bargain compared to the other sellers around here."

"I'll take your word for it," Fiona said. Pausing, she looked around the place. "By the way, you got any good gear around here? I'm hoping to get Tyrus a weapon and some leather armor to keep him safe.”

After her declaration, a silence stretched on between them. Clive squinted at her, waiting for her to continue until he realized she wasn't joking. "Oh, you're serious about that. I won't ask you for the details then. A weapon I can sell you, but protection-wise you'll have to look elsewhere. I don't have a size currently available for the young one. If you want, I can issue an order and have it sent here in a couple of days."

"We're pressed for time, so I'll have to formally decline. We'll just have to settle for a weapon."

"Hmph. Just so you're aware, I only have a few weapons a kid like him can wield comfortably. I'm guessing you'll be looking for a sword or a dagger. You'll find them on the right side of the store. If you can't find anything of the sort, you'll have to find a blacksmith to craft you one or look for a weapon through other means."

"Thank you for the advice," Fiona said. "We'll look around and notify you about our decision. Tyrus, you can go on ahead and look."

Tyrus nodded at the suggestion and turned. Locating the weapons section was easy, as the racks and barrels were right there. He walked up to one section comprising of racks filled with weapons. One of them had an array of daggers laid out while the other had swords of various sizes.

Choosing which weapon to use seemed easy at first: get the one that he was the most accustomed to, which would be daggers. Yet when his eyes lingered on the swords, he began having second thoughts. Daggers were a great weapon to have because they were small and easy to use. You just cut and thrust at whatever comes your way. He also felt quick on his feet because they were light.

However, the downside of daggers was that they broke easily and had a small reach. He had already used three of them, and all broke in a few days. Also, with his battle against the drake, he had done minimal damage to the beast, so he had to resort to using magic. Above all, swords were much cooler than daggers. The way people fought with swords compared to daggers was a stark contrast.

Speaking of swords, would he even be able to use one correctly? Because of their size, wielding one would be difficult. And since it would be his first time using a sword, fighting would get a lot tougher. Yes, swords were cool, but they needed much more training than daggers. Though brief, he had seen Grant and Reo fight before, and the way they used their weapons was completely different.

"Are you having trouble picking?"

Looking up from the rack, Tyrus watched Ivy approach with a smile. He shifted his gaze back to the rack and sighed. "I don't know which one to pick. All this time, I've been using daggers because it's what I started off with. But I want to start using swords this time around because I know they're way better than daggers.

"The problem with swords is that I don't know how to properly use them. What if I'm off on a contract and can't fight correctly because I don't know how to swing a sword?"

Ivy tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Yeah, swords require a lot of time and training to master compared to daggers. You also have to think about fighting styles, footwork, the length and weight of the sword; there are a lot of things to think about. If you're unsure of your choice, why not both? Using the dagger as a secondary weapon sounds like the smart thing to do."

"…That's a great idea, Ivy. Using it as a backup never crossed my mind. You really are smart, you know that? I remember you sharing helpful information at the cave.”

Fidgeting with her glasses, she stayed silent while he glanced at the weapons. They weren't all that special, all possessing the same base design and material. The only difference was the hilts and the length of the blade. Tyrus just grabbed a dagger with a red leather hilt and moved on to the swords.

I'll have to get a sword that isn't too big or too small. While I could lift it easily with augmentation activated, it won't be on most of the time.

Knowing what he wanted, Tyrus found what he was looking for. Immediately, he picked up a sword a little under half his stature. Its stainless blade shined under the light as he clutched it around its black leather hilt. As he expected, his muscles strained somewhat from the new pressure, but holding it was easy. Tyrus felt the urge to swing the sword but thought better. He would have to test it out at a better time and not in a store with people around.

"You look even cooler with the sword," Ivy remarked.

Tyrus gave her a brief smile before walking back to the counter. Clive had been scribbling some words on some paper while Fiona had been watching from a distance with a wide grin on her face. The shopkeeper looked up from his work and nodded.

"I see you've made some smart decisions. Got yourself a sword you can handle and a substitute blade. Is there anything else you'd like to purchase? I got some medicine that can cure ailments such as poison, frostbite, and burns. Hell, how about a toy or a game?"

"Clive…" Fiona warned.

"I was just making some suggestions. Anyway, most of the swords and daggers you see here are mass-produced. That doesn't mean the quality of steel is lacking. The sword is about six sil, and the dagger is half of that."

Tyrus shuffled inside the money pouch and pulled out the required nine sil. Clive accepted it happily and deposited it into a box.

"Pleasure doing business with ya. While I do not have the right armor size in stock for the kid, I can lead you to another store that might have them. When you leave the store and–"

"There's no need for that," Ivy interrupted. "I know the perfect place for Tyrus to get what he wants. If you don't mind, could you allow me to go home early for the day? I've already reorganized the inventory around the place and have cleaned up."

"Well, I don't see why not. You've done your duties, so I'll permit it. Come and open up your hands." Clive grunted as he dropped a few sil coins onto the girl's hand. "Go buy something nice for yourself–or for Erza. Knowing that woman, she'd be happy receiving just a rock from her kid. Maybe even a turd while we're at it."

"Thank you very much, Sir. If there's nothing else, I'll be on my way. Fiona and Tyrus, could you come with me please?"

"I don't see why not," Fiona said with a shrug. "Come along, Tyrus. Let's go get you some of that armor."

Ivy and Fiona issued their goodbyes to Clive as they stepped out of the building. Tyrus stored the weapons in the storage ring and said his goodbyes as well. Feeling utterly satisfied with his new belongings, he departed the premises with a slight spring in his stride.