Gordan hurried in closing the shop. Nothing was going to stop him from seizing this opportunity. Roughly an hour passed before he was all done as he stood outside the shop waiting. To him, he was 'acting cool', though, the site would have struck any passerby as nervous and awkward.

Gordan stood outside the shop, he wanted to recover from his one-sided exchange. Still, even after an hour, his heart was thumping. The girl walked toward the area just outside the shop, her arms crossed as she glanced up and down the quiet street. She wasn’t quite ready for what was about to happen, and Gordan could sense her hesitation.

Albeit a hesitant greeting, Gordan waved and the girl replied in kind. She walked a bit closer to begin the would-be exchange.

"Do you, have it?" She asked.

“Actually...” he started, leaning casually against the stall. “If you’re looking for something really special, I know a place. Somewhere with swords that’d make even seasoned adventurers jealous.”

Her eyes narrowed, suspicion clouding her expression. “Really? And where’s this secret stash of masterwork blades, exactly?”

Gordan leaned forward, he hoped he was as charming as he was persuasive. “Trust me, you won’t be disappointed. I’ll even let you choose one yourself, no strings attached.”

She raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. “You sound like a merchant with something to gain.”

Gordan chuckled. “Well, of course I do. But what I gain is seeing someone with your skill wield a blade worthy of you. Think of it as... an investment. I can see your potential!”

Her eyes narrowed further. “An investment, huh? I don’t trust that for a second. Why would you do this for a stranger?”

Gordan shrugged, trying to maintain his confidence despite feeling her intense gaze scrutinize his every word. “Look, I’m a businessman, sure. But I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for adventurers—especially those on the rise. I see potential, that’s all.”

The girl hesitated, clearly weighing her options. She crossed her arms, tapping her fingers against her elbow, but Gordan could tell he had piqued her curiosity.

Sensing the moment was right, Gordan turned on the charm. “How about this—if I’m wrong, and you don’t find anything you like, I’ll give you a discount on whatever sword you pick. No pressure. But, if you do find something... we’ll call it even.”

Despite the unordinary nature of the situation, the girl seemed calm and well thought out. Being persuaded like this was a first for her, and for Gordan.

He flashed an awkward smile, trying to mask the fact that he was still a bit flustered by her presence. His heart raced, but he couldn't let her know that. He needed her to believe he was in control, not just some guy with a crush.

The girl’s eyes softened ever so slightly, and Gordan knew he had her on the hook.

“Alright,” she said with a slow nod, “but I’m holding you to that promise. No tricks.”

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“No tricks, miss. I’ll even bring a friend; this will take some effort on our part. Once he meets us here in a bit, we’ll get started.”

She seemed to contemplate his offer before nodding in agreement. “Fine.” With that, the two waiting in relative silence for a few minutes. Meanwhile the fading light casting a golden sheen over her figure Gordan tried not to stare.

Gordan stood there for a moment, watching her. His heart still fluttered in his chest.

Man, she’s something else... He thought. Beautiful and fierce. Is this what they call love at first sight?

Get it together, Gordan. You’re about to lead her on a quest, not ask her on a date.

His thoughts interrupted by Lee’s footsteps approached from across the street.

Lee strolled up to the stall, wiping dirt off his hands, clearly finishing up with his own tasks. “Hey, you good? You’ve been standing there looking all... weird. And what's with the girl?”

Gordan jumped slightly, realizing how ridiculous he must have seemed. “W-what? I wasn’t—uh—thinking about anything!”

Lee gave him a long, scrutinizing look, then raised an eyebrow. “Uh-huh. You sure about that? You’ve got that... look on your face.”

Gordan felt his face flush with heat. “Look? What look? I don’t have any ‘look.’”

Lee smirked. “Oh yeah, you do. That dopey, ‘I’m thinking about a girl’ look. Come on, spill it. Who is she?”

Gordan tried to wave him off, but his inner thoughts were written on his face. I am dying. STOP TALKING!! crossing his arms defensively. “No one! Just... some customer.”

Lee leaned against the counter, clearly enjoying himself. “A customer, huh? The one you’ve been staring at for the past few minutes?”

Gordan scowled, trying to push down his embarrassment. “Look, it’s not like that. Anyway, someone’s joining us on our adventure tonight. So let's do introductions.”

Lee tilted his head, curiosity piqued. “Someone’s joining us? Who? This girl?”

The two wouldn't have noticed because of their exchange, but the girl cracked a smile. Lee's teasing seemed to amuse her, at least to the degree she didn't feel uncomfortable.

“Just... trust me,” Gordan said, still trying to shake off the heat in his face.

Lee’s eyes widened in realization, and a sly grin spread across his face. “Ah, her? Well, now I’m definitely looking forward to this.”

Lee shot a knowing glance at Gordan, his smirk widening. Gordan did his best to ignore it, though he couldn’t help the small rush of excitement building inside him.

“And this is...” Gordan’s words trailed off as he suddenly realized he had no idea what her name was. His mind went blank.

The girl raised an eyebrow, shaking off the bit of her blush. Instead of letting the awkward silence drag on, she took matters into her own hands.

“I’m Eira,” she said coolly, turning to Lee with a polite smile. “Nice to meet you.”

Gordan felt his face burn as he finally remembered. “Right, Eira. Sorry. I just had it on the tip of my tongue.” he stammered. "My name is Gordan by the way, it's nice to know your name— Not in a weird way— I mean! it's really nice to meet you is all..."

Lee chuckled under his breath. “Smooth, Gordan. Real smooth.”

Gordan cleared his throat, eager to move past the moment. “Right, well, we should get started. There’s a sword waiting for you.” Motioning the whole group to open their status screens.

Eira blinked, clearly puzzled. “Wait, wasn’t that your job? To find the sword?”

Gordan’s eyes widened. “Well, yes, but you’ll be helping! It’s more of a... team effort.”

Eira looked even more confused, but before she could question it further, Gordan held a small grin. “Trust me. You’ll understand soon.”

Gordan swiftly initiated the party formation process, a bright flash surrounding each of them. Eira seemed hesitant, but nodded reluctantly, while Lee just smiled knowingly.

“Welcome to the team,” Gordan said, grinning.

Gordan quickly navigated through his status screen, selecting the accounting skill he had been leveling and—now finally at lvl 16. After a brief moment of hesitation—choosing difficult as their quest setting. Though he whispered the word, Eira’s sharp ears picked up on it.

“Difficult!?" She stuttered. "Did you just say difficult?” she asked, her eyes narrowing again.

Before Gordan could answer, the familiar bright light enveloped them all.